Hello All and my apologies if this post is not where it should be or how it should be.
I have absolutely 0 experience with mills beyond watching YouTube videos. My question is less about what mill to get but rather how to get into milling. I have about 600 acres of land that has planted pines and quite a lot of old growth hardwoods. I love to build and fix things. I am planning to build a smokehouse, a pole barn and a 8x10 shed for freezer, fridge, ice maker and general storage. I'm probably comparable to a homesteader in many ways and think getting a mill and milling wood for my projects is better than buying wood.
So what's my question exactly? What do I need to know or think about to go down this path? Is there a progression where I need to start with a small mill that won't be what I need but allows me to "learn"? Do I just go for a mill that is big enough for what I will need and just learn on it? Are there books I need to read or specific training I need? Are there special mills that work better for the 0 experience beginner? I want to do this right so I don't get discouraged and quit. I just don't know what I don't know.
Thanks for any advice you could offer me based on your own experiences and journeys.
Welcome the FF. The best advice is hang out here and reread a bunch of old posts , do some searches and see what you find. The info here goes back 20+ years.
As with any project, you have to take the 1st step and then it just rolls along.
More will be along to put in their 5cents worth.
Welcome Buickal. Please add your location to your profile so that we will know and remember. Questions such as yours can easily be region related.
I was sorta in your situation and bought a used mill that thankfully, at the time, was the biggest and most equipped mill on the market. Bells and whistles on a sawmill do a lot more than just make sounds. I would seriously consider used especially if you can locate a SuperHydraulic with a Diesel engine such as what I found.
Search for used sawmills and you will find several options. I bought mine through Sawmill Exchange.
I don't have five cents worth of experience, but I'll throw in two cents worth. Go ahead and get something that will do what you want, in the long run. The lessons will be pretty much the same and you won't need to replace it in a few years. We started with a used Timberking B20 and are still learning how ignorant we are! ffcheesy As Stephan said, hang around here and don't be afraid to ask questions. Don
I am only a hobby mill owner. Not much help.
But I see you have a 67hp tractor. :wink_2: That will get some logs out of the woods. I see from another post you have a grapple too.
I built a log deck to put my logs on. I bridge the gap with a piece of 4 inch X 3 foot piece of 1/4 inch flat stock. I don't trust myself loading logs onto the sawmill with the tractor. Drop a 500# log on the mill a few times and things will happen. I roll most of my logs on with a peavey.
Speaking of peavey, you need a cantdog or a peavey from Logrite. Sponsor on the bottom. Nice people, made in the USA.
Have fun sawing.
Quote from: Magicman on March 10, 2024, 08:29:53 AMWelcome Buickal. Please add your location to your profile so that we will know and remember. Questions such as yours can easily be region related.
I was sorta in your situation and bought a used mill that thankfully, at the time, was the biggest and most equipped mill on the market. Bells and whistles on a sawmill do a lot more than just make sounds. I would seriously consider used especially if you can locate a SuperHydraulic with a Diesel engine such as what I found.
Search for used sawmills and you will find several options. I bought mine through Sawmill Exchange.
Thanks. I edited my profile to show I am in Georgia. I like the diesel suggestion as I want to get into making bio-diesel to increase my self sufficiency (I can make diesel using old oil but can't make gasoline).
I noticed at least one used sawmill in Georgia.
Quote from: thecfarm on March 10, 2024, 08:36:14 AMI am only a hobby mill owner. Not much help.
But I see you have a 67hp tractor. :wink_2: That will get some logs out of the woods. I see from another post you have a grapple too.
I built a log deck to put my logs on. I bridge the gap with a piece of 4 inch X 3 foot piece of 1/4 inch flat stock. I don't trust myself loading logs onto the sawmill with the tractor. Drop a 500# log on the mill a few times and things will happen. I roll most of my logs on with a peavey.
Speaking of peavey, you need a cantdog or a peavey from Logrite. Sponsor on the bottom. Nice people, made in the USA.
Have fun sawing.
Thanks. Those are some really helpful suggestions that I haven't even thought about yet. I have seen a lot of ads on FB lately for a Logox tool to roll logs but haven't even thought about one yet.
