(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/ffWhatchaSawin_.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=355204)
I started the original Whatcha Sawin' ?? topic with this picture back in 2014. Wow, how many of our logs have become lumber and sawdust in the past 10 years??
I already have 10 firm sawing jobs in the "schedule book" for 2025. Those plus the usual "tire kicking" jobs that result in maybe 25% actually being sawed.
I have sawing scheduled for Thursday the 2nd and it looks like I'm gonna have a busy start for my 22nd year of sawing, at least during the first few months. Gonna be cold!!
So Whatcha Sawin' in 2025 ??
My first job of 2025 will be on Saturday for a contractor nearby. Was supposed to be on the 2nd, Thursday, but warm and rain through Wednesday and he doesn't want to mess up his side yard.
He's got a dozen or so 20 inch red oak logs that he wants me to make 8 x 12 beams for mafia block substitutes. Real concrete is too heavy for him to pick up. I told him the logs are too nice to throw away the side lumber so I think it will be a nice job.
Saturday will be a cold start 23° or so. I don't like cold nor my machine either, but I am looking forward to getting started. On a nice break now for a few more days.
Today I looked at my logs scheduled for sawing on the 2nd and they could easily be some of the best SYP logs that I have ever sawn. They are 16' & 18' and the two butt logs are 32". The cut list will be 2X6's and 2X12's with a few 2X8's for ridges.
Getting tailgunners is the main obstacle for customers. I have talked with three different customers today and have moved sawing schedules out into February and March when help would be available. They are scheduling around the two week on-off oil field schedules.
I finished my last custom job today. I have a bunch of timbers to saw for a spec timber frame to start the year off. I'll be waiting for good weather days. Last week I had to get the tractor and sawmill running at 8⁰, with below 0⁰ overnight. I have Anderson connectors on everything at the mill. I park the tractor next to the mill and plug them together. When the tractor is running, then I get the mill started. The tractor generally is a good starter but the not very old battery must be weak. The sawmill is not a good starter, but with two group 31 batteries and the tractor alternator, it still start at any temp that I plan on milling.
We have 34° forecast for the 2nd which will be my first sawing job for 2025. That is cold for us.
Looks like I will be sawing my first log ever in 2025 now. Have spent the last 3 days assembling and then levelling my new HM130Max. Would have cut its first log today, except I didn't have any 10w30 in my collection. Have 0w20, 5w20, 5w30, 15w45 and several gear and chain oils but ......Kohler wants 10w30.
So off to town I went and it was dark when I got back.
I have about 40 cord of hardwood logs available, all sizes and types. Any recommendations for the first one? I've got a few straight ash logs about 14" in diameter on the end of the pile, so that was what I was thinking of grabbing, but there is lots of choice if another size or species would be better.
Congratulation on your first anticipated log to be sawn. I would suggest that you saw and keep a two live edge flitch which you can later have engraved as a memento. ffsmiley
More 8x8's and a variety of custom timbers for a local contractor by the end of the week. Delivered 100 of the 8x8's this morning, with another 100 scheduled for Thursday.
Lucky enough to see a cow and calf moose on the way home today.
Gotta question for all you millers. Some point in time i want to buy a trailer load of decent cedar logs. Closer the better. I'm in eastern Iowa. Magicmans picture reminded me. In this area very hard to find cedars worth sawing. Thanks
Sorry realized wrong forum
Why is this the wrong Forum?
I know from personal experience there is nice Eastern Red Cedar in northeast Nebraska, on the breaks of the Missouri River. I do believe there are some harvesting operations operating down there. Closest town would be Niobrara.
Quote from: Big_eddy on December 31, 2024, 06:35:38 PMI have about 40 cord of hardwood logs available, all sizes and types. Any recommendations for the first one? I've got a few straight ash logs about 14" in diameter on the end of the pile, so that was what I was thinking of grabbing, but there is lots of choice if another size or species would be better.
Big eddy, the best species and size of log to saw is the one that's on the mill.
