I just got home with a 2011 LT35HD - I need your counsel on how to succeed.

MikeySP · February 03, 2019, 08:54:03 PM

A few pics from my first day of milling.
Beautiful golden hour image as the sun heads toward bed. My buddy Jordan and his precious family live in the log cabin. We were milling for his blacksmith shop. Notice the facade on the front of his blacksmith shop addition. Here is his webpage: https://axe-n-anvil.com/
Next is the board from my first cuts. It is not too good, but still very cool.
Last pic is the yummy and steaming hot soup my 17y/o daughter had waiting for me when I arrived home. 20 degree morning that day... cold for these parts.

Southside · February 03, 2019, 09:58:51 PM

Mike,

Look around for some "skate rollers", 10' sections work well and in the used market $7 / foot is the going rate in these parts. They are worth their weight in gold when it comes to dealing with lumber. With your 35 you can set up the rollers just outside of the saw dust line, about halfway down the saw, and pivot a board from the cant onto the roller and simply push it away - you don't have to lift it off of the mill, walk with it, set it down. The most you are lifting is maybe 20% of the total weight. You can even push it right to your stack pile then only have to pick up one end and walk it onto the pile. A little tricky with the first board if you are stickering but after that it's no problem. Check Craigslist under terms like "Racking, conveyors, rollers" etc. I personally prefer skate rollers over the pipe style for moving lumber because you can independently roll two boards side by side using skates, can't do that with pipe rollers.

Good luck and enjoy the sawing!!!

charles mann · February 04, 2019, 12:23:30 AM

Mike, that is a beautiful piece of land your friend has. i did enjoy the few months i spent in that part of the country, tn/ky that is, but i was glad to get assigned to c co. 7th batt and get back to tx. if fires are every in that area and my ship is close enough, i'll try to make a trip to see you. good luck with your endeavors and hopefully you do well. i have found this site to be VERY informative and with folks that come from all works of life, with a wealth of knowledge. a master of none, but a jack of all it seems.

thecfarm · February 04, 2019, 06:22:24 AM

You will need a cantdog or a peavey to roll-move logs and cants.The website will tell you the difference between a cantdog and a peavey. Easiest way I remember,peavey starts with a P and has a Point on the end. Logrite,sponsor on the left,made in USA has them.

Banjo picker · February 04, 2019, 08:05:02 AM

Mikey, when you get your mill cutting really good, and you are super pleased with how a band cuts in a tough log.....like some big knots or something. Stop the ill and take that band off, and hang it in a safe place. Reason being is that some day you are going to get a log or logs that just don't want to saw right. You will begin to question if your mill has gotten out of adjustment, when that happens, and it will, then go get your (holy grail) blade off the wall and put it on. If the mill then cuts ok, you just had a blade problem, if it still won't cut.... you might have an adjustment problem. You would need to check and make sure you are not damaging the band with your rollers or such. I keep one hanging in my sharpening shed for just such an occasion. Banjo

MikeySP · February 04, 2019, 09:33:43 AM

Excellent!

thecfarm, one of my questions is... what size cant hook? My buddy had a 42" long cant. Not sure about the other part. I guess that ought to be appropriate for me since we have the same area to mill in?

Banjo picker, that goes on my golden tip list and I have already started it. Inexperience can lead a man down a rabbit hole because of doubt. That is a good safety net. I will keep my eye out for the holy grail blade.

Charles, while the fire in my area would not be so cool, having you stop in for a visit would be! I certainly don't have your hours in a Chinook, but I have had many dozens of mission infils/exfils on those workhorses in my past life. In Afghanistan, that was all my unit used with the exception of a blackhawk for MEDEVAC. Reason: blackhawks could not get over those many 14,000 ft ridgelines with more than 3 passengers.

BTW, anyone watch those DVD's offered by Wood-Mizer "Edge on Sawing". Not sure if it is worth my spending my penny's $65 to be exact and would love some advice on that?

BTW, just ordered starter for skidsteer and guy is putting it in mail as I type this; so, I hope to have it up and running in 2-3 days time.

-Mike

WV Sawmiller · February 04, 2019, 02:46:25 PM

I would suggest at least a 60" canthook (Logrite - tell them you are a FF member when you place your order). Two would be better. One of the 78" ones would be handy when you come across a real monster log. A short mill special is handy to turn the cants on the mill - I keep an old non-Logrite under the front of my mill all the time for that purpose and reserve the Logrite for heavy duty log turning/loading. I have the same mill you do too but you have better MHE and such.

