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The Greenhorn's initial sawing season 2019-20

Started by Old Greenhorn, May 06, 2019, 08:10:34 PM

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Old Greenhorn

Oh my gosh this rain is killing me! Poured again last night and we had a surprise visitor from Texas for the night. All I got done was to trim the tarp again, and get a chestful of ice cold water down the inside of my jacket. Great night.
 Only rained for the second half of the day today, so I went down after work and finished all the lag bolts before dinner. I started clearing the ground so its easier to do the fine leveling working on my knees, maybe tomorrow. It should be dry all day without the rain starting until an hour before I leave work.  ;D >:(  Anyway, the bolting up seemed to straighten things a little more. Tomorrow night I hope to get more of the wedge leveling done, maybe done. I gotta get a log up because it's pretty close. This chinking away a tiny bit each day is killing me. I might get sick on Friday because it's my birthday. ;D (but of course, it's supposed to rain.)
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

thecfarm

Quote from: Old Greenhorn on May 14, 2019, 09:00:59 PM
 It should be dry all day without the rain starting until an hour before I leave work.  
I was thinking,there about time, dry for a day,than I got to the hour before I leave for work part. :( 
I have been getting rain here too,as in the weather thread. I had 2,yes,2 days of dry weather. 8)
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Old Greenhorn

We had one, Saturday. I need to take half a day and lower that tarp and hem it up, then add some more lines. I just don't have enough daylight in the evenings to get it done. This weekend I only get one day to work, the other is tied up. I am getting frustrated. Frustration leads to haste, and haste makes waste. Beautiful morning here now, and I am off to work. ARRGGGHH!
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

Brad_bb

Are you cutting hardwood or softwood @Old Greenhorn ?

I only cut hardwood -Ash, Walnut, Cherry, Honey locust, Osage, and a little oak.  I cut a lot of beams up to 25 feet on a manual mill (LT15).  I don't use a toe board.  Most logs 16 feet and under I use my 60" cant hook as a lever against the mill rail and under the front of the log to lift and shove wedges under the first cross bar.  I do have the toothed wedge that Yellowhammer described, but I've used home made wood wedges too.  Logs too heavy to lever by hand, I use my forklift to lift the front end of the log to put the wedge or wood blocking under.  Additionally, as I learned on the forum, putting the small end (top of the tree) at the start of the mill makes life easier most of the time.

How do I measure to center the pith?  My cross bars sit above the side rails 1".  So I have a board that is 1" thick that can span from rail to rail.  Since the end of the log is typically hanging between two cross bars, I stick the board at the front of the log and use that to measure the height to the pith.  Then you take the board and go to the butt end of the log and do the same thing.  Look at the difference in height, and adjust the front end with wedges as needed to get them to the same height.  

Example.  If the front end measure 8 inches, and the back end measures 9 inches.  That's one inch difference.  So theoretically you'd raise the front one inch.  Logs have taper though, and the pivot point (your last cross bar) could be at the very end of the log, or it could be 2 feet from the end.  So what you'll find is that the amount you need to raise the front end is less than 1 inch, depending on the amount of taper and where the pivot point is.  Likely in this situation, the correct amount will be between 5/8" and 7/8".  After doing this a bunch, you will get a good feel for it and be able to nail it most of the time on the first go.  If your pith is off center 1/8" or 1/4" when you're trying to center it on a fair sized log, it's not going to be a big deal.

What if your pith is way off center at each end?  And maybe not in the same direction at each end?  Then you do what you feel is right.  If I'm making a beam and some jacket boards and the pith is 2 inches up at one end and an inch and a half down and and inch and a half over at the other...Then I have to consider what I'm making.  If my goal is a beam, I might decide to  ignore the pith, and center the diameters approximately on each end.  I use the same board to measure the dia at both ends, or approximate if they are not round, find the center height and level the log to those measured centers.  After a lot of practice, you can eyeball how much shim you need on the front end and get pretty close.  You may still need some wedge to adjust it a little more.  For example, I may start with a 2x4 block under the front end or a 3/4" or 1/2"?

