Saw Dust Addiction

[SawyerTed]

I'm SawyerTed and I've finally determined I have a saw dust addition.

Yesterday, I went to WM Carolinas and put a deposit on an LT35 Hydraulic with debarker.  I've been chainsaw milling for three or four years.  While the product has been satisfying the quantity has been disappointing.  Joe and Tyler have been very patient with me over the last couple of years.  This was the third time I got quotes and went through the shopping process.

My plans are to saw a few hours a week, mostly for myself to begin with.   If it evolves into sawing for others that will be a good thing.  Logs will come from our farm and two friends who operate grading companies.

I have a rookie question.  What support tools besides a couple of cant hooks and mechanic tools do you keep handy while sawing?

[Den-Den]

A tractor with front end loader, forklift or skid steer with forks would be great.  If you don't have any of those a log arch will be very handy.  If you do have any of above, some pallets to stack & sticker lumber on can be placed near the mill and then lifted and moved to drying location.

[SawyerTed]

Den-Den, thankfully the loaders, and other heavy equipment for handling logs is already here.  I've got two tractors with loaders, a set of quick attach forks.

Been thinking a log arch would be a good addition.  It would keep the logs out of the dirt.

[Resonator]

X3 on the tractor with loader/forks, and sharp saw blades, lots of sharp saw blades.

[Crossroads]

It’s handy  to have a couple nylon falling wedges around, so if something happens and you have to back out of a cut, you can. Also, I like to use a leaf blower to clean the mill up at the end of the day. Congratulations on the new toy, the guys I’ve milled for who had previously been using an Alaska mill couldn’t believe how much faster things get done.

[paul case]

Welcome, sawyerted.

I dont know the volume of logs or types you are planning to cut, but a good way to remove slabs away from your mill is a big help to us. We handle 99% hardwoods so almost all our slabs can be curt and sold for firewood. We dont do that so we fill a rack, put banding on them and sell slab bundles. For that you need a rack to make bundles the size your loader can handle and a strapping cart and tools. Very handy.

I have found that our sawmill is just the centerpiece in a log jam, so anything you can do to make it less handling by hand of the wood you process helps.

PC

[SawyerTed]

To be honest, I don't know the volume of logs I will be dealing with on an on-going basis.  At this point, I've got about twenty white oak and red oak logs.  The smallest is 18" and the largest is 28" or so.  The logs came from storm damage over the last 8 or 10 months. 

I've been using firewood bulk bags for handling firewood and have thought about sawing the slabs for firewood and storing it in the bags.  The bags are cheap enough.  It remains to be seen if I will have the time to saw the slabs up or if banding will be the better choice. 

I use the firewood bags for storing my own firewood right now.  It works well for reducing the number of times I handle firewood.

[Southside]

I'm SawyerTed and I've finally determined I have a saw dust addition.

Congratulations on taking the first step!!!  I keep an old cooler right by the hydraulic box, in it are a roll of electrical tape, zip ties, stiff brush, 4 nylon felling wedges, spare tape measure, hatchet for whacking said wedges in when needed or for knocking off any large chunks of mud / dirt that look ugly even for the debarker.  I also keep my pine sol and dish soap in the same cooler along with that chrome rod for jacking the outriggers.  Chainsaw tucks neatly along side of the cooler so I don't kick the bar when walking around the machine.  When doing traveling jobs I have a dedicated tool box with spare head and blade guide bearings, wheel belts (B-57 for your mill), and a spare drive belt.  I stick my Log-Rite in the dirt right at the edge of the box/saw and it acts as a natural eye guide when rounding the head to get to the other side of the mill and everything is in one place and does not get lost.  I also keep a stiff brush hanging on the bungee strap which is used to hold up the rubber saw dust chute.  This way if I am at the far end of the log and want to brush off dust to see the grain I don't have to walk back.  Tape measure on my hip and a big jug of sweet tea in the closest shady spot make for a good day. 

That 35 will keep you going pretty well, I typically saw about 2000 ft per day with mine, it's getting time to upgrade but it has taken a while to get to this point and when I do I will keep mine and leave the re-saw attachment on it full time, they are a terrific machine for the money. 

[SawyerTed]

South side, great ideas!  Thank you for the response!  I appreciate all of the advice so far!

[Resonator]

Something I learned here on the Forum, get a 10" drywall taping knife for cleaning sawdust off fresh cut boards. Works quicker than a broom.

