Things I have learned about swingmills

[Nate Surveyor]

I have learned that there is a rhythm to it. Cut, swing horizontal, cut, remove board, adjust for next cut, swing vertical.

And repeat.

You learn to watch for knots, so you can slow down a little through them, to keep everything nice and even.

I also know what blade striking metal sounds like... >:(

But I have a good saw doc.

I have learned that different blades, act differently.

One of them goes to a wider kerf, when the saw rpm slows down. Maybe tensioned wrong, or different. It goes straight when at 3600 rpm.

And I have learned that I want/need a mechanism to fast release the HIGH track prop, and put it back, while keeping the adjustment.

I have learned that you really do need a system to handle the cut lumber, and the waste pieces. That stuff accumulates pretty fast. And the sawdust does too!  ;D

Nate

[Captain]

Nate, have you seen one of the newer style "slide up" high track supports??  You should have the old threaded kind.

Captain

[Nate Surveyor]

No, Cap'n I can't say that I have.

Thanks,

Nate

[Ianab]

Yup.. thats pretty much what I've learned too  ;)

And the BEST sawing is when you have BIG logs, set up around them, run through the adjust, swing, cut, swing, cut, repeat...  routine for a while. Then load out 1,000 bf and leave the sawdust in the field and slabs for the firewood collectors.
8)

Cheers

Ian

[Nate Surveyor]

OK, a few more things I have learned.

I have an electric up/dn winch. IF you drop the edge of the blade onto the log, (by accident) then, you can mess up the tensioning in the blade. Now, as you enter a log, the blade wobbles. BAD.

Also, the sawdust accumulates pretty fast. I am thinking of insulating an outbuilding floor. (pole bldg.) by placing the sawdust in the floor. tack blue cheap tarp under the floor, and then 1" chicken wire over that, and then fill the floor from the top. Is that a lame idea, or a good one? It is just a waste product.

Another thing I have learned is that a few seconds of sharpening per tooth, is better than waiting and getting it real dull, before sharpening.

Thanks everybody.

Nate

[WDH]

As to the sawdust floor, you have to be careful that you don't attract wood eating buggy critters.  If you are drying lumber in the same area, hygiene is important so that you don't attract the dreaded powder post beetle.  I think it depends on what you are using the pole barn for.  If you are drying lumber in it, I would not do it for sure.

[solodan]

Nate it sounds like you have been sawing by yourself cause you are cutting the vertical first. This is what I do to speed up handeling if I am cutting 1x or anything where I can pull 2 or 3 or 4  boards off at a time. I make several vertical passes first, then I cut the whole stack off horizontal. You don't save any walking, but you save your arm by swinging only once and then you can unload 4 boards at once. This works good as long as you don't have tension in the log and the board is trying to pinch the blade.

[Nate Surveyor]

Another trick is after removing the heart, and there are a stack of 1x on the right side of the log, and have cut both sides of a still attached cant, and I am dropping the mill after each cut, is to cut a bunch of horizontal cuts, then remove 4 boards at a time. Similar take on your above method, Mr. Solodan. I will have to try yours sometime.

To mill effeciently with a circle swinger, you have to think through all your cuts, so as to not waste lumber due to it comming un-attached from the main log. Some of these I have learned to take 1x out of, by leaving the blade horiz, and 1" up from a partially milled log. This allows me to resaw out some waste, due to my lack of experience. Still, it is a new (for me) system.

Nate

[solodan]

Another trick I do is edge my live edge boards on the mill. I may get 4 or 5 vertical 1x's off the edge if I am 8" deep, as if I'm cutting 1x8's. Then I lay these boards against the vertical face on the log and slide back out 4" or 6" or what ever and make a vertical pass, cutting off the live edge and getting a few boards out this way with out edging them later or without moving the winch up and down. overall a decent size log may yeild you 20 or so extra  random width boards that I have seen cut off as slabs and wasted before. doing this takes very little extra time and really uses the entire log.