So the beam in that scenario may remain fairly stable as it dries if it's Walnut, or may check and move in one or more directions if it's oak.  In those cases you may want to cut it a little bigger so that later after it has dried and moved some, you can remill it back to the size you want.  I have a mill beam planer that I use for that job too.  The jacket boards you get off that log may or may not stay flat as they dry, depending on species and internal stress and if you have weight on them as they air dry.  

I've become very fast with my tape measure and dividing and figuring how far I need to move the small end, to level the pith or the diameter.

To your other question- to rotate your log 90 degrees after the first cut or 180?  I started out rotating 90, which seems logical at first, but I learned from the other guys here that 180 was the way to go.  The reason is keep the weight of the log symmetric to make it easier to handle rotating it and clamping it.  Additionally, one you have two parallel sides, and then rotate it up to do the first of the other parallel sides, and have to center the pith or the dia, it's much easier to measure not just the ends, but to see if you're going to get wane in the middle and need to adjust your center (which you'll base your initial cut on) to not have wane even if it means a slightly off center pith.  I hope that's clear?

Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

trapper

I take half the taper off each side.  If the taper is 1  inch  use the wedge or toeboard to raise the log 1/2 inch.   Lower  toeboard or remove wedge turn log 180 degrees and make second cut.  Then do the same for the other 2 sides. 
stihl ms241cm ms261cm  echo 310 400 suzuki  log arch made by stepson several logrite tools woodmizer LT30

Old Greenhorn

Thanks gents, Learning here everyday. Brad, yes you were quite clear, in fact as I was reading I was nodding my head because it all made sense and matches what I have slowly figured out for myself. You confirmed everything I had figured would work best and how the geometry works out when leveling.I had even, just the other day decided that the 180 flip was, for me, the way to go. Doing that was how I found my swoop problem, which forced me to figure that out before I move on. It's very good to get confirmation that I am on the right track and not taking a wrong turn. I did have a scissor jack in my watch list on fleabay for the leveling, but didn't order it yet because the wood wedges are working well. My only issue there is lifting an 800# or more log to start the wedge. Only hand tools here, and even with a cant hook it can be hard to lift and hold the log while reaching in to set the wedge. So I may still get that jack but I am focused on the process and how I do things right now, I can streamline once I have improved my understanding. At this point I really believe it is possible for me to get out a timber of decent length and have it straight when it comes off the mill. I have 24' of bed and I would like to use it for something besides a tool rack. :)  The sun is shining bright as I sit in my office and it is killing me right now. ARRGHH!
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

btulloh

Sounds like all you need is a little spare time and some cooperation from the weather.

Those little scissor jacks are only $15 brand spankin' new and the little trolley jacks run about 25-30$ when their on sale.  
HM126

Old Greenhorn

Brad, I forgot to answer your basic question. Up till now I have done hardwoods, ash, white oak, and maple, with maybe a little red oak. I will be working on hemlock in a month or so and I have a couple of rotten pine logs of good size that I am going to open up because I think there are some timbers hiding in there that I can use for some short creek bridges for the UTV trails. Maybe get the planks out of them too. If they are junk, they just go over the bank, which is where they would have gone in the first place. I might get some posts out of them for drying racks. Never hurts to take a look and one of them is about 18' long, so it would be a good test of how flat that bed really is. If I mess it up, it is a small loss. If I don't mess up, I may wind up with a 12x12x18' that I have to find a use for.
 Yes btulloh, I know those jacks are cheap, but I am holding up long enough to see if I really need/want one. Sawmills have a way of collecting tools and I am only trying to get what I need and use. Otherwise that mill shed I built will be full up with stuff I am not using. As it is, every time I am up at the shop I see stuff and say 'maybe I should bring that down to the mill in case I need it.' I will wind up with a duplicate set of tools there at some point, but I am trying to avoid clutter. Also, I am cheap, so I wait a week and see. I don't have side access the operate that jack under the mill, it's on timbers. SO I might actually be wanting something different. I won't buy until I have figured out the right solution for the issue. Slow and steady. Heck, it took me a year to decide on which chainsaw pants I wanted to buy, and now that I have ordered them, even before they arrive, I am second guessing myself. Sometimes I hate me. ;D
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