A note on ash; ash tends to leave a buildup on the blade. Don't think there is something wrong with your mill or the blade if that happens.
Enjoy!
@Cedarman how far are you guys apart?
@stihltoomany Check out the custom wood fibers folks below in the sponsor's bar.
Home (http://www.customwoodfibers.com/index.php) for custom wood fibers
I went earlier this week and looked at tomorrow's logs. They are only two miles away from home and will all be sawed into framing lumber.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7010~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357256)
There are seven logs total, two with 32" butts and 28" top ends. Those two big logs calculate @~4700lbs each. These are not beetle killed but fresh felled.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7032~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357257)
Do they make my sawmill look little?
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7034.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357258)
These are for the same customer that I sawed 7644bf of framing lumber for last May.
Lynn,
What do you figure - have them knocked out in time for morning coffee break? :thumbsup:
Quote from: Magicman on January 01, 2025, 04:44:02 PMI went earlier this week and looked at tomorrow's logs. They are only two miles away from home and will all be sawed into framing lumber.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7010~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357256)
There are seven logs total, two with 32" butts and 28" top ends. Those two big logs calculate @~4700lbs each. These are not beetle killed but fresh felled.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7032~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357257)
Do they make my sawmill look little?
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7034.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357258)
These are for the same customer that I sawed 7644bf of framing lumber for last May.
You going to let that SYP drip for a while or cut them fresh?
I only saw for myself. Right now I have some pecan kicking my butt like it owns me. Got some red oak coming to make cabinets out of next week.
Quote from: kkcomp on January 01, 2025, 06:28:39 PMYou going to let that SYP drip for a while or cut them fresh?
These logs have been down for 6-8 weeks so they are not sticky/drippy. If you zoom in on the log ends you can see that the sap is white/crusty. They are also virtually knot free so they should make some #1 lumber.
Quote from: kkcomp on January 01, 2025, 06:30:22 PMRight now I have some pecan kicking my butt like it owns me.
kkcomp, the last time I sawed hickory it was the same with me. Pecan and hickory are in the same family. Cousins, very pretty but not well behaved.
Quote from: jpassardi on January 01, 2025, 06:20:50 PMWhat do you figure - have them knocked out in time for morning coffee break?
Yeah I wish, but hopefully that top log will be sawn by 9:00 and we have moved on to that first 32 incher. The problem is help. Neither of the two grandsons that will be helping today have ever seen a log, but if they can work we will be OK. Tomorrow is supposed to be a neighbor that has previously helped me.
This actually should only be a one day job, but when we finish really does not matter with me. It's only two miles from home. :wink_2:
We went from rain and 45 yesterday to high winds and 30 with a dusting of lake effect snow this morning. It does reach down this far sometimes.
Cut some Pine 1x4 trim and a small curved Cherry that I took down to make room for my RV shed.
I have to say I have to double my speed to keep up to M.M. slowing down....
Happy, Healthy New Year.
Rich
It's gonna be a while until I'm sawing again. Snow, rain, snow, rain. On and on it goes. Central Sierras are at 100% of where they should be right now. Northern is like 160%. It's just skipping north of me. If this keeps up, I might be sawing early, like end of April. But ... If it's starts tracking a little south, it could be June or July.
I made relatively good progress with today's sawing but no barn burner. Those two 18' X 32" butt logs took some extra time but I did not figure that we would finish today anyway.
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I did not scale yet but there are 16, 6X6's plus 2X4's, 6's 8's and 12's stickered in the background. The three remaining logs will be sawn into 2X4's, 8's & 12's.
MM
Looking at those stacks of lumber I would think your helpers did a pretty good job.
Dan
Yes, they did quite well. They are cousins; one is a HS junior and the other studying Diesel mechanics in trade school. The high school-er has school today but we will manage with only 3 logs left and none are fatties.