[Nate Surveyor]

On the sawdust, how about spraying it with treatment, with copper, and diesel?

It's the stuff that you treat posts with.

Nate

[DanG]

On the sawdust, how about spraying it with treatment, with copper, and diesel?

Sounds like a good way to go from a waste situation to a toxic waste situation.

[Nate Surveyor]

Pressure treated wood is toxic!

N

[Nate Surveyor]

Somebody saw me removing, and resetting my center support the other day. They went to their truck, and got a load locker for an 18 wheeler. It has teeth, and expands about 3/4" when you flip a lever. I am trying to figure out how to install it as a center support. It has teeth, so I can adjust easily. That with a threaded screw to make fine adj would work pretty good.

N

[Fla._Deadheader]

I don't use the high-low track set-up. I use a couple chunks on the outside of the track and lay slabs or 2X pieces OVER the track tube, onto the bunks. Then roll the log onto the notched bunks.

[sawdust]

An old fella told me that you could "treat" sawdust with cement dust and borax powder. Makdes it fire and bug resistant. He did not say how much to use. Any thoughts? I was planning to use this in the walls anr ceiling of my little welding shop I am working on.

sawdust

[Furby]

Welding shop, sawdust, welding shop, sawdust.......
Guess it's just me. :

[sawdust]

Hey Furby,

At my wifes encouragement! She does not like all the welding/plasma grit all over her car. I don't appreciate it all over my wood stuff. Hey who am I to argue! The building is only 12 by 20 and is made of wood I helped log, cut and plane. I love tools! I love my wife too!

sawdust

[stonebroke]

They treat cellulose insulation with boric acid to make it fire resistant and also mouse proof. In seattle I saw an old icehouse insulated with sawdust burn, Biggest fire I ever saw. They could not even attempt to put it out. I think I would think about other insulation materials unless the building is expendable.

stonebroke

[Nate Surveyor]

Something more that I have learned, is to GO THROUGH THE ADJUSTMENT ROUTINE.

I was milling the other day, and the blade was about 2 mm higher at the BACK than the FRONT. (Front is the side away from the operator).

This did fine, as long as I was not taking very deep cuts. But, when I tried to double cut, well, I was pulling it in the horizontal, and it climbed a whole 1/2"!

Needless to say, I got to adjusting it, and now it is much better, but I wish to test it carefull, before milling more.

Making sure it is adjusted right is the key to getting the most out of a sawmill.

Nate

[Fla._Deadheader]

When ya get to sawing these, you better have the adjustments right.

   : : ;D

[swampy]

What kind of tree is that in the pic. ??? Looks like it may have some neat grain on the end

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Dat's a Ojoche. It grows with those huge buttresses or crown Roots, as Tom calls 'em. That's what holds them up, and when they rot, and they do, down comes the tree.

  This tree had a ton of Strangler Vine growing around it. Took 3 of us over a day to cut it clear, and pile it to burn. Still have a little left to tear off.

You can see part of it on the log, and the stripes where we took it loose.

  Thr grain in this tree is very plain, I was hoping for a LOT of red-brown in the heart, but, no go. It's pretty ho-hum wood, to me. We are making 2 X 5's--2 X 6's--and a few 2 X 8's from these 2 trees. Some are 20' long.

[WDH]

Isn't one man's (or woman's) ho-hum another man's (or woman's) Ah-Ha???

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Po- see bleeee  : :D :D :D

[Nate Surveyor]

OK, I have taken the teeth off my blades twice now. With screws, that I placed there. I screwed down 1/2 milled slabs onto another partially sawn log, and then, forgot to pay enough attention, and hit the screws. Nothing like it.

Anyway, I have learned the it is VERY critical to have the blade cutting almost perfect, so that it does not CLIMB, or DIG when sawing in the horizontal position. It has been digging a little, ever since I got it. I have been messing alot with it.

