Operating Temperatures

[aniakhenry]

Hello,

I live in Alaska and have just built a saw shed to keep out of the weather when milling.  I would like to know  what the cut off temperature is for running your sawmill.  I can tollerate some extremely cold weather but the machinery doesn't like it a bit.  I know my snowmachine feels like a block of ice when it get 40 below and parts are much more prone to braking.  No I would never operate my mill in those extremes, just an example.  I know there will be different opinions but just like to hear when people say no to milling due to too cold of weather.  I have a lumbermate 2000.

[Tom]

Here in Florida, I don't even make an effort to go out of the house when it gets into the 30's.  I might saw on a day of 50, but it wouldn't be long.  We'de soon be looking for someplace that had some coffee and a table on the other side of a piece of glass.

Some of those midwestern guys will saw when the sawdust is freezing on the side of the mill.  I've quit a long time before that would ever happen, not that it would happen down here.

Wet doesn't make for a good day either.  Not only is it miserable to work in the rain, but the sawdust turns to mud and builds up on everything.  Life is too short.  We visit.  :D

[jpgreen]

And I'm a Californian so not much more help than Tom..  :D

You actually can  funtion at 40 below?.. 

[Brad_S.]

  I might saw on a day of 50, but it wouldn't be long.

That's prime sawing temperature! Anything over 60° is too warm.

Around 20° I'm good for about 5 or 6 hours, around 15° I'm only good for 3 or 4 hours as long as I'm out of the wind. Below that and the hydro oil never really gets up to operating temp and the saw is tooooo ssslllooowww to even bother.

[Ron Wenrich]

I've always found that anything below 10 is unprofitable.  It isn't that you can't do it, its just that the metal seems to be too brittle and tends to break quicker.  Your cost of repairs is higher than your profit.

[thecfarm]

My out activites stop when it gets down to 14 or so.Seems like if I go out at 18° and it drops down to 14 I come into the house to check the thormeter.Something has happened. I don't like to use my equipment when it gets below zero.I just can't seem to put enough clothes on and be warm.I even have heated handles on my chainsaw.Looking for some for my sawmill.  :D  Strange things can happen to equipment below zero.

[PineNut]

I'm with Tom. If it is too cold (or hot) to be comfortable, I find a project that can be done in a controlled climate, like inside.

[aniakhenry]

Wow! If I had to wait for 50 to 60 degrees I would only mill 6 weeks a year!  Just kiddin...  I just got in from milling at 10 degree F.  That didn't seem too bad but not sure I would mill much colder.  Thanks Ron for the temp. advice. 

It seems that my Lumbermate needs an idle adjustment as it wants to die when it is colder.  Probably running leaner.     

JP Green,  My cut off temperature for checking my trapline is 30 below.  I leave the house in the dark at 7:00 AM and aim to be back by 9:30 PM.  The problem with going out at 30 below is that the temp doesn't have to drop a whole lot more before it gets potentially dangerous.  As long as your prepared and have the safety equipment it's not bad.  Going out with someone if a real good idea.  ;D

[jpgreen]

Holy cow you're a trapper?  That's cool..  8)

I just cast up some nice 430gr thumpers for my 45-70 guide gun.  Now I need a moose or grizzly..  ;D

[sawguy21]

I worked in northern Alberta for 6 weeks, we had to wait until noon for the temp to get above -40C before we could roll aircraft out of the hangar. Not doing that again  :

[Minnesota_boy]

I've run my mill at -20F a couple of times but the oil gets too stiff in the motors and bearings.  I kept tripping the circuit breaker when I would raise the head while returning the carriage.  Waiting for the breaker to reset, I would start to get cold and need to work faster to keep warm, but then the circuit breaker would trip again.  I've now set my limit at -15.  Colder than that, I stay home.

I never had any touble with breaking anything at that temperature.  Sawdust would cake up on the mill and require chipping out occasionally.

I really prefer to saw when it is between 30 and 50.  I can put in a full day and get great production.  Rainy days are best for production.  Nobody stops you to chit-chat.  ;D 8)

[jpgreen]

You guys are tough..  ;D

[Coon]

Hey Aniakhenry.   I hear the prices of beaver and muskrats are up.  My neighbour who traps every winter said that he is getting up to $6/ muskrat.  He just started the other day and he has gotten over 60 already.

We tend to only saw lumber up to about -15 Celcius.  We don't need to go any colder for that job cuz there's always something else waiting to be done like firewood or logging.   ;D

Brad.

[Burlkraft]

When ya got nuthin' but manual equipment ya don't have ta worry about the oil warmin' up..... :D  :D  :D

[solodan]

I like working anywhere between 30 degrees and 60 degrees. So I guess I should be getting more stuff done,  : that is at least 9 months of the year here. ;D Even when we get those 3 or 4 foot dumps it is usually between 30 and 32 degrees.

[Engineer]

My favorite sawing is on a sunny day in early March, when it's right around 30 degrees out and there's a bit of snow on everything.  Much colder than that and I'll pass.  Right now it's ideal firewood and sawing weather - 40 to 50 degrees daytimes.  Much warmer than that and I'll find something else to do.

[ely]

it does notget too cold here for very long at a time. knock on wood. i worked outside in the cold here once when it was 17 below zero. not fun at all. but i was not milling then, mostly i was looking for a warm place to hide. i am glad that cold does not happen every year.
my cousin lives in fairbanks and tells me about cold, thats good enough for me.

[jackpine]

I have sawn, per customer request, when the morning temp. was -15°F and it barely got above 0°F during the day. Didn't enjoy it and won't do it again.

Now I set a morning temp. limit at 0°F and it should rise to at least 15°F during the day with sun and no wind. If it's going to be cloudy with a stiff breeze and high humidity I want it to be at least 25°F during the day as those days seem even colder to me than the 15° days that are calm and sunny.

Since I had the heart attack in Sept. and they say extreme cold is harder on the heart I have the perfect excuse to tell my customers " wait till it warms up a little " :D