We will probably be sawing by 8:30 as we were yesterday. We shut er down at 3:30 yesterday afternoon. I know time was wasted, but it really did not matter because this one is a "peanut job" only 2 miles from home.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/51041/IMG_9549.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357229)
Did a couple nice pine logs with Doc Hagley that had been down a few years. had some build up on the blade, so at least I only had to relearn something I had forgotten. :snowball: I had hoped it was all dried out, but the center and knot areas were still wet and smelled like turpentine. On the last cut the blade would not engage. I called Matt at Timberking, and he told me it was prob. time to set the airgap on the electro-magnetic blade clutch. I did that and found a loose connection where I had tapped into the wiring harness to open a solenoid on the lube tank. cleaned it all up (I still have a slow leaking oil seal), checked the oil and belt tension. put on another blade and ran a few great cuts to test. Thanks Matt.
one mantle stock piece at 6 x 16 x 9.5 feet. some live edge 2-inch stock above it on the left, and then some 4/4 on the right. the final cut could not be made due to the blade clutch failure, now fixed, so one thicker piece.
@Cardiodoc
I moved this one to the Invoice Book this morning:
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Total of 9 1/2 hours sawing yielding 3113bf of framing lumber and 6X6 timbers.
We have a line of storms coming through Sunday afternoon and low 20°'s mid week so I believe that my gitty-up-go will be busted.
MM,
Nice looking stack of framing lumber and beams. What is he going to use for siding?
I asked the same question and he said "Hardie Board Siding". He wanted Pine B&B but he does not have enough logs.
He has so much framing lumber that he is now considering building larger and I suspect that he will.
Lynn, I can't help but be a little envious about those nice pine logs!
Pine is common here but those nice clear big logs are rare.
Nice!
I said from the beginning that these were some of the best SYP logs that I have ever sawed. I wish that I could have displayed those 18' 2X12's and taken a picture. Not the first knot in the entire log. The other 18' log (pictured below) that I sawed into 6X6's was knotty on one side which is the normal.
These were "yard trees" and not the exception, but rather the normal. Look toward the left in the below picture (2) and the above picture (5) and you will see some standing trees equally as good. There are probably over 100 like this in this neighborhood.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7045~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357283)
This is one of the (2) 18' X 32" butt, 28" top logs. My tailgunner is 6'2". The weight calculator showed these logs @~4700lbs. I did use the Magic Hook and log clamp to roll the log closer to the loader hinge as I raised the loader arms. This trick greatly reduces the load on the loader hydraulics.
Quote from: Magicman on January 03, 2025, 10:25:31 PMI wish that I could have displayed those 18' 2X12's and taken a picture.
Since they were only 2 miles away I went back a took some pictures. I also said that there were probably over 100 trees like that in his neighborhood. I counted 74 before I got to his house, so yes, easily over 100.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7058.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357294)
Heck, I have 8 in my front yard. The picture is deceiving because the furtherst one in the center is 33" DBH.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7056.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357292)
The whack of 2X12's.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7057.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357291)
A closeup. Purdy stuff and knot free.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7055.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357293)
Some of his framing lumber that I sawed last May/June. I know, I was not too pleased to see the blue tarp but the lumber underneath looked OK.
Magic, that pine is absolutely beautiful. I rarely get clear boards from the white pine I saw. I hope he doesn't cover those 2x12s with a tarp.
Thanks for the pictures.
That 18' log yielded 16, 2X12's (plus the 2X4's & 2X6's) and there was not a single knot in any of them. That had to be the all time highest quality SYP log that I have ever sawn. :thumbsup:
The 2X12's will all be used for exposed ceiling joists in the "great room". I love sawing for new homes.
Cutting some nice Pine. Not as nice as M.M. but decent. Still winter here and windy.
I haven't fired my mill up in a long time...maybe a couple of months! With the temps hovering around 0°, I have no plans to until it warms up a bit.
I hear you on the cold sawing. My next customer asked me this morning about next week and I told him that my git-up-go for next week is busted. He was happy.
I was milling more white pine into cants for a future timber frame today. Cold and windy here today also. :sconf:
Brought another batch of the sapwood flitches into the heated garage to be edged at night.
