We keep hearing rumors of some extra large logs in the river. No way to get them on the Bandmill. For the Swinger guys, how would you saw a 10 foot dia. log to it's best advantage ??
We are thinking to start with a blade, working down to a decent width, then changing to the Slabber.
Then, when things get too wide for the Slabber, change back to the blade, then finish up with the Slabber.
Is this confusing enough ??? Any ideas ???
I dont know of any saw that can handle a "10 "foot diameter. Is that the right figure harold?
I tell ya what. You find those babies and get'em outta the river, and I'll bring the MD down there and saw'em up for ya. ;D
Correct size. and we want SLABS, Dan. Not knockin that MD.
:D :D :D Ya got a market fer 10' wide slabs? ??? Get y'self a 10' chainsaw and go to it. ;D
OK, just pullin' yer chain there, but the MD can do it while producing 12" wide side lumber. You'd hafta invent something to cut the big slabs with, though. Ackshully, I got the whole thing right here in my head. You'll hafta come up here and dig the pieces out, though. ;D
Ackshully, Ya ever heard of Conference Room tables ??? ;) ;)
We been thinkin of sawing slabs down to 5' wide log , then saw boards until we get down to 5' wide log again.
There's gotta be a way to do this, short of turning the log ???
Sure there's a way. Several of'em as a matter of fact. Ya can't let yer thinkin' get in a rut, though. Can ya get enough really big logs to make the invent'n process pay off?
Pender came up with a slabber to fit on the MD, but I can't remember how big it was. Seem's like it was in the 5' range though. He ain't mentioned it in a long time.
I don't see why you couldn't do it with a big, overgrown chainsaw mill. You wouldn't have to use a chainsaw engine. They make some great big bars for cut-off saws that would do the trick.
If you want live-edged slabs off a 10' diam. log, only the top and bottom 1 foot of the log can be utilised before the '5 foot width' is exceded, and I don't think they'll make the best of slabs, 'cos of the narrow angles of the edges. But if you want square-edged 5 foot wide slabs then that is a whole different ball game.
For over-sized logs, I have made a kit for mounting my Lucas to the log, instead of a conventional floor mount.
I would mill the top and bottom off, 'til it's 5' wide, sit it upright and slab from top to bottom. Sorry, but it does mean turning it though smiley_sweat_drop You'll have 36 or so 3" slabs 8) then instead of a paltry 6.
When are you able to clarify the rumours ???
Tim
do these logs tend to have lumber move much as it's drying? or is it old enough all the stress has kinda "given up" in there?
you could probably get some sort of big bar rigged up with like 3/4 harvester chain or something to slab it alaskan style. Finding the bar in the first place would be the hard part, but perhaps that could even be made.
sounds like a lot of work, but wow would that be fun :)
NOW we're gettin sumwhere. ;D ;D
Forgot about ole Frank, Hey Frank ??? ??? ???
I got lotsa ideas, Dan. Ya outta know that by now. ;D :D
That ole Boy, in Waldo, has a 10 foot long chainsaw bar. He youster crosscut them Buckeye Burl logs to make 10-12 foot dia. tables. I done seen that bar, pokin outta the rafters at his place.
Suspending that bar flat ways and keepin it flat might be a trick. ??? ???
Once ya get into the cut, it should remain flat.
For what the slabs would fetch, price wise, a crane to roll the log would be a reasonable cost. Just can't see cuttin up a big log into 1 X 6's or such ::)
Where's all them Swinger fellers at ???????????
Sounds like more than 1 log in the River. We hope to start the search in a couple of days. 8) 8)
Sawed a order for someone in Charleston, yesterday. When we were talkin, the guy says he knows of a tree in some named Swamp in Charleston area, where the logs tower over him. He's 6'-4" tall. Says the tree was dropped, then they couldn't move the logs. ::) ::) 8) 8)
maybe make a big frame that tensions the bar?
it may not even need to be tensioned, just the end supported. If'n you got a lot of junk laying around, you can probably fab up something to make it work. the powerhead is probably a bigger problem. a chainsaw engine probably isn't strong enough.
Been lookin at a 25 HP or so, Vertical shaft Kohler or Honda. Gearing it up a little should provide plenty of speed and power.
