Collin's Mill Build - V2.0 is long overdue

[hacknchop]

So if you were working for him what would you want him to charge you?

[Hoopty5.0]

That's kinda how I was approaching it, what would I pay? Treated 2 - 6x6x10' from HD is $61. So I told him $80 and he was pleased and so am I.  It's basically $1/bf + $25 labor on the mill, which I think is pretty fair.

[Hoopty5.0]

Well, the first injury has occurred. While rolling a log on the bunks, I crushed my right index finger, first knuckle. 5 stitches and a fracture, looked like roadkill.

I was hurrying to finish a small job to go into town with the wife. Lesson learned - don't rush anything. Either take the time to finish correctly, or just stop altogether.

Ouch. Very very ouch.

[Crusarius]

I have started to leave logs on the mill half cut for that exact same reason. Good news is I have not damaged myself that bad yet.

[Hoopty5.0]

I have started to leave logs on the mill half cut for that exact same reason. Good news is I have not damaged myself that bad yet.

Lucky it was cedar and light. I was cutting a 6x6 post and was making the 4th cut to make the cant. I still dont understand how it happened, but I'm also very happy it wasn't a heavy hardwood.


OH!!! I almost forgot - I picked up a 2500# HF winch for $50. Going to replace the hand crank trailer winch, as soon as I have all 10 fingers back in operation.

[thecfarm]

OUCH!!!  Rolling,by hand? Peavey? You was some lucky.

[Hoopty5.0]

OUCH!!!  Rolling,by hand? Peavey? You was some lucky.

Yes, rolling by hand. It was only a 6x6 cedar post, so I figured it was fine. It's healing really well, looks like a finger again as of today. Back to milling in no time!

[Ljohnsaw]

I picked up a 2500# HF winch for $50

I had one of those, too.  Just don't run it too hard.  The windings get crispy and it don't pull so well. :-\ So now I have a nice roll of thin cable for some other project.

[Hoopty5.0]

I picked up a 2500# HF winch for $50

I had one of those, too.  Just don't run it too hard.  The windings get crispy and it don't pull so well. :-\ So now I have a nice roll of thin cable for some other project.

Thanks for the info. Were you using it as a winch as intended, or for raise/lower on the mill as I plan to? Seems like a lighter duty, or so I hope!

[Ljohnsaw]

I used it to winch a log to my trailer.  It was a hot day and ran it just a bit too hard.  I don't recall if it had thermal protection.  If it did, it didn't work.  I have a cheap non-HF winch on my ATV that I've abused way more than the HF and it still keeps on pulling.

[Crusarius]

I have that same 50$ wireless winch on my UTV. I rarely use it to winch but it raises and lowers the plow alot. the cable breaks alot to. I did ditch the wireless part cause it was annoying.

The duty cycle on them is about 30% if I remember right. I think that means use it for 3 minutes straight let it sit for 10. I may be way off on this but I know it has a very low duty cycle. Not great for a winch that will be used for winching but great for everything else.

[Old Greenhorn]

I think that winch should work fine for you. I have a 3500# on my Mule and I am always surprised at what it pulls. SO far I have had to change the cable every year because the log skidding and the snow plowing just toast it up. This year I switched to synthetic and will be very interested to see how it holds up. I have only pulled a couple of logs out of the swamp and done about a days plowing, but so far so good. I do think it has some strecth in it though.
 I was thinking about getting a 2500# for par buckling logs up on the mill bed. Curious to see how you make out.

[Ljohnsaw]

I was thinking about getting a 2500# for par buckling logs up on the mill bed.

That's how I burned mine up.  Just need to go a little more...  a little more... (smoke) :-[

[Crusarius]

I  am real interested to know how the synthetic holds up to plowing. that is where I always break the cable. One day I will build a pulley to redirect the pull but till then I just keep making the cable shorter.

[Hoopty5.0]

I think that winch should work fine for you. I have a 3500# on my Mule and I am always surprised at what it pulls. SO far I have had to change the cable every year because the log skidding and the snow plowing just toast it up. This year I switched to synthetic and will be very interested to see how it holds up. I have only pulled a couple of logs out of the swamp and done about a days plowing, but so far so good. I do think it has some strecth in it though.
I was thinking about getting a 2500# for par buckling logs up on the mill bed. Curious to see how you make out.