Logrite will be better. :wink_2: :thumbsup:
First, a hearty Hail and welcome to the forum! The knowledge you can acquire here will be very helpful as you go forward and you won't find it anywhere else.
I see that you joined in August and only have 29 minutes on the forum. Your question is one that is asked and explored often here, each time with a different twist for the individual person who asked. The good news, you can read all of these threads and gain a ton of knowledge and for for thought. You will find a search button on the top left of the page, use the one, not the one at the very top. Type into the search box "buy a sawmill" (including the quotes) and select the sawmills and milling board as the only one you search to keep it cleaner. A ton of great threads will show up.
Had you been reading along here daily since you joined, you would already know a lot about what running a sawmill means. We ALL have issues to solve, repairs to do, problems to diagnose (either on the mill or the logs/wood), and we all like to help each other, so this is where you get to see what a 'life in the day' is like and also get your eyes opened up to see things you hadn't considered. There are some extremely knowledgeable high end sawyers here doing amazing work, and there are a bunch of guys and gals like me that are only at it a few years, may be running manual mills, learning along, and getting by as they improve their skills and tools. You can learn from all that and ask questions if you don't understand a term or specifics of the conversation.
As far as your question goes, yeah, fill out some of your profile. You have done a good job of laying out your situation and desires, but as you are soon to learn, getting a sawmill is more about material handling than making lumber. You haven't mentioned anything about how you are going to get your logs cut down and to the mill. How will you load them? DO you have a way to handle the slabs? Sawdust? Where will you dry your lumber? Do you have any decent iron to make it happen? All this stuff has an effect on what you settle into for a mill.
Anybody with basic mechanical skills can learn to make good lumber provided they have the right mindset. As my Pop would say "your most valuable tool is the one between your ears". :wink_2: Fixing, maintaining, and adjusting sawmills is just another part of owning one and will be a regular event. Don't worry, you may suffer a nit getting through some particular adjustment or repair the first time, but after that, it's easy every time.
My other suggestion is to become a regular reader here. Try to read all the posts in the "sawmills and milling" board at least. Whatever you can manage, once a day or a couple of times a week, early mornings, late evenings. Find a time that works for you and stick at it. Knowledge and understanding will come.
Settle in, ask questions, but also provide the surrounding information, use the search tool to do research that fits you and you will be off on a great adventure that may prove to be a game changer for you! ffcool
Best of luck.
I'm a retired teacher. Here's your homework... ffcheesy I started with minimal experience too.
As already mentioned, you've come to the best online resource for learning to saw with a small portable sawmill. Read here as much as you can
Locate both portable and stationary mills in your area. Ask if you can stop by when they are running - emphasize that you want to watch will stay out of the way. Watch them run for a hour or so. Think about what is going on, material handling, waste removal and observe sawing technique. Some of it won't make sense to begin with. Later it will or won't make sense and you'll learn why. You might get to lend a hand off bearing and stacking lumber. You will learn a lot there.
THEN hire a sawyer and mill for at least half a day. Have your logs - 8 or 10 - stages and ready to saw. Help off bear. Stack and place sticks in the lumber. ASK a bunch of questions.
I did similar to above although I didn't find the Forestry Forum until after I ordered a mill.
When I was shopping for my first mill, I was 55. I showed my wife two videos- one of an LT15 and one of an LT35. Her advice was get the LT 35 for the hydraulics. I'm pretty sure I would have lost interest in the manual mill. In retrospect I should have shown her a video of the LT50!
Quote from: Old Greenhorn on March 10, 2024, 09:29:01 AMFirst, a hearty Hail and welcome to the forum! The knowledge you can acquire here will be very helpful as you go forward and you won't find it anywhere else.
I see that you joined in August and only have 29 minutes on the forum. Your question is one that is asked and explored often here, each time with a different twist for the individual person who asked. The good news, you can read all of these threads and gain a ton of knowledge and for for thought. You will find a search button on the top left of the page, use the one, not the one at the very top. Type into the search box "buy a sawmill" (including the quotes) and select the sawmills and milling board as the only one you search to keep it cleaner. A ton of great threads will show up.
