Yesterday's job (s)

moosehunter · January 07, 2016, 04:55:49 PM

Went about 20 miles yesterday to saw some barn beams. I had been on the phone more than once and explained about nails and other foriegn objects in beams. I also explained how the beams needed to be staged. I get there and the beams looked like Paul Bunyan his self had walked away from a game of pick up sticks. Every available piece of level ground had white oak beams of various lengths laying in every position possible! He thought we could just load them by hand.
I left him with a better understanding of how to get ready for my next visit and a clear vision that I am not lifting those beams!
Luckily today's job was ready and available so I went and did his pile of locust and bass wood yesterday .
At least the day was not completely wasted.

drobertson · January 07, 2016, 06:45:49 PM

sounds like a mess for sure, amazing how some folks just don't get it,

Chuck White · January 08, 2016, 05:40:57 PM

I has a White Cedar sawjob that looked about like what you described, a few years ago.

There were Cedar logs scattered over about 1/2 an acre!

A few were in a pile, at that point I told the guy that I didn't expect a pile of logs, I expected a stack of logs, and described a what a stack looks like, and with that he got P.O.'d, so I left and didn't return!

Peter Drouin · January 08, 2016, 06:30:34 PM

When I was on the road sawing, If the logs did not look like this I would go to the next job.

And I would have them put the centers a of the logs to line up. Not have all the ends even to one side.
But if I had to I can move the logs left or right with my log shifter. ;D

Banjo picker · January 08, 2016, 10:08:11 PM

Nice lookin stack there Peter. 8) I would saw em. Banjo

Ocklawahaboy · January 09, 2016, 12:35:07 AM

I was almost ignorant and asked what the upside down dolly was for, and then I saw it. Great idea!

Sixacresand · January 09, 2016, 07:49:39 AM

It seems like folks with the best log handling equipment can't or won't center logs in a stack. If there is a FEL on site, I rather it bring me logs one at time.

Chuck White · January 09, 2016, 04:35:42 PM

Quote from: Sixacresand on January 09, 2016, 07:49:39 AM
It seems like folks with the best log handling equipment can't or won't center logs in a stack. If there is a FEL on site, I rather it bring me logs one at time.

X2, as long as the FEL operator will follow your directions/signals!

mesquite buckeye · January 13, 2016, 10:33:33 AM

Well put. I'm cured with having one of the guys loading anything. I'm hand signaling where to sit a 24" log on my log wagon and he proceeds to dump it 3' up onto it like no big deal. The whole wagon bounced into the air, a wonder it didn't bend in the middle. One of us guys not inside steel were standing on either side of the wagon at the time. Guys like that will kill you if you give them the chance.

kelLOGg · January 13, 2016, 12:42:21 PM

Quote from: mesquite buckeye on January 13, 2016, 10:33:33 AM
Well put. I'm cured with having one of the guys loading anything. I'm hand signaling where to sit a 24" log on my log wagon and he proceeds to dump it 3' up onto it like no big deal. The whole wagon bounced into the air, a wonder it didn't bend in the middle. One of us guys not inside steel were standing on either side of the wagon at the time. Guys like that will kill you if you give them the chance.

Same thing happened to me when a macho Bobcat driver (log owner's employee) dropped an oak on my MILL and it hit a squaring arm! I didn't know it at the time but it knocked it out of adjustment so the owner didn't get square beams. I explained it later to the owner and he offered to pay for damages but there were none - just a re-adjustment.
Bob

Peter Drouin · January 13, 2016, 08:43:06 PM

In all the years of cutting a lot of guys wanted to load my mill with their tractor and I all ways said NO. Or want to clean up the sawdust with their bucket around the mill.
I always told them NO, If you hit my mill there will hell to pay. And I'm not talking about money.

moosehunter · January 13, 2016, 08:55:55 PM

As of today I have not heard back from this guy. I would like to do the job so I hope he gets those logs in a stack and calls me.

GDinMaine · January 13, 2016, 10:05:52 PM

Only on one occasion did I walk away from a job because the logs were spread out the among boulders and bushes. Customer claimed they would be easy to move for two guys. I told him to let me know when him and another guy (other then me) moved them in place. Have not heard from him since.

I had customers with excavators and and one guy had a log loader, offering that they put the logs right onto the mill. I never allow them to do that. The logs I saw all have to ride the loading forks on the mill. I actually had to yell at one fellow, when he was trying to center the log on the forks with his excavator. What he didn't see was that a knot hung on the loader arm, and he was about to push the mill sideways or bend the loading forks.

thecfarm · January 14, 2016, 08:28:23 AM

GDinMaine,looks like those white pine logs been there for a while.

LittleJohn · January 14, 2016, 08:37:17 AM

Quote from: thecfarm on January 14, 2016, 08:28:23 AM
GDinMaine,looks like those white pine logs been there for a while.

...that is called aging :D

most of the logs in my landing look like that, it makes it easier to take off all the dirty bark before you saw ;)

WV Sawmiller · January 14, 2016, 08:42:47 AM

Quote from: Peter Drouin on January 13, 2016, 08:43:06 PM
In all the years of cutting a lot of guys wanted to load my mill with their tractor and I all ways said NO. Or want to clean up the sawdust with their bucket around the mill.
I always told them NO, If you hit my mill there will hell to pay. And I'm not talking about money.

Agree. I will let them hover the log on their forks over my loading arms and I'll take it off with the hydraulics.

Magicman · January 14, 2016, 09:29:39 AM

Yup, at the loader or above the loader and I will take over from there.

GDinMaine · January 15, 2016, 03:15:18 PM

Quote from: thecfarm on January 14, 2016, 08:28:23 AM
GDinMaine,looks like those white pine logs been there for a while.

I mentioned the same thing, but the customer wanted them sawn. So. I did it. "It will work on the barn. The cows don't know the difference." he said.
When I left there was about 4400 bf of lumber. Some boards softer then others, but they were the right shape and size.

Chuck White · January 15, 2016, 05:30:56 PM

Highly Valuable "Denim Pine"! ;)

I prefer, if the customer is moving logs while I'm milling, that they just put the logs on the ground just before the loading forks.

I do have a couple (few) customers who I'll allow to position the log above the loader, then I'll raise the loading arms to accept the log and put it on the mill.