Whatcha Sawin' 2020 ??

[Old Greenhorn]

Absolutely, they travel in packs. ;D I was bucking firewood logs today I got from a neighbor. only one log had nails that I saw when I hooked it up for skidding. as soon as I got it in they yard I circled all the nail groups I saw with white spray paint so I wouldn't miss them when it came time to buck that log. There were only a few places I could cut and miss the (visible) nails and screws, and fence nails, and screw eyes, and wire fence (get the picture). Well this morning that log came up and I started bucking by my standard lengths and it was only when I looked over the log to watch my bar tip that I saw it was the painted log. All the markings were on the far side. I rechecked and looked it over careful and come to find that my standard lengths came out to exactly to go between the metal stuff, in one case, by just a 1/2". Talk about dumb luck. That never happens to me. I lost count at about 16 metal 'inclusions' in a 6 foot log. Watch that black spot, he might have friends. :D

[Walnut Beast]

Nothing but live edge walnut slabs.







When I saw this log coming down the drive I thought about running off and hiding but the guy trapped me.



It ended up making four nice slabs and I only had to trim off two branch stubs to get the saw through it.




Easy day tomorrow.  Nothing but 30" plus straight logs to slab.  This one may have a slight problem.  Anybody see it?

Looks Awesome Larry. Tell me a little about that mirror you have and where it's mounted and how you use it. Thanks

[Larry]

I position the control console on the loader side of the mill for two reasons.  It keeps me away from the sawdust and I have a short roller table directly behind the mill for dragging back.  The downside is I can't see the log stops.  The mirror is my solution.

Its all about saving steps and improving efficiency.

[Walnut Beast]

Thanks Larry 👍

[firefighter ontheside]

I milled that big walnut This morning.  I knew there was metal in it because of the stain, so I intended to scan each time I cut, but I skipped one time.  That's the time I hit a screw.  After that I was more vigilant and found 4 more 3" drywall screws.  It turned out what caused the stain in the log was a .22 bullet.  I thought I had hit another screw, but then realized it hadn't affected the cut quality.

[Don P]

I'm curious, have y'all ever had every sign of a bullet, a track in the wood, grain pointed in along the path, then a bit of color but no bullet. I'm wondering if the tree can dissolve one or if I'm misreading an old nail or something that has been pulled later.

Ted that is awesome, just be careful of the sides when you drop the logs in and it should work fine.

[Larry]

And more walnut slabs.


With big crotch logs, I usually sit them on the mill using forks with the log positioned as it will get sawed.  Use the two plane clamp to pull the log off the forks.  The log ears make the log hard to turn with the turner.  I trim the ears on the mill so I don't loose any more wood than necessary.


 
I trimmed the ears so the log would fit between the guides.  I have 32" and the guides were rubbing on both sides as I sawed through.

[Walnut Beast]

Very nice Larry 👍👍👍

[Magicman]

Nice Larry!!

I regularly hit bullets, Don P.  Several within the past few weeks, both lead .22's, lead 38's, and jacketed bullets.  I have never seen any discoloration or any tell-tail sign that a bullet was there other than rosin buildup in Pine.  A few weeks ago I sawed bookmatched bullets that will be a table top.

Luke and I finished our road trip at noon today sawing mostly White & Post Oak for cattle catch pen lumber which will be installed green within the next few weeks.

This morning we sawed a variety of other logs which included Cherry, Persimmon, Black Gum, & .



 
We started with bookmatched Persimmon.


 
And then this "mystery" log showed up. 


 
And then it's sister showed up which need trimming.


 
Luke did a fine job.



 
Both were sawn into 2" and 4½" slabs.


 
So now it is time to pack up.


 
And leave everything behind....slabs, sawdust, and 5421 bf of lumber.  We sawed um and left with a jingle in our pockets.  ;D

[TimW]

with this 31" top end Post Oak that I will start sawing in the morning.

Lynn,
    Is it okay to leave the mill up (out of the stowed position) over night?  I have wanted to load logs at dusk to saw the next day, but didn't want the mill head standing at attention that long.
hugs,  Brandi

[donbj]

Is it okay to leave the mill up (out of the stowed position) over night?  I have wanted to load logs at dusk to saw the next day, but didn't want the mill head standing at attention that long. hugs,  Brandi

Don't mean to butt in but the only time my mill is in stow position is when I tow it. It stays up year round basically. Never an issue.

[terrifictimbersllc]

with this 31" top end Post Oak that I will start sawing in the morning.

Lynn,
   Is it okay to leave the mill up (out of the stowed position) over night?  I have wanted to load logs at dusk to saw the next day, but didn't want the mill head standing at attention that long.
hugs,  Brandi

I always lowered it to its rest position or within an inch or two of the bed, but not for fear of stress on the chain etc.  More to be able to cover the head more easily or reduce the possibility of it falling on someone, same as I'd put a tractor load on the ground. 

[Magicman]

Is it okay to leave the mill up (out of the stowed position) over night? 
hugs,  Brandi

I always raise the head higher than the log diameter when loading to be able to see and adjust the log, but as to stowing after a work day; the head is lowered to within ~3"- 4" of the bed where it is convenient to remove the blade, refuel, etc.  The weight of the head is always on the chain at night.
At the end of the day, I always try to have a log loaded or at least at the loader when I am ready to saw the next morning.