Old Greenhorn

Well I managed to get a whole hour and a half at the mill tonight and got the bed as straight as I could. I cut the short log I had on the bed and it is straight as I could check it. I am using a 4 foot level as a straight edge and it now comes down to the imperfections in the edge of the level. I think It's time I dropped the machinist mindset and went to the woodworkers mind set. Maybe it will show up clearer on a longer log, but I had no time for that tonight.
 Next issue is squareness. My logs clamps don't really seem to hold the log square. i am not sure if they are damaged (bent) from use or if it's something else. I haven't really worried about it too much because of the bigger issues, now it's time to figure this out next. I have to check if the clamp bars are square to the bed first. If they are, I'm not sure what to do next. It's one thing if board edges are a little out of square, but on a 6x6 it's a real problem. I really don't like these clamps at all and immediately had to start coming up with work arounds to get them tight. I have to put shim boards under the clamp side to get them to hold a board flat against the clamp. They are fine on logs for the first and second side, after that, not so much. No pictures just yet to explain. I didn't have a camera tonight. I'll just keep poking along on one issue at a time. 
 Anyway, i wound up with a bunch of random boards from what was on the mill and what I had started last weekend. I am trying to clear the decks, clean up the area, nail down my handling process, get a stump dug up that is really in the way on the side of the mill and make things more workable. I think I may take a vacation day Friday and just enjoy my birthday working on these issues. At my age birthdays are just a reminder that I am getting old, so I might as well get some enjoyment out of it, especially after the week I've had.
 Here's an old photo from my gallery that may give an idea of the clamp design.


 
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

Old Greenhorn

Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits. My Dad used to say that. The point was that sometimes you have to stop, sit down, and look or think things over. That was my goal tonight.
 I had to teach this afternoon, so I got home late and there was little time to get into anything so I figured I would go and figure out what I want to do tomorrow, what I will need, make a list and think things through. But aww, when I got down there I saw the wind today had broken one of the ropes on the tarp and the whole thing is flipped over the ridge. Sometimes I feel like I can't even win at losing. Didn't feel like getting to work on it now, that can be an early morning task, not a big deal, just wasted time...again. I made a list of stuff to haul down, call it spring supplies. I have a recycled ikea desk that will become an outdoor workbench, I want to bring the camp stove and supplies to make coffee (no coffee, no workie) and some other odds and ends. Then I went and checked out some short logs I want to skid up and mill tomorrow. The goal is to do my first 'paying job' for a co-worker. He needs enough siding to build a smoker. 5 foot long 3/4 boards of random widths from ash. I have some dead logs I took down last June that should do the trick and if they don't I have other better stuff I would rather not use on this job. The price is the cost of a saw blade. These are logs I would have made into firewood otherwise.
 I am fairly happy with how last night's work turned out so I want to do this run and see if things go well. Then decide whats next.
 I also have a lot of cleaning up and organizing to do around the mill just to make me happy and make it easier to work. (LOTS of trip hazards.) When I got the mill I never guessed how much work there would be in just making a usable work area. Lumber stacking is another issue I am still wrapping my brain around with all the random lengths and sizes I am producing as I learn. I knew there would be a lot of details and I knew i would miss a lot in my plans, but I am surprised at just how much there is to do. It's only mid-May, but I feel like I am behind already. Tomorrow is Norwegian Constitution Day and I plan to celebrate it down at the mill doing what I want.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

doc henderson

well happy Norwegian const. day.  and happy birthday as well.  hope you get your 3 day weekend
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Old Greenhorn

Well, its been a long day. I did not fly the flag today as it was going to rain, and it did, oh boy! I got down to the mill at a reasonable hour and brought down some of the necessary comforts I had been looking to add, like a workbench to lay tools on and such. Also brought a camp stove, coffee pot, some fresh water (forgot the coffee). I had to first get the tarp back up and this time I put more effort into trimming it off so it drains better. Having all in order, I got to work.
 The tarp is back up.