I know we have talked about this in years past, there's a good thread somewhere, but I'm curious Lyn, where do you draw your line at the working temp?
I had a nice session at the mill today and the high for the day was about 28 with about 10mph wind. It wasn't bad until my foot finally got so cold I couldn't feel it. It was the temp, it's a medical issue I have. Other than that I would have kept going. If it was sunny, I would work a lot lower. Personally I don't think any order is important enough to work on at under 20°. ffcheesy Unless it's just a pair of truck bed boards or something. and I have help.
For this old sawyer, highs in the 40s are okay and it's not unusual to start 25-30 but we warm up pretty quickly normally. Winter highs in 40s and 50s are typical.
I will saw in colder as long as the wind chill isn't too bad. Frozen logs are pretty rare here too. Might have some this week and next.
I am with Ted 100%. He described my situation perfectly. :thumbsup:
I have sawed when the morning temperature was 18°. It probably warmed up into the 30's but we were under a hill with no wind and it wasn't too bad.
This week we will have low-mid 20's morning temps and warming into the low 40's, but next week we will be 10 degrees warmer so why not wait?
I am not in a contest nor a race and I do not want to win. I just want to cross the finish line.
Well, I guess we are all on pretty much the same page then, but you fellas are a bit south of me with more moderating temps. Yes in the fall or spring when it is 20 or a bit under but forecast to hit 40 or more, I have no issues. But today, and for the previous couples of days and the coming week or so our temps are pretty flat. Today this low was 25 and the high was 28, not much of a gain there. :wink_2:
Yes, the wind has a big effect, but I am extremely blessed that our mill sits at the bottom of a 40' cliff that is on the west side. We have a prevailing west wind, so it can be blowing 15-20 mph out of the west and it is dead calm at the mill (wind wise). Bit if the wind swings, my whole day changes, like it did yesterday with a north wind.
But I am not in a race either. I do have stuff that needs milling for others to do their jobs. I just now got off the phone with bill, he needs new top boards on his 750 dump truck this week. Old wood and poor loader operators have done them in. I need dimensions of course, but somehow I will fit them in regardless of the weather because he needs them. I just need to find the right log.
I will say that regardless of need or urgency I do hit a temp where I say 'no'. But even a 15° day with bright sun and no wind can be joyful to work in. It's just short for me because of that dang foot issue I have.
for me it depends on the nature and importance of the event/job. I have done extreme cold. today I could warm up anytime I wanted. working tonight, and with low temps, ice and wind hope to not be too busy. barring catastrophic emergency.
my work environment in this blizzard will be at 70 degrees all night. all roads out of hutch are closed and north of here to Nebraska.
It would be very rare indeed when I would be sawing against a deadline. I only saw customer's logs into their cut list, so it would also be rare when the customer is not on site when I am sawing.
Cut list are very often changed on the fly, for example, I sawed 6X6's on last week's job. The customer simply had more logs and thus the potential for an excess of 2X6's so he decided to add a timber frame on his front entrance and will probably do the same on the back. I also highly suspect that I will be back sawing wall paneling.
Back in your EMS and scouting days, you went no matter the temperature with the exception maybe in scouts. :sd3: :sconf: :dry:
Back when I was working for the "Ma Bell" man, weather did not matter.
Now I ain't and now it does. I have paid my dues.
EMS and fire, yeah, no matter what, people were depending on us and there were some hairy times just 'getting there'. Believe it or not, in Scouting we were even more anal because it was 'optional'. If we planned it, we went. I recall a February camping trip and there was a heavy active snowstorm goin on the Saturday we drove up. What should have been a 2.5 hour drive turned into 5+ hours and we had chains on all the vehicles. It was -20 at night an 5° highs during the daytime. We had one of the best weekends I can ever recall camping in tents. We skied all day in clear crisp blue skies. the snow was all powder and deep enough to help insulate the tents from the winds we had.
