Looking for suggestions on log decks.

[Bibbyman]

I've long had the idea that we need a chain feed log deck.  It's a part of our operation that maybe could be worth the cost of the investment.  But I don't have any practical experience with in-feed log decks.  

Is there anyone out there with a stationary band mill operation with a powered chain-feed log deck?

Some of the problems we'll face is that we don't have a concrete floor in our sawmill shed or into the log loading area.  And,  I can see that it may be a problem being "on dirt" as it'd be difficult to hold in place.  Second,  it's hard enough work to clean all the loose bark and debris from under the mill.  I'd suspect a log deck would soon be buried under junk too.

Size?   I'm thinking 12'

Number of srands?   I'm thinking 4..  Two about 30" apart (for short logs) and the outer two about 8' apart.

Power?  AC Motor,  hydraulic? Forward and reverse?

Log kicker?

Chain size?

Maybe the whole thing on skids so it could be pulled out to clean out debris?

Brand?  Model?

I'd appreciate any thoughts or experience on chain log feed decks you can give.

[BBTom]

I got no experience Bibby, but here are my thoughts.   I thinkyou have the four strands worked out pretty good,  on the inside two, I would fit them just inside the WM loader arms.  I would make mine about 2 feet high and use the WM loader to pull them off the deck, no need for a kicker.  I see large ( maybe 12") square tube for the bottom to give you floatation  with the top being just wide enough for the sprocket and chain to run inside for the return.  Make sure there is good square stock full width of the chain rollers to roll on welded to the top for chain guide and smooth pulling.  Size of chain would be as big as affordable.  I don't know why it could not be on skids, so the loader could move it.  In your operation, I think electric would be best way to go.  
Good luck, maybe someone who has experience will chime in and let us know the good, the bad and the ugly of these ideas!!!  

[bull]

electric/hydralic --- snow plow pump or dump piston
bedrails 10x10 oak on a wooden post deck frame.
pick up a couple old Corn chopper heads for your chains and all the gears and sproket are included. Handymans special.

I havent had a chance to build mine yet, but it is in the plans for the future, junk choppers are a dime a dozen.....
you could also try  a couple old manure spreaders rip down the sides and use the bed chains / weld on some stub fingers and replace the straight PTO w/ and offset PTO from
an old crimper will work.
 Off set shaft with chain drive sproket..... I better get started I've got all this down back and Im scaring my self as I sit here designing this in my head :

[Ron Wenrich]

You don't really need to have concrete under your log deck, as long as there is pretty good support.  I've seen some down on dirt, but it was under roof, so there wasn't a water problem.

I've run Melott and Jackson log decks.  I really liked the Jackson.  It was a 2 strand deck with a stop & loader run by hydraulics.  They use a 100H roller chain (I think).  If you put a cant on the chain, it will move faster than the chain.  I imagine they could build one with more strands.  

You could use a deadman for the fourth strand.  We have a 10' wide deck and pull 24' logs into the mill without too much trouble.  

I guess you can build a deck, but with the price of used stuff right now, it seems to be more cost effective to buy something used.  It depends if you value your time more at the sawmill end or the equipment fabrication end.

All the decks I've seen are run by hydraulics.  Better power and control.  With the right valve, you can reverse it.

An elevated deck will be easier to keep clean, and you won't have any bells or knots dragging.  Are you planning to run them to your log loader or right onto the mill?

[Jeff]

Our log deck can be cleaned two ways. We have a big hollow log we keep for this. Put a fork in one end of it and just use it to push the debri out where you can scoop it up.

We can also disconect the hydraulics and move the whole deck. The deck used to sit on dirt, but about ten years ago we poured two strips of cement 18 inches wide and 8 foot long for it. One for the back legs and one for the front legs.

The biggest thing I can say in the design of a logdeck would be make sure the railtops have replacable wear strips. All the dirt and grime from falling off the logs, then getting pushes along the rails will quickly wear through any steel. Our decks have rectangular tuping rails, toped with channel iron for tracks, and in the channel, there is that white polyvinyl or what ever its called.

[GF]

I am working on one myself, I will be using 16ft lengths of railroad track, I then plan on welding some short sides on the top so the chain will stay in the center, machine a long shaft with keyways and chain sprockets on the ends mounted in bearings driven by a hydraulic motor.  

I will run mine from the hydraulic spool valve on the sawmill control panel, since it was a sectional valve I added another, that will run the hydraulic motor to power the chain.

Not sure how the WM hydraulics are configured or if you can tap into there hydraulic circuit, could put a valve in with 12v solenoid to operate it and just mount a switch on your panel operate the valve, this would allow you to run it foward or backwards.  Just a thought.  Good luck.

[Bibbyman]

I just remembered ...

I have a 2hp 220v single phase "power pack" I think pumps 3-4GPM at 2000 psi.  Plus a two-way valve... ???

Could be enough to pull a short deck?  

[GF]

The gears are turning now Bibbyman  ???

[gmmills]

Bibbyman,

   I have a 2 strand 20' deck that is hyd powered. It's height is just below the mill beds. It is 6' wide between the chain centers and is driven from the rear. At this width, the loader arms will clear the deck rails to load the logs on the mill, no need for a stop and load. Hyd power is supplied by the mill and is plumbed with quick disconnects so the deck can be moved to clean under.  I will get some pics the first part of the week. I hope I can get them posted properly.