 

The Employee break room is prepared.



 

So first order of business was to cut the promised order for my co-worker. I wanted to get that done before I started playing with fun stuff. I plain milled a 6' ash log and centered the pith over a 2" slab that was left on the first log. I noted that the mill is much more rigid, totally different from when I first started. All these little tweaks are paying off. It is much more rigid, I hardly get any shake on the wide boards now. I should have checked my thickness consistency, but i didn't. It looks good on 3/4 boards.  I had to keep an eye on the clock, my daughter was taking me out to lunch for my birthday. Around 11 it started raining, I couldn't hear it with the mill running, but working near the edge of the tarp at times, I felt it. Then as I was resetting clamps, the tarp decided to dump about 2 gallons of pretty cool water in the middle of my back. I was soaked. I finished off that log, came up, got a dry shirt and went for a lovely lunch with my daughter. It rained hard for a couple of hours. I got back to the mill around 2 and took that 2" slab and made a quick outdoor fire-pit cocktail table for my neighbor, he needs one. I forgot to take a photo, it took about 20 minutes. I ran the table up to his yard and on the way down found a red oak stump that I cut a 20" diameter by 18" long round off of to use for a table pedestal down at the mill. That's my little coffee table now, with the rest of the 2" slab on it. Didn't take a photo of that either, its ugly and functional. Then I hooked up the arch, headed down to get another ash log because the rain was done. I brought that up and this one went quicker as I learn the mill and what I can and cannot get away with to make time. Then I edged all the boards. Pretty quick math says I made about 80 board feet. Not very much, but it does go out to a 'customer', so that is a first.

Stack on the left will get loaded Sunday night to deliver Monday morning. All ash. The stuff on the right is all maple and I have no idea what I am doing with that..... Yet.


 


The weekend office.



 


The view from the office.



 

Tomorrow I am going to focus on purely fun stuff. I have no idea what that will be yet. :)
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

btulloh

Happy birthday OGH. Sorry you had to spend it in the rain, but it looks like you made the best of it. You're getting the creature comforts dialed in as well as the mill. Good deal. I bet you won't forget the coffee tomorrow.

You probably oughta sticker that lumber in the morning rather than leaving it dead stacked til Monday. It'll probably be a nice shade of green by then.

Good progress. Take the rest of the day off. 😁🥃
HM126

btulloh

I apologize if you've already covered this, but are you planning to build a shed over the mill right away?
HM126

WV Sawmiller

OG,

   Happy birthday and Happy Noggie Constitution Day. Did you wear your fancy outfit with the silver buckle shoes and the little knife on your belt? I remember working in Kristiansand in 2007-2009 and found the fancy embroidered aprons the women wore indicated their village and maybe some family associations. My wife took a year LOA from teaching and joined me there and we had a real good time.

    Keep plugging on that mill and you will learn something new every day and will every log. Remember - some lessons are cheap, some are costly. As long as you or nobody else gets hurt and you learn it was worthwhile.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Old Greenhorn

Quote from: btulloh on May 17, 2019, 08:18:51 PM
Happy birthday OGH. Sorry you had to spend it in the rain, but it looks like you made the best of it. You're getting the creature comforts dialed in as well as the mill. Good deal. I bet you won't forget the coffee tomorrow.

You probably oughta sticker that lumber in the morning rather than leaving it dead stacked til Monday. It'll probably be a nice shade of green by then.

