Manjisann's Chainsaw Milling Adventures

[ManjiSann]

thecfarm, I was thinking of something along those lines to fix the tail gate, glad to know it'll work! 

I really do love my truck but I'm a realist, it's a beater which I also love because when it gets a scratch or a ding or a smile it's not so horrible as it would be on a nice new vehicle. All the little dents and dings give it character :D

Hilltop366 thank you for the words of caution. I already intended to ensure no one would be in the path should the log and gravity decide to give the log a fighting chance ;)  While the logs I'm playing with are small compared to what most of you work with, they are still very heavy and could maim or even kill if things went wrong so I really do appreciate the reminders to use caution and stay safe.

For better or worse I'm often working alone when doing the milling, though tomorrow I may have a helper that is interested in how this whole process works. 99% of the time I'm VERY safety minded but I'll admit to some serious lapses in judgement a time or two and I have the scars to remind me of these lapses. So again, the reminders are a good thing. 

I built log stops into the bench, they are adjustable and removable so in the pics if you don't know what to look for they are easily missed. However seeing as how the bench only weighs 200lbs or so and the logs easily tip the scales at 400lbs for the smallest to 800lbs for the largest, if I'm able to parbuckle them up I'll have to be careful that I'm not going so fast when the log reaches the top and hits the stops that it doesn't flip the bench. 

As Hilltop pointed out it's possible for the bench to tip over while the logs are going up the ramp, I may try and figure out some way to connect the bottom of the ramp to the legs of the bench so it's in effect a wider bench which would help prevent it from tipping over. I have a bunch of metal cable from my failed attempts to be a stump puller  :D :D  Might be an excellent use for that. 

There's also control of the logs direction during loading. I may use some of that metal cable to make a wide U so in essence there's 2 cables spaced a ways apart controlling the logs direction as it goes up the ramp. The ramp I'm using is about 2 feet wide so as far as log stability goes I think it'll work great and it should be rated for more than the weight of the biggest log I have right now. 

I'm sure I'm missing some aspect that could go wrong but I think we've covered the most obvious ones. If anyone can think of others and wants to chime in feel free. It's better to address the risks or at the very least be aware of them than to have them pop up unexpectedly at the worst time. 

Thanks again all for your concern for my safety and also educating anyone who may read this thread! I'll take lots of pics tomorrow and let y'all know how it goes. I'm confident it'll go off without any injuries but will keep all the risks in mind and be on the lookout for them.

Brandon 

[ManjiSann]

The elm saw dust should be fine for about anything you want to use it for in the way of mulch or bedding.  The wood  on either side of the pith is good stuff  that whack of logs there will keep you busy for a while.

I don't think I'll run out of logs for a bit since on my best day I only was able to mill 2 logs   I'm hoping the bench will improve that a bit or at the very least will make it more pleasant. 
The next major question I need to figure out is if the simple solar kiln is able to bring the MC level below 10%... where do I store all this fine lumber?  :D :DWhat a great problem to have!
Brandon 

[ManjiSann]

I tried it with just using the strap in a single line pulling up the center of the log. This may have worked if I had a perfectly round log, the ramp was perfectly flat and I had the strap perfectly centered... since nothing is perfect I found this wasn't the way to go  ;)

Ultimately I pulled the hinges on the ramp and spread it as far apart as I could. Being that the table is not very long and because of the table legs the spread wasn't very great. I may try to address this later with some cutting and grinding.

Ultimately I doubled the strap unto a U shape and pulled the log up. It was not easy and I am not sure I could do the two bigger ones on my own as I nearly didn't get this one. Hopefully the shorter 4' logs I can do a bit easier as they are lighter, otherwise I will have to do one of those bicycle tire log arches much sooner than I was planning or stop milling... yeah like that'll happen  :D :D :D :D

Anyhow, here's a pic, I'm worn out and grateful to be about ready to clock into work and will be brainstorming ideas on how to the loading going forward. 



