Just finished assembling my new HM126. I've got plenty of oak, pine and cherry to saw. Any suggestions for a first timer? Found lots of great info on this forum. Thanks to all the folks who contribute their experiences.
Napowan,Don't saw into the log stop. ;D Welcome to the forum. What's the plan for the lumber?
Make sure your blade is not inside out and is sawing in the correct direction. :) (really)
Welcome to the Forestry Forum. :)
Clearing a site for a house. Just didn't seem right to turn all those nice trees into firewood. Will be using the oak for flooring, pine for lumber and cherry for trim/cabinets. That's the plan anyways.
I to have a HM126 its a nice mill have some ash stacked up now I am getting some cotton wood to practice on have fun I sure am 8) 8) 8) 8)
You came to the right place. Welcome to the Forestry Forum. 8)
One word of advice.... cut yourself a lot of dry stickers for stacking your green lumber.... it will give you a chance to get familiar with your saw before you get into the more valuable logs. 1x1 or 1x2's are the sizes that I used... Once you get sawing your green logs you can cut edgings to dry and use in the future.... Welcome to the forum.
Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the mill. Dave
Good call on the stickers. It will be great practice. Ill post some pictures once I'm up and running. Just finished our maple syrup season and now I'm ready to start milling.
Take cfarms advice serious!! I LOVE my 126!! Bout 2 hours into my first time cutting, I was so excited and proud I forgot about moving the stops! A shower of sparks quickly reminded me!! Welcome to FF, have fun and post pics!!
Welcome to the forum. As we recommend to everyone get a Logrite cant hook for easy log handling.
Sawed my first log with the mill yesterday. Worked great. Took my time to make sure everything was set up correctly and it really paid off. First four pine logs cut into 1 and 2 inch boards with no problems right out of the gate. I didn't even hit any of the metal stops. The saw worked as well as expected. Going to head back to the woods for more saw logs. My list of project just got a little longer.........
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/36223/20140427_103955_resized%7E1.jpg)
Napowan,you're doing good. Maple syrup,how many gallons you get? I did it,on a very small scale, for the first time since I was young.
How are you moving the logs?
Welcome and congratulations! from another fellow rookie. You won't find a better bunch of people than those here.
We have just small backyard syrup operation. Our group did around 30 gallons or so. Considerably less than last year. Homemade wood fired syrup cookers. I can see my slabwood is going to be ideal for firing the syrup cookers. Great way to use up the waste wood.
I'm so pleased with the mill so far. I get a sort of sense of freedom knowing I can mill any piece of lumber I need on my own.
I am looking to buy the hm126. I want to mill Walnut, hedge, locust, red oak, and juniper for the most part. This will be a hobby endeavor along with some weekend work. I live in southern Kansas. Do you think this would be a good mill for what I want to do? I have never milled before.
Napowan I also think it is an empowering feeling to be able to mill exactly the lumber needed. Congratulations on the new mill I am also a beginner and this is a great place to receive knowledge.
Quote from: dustyhoosier78 on January 03, 2020, 03:02:50 PM
Napowan I also think it is an empowering feeling to be able to mill exactly the lumber needed. Congratulations on the new mill I am also a beginner and this is a great place to receive knowledge.
Yes it's great to be able to mill what you need. This is also a great forum to be a part of. Btw, this thread is going on six years old ;) .
First off, welcome to the Forestry Forum, Medieval (and others)!
I am a HM126 owner, as are quite a few here on the FF. All the mill brands are pretty well represented here, so you'll get plenty of differing opinions. For the most part, everyone likes the mill they own.
I'm also just a hobbyist and have had my mill for around four years now. I've sawed pretty much all the stuff on your list successfully, but make no mistake - it's called a hobby mill for a reason. It's low production compared to the bigger mills, but that works for my needs.
Sawing harder logs like hedge and locust goes pretty slow, but produces good results as long as the right blade is used and it's sharp. Horsepower is king, especially when it comes to hard stuff, so want to keep that in mind. I'd recommend the larger engine if you go with the HM126. Mine is the 9.5hp, which was the only one available at the time. I get by with it.
In general, the mill has treated me well, and the support from Woodland Mills has been excellent. Pretty much all of the consumable parts like bearings and belts are standard and available locally as well as from the Woodland Mills.
What is your background and experience with machinery? Are you a woodworker by any chance. That's what led me into this sawmilling thing, and it's been a happy journey. Also there's the question of support equipment for moving logs, moving lumber, storing lumber, and a bunch of tasks that go along with sawing logs. The sawing is actually the easier part of whole process, but everyone seems to work that out to fit their equipment and circumstances.
You should probably fill out your profile and list some of your other equipment, or you'll keep getting asked about that.
Good luck with your soon-to-be sawdust addiction. And good luck with your mill choice and other decisions.