I bought the WM Edge on Sawing and found good information in there. If you pick up 1-2 tricks to help you improve your efficiency, sales or safety it would be worth the money. I like going to demos, workshops and shows where other sawyers are there to compare notes. One good tip at each show makes them worth while plus you make contacts that may be useful in the future. Even going to see other mills besides WM will show you some tips. It may make you appreciate your mill more or may make you want some other feature not on your mill.

Be careful but don't be afraid to make mistakes or to share them here. You will find a pretty sympathetic group here who can relate and advise.

Good luck.

Southside · February 04, 2019, 02:54:25 PM

Customsawyer just posted his 2019 sawing event, it is April 5 and 6, this will be my first trip there but in the years past there has been a mountain of experience and information there so if you could make a road trip to Rentz, Georgia it would be worth your time.

doc henderson · February 04, 2019, 03:17:12 PM

MIKE I have to say that I think your attitude and enthusiasm will take quite far, now you just to put in some hours. yes that is a compliment. have fun and be safe.

charles mann · February 04, 2019, 11:30:14 PM

Quote from: MikeySP on February 04, 2019, 09:33:43 AM
Charles, while the fire in my area would not be so cool, having you stop in for a visit would be! I certainly don't have your hours in a Chinook, but I have had many dozens of mission infils/exfils on those workhorses in my past life. In Afghanistan, that was all my unit used with the exception of a blackhawk for MEDEVAC. Reason: blackhawks could not get over those many 14,000 ft ridgelines with more than 3 passengers.

-Mike

iv got a couple hrs in hooks. even a lil front seat time. in iraq, we did a bunch rips for you guys, since there weren't enough mh-47s to go around. lawn darts are about as useful in aghanyland as submarines are in the sky.

WDH · February 05, 2019, 08:15:51 AM

Mike,

Check out this thread.

Milling books? in Sawmills and Milling

YellowHammer · February 05, 2019, 08:20:17 AM

You've gotten lots of good advice, and all of it is given by experienced folks.

Here are a couple very useful videos I watched, both are very useful for teaching aids. The first is Lawler Sawmill, and an LT40 is being used to cut a log from start to finish from a guy who knows what he is doing. He's not fast, his mill isn't fast, but he gets it done, day after day. Shows basic, reasonable sawing steps, how to off load, how to edge, estimate yield, etc. Lots to learn from this video. As you get more experience, you will change it up some.

Wood-Mizer LT40HD - YouTube

The second video is of an Amish circle mill, the other end of the spectrum. Other than being fun to watch, the main key on this video is to watch the sawyer as he rotates the cant through its paces, with the intent of keeping the pith centered, which is crucial to good sawing. Proper sawing technique is crucial, and its important to keep a board is balanced, centered (no matter where it comes off the cant), has even sapwood on edges (for hardwood species) and faces. Watch him rotate the cant and figure out why he is doing it. Then see if you would do the same movements, and why or why not. As you get more experience, you'll "see" more of what he is doing and why it may be good or bad for your application.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8nyrP8bclI

A couple other tips related to your physical health, which is important if you want to keep on sawing. I have an artificial hip from playing collegiate sports. However, it has helped me be more efficient. To put things in perspective, if a thousand board foot of logs weighs 8 tons, and even if you load the logs hydraulically, except for the sawdust, every ounce of that log is coming off the mill as flitches, slabs or boards and you will be potentially handling every one. If you mill "just" a thousand bdft per week, you will be "hand" handling over 800,000 pounds in a year, year after year. Now imagine what that weight number is if you mill every day, like some of us. Proper handling of stuff coming off the mill isn't optional, its paramount to long term survivability.

I'll leave you a few pieces of advice I think about EVERY day.
"Never lift both ends of the board at the same time."
"Always take steps to save steps."
"Don't cut anything of yourself off."

Ga Mtn Man · February 05, 2019, 09:19:11 AM

Words to live by indeed.

