My first time sawing.

DR Buck · November 08, 2008, 09:13:25 PM

Today was one of those days when you wish you could wake up and find out it was all a dream. :

:

I had a two milling jobs today for customers that are neighbors and I did some of those dumb things that I remember doing when I first got my mill. :

To make it even worse they both shared same off bearers. So it wasn't like a single isolated incident.

Not once, but twice I rolled logs right off the mill trying to turn them with the turning claw and hydraulic clamp.

This amazing feat was followed up with getting the mill head stuck where it wouldn't move forward or backward. This was caused by a large piece of bark that was laying on the platform over the axle between the wheel and mill frame. I had to remove the blade from the mill and "pry" the head backward.

As if that wasn't enough entertainment for the of bearers, I then managed to flip a large HEAVY cant that had a hollow center up over my backstops where it promptly got stuck. :D I couldn't lift it high enough with the hydraulic clamp to get it off and the back stops wouldn't fold down with it hung on them. I had to get out the high lift jack and jack it up over the back stops.

Then as the end of the day was fast approaching and I was beginning to think I was getting out of there with some dignity left I pulled the grand finally of stunts. :D :D Just as the blade was entering the cant for what ever reason ??? I bumped the the down lever on the control box. I was in pattern mode and the next cut was programmed at 2". So, with engine at full throttle, forward head speed really fast, blade engaged and going down at a rapid rate I snapped the blade, wrapped it around the drive wheel and stalled the engine out. smiley_clapping.

That last one required about 40 minutes to recover from. So I took the hint and quit for the day......................................

Tomorrow I go back to finish the job. It should go much better now that I have some experience under my belt. ;D ;D ;D ;D

DanG · November 08, 2008, 09:32:03 PM

:D :D :D

That hollow log over the clamp thing is a classic! It sounds like you just had "one of them days." We all have them. I've been on a little run lately, where everything I touch tends to break. I quit touching things, and haven't broken anything since. Of course, I haven't gotten anything done, but I haven't broken anything. ;D :D :D

pigman · November 08, 2008, 10:13:45 PM

Dave , I would like to tell you that I have not done any of those things, but I have done them all. I will say that I have never done all of them on the same day. I suppose I just need to keep on trying harder. ;D

Tom · November 08, 2008, 10:14:33 PM

I have ne-e-e-e-ever done anything stupid like that. ;D :D

Lud · November 08, 2008, 10:46:46 PM

Takes a brave man to tell that on himself. We share your pain. (translation : glad it wasn't me this time)

backwoods sawyer · November 09, 2008, 12:00:32 AM

monday was one of those days!!!

It started with a 60-mile drive in heavy rain.

I just had a half a dozen logs to finish up the job, but one was to far over to line up with the mill, I hooked the chain to the truck and gave it a little pull. SNAP!!! Something broke in the front hub, CV joint area and I no longer have four-wheel drive. The mill is sitting in the bottom of a valley on a mud road that was just put in this summer.

I started cutting the log and the saw broke.

I finished up on that job and got the mill ready to move, while hooking up to the truck I dropped the front of the mill on the ground when it slid off the ball.

I got the truck and mill out of the mud road after using the come along to pull them about 40'.

The next milling site is down at the bottom of a hill along a sandy creek. With the aid of the tractor, we got the mill placed on a flat sandy spot. I used 10x10 boards under all the legs of the mill here. The rain started turning to snow as we are over 3,000-foot elevation.

After milling several logs we took a warm up brake and while we were standing around the fire the debarker hydraulic motor kicked on. (I thought Halloween was over)

Even with rain gear, we were all thoroughly soaked at the end of the day.

I drove home after dark in the pouring rain and when I went to back into the driveway, I notice that I have no lights working on the back of the truck at all.

I got at least four more days of milling up in the mountains in the south part of the county, before I will get a chance to check out what broke on the truck, and what caused the debarker to start with the switch off. I got the lights working before I left in the morning, loose wire.

I also had a log truck flag me down to get a business card, and a big walnut tree was taken down today, that I will have to haul home this week. It looks like the storm front that is rolling thru tonight will move out by mid morning with another right behind it.

pigman · November 30, 2008, 11:23:43 PM

Well, yesterday I tried one of Dr_Buck's first time sawing tricks. :

I ~~rolled~~ turned a 22inch square X 9ft cant off the back of the mill.

You would think by now that I would know to raise the back stops before turning a cant. I am glad I mostly saw at home now so I can use the tractor to correct my little mistakes. It was almost worth the trouble just to see the look on the face of the customer when the cant went off the back. I think he thought he just lost the log that he spent 8 hours retreiving from the back yard and loading on the trailer.

Tom · November 30, 2008, 11:58:38 PM

Why can't that happen when no one is looking?

DanG · December 01, 2008, 12:03:14 AM

It does! :D :D

DR Buck · December 01, 2008, 08:07:28 AM

Quote from: pigman on November 30, 2008, 11:23:43 PM
Well, yesterday I tried one of Dr_Buck's first time sawing tricks. : I ~~rolled~~ turned a 22inch square X 9ft cant off the back of the mill. You would think by now that I would know to raise the back stops before turning a cant. I am glad I mostly saw at home now so I can use the tractor to correct my little mistakes. It was almost worth the trouble just to see the look on the face of the customer when the cant went off the back. I think he thought he just lost the log that he spent 8 hours retreiving from the back yard and loading on the trailer.

Bob,

We need to figure out how to charge extra for the added comedy act while sawing. ;D :D :D :D ;D

pigman · December 01, 2008, 12:09:11 PM

That little mistake was not my fault, it was the sawmills fault. ;) The two plane clamp is so fast an efficient at tunning cants I seldom use the claw turner on cants. Now, if I used the claw turner the back stops would automaticly raise before the cant was turned. I suppose Wood-Mizer just knew some of us O'farts would not remember to raise the backstops before turning the log is why they designed the backstops to raise before the claw turner. They need to make a mill that would read my mind so it would know that I was turning a cant with the clamp and raise the backstops for me. ;D On second thought, trying to read my mind would probable confuse the mill.