Moving Logs without Equipment (pictures)

[Mark M]

Here are a few pictures showing how we move logs around da thurdy room house. Obviously this method won't work very well unless you are on a hard surface but for us it works pretty DanG good because we've got a big parking lot. We've moved logs that weigh close to a ton without difficulty using this pallet truck and can move several logs at a time. The log shown here is a burr oak about 10-11 feet long. I'm guessing it weights about 600-700 pounds or so.



I use a hand-powered pallet truck to move logs around the parking lot.





Whoops - that DanG clothes line post is in the way!





Here comes my daughter Merrilee to the rescue. She is 18 and the best sawmill help I ever had!





She uses the cant hook and rolls the log up on a piece of firewood to act as a fulcrum.





Once the log is balanced it is easy to turn in either direction.





Merrilee can now push down on one end of the log and rotate it away from the post.





Since this log is a little uneven she can drive the truck right under it without difficulty. Otherwise she would lower the forks and roll the log onto the pallet truck with the cant hook.





A few pumps of the handle and away she goes. We should have turned the log a little so it didn't drag on the ground.





Be careful if you are working on a slope because these things can get away from you! For this log Merrilee just drops the forks to apply the brakes since the log drags on the ground.





A quick twist of the cant hook unloads the log.







I'll post some more pictures later showing how I load logs with my Lewis winch and unload them with the clothesline.

Mark

[Buzz-sawyer]

Nice layout Mark....
What do the neighbors think about the beaver  (Stinky )sawin logs next door....I thunk you posted a long time ago that they are curious and friendly?

[DanG]

Great idea, SP. I've often thought how handy one of those would be, but I don't have no pavement. :'(

[Mark M]

I haven't done too much sawing since we moved but when I do I always get some company and have a lot of fun visiting. So far everyone who stopped by has left with a "free sample" of something so I'm hoping my "offerings" will result in goodwill. All the nearest neighbors' houses face away from the sawmill and it is pretty quiet so I don't think they will be bothered. There is one guy who stops buy and said that "people are talking" but no one has ever said anything to me. They probably think I'm nuts (which I freely admit) but I don't care.

DanG - that truck comes in handy for lots of things. I move lumber and firewood and all kinds of things. This fall I'll make some kind of basket or pallet for firewood so I can move a big bunch into the garage at one time. Maybe you could get some flotation tires for one?

Mark

[Kevin]

Mark;
Get that gal some steel toes, them logs are heavy!
Judging by the grass it's just about time to break out the shorts.

[OneWithWood]

Good pics, Stinky.  It is a good thing you have such a talented young lady around to rescue you.  Heck, if you did all the work you might end up with a slimmer, trimmer bod and we couldnt have that! :D

[Mark M]

Kevin - I was going to address that. She's got them steel-toe tenney shoes but I think boots would be better. She doesn't usually move logs otherwise she'd be wearing boots. I have a pair too but haven't worn them lately cause they hurt my feet. I was splitting wood the other night and dropped a pretty big chunk on my foot and smashed my big toe hard. I guess I'm going to have to decide which hurts less!

OneWW - dats why I have my daughter help me. Why heck if I got much slimmer and trimmer I might slip through my butt and hang myself.

[OneWithWood]

 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Us old farts haved to look out for each other  ;)

[Swede]

I always use shoes with steel toes. I actually LIVE in them! Move in and have 1 week full of pain, after that I can´t be with out them. They worn well for 11 months. Nothing is that handy to stop a pallet truck, car or anything else rolling slow and I never have to go away and look for them.

3 years ago  I was going to Stockholm, 280 miles from here, visiting a girl. Had to finish a job first and no time for sleeping in the night. A friend was picking me up with a car so I really was in a hurry. I get some sleep in the car.  Jumped off the car in Södertälje and took the train the last 15 miles to the city and then the subway.
The train was leaving Södertälje when I looked at my foot. DanG!!!!!!!!!!!!   I had the steel toed on............DanG again!!   On the other foot I had one of my best shoes and just half that big as my steel toed!
Guess if I was embarrassed walking all way through Stockholm central station. Next day we went for shopping shoes............... 8)

Swede.

[Mark M]

Swede

I'll just bet people thought you were a Norwegian, we see that all the time around here. Uff-da!

