I could use some workflow & saw shed design advice

[Redhorseshoe]

The time has come for me to put up a sawmill shed so I can have some cover this winter.  I also need shelter for my edger.  I've been running everything in a straight line back from the mill and this has worked pretty well so far.  If I put up a single building for that method of operation it'll need to be around 60 feet long (sawmill is 26'+, edger is about 16', and I need some space between the two plus some on the ends).  Any of you have suggestions for this setup or maybe even a better way to lay my operation out?  I'm really wondering if there's a way to make everything more compact and stay efficient.  The edger could be in a different spot because typically it's only ran at the very end of the day. I've seen some designs where the edger is like 90 degrees from the mill but haven't tried it that way.  What works for you?

[beenthere]

redhorseshoe
Check out member electricAl and videos of his WM sawmill operation in Iowa with his wife Linda helping (a lot!). 

One video here for a sample.. 
Family & Wood Mizer Team Milling Beefy Stakes - YouTube

Numerous examples on the FF here. This is just one that came to mind reading your post.  

[customsawyer]

To answer that question I will need more information. How long is the majority of the wood you are cutting? How much help do you have. I've seen mills set up in many different configurations. It varies depending on if you use your dragback. If you run the edger and mill at the same time. How many different sorts do you have? What kind of wood are you producing? Grade sawing hardwood is a different set up compared to cutting 2X pine. One of the things I struggle with at my set up is I do a bit of everything, so it requires a good bit of room.

[moodnacreek]

One thing is for sure, it won't be big enough. Go as long, wide and high as you can.

[Redhorseshoe]

To answer that question I will need more information. How long is the majority of the wood you are cutting? How much help do you have. I've seen mills set up in many different configurations. It varies depending on if you use your dragback. If you run the edger and mill at the same time. How many different sorts do you have? What kind of wood are you producing? Grade sawing hardwood is a different set up compared to cutting 2X pine. One of the things I struggle with at my set up is I do a bit of everything, so it requires a good bit of room.

I'll try to answer all this in order
1) Length of wood varies so much it's hard to even consider a "standard" length.  On the cut list now there's everything from 8 - 20 foot material.  I'd GUESS though that maybe 12' would be a good average number.
2) I have one helper.
3) I just got an lt40 super on Friday and I'd like to use the dragback on it but this hasn't been an option before.
4) The edger only runs at the end of the day.  Lumber destined for the edger gets set on sawhorses until the last hour or so of the day then we only run the edger and clean everything up.
5 & 6) Generally, I'll only have two sorts going at once but at times it's up to five depending on what I'm cutting.  I only saw pine, fir, and juniper.  Juniper requires the most sorts.
Bonus!)  Here's a rundown of my operation.  Logs come onto the mill from the right side.  Finished lumber and waste slabs go to the left of the mill and are stacked.  Once an order or unit is completed, it gets banded and moved away from the mill.  Sometimes when things are busy I'll have lumber to the left of the mill as well as behind and to the right.  The edger has been set up directly behind the mill and flitches are stacked right next to it throughout the day.  Hopefully that all makes sense.
 

[WDH]

I work alone 99% of the time.  So my comments about layout relate to working alone.  So, sawing and edging are separate activities performed by me.  My mill and edger are side by side with a space between which efficiently uses the shed length that I have which is 90 feet long.  This allows me to use the rest of the space behind to air dry wood.  

I can stack wood to be edged on the table directly behind the mill and transfer it via tractor and forks to sawhorses by the edger.  Then park the tractor at the outfeed end of the edger to stack the edged boards on as they come out of the edger and carry the pack to where I sticker.  On boards that do not need edged, they are stickered directly off the mill onto purpose built pallets in the space between the edger and the mill then the stickered packs are moved with the tractor to the air drying pads under the shed behind the mill.  This minimizes the number of times that I have to touch those boards.  



 

This is the back of the shed when the stickered packs are stacked to be air dried.  To the far right you can see the mill and edger.  



 

[customsawyer]

If you go to "Out of the woods" youtube channel and search "sawing project" maybe it's "sycamore project" he has some video of my layout.

[Redhorseshoe]

WDH that is more like what I had in mind for myself.  I never thought about putting the edger next to the mill like that but like the idea.  How wide/high is your building?

Customsawyer, that is a very nice operation you have there! 

[handhewn]

I use a pivot post on my mill operation. Upright wood post to convenient height about six or eight feet (depending on your set up) from end of just cut boards Grab end of board, swing it over and drop balance point of board onto post and send it whatever direction(s) you want with little effort and no extra machinery. This is how I separate boards to my edger versus to continue down the line.

[WDH]

10 to 12 feet high depending because of the slope of the land. 

[Redhorseshoe]

10 to 12 feet high depending because of the slope of the land.

How wide is it?

[Southside]

With one helper I would re-think the idea of edging at the end of the day.  I have rollers behind my mill, 40' worth I think, lumber comes off the mill and hits the rollers, goes past the edger just enough so the operator can swing one end over to the edger, then lumber comes back toward the mill but a few feet to the side.  There is a collection table at the end of the edger.  The rollers act as a staging area for lumber so it does not have to be picked up and set down, only to be picked up again and put into the edger.  Anything that does not need to be edged and slabs go from the mill, to the first roller then are pushed sideways onto the collection table, again reducing handling.  Slabs go from there to a bunk about 8' away and non edged lumber is sorted and stacked as necessary.  With one helper I can jump off the mill and take two steps to the outfeed table to help with any stacking when necessary. With two helpers I don't need to step away from the mill as the rollers act as a surge / staging area that gets cleaned up when rolling a cant, opening a new log, etc.  It's simple and works well.  

[WDH]

I have two of these sheds, the one pictured is 25x90 and the other one is 30x60.  For a given square footage (and cost) I find that the 25 foot width works well if you plan to use some of the space for lumber drying.  

Assuming 2.5 feet overhang to protect the lumber from the elements plus a 4 foot wide lumber pallet on each side of the shed, 6.5 feet each side, the drying stacks take up 13 feet of the width leaving 12 feet in the middle between stacks which is enough room to drive the tractor through or store stuff.  The 30 foot width gives you a bit more room in the middle.

I am using 30 feet of the 90 foot long shed for the mill and the edger, 30 feet for lumber handling behind the mill and edger, and the remaining 30 feet is for air drying. Along the 30 foot lumber drying portion are 4 foot wide concrete pads along the edge to provide a level foundation for stacking pallets of lumber and the pads also span the far end across the width creating a horseshoe.  

With this arrangement, I can air dry 24,000 board feet under the 30 foot lumber drying portion.  The 30x60 shed is set up similar and is dedicated to air drying/lumber storage. It has 32,000 board feet of air drying pads but both ends of this shed are open so you can drive thru with a 16 foot interior width between the lumber stacks.  You may not need this much air drying space but I am running a high quality hardwood lumber business targeted for woodworkers and furniture makers. Interestingly though, my number one selling species is pine.  

Really thinking through what you will use this space foe and how you will use it will really pay dividends.