Had you been reading along here daily since you joined, you would already know a lot about what running a sawmill means. We ALL have issues to solve, repairs to do, problems to diagnose (either on the mill or the logs/wood), and we all like to help each other, so this is where you get to see what a 'life in the day' is like and also get your eyes opened up to see things you hadn't considered. There are some extremely knowledgeable high end sawyers here doing amazing work, and there are a bunch of guys and gals like me that are only at it a few years, may be running manual mills, learning along, and getting by as they improve their skills and tools. You can learn from all that and ask questions if you don't understand a term or specifics of the conversation.
As far as your question goes, yeah, fill out some of your profile. You have done a good job of laying out your situation and desires, but as you are soon to learn, getting a sawmill is more about material handling than making lumber. You haven't mentioned anything about how you are going to get your logs cut down and to the mill. How will you load them? DO you have a way to handle the slabs? Sawdust? Where will you dry your lumber? Do you have any decent iron to make it happen? All this stuff has an effect on what you settle into for a mill.
Anybody with basic mechanical skills can learn to make good lumber provided they have the right mindset. As my Pop would say "your most valuable tool is the one between your ears". :wink_2: Fixing, maintaining, and adjusting sawmills is just another part of owning one and will be a regular event. Don't worry, you may suffer a nit getting through some particular adjustment or repair the first time, but after that, it's easy every time.
My other suggestion is to become a regular reader here. Try to read all the posts in the "sawmills and milling" board at least. Whatever you can manage, once a day or a couple of times a week, early mornings, late evenings. Find a time that works for you and stick at it. Knowledge and understanding will come.
Settle in, ask questions, but also provide the surrounding information, use the search tool to do research that fits you and you will be off on a great adventure that may prove to be a game changer for you! ffcool
Best of luck.
Thanks for the welcome and the helpful advice. I haven't even considered some of the other questions you have raised. I did join in august but then got sidetracked with a few of life's unexpected cards it deals out. I'm now back to focusing on the sawmill. There's so much to consider I find it a little overwhelming. I want to always make the perfect/right decision (but once cry once is what I have always heard). I know that isn't always possible. I had pretty much focused on getting a portable sawmill to get it to the logs and use the tractor to load the logs. Drying I haven't thought about. I need to research drying as I know nothing about time to dry or differing methods. I figured answering the question of how to start milling was step 1 but you have demonstrated how I need to think ahead. Thanks again.
That logox is a higher end ($$) homeowner/landowner tool designed for cutting firewood. I doubt you will ever see one in a loggers crummy. By the time you buy, mess with it, and realize you got the wrong tool for your work, then buy LogRite, you will have lost time and money.
Just look at the LogRite stuff and get the right tool sized for your logs. Now cant hook or peavey, that's the big question! ffcheesy I have both styles and am using 3 different sizes, 2 ultras and a standard.
It's funny, this is a basic tool, but even this can generate a lot of questions, opinions and discussion. There is always a lot to consider.
There is a whole other board here on the forum that just covers drying and processing. You might want to add that to Ted's homework list and read over there too.
With that much acreage you should set up a circle mill then you have something. There must be some near you. If you find one being run, that guy will know where others lie. They don't bring much money because they are a lot of work to set up and really need a roof. Frick would be a good choice as many parts are still made for them.
Welcome!
You will find some great advice from a lot of knowledgeable folks on this site. At one time a lot of us were where you are.
SawyerTed is right-on, good advice. Sawing is tough work physically. Getting your logs out of the woods is tough work. Stacking and stickering is tough work.
You will be surprised how much space sawn lumber takes up. I have a manual mill and only saw for fun (Ha!) but 3-4 days of sawing will fill a large area that takes time to dry.
What part of Georgia are you located? You might find a sawyer close to you that you could visit and get an idea of what all is involved.
Used mills sell fast. A friend recently decided to sell his slightly used manual mill and it sold very quickly for a price he was happy with.
Do you have a budget for the mill and equipment? Always buy the best you can afford...... within reason. I went manual because I did not plan to need great production numbers. My mill suits me fine but you may need more capacity. You can drop 50K easily on a mill if you need it. You can't tell the difference between a board cut off a 5K mill vs a 50K mill if both operators do their job correctly. What you will notice is the larger stack of lumber and no back pain vs a smaller stack and need to take breaks and ibuprofen ffsmiley
Figure out the maximum length of lumber you'll need and look for a mill that will cut slightly longer or can be lengthened. In my case I needed 22' boards so I made a 10' extension.
