Finally had a chance to get my mill out to saw some lumber for a new shed. The weather man said no rain till late afternoon so I figured I had plenty of time to get started. Pulled the mill out back to set up, set the legs, lowered the load arms - forgot to remove the fender. On my mill the arm hits the fender and jams. Try to lift the arm and free the fender but the fender comes with it and jams again. Would be easy but my helper ( read son) has over slept ( we have all done that). Finally get the arm-fender free figure I'd start with a new blade but the blades, saw, and hook are still sitting by the shop door where I put them to load. Now all set up, new blade load a log square it up, make 3rd lumber cut junior shows up I get through the end of the cant, talk to him about where he's been forget to raise up at the end shift the carraige in reverse, hit the wood and twist the blade off. Another blade get to the end of the log have to put a piece of shim stock along the last piece to keep it strait - of course the piece we picked out of the waste pile was one that had a 2" lag bolt in it. Hit it dead center length wise. Another blade. Its now 10:30 and here comes the sleet and rain. What a mess. Put the mill back in the building, wipe it off, go in the house and watch other people mill on youtube.
I'd say that day qualifies for a re-do ;D some days can be like this,,
If we knew when days like that were coming, we could just skip them. But, no, life doesn't work that way :-\.
I've had my WM for over a year now and I still drop the loading arms onto the fender on a regular basis. Anyone got a fender they want to give me :laugh:.
The one time I left a fender on the head side, i forgot to raise the the log stops and a 30 incher rolled off the mill smashing a perfectly good fender. I did not take pictures, so it may not have happened. :D
Stuff Happens! ::)
BTW, I've lowered the arms before removing the fender, too. ;)
It happens, Soilmover. I have one last job I'm trying to finish before the toughest part of the winter hits. A few days ago all the stars seemed to line up. Clear weather, about 15F, so not too cold, no rain or snow. I set up the mill, started it to let the engine warm up, but was unable to raise and lower the head rig. I spent an hour chasing the problem. By the time I found the culprit - solenoid - and managed to actually make it work I went into the afternoon. I only sawed three logs before I had to leave to work the night shift on New Years' Eve.
It didn't make me happy for sure. Days like that happen.
ps: The fender got me too a time or four.
I took my fenders off when I got my mill home and they have never been back on the mill since. I've never moved it more than 4 miles from home though, and honestly just forgot about them.
One thing you can be thankful for is that you were just milling out back and not down the road a fair piece ;D
Reboot.
Some of us "portable guys" are always a few steps away from home. ;D
Thanks for sharing your day, now some of us don't feel so bad.
I have never sawen into the mill yet, But took the paint of the top of the clamp on the lt35.
I have also dropped the arms in that fender :o
Wow there is a lot of fender benders out there ;D
I keep a spare set of WM fenders on the Cooks edger ::)
Being portable we get lots of practice ::) loading up moving and setting up so have developed rutines.
It goes something like this: sound the alarm that gets everyone moving, cofffeeee, turn the lunch making over to the helper, (GPS the nearest Carls jr to work site just in case), load the truck, check shop twice, hook up to the mill, load any helpers, turn around at the first intersection (hopefully not the one on the otherside of the mountain) and go back for saws or other missed items.
When we pull in at the milling site, position mill, disconect and pull foward 6' (so all tools are handy) Unstrap the head, pull the fenders and tail light off, drop the legs, raise the head and set the mill up.
I have knocked more saws off from sneeking the saw past a high knott then from destractions but the saws still don't like coming off the wheel ::)
Not sure why you put the mill away if you are going to mill today. (the paint still fades over time ;))
Now I don't feel so bad ! I guess everyone has those days. And Backwoods sawyer - today rained all day and tomorrow is back to work so I won't be milling for a while. I've only had the mill for not quite a year now and theres nothing takes my mind off work a day problems like sawing wood ! Just wish I had more time for it. Now I understand how addicting it can be. Will let you know how I make out next time I can get it out, should be better.