Another thing, is this is a 9" mill. It appears to be an UPGRADED 8" mill. The blade support bearing, that is CLOSEST to the blade is bolted to a piece of 1/4" thick aluminum. I think that this aluminum is a little too soft for the additional loads placed on it by a 9" blade. So, I intend to re-inforce it. It sometimes flexes this aluminum enough to make the face of the boards too rough. Part of this problem was the leading edge being too low, (digging), but I think I have played with it enough to eleminate this problem. Making adjustments in the 1/4 turns, and then when close, going to 1/8 turns.

Somebody's profile says "1 nail, no teeth". Ya! I tried that!

Nate

[brdmkr]

That would be my profile.  Sorry to hear you have done the same.  Trouble is, I will likely do it again.  Metal detectors just don't find them all.

[bad_boards]

12 years of professional firefighting tells me using sawduct in the ways you suggest is a major bad idea , and a building code violation

find a local horse farmer, i did , and they come and haul off all my sawdust

be well

[solodan]

Part of this problem was the leading edge being too low, (digging), but I think I have played with it enough to eleminate this problem.

Nate, you do want your leading edge just a hair lower, so that the far side of your blade is not dragging in the wood. What you should get from this is a cross hatch pattern and just a very faint ridge at the leading edge. I need to adjust mine cause the ridge has got a bit too deep on 8" passes.
Instead of screwing a slab or board to the partially millied log, screw a scrap piece to the end of the partially milled log to act as a block. This will prevent the board to be resawn from sliding forward, and the remaining wood left to the right side of the log will prevent it from sliding sideways. Then just cut through your scrap piece like its not even there. 

[Nate Surveyor]

Thanks Mr. Solo Dan.

Often I don'd even have an edge left, so a screwed on board on the left side of the log, sticking up would serve nicely. When you double cut, you want it to be as close to even on both sides as you can get it.

Sawdust.
I have 6 kids, (New boy born last wk) and the kids LOVE the sawdust. I have a small 4-wheeler trailer. I have a big plastic snow shovel. I load it with sawdust, and dump the stuff on a small hill, and the kids play trucks in it, and roll in it, and come in with sawdust in their hair all the time. Works great!

I call them sawdust bunnies. Works great! Gotta get some pics.  ;D

N

[Firebass]

I got my first full day of milling in today with my new homemade swinger.   8)   Now since I've never sawed a stick of lumber from any sawmill, so my learning curve is quite huge.  But for the grandest thing I learned today is LOG DOGS make a funny sound when you saw them   Other than that my day was a total success.  I look forward to many more and it gets me out of the machine shop.

Firebass

[Nate Surveyor]

Something else I have learned is to add a small block of wood to the log bunk on the RIGHT side of the log, so it won't TURN as you remove boards from the left side. This works pretty good. I really would prefer some ALUMINUM log dogs, as they would also help prevent sliding. (On a Peterson, you typically work from left to right)

Another thing I have learned is to SHARPEN the corners of the cut outs or notches. (and clean any left over bark from the last log). This allows the corners to dig just slightly into the log sawn, and it is LESS prone to shift. Log dogs are sometimes necessary for SMALL logs, without enough weight to hold them still.

Also, I have learned to work the throttle, so that it idles, while I remove the cut board.

So many logs, so little time! Arkansas has trees.

Another thing I did is take the chain saw, and cut out a notch in the log bunker, that me to drop a 3/4" wide, x 5" long x 2.5" tall piece of hard oak into the notch. This allows me to RAISE either end of the log, to adjust for TAPER. The notch is parallel with the bunker, and perpendicular to the direction of sawing. This is working pretty well. It allows about 1/2" lift when installed. You never know which end the butt of log will be. ( I don't like to turn logs around... solo milling and all!)

We also have quite a bit of SWEET GUM. What all uses are there for sweet gum?


Nate

[brdmkr]

We also have quite a bit of SWEET GUM. What all uses are there for sweet gum?