WV Sawmiller · February 05, 2019, 09:25:38 AM

YH,

Nice videos. I like the guy in Camden although I typically vary the process a bit. I normally saw the first side and a flitch or two to get the face I want, flip 180 and repeat. I start the second face at a point I will end with the thickness I want for finished boards as the log allows (Example 12",10", 8" etc.) then I flip 90 degrees, saw the round off and a flitch or two till I get to clean wood then I flip to the last face and start on a mark off my cheat sheet so I finish exactly on the desired board thickness. I check and sometimes have to cut an 8/4 in a batch of 4/4 or a 4/4 when I'm cutting 8/4 to keep from splitting the pith but I check that before I make my first cut. Another change I make is I edge against a cant. When I get down to about a 3-4 inch cant I stop making boards, stand the flitches up and edge them then finish sawing the cant down to the last board. I like the extra full length stability of sawing against a cant instead of just clamping bunch of limber boards in the center.

Stephen1 · February 05, 2019, 10:19:43 AM

Here are my thoughts for the new guy. If I read it correctly,you came out of an office job.
Start an exercise regime with weights and cardio and throw in a yoga class every week for the stretching. It can Be as simple as a good brisk walk every day. Throw in some weights a couple of times a week. You only need 30-45 mins a day.

Southside · February 05, 2019, 12:26:46 PM

What? say_what

MikeySP · February 05, 2019, 02:13:02 PM

Alright, I am still woring through the pile of reading material while I wat on my new skidsteer starter. It is scheduled to be here tomorrow. I hope to be milling some of my own Pole Barn lumber by Saturday.

All of these comments have been read and reread by me. Thank you all for your investment of time and wisdom.

I may cheap out on a less spendy cant hook for now. I much prefer to buy once, well. However, funds are getting thin and I found a $38 48" hook to buy me some time. The one you mentioned seems very nice, lightweight, and well built. I will see once I have my full purchase list together.

Going to events and visiting sawyers: I like the idea a lot. I watched those two videos that YellowHammer posted. The gentlman from Camden, AL is about 5 hrs away. Yellowhammer is 2.5 hours away

The Sawing Event in Rentz, GA is 7hrs away. What is the best learning scenario out of those two? Visiting a competent sawyer and working for him for a couple days or attending and event with lots-o-folks to talk with?

Can anyone shed light on why the man from Camden cut his 1x8 without stopping at the pith? I thought the pith had to end up in a final small cant 4x4 or such?

That was a very good video content and I liked the setup from an efficiency standpoint.

Thank you for the links to books. Here are the four books I have downloaded so far:

Yellow Hammer, does "Always take steps to save steps." mean to take the steps to become more efficient? That is my read.

WV Sawmiller, do your flitches get sandwiched between the cant and the backstops for edging?

Stephen1, no office work. I am a retired Green Beret. I was training some Navy SEALS a few years back (Contract Work) and a young guy smashed into an embankment in some sort of Baja 1000 Race Car Dune Buggy with a bunch of MAchine Gun Mounts on it. All passengers had 5 point harnesses, except for the rag doll in the turret hole up top... me. VERY glad to be alive. Discovered a few months later that I lost (shredded) the ligements on the backside of my legs. A snap kick for me now means my toe touches my belly button

Actually, I do very well using my muscles to do what my ligaments once did. I take care of my back by using less brawn and more brain. I wonder if the Yoga stretching might not help me anyways. I think my wife would love doing something like that with me. I will look for some modest videos of that.

Does anyone have a detailed portable sawing kit packing list from A-Z? I mean everything from sawmill, checklists, manual, any apps, down to wallet, band-aides, socks... everything. I understand that a few hours work an hour a away requires much less than a months work 8 hours away; but, I can use the list as a template to work off of. I have begun inventing the wheel on this, but thought I would wiser to ask wise men.

Thanks again Gents.

-Mike

dustintheblood · February 05, 2019, 02:17:39 PM

Sell the mill and buy bitcoin. So hot right now!!

WV Sawmiller · February 05, 2019, 04:16:23 PM

My flitches get thrown on the loading arms till ready to edge then I just stack them between the cant and the clamp. That saves me having to move the cant once I start on the final cut.

Trust me - you will be much happier if you buy the LogRite cant hook vs others on the market. Tell them you are an FF member and get your discount. Think of it as a safety issue because the other hooks will slip and get you hurt while the LogRite bites deeper and harder and an alligator snapping turtle.