Brandon 

[Ljohnsaw]

On the back side in your picture, mound a long rod (like 1" water pipe inside 1.5" pipe "bearings" welded to the table at each end).  Take up the slack and wrap the nylon strap once or twice around it with the end buried under the strap.  That friction should keep the strap from slipping.  With a crank handle on the rod, crank away.  With the small diameter rod and a 18" or so crank, it should give you enough mechanical advantage to get it up the ramp.

[Nebraska]

Hmm looks its  still winter there.  How about a basic electric winch or boat trailer winch attached to the cement behind the table? Pulling on the center of a pipe behind the log tied into the nylon.  Just put it far enough over to have enough cable to roll the log up.

[ManjiSann]

The bench isn't going to stay where it is. Once the ground dries out in a few months I plan to move the bench to the wood area so I'm not making a mess on the patio so much. 

I may do an electric winch or ljohnsaws idea, both being removable in some way. I'm also toying with a small log arch that can be moved by one or two people depending on log size. I'm thinking if I put a removable extension on the log arch that goes say 18" out I can use that to lift the log the 2 feet up on the table. I'm trying to really think this through instead of my usual impulsive rush. I have a bit of time. I guess worse case scenario I keep doing it the way I did and I grow some muscles  ;D ;D

Nebraska, the weather here is a bit strange. One day it's snowing hard the next day it's 50 degrees. This time of year Mother Nature has some serious mood swings. 

Brandon 

[ManjiSann]

The bench works quite well for milling.



The log dog was awesome! I tried to center the pith checking in a 8/4 board but it didn't work out the way I hoped, oh well. I have more logs to practice with :D



I also welded up a cant hook that works very well!  It's still pretty rough, needs some clean up grinding and shaping but it rolled the log with ease



The boards are starting to pile up and fill out the little simple solar kiln



All in all a good day. 

Brandon 

[doc henderson]

looks like you are finding ways to make things easier.  that adds to the enjoyment.  not the easier part but journey and experience.  you will never forget the lessons learned, and thanks for sharing with us.  I have a nephew who is now an engineer.  he lived with us and worked for me part time around the home.  He was a little strong headed, graduated HS early, ect.  He did not want to drive my little dump truck, so we took baby steps and he rode with me to the dump, I rode with him to the dump. I told him all good engineers know how to drive a dump truck.  he said no they don't.  I said yes they do...you get the idea.  so the day came when the truck was loaded and ready to go.  he got home from college to work.  I told him about the truck.  he said I am not really comfortable driving it to the dump.  he was sincere.  I told him I appreciated his honesty ect., and that I had spent time and was paying him the whole time I trained him to drive and operate the old 1976 single axle ford Allison automatic state dump truck.  so I listened for a few rounds and then told him to get in the truck and take it to the dump.  he did and all was fine.  and he is a good engineer, and driving the old truck did not hurt him one bit!  I think he enjoyed driving the old uncle crazy, more!

[Old Greenhorn]

You are on a roll man! And making great headway!

[Nebraska]

That cut on that log looks really good to me Brandon...  I think next winter you will have lots of projects with that wood when it is dry. I figured a cant hook would show up sooner or later,  you need one for handling that stuff. Looks like you had a great day 8).

[Hilltop366]

 

Here is one CSM idea that I don't think I would have ever came up with.

Резня бензопилой в Красногорске - YouTube

[ManjiSann]

looks like you are finding ways to make things easier.  that adds to the enjoyment.  not the easier part but journey and experience.  you will never forget the lessons learned, and thanks for sharing with us.  I have a nephew who is now an engineer.  he lived with us and worked for me part time around the home.  He was a little strong headed, graduated HS early, ect.  He did not want to drive my little dump truck, so we took baby steps and he rode with me to the dump, I rode with him to the dump. I told him all good engineers know how to drive a dump truck.  he said no they don't.  I said yes they do...you get the idea.  so the day came when the truck was loaded and ready to go.  he got home from college to work.  I told him about the truck.  he said I am not really comfortable driving it to the dump.  he was sincere.  I told him I appreciated his honesty ect., and that I had spent time and was paying him the whole time I trained him to drive and operate the old 1976 single axle ford Allison automatic state dump truck.  so I listened for a few rounds and then told him to get in the truck and take it to the dump.  he did and all was fine.  and he is a good engineer, and driving the old truck did not hurt him one bit!  I think he enjoyed driving the old uncle crazy, more!