I watched a lot of videos before purchasing also, and the videos are cool. However, what a video shows in 10-30 seconds might in reality take many hours to set up and prepare. Logs don't just walk up to the mill and jump on, so cutting a tree and loading on the mill might be a 3-4 hour job.
Quote from: TroyC on March 10, 2024, 10:11:24 AMWelcome!
You will find some great advice from a lot of knowledgeable folks on this site. At one time a lot of us were where you are.
SawyerTed is right-on, good advice. Sawing is tough work physically. Getting your logs out of the woods is tough work. Stacking and stickering is tough work.
You will be surprised how much space sawn lumber takes up. I have a manual mill and only saw for fun (Ha!) but 3-4 days of sawing will fill a large area that takes time to dry.
What part of Georgia are you located? You might find a sawyer close to you that you could visit and get an idea of what all is involved.
Used mills sell fast. A friend recently decided to sell his slightly used manual mill and it sold very quickly for a price he was happy with.
Do you have a budget for the mill and equipment? Always buy the best you can afford...... within reason. I went manual because I did not plan to need great production numbers. My mill suits me fine but you may need more capacity. You can drop 50K easily on a mill if you need it. You can't tell the difference between a board cut off a 5K mill vs a 50K mill if both operators do their job correctly. What you will notice is the larger stack of lumber and no back pain vs a smaller stack and need to take breaks and ibuprofen ffsmiley
Figure out the maximum length of lumber you'll need and look for a mill that will cut slightly longer or can be lengthened. In my case I needed 22' boards so I made a 10' extension.
I watched a lot of videos before purchasing also, and the videos are cool. However, what a video shows in 10-30 seconds might in reality take many hours to set up and prepare. Logs don't just walk up to the mill and jump on, so cutting a tree and loading on the mill might be a 3-4 hour job.
Thanks. Really appreciate the helpful advice. I haven't even gotten to the point yet of figuring out a mill brand or model. I think I want used to save up front investment but worry about a mill that's just not desirable or has problems. I'm learning from responses that learning how to use a mill and which mill is right/what things are necessities versus luxuries is just the top of the iceberg from a need to know things standpoint. I'm actually near Sandersville GA. I really don't even know how I could figure out what length boards I want to cut but guessed 20' should be more than enough. I don't have a budget for a mill because I was hoping to figure out the need part and just buy something that had all the must haves at the best price I could find. But I have no idea what the must haves are.
I don't have a lot of experience myself. What I can tell you is be careful. Once you scratch that itch it tends to fester. ffcheesy
Try to avoid those quotes. We can follow the conversation easier without them.
When I bought my used sawmill my wife's questions were; "With what? You have never even seen a sawmill much less operate one? Who are you gonna saw for? How are you gonna pay for it? etc."
My answer to each of them was "I don't know". I was 59 years old and broke. The sawmill paid for itself the first year and this is my 22nd year of sawing. My original plan was to saw and sell but now for 21 years, I only portable saw.
I start just about every major project by making lists in my notebook.
Harvesting of the logs and management of the brush and branches. Most folks only use the trunk of a tree up to the fork for good lumber. The crown of the tree doesn't look like much but when you get it on the ground, there is a lot to clean up and process.
Transporting the logs. Winches, skidding tongs, chains, straps, log arches, grapples. One solution does not work for all situations and terrain.
Siting of everything. A suitable location for the milling shed, nearby log yard, drying area or building, drying kiln. All need access, suitable space. Try to find an area that drains well or you spend a lot of time in the mud.
Storage of the logs. Cleaning up 600 acres, you will quickly accumulate a huge inventory of logs. Space to store them, movement, easy path to the mill.
Long term storage of wood. You need racks, pallets, forks or a forklift.
The mill itself. A good base or foundation. Then immediately start working to get at least the mill head under cover.
The lists serve to keep you from forgetting things, allow you to view each area of operation with needs defined. But you also look to the future. Ok, I build a lean-to to store lumber in. What if you need another one? or two? Things evolve. Site plans, ideas.
The interesting thing about all of this is that everything can be done outside if needed. You just need a bunch of tarps to keep things dry.