Now to be fair, there were some scouting trips that if I had known how they would go, I might have thought twice about. I have spent some memorably miserable cold nights trying to sleep in poor situations, but nobody died, and I still have those memories. I recall one night backpacking in January. We had 'temporarily gotten confused' and were forced to camp in the middle of nowhere on the side of some mountain. I had ropes around my sleeping bag to keep me from sliding down the hill. We made dinner fast and as soon as it got dark we all got into our sleeping bags because that was the warmest place to be. But it was probably about 7:30pm. So we are all in our bags just biding our time until the sun comes up so we can 'get right'. Morale was pretty low as one might guess, terrible campsite, if it was even that, cold, and a 20mph wind. To kill time we are chatting back and forth from our bags. One of the older guys maybe 17 or so, is trying to cheer the rest of us up and he remembers that Billy has a Birthday coming up. "Hey Billy" he says "isn't you birthday coming up soon?" "yeah" saya Billy in a depressed mood, "It's Today". The older guy, all upbeat says "Hey! Happy birthday man! Sorry I didn't realize it was today or we would have got you something for the trail. So what did you get for your birthday?!" Billy, in a low voice muttered "Lost". As depressed as we all were, that just broke everyone up.
Yeah, if we planned it, we went.
-------------------
Lyn, I hear you and I have the same attitude. I used to "HAVE" to do that to feed the kids. Now I don't. I was remarking to Pat tonight during dinner that I have not been sick in bed since I retired and that is entirely because all those working years I had to go to work and for a lot of years I had no sick day. No work, no pay, and we had bills, so I went. And I paid for that with some serious viruses, flu, and such that could take me out for a week or more. Now when I feel something coming on, I just back off and it goes away, and then I resume life. I loose a couple of days, but no medical issues or doctors vests. Well maybe except a little help form a good friend across the country. :wink_2:
Being in education for the duration of my career, snow days were a thing, still are but back then we didn't have "remote days" or "e learning days."
Early in my career we missed days due to heat because the buildings weren't air conditioned.
Now I'm like the rest have mentioned, there's very few times I HAVE to saw in poor conditions.
Cutting firewood occasionally falls into the "have to category". Because of the unexpected kitchen renovations, I am behind on firewood. Friday and Saturday were "have to" firewood days. Thankfully, with 200 wooded acres, there's more than enough dead standing trees to get dry wood in a short time.
I cut 3 or 4 weeks worth of firewood Friday and split it on Saturday.
It seems there are a lot more snow days now than when I was a kid. My great-grandfather had school buses in the 50's and 60's. He had shovels so the big kids could shovel the snow drifts. ffcheesy
Now you would be fired and poss. prosecuted for child abuse and endangerment. No wonder the kids think video games are what life is all about. :snowball:
I rode the school bus in the 50's and confirm there were shovels to shovel snow. The country roads were either dirt or gravel. Several times walked to the nearest farm to get a tractor to pull the bus out of snow and mud. Our bus was a Reo parked at the HS senior's home a 1/4 mile down the road where we walked to board. Brother and I helped mornings to get it out of the snow drift often during the winter.
I wanted that job but the school stopped the policy that Junior or Senior's could drive a bus when I was a Sophomore '55.
Once caused the bus to slide into a ditch when we approached a snow-packed intersection and three of us boys decided we would move together from one side of the bus to the other when turning at that intersection. The result was like a big hand picked up that bus and put it right into the ditch. Bus driver not impressed.
well I didn't really 'want' to go to the mill today but I really just want to get the current orders done and if I can only do a little at a time, I just have to keep going down until they are done. If I go, I get a little done, if I don't go, I get nothing done.
So I went thinking it would warm up a little. The high so far today was 27° at midnight. I left for the mill it was 20, when I arrived it was 18°. :wink_2:
The mill is exactly 2 miles south of me but has it's own microclimate for some reason, the weather is never the same as at my house. we had some very light half-hearted snow drifting down, but after I got to the mill it turned steady and was accumulating on everything. I got the cold fingers again, but overcame that. But the cold from the slab worked right up into my foot again and I had to bag it earlier than I wanted. When I left I needed the wipers a bit for the snow, the road was covered and all was white. I got home, no snow on the ground or in the air. Go figger. Been home over and hour and just beginning to feel my foot again.