Buildin a extra wide slabber would be no big deal. Settin up around 12 feet off the ground might be a trick. Course, they do rent scaffolding. ;)
bettr get you a 55 gallon drum o' fuel to run that thing. I sure hope you post some pics of that one. They would be just awesome to see and even better in real life. Sound like it's time to build another sawmill to me!!!! Get you some big wheels or make it a 6 wheeled mill and a couple rolls of sawblade and "gitrdone" If you had a 10 foot bar, you'd have about 25 feet of sawchain to move. You think 25 h.p is enough to turn all that and cut wood? Mabe find some sort of big hydraulic motor that you coud runn off of a gas engine or tractor pto or something, a handle on each end and a lot of people to pull the bar through in shifts ;D
Please post pics if you can!!!
I think you're best initial bet is to copy the rig at Tom's Cypress in Waldo. He was getting the job done and it wasn't taking a 3/4 harvesting chain either. Just because it's big doesn't mean that you need a big excavator. Why turn half of the log into mulch when it might be so valuable?
If the concern is the stability of the bar, why not spend some time designing a jig that will allow the bar to be vertical? There's nothing that says it has to be horizontal. :)
Maybe standing the log on end, and cutting from the top down? If some gravity is needed to maintain the cut thickness, then lean it back a few degrees, but not enough to get bow in the saw bar? Let gravity control the pace of the cut through the log.
My mind is thinking ( :o ) that a four post old car hoist might be used to run the saw up and down.
All depends on the log length, er the conference table length, if standing it on end is a even a remote possibility.
(I see Tom beat me to it - sort of-, but I'll post anyway :) )
Harold,
If that fellow in Waldo won't part with that bar, there are several companies that will build you custom bar.
A 10' log is going to take a bar longer then 10' anyways. ;)
FDH,
You've probably seen this, but I'll post it anyhow.
http://www.lmequipmentusa.com/ls2000.htm
It's only good to 5' but I'm guessing you could fabricate one up that'll do a 10'.
The hardcopy info I have states that it uses a 30hp electric motor. "The saw is assembled onto a 5' x 12' main carriage that is mounted on four "V" wheels."
Forgot to answer Dan-shade question. The old growth timber is-was very stable. When submerged for many years, the colors and stability of the logs are awesome. We cut "swamp" logs, that were never really submerged fulltime, and they sometimes move when cutting.
The submerged logs hardly ever move, even a little bit. ;) ;) ;D ;D
Knew a logger in Arkyland, what welded 3 bars together, to saw down a big red Oak. Bar was over 8' long. ::) ;D :D :D
FDH
If you decide to go with the chainsaw bar idea I am a dealer for GB bars and I can get them guys to build just about any bar you would think up.
Woody
Thanks, Woody
Good Link, Brad_S. Thanks
Harold, Harold, Harold. I thought you said you had run a MD before. You should know that it will cut a lot more than a 1x6. Mine will do a 4x12, and with the big edger, 8x12. Most swingers cut either 6", 8" or 10" deep. They get the wide boards by "double-cutting", or moving the saw to the other side to complete the cut. Kinda hard ta do with 8 more feet of wood over there. ;)
Why not build a chainsaw swinger? Me & Mr Hootie got all the parts except for that 10 foot bar in Waldo. You could use an outboard motor for power. Now, before you laugh at that, I HAD a buddy that built a helicopter using a 115 Evinrude powerhead. He just plumbed a radiator onto it for cooling. Unfortunately, he was better at building them than flying them. :-X Just a couple of 90 degree gearboxes would let you swing the blade from vertical to horizontal. The whole thing could ride on a big frame that would be assembled around the log. Pushing the saw through the log would be easy to engineer.
Okay.. if I was going to do it...
Jumbo size swingblade mill with dedicated slabber. 8 or 10" cut on the swingblade and a standard 5' slabber bar.
Saw off the top of the log into normal boards until you get to where you want to cut a slab. Take out some boards from each side of the log leaving a notch on either side of the log, and a 5ft wide island in the middle. Then switch to slabber and cut out 2 or 3 slabs. Repeat as required. You are only going to get 5 ft table slabs, but then thats probably what you actually want. The rest of the timber would be normal boards so no waste.
I guess a swingblade and a slabber on the same tracks would be the easiest.
All pretty standard stuff apart from the oversize swingblade frame. Log doesn't have to be moved, apart from getting it out of the river, and the mill would still be portable.
