Tapered log, no toe boards

[NewYankeeSawmill]

Got the blue-light special on my mill, no frills or extras! So I don't have any kind of toe boards, hydraulic or manual. Just a row of cross-bunks.
Shim and a prayer?
Only matters on the first 2 cuts, right? After that it is what it be...
Thanks.

- K

[Magicman]

I would saw out a two foot 6X6 and then saw it into two long wedges.  Then shorten one or both to fit your sawmill bed.  Slide them under the log from each side to raise and stabilize the small end.

[Resonator]

I have adjustable toe boards on my (manual) mill, but often I find it's quicker (especially on smaller logs) to just put a wood block under one end. I use a prybar, Logrite or a handy 2x for levering the end up, and keep various thickness wood blocks to shim with.
Also on my 1st manual mill without adjustable toe boards, I kept a scissor jack from a car next to the bunk to crank up the log end as needed.

I use the saw an opening face, turn 180, saw a face, turn 90, saw a face, turn 180 and then saw the last face method. So before the 1st and 3rd cut I shim up on a taper log, to get a cant with the pith centered from all 4 sides.

[rusticretreater]

My toe board is basically a scissor jack like those used for cars with a platform instead of the part that engages a car frame.  You could try an old jack like that as it is, have a platform welded to it, a bottle jack and then shims under the log or even try a small floor jack.  Use your imagination.

[Nebraska]

I have a small scissors jack and a piece of c channel that I use as a toe board. I lift the log and shim with odd sawmill treasures. (Misc designer firewood chunks) previous reply beat me to it. 

[Ianab]

I've used a high lift jack and shims to level up logs with excess taper. Takes a couple of minutes and some stray off cut boards, but it basically works. Obviously a fancy hydraulic toe board would be ideal, and get things aligned in seconds, but we work with what we have. It only needs to be eye-o-meter accurate. 

[NewYankeeSawmill]

I would saw out a two foot 6X6 and then saw it into two long wedges.  Then shorten one or both to fit your sawmill bed.  Slide them under the log from each side to raise and stabilize the small end.

Thanks @Magicman , I saw something like that on the Norwood video's on Oytube. That old timer has got some good advice sprinkled in the how-to video's.
Thanks for the info and suggestions! I knew I could fudge it with some shim boards, but had not thought about using the car-jack... I've had some movement with smaller logs that only hit one set of dogs, so I was worried about not locking the shimmed end down (having it go all helter skelter as I'm passing through is not fun, happened twice already on a practice log).
Thanks again!

- K

[Old Greenhorn]

On my manual mill I used two 12" long felling wedges because it was hard to lift the log with a lever and old it there while I placed shims. I would drive one wedge in from each side and they would compound the lift when the rode over each other. I was just getting to the point of adding a scissor jack when I switched to running the LT50 where you just have to lift a little on the lever to move the log up. That seemed easier and I haven't used my manual in quite a while.

[Magicman]

That old timer has got some good advice sprinkled in the how-to video's.

That old timer is probably Forestry Forum member, Dave Boyt.

[Chuck White]

When I was sawing mobile, I always carried 3 or 4 1x6, and 2x6, about 6-8 inches long!

When I needed to raise the tail of a log I used my cant hook and pried it up and placed whatever thickness required on the bunk under the log.

Worked good for me, then three years later I got a good deal on and LT40HDG24 from FF member @petefrom bearswamp

[Magicman]

I have hydraulic toe boards and I still occasionally do exactly as Chuck described above especially with 8' logs.  Reason; one toe board is inside and the other is outside of the bed rails so the front toe board may not reach a short log that is loaded "top end toward the front".

I have about 8 boards of various widths and lengths that always travel with me.

[hh76]

Cheap motorcycle jack from Amazon works for me.  I also use it when cutting logs too short to reach two bunks.

[esteadle]

Got the blue-light special on my mill, no frills or extras! So I don't have any kind of toe boards, hydraulic or manual. Just a row of cross-bunks.
Shim and a prayer?
Only matters on the first 2 cuts, right? After that it is what it be...
Thanks.

- K

Shims and prayers, yes. 

Position the log as best as you can to get a parallel cut to start with big end toward you, and the saw entry direction. Next, measure how far off the line you are, on both ends of the log.

Then cut the top "triangle" off the log. Measure from the edge and cut about 1/3 larger than the taper end needs to go up.

After cut, take this triangle to the other end, and wedge it up under the bottom of the small end. Flat side up. Use a 5 pound sledge to pound this up under the small end and raise it to a good "parallel to cut" height. Use and train your eye to level it up. Open up and then cut your first board to get a flat side.

Then flip 180 and you will be in a good position to get grain parallel cuts with minimal shimming on the far end. You will give yourself a good flat surface to reposition the log as well. A flat log surface moves much easier lengthwise on your bunks, than a bumpy irregular log surface.

These are tricks I used when I couldn't use my tapers. Triangles and sledge is great, but use any cut or drift or wedgie piece to do it if needed. There's always a piece of scrap wood nearby working a sawmill.

[Hilltop366]

I was using a piece of board for blocking and a long piece of 3x5 for prying the log up but was thinking of up grading to some blocking that was shaped to go over the bunk and down the sides a bit so I could get further down the pry stick for better leverage and push the blocking under the log with another stick (think broom handle size). The 3x5 spruce worked good because it was wide (3") enough to be stable from wanting to flip over on it's side. I would usually just use my body weight by sitting on the pry and holding it in place with my left hand leaving my right hand free to place the blocking.

[Joe Hillmann]

I rarely need to do any adjustment on 8 foot logs.  At that length there usually isn't enough taper to make me concerned about raising one end to keep the pith centered.

But as the logs get longer it becomes more of a concern.  I use a jack or a pry bar to lift the log and whatever scrap slabs I have close by to prop it up.  It may take a few tries of adjusting shims to get the right height but otherwise it works fine.  I rarely try to get it perfect,  If I am within a half inch on center height from end to end that is plenty good 99% of the time.

On the real long logs I also put a shim in the center of the log so it doesn't sag from only being supported at each end.

[Ianab]

With nice straight logs you are right that the taper is minimal over 8 ft. But get into the local cedar / cypress "farm" trees, and they have some serious butt flare. So an 8ft log might be 36" big end up only 30" at the small end. No matter what the mill, you need to correct that for best recovery.