The notebook is a great thing to take along if you have to go someplace where you know you will be bored out of your mind. Doctors appt, family functions, trips.
Quote from: Buickal on March 10, 2024, 12:59:47 PMQuote from: TroyC on March 10, 2024, 10:11:24 AMI really don't even know how I could figure out what length boards I want to cut but guessed 20' should be more than enough. .
Just so you know mills cut 16 feet, extensions needed after that. Or some fancy siding back a forth. :wink_2:
My take on the OP is you have 600 acres to get your logs from, and want to build several buildings. To my way of thinking, you do not want to have a sawmill to tie you down and keeping you too busy to build.
Take the few suggestions to have logs sawn by someone else until you see your way to needing a sawmill. Just my thought.
OK, Sandersville looks like about an hour north of me. I'm about 15 miles south of Dublin. There is a possibility I'll be up to Dublin late this week, and I'll be up for sure around April 10 for a week or so. We can pull my mill out and give you some exercise if you want to visit. I'm a hobby sawyer so not real fancy and have nowhere the experience most people on the Forum have. I bought my mill to be able to cut trees from my property just for my own use. I learned how to do that but I also learned it is a lot more work than what it looked like on the YouTube videos.
My recommendation would be to get an idea of how much lumber you think you will need and how much time you can devote to milling it. That will steer you towards spending 10K, 30K, or 50K+ on the mill you should consider. A hydraulic mill is really slick and will cut a tremendous amount of wood fast. If money is not a factor, by all means go for the latest and best. If you have more youth/strength than money, go down from there to find something that fits your budget and requirements. As mentioned, many mills will do up to 16'. Cutting a 22' 2x10 gets serious not only for the size of the log but also simply that the lumber is heavy.
As others have mentioned, you'll need support equipment: tractor, grapple, forks, covered storage area, skidding capability to retrieve logs, log arch, trailers, several chainsaws, blades, sharpening equipment, etc. You may find that for much less than the investment in time and money that you can hire a portable sawyer a couple times a year to fill your storage area.
Depends on how much you will use your mill.
I have a manual mill.
Takes time to cut the trees, bring them out of the woods, cut the lumber and then build. I also clean up the tops of the trees too.
The above sentence will eat up A LOT of time.
Reason I bought a manual mill it sits sometimes for more then a year before I use it again. There are no switches to rust and not work while it is sitting there. Just a simple mill with a Honda motor. The motor is the only problem I have when sitting for a year.
This may be premature, but when you get the mill, be sure to set it up so the prevailing wind is at your back. Sawmills create dust. Wind blows it in your face. Or, away from you. Away is much better. Don
Welcome! I'm new to the game as well.
There are some trade-shows coming up, it might be worth a small road-trip to check everything out in-person? I called a few names I got from the Woodmizer website, and the folks offered lots of good advice as well. Talk to as many people as you can, see as many things as you can.
After much thought and consternation, and some helpful input from the folks here, I ended up getting a Norwood HD36v2 on a trailer. About $12,600 delivered to my driveway. Just started putting it together today, actually! LOL!
Don, you're just messing with the new guy!
Now the poor innocent is going to be looking for a high, bald hilltop that he can build a big turntable on. He can set a sawmill up there and rotate it around as the prevailing wind changes direction. And then the rest of us will want to do that too.
Or maybe, a big honking fan might be easier.
I'll put my 2 cents in here also. I got into this with the same visions as yourself, plus I am a very avid woodworker. I quickly learned a good sawyer can produce quality lumber with a lesser mill, just as someone can make junk with a top of the line one. I went da manual mill route as I had no visions of sawing for hire, although I have occasionally. I bought my mill new 25 years ago, and it has far more than paid for itself each and every year since then. Being a simple manual mill repairs have been almost nonexistent, but I did wear out the original engine. ffcheesy
As with any personal mill you will find that more time and energy will be spent cutting and transporting your logs, stacking lumber, and moving slabs, than any time spent sawing. ffsmiley
Quote from: chet on March 10, 2024, 10:56:38 PMAs with any personal mill you will find that more time and energy will be spent cutting and transporting your logs, stacking lumber, and moving slabs, than any time spent sawing. ffsmiley
This is true. The sawmill is only one step in the process, sure it's an important one, but falling trees and skidding logs needs to come first, and that's a whole profession in it's own right. Then you mill, probably dry, machine? and then build. So the sawmill might only average out to be one day in a week of work.