Good progress. Take the rest of the day off. 😁🥃
I didn't really 'forget' the coffee, I didn't plan on making any. By the time I had it all set up after doing more important stuff it was mid-afternoon. Every thing is good to go for tomorrow though. :)
I don't think that lumber is gonna move a bit except for the slab that already split right after I cut it. That tree was dead for 15 years before I took it down last June and had been laying in 6 foot logs for a year. It is what it is, and he gets what he gets. I figure he got a days labor out of me so he can be happy with what I deliver for the cost of a blade.  ;D
 As for a shed cover on the mill, I had just begun to think about it, but that would take a huge toll on the time I have available if I were to cover the whole mill and bed. I have been considering using my cast off lumber to build a little garage for the mill itself with double swinging doors on both ends. Right now I tarp it every night and all winter long and it is staying clean and healthy, but  garage would be nicer. I am not sure where I am going with this in the long run or even how long I will hold onto the mill or be able to use it. The big summer project may be to build a stage for my neighbor so he can host house concerts in the warmer months. That will require a lot of work for setting up a firm deck to build off of because it is marshy where the stage will go. Maybe in the fall I will work on that garage to have in time for next winter.
 Now that I am getting my process more refined and understood I seem to be getting faster. I only did about 100 BF today, but I didn't kill myself doing it and I did a bunch of other stuff besides with a 2 hour lunch.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

Old Greenhorn

Quote from: WV Sawmiller on May 17, 2019, 09:02:31 PM
OG,

  Happy birthday and Happy Noggie Constitution Day. Did you wear your fancy outfit with the silver buckle shoes and the little knife on your belt? I remember working in Kristiansand in 2007-2009 and found the fancy embroidered aprons the women wore indicated their village and maybe some family associations. My wife took a year LOA from teaching and joined me there and we had a real good time.

   Keep plugging on that mill and you will learn something new every day and will every log. Remember - some lessons are cheap, some are costly. As long as you or nobody else gets hurt and you learn it was worthwhile.
Actually WV, its called a 'Bunad' and the traditional clothing varies for both men and women from commune to commune (County to county) very much, not just the aprons. I was in Mandal in '93 and caught the parade they had to celebrate the bunads. There was group from every county in the country and the variations were amazing. No, I lack the funding to have my own bunad and it would not look good covered in sawdust and mud anyway.  ;D :D :) I do, however, have the knife. That beautiful knife that you have seen is traditionally given to a young man at the time of his confirmation. The one I have was given to my grandfather around 1878 or so. He gave it to my father when he shipped out to the south pacific during WWII. My Dad made a harness that would allow the knife to hang on is back between his shoulder blades under his shirt. His thinking was that this would be the only weapon he might be left with if he was captured. He wore it anytime they were on patrol. I have that knife on the shelf in front of me as I type this. It means a lot to me. This one has an ivory sheath and silver finish work.
Yes, I think that's why I enjoy the mill, constant learning. Came close to hitting the clamps a few times today, but I am getting better and no sad stories to tell from the day. It was a good way for an old guy to spend his birthday, out of sight and out of mind just doing simple work.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

WV Sawmiller

    Thanks for the history lesson especially more about the knife. I know that is a real treasure to you especially with the family history related to it. :P

   BTW - I'm sorry I did not learn much Norwegian but I did learn that the hospital was the Sykhus (Sick house) and the Radhus (Red House) was typically the equivalent of our local courthouse. ;D
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Old Greenhorn

What Norsk I knew from my whirlwind visit in '93 has been largely forgotten save a few expressions and greetings. I do recall when I was there one of my cousins was helping me expand my tiny vocabulary and taught me the word for Mustache, which is something like 'snorebracken'. Literally translated, this means 'snot break' in English. That one I don't think I can ever forget, the visual is too vivid. I think he was pulling my leg, but I will likely never know.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

DbltreeBelgians


Old Greenhorn

SO in yesterdays post I said I would focus on fun stuff today. I have some crotch logs I wanted to open up and perhaps make table slabs out of. That never happened. I got to the mill fairly early and made my first pot of coffee, then sat at my desk and contemplated what I wanted to do first.
My desk:


 

The first thing I noticed was a stump I right on the side of the mill rail that I have tripped on 100 times and interferes with rolling logs up on the bed. It's a real pain, so I thought I would get it out of the way. That took a while, but it makes things so much nicer and easier, and safer.



