Swingblade question

[Nova]

Bring 'em on
Can't wait till they arrive 8)

[getoverit]

Looks good to me !! Bring them on !

[solodan]

How did I miss this post
I couldn't have been busy working ;)

I agree with Horselogger, that you can easily set up with out hitting them. I mark my vertical winch supports with a wax lumber marker at each new setup site, so that if I see this bright line when winching down, DO NOT CUT. I also agree with everyone else, that I am still always worried about hitting metal. JP's old dogs worked real good and he knows I was a big fan of them.   I won't lie, I always feel a bit uneasy near the bottom of the log, even though I know I took every precaution. I just do not like the feeling of my blade spinning near these hunks of steel. I think the new dogs will ease everyone in this department. Good dogs that work and are made of a blade safe material are going to open a whole new world to swingers, small logs. If you notice where most of the swingers are at, it seems to be in areas where  logs are big. Here in the US most guys on this board that have a swing mill, live in areas of the west and the southeast. Lots of big trees, but lots of small ones grow through out the middle of these stands. We sure could use some tools that could help us utilize the small trees. Thanks to JP, I think that Swing Mills may become a more complete system.

[Fla._Deadheader]

Don't overlook them 24" dia. limbs, either.  : : ;D ;D :D :D

[sandman2234]

I do a lot more metal than wood. (probably a million times more), so I know what happens when a saw hits steel. However, what about aluminum? Will it stand up to the uses of a dog? I have cut aluminum with a carbide tipped sawblade, so it shouldn't hurt the blade.
    Anyone ever try that?

  I agree that some of the new composits and plastics might be better, but aren't as easily available to the homeshop type person.
    Just wondering...
   David from jax

[jpgreen]

I'm a do-it-yourself kind of guy, but sometimes it pays buying a quality tool. 

When you consider how much we spend on our sawmills, the potential income that they can produce, and how much more productive the dogs will make your equipment, they are a very good investment.

...

[highpockets]

JP can you produce anyting with this dog?  If so I'll give him to you





8)

[jpgreen]

They say you tell the owner by the looks of his dog..  :D

What's that green stuff?...

-but what in heeck is that rusty box Dick?..  ;D ??? :D

[sandman2234]

I know the answers to those questions, JP.
   All that green stuff is the weeds he has that his wonderful wife keeps mowed.
  That rusty box is a barbeque grill, built right on the premises, by the renowned Highpockets himself. Probably be a collector's item when he is gone. There are a few of them around, but usually in bad shape, because they are used so much, and he used cheap paint when he built them.
   David from jax
   

[getoverit]

Just thought I would post a picture and a success story....

I finished up a job today for 1000bf of syp 2x6's. I actually produced over 1500bf of 2x6's total after everything was tallied up, but the customer will get his 1000bf and I will keep 500 bf.

Behind me in the picture you can see the log bunks made of  6x6's with a 5" notch in them. Most of the pine logs I did this job with were in the range of 14 to 18" logs and the square notches worked out really good for me. I can load the log onto the bunks on the outside of the rails, and then they roll pretty easy into position. I only had one log roll over on it's side, and that was totally my fault because I wasnt paying attention to what I was doing and cut too much from the left side of the log. Otherwise, it was a stress free job with no log movement while sawing!

This is a picture of yesterday's sawing, and the pile was almost twice this big by this afternoon.

[solodan]

Ken,
I'm guessing you were you working by yourself, by where the lumber is stacked.
Did you do some trading or did you just get to keep the 500 on top of the bill? That is usually the size log I have had problems with myself rolling over, especially when cuting 8" on the vertical pass.

[getoverit]

I actually cut 1000 bf for the customer, but I'm picky about the lumber I sell. I wanted it all to be virtually perfect, so if a board came off the mill with wane in it, I sae that board on the stack for me. Good lumber without wane went to him. I'll either use the lumber for myself with the small bits of wane in it, or cut the wane out of the boards and sell them for shorter stuff later. I guess I shouldnt be so picky, but I take pride in what I do and I want repeat business.

I also cut a bunch ofg 1x boards while I was cutting. The customer wanted all 2x6's, so If I couldnt get a full 2x6 but could get a 1x6 out of the log, I made the 1x6 and I'll keep it and sell it to another customer later.

The money was good for this job. I got box store prices for it, and sold it green ;D I was working alone for the most part, and that is why you see the stack of lumber right behind the mill. The wife comes out to help occasionally and that tends to speed up production. If I had nice big logs and 2 teens to offbear, I could really turn out some big production numbers with this Peterson Mill.

[chep]

Gripper dogs 2.0? Still a thing? Curious as to any log dogging tricks for swingblade mills out there that have developed since this thread happened 15 years ago  8)