I'll get it installed and report back, but may be a bit. trying to finish the shop, get moved in, and make the wife's x-mas/anniversary gift this weekend, and with 9 functional fingers.  *facepalm*

[Old Greenhorn]

I  am real interested to know how the synthetic holds up to plowing. that is where I always break the cable. One day I will build a pulley to redirect the pull but till then I just keep making the cable shorter.

I Z rigged the cable on my plow with 2 pulleys and the cable just did not like the small turn radius on the pulleys One is 2" the other is 4". Last year I just put a short piece of cable in the Z-rig and let the winch pull on that. Not sure where that cable went. But yeah, it always failed in the last 3 feet on the cable and I would shorten it. I would also get damage from yanking the logs out of the swamp to where I could hook them up. broken or frayed strands. So between the two, a new cable about each year. 
 The synth seems to not mind the bend around the sheaves but seems spongy. Time will tell, but so far so good. When I got the stuff and looked at it, I thought it looked like cheap plastic clothesline and had zero confidence, but so far, it is working fine. Hope to be pulling more logs tomorrow.

[Old Greenhorn]

I was thinking about getting a 2500# for par buckling logs up on the mill bed.

That's how I burned mine up.  Just need to go a little more...  a little more... (smoke) :-[

Were you wrapping the cable around the log and anchoring it so that the log rolls, or were you dragging the log up the ramp. Seems like rolling it should not be much of a load, but I don't know how big your log is either. I would say my average log is about 1,000-1,500# and my ramp is 10°. Seems like that would be workable because I can do it with a peavy. Problem for me is working alone, I can't hold the log halfway up the ramp to reset the peavy. What were the circumstances of your blown winch? Maybe I should re-think.

[Ljohnsaw]

We were loading these logs:


 

 
Two years ago.  Used the ramp in the background.  About a 20° angle?  A couple were just about flat as the trailer was next to a berm with the log on top.  We resorted to the orange winch thing you see on the trailer.  To load the logs, we ran a chain from the trailer, under the logs, up over the top back towards the trailer with a snatch block at the end.  Then a cable from the orange winch, through the snatch block back to the winch.  When using the 2500# winch, we just went straight to the chain (no snatch block).  Typical parbuckling It was not working hard at all, just too long.

[charles mann]

I had a 3500# travelers winch from tsc. I was parbuckling some 2500# red oak logs and had the winch snatched and i did the run for a few min and let cool for a few. After loading 3 logs, the winch was toast. 

My next winch will be another HF 12k plus a new motor for my 18k warn, which will turn it into a 16.5k. 
If i dont a mil 5tn wrecker/crane tck, ill build a log arch for my mill to help load the logs. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Man it took me forever to find which thread this winch discussion was in, but I wanted to follow up a little. I went to HF on Saturday and looked at their winches, no way would I buy that 2500# version for anything more than very light work. As for the other sizes I would just go over sized for any application. A co-worker bought their 12,000# unit 6 months ago, I am still waiting for him to mount it and try it and let me know how it works.

[Hoopty5.0]

Well, I'm mostly back in action, although probably doing too much to let my hand heal right. We loaded the biggest log I had this weekend and literally maxed out the mill. It was wider than the guides at points, but with a couple well placed chainsaw cuts and some finagling, we got 'er slabbed out.



 



 



 

I went through these last two blades way faster than I had expected, especially since it was mostly pine and cedar cut.  I need to quit saying I'm going to build a lube system and actually DO it.

[Hoopty5.0]

Double post.

[Magicman]

ERC will dull my blades faster than any other species that I regularly saw. 

[Hoopty5.0]

ERC will dull my blades faster than any other species that I regularly saw.  

Mind = blown
Is there a particular reason?

[charles mann]

Man it took me forever to find which thread this winch discussion was in, but I wanted to follow up a little. I went to HF on Saturday and looked at their winches, no way would I buy that 2500# version for anything more than very light work. As for the other sizes I would just go over sized for any application. A co-worker bought their 12,000# unit 6 months ago, I am still waiting for him to mount it and try it and let me know how it works.

Those 12k winches are good enough for the price that im gonna buy another 1. I messed up when the cable rat nested and i ran the winch in reverse, which prematurely burned out the holding brake while picking up a 6000# pecan in 1 lift. 
I had it and used used it a couple yrs before mounting on my trailer, where is shined and did its job. 
Aint much id recommend buying from HF, but that winch is worth the price. If the 18k was ever on sale, id buy it too.