Cheers
Ian
FD,
If you find the mythical ten footers let me know. I may just have to make a trip down there to help get them outta the water. I ain't skeered of no gator either, they taste preety good when fried on a grill. 8)
DanG, you HAD a buddy who was better at making them than flying them. Does that mean what I think it does?
DanG, figger of speech, figger of speech. ::) ::) :D :D :D
I didn't get finish my thought (rarely do). My Grampas farm neighbor used to fly ultra lites (gliders with a motor) He was a good builder, but he used to carry too much cargo (a 12 pack). I would be fishing at Grampas pond and he would buzz bomb me with beer cans. He crashed 4 times, always in one of my Grampas fields, they were on the same crop rotation ( corn 1 year, beans the next) he would come to the house and tell him he staked his crash spot, and for Grampa to swing into his field and harvest the equal. He didn't want the combine to pick up the parts he didn't find. How he walked away from a header into the dirt from 400' that many times I don't know.
I'm with DragonsBane, IF you actually find some, I'd LOVE to see them and "probly" willing to help get one out! ;)
At the very least.....I'm willing to video your atempt of getting one. ;) ;D :D
Doesnt Baileys make custom bars?I saw a 12 footer in one of their catalogs that they used to cut walnut slabs somewhere here in KY.Might be worth calling them to see what the guys used to turn that much chain,if they would give out that kinda info.
I've done a little calculatin. Our 4 HP 041 Stihls pull a 24" bar real good. 5 X 24" =10'. 5 X 4 HP = 20 HP. I figure a 24-27 HP engine geared up a little should do the job. ???
FDH,
Question for you? Are you sure the chain can handle all that house power. I remember seeing pictures of the old northwestern loggers using dual headed chains saws. Pulling the chain all the way around a bar that long will put a lot of stress on the chain.
Also, I'm ready to help when you get this monster on the beach. I need a good reason to visit some old sub friend and relatives in Georgia and Florida. It's the only way the boss will approve. :D :D :D :D :D
Bruce/subsailor
I have been thinkin about placing an oiler on each end of the bar, and this Cypress does not saw as bad as typical Hardwood ??? Whadda I know ???
Are these logs in your back yard there in Walaka or in a swamp in Charlston???
I would not be suprised to see something that big come out of the St. Johns river. :)
3/4 pitch chain has a drive link size of .120 or something.
If you stick with a big chain, you are making more mulch, but the chances of it breaking are lower. to be on the safe side, put some shields and some chain catchers in :)
Got the idea of guards and such. Good ideas.
Brian, in the St. John's, near Palatka. :) :)
Found these photos out on sawmill exchange website this may help you out. :o
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11029/SplitterSaw22.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11029/SplitterSaw11.jpg)
Bet that's a trick catchin boards off that thing ??? We been talkin about standin a Bar upright. Thanks for that posting. Every little bit helps. ;) ;) ;D
30,000 pound log 9' across at the crotch and Sam is building a saw to cut it right here.
http://www.talaricohardwoods.com/stash.htm
I like to visit his site as he updates it frequently with pics. Everything from a wore out WM out back to a big bandsaw. Make sure ya take a peek at the Wood Porn link. I usually drool all over the keyboard.
Maybe a year or two ago he cut some walnut slabs that went into a $40,000 conference table.
NICE WOOD, Larry. Thanks for that Link. ;) ;)
I'm glad he's sawing the walnut into Fletches(slabs). It would work you to death trying to bust that for firewood. ::)
Ian
why just 5'.
if the slabs are worth that much its worth having a bar made just for the job. Bar and chain would set you back only a few thou and im sure a log that big would bring a few slabs worth that each.
Timburr's idea sounds like a good idea. You can buy a ready made 60" capacity slabber from either Lucas or Peterson and go to it. Peterson brags about the slabber head which you can have sitting at one end waiting, while you work the swinger.
Even though the old submerged logs may stay stable as they are being cut, it seems that they would still tend to follow the normal rules for shrinkage (i.e. tangential versus radial) with cupping and such, just less of it. The best slabs would be heart and next-to-heart. You have seen this vary with species too, I'm sure. For example, with Red Oak, you can count on bad cups on slabs, except the heart cut.
Phil L.
Very true about the movement of the lumber, Phil. It is negligible compared to fresh cut logs. We had a up-down motor crap out on us, so, with repairs and all, we did not look for the logs. Maybe this coming week ??