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My Little Mill

Started by Cypressstump, June 07, 2012, 01:30:00 PM

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Cypressstump

I have been slowly but surely getting my little mill set up.

In the past I have partnered with another guy on a WM LT40, but that did not work so well, and we got rid of it  and disolved the partnership, and almost the friendship along with the 40.  :'(     All's well now!
More recently was helping another on his super 40, but he has a different agenda, and I am wanting to go on it alone now. I am preparing to build my house on the property and decieded to buy a manual mill initially to cut the remaining sinker cypress I had laying on the ground. And then retrieve more sinkers i have located for the house. After I get built, I'll more than likey buy another Hydl. Mill, but will keep this little manual mill for long jobs.

Here's my slab , 8" thick, due to the river getting out of it's banks from time to time.



Moving the head section in:


Water Oak sections on the mill. I topped this tree out last hurricane season, it had a huge canopy, but the tree had begun to die in the upper canopy and was full of carpenter ants. Besides, this tree is in the footprint of temp mill location and too close to the future house location.




Beginning of the log deck. The water oak provided the 2' thick boards for the deck, I borrowed the excavator, surely hated to return that little jewel. The stump in foreground is the water oak donor.

 

The ties are pinned with 1/2" rebar, the boards will be lag bolted down for replacement if needed. I plan to leave the mill in this location for at least 2 years.





I need to comeplete the deck today, as I have taken down a huge pine on a friends land for use on a new shed over the little mill. As I have no equipement other than a strong back ,stronger will and a hard head, I will be poor boyin' the logs to the mill. I have a winch on my trailer, will back up to the deck, snatchblock the log off the trailer onto the deck using an oak tree on the rivers edge as anchor point.
Stump

Timberking 1220 25hp w/extensions -hard mounted
Case 586E 6k forklift
2001 F350 4X4,Arctic Cat 500 4 wheeler wagon hauler
Makita 6401 34",4800 Echo 20"er, and a professional 18" Poulan PRO , gotta be a 'pro' cuz it says so rite there on tha' saw..

Tree Feller

That river (Amite?) looks to be running bank full now.

That's a great set of pics and a nice set-up for your mill. I especially liked how you rigged the engine lift to handle the sawhead. That's using your noggin for something besides a hat rack.   ;D

I don't have any handling equipment for my mill, either, and understand about having to make do. A person can do a lot with a trailer, some chains, a winch or come-a-long and a Logrite cant hook.   :)
Cody

Logmaster LM-1 Sawmill
Kioti CK 30 w/ FEL
Stihl MS-290 Chainsaw
48" Logrite Cant Hook
Well equipped, serious, woodworking shop

Cutting Edge

That was a pretty good idea using the engine hoist!!  Looks like your mill is gonna have a SOLID foundation for your "little" mill and quite large oak.  Thanks for the pics and Best of Luck getting your home built!
"Winning an argument isn't everything, as long as you are heard and understood" - W.S.


Cutting Edge Saw Service, LLC -
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John_Haylow

That looks like a great set up. Thanks for the pictures.
Have fun,
John
2004 Wood-Mizer LT40HDG28

MotorSeven

Cs, nice set up! Are you going to put a roof over it? Nothing like keeping that sun off your head when sawing.

Back in the 70's we used to spearfish Tabby Cats on Maurepas. An old GF's parents had a camp that was just a mile or so from the ramp off 51. I still remember gliding down the length of those monster sinkers on the bottom of that lake. Even back then as a teenager I thought about recovering them, but never had the means or the $ to try. Those swamps get into your bones, and I still miss them every now and then even though I have not stuck a toe in that lake for over 30 years.
WoodMizer LT15 27' bed

Cypressstump

Good choice Tree Feller, that IS the Amite River, and it was  1.5 feet high form normal levels, lots of S. La. rains..

I tend to refer to some of my ideas that are driven from pure necessity, as Corona Engineering Practices, as it usually takes a couple cold ones to determine how best to use my back..  ;D

rwthom, the little mill is well anchored, I have another use for that slab after the mill gets relocated, it's full of rebar. It will be relocated. I bought the mill second hand, after a lot of online searching and contemplating/fretting over long haul trips to pick a used one up, this one turned up 35 miles from me and the original owner said he had almost given up on getting it sold, as I was the 1st caller to his ad (once found) in 4 months !!!

The mill did not like to stay exactly straight and true after I set it up. As the head traveled in the cut, the ends would tend to get out of level affecting the cut. That effort took a few beers to get it right. I think the bed may have been tweaked somewhat from the previous owner somewaht.  I ended up welding some hold-down / leveling all thread bolt attachments and anchoring those into the slab. Once all was leveled and straight with string line, I welded anchor tabs on each foot and anchored those as well. Although I do not intend to dump heavy loads onto it off of the deck, I did not want to ever have to adjust it again , if I could at all help that.