As far as the guy in Camden splitting the pith remember he was only cutting 4/4 material which even if it bows in or out can normally be nailed into place. I'm speculating that was his reasoning. I worry a lot less about the pith on thin stock than I would for framing lumber. JMHO.

Mt406 · February 05, 2019, 05:28:17 PM

These guys have lots of wisdom here because thay have the miles.
Start a go fund me page and get a good cant hook ask me how bad broken jibs hurt when a cheap one pulls out.
Run sharp blades is doesn't matter if just came out of the box or you made a few passes dull is dull or bad that a capital SIN. you some times get bad blades or even a box of them.
Start sharping your own blades because you are in control Theres a guy on your side of the world Richard ---- forgot last his biz Custom something. I am on pain meds cant remember any thing now. Hes a go to guy for sharping.
30-40 hrs of saw time means you know how to start it. That's not said as a insult, I thought that to. I am close to 1500 hrs and I get schooled by logs.
Don't be that cheap guy, Eq costs a lot and experience is worth more don't were out your body for nothing.

My two cents
(I am healing up form back surgery and heavily medicated two cents)
Scott

MikeySP · February 05, 2019, 06:52:39 PM

WV Sawmiller, thank you for pressing me on the cant hook. I thought it was a best option, not a vastly superior option vs disappointing option. I will get the Logrite Cant Hook. I am just trying to get a little positive cashflow as soon as is realistically possible. I would rather make less than minimum wage sawing than double that doing something else. I count it as getting paid to learn.

Mt406, No insult taken... reality! Thank you. Sorry for your pain! I hope you see health soon. It is not my being cheap as much as it is being really tight on funds at the moment. I have held off on making purchases until I can come up with a master list and start at the top and work down based on priority. If I had been wise, I would have thought ahead when I was making big money. I was a fool, but that is behind me and now to work! I can go get 100% disability after what happened, but I would rather not, unless I was destitute. I was so glad to be able to buy a lot more saw than I thought I would be able to do; because, the seller met me at my limit which was significantly under his asking price. While it would be great to get free stuff, I will not do a go fund me. I will purchase what I need minimally until I get a little cash flow. I "really" do understand that 40 hours is a drop in the bucket; but, I cannot wait until I have 100s of hours if 30 will do to get me started on some small jobs to begin. I need to learn enough to avoid being a clown show, knowing my limitations, taking jobs that would be a good fit for me and a customer. I just don't want to be reading the manual to figure out how to start, level, change blade, fold blade, and do some basic milling while I am at a customers house.

Get well soon and thank you for chiming in!

Dust in the blood, sell me your cant hook and you buy the bitcoin

-Mike

Southside · February 05, 2019, 06:56:15 PM

I have to agree with the others, you get exceptional value with Logrite products. Cheap peaveys and cant hooks will slip and you will break the handle, then you will spend almost as much on a new handle as the cheap one was to begin with.

I bought my Logrite peavy probably 4 years ago after breaking yet another wooden handle, honestly the paint is hardly scratched and this thing takes a beating all the time.

Think of it like buying cheap ammo that may or may not fire, just how much did you actually save and at what cost?

MikeySP · February 05, 2019, 07:11:31 PM

Southside Logger, I get it. I just did not get it before

I thought it was a nicety to have the best, but the cheapo would serve me will for several months. A tool that is going to grieve me is not a tool, but a liability. So I am in. Thanks for seconding WV Sawmiller on this. I tried to find the discount for the Forum Members when checking out, but did not see anything; so, I will call in morning before buying.

At this point:
60"
Logrite

BUT... cant hook vs peavey? Which do I want?

WV Sawmiller · February 05, 2019, 07:20:04 PM

I've only used the cant hook so can't say about the peavy. I think the peavy was originally used more to separate logs. I don't know if the point would scar up a cant if used to turn them and maybe others who use both can answer. I hear the point is handy to just stick it up in the ground when not in use.

MikeySP · February 05, 2019, 07:47:25 PM

Mt406, if you remember the Richard who is the go to guy on sharpening, do let me know. At this point, I am going to pay Woodmizer to sharpen my blades unless I find a local guy who is tried, proven, and cost effective. I absolutely want to learn to sharpen, but NO TIME SOON. My learning curve is so steep right now, that I need to focus on Everest, and leave the Matterhorn for another day... year.

-Mike