Have been a lurker off and on for 'most a year...got interested in sawmills..came on to learn something (too bad it wasn't typing)
i've learned alot on here, got into playing with an alaskan CSM...can't produce much with one...nice for making tables and big timbers tho'...
We live in a 170 year old farmhouse in Isle of wight VA (couple miles from mike vick's place if ya wanta know, I didn't)
and for some reason wifey sez we need modern kitchens and bathroom and such, so there is an addition in the works as soon as the other house sells....and she wants pine board floors to match the old part of the house...fair enough...plus i need to re-side the 80+ year old smoke house and the carriage house...you get the point....I asked her if she knew what pine flooring cost...even unmilled..it ain't cheap. well we have a pretty big timber industry here, so there is alot of wood floating around, so I stops the other day and asks the loggers what a truckload of pine would cost me..figured a couple of thou...wasn't too far off...but he offers me a pile of cypress (!) so I calls the wife and asks if she'd mind cypress floors...without having to buy the wood, took her out and showed her the pile...wound up hauling home several tons of the stuff..pretty clear and straight,
but too small for the mill to buy..(for some reason, i'm ok with that..i'll saw 10" logs all day if the $$$ is right..)
got the last two logs tonight...loaded by myself...20-24" and 25 feet long straight as an arrow...
betcher think'n I'm dumb enough to try sawin' all that with the Alaskan? nuh-uh!
i'm saving that for the 44" pecan trunk a guy gave me...he has chainsaw envy...
after looking at what the logs cost ;D and what the finished lumber would cost, and heck,
how much of it we would not afford in the first place, she asked a bunch of questions and I showed her the websites..knew I couldn't afford a swinger (had been talked out of the skillmill..buncha reasons) and I was kind of resistant to a bandmill...
I got preached out of the trees by some very persuasive (thankfully i'm guessing) fellows on another site..bet some of them are over here... anyway, the wife would not let me buy a ripsaw to add to the alaskan..she said i'd get bored with it..probably.
so i showed her the only bandsaws I was interested in..the wood mizer and the norwood...and for a variety of reasons we settled on the lt15, pro package, a bed extention and 15 blades...wifey says get the electric start and ratchet ramps so she can run the mill too.. (thought of Bibby/Mary immediately,wifey's name is Mary too..) well, since she is already a terror with a wood splitter, and had asked me to teach her how to run the little chainsaw, while i played with the 660..this was a GOOD IDEA... ;D
Wifey thinks so...but will kick the stuffin' outta me if I don't make it pay... :)
we applied to finance the mill today...we'll see how that works out...
I figured I should jump on here and start babbling a bit about what we're up to...
hmmm...gona hafta mill myself a kiln...and saw shed...and...well...you know.
I just hope this works alright.
Well, welcome Zopi! I am sure you'll be pleased with your mill. My wife likes running the mill too. So much, that if she is around, I wind up offbearing :o
SOOOOO, I bought her a mill (not really, but it sounded good).
If you have been lurking, you know we like pics!
Keep us posted.
welcome to the FF. There are a few members in your general area. Pecan can be a lot of fun (not) to saw, but it sure is pretty stuff. You'll have fun with that LT15.
Welcome aboard,I enjoyed your introduction. Pull up a chair and stay awhile.
I guess you know that LT15 is just a jumping off spot don't you? Before you know it you'll be selling it off for bigger better. Welcome aboard.
Zopi,
My LT 15 was the best thing that I ever bought. I have some fine furniture to show for it ;D. If you do it yourself, somehow, the wood and the experience means more, and it lasts a lifetime 8).
Welcome Zopi!
Took you a year to jump in but you did it with both feet! :)
I've said a many a time, the best thing around a mill is a good wife! ;D
Now you can get her a nice LogRite cant hook for Valentine's Day. ;D
Zopi,welcome to the forum.Now that sounds like a plan.Take some pictures when it arrives.Both of you will enjoy it.
i know you guys like pictures, but I uhhh...washed the little camera the other night...gotta haul out the monster SLr to take pics..I'll try to get some of my log stash in a few days...
The application for the mill is in...cross yer fingers for me.
Bibby and Mary...I have really followed your saga with great interest...
Not getting her a cant hook for valentines...I was thinking of building her a log arch...and powder coating it pink...nobody'll steal it..thats for sure.....
heh...maybe i oughta paint all my log chains pink for the same reason... ;D
Welcome Zopi,
I like your attitute and story telling ability, good reading :P :)
Jerry
go for it, zopi!
these things have a way of working out :)
Welcome Zopi, I too have a LT 15 with an extension. If I place a log carefully on it, I can saw a 17 footer. I have sawed some big stuff on it, but having a few pieces of support takes a lot of the work out of it. I didn't have anything but a 48" Logrite cant hook when I started in May 2005. Now I have a tractor with a FEL and I built a sawshed and rigged a handcrank winch to turn the big logs. It sure helps. I've sawed over 15,000 bdft with it and for sure you will love the 25 hp engine if you get it. It will help on the full capacity cuts. Look in my gallery for some pics of the logs I've cut and other stuff.
Hope your app. goes through.
Don
Wow! I'm diggin' those pens....I messed with making a bunch of pens for christmas a couple years back...guess I better get to sawin' some pen blanks...pecan crotch wood will be nice.