[ncsawyer]

SawyerTed,

Welcome to the forum!  You will find all sorts of useful information here.  It's good to see other folks from NC.  If you already have a tractor with a loader, then you are in pretty good shape.  I find that my flatbed deck-over trailer comes in handy all the time for hauling lumber and logs.  I am acquiring some 30+ inch pine this weekend and plan to haul the tractor to the site of the logs, load the logs, haul home and roll them off.  It should take about 3 loads, then back to get the tractor.

I do mostly custom sawing, but will occasionally come across logs that I can mill and sell the lumber. The next piece of support equipment I plan to buy is a rough terrain forklift.  The tractor and loader I have work great and I could not do my job with out it, but there are many times that I need to pick up a stack of lumber or a big log that the 3,500# lift on the tractor won't handle. Below is my prioritized list of equipment need for sawing lumber:

1.  Sawmill
2.  Cant hook(s)
3.  Chain Saw
4.  Truck (to pull mill) - not higher on the list, cause you can always have logs brought to you
5.  Tractor, skid steer or forklift to handle logs

If you are mostly going to be sawing for yourself - a shelter for the mill and a shelter to store your lumber will be very helpful. 

[Chuck White]

A chainsaw will come in handy at your saw-site!

[WV Sawmiller]

   You must make yourself one of these MagicMan log assist devices. I made mine from an old cant hook ($5 flea market purchase) and a short piece of 1/4" chain then take a couple 6' X 1/4" chains with hooks. If I get a log too big or contrary to roll on to the arms of my mill with my cant hook (Sweep and flare and such will do that sometimes) I drive the hook into the log (oh yeah take a short felling ax for this and to drive those felling wedges mentioned above if you have to back out of a cut), extend the movable clamp all the way, hook to the chain and move the clamp to the left. Often one pull will roll the log over, sometimes multiple pulls are required. That is why the chain works well.

   You'll need something for your bands if you saw mobile away from your home site. See box below. I used a 28" piano hinge (about $5) and 1" strips and made mine 36" X 34" with rope handles to lift and close the boxes. I keep my spare belts and such in the box with the bands.

   I always take a shovel, spud bar, short boards to level the mill etc to every away job. Take several 3' 1X6's to drive your low side wheel up on to level it from side to side. I take an old bumper jack in case I have to change a tire on the mill or lift a log with it or such.
 

 

[Southside]

WV Sawmiller,

Nice box you made there.  Interesting what you say about leveling the mill.  I actually prefer to have the non loader side of the mill slightly down hill, makes loading logs a lot easier as most of the ugly ones even roll off the loader arms, and makes flipping tall, skinny cants with the clamp fast and easy. 

[ncsawyer]

WV Made a good point about having to back out of a cut occasionally.  Felling wedges are a big help.  I also carry a piece of blade, maybe 3 feet long.  I use it to clean the sawdust out of the cut behind the blade, in case I have to back out. 

[WV Sawmiller]

Southside,

   I never slap a level on my mill, just roughly eyeball level it. I am less concerned about side to side as I am front to rear so my power feed does not have to struggle as much or run away from me. Your point is a good one to use gravity to help you turn your cants. Some of the areas I set up in are pretty steep and I have to work around them as best i can.

[Southside]

WHAT??? Steep ground in West Virginia?  I can't imagine it!!!      Rt 50 is a truck driving dream!!!  I am pretty sure that road was surveyed out by a drunk goat that had legs shorter on one side! 

[schakey]

Sorry for getting off topic but I always enjoyed the ride across Route 50, in a Roadway truck it was slow and I got to enjoy the scenery!

[WV Sawmiller]

Southside,

   We moved here in 1990 and my dad, down in NW Fla, used to tell me "Go ahead an buy 40 acres of good flat land there in WV and we will set it up as a perpetual care cemetery and make a mint off it."  I wrote him back "Dad, there is not 40 acres of good flat land in WV at least not all in the same spot." I never even addressed the issue of the rocks with him either.

Ted,

   One other item I forgot is a good fire extinguisher. I always keep one under the front of my mill. Hope to never need it but its there if we do.

[SawyerTed]

Ted,

   One other item I forgot is a good fire extinguisher. I always keep one under the front of my mill. Hope to never need it but its there if we do.

This is a great reminder.  I did have a fire on a piece of equipment a few years ago.  A fuel line split and the tractor burned.  The nearest fire extinguisher was 100 yards away.  it didn't turn out well.