Nate

Nate,

Do a search for sweetgum.  Tom has a stool that he made from sweetgum that is spectacular!  He has me looking for a big SG log!

[Tome]

I haven't sawn with my ATS for about 16 months because of health reasons but I'm about ready to try it again.  My question is how many of you swingers cut most of your boards horizonally instead of vertically?  I have cut both ways but I prefer the horizonal method because I can't seem to keep my mill from jumping up and down in an 8 inch vertical cut.  I have had at times good success with it but for the most part it becomes aggravating and slow going so I just cut horizonal for the most part.

[brdmkr]

I prefer to cut vertical, but I try to cut whatever will give me the product that I am after.  Lately, I have been cutting alot of SYP.  I try to take off horizontal boards until I can cut vertical such that the center board will have the pith dead center.  If you want to box the heart, that works too.  I have had my mill bounce in the vertical in hardwood, but generally I can stop it by slowing down in the vertical. 

[DanG]

FIREBASS! Wow, that's a tremendous accomplishment, and you got the ol' "sawing the dogs" monkey off yer back at the same time! :D  Congratulations on getting your mill up and running.  It just amazes me that someone with NO sawing experience can build a working sawmill from scratch, and make boards with it.  You da Man, and I'm a fan! 8) 8) 8)

[Firebass]

FIREBASS! Wow, that's a tremendous accomplishment, and you got the ol' "sawing the dogs" monkey off yer back at the same time! :D  Congratulations on getting your mill up and running.  It just amazes me that someone with NO sawing experience can build a working sawmill from scratch, and make boards with it.  You da Man, and I'm a fan! 8) 8) 8)

Thanks for the encouragement!  I tell you,  the first half day was   white nuckles!  I'm starting to relax a bit now.  To tell you the truth if it wernt for you all, I would have been lost.  All those sawmill forum tips I keep going back and reading things I didnt understand at the time and find that they make perfect sence the second or third time.  Now I got a pile of lumber, even got some 6x6 beams with the heart in the center 8)

Firebass

[Nate Surveyor]

I have also learned to listen to the blade, while pulling the saw towards me. If I pull more on the left (my left) side of the mill, then right side, I can usually tell if the blade is running "true" with the tracks. This adjustment (done with shim washers) is critical to getting uniform material from the Peterson Mill. Also, when properly adjusted, you should be pulling ONLY on the pull handle, and find NO tension either way at the end of the cut.

Also, when cutting short logs (8.5') this adjustment is LESS critical, but, when you start the LONG ones, and you find TENSION either way at the END of a 16.5' log, check the allignment. The blade acts like a PLANE, and slowly walks you either left or right.

IF you want perfect dimensioned lumber, you MUST get this right. Typical perfect is less than one MM error, from one end of board to the other. IF you are consistently getting tapered boards, (with deep vertical cuts), look which way the blade is "planeing", or plowing, and forcing a crooked cut. Also, worn out mill wheels will contribute to the problem.

N

[Nate Surveyor]

I'm milling a bunch of bug killed southern yellow pine. I find that the logs are LIGHTER than average. Thus, they don't sit so still in the notches. They do fine, until the log is 3/4 done, then it shifts.

Any advice?

N

[jbeat]

Nate, If the log is shifting in the bunk, make sure it sits deep enough in the notch. If the bunk is moving and you have it stacked on another then drive a nail partly in on the left side of the log bunk to prevent it sliding. If you go slowly and finesse the blade through the wood you can cut down to the bunks without the log shifting or grabbing. Watch the log as you push horizontal. You'll be able to tell if the log is about to move then slow down. Also, the Peterson or Timber Pro log dogs are worth the investment. Good Luck

[Nate Surveyor]

OK, you have really got me to thinking (is this a good thing?) I could go to the hardware store, and buy some ALUMINUM nails, and drive them in, and cut the heads off.

they could populate the left edge of the notch....


HMMMMM

Thanks!

Nate