The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: crosswind on February 12, 2018, 11:27:46 AM

Title: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: crosswind on February 12, 2018, 11:27:46 AM
Hi my name is Scott.
I have been lurking and reading on here for several months. I finally pulled the trigger and purchased a Woodmizer LT40 portable mill. I'm leaving today to pick it up tomorrow.

It is great to have this site with the vast amount of knowledge and experience to draw from. I will no doubt have a ton of newbie questions. I have never even seen one operate but I have been around all sorts of equipment over the years.
I bought the mill for more of cutting for my own projects than trying to make a profit with. I   plan on retiring in a few years and want to tackle some of my long awaited projects.

Thanks, looking forward to getting started. I already have a good sized pile of saw logs cut from a couple years ago to practice on. Most of my sawing will be on hardwood. Oak, maple, ash, cherry, cottonwood and some sassafras.   
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: Dave Shepard on February 12, 2018, 11:32:17 AM
Welcome to the Forum!
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: ChugiakTinkerer on February 12, 2018, 12:08:16 PM
Congratulations and welcome to the forum!  Looking forward to seeing pics.  Learning how to post images on this site can be challenging at first, but most folks figure it out by the time they cut into their first log stop.
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: Peter Drouin on February 12, 2018, 12:25:16 PM
 8) 8)  smiley_wavy Have fun.
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: Crossroads on February 12, 2018, 02:22:48 PM
Congratulations! Can you tell us some of the options you chose? Engine, set works....
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: SawyerTed on February 12, 2018, 02:40:51 PM
Congratulations!  Welcome to the forum!   

I haven't sawn my first board with my mill!  Woodmizer Carolinas just called and I'm schedule to pick mine up Wednesday!
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: samandothers on February 12, 2018, 07:21:22 PM
Congrats on the new 40!  Welcome to the forum.  Do share your experience and we'll 'hear' the grin!

Sawyer Ted
Congrats to you too!  Joe is busy with forum folk.
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: thecfarm on February 12, 2018, 07:25:46 PM
Welcome and you will like it.
Whatcha building??
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: POSTON WIDEHEAD on February 12, 2018, 07:58:59 PM
Everybody getting these new Mills.......Thanks Donald Trump.  :)
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: Banjo picker on February 12, 2018, 08:03:03 PM
Welcome to the forum, and tell us how you like that 40.  Banjo
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: crosswind on February 12, 2018, 08:05:49 PM
Quote from: Crossroads on February 12, 2018, 02:22:48 PM
Congratulations! Can you tell us some of the options you chose? Engine, set works....

I'm buying the mill used, with around a hundred hours on it. It is a 2016 LT40HD. It has the debarker and command control and the accuset II. Powered by a Yanmar diesel. Probably way more mill than I need for more of a hobby. I have bought enough farm and excavation equipment over the years to learn my lesson on buying something that needs work thinking I would save money. Lol.
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: POSTON WIDEHEAD on February 12, 2018, 08:13:14 PM
Quote from: crosswind on February 12, 2018, 08:05:49 PM


I'm buying the mill used, with around a hundred hours on it.

Thats a new mill. 100 hours? Great buy!
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: crosswind on February 12, 2018, 08:25:58 PM
Quote from: thecfarm on February 12, 2018, 07:25:46 PM
Welcome and you will like it.
Whatcha building??

I am in need of a bunch of T&G for a pole barn I'm finishing the inside of f to make a shop.

But I figured with my vast knowledge of running a sawmill, I probably be making a lot of firewood and kindling for awhile. Lol

But no joke it is almost unbelievable how folks are so helpful on this forum. I'm sure I will have many dumb questions to ask over the next few years.
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: Southside on February 12, 2018, 08:34:43 PM
Crosswind - welcome to the Forum.  With that setup you will be making very good lumber in no time.
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: DPatton on February 12, 2018, 08:48:30 PM
Congrats on the new mill and welcome to the sawdust addiction! Having a stack of logs to get started on is great but even better is having a place to store and dry it all once its cut ;).
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: burtle on February 13, 2018, 01:08:35 AM
Welcome!