You may be able to see the tie downs in this picture.


This is looking down river from my property, that bend has two nice sinkers soon to be recovered.



Here's one of the many 'visitors' I have to contend with at the mill site, beings the river is on one side of my property and the cypress swamps start 200 yards away on the other side.. some of these little guys have nasty dispositions, he's a juvenile cottonmouth, cute lil' guys
Stump

Timberking 1220 25hp w/extensions -hard mounted
Case 586E 6k forklift
2001 F350 4X4,Arctic Cat 500 4 wheeler wagon hauler
Makita 6401 34",4800 Echo 20"er, and a professional 18" Poulan PRO , gotta be a 'pro' cuz it says so rite there on tha' saw..

Tree Feller

Quote from: Cypressstump on June 07, 2012, 04:58:20 PMI tend to refer to some of my ideas that are driven from pure necessity, as Corona Engineering Practices, as it usually takes a couple cold ones to determine how best to use my back..  ;D

My beverage of choice, too!

Watch out for those stumptails!
Cody

Logmaster LM-1 Sawmill
Kioti CK 30 w/ FEL
Stihl MS-290 Chainsaw
48" Logrite Cant Hook
Well equipped, serious, woodworking shop

WDH

You do things right!

If there is not room to walk between the mill and the log deck, you will have to always step over those ties when edging boards, and that will be a little aggravating.  You spend more time fooling with boards and edging than loading a log, so give that some thought.  As enterprising as you are, though, I am sure that you already have it figured out  ;D.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Magicman

I like your setup and the thought that you have put into it,   :)  but I don't like stumptails.   :-\
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

bandmiller2

Stump,thats a nice area,us yankees get a little nervous around those testy reptiles.I'd have that mill a little higher and lashed to the cement we know that river rises.Its good to start off milling "poor"then we appreciate it when we get loaders and outher spiffy stuff. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Cypressstump

Thanks !

Too much rain yesterday for me to finish the log deck..and more coming. :-X  So I went and finished sectioning that large 32" pine at my friends place instead,,, Motorseven, that pine will be used for a shed over the saw, and an overhang for stacks of lumber. Gotta get the deck finished so I can off load, as the mill is pretty much blocked now.

WDH ...yes a few Coronas met their fate while thinking this little endeavor out, and I left room between deck and slab for access for me also for a traveling overhead frame that runs on a track, which swallows the frame rails. This frame will have a 3000lb winch attached to it so I can flip logs without having to rely totally on peavys or my back.




The frame is 4x4 tube steel I had. The track I purchased from a security gate company, along with the V-groove roller wheels. I even painted the frame WoodMizer Urnge for you WM guys.. :D
The winch is a left over from a ATV, I have a battery to strap into the frame on the leg of the frame.I have yet to anchor the track, again, too much rain. >:(   Yesterday was a wash out regarding electical power tool usage.... I really need the roof overhead  eh??



Here's a closer shot of my anchoring to the slab. Due to the frame not staying perfectly level once set up, and several attempts to make it act right,, a couple cold Coronas later, and out came the welding machine and hammer drill. The complete frame was shot in with a laser level to less than an 1/8" end to end and side to side the entire length, overkill I know.. but it should not move too much now.The all threads were used for leveling up and down, then locked in place with bottom and top jamb nuts along with the factory provided leveling feet. Once all was good as it wuz gonna get, I secured the factory feet down snug ,welded the anchor attachment plates to the feet bases and anchored them all inwards to the center to keep lateral movement to a minimum.


Motorseven,, you right about the Lake Maurepas, lots of logs still left in there, the easy ones have been pretty much gone. My great uncle had the first camp on the lake, it was first built in 1950. It was to the north as you entered the lake on Blind River, known as the Garrison Camp. The rebuilt again after hurricane Besty, then patched up after hurricane Camile .No other hurricanes have affected it since. If you left French Settlement and headed to the lake on Blind River, there was only 4 camps along the way. Now it's wall to wall , sad to see.

Of course another wildlife shot,Ol' Momma duck and her last 4 surviving babies. She started off with 13 and turtles, gar and gators have thinned em' out. She brings em to me 3 times a day when I'm at the property to get fed floating catfish food pellets. She was raising cane yesterday until I fetched up some food for them. She's a cantankerous old girl, wants what she wants NOW..!
Stump

Timberking 1220 25hp w/extensions -hard mounted
Case 586E 6k forklift
2001 F350 4X4,Arctic Cat 500 4 wheeler wagon hauler
Makita 6401 34",4800 Echo 20"er, and a professional 18" Poulan PRO , gotta be a 'pro' cuz it says so rite there on tha' saw..