You're welcome Doc, thanks for spending your time reading my ramblings and commenting
Heh, I think nearly all young'uns enjoy driving their elders crazy. I know I did things that would annoy my parents just because I could :D
I'm grateful I have a somewhat mechanical/engineery sort of mindset and some decent skills to be able to do what I do. I wouldn't be able to do a lot of what I do if I had to pay others to do it for me. Fortunately I also find it fun more often than not
Brandon

[ManjiSann]

You are on a roll man! And making great headway!

I have to keep up with you and all your progress!  8) 8)
After I was done I actually took 20 mins or so to relax and just enjoy the successes and progress I'd made which is pretty out of character for me. I think I need to make a habit of doing that, just sit for a few minutes and list what went right that day and just enjoy that it went right
Brandon 

[ManjiSann]

That cut on that log looks really good to me Brandon...  I think next winter you will have lots of projects with that wood when it is dry. I figured a cant hook would show up sooner or later,  you need one for handling that stuff. Looks like you had a great day 8).

This elm is really pretty!  I'm excited for when it dries and I can work with it.
Yeah the cant hook was long overdue in my ever expanding milling tool set. I'll probably make a couple different handle lengths since I have the materials and the first one went together so well. Hopefully it wasn't beginners luck  ;D
A friend came over to help as he was interested in how milling works. I told him I'd show him what I know, not sure if it's what works or not ;)  I think he may show up a bit as time goes on. He was talking about making an epoxy river table and even had a few cool ideas I hadn't seen or thought of on how to do it and it was just fun to have good company. 
My wife has requested a bench for the dining area which is why I milled 8/4 slabs. I figure those aught to be plenty sturdy for a 5'ish bench top. I may also use a bunch of it for the reloading bench cabinets. I am also thinking of a bed frame/headboard and night stands. I guess I figured out where all this wood is going to go when it's dry  8) 8)
All in all yesterday was a really nice day
Brandon 

[ManjiSann]

Stopped and picked up a few more ratchet straps and a small hand winch. I think I've figured out how to parbuckle with a single winch and the materials I have on hand. With luck I'll be posting a pick of my back saving parbuckling setup soon :D

Brandon

[ManjiSann]

I've been feeling like I don't have enough time the last little while, feels like all I do is go to work and go to sleep. I know, it's the working mans complaint ;) I've been thinking about the solution to my problem... quit my job!!!! Ok, reality intruding now, that ain't happening  ;D  Seriously though, there's a couple hours between when I get home and when I go to bed. More often than not I'm rather mentally worn out so I don't really accomplish much during that time. I've noticed Old GreenHorn seems to get a LOT done after he gets home from work, so a little positive peer pressure finally set in and I came home last night and welded the thingamajigger (yes that's a very technical term ;)) for the winch



I'm amazed at how well things are going together for me lately. The bench went together smoothly and so far no indication that the welds aren't going to hold. The cant hook isn't perfect but dang it went together quick and seems like it'll hold up to anything I'm likely to encounter in the forseeable future and this little winch stand went together quite nicely. I'm not trying to brag, I'm just not used to things going quite so well so a big thanks to the Big Guy upstairs for the blessings, a huge thanks to all my friends and mentors here on the forum for the ideas and encouragement and I guess a thank you to all the projects that didn't go quite to plan for teaching me what doesn't work and also the perspective to be thankful for when things do

I still need to bring the bench into the garage and weld a slot for the winch. I also need to angle the legs on one side so the logs will clear then when they are coming up as well as the ribs. Also need to weld attachment points for the steel cable I'm planning to use to parbuckle the logs with. 