Hope you enjoy the mill!
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: GAB on February 13, 2018, 09:10:06 AM
Quote from: crosswind on February 12, 2018, 08:25:58 PM
Quote from: thecfarm on February 12, 2018, 07:25:46 PM
Welcome and you will like it.
Whatcha building??

I am in need of a bunch of T&G for a pole barn I'm finishing the inside of f to make a shop.

But I figured with my vast knowledge of running a sawmill, I probably be making a lot of firewood and kindling for awhile. Lol

But no joke it is almost unbelievable how folks are so helpful on this forum. I'm sure I will have many dumb questions to ask over the next few years.

Practice with the poorer quality logs.  It doesn't hurt as much to turn them into firewood.
Try and stay away from the log stops as they are rough on blades.
So far i've hit mine TMTTC.  (Too Many Times To Count)
Try to avoid the log clamp it is also rough on blades.
If you are like me, it will take you 80 to 100 hours, before you start feeling comfortable with the machine.
Good luck
Gerald
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: John S on February 13, 2018, 09:17:12 AM
Welcome!
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: crosswind on February 13, 2018, 09:22:19 AM
Thx for the warning Gerald. I will try not to make that mistake. But from what I have read it's not if it's more like when. Lol.
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: pineywoods on February 13, 2018, 09:34:05 AM
Try to not saw in the presence of visitors, especially other sawyers for a while. That;s usually when backstops and clamps get in the way of the blade.. ;D
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: Treehack on February 13, 2018, 09:59:12 AM
Welcome to FF.  Glad to see you starting small to get your feet wet, you can always upgrade later :D :D :D
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: Crossroads on February 13, 2018, 10:52:48 AM
Sounds like a nice unit! At 100 hours it's just getting broke in, if might even have the first scratch already, saving you that first scratch tear lol
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: crosswind on February 13, 2018, 12:17:34 PM
I didn't want to pull it all the way to Mi through the salt and wet conditions so my nephew and I are picking it up on his 53 ft flat bed with a curtain to keep it out of the elements.
Should be loading it around 5 pm today.
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: GAB on February 13, 2018, 01:38:31 PM
Quote from: pineywoods on February 13, 2018, 09:34:05 AM
Try to not saw in the presence of visitors, especially other sawyers for a while. That;s usually when backstops and clamps get in the way of the blade.. ;D

Another thing likely to happen with spectators around is changing blade and having the teeth pointed in the wrong direction.
It just does not saw. 
Gerald
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: Banjo picker on February 13, 2018, 04:07:56 PM
Quote from: pineywoods on February 13, 2018, 09:34:05 AM
Try to not saw in the presence of visitors, especially other sawyers for a while. That;s usually when backstops and clamps get in the way of the blade.. ;D

This is spot on advice.  I have been sawing for right at 10 years and most of the time when someone comes up, I shut her down.  Banjo
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: slider on February 13, 2018, 04:34:45 PM
My first mill was set up by the road . My friend i bought it from suggested i should move it back in on my place to learn without on lookers . When i got home the next weekend my neighbors had chairs set up. So much for trying to hide. That was 18 years ago. Good luck and welcome.
Title: Re: Picking up my fist mill
Post by: WV Sawmiller on February 13, 2018, 08:51:31 PM
   I wish I could get more mobile jobs by the road. Great advertising. I tend to be at the last house on a dead end road or out of sight in a pasture or woodlot. That is better for overnight security, when required, but less so for advertising. The customer still normally calls over a couple of buddies who sometimes come help, sometimes just watch. I do like making the extra contacts. No telling when it will pay dividends in the future. My son suggested I get some of these wire-legged signs and put one by the road and one by the mill when I am sawing. I may think some more about that.

   The extra eyes are nice but they can cause a dip in production and you have to be careful that nobody gets in an unsafe area. If I do make signs maybe I need to put a caution on there for that and have a little box/tray for business cards.