Rigging lift points on the LT40HD

[giant splinter]

I have a project in a remote area where I need to decide between two methods of getting my mill to the jobsite, the owners are willing to pay for the move and realize it will be costly.
The dirt road into this remote area (closed in the winter) is maintained in fair condition with several rocky and uneven areas to cross through with an overall distance of just under 20 miles each way. Dragging a sawmill is difficult under these conditions as it can take between 1-1/2 to 2 hours each way. I am concerned about possibly damaging or knocking the mill out of alignment over this type of terrain.

The alternative plan is to have the mill hoisted onto a barge and dropped off on a beach very close to the worksite, setting up and milling everything in a couple days and having the barge return to pick up the mill when finished. The expense of the barge is within the budget and my only concern at this point is how do I rig it, Wood-Mizer has the answer Im sure and I will contact them on Monday to see if they have some sort of rigging schedule for rigging a mill and hoisting it on and off of a barge deck that is equipped with the proper hydraulic crane.
Im just thinking that someone here must have already done this in the past and may be able to share any thoughts on this subject.
I have in the past used a landing craft to shuttle my equipment out to an island for a few days of sawing but on this lake there is nothing available that will work for this task other than a barge and small tug.
Any help with this will be appreciated, the project is not going to start till next month as the primary road is still not passable due to snow. The power line road is not an option as it is one lane and very rough with steep grades and tight turns. The residents in this small community are able to get back and forth on this alternative road in the winter when it is passable, the school children however are transported by boat as the lake does not freeze over completely and is the best alternative for them and the residents for grocery shopping another activities.
Their are a number of the local residents that have snow mobiles and commute to jobs on a daily basis over this distance and under these conditions.
At one time there was an old circular mill in the community that was able to take care of the needs of the residents but not able to continue and is now gone, who knows it might be at a Forestry Forum members ranch somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.

[drobertson]

sounds like a good adventure coming your way! not sure on how you might go about it, but figure you will work it out,  I do remember a post about " you want me to put my mill where?" or something like that, a guy had a job atop a building or structure? anyway, hope all goes well for you, 
found it, good read on this one,
  https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,80419.msg1222446.html#msg1222446

[schmism]

you have driven the road personally durring the time of year you would be expected to take it?  I have 4wheeled for years (toyota truck) and if you asked me if i would pull a trailer on a "fair maintained" road,  i woudnt think anything about it.      Poor maintained and its a challange,  not-maintained and i wouldn't risk it.

I would think you can block the head of the mill and secure it properly over the axle for transport without having to worry about knocking it out of alignment.

put it this way,   even an out of alignment saw brought up via road can be re-aligned after some work.    Now consider a small mistake durring unloading at the beach and your saw is going for a swim.  thats a LOT harder to fix.   

FYI WM lists the LT40HD at between 3900 and 4200 lbs depending on options.   In my book thats a LOT of weight to be swinging over the side of a boat on an "iffy" crane.   remember thats a large sedan or SUV for weight.

[Magicman]

My sawmill has been to some fairly rough places.


 
Of course, it was mud and not rocks.

[WV Sawmiller]

MM,

   Do you have a shoulder harness and seatbelt for that chair on your mill. If so I guess you can just enjoy the scenic ride to those remote sites behind the bulldozer.

Splinter,

   Good luck and enjoy the job.

[Dave Shepard]

I would tow it in on the road. Put the mill in transport position with the weight on the pin and put a ratchet strap over it. Crawl along over the rough spots. I don't think you would get out of alignment just from towing it, even over rough roads. The barge sound like a lot of money. Whoever is craning is going to know their load chart. Either they can, or they can't offload it.

[47sawdust]

backwoods sawyer seems to take his mill into some pretty sketchy places.He's out in your neck of the woods,you might send him a pm to see how he goes about it.

[redprospector]

The location sounds a lot like a job I'm working on now (but not with the mill). It's 31 miles from my drive to their gate. 20 of those miles are paved hi way. It takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to make the trip one way. I have worked on this land owners project for the last 2 years, and have hauled a lot of stuff on the gooseneck to the job. My skidder, masticator, Bobcat, firewood processor, and now I'm working on the road with my 450b JD dozer.
Just go easy like a frog walking (old saying) in the rough spots, and you should be ok.

[redprospector]

My sawmill has been to some fairly rough places.


 
Of course, it was mud and not rocks.

That looks like my little 450's twin brother.  ;D

[giant splinter]

This project is getting closer to starting, the snow is gone and I will have a chance to check out the road next weekend. If its not to bad I'll give the road a shot, the barge guy is good on his price and knows his rigging so its still an option.
thanks everyone for the input and ideas ....... I'll get it figured out, first of next week.

[Kbeitz]

What you need is a good HG Oliver Clea-track....

[bandmiller2]

I would rent/ borrow a low trailer and lash the mill down well that would eliminate the wracking and be less apt to disturb adjustments. Frank C.

[giant splinter]

I want to thank all you sawyers for your input, that job went very well and all that red fir came out great. every once in a while a project comes along that seems like it might not be worthwhile as far as the distance and the risks involved. In this case I was very concerned that I could knock out my alignment on the mill as it bounced behind my rig on the way up or back, as it turned out I had no problem at all. I think Dave Shepard was the key to giving it a shot on that road and his advice was sound. Magic has the most guts dragging his mill where he has in the past, everyone had good input and  made it easy to decide that the road was the best way to go ..... Thank You Everyone ..... you guys are the best.
The only issue that came up was some rain on the way up the hill and it stopped at about the halfway point, the mill was covered with mud but we hosed it off and got the job done. Im still finding dirt and crud on the mill but its almost back to normal and cleaned up fairly well.

Sometimes it just takes the input of the sawyers that have experience doing these kinds of projects to convince us that we can get things done.

[Magicman]

Congrats on doing what the sawmill was intended to do.  Go-n-git-um.   :D   8)