It's funny, a few days ago I felt like I had too much lumber and wasn't sure what I'd do with it. Now that I'm thinking of making a bed frame and other things I realize I may not have enough  :D :D :D  I also need to get some 8' logs for the sides of the bed frame, though as I type this I may have thought of a way to do it with shorter pieces  :P  Oh well, lots of time to figure it all out. 

Hope y'all have a nice and safe day!

Brandon 

[doc henderson]

the art of balancing time and money is the key to many things.  time with family and a little for ourselves.  money to do the things we want to do, and things we need.  At first I thought you were welding something for "your wife"  and I was glad to realize it was for "your bench".    you know the thingamajigger!   :D :D :D
it all looks great!

[ManjiSann]

the art of balancing time and money is the key to many things.  time with family and a little for ourselves.  money to do the things we want to do, and things we need.  At first I thought you were welding something for "your wife"  and I was glad to realize it was for "your bench".    you know the thingamajigger!   :D :D :D
it all looks great!

I'm still struggling to find that balance 
Uhh I'm going to let you win the Thingamajigger joke :D:D
Brandon 

[trimguy]

Glad things are working out. When they do , you seem to get a " little push " to help keep going.

[donbj]

I'm just not used to things going quite so well so a big thanks to the Big Guy upstairs for the blessings

That's the key! Don't be too hard on yourself regarding things. It's when we look back at things we realize these things in a better perspective. In the heat of the moment not so much sometimes.

[ManjiSann]

Glad things are working out. When they do , you seem to get a " little push " to help keep going.

That is the truth!
Brandon

[ManjiSann]

I'm just not used to things going quite so well so a big thanks to the Big Guy upstairs for the blessings

That's the key! Don't be too hard on yourself regarding things. It's when we look back at things we realize these things in a better perspective. In the heat of the moment not so much sometimes.

This is a lesson I seem to have to revisit on a frequent basis  :P  In the end something is really only a failure if we fail to learn something from it.
Brandon

[ManjiSann]

Welded the center receiver for the winch pole and tried it out. SOOOOO much easier than trying to parbuckle using only my own strength!





I need to shorten the steel rope as the winch hook is fully retracted before the log is on the bench. This go around I used the cant hook to rotate it up the rest of the way but I don't think that's something I want to make a habit of. I seriously doubt it would ever be the case BUT in the event of a catastrophic equipment malfunction (or the highly more likely I get complacent and don't set things correctly) and the log suddenly lets loose and goes back down the ramp, I don't want to be in the way with or without a cant hook. So shortening the steel rope is in order. No big deal, all part of the fun of developing my own process  8)  I'm just thrilled with how well this is all going and how much easier this makes the milling process on my body. 

Even getting the log to the ramps is a bit easier. Before I was using a regular dolly and it was rather tiring but now I just roll it along using the cant hook. 

This hobby is dangerous to the pocket book and the free time allotment :D  I keep thinking of things I want to build or do. I'm thinking I'll weld a couple extensions onto the table and make it closer to 8' in total length for a couple reasons. One I already have the angle iron and would like to get it out of my garage as I'd like the space back. Two, I'm thinking I want to put some vertical riser type things to hold the ladder so I can do some milling on logs or log sections that the ladder won't easily sit on firmly. In the end I'm trying to reinvent the bandsaw mill and that may be where I ultimately end up but for now I'm trying to maximize the capacity of what I have on hand. 

I'm also dreaming up the trailer I'm hoping I can build next year and some wheeled thingies I can use to help get logs out of peoples yards with much less effort than is required by my current methods. Then there's the drying and storage of milled lumber, disposal of sawdust and off cuts. Not sure where this path will ultimately lead but I'm sure having a lot of fun traveling it  ;D ;D ;D

[Old Greenhorn]

That is looking mighty slick! Nice and neat. You should paint up the frame in party colors when you are done and make a nice wood top so it can be used as a patio table when you are not milling. Might make the wife happier. Maybe that purple log paint color? ;D

[Nebraska]

Looks good, I think you could go wth the purple  frame and a  slab top with a set of  matching Adirondack chairs  for relaxing on the patio.  ;D