[shopteacher]

always use shoes with steel toes. I actually LIVE in them! Move in and have 1 week full of pain,

Swede:  If I had to live inside a steel toe shoe I think I would hurt for more than a week.

Stinky: Your lucky to have such a helpful and willing helper. Treat her well. Are them trees imported to ND?

[Mark M]

Yep - we flew them in from Minnesota!

[shopteacher]

Those trees behind Merrilee in da picture, are they real or are those some of them arti physical tree like they sell in Wally Mart?  If'n thems real you better post a guard on them at night and maybe during the day. :D

[Mark M]

We have trouble with swarms of them pesky woodpeckers, it's kinda like a feeding frenzy!

[EZ]

I cant beleave how stupid I am at times. I winch logs up on the mill and at times they need to be moved frontward or back. After looking at the pictures you posted and seen the one with the wedge under it to turn it, I thought what a great idea. You are an angel, SP. Thanks.
EZ

[Swede]

Stinky; I´m a genuine "Smålänning" as my parents and grand parents! Småland is a part of Sweden and "för Bövfelen"  >:( not Norway!  Tell them, tell them they are wrong!

 :D Swede.

[Swede]

shopteacher;

I always buy two and big enough. Try that next time!  :D
 I just love my Sievi without strigs, (get green skin rash all the way up.........of shoes with strigs), size 43.

Swede.

[Minnesota_boy]

Yep - we flew them in from Minnesota!

I thought I was missing something but I just couldn't figure it out.  ;D

[oldsaw]

I could be 1/2 offended!  Then again, the other 1/2 is laughing.  I guess it all evens out in the end.

[oldsaw]

Sometimes I wanna be that smart too.

[Swede]

oldsaw;  remember this:

I NEVER want anyone  be offended. I want everyone 1/1 laughing!  If I´ve got You offended it´s becauce of my poor language and I´m sorry.

Swede.

[oldsaw]

Ole was a hard working Norwegian, who had a sister, Lena. (ever heard a joke starting like this before?)  Lena was always making very poor choices in her life, so Ole always watched out for her.  Then one day, Lena up and married a Swede named Sven (The names were changed to protect the innocent).  Ole was none too happy, but soon after Lena had babies to feed and so Ole gave Sven a job on his construction crew.

On his first day, Sven was putting siding on a house, but Ole saw him throwing half the nails on the ground.  Ole yelled at him to stop wasting nails, but Sven told him that those nails were made backwards since the head was on the wrong end.  Ole got control of his temper, remembering his none to bright sister who had after all married Sven, dummy that he was.

Ole then lovingly said, "Sven you stupid swede, those nails are for the other side of the house."  Sven then looked down at the nails, and being quite embarrassed, blushed a bit, then replied, "Ole, Lena always said you were the smart one."  Sven felt blessed that Ole would always look out for him and Lena.  He felt especially blessed that Ole hadn't looked down and seen the nails he had mistakenly thrown on the ground, that actually went to the side of the house he was working on.  He wasn't too sure how that happened, but he vowed to be more careful in the future...for he was a lucky man to know someone as smart as Ole was.

By the way Swede, if you start taking me too seriously, I may have to start calling you Sven.  Anything under 1/1 offended doesn't count.  Oh yeah, I'm working on your mail response, been fishing for the past few days.  It wasn't good, but a bad day fishing is better than any day in the office.

[Swede]

Oldsaw;  :D :D :D

Two norwegian had found a matchbox The matches looked a little different, some was more black in the ed than the other, so they decied to try them.

- Doesn´t work.
-Than throw it away.
-Doesn´t work
- Dump that too!
-This one works!
-Let´s save it!

".......... a bad day fishing is better than any day in the office."

Yes, any day is better than a day at the office! A fishing day is good enough if You´ve just got one wet foot.

Working on? Writing in Swedish?  :D :D :D The last few months I´ve learned all of that working, writing in a foreign language.
  :  Swede.

[Haytrader]

Swede,

I think you are doing pretty darn good.
Especially since there are different slang terms coming from the members from the USA. Us southern boys say ya'all and the nothern guys say dis and dat.
It must be a challenge for you to get past all that.
Sometimes I have to study what you say a little bit but I get most of it. I imagine you have to do the same when you read some of our posts.

[oldsaw]

Norwegian and Swedish combined.  By a LARGE factor.

You do VERY well.