When it does come 'back' I'll go buck or split more firewood.
Tomorrow is supposed to be about the same, maybe cooler.
My Grandpa was telling me that he had a bus when he was in school, mostly to haul his own younger siblings in to school but also other kids from their area. He said the school district paid him, but it barely covered gas. He said he just did it, "to help out his mom" though.
There are some unsafe practices that I'm fine that they went away, but we sure lost something along the way. How many 12 year old could you hand a snow shovel to help dig out a bus these days? And that isn't on the 12 year olds, that's on us.
Sometimes I have a "HAVE TO" order where I end up out at the mill in below 0° conditions. That was more common when I still had a full time job, and nearly full time mill orders. So I'd get in a pinch where things had to be done.
Around -10°, I ran into a problem where the sawdust was freezing to the blade before it exited the cut. Thankfully it was a problem I didn't have to solve as the order was finished and I had no plans for further subzero sawing. It is really easy to pop MEGA fuses for the hydraulics at those temps, too. Even with low temp hydraulic fluid. The system is working so hard just to circulate fluid, if anything puts a load on the system, POP!
Now given my rathers, a day that goes from a low of 0 and a high of 15 or thereabouts, with no wind, can go pretty well. Pine saws beautifully in those temps. The saw marks from a 7/39 turbo on frozen red pine are microscopic. And to be perfectly honest, I am more comfortable on those days than on a 35° day that is damp. I also tend to fight equipment more when the temp goes back and forth from freeze and thaw.
We're looking at 20's later in the week. I'll exhume the WM from the crusted ice/sawdust pile that I stupidly left it in- one of those 5 minute jobs that there is another thread on. I
Now it will be an all day thing since I stupidly let it freeze in. I'll learn someday, I hope🤦
Yeah, I didn't mention but the cold does affect the work otherwise. That mill barely started today. I should have plugged in the block heater while I was doing my preflight checks. Also lots of freezing sawdust on everything especially the boards. I tried to grab a shovel full of sawdust from the pile to throw over the slick ice and almost broke the shovel. Then I found a soft dry spot in the pile. ffcheesy I will say though the the boards seem to mill a lot flatter.
Edit to add: I also learned that I can't leave my pen on the clipboard or it will freeze. I have to keep it in my pocket so I an do my tally.
I had a garage/towing business for 22 years then I was the Superintendent of Highways for the last 23 years. I retired in December. I have worked out in and driven in every weather. As I have gotten older I do not tolerate the cold as well. I do enjoy my heated gloves and vests. (Tom sounds like you need heated socks)
When possible I generally kept the crew in the shop above 90 or below 15 (for outdoor work). The extreme temps are hard on you and your equipment. Basically you need to plan and work with the weather not against it.
Those of you down south are lucky not to have the extreme cold and snow, it just makes everything a struggle. It does look pretty and kills bugs and snakes though!
As I watch the storm come across the country, it is amazing how unprepared folks are and how a little bad weather is like a major news story.
To answer the original question I am good down to 15 if the sun is shining. Now that I am working for fun, if I get cold,hot,tired ,hungry or lazy I can just quit!
I also helped put the chains on the bus. We would all crowd to the back to make it up hills. If you acted up on the bus they would use someones house phone to make a call, the bus Superintendent would drive out,throw you off the bus and let you walk home. If it was far he would take you back to the bus garage and arrange a ride or call your parents. They would put him in jail today! Not many kids acted up though!
It snowed today so I built a shelf on my new work bench. Used some nice Maple I milled a few years ago.
I grew up in the Western NY snow belt.
I remember waiting for the school bus in 6" or more of snow, I can remember being on the bus when they decided to cancel school.
Now that I have lived in TN for over 30 years, I will loudly say I don't miss snow and cold.
