BigLog Secret Sauce

[alpmeadow]

Golden Greetings from Canada

Milling alot of free of heart timber frames for past two years, so managing large douglas fir logs is a tough and necessary evil.  In the image provided, we have discovered a secret sauce to mill some oversize logs on the lt-40.

However we are searching for better alternatives, to manage larger logs quickly and safely(anyone got a cheap Peterson or Lucas available?)

See if you can figure out how we manage wider cuts?  Please note shows secret in image, but warning not recommended for everyone!

Otherwise Happy thanksgiving, and enjoy, however in Canada we had it already so are working today.
Cheers
Irv ;D



 

[LeeB]

Notch on wood, I think I got it figured out.

[alpmeadow]

You're right. Trimming large notch in log with chainsaw on mill is not easy nor recommended but the yield from these logs are fantastic.
Cheers

[terrifictimbersllc]

Set the cant on uniform thickness blocks, I use 2x lumber (1.5"), add this thickness to bottom number of Accuset pattern mode, scoot the cant over a bit, can cut up to 0.5" less than the throat width. 

But not more than about 4" deep. Can take off the guard doors if necessary so wing nuts dont interfere, get the customers on your side when cutting with doors off.

Takes extra ingenuity to flip a wide cant like this.

[redbeard]

Sure is a beautiful Old growth Doug fir!

[alpmeadow]

Thanks for your responses!
Douglas fir especially from this area, grows slow and has really good structural properties for timber framing.  Yes turning the big cants has been a learning experience also.  When we were milling 14 by 8 inch cants up to 27 feet long, we installed a fixed, remote driven roof mounted electric winch to handle logs longer than 20 feet.  By slinging the log with offset so that when it lifts the log it naturally turns with and assists the log turner.  On shorter big logs we position the Kubota tractor forks to hold up the partially turned log/cant while the log turner or clamp(necessary to minimise damage to cant surface) is repositioned to lift and continue to turn the cant over.
Cheers from Canada.
Irv