Log Moulder

[dean herring]

Anyone using a log moulder. I can't find much information on them. Found a little on Woodmizer and Norwood. Thank you for any information.

[cib]

Gas or electric?

What are you looking to do with it? Just plane the timber/cant square or do the D shaped logs?

[dean herring]

Either D logs or square. Me  and our son are gonna build a camp house.
Needs to be gas powered. Thank you 😊 

[cib]

The only two I know of that would fit the bill is the MP100 woodmizer and its electric but pretty easy to convert to gas or diesel. Woodmizer may even offer that I've never called to ask though. The Norwood is already gas powered. They have similar specs as far as width of planing and molding. I think the Norwood technically is supposed to plan and mold larger than the MP100 but honestly I don't see one vastly out performing the other. It takes a ton of power to mold logs.

I've seen and ran the Norwood briefly and it was an overall well built piece. I will say from pictures the Woodmizer appears to be "heavier" built but honestly I don't see a big performance gap between them in longevity either. 

The two of them run on tracks so they'll run on a traditional twin channel sawmill frame. I think you'd be happy with either. The only difference is the woodmizer does have a dust port whereas the Norwood gave up on the idea of dust collection . It just goes out the bottom.

[dean herring]

It seems that the weight of the machine is the only thing that holds it down on the tracks. Seems to be quite unstable and possibly be lifted up if taking too heavy of a pass. 🤔🤔🤔

[cib]

I've not seen one lift during a cut unless you took too deep a cut and hit the guard. There is a guard to prevent you from taking too deep a cut and damaging the machine. I'm certain some very hard pieces of wood or maybe an odd knot combination could do it but I've not seen it. They are quite beefy. We were doing 6x10 D logs and had no issues with it doing them. 

I considered getting a sawmill and the molder to make a log cabin but life had different ideas. That said I will say if I were to do a lot of logs I'd want to knock up a rig with a conveyor belt of some sort to move the logs for me and the molder be stationary. Its a lot of back and forth and you need a lot of logs for a cabin, that's with either system. It would take time and money so it depends upon how many you need and if you feel the fab work would be worth it but that was my long term plans to make it a more economical option.

[kantuckid]

Why a moulder vs. a drawknife? Using Pine or Cypress in LA? 
 Most all are easily peeled (not oak) but keep natural variances of course. I plan to pay to have my wall logs logged and sawed into D logs them peel myself as it's both fast and easy even for an old fart like me.  ;D 

[dogone]

   I have a Norwood moulder. I use it to tongue and groove timbers for a cabin. It puts a one inch tongue or groove in poplar , pine or cedar with with no problem or lifting.
    But I have great difficulty centring the tongues or grooves. If the timber is not exactly the width the cutters are set for I am off center. I can come up with no solution so just live with it.
     The few videos I have seen show perfect results but no suggestions on how to do it.

[Joe Hillmann]

I assume to use a molder like that needs to be very straight and consistent.

On an 8 foot log that isnt a problem. On a 20 foot pine log that may be a bit harder to keep it straight and a long hardwood log would probably bend the mill before you are able to pull it perfectly straight.

All of these assumptions are based on how hard I have found it to keep the logs for my cabin straight as I was milling them.  More experience, better equiptment and better logs could maybe make it a non issue.


I would also want to know how deep of a cut can you take across the entire face of an 8 inch log?  It makes a bog difference I'd you can shape a beam into a D log in 2 passes or 20 passes.

[kantuckid]

Not that I know the OP's answer but I did watch a log moulder at a Jamestown, TN production place and they were going through one time and done. 
Another place closer to me does the same business FT but I've never watched them work. S&S Lumber, Rogers, KY - maybe call them? 

I still fail to see the logic or economics of owning a log moulder for a one off camp building vs. a hand job? 

[Stephen1]

My Buddy set up 2 routers and a jig and did all his own T & G for his 2400 sq ft house. 16' logs. Simple, a bit of work, yes and as he says I still have and use the routers for Wood working. 

[cib]

  I have a Norwood moulder. I use it to tongue and groove timbers for a cabin. It puts a one inch tongue or groove in poplar , pine or cedar with with no problem or lifting.
   But I have great difficulty centring the tongues or grooves. If the timber is not exactly the width the cutters are set for I am off center. I can come up with no solution so just live with it.
    The few videos I have seen show perfect results but no suggestions on how to do it.

We were doing ours right after milling them so everything was straight but I could see that being an issue with a log that has a lot of stress in it or after they've sat and dried some for sure. That might make my idea of a conveyor better as you could ensure it is centered when it pushes through similar to what you see on a regular planer in a shop. Basically block the sides up and feed it through the same spot.

[cib]

Not that I know the OP's answer but I did watch a log moulder at a Jamestown, TN production place and they were going through one time and done.
Another place closer to me does the same business FT but I've never watched them work. S&S Lumber, Rogers, KY - maybe call them?

I still fail to see the logic or economics of owning a log moulder for a one off camp building vs. a hand job?

If you're doing D cants or a flat back like many of the newer cabin builds it is the only way to do it. 

[dogone]

  I have a Norwood moulder. I use it to tongue and groove timbers for a cabin. It puts a one inch tongue or groove in poplar , pine or cedar with with no problem or lifting.
   But I have great difficulty centring the tongues or grooves. If the timber is not exactly the width the cutters are set for I am off center. I can come up with no solution so just live with it.
    The few videos I have seen show perfect results but no suggestions on how to do it.

We were doing ours right after milling them so everything was straight but I could see that being an issue with a log that has a lot of stress in it or after they've sat and dried some for sure. That might make my idea of a conveyor better as you could ensure it is centered when it pushes through similar to what you see on a regular planer in a shop. Basically block the sides up and feed it through the same spot.

Good idea.I have thought of having cutters float on shaft. Spring loaded discs on both sides to follow timber. Would take some calibrating but should end up centering t and g on varying widths. Won't likely do though as almost done.