So that leaves the option of hiring someone to mill the logs. That's a valid plan, and as others have suggested might be a good learning / experiment. It will either convince you that you do actually want a mill, or that you should keep hiring the work out. Either way, you have paid a small charge, and have a stack of sawed boards, so you aren't losing out.
And just to muddy the waters, look at the Swingblade mills for this sort of operation. Price wise they fit in between the small manual band mills, and the more expensive hydraulic machines. With a tractor or other machinery, and couple of helpers, they can produce like a more expensive band mill. Take them out to the landing site and set up in ~15 mins, then pack it up back in the shed until next week / month. My mill is only a small hobby version, and 600 acres would grow trees faster than I could saw them. But with the right setup and support equipment, any swingblade can cut a LOT of lumber.
Andries, I didn't mean to be messing with the new guy. Your turntable idea is a good one, though. They used to turn steam locomotives on them, so a sawmill should be pretty easy. I'll match your fan with a 10MPH breeze any day, though. ffcheesy Granted, your fan would be more controllable. Don
Take Troy up on his offer to look, he has one of the best built manual mills out there. It won't break the bank as far as cost, set it up on a bit of a platform with a moderately sized tractor and loader you can accomplish a lot. Good luck on your adventure.
@TroyC Thanks for your offer and I would absolutely love to take you up on it to get an actual feel for what's involved in DIY milling. I can offer some additional info that might be helpful
I plan to mill for my needs only and am not looking to earn money from milling. So I guess I would be a hobby millet. I don't expect to be milling vast amounts of lumber....just whatever I need to do what I want. I have learned that drying is critical and a somewhat lengthy process (at least if air dried). I was told a year for every inch of thickness. So that means cutting lumber well before needing it so it can be dry.
I'm not a young guy anymore but I do know that the more bells and whistles something has the more can go wrong and need repair. Like modern autos which are as much computer as they are vehicles. And those fixes are never cheap. The more dependent I am on someone else fixing something I see as a weak point because finding people who CAN and WILL do what is needed is difficult. I had to call 5 pressure washing people to get to the one who actually cam and did my 81 year old moms house for her. I like simple even if it's more effort or time. I like things that work when needed as much as possible. A navy buddy of mine told me an admiral once told him if you can't do it then I can't use you. I feel that way about equipment.
With 600 acres, I want the mill portable so I can get it to the logs as opposed to moving logs to the mill. To me it seems easier to transport cut lumber than uncut logs. I could be missing something though so this is just my initial inexperienced thinking.
While I don't have a budget, I do focus on cost from a smart spend focus. The item I buy has to provide a smart value proposition for the money spent. For example, I have a log splitter and specifically bought one with a honda engine. I just find Hondas to be the best engines for small equipment. I like stihl lawn equipment because it always cranks and works best. To me the extra money spent on those is worth the spend. Buy once cry once. Every time I have ever tried to buy cheap to save money it cost me more money.
I would love to chat and set up a day when you are there to come learn and help you with any projects you may have.
Piles of drying lumber spread out where cut does not work out so well. Transporting green lumber is much more work than stacking [and sticking] at a fixed location. A sawmill should be set up in the corner of a flat lot and that lot becomes a lumber yard. Less work in the beginning and better in the end.
Welcome!
I would tend to agree with what Moodna said above provided you have or will make roads and have large enough equipment to move logs efficiently. Bear in mind it's a material handling operation more so than milling, do all you can to set up the mill yard to make the material handling more efficient. This includes waste slabs and sawdust. Forks on a good sized machine are a must have.
I have property and have harvested/sawn many of my own trees for my own use. I have taken the sawmill to logs which avoids skidding and also leaves the waste in the woods, but much more often, I have left the sawmill in a more desirable location and skidded the log there.
For customer sawing, it has been done both ways and I vividly remember two of those excursions traveling down wooded roads and wondering what was at the other end and wondering how I was going to get out. :uhoh: Obviously everything was OK, and my truck seat cover gradually lost the butt creases.