WDH

Wow, that is a really slick set-up with the overhead system.  I am looking forward to seeing you get it all started up!
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

levans

great pictures and a nice setup on the mill,as for the snakes, better there than here!

Cypressstump

This continous rain has to stop sometime,,, doesn't it ? During breaks in the thunderstorms got a little more work completed.
Finished decking the log deck, got more 5/16" x 4" lagbolts than I expected to need installed, the oak boards I used were not the most desirable cuts being some have cracks most of the way down, others are fairly solid. That's the only wood I had available tho', it'll have to do until better things come a along.


Finished setting and anchoring the track. The frame travels down the track eriely smooth. That statement will probably come back to haunt me..







I hung a small set of tongs on the winch cable for weight so the cable would not birdnest. I have removed all but the necessary amount of cable on the little winch beacuse I will not be needing much, and too much cable tends to over run its self.



Now I can't wait for the rains to end and allow some ground drying so I can go fetch those pine logs for shed building materials. BTY - How long of a drying timeframe should I expect for using SYP for rough framing on the shed??

Stump

Timberking 1220 25hp w/extensions -hard mounted
Case 586E 6k forklift
2001 F350 4X4,Arctic Cat 500 4 wheeler wagon hauler
Makita 6401 34",4800 Echo 20"er, and a professional 18" Poulan PRO , gotta be a 'pro' cuz it says so rite there on tha' saw..

MotorSeven

Opinions will differ, but for a mill shed, I'd put it up green. However if you can mill up some SYP that have been down for a year or so they are much more stable. I just milled some yesterday that had been down for 3 years not touching the ground. It was a 20" log and only the first 3-4" was punky...the rest good.

The only thing I see that might be an issue is sawdust in your log turner track. You will need to keep that clean or it will build up fast and stop it. I suggest gas leaf blower(I use a Stihl handheld) and blow the stuff out the ends not under that deck after each log us cut up. You might even put a board on edge down there to keep the sawdust from build up because once it builds up, then gets wet it does not want to move.

It's been so long I didn't know if more camps had been added, or the gubberment made everyone take down the one's that had been there forever(there was that rumor going around back then). I have really good memorys of that time, checking the slat traps, running trout lines & jugs, water skiing the lake when calm and the Amite anytime. Then there was the girlfriend when we had the camp to ourselves ;)  I don't think I'd want to see it now...sometimes it's just better to leave good memory's alone eh ?

WoodMizer LT15 27' bed

Cypressstump

Thanks Motorseven,, I am thinking the boards are gonna half to dry on the way to being installed anyway, need to get the saw covered ASAP. 
You right on the sawdust build up, right now the majority of the dust lands just off the slab somewhat. I will probably need to modify the chute some in the near future. Good point on enclosing the open end of the deck, did not think of that.

Regarding the over population on the rivers here, since Katrina you'd be saddened to see whats happened. Who woulda thought that lots on the Diversion Canal would sell $3-400,000 a lot, with multi million dollar homes built on them ? ?  There's an exlcusive area on the canal, the very end is a double gated area that goes all the way on the Livingston side perhaps 1/2 mile from Blind River Bar. A permit is said to have been cleared for a road to be built on the opposite side of the canal all the way to the Blind River. There is already houses from Hwy22 to the Petite Amite River on Asension side with a golf cart bridge over the Petite Amite with more new homes towards Blind River for about 1 mile.

The Chiniqupin Canal has homes on the north side of it nearly to the Big Chinblanc and constantly building more lots/homes.

On the Blind River, there are more and more camps being built on lease land, all the way to the lake.The state has just bought up a lot more land on the Blind River, in the Lake Maurepas WMA that is from the Airline Hwy,down Blind River to the lake and around to the reserve canal. That will keep some building from popping up for a while, altho the state is leasing some land out to existing camp owners, but yet torching other long existing camps  to the ground. Too much La. Politics still in some cases.

Keep your memories of the good times intact as much has changed here.



The whole area will soon be a idle zone as more people with more money cut down the swamps to build on and want idle zones on their riverfronts.
Stump

Timberking 1220 25hp w/extensions -hard mounted
Case 586E 6k forklift
2001 F350 4X4,Arctic Cat 500 4 wheeler wagon hauler
Makita 6401 34",4800 Echo 20"er, and a professional 18" Poulan PRO , gotta be a 'pro' cuz it says so rite there on tha' saw..

MotorSeven

Wow...I had no idea. That sure is different from my "neck of the woods" Hancock County Tennessee's population has actually been declining for over 10 years. But that one of the reasons I picked it for a place to retire in peace and quiet.... it's  my own paradise and we call it "out beyond the sticks" 8)
WoodMizer LT15 27' bed

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