     Gary

[J_T]

Just help build a descrambler  we used a 3ph reduction gear box and got it slow . We got the chain and sprockets from Brown Machinery & Supply Inc 1-800-748-9801. We set it up to dump a 4x4 on a convor then sutt off with a reset in side for the next one . You could power the outside chains seprate to save ware .

[J_T]

Ops forgot the square tubing was an old sine from a service station . The one we copied the man bought used for around 9 grand ours 15 hundred bucks Course thare is more to a descrambler than a deck.

[Bibbyman]

Thanks guys for the help so far.

gmmills,  I'd sure like to see the pictures of your log deck.

How do you handle logs shorter than 6'?

Can you give details and pictures of how you tapped into the WM hydraulic system?  (Sounds like a good post for the Useful sawmill mods topic.)

[Percy]

Heya Bibby
Im thinkin of doing the same(building a live log deck) and was wondering the same thing(getting the shorties to the mill). I dont cut shorties very often but would sure get swamped as soon as I wasnt capable :D :D I still havent got that problem "Thinked out" yet. Perhaps a four strand deck with the two middle strands really close together(3 feet) and the other two about 10 feet apart or would there be a balance problem  with the 8-9 foot swelled butts???

[GF]

Might keep the log deck far enough apart to drive a smaller tractor between them with a front end loader for the small logs.  The furthest part of the deck from the mill would require two bearing and a small shaft on each deck instead of one long shaft through all of them, the side nearest the mill could stil use a single shaft to drive all the chains.

You could also build the deck low enough to straddle with a larger tractor when you need to load shorter logs.  Just some ideas.

[Ed_K]

 I'm thinkin of using an old chuckwagon. Going to put a hydrolic motor on the pto input shaft. Cut off sideboards, cut down the headboard, and use in feed mode to feed logs to cordwood processor, or back up to mill and reverse to unload logs to mill.
 Ed

[UNCLEBUCK]

I would like to see gmmills set up too ,it sounds very simple. I dont have live deck , after sawing awhile I know that the trailer house I beams I installed are ok but it would be nice to be able to metal detect on a certain part of the skidway instead of getting off tractor for each log and then back on etc.. I suppose a thick rubber cow mat bolted somewhere under each rail that could be flipped over the top of deck could be a good place for metal detection and not interfere with any kind of set up

[gmmills]

Here's the pictures of my deck
                                          [img]

                                          [img]

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                                          [img]

                                          [img]

[gmmills]

Let's try this          
                                                              
     
                                        
                                        

                                        

                                          

[gmmills]

Bibbyman,
  For the hydraulics,I split the log loader circuit into two circuits with the DC solenoid valves.One circuit for the deck. The other for the loader.This way I can control the deck and the loader with the console mounted lever. The DC valves are controled by the toggle switch I mounted on the remote console. Flip the switch one way you have hyd flow to the deck and a flip the other way you have flow to the loader. I got the power for the switch from the HYD solenoid inside the pump box. I also fused the power wire right at the soleniod lug.
    I don't cut logs any shorter than 6'. IF I needed to cut shorts I would either completely  remove the deck and use the yard loader to load the mill or possibly  span the deck rails with loose 2x's edge butted and load the logs on them

     Gary

[Bibbyman]

Thanks!

Did you build this log deck or was it "store bought"?

[Percy]

Heya gmmills.
Happennin deck. ;D Has it ever powered out from too many logs?? Having it low to the ground and being able to move it easily is a great idea. I hadnt considered that. It solves my shortie problem strait away. Thanks. Great pics.

[gmmills]

Bibbyman,

  Originally the deck was a 10' long 4 strand lumber deck built by Mellot Bros. Bought it at an auction in Tenn. last April. It was totally disassembled in a pile. Along with it in the same lot was an extra pallet of deck chain , 25 hp electic motor and two extra main shafts with sprockets. Bought it all for $1650.00

Percy,

   Thanks.  It will power out if you load it full of 12' and longer oak logs . It does fine if you keep it about 2/3 full of those size logs. I really think  that 16' long would be the optimal length.

   Thanks again ,
                   Gary

        

[Bibbyman]

Does anyone out there have a Wood-Mizer LD12 or LD20 deck?   I remember we had a new member that had an LT300 mill.

Does anyone else out there have any other deck set up to a Wood-Mizer LT40 mill?

Inquiring minds wants to know.

[Bibbyman]

Got a junk 16' 4 strand log deck with no power.

Got a 60/1 gearbox with 1750 rpm motor,  will turn 29RPM.

The # 88 log deck chain has links 2.75 from pin to pin.

The log chain sprockets has 14 teeth.

The drive cog has 32 teeth #100 roller chain size.

Each turn of the drive shaft will move the chain 3.2 feet (2.75*14/12).

What I don't have is a cog for the gearbox.

Looks like if I use a cog on the gearbox with 16 teeth,  I'd end up with a chain speed of 46.5 ft./min.  Or would be able to unload the whole 16' feet of deck in a little over 20 seconds.

29*32/16*2.75*14/12=46.5 ft./min.

Looks like if I use a cog on the gearbox with 12 teeth,  I'd end up with a chain speed of 34.9 ft./min.  Or would be able to unload the whole 16' feet of deck in a little over 30 seconds.

29*32/12*2.75*14/12=34.9 ft./min.

My problem is....  I have no idea if that's too fast or not fast enough.

Anyone have any experience with log decks and how fast or slow should they run?

How's my math??

[deadeye]

l've always thought about using a old manure spreader. take the sides off and put your electric motor on the pto shaft.  you would then have a three speed log deck with little work involed.