I too think you will find it much more advantageous to move a few logs than to move a bunch of green lumber. Also much nicer having your mill in a dedicated shelter with all needed tools close at hand. Your logs on a deck ready to feed onto your mill when ever you get the time to tackle them. I do much of my milling when weather (or lack of daylight) does not permit me to do much of anything else outdoors.
If you do opt for a manual mill or a smaller hydro mill, I would strongly suggest you get it with the largest engine they offer. ffsmiley
Quote from: Magicman on March 11, 2024, 08:56:58 AMI have taken the sawmill to logs which avoids skidding and also leaves the waste in the woods, but much more often, I have left the sawmill in a more desirable locaton....
Given you have done both, do you think the mobility of your mill was a necessary option? If the prevailing opinion is that skidding logs to process as a central location set up for milling, maybe mobility is a waste of money.
Buickal- check your messages at top of the page.
-Where will you keep your milled wood, under roof is best.
-How will you stack your wood? Make stickers ahead of time so they can be dry, build lumber pallets so you can stack vertically. Standardize your lengths and pallet widths. Unless I have a specific use for something longer, the longest I cut is 8'6". It's difficult storing longer stuff. You have to have a dedicated space for it.
-Do you have a good machine for moving pallets and logs. I have a rough terrain forklift for tighter turning than a FEL and less bouncy
-My standardized pallets which hold lumber 4'6",6'6", and 8'8" will stack nicely in a local guy's Nyle kiln. I air dry everything first and then take a full kiln load to him to dry(which in his case is 22'x88" high). I use Kubinec strapping on all my lumber pallets and with the ratcheting tool can be tightened as it air dries and dries further in the kiln.
Lumber pallets (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=104143.msg1618977#msg1618977)
-Use good hardwood stickers. I plane all of mine 3/4 inch thick for 4/4 and 5/4 lumber. For slabs or thick stuff 2" and better I'd use 1.5" thick stickers. I don't mind using pine for those because I don't have near as much and 1.5" stickers in pine are less likely to break than 3/4".
-I have an LT15 woodmizer. It's manual. I have it because I do a lot of beams and use woodmizers mill mounted planer to joint the beams and this is the only mill it runs on. Otherwise I'd have a hydraulic wide mill. If you want to quarter saw logs, it's best on a wide hydraulic mill and to Reverse Roll Quarter Saw (RRQS) prime grade/clear logs.
Buickal you are asking good questions. Thinking about how the mill will be used helps zero in on what you need. One sawyer's needs will likely be different than yours but there's absolutely several forum members who will match yours.
The good thing about the portable mills, besides the option to move them, is the working height. Unless a raised foundation is built for the small stationary mills, they can be low for lifting heavy materials off the bed. Of course a raised foundation is not difficult to build but the costs can't be ignored. Not everyone has a convenient concrete slab available.
The reverse is also true. The lower manual mills make putting logs on the bed a bit easier. Equipment to lift logs isn't cheap.
The best of both worlds is the portable mill with an included hydraulic log lift. Some mills use winches and ramps some use log decks to load logs.
Pictured below is a 34" diameter white oak log 10' long. Not only does the 3,900 pound log have to be lifted to the bed, 3,900 pounds of material has to be removed-waste and lumber. That's 7,800 pounds of lifting just to get the lumber off the mill out of one log.
In a day of sawing let's say 10 logs averaging 2,500 pounds each gets cut into framing lumber and siding. It's easy math to know 50,000 pounds of lifting has to be done just to put the lumber in a stack beside the mill.
Just some food for thought.
Some things are bells and whistles depending upon how you use a mill. Those same things are essential features for other sawmill operations.
My mill was purchased without a tow package to save money. I added tandem axles, hitch and lights, myself saving enough to purchase a sharpener and setter. :wink_2:
@Brad_bbthanks. There is a lot of good info in your response I need to research to better understand. Wood pallets and stickers and a few other terms you used are unknown to me but I will do my homework to learn
Quote from: chet on March 11, 2024, 11:46:46 AMMy mill was purchased without a tow package to save money. I added tandem axles, hitch and lights, myself saving enough to purchase a sharpener and setter. :wink_2:
If I understand correctly, you just attached axels, hitch and lights to the mill itself? Essentially make the mill its own trailer in a sense? That's pretty ingenious. Since mine would not be towed on the road but only throughout my property that seems a cheap option for that kind of mobility. I wouldn't even need the lights. I need to look up what a setter is as that's a new term to me.
