I built a 21x44 drying shed over the last month or so and I was trying to figure out how to use it as a sawing/drying shed. I've been pulling the mill over to my "burn pile" everytime I saw which is nice because all my waste goes one way and all my product the other (on the forks of my loader to be moved to the drying shed). Also I can setup on the wind direction so im not eating sawdust all day and then from time to time I just throw a match in the slab pile where is - easy clean up.
Obviously if I setup to saw under the shelter the burn pile couldn't be beside the mill anymore. My question is - for you guys that saw in a more permanent setup under a shed how do you deal with sawdust/slabs and waste being right on top of you under the shelter?
It would be a big time saver to just throw a log on and saw where is when I have time instead of having to bring the mill out of the barn and setup then breakdown and put back. Plus I cant saw in any rainy weather in my current setup.
ill put up a few pics of the shed when im done - its a simple stick framed pole barn but its the first thing ive built that I used lumber entirely off the mill so a little payback on the mill is always encouraging.
Why not use your forks on your loader to move slabs to the burn pile.
yea I can do that but sometimes I get small trash as well and recently I have set up my forks on the finish board side so that everything gets stacked on them as I cut then they go to the drying area to be stickered and stored. ive been searching on here trying to get some ideas and it looks like most people are dragging material back instead of pulling off the sides then the "fine trash" they move the mill and handle with the loader.. im starting to get some ideas..
I'm having the same problems you're concerned with now. Just moved into my new building this winter. Did not know how much sawdust I created per day. And slabs. Until I set up a blower system I'm hanging a 5 gallon bucket on the discharge and every two passes I dump into a garbage can and then it goes outside into one of those one yard grain Super Sacks trying to see if I can market it. To collect the sawdust right now I am using a bucket system catches approximately 90% of the sawdust I am creating about one year a day. My skid steer sets next to the mill inside with the forks my target wood get stacked on the skid steer my slab side carry the length of my building into a bunk to be banded up and my bark on side wood is also carried the length of the building and stacked to be edged later I have found I'm walking too far to my storage for slabs and sideboard. I found some roller tables in Idaho Falls that I'm going to pick up this weekend and I will roll slabs inside wood to the end instead of carrying them also planning on some rubber-tired Lumber carts to stack non-target edged side wood.
Keep us posted on what you find that work s all ways looking for new and better idea's
Scott
Very good questions. If you are sawing inside you are obviously going to have to have systems and procedures in place to remove the waste. You are currently avoiding much of that by simply moving the mill but have to compensate for the weather and distance to move the logs and/or finished lumber.
Scott partially compensates with his sawdust bucket. I tried that and it did not work well for me the way I saw although it works well for others. With the rollers he plans on purchasing he will have to make adjustments to his sawing process/techniques and either have a helper moving the slabs as he saws or he will have to stop sawing and move them himself. Maintenance and cleaning of the rollers will have to be part of his process in the future although that may well be compensated for by speed and safety/health issue by reduced man-handling of heavy lumber and slabs.
All I am saying is that when you think about your layout inside you have to modify and compensate for the changes in handing and processing which will include equipment and staffing issues. If it doesn't make your life easier/safer/better, increase profit (Note- I did not say production as production and profit are not the same), or save time/money don't make the change. Visiting other similar operations can be very productive in helping you decide what will, and maybe more importantly, what will not work for your situation. Good luck.
yea I don't want to kill what little production and efficiency I have by moving inside. Ill keep things going like they are before I do that. Theres a lot of value to me in throwing all my waste to the side a foot away from me and never having to touch it again.
Theres no way I can carry the slabs from the mill to anywhere - when I get a lot of taper in a tree I can get slabs that are so heavy its all I can do to push then off the log one end at a time and move them far enough over for me to walk between them and the mill.
I saw a picture of a "steel slab rack" on here that I could push the slabs on and then move the entire unit with my loader and forks and that may have some value and would be something I could weld up pretty easy with some scrap. sawing by myself on a manual mill I have learned that one extra move per log compounded throughout an entire day can cost me a lot of time and effort that could be used toward getting the job done. I don't saw for production or as an income but working a 50 hour week and then milling in my free time makes that little bit of free time just as valuable if not more.
I like the idea of scrapping the time to setup by being able to keep the mill setup in one spot but ive got to figure out the logistics with the handling so I don't lose that time with less then ideal layout. I know there are some guys on here that run mills inside sheds and flow smooth as water I just got to pick their brains on how they do it.
I have had my mill under roof for about 10 years and would never want to saw outside again . Don't have the ideal setup but it works . I have been told and very much agree that running a sawmill is 20% sawing and 80% material handling .
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10451/P1010181.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1401501521)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10451/P1010190.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1401501468)
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Quote from: Ohio_Bill on February 08, 2018, 04:45:22 PM
I have had my mill under roof for about 10 years and would never want to saw outside again . Don't have the ideal setup but it works . I have been told and very much agree that running a sawmill is 20% sawing and 80% material handling .
I agree with that 200%. some days it seems more like 90/10 handling!
I like your slab rack setup I may incorporate that in the design. Ive found that with a manual mill my slabs tend to be larger then they should be because even if I have some waste I want to cut each side once to get my cant square instead of rolling and taking small passes time and time again. That being the case they can get heavy sometimes. Ive got some good ideas from searching on here - at least I feel like ive got a starting point anyway.
I like this video.
Off grid solar homestead (25 year old Woodmizer in action) - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTT9QlsmfNE)
My set up is much like bills and it works well.
PC
I did a web search a couple of weeks ago and ran across this 2005 thread here on FF. I believe Jeff, one of the administrators here, posted some really good layouts. They appear to consider waste and lumber handling. There might be some good ideas.
sawmill layout and floor plans in Sawmills and Milling - Page 1 of 1 (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=12235.0)
I stack my boards on saw horses until I get a stack to move and sticker. Slabs go directly on the tractor forks and get dumped when full. Sawdust is sucked out with a dust blower into a 3 sided wood bin. I use the tractor bucket to scoop and empty the bin when needed.
Rob i am not sure if your 35 has a drag back or not. I use a 12 ft roller table .I drag the slabs back on the table then flip them off onto the skid steer forks. Then i stack and sticker the boards on short saw horses next to the roller table on the other side. If you sticker first you save on handling. As for sawdust i just blow it out under the shed and load it up with my skid steer.
Paul,
Pretty cool video. I did think the stickers were a little widely spaced from what I have been taught/read here. I liked the C-clamp sawdust bucket holder. I tried using a bucket but did not work for me. I saw from this video the operator had no tires in the way. I do so when the bucket reached the tire it tipped up. Maybe the bucket only works for stationary set ups with no tire in the way.
This were some long pretty boards he was cutting.
One other thing I noticed was he just turned his head loose and let the power feed drive through the cant. I walk with mine mostly holding the clutch arm. Sometimes mine wants to bounce up if it gets in too much of a strain. Maybe I am pushing it too hard, my blades aren't sharp enough or my spring is too weak. Any thoughts on that?