Whatcha Sawin' 2020 ??

[firefighter ontheside]

 @Kwill there ought to be a good amount of shortleaf in that part of MO.  I live on a tract of land that my grandparents and dad planted with shortleaf and lobl olly about 50 years ago.  Some of the biggest are over 36" diameter.  We lost a lot of the big ones in a tornado 17 years ago.  Unfortunately I didn't have a mill back then and we sold a bunch for pennies, just to get rid of them.  Had a small logger who skidded with a horse.  He had a lot of work to get thru the maze of downed trees.

[Magicman]

I am sawing a SYP framing lumber job with an ERC twist.  The frost looked like snow this morning.


 
The SYP in the background with the sawmill and the "surprise" ERC in the foreground.  The customer will use his tractor/FEL and move the ERC to the sawmill.



I only did an estimated quick count and got ~1400 bf.  Some of the SYP pecker poles only yielded two 2x4's which is where the 8 footers in the foreground came from.

I only have two more SYP logs to saw before we get to the ERC which will all be sawn 1".
 

[GAB]

MM:
In reply 2172 the 5th picture down:
To the left of the 1st nail the sawing is smooth, after the 1st nail it appears your blade suffered some tooth loss, after the 2nd nail your blade lost even more teeth.
Did you examine the blade as I'm curious as to what percentage tooth you would estimate you lost?
Thanks for showing us the way to manufacture the washboard design.
Gerald

[78NHTFY]

Several days of very warm weather got me out to the mill, despite a laundry list of other priorities.  Sawing dead WP (have about 250 sawlogs on the deck).  Managed a 20' x 6" x 10".  That took awhile so I had to make up time by "tripling."  Have done it sawing three 4 x 4's at a time but not 6 x 6 cants. Worked fine, pics follow.  Even saw a huge hunk of yellow gold under a rainbow as I was sawing.... :D :D!  
Speaking of time savings, I now sticker all lumber as I saw onto a rack that allows me to pick the whole load up with my TL150 & 5" forks and place it wherever for air drying.  Before it was all dead stacked in small amounts onto my tractor forks then restacked with stickers in a pile.  That ordeal is a thing of the past 8).  All the best, Rob.  


 


 


 


 
 

[Andries]

@78NHTFY  Your WM mill is a manual clamp and toe-board set-up - yet there's a hydraulic log lift on it.
Don't think Ive seen a mill like that before. Is that factory, or did you add the hydraulic and loader?
.
Milling that amount of WP on a manual mill should qualify you for a skidder sized hunk of yellow gold!
Well done.

[Magicman]

Did you examine the blade as I'm curious as to what percentage tooth you would estimate you lost?

Oh no, my curiosity does not extend that far but it did have enough teeth to be able to slowly saw to the end of the log without having to chop it out.  No matter because it's on the way to Resharp to be rejected and replaced with a new T7.


 
I finished the SYP & ERC job about mid-morning.  1985 bf.   Time for a break.  

[WV Sawmiller]

    I had a customer see my ad on Craigslist and placed and order which prompted me to go saw one of the big ash logs I cut a few weeks ago. It was 24" at the small end and over 30" at the big end so I had to gunbarrel it a bit to get it to fit between the roller guides. It was starting to get a little doty in spots so I had to slab and edge it deep but I still got a few 16" - 20" solid boards out of it.


 Yeah - that is that funny white stuff on the hillside behind the logs. The cut-off chunk is placed to chock the log till I could get it pointed at the mill. I still almost missed the front bed rail.


 234 BF of wide boards plus several pretty dry stickers still to cut to length.


 Wait - what is that?


 Yep, this is what the customer ordered. A little over 3 feed sacks full of fresh cut sawdust and a couple in the background from the last time I sawed some walnut and cherry. It won't be a big sale as I offer it for $1/bag to get rid of it but really will be the first time I ever sold sawdust. I did get over $200 worth of lumber as a by-product though. :D The man says he has a composting toilet and he will use some in case of oil spills. Hey, its a start.

[donbj]

Did you examine the blade as I'm curious as to what percentage tooth you would estimate you lost?

Oh no, my curiosity does not extend that far but it did have enough teeth to be able to slowly saw to the end of the log without having to chop it out.  No matter because it's on the way to Resharp to be rejected and replaced with a new T7.


 
I finished the SYP & ERC job about mid-morning.  1985 bf.   Time for a break.  

You're not finished there MM. There's room  on that trailer for more! :D

[78NHTFY]

Andries--good eye!  Added the hydraulics/loader arms a few years after getting the mill.  What can I say:  with the tired iron logging equipment acquired that I NEEDED  ;D, it only takes a few weeks a year now to accumulate enough sawlogs for months of sawing on the manual mill.  Yup, bottleneck.  The physical aspect of sawing with a manual mill is enjoyable. The logging equipment does sit around a lot.  Lumber sales paid for it so it makes me feel a little better....   A hydraulic mill would be great but then the volume of product would be such that the management, storage and the marketing/sales side would overwhelm me.  Plus, manual mill maintenance is doable for a non-mechanic--fancy computerized anything, not so much for me.  A key aspect is: I can log the Tree Farm when the ground is frozen or dry, causing virtually no damage to the land.  I then saw when I can't log.  This Tree Farm is managed 50% for recreation (lots of trails for walkers, bikers, X country skiers, hunters...) so it's important for us to have it look good.  The wife and I are out daily doing TSI of some sort.  And, the Forum has been a huge help in navigating what to do for this small retired persons operation.  So far, it's working for me.   8).  All the best, Rob.