Buickal:
Concerning mill mobility, also think resale.
You have no idea what cards old mother nature may deal you in the future.
Note: A blade setter is imo a necessary piece of equipment.
GAB
@Buickal, a setter is a tool used to offset the teeth on your sawmill blades, usually done after sharpening them.
Buickal, Bear in mind that in order to put axles under a mill it needs to have a strong enough bed such as a box section. An angle iron bed would first need to have a box/rectangle tube frame added under it.
My LT 15 came with a removable axle (option). I set it permanently on and mounted it to 12x12 oak cross cribbing and took the axle off so I don't have to hit my shins into or walk around it every pass.
How are we 45 posts into this thread and we still don't know what kind of Buick we're talking about?
Some folks call me Al and I used to have a '69 Electra 225!
In terms of moving the mill to the logs - I have a trailer on my mill and haven't moved it yet. Unless the log is too big to move to the mill, it's easier to move one heavy thing than move lots of smaller heavy things. In all my work with logs, I've found that you come out ahead the fewer times you have to handle or move each piece. So I stack/sticker my boards directly onto pallets, each pallet ideally having the same type of lumber on it. Then I stack the pallets. Can move them all with the loader. Milling in the woods means handling each board at least one more time.
I hired sawyers for a total of six days before getting my own mill (Woodland Mills 130 Max). Six days were spread out over a period of 8 or 9 years. Filled up my lumber yard each time, and only thought about milling as I either had a lead on a big supply of logs or if I ran out of lumber.
Another thing to think about: Local sawmills around me offer pretty much the same stuff as I can make myself (roughsawn pine, some hardwoods), and the price per bf is well less than my cost (if I place a value on my own labor). So the idea of me dragging logs to my mill and breathing dust and hurting my back to make my own boards is pretty silly from an economics standpoint. I don't regret the decision to get my own mill, but I can't really justify it from a financial point of view. It's a fun hobby, not a money maker.
I don't know about the economics of your 600 acres, but would you be able to have a logger come and harvest some of your trees and would that money allow you to do other things (like buy lumber or hire a mill?) I'm not trying to throw cold water on your idea, just want to suggest thinking about your reasons for doing it....
Welcome to FF the best place in the world to learn from!
I started out much like you. I had 20 acres of mostly ponderosa pine and a desire to make my own lumber. I bought a chainsaw mill and within a year I bought a Wood-Mizer LT10. I made a lot of lumber with that little mill, modified it and made more.
Eventually I sold the little modded up LT10 for what I had into it (can't guarantee that for everyone but mills hold their value well) and bought the biggest mill I could afford and justify (the LT40HDG26) and I love my LT40 :D
I milled on the road for a few years (and then some more) and made a lot of sawdust for others and only just decided to stop doing it for others having paid for my mill and tools with the sawmill) and am not trying to only mill for myself and my projects.
You'll get lots of good advice here as I did back in 2010 and still today.
Cheers
The Old Jarhead
@alecs Having sold my 10 second 87 Turbo Regal last year, I am left with a 67 GS 400 and 67 Skylark Convertible. Pic is of the GS. Vertible pic was too large to post.
Thank you for the input which gives me good info to consider. This desire isn't really being made from a financial viewpoint but my desire to be as independent and self sufficient as possible. I also like to control my own destiny and timing.
Fortunately the wonderful responses to my post have shown me I need to do a lot of planning before just buying a sawmill. There's a lot of things to think through and address first. That's not bad just glad I learned it before rather than after getting a mill. Prepare first acquire second.
I don't have experience doing it but it looks like sliding and assembled manual mill onto a utility trailer wouldn't be very hard. That would make it portable to a point. Putting it on a deck over trailer temporarily might work if there's log handling equipment to lift logs that high.
With 600 acres, I could see setting up and milling in an area for an extended period that might make moving the mill a reasonable endeavor.
We have places on our 300 acres I can't get logs out with the equipment I have but I can get the mill in and lumber out (in batches).
Nice Skylark. I have a 69 Chevelle SS that runs 10's without power adders. I built the 468 big block about 25 years ago.