 

Then I looked at the mess of filches and junk scraps so I loaded up a few piles to bring up to the neighbors fire pit. I did some other general waste cleanup.



 

Then I took a break to think and realized I really needed to make a proper air drying skid. I hated to use good lumber on it (I am thrifty) but I needed to get it done, so I built a 5' x 12' skid and bolted it all together. Then I stacked the little bit of good lumber I have on it and put a loose cover on it. I will work more on the cover in the evenings. Shortly after that, my 3 grandsons showed up to teach me how to properly celebrate a birthday.
 They are 3,4, and 5. They helped me clean up for the day before they let me take them for a ride in the mule.



 


 They, of course had to take some time to make sawdust drawings and such.



 


Then we went up to the house for Pizza and cake. When they headed home we went over to the neighbors for a campfire and some adult beverages. I got up at 5, now it's 11:30 and I am pooped and headed off to bed. Tomorrow I will at best get a half day to work, then have a family commitment. The weekend went fast, but I am already planning next weekend. I am really happy with how the mill is working and I can now throw up a log and cut out what I need fairly quickly. This is good. I am looking forward to putting up some larger and much longer logs to see how they cut and how flat and square they come out.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

doc henderson

good god man!  is the middle child with the red hair a little OG or what.  looks like you had the best kind of BD.  congrats.  glad things are going good.  sometimes you need a little down time to get more productive time later.  I am also sure that it will not be a 1,000 bf day of production that the grandkids look back on and fondly recall someday after you are gone.  God Bless.  Wish I lived closer and you had another chair and coffee cup there, I would join you! looks very peaceful.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Old Greenhorn

Quote from: doc henderson on May 19, 2019, 12:06:52 AM
good god man!  is the middle child with the red hair a little OG or what.  looks like you had the best kind of BD.  congrats.  glad things are going good.  sometimes you need a little down time to get more productive time later.  I am also sure that it will not be a 1,000 bf day of production that the grandkids look back on and fondly recall someday after you are gone.  God Bless.  Wish I lived closer and you had another chair and coffee cup there, I would join you! looks very peaceful.
The middle one in the photo is the oldest and the one I call the thoughtful sensitive one. (left to right they are Dylan, Ben, and Reilly.) They are all great kids and all very different.
 Yeah, these visits are always fun. Lots of questions.
 The main design criteria for the mill has always to be create a place to relax through productive simple work and healthy exercise. That has been achieved all along the way. Having some upsets along the way is part of the game and I never expected anything different. I just deal with it and move on.
 I do have another chair, but you are correct, I do need another coffee cup. I take mine black, so I guess I should get some powdered creamer and sugar to have handy.  I do have to say, I was worried about over cooking that first pot, but it came out prefect, Drank it all day.
 Full overcast this morning and we have this big dinner at Church in the early afternoon. Looks like some rain headed in. I will just go down and bring up that load to put in my truck for tomorrow's delivery. I'll try to get the grass cut and some other domestic chores. Then sit and figure out what I am doing next. For me that is the fun part.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

alan gage

I ran into some of the same frustrations last year when I got my mill up and running. All I wanted to do was mill logs but soon realized that unless I had a good base to stack the lumber and a good place to store it while it air dried than there wasn't much point in milling it.

So I spent most of my free time at the mill site cutting up junky cottonwood logs and making lumber pallets and grading the land for a 24x40x12 open sided carport and framing a 12' wide lean-to roof on one side. Every time I'd think it was time to start milling the good logs I'd realize something else I should do first. It got a little frustrating at times.

Keep plugging away and you'll soon be there

Alan
Timberking B-16, a few chainsaws from small to large, and a Bobcat 873 Skidloader.

doc henderson

I learned to put cream in my coffee while I lived in Albany, NY.  So like sweet tea in the south, everyone seems to put cream in coffee (pronounced "coo-off-eee") so if I come to visit, might need a cow on standby!!!   8)
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

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