Now I laugh when they cancel school becuse snow is predicted (BUT the roads closer to the mountains and higher elevation get bad first)
Yesterday afternoon I took the dogs out , it was 30 degrees very high humidity and windy.
My fingers got really cold really fast. I don't like that either.
Today I looked out the window while waiting for my coffee and there is this strange white stuff on the road and ground.
I am glad I don't have a snow shovel.
QuoteI grew up in the Western NY snow belt.
I remember waiting for the school bus in 6" or more of snow, I can remember being on the bus when they decided to cancel school.
ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy
Reminds me of the morning I was walking up the drive in about that much snow and when the bus driver popped open the door I for unknown reason blurted out "no school today". He didn't hesitate a split second to close the door, turn the bus around and take the kids back home. Surprise me that it happened. Some HS girls on the bus were very upset when they found out that all the other buses delivered kids that day.
ffcool ffcool
Quote from: Dave Shepard on January 06, 2025, 06:09:44 AMIt seems there are a lot more snow days now than when I was a kid. My great-grandfather had school buses in the 50's and 60's. He had shovels so the big kids could shovel the snow drifts. ffcheesy
What is a snow day?
In 12 years of school in Franklin County Vermont, I do not remember of ever having a snow day.
GAB
Inclement weather is infrequent and of short duration in a lot of places like here. There just aren't enough resources or equipment for a handful of snow and ice days.
It would be a poor use of funds to chain up the tires on buses just to take them off the next day or two. Plus these people just don't have the opportunity to develop skills for driving in snow including the high school students who drive to school.
One step further is the schools don't have resources and enough personnel to deal with snow in parking lots and on sidewalks..
The result is it's cheaper and safer to cancel school for a day or two.
We had snow and ice on Sunday. Schools were closed yesterday and today. Schools will be open tomorrow.
It's a rough thing for a school system here to keep schools open during dangerous weather and have students or employees injured or killed. It's happened here in recent history.
they plan for a few snow days, and I think if they have not been used, they have a low threshold to activate if needed.
Quote from: GAB on January 07, 2025, 02:54:10 PMQuote from: Dave Shepard on January 06, 2025, 06:09:44 AMIt seems there are a lot more snow days now than when I was a kid. My great-grandfather had school buses in the 50's and 60's. He had shovels so the big kids could shovel the snow drifts. ffcheesy
What is a snow day?
In 12 years of school in Franklin County Vermont, I do not remember of ever having a snow day.
GAB
Well horses usually did better on Snow than wheeled vehicles. ffcheesy
My wife's son has two kids in school in eastern NC.
They have in the past, canceled school on the forecast of "chance of snow today".... NOT actual snow, just the forecast of "chance" of snow.
Jim Rogers
I think I told this story on the forum somewhere before, so if you read that one, skip this one. (And it's a long OGH post anyway, so maybe not worth you time.)
Back in the early 80's I was working as an applications engineer for a company that made and sold a Suprefinifishing machine attachment. It was supposed to save the world according to the promo material. My job, along with a young assistant, was to go to too shows and show folks how great this thing as, we would also do 'in shop' demos as well as help customers get going with the tools. But tool shows were that main thrust and I did them all over the country , LA Detroit, Boston, all over. That was my life. So we were booked to do the Charlotte show in January. When we did the paper work in July I thought "Oh that will be nice to get into some warm country in January while the NY winter is brutal. Well there was a freak snowstorm down south the week before and Virginia and all those states were reeling from the mess. 2 " of ice on the interstate when we drove through and they had been trying to clear the ice with graders, which just made a washboard that you could not exceed 40mph on.
We got to Charlotte and it was clear and dry, but cold. 20°, which they are not used to. We left NY at 3am and it was -5° and had been for a week, so 20 felt pretty nice, especially with the bright sunshine. We got into the convention center and unloaded that night after 16 hours of driving. (BTW, of ALL the shows I did all over the country, the Charlotte show was the best one ever. The folks were so nice and helpful and a joy to work with. Loved doing that show and most shows I hated.) We did a rough booth setup that first night then headed for the hotel.
