Challenging milling site

[Delawhere Jack]

Milled some oak for a client in MD Sunday. The location was right along the C&D canal. Steep drop off from the road down the driveway, and a loose gravel driveway to boot. Had to uncouple the mill on a slope and then turn it by hand. Visions of a run-away milling hitting the water, or the house below crept into my head.


 
The bright shiny new F150 rental truck with only 4k miles on it was no match for the gravel drive, and quickly got stuck. We parked the clients Jeep uphill from the mill, and attached a tow strap to it and the mill. A little insurance in case 3,000lbs of WM decided to take a swim.


 
Pivoting the mill around 90deg went without incident, "butt" it did cause me a bit of "pucker factor"  . The wheel of the mill is about 8" off the ground.

After 6 hours we had close to 1k bf of red and white oak. All manual log handling, after pulling some of the smaller pieces 30 feet with the Jeep. Some really fine red oak. 26-28", virtually no taper, and I did not see a single knot, even near the pith.

Maybe the best part of all was the revenge factor. These trees had come down in the "derecho" storm that blew through the area on June 29th, 2012. They had their day.


 
And this past Sunday, we had ours!  ;)

[Magicman]

Looks like you met the devil and looked him in the eye.   

Just a suggestion.  Always carry several lengths of 2X12 to pull the sawmill onto.  That way you can always have that wheel supported.  While sawing it serves as an outrigger to help stabilize the sawmill.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I see Yellow Tape......you didn't kill anybody did you?  :D

[Delawhere Jack]

I see Yellow Tape......you didn't kill anybody did you?  :D

I would like to exercise the rights granted to me under the Fifth Amendment....... 

[Delawhere Jack]

Looks like you met the devil and looked him in the eye.   

Just a suggestion.  Always carry several lengths of 2X12 to pull the sawmill onto.  That way you can always have that wheel supported.  While sawing it serves as an outrigger to help stabilize the sawmill.

I normally do, but I've had to change vehicles twice in the past few weeks, and I didn't have all my usual supplies with me. The largest logs were maybe 1,500lbs, so I figured we'd be ok. One of the helpers pointed out to me that the mill was shifting off of the cookie we had under an outrigger when I turned a big cant. We reseated it and soldiered on.

[WDH]

Way to persevere. 

[Magicman]

Sometimes we just do it.  8)

[WDH]

Then leave.......

[Magicman]

Again today and with some green jingle in my pocket.   8)

[Chuck White]

As Lynn said in reply#1, the wheels need to be supported.

If (especially) the lef wheel isn't supported, your sawmill can actually be tipped over while loading a log.

When it hits the uprights, there's a lot of force going on.

Once in a while I won't have blocking with me, so that's where the first few pieces of slab go!

[backwoods sawyer]

I don't get to worried about the wheel in the air thing, its on springs, lot of give there, kick some sawdust under it so the mill sits level when put in travle mode. But I do try to level the mill some when i position the mill by laying down some 1x12 for the tire because if the head is to far off balance while setting up the head will tip up on you (not over).

A large log making it up and over the log turner and being caught by the loading arms that are a little low allowing the log to roll out to the ends of the loading arms will buckle up a mill and tip it over, but that is a lot more force then loading or turning.
Giving the loading arms a full solid base when on soft ground will help.


I don't recomend setting up on rounds as the mill will walk off of them and they brake when you least want them to putting you into a tipping mill situation.

Gravel base lets the mill settle in, when on soft ground 1x12x12 make good pads to set up on, I keep four falling wedges and use as nessisary to tighten up the legs.   

Keep a long tow strap handy for when you are spinning the mill around in those questionable situations :
That way you have a tail to hang onto as the mill heads for the lake ;D

Two wheel drives just don't cut it when it comes to getting the mill into some places :-\

[Chuck White]

Another safety issue to be concerned with when there is a tire off the ground is when you might be up on the mill checking the oil or something and when you go to step down, there will be a tendency to step onto the tire!

When you do this, the tire will spin under your weight and you'll be lucky not to be injured in the process!

Your tires are part of the stability system for your mill, use them.

[red oaks lumber]

mm
in my country green makes a crinkle sound 

[Delawhere Jack]

All very good suggestions/warnings. I will keep them in mind. All except the one to use a tow strap to follow the mill into the water!  :D