[WDH]

That is outstanding. 

[Andries]

Thanks, @78NHTFY.
I like the way that you describe how we all find a balance point for energy, time, money, maintenance and space.
Sounds like you've figured that out. . . and Danny agrees too.
I've been spending half days milling bur oak on an LT40 hydraulic, without setworks.
The maintenance and operation suit me just fine, and the only bottlenecks that I face are the ones I lift to my lips.  ;) 
Keep up the good work!

[Magicman]

I started out sawing Cypress today.


 
The largest butt was ~26" so they were kinda small.  The tops were no more than 14"-16".


 
Everything was sawn 2" with either one or two live edges.  Next would be three ERC logs.


 
And true to form, the ERC had what ERC sometime has.  Look Mom, no teeth!! :



Maybe these teeth need braces??  Now I hafta know what is inside of dat log.


 
Here is where the incident occurred!!


 
And here is the drywall screw and my lost teeth.  


 
Next up are two burls; an Oak and a Cherry.  The Oak was first.


 
The first cut.


 
And then a few more before we turn it 90°.


 
Well, this ain't bad.


 
And this is better.



The Cherry is next.

<br
And it turned out some nicely figured pieces.

 
All of the burl slices were 3", 4", and 6" thick.


 
The Cypress and ERC slabs.


 
I'll have to send this Cypress stump to someone??  

I have a 39" butt SYP log waiting for me Monday morning. 

[Walnut Beast]

The burls look awesome 

[firefighter ontheside]

I cut a red oak burl like that a few years ago.  Very pretty.  Just like that one.

[Larry]

My friend? found this little cherry jewel for me to saw.  After a trip to a very exclusive gated community/country club I got it home.





She took the pressure washer to it this afternoon.  This is Arkansas and there was lots of rocks wedged between the roots.  I wonder if a root will grow around a rock?





We cut off a piece of root and turned it on the lathe to see the color/grain and it was impressive.

I may need advice from the WOC aka @tule peak timber on second thought maybe not. :D

[Old Greenhorn]

Careful what you ask for Rob's guidance on. He will have you milling that on a 37° bias, then cutting those cookies into various sized pentagons and rejoining and gluing them with grain matches into a 40 x 90" table top, then a 30 step finishing process to get the pigments to match the yellow/brawn tie you wore at your grammar school graduation, which includes 7 different stains and gloss finishes from 3 different vendors with 4 different mixing processes. After all that you will have to re-sand for about 20 hours before applying the last finish coat.

[Don P]

I wonder if a root will grow around a rock?

Oh yeah, or a plow point  :D

[tule peak timber]

My friend? found this little cherry jewel for me to saw.  After a trip to a very exclusive gated community/country club I got it home.





She took the pressure washer to it this afternoon.  This is Arkansas and there was lots of rocks wedged between the roots.  I wonder if a root will grow around a rock?





We cut off a piece of root and turned it on the lathe to see the color/grain and it was impressive.

I may need advice from the WOC aka @tule peak timber on second thought maybe not. :D

On a serious note, I would cut the root ball into a cube, sterilize it in the kiln , then sand the surfaces. Use an oil to make the grain pop and sell as coffee table or side table . That beauty is worth $$$. The root balls are FULL of rocks , but below the ball the roots are mill worthy as cabinet bases, wall art, island corners, etc. As I say ,,,cut the crap,,,and go make some money.... 8)WOC

[terrifictimbersllc]

We need a WOC emoji in the smileys list

[tule peak timber]

Careful what you ask for Rob's guidance on. He will have you milling that on a 37° bias, then cutting those cookies into various sized pentagons and rejoining and gluing them with grain matches into a 40 x 90" table top, then a 30 step finishing process to get the pigments to match the yellow/brawn tie you wore at your grammar school graduation, which includes 7 different stains and gloss finishes from 3 different vendors with 4 different mixing processes. After all that you will have to re-sand for about 20 hours before applying the last finish coat.

Not sure which build you are describing...Same crap,different look... :D Woc

 

 

[doc henderson]

is the blue tape to mark voids to repair?  eye popping,  I think I will take some Ibuprofen!   .  again, that is a compliment coming from me!   :D :D :D  
Is that done on a plywood base?  not to get to all your proprietary info.  in case China is listening.  

[Tacotodd]

WOC, that's simply AMAZING! A lot of time spent in that project. Beautiful!

[tule peak timber]

The tape is to mark micro flaws.You hold a light tilted against the surface that will reflect anything not perfect, then repair.
  The tables are built with solid,torsion box,or foam cores, depending. Pic below is a torsion core layup.The veneer cookies /shapes are from nail/wire infested walnut logs not fit for sawing-your basic firewood, actual crap !  Woc

 

[doc henderson]

WOW WOC!  got clamps?  I cannot imagine how to bid something like that.  In the mid-west, many folks are to practical to spring for something that complex, although beautiful.  do you know what the final weight was?  I am sure it was reduced a bunch with that frame.
I see your hair was shorter then, prob. for sanitary reasons!   now could just wear a surgical cap.   :D

[tule peak timber]

Doc, I've given up on my weight, my hair, and my sanitation is next in line.