Tire Saver and a Back Saver LT40

richhiway · April 07, 2021, 06:39:37 PM

Back Saver roll those slabs onto the tractor forks.

richhiway · April 07, 2021, 06:40:48 PM

20 bucks for 4 on EBAY

slider · April 07, 2021, 07:27:48 PM

i saw with a remote from the tongue end with a roller table near the mill . slabs go on the skid steer forks and boards go on saw horses until staging them. this way i can work alone . I did build a 4 ft table at the end of the mill.

Brob1969 · April 07, 2021, 07:47:59 PM

What is the size of your gravity conveyor?
Looks like a good sized one. I would like to have something similar for my setup.
Where did you get it?

WV Sawmiller · April 07, 2021, 07:54:45 PM

You guys have got me thinking. (That's a scary thought as I obviously don't do enough of it.) I usually saw alone at home and I toss my slabs on to a couple of pieces of dunnage then pick up and move the pile when it gets too big. By then the slabs are usually too scattered to lift cleanly and I almost have to pick each one up and put it on the forks by hand. I stack my finished boards on the forks and go stack them when done at the end of the day or whenever finished, whichever comes first.

What I may try next time is just place a pair of sawhorses where I usually park the tractor and park the tractor with the forks right behind my sawdust pile. As I get a load or at the end of the day I will just haul it over to my permanent slab pile and dump it there. Then I can go pick up the lumber off the sawhorses and haul it over to where I plan to stage or stack it.

That's what I love about this forum. It is informative and thought provoking. My process won't be the same as yours but your process suggests a better way for me to adapt to my personal situation, conditions and equipment. Thanks guys!

richhiway · April 09, 2021, 07:52:00 PM

Quote from: Brob1969 on April 07, 2021, 07:47:59 PM
What is the size of your gravity conveyor?
Looks like a good sized one. I would like to have something similar for my setup.
Where did you get it?

It is 10 ft long. I bought used on FB marketplace.

richhiway · April 09, 2021, 07:58:16 PM

Quote from: WV Sawmiller on April 07, 2021, 07:54:45 PM
You guys have got me thinking. (That's a scary thought as I obviously don't do enough of it.) I usually saw alone at home and I toss my slabs on to a couple of pieces of dunnage then pick up and move the pile when it gets too big. By then the slabs are usually too scattered to lift cleanly and I almost have to pick each one up and put it on the forks by hand. I stack my finished boards on the forks and go stack them when done at the end of the day or whenever finished, whichever comes first.

What I may try next time is just place a pair of sawhorses where I usually park the tractor and park the tractor with the forks right behind my sawdust pile. As I get a load or at the end of the day I will just haul it over to my permanent slab pile and dump it there. Then I can go pick up the lumber off the sawhorses and haul it over to where I plan to stage or stack it.

That's what I love about this forum. It is informative and thought provoking. My process won't be the same as yours but your process suggests a better way for me to adapt to my personal situation, conditions and equipment. Thanks guys!

I put the slabs on the tractor forks. I put anything that needs edging on sawhorses. I saw the cant into boards without removing them. I go dump the slabs then take the whole stack of boards off the mill with the forks. Then I put a new log on the mill with the tractor. I don't have hydraulics. The roller table for the slabs keeps me from cutting heavy ones in half and I can just slide them over with out lifting them.
I used it today it is a winner.

richhiway · April 09, 2021, 07:59:45 PM

Works good.

TroyC · April 09, 2021, 08:31:57 PM

I use several sets of sawhorses with the manual mill. Made sawhorses from 2x4 scraps and junkers. Saw awhile, clean, spray, sticker, repeat. Strap and lift with forks on tractor. After a couple of practice runs you'll find the best location for the sawhorses depending on what you are sawing. I offload the scrap next to the mill on the ground, clean it up with the grapple and boxblade. Mill is on wheels, sawhorses are made a little short (30" or so) but this eliminates leaning over to pick stuff up.

r>

WV Sawmiller · April 10, 2021, 05:00:38 PM

Troy,

Your might want to talk to @Old Greenhorn about some braces on those sawhorses. If he had seen them with that load on them he would have used them to support his case last week. :D

Rich,

I know you saw manual and the big difference for me when edging with a hydraulic mill is I throw the flitches on the loading arms and edge against the cant when it gets low so the only thing I would need to stack on sawhorses would be finished lumber. As suggested I'm going to try just throwing the slabs and edgings on the forks of the FEL on my little JD and transport them to the pile I have a load.

Old Greenhorn · April 10, 2021, 05:05:41 PM

Well would you look at that, all that weight on those sawhorses and nobody died. Who would have thought that could be? ;D :D
Fine looking horses.

slider · April 10, 2021, 06:02:28 PM

my saw horses will soon be steel . if you put just a little too much push on them they don,t last. my roller table is steel and it works. Working from the tongue i put slabs on the forks and boards on the saw horses . when i get a pack of boards i move the roller table with the forks then move the pack . working off a big slab is so much easier for me. Working alone you just have to figure what works best . I do have a drag back on my lt 70.

TroyC · April 10, 2021, 08:18:38 PM

Yeah, I probably should add a brace or two. They work fine as long as you don't try to pull them sideways with the loader forks.

Just got a bigger tractor so that shouldn't be a problem. ;D 8)

tacks Y · April 10, 2021, 08:38:42 PM

I have some heavy rollers for sale on here.

moosehunter · April 11, 2021, 10:40:23 AM

When sawing alone at home I set two sets of 12' 6x6 behind my operators station. I can then have up to 6 stacks of sorted lumber. Everything gets stacked and stickered as it comes off the mill. I park the tractor with the forks over the log deck so slabs go directly from saw to forks. When I am done sawing I take the slabs away then put the already stickered stacks away. Two notes: make sure the two 6x6 are far enough apart to drive the tractor between and make sure to double sticker often enough to make sure your tractor can lift the stacks. I speak from experience on both of those points!

mh.
I'll try to remember pics next time I have it set up

WV Sawmiller · April 11, 2021, 12:07:33 PM

MH,

I almost never stack anything below waist height! Bending over to stack a board on a 6X6 makes my back hurt just thinking about it. I slide the lumber off the end of my mill on to my tractor forks or park my trailer there or in some cases I'll set saw horses there and stack on them. I have been unreasonably lucky not to have major back issues with my lifestyle and much of the work I have done and stupid things I have done. I do keep a couple of locust fence posts for dunnage behind my sawdust pile I have been throwing my slabs on them so I can pick them up on my short (20") forks in my FEL bucket and haul them to the big scrap pile. Unfortunately I get careless and the stack gets catywhompus on me and I still end up loading on the forks by hand. That is why I like Rich's suggestion and will try it next time I saw here at home. I stack boards neatly on the sawhorses and can easily see doing the same with slabs on the forks. I think it is going to be a significant improvement in my work flow.