[caveman]

Last Saturday we sawed some short liveoak slabs and they turned out great.  Prior to sawing today we ensured the mill was aligned and was the same over each bed rail.  We started with the same blade we used last weekend on the other liveoak.  It dove about 2/3 the way down the log.  We pried and wedged and eventually got the blade back enough to chainsaw a slab off.  This was just the beginning- three blades, one hit two nails, cupping, diving, lots of smoke, absolutely frustrating.  We persevered, took a lunch break and went out to saw some easy logs.

After lunch, using the same blade, we sawed a couple of good sized hickory logs.  They behaved much better than the liveoak.  The hickory had some nice, curly grain in some of them.  

 

 


All of the above slabs are pignut hickory.  

 

Cups and dives in the same cut.  This is a special kind of frustration.  It did not matter if we were sawing slow, medium, fast.

 

Really nice short liveoak slabs sawn last Saturday with the same Kasco 4° that did not have anything for this morning's log.

[TimW]

Is it okay to leave the mill up (out of the stowed position) over night?  
hugs,  Brandi

I always raise the head higher than the log diameter when loading to be able to see and adjust the log, but as to stowing after a work day; the head is lowered to within ~3"- 4" of the bed where it is convenient to remove the blade, refuel, etc.  The weight of the head is always on the chain at night.
At the end of the day, I always try to have a log loaded or at least at the loader when I am ready to saw the next morning.

Thanks Lynn and everyone else who responded.  I once forgot to lower the bracket pin you stow the head on for trailering.  I hit it with the debarker.  It sheared a bolt.  But the bolt came out easy.
hugs,  Brandi

[OffGrid973]

That hickory is like rocks...i decided from now on I give a local sawyers name on hickory...secretly love the weight and texture but man, Back Breaking work.

[WDH]

Live oak is about as tough as it gets. 

[caveman]

Sometimes it (liveoak) saws really nice.  Sometimes it seems like sawmill abuse just to make it through the log and yesterday's liveoak was absolutely ridiculous.  

[doc henderson]

made some maple stickers to fit my 42 inch wide pallets.



 

[97redjeep]

Just finished up some 3x10 green cottonwood for my brothers lowbed.... we cut about 20 10-16 footers the other day, , seemed way easier with two more people helping lol no wonder they were sweating . 
 

 
this was the last one I cut, there was a bit of tension in the others but nothing like this, I'm thinking he better get them on before he can't lol
there's some pretty nice colours in there too, I'm curious if it'll stay once it's dry? Any thoughts on what's the best wood for a lowbed? The only other options near here are poplar, spruce and pine, he thinks the ones on it now are fir but they got all busted up from a feller buncher with 3" ice grousers  :-\

[doc henderson]

I cut some 2x cottonwood for a low boy about 6 years ago.  they are doing great.  sprayed with some boiled linseed oil.  does not crack as the softer wild fibers crush a little and then come back.  it hauls a bull dozer.

[97redjeep]

I cut some 2x cottonwood for a low boy about 6 years ago.  they are doing great.  sprayed with some boiled linseed oil.  does not crack as the softer wild fibers crush a little and then come back.  it hauls a bull dozer.

Thanks doc, that's good to hear, between the two of us that's the best we come up with :D I'll let him know about the boiled linseed, with all the tracked machinery up here I have a feeling he'll be a return customer, but hopefully they last as good as the ones you cut.

[Ianab]

Any thoughts on what's the best wood for a lowbed?

Cottonwood seems popular for trailer decking because it's soft and stringy. Means that if it gets a beating it sort of dents, but stays intact . Some harder woods tend to splinter and crack, and that means they get worn out faster. 

Something like White Oak, or some of the Eucalyptus species is probably best, but of the species you list, cottonwood probably wins. It's not durable, but if it gets beaten to death before it rots, that's not an issue. 

[doc henderson]

I have a cottonwood slab left over from that milling that has been out in the sun and rain on top of a couple of my firewood crates.  it has surface checks and is gray looking, but no rot.  the key is to not leave a ton of mud on the deck that stays wet.  My slab has no ground contact.  good luck.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I had 698.8 hours on my mill and coming up on my next 50 hour service so I bucked this 27' hickory log that fell nearly a year ago into 2-10' and a 7' log.


 I went ahead and cut it into 1"X 1" strips which I will cut into 5' tomato stakes by cutting the 10's in half at an angle so I have a one-side point on each. I'll cut the 7' into a tomato stake and a 2' sticker. I staged the slabs and edgings to one side and will cut into small pieces and see if I can peddle them as smoker and BBQ wood.


 Strips from the butt log.


 Strips from the 2nd 10' and the 7' log. After I get back from PT tomorrow I will cut them to length and bundle them into packs of a dozen for sale.

  I finished with 700.0 hours on the mill so after the stakes are cut I will do the next routine service on the mill including an oil and filters change.

  This is the first sawing I have done since the injury to my fingers. I still don't have the grip and can't do some things like pulling the cord on my chainsaw or leaf blower but seem to be able to operate the mill including removing the slabs and wood I cut. I have a couple of jobs waiting on me so after I service the mill I will attack them as soon as the weather permits. One is about 20 miles away and about 4,000 bf and the other is probably 700-800 I can combine and do after the first as they are not too far apart.