I've been sawing short stuff.

[Tom]

This past week, and some of last, I've been sawing firewood into boards.  This historic wood is so valuable that they are bringing in anything they can get their hands on.   As you can see from the pictures, I've been dealing with some pretty strange stuff.

Since the wood doesn't fit the dogs or the loader, this Cat ASV with a set of forks on the front has been real helpful.  I hung my skid hooks on a the forks so that we could load the short blocks.



This is the trim piece from the bottom of a walnut butt-log at Berkley.  :)I wonder where the rest of the tree went?


After trimming the rough stuff from the top, we stood it on edge and turned it sideways to be cut into 3 inch blocks.


Here is another piece showing what happens when you saw a log from the side rather than the end.  The cut is straight but not real smooth.  Rather than sawdust, excelsior is created.  It gets into everything and must be manually cleared from the guides and sawdust shoot.


Terry shows off a piece of the sideways-sawed walnut stump.  You can see the problems we would have had dogging it from the ends.  It wouldn't even fit the bunks.  Turning it sideways and clamping it against a bar that Terry made did the trick.


Here is the bar that Terry made so that we could cut short logs. The ends fit over the dogs so it can be raised and lowered. He put a gusset along the back side for strength and it held. It is light, being made from a piece of Race car rollbar tubing. We found that it needs a little refinement but it works great.

[Minnesota_boy]

Nice job!

I sometimes am called upon to saw some short pieces too, but I never have that kind of support equipment when I need it.  If I have sawed some longer boards first (usually happens that way), I lay two boards across my hydraulic lift arm and roll the short piece on top of them.  I have to watch close so the short doesn't roll and pinch somewhere, but I can load a pretty heavy short by myself.  Now and then I have trouble clamping, but usually I can find something to work.  It doesn't taske near the clamping to hold the short from rolling on my bandsaw as it would on the headrig, because the short is supported on the bottom and just has to be kept from rotating from the pull of the band.

[Paul_H]

You sure get to see and saw some pretty interesting things Tom.One of the perks of being mobile and accommodating I suppose.

It looks cold there.Are you up our way? :P

[RMay]

Tom I'm guessing this is a hourly job  not by the b.f. ;D

[Tom]

I sawed 5 pallets stacked 6 feet high of this short stuff.  It's a hard way to make Board Footage. :D

RMay,
I inventory the board footage and figure the dollars, add the hourly charge, Multiply by 1.6, add on a consulting fee, setup, broken blades plus some extra profit. :D

Yes, it is basically a hourly job though I temper it because of the outfit.  I really do like the opportunity to touch this historic wood.

[woodmills1]

When I cut so that the sawdust turns to excelsior I leave one of the blade covers off and don't seem to get the huge build up.  Don't let anyone stand in front if you do that though.

[Dave_Fullmer]

Tom, I guess I missed the reason for the "historic" part.  Tell us what makes these pieces historic.  I know you sawed the "Taps" triee.  Is this part of some site clearing?

Dave

[Tom]

The subject has been on the forum several times.  Here are some links that go to some of the latest threads.


The Taps thread link
Jeff' historic tree post

This particular trip produced wood that had been damaged by a wind storm. The Liberty tree died form old age, I think.