The next morning I had already showered and was having my coffee and watching the news when I saw that they were telling everyone to stay home unless they were essential workers. Don't go out, they said, there is ice everywhere, the roads are terrible, schools are all closed, etc. etc. So I hollered to my partner in the shower "Hey, kick it up a notch, the roads are bad and we may have trouble getting in on time to finish setting up the booth!" So he does, and we hit the road. There is NOBODY out on the roads. The only ice we saw was skim ice on some puddles. We got breakfast in an empty restaurant. We parked the truck 3 blocks from the hall and walked in with our sport jackets open. It was a beautiful 20° day with the sun shining bright. We walked past a group of folks at a bus stop and they were wearing just about all the clothes they owned and looked really cold. They looked at us like we were from Mars. We had no problem getting to the hall and setting up. NOBODY came to the show. We had, at most, 1,500 people come through over the 3 show days. It should have been 3,000 people per day minimum. It was dead. Vendors were playing poker in their booths to kill time.
It cost my boss a small fortune, but we had a nice southern vacation. Now that I think about it, it was also in the middle of that show that I quit, pending finishing up and returning home. I was done with that job. Had nothing to do with the weather, I had just gotten fed up with the abuse. They apologized, gave me a raise and I wound up staying on, but when the sheriff came and put padlocks on the doors a few moths later I was pretty much done with them. ffcheesy ffcheesy
A friend of mine was working on a hydroelectric plant and had to go somewhere in the Midwest. He flew out of New York and when he landed it was 0⁰ at the airport. Someone asked how he liked the weather. He said "pretty nice out, it was -50⁰ back home" I think he was working in Saint Regis Falls at the time.
My grandfather told me about selling Morbark pulpwood debarkers in Canada. Similar situation. Very cold the night before, -40 or something similar. It had warmed up to 0⁰ over night, and they walked from the motel to a diner for breakfast in just a flannel shirts like it was summer.
Yeah, it's all relative to what you are used to. I had to go to Orlando in February to review and accept a machine. I had an afternoon flight and I followed a plow up the NYS Thruway because I could make out the lights on the back of it. I got to the airport and it was -5 and blowing snow like mad, they were de-icing planes over and over. I got the last flight before they finally shut the airport. I landed in Orlando and got checked in at my hotel and went for dinner around 8. They asked where I'd like to sit and I said "well it's SUCH a nice night, could I sit out on the patio?" The hostess looked at me like I was nuts, and remarked it's pretty cold out there, but I told her where I came from and she smiled and said "yeah, I get it, I'm form Minnesota" so she seated me out there. I was the only one. It was 60° and it felt like 75 to me. I ate there for the next 3 nights. Great steaks, BTW.
I am looking at my sawing schedule and watching the weather. I am not calling anyone because no one would want to work in this mess, especially me.
I did pass another job off to another sawyer today. That plus I called another guy back and simply told him no. Some jobs I ain't doing and just let them die where they lay. Another wanted beetle killed Pine sawed and again, I said no. Trees that died in 2023 are not fit to be sawed now.
I do believe that some people think logs are like rocks. rayrock
They last forever.
The Pine trees are beginning to fall because termites have traveled between the tree and the bark doing their job. To saw them you are having to jump butt them 6'-8' and even then the butt log might not be much. It's simpler to just refuse to saw logs from trees that died in 2023.
So here's a question, what do y'all make of this:
Last night I got an email from a guy That says this:
---------------
Hello Sir/ Madam
I want to order Lumber or Timber . What type of Lumber or timber do you have? Let me know so that i will send you the sizes I want.
DO YOU ACCEPT CREDIT CARD?
Thank you,
[name redacted]
-----------------------------
So I send him a response with very general info and ask how he found me and where is he located? His response:
--------------------
Thank you for getting back to me! I'm interested in white pine , White pine Size 4x4 4x6 LENGTH 10 if you don't have this size you can tell me the one that you have ? I Would like to know the price for each size so I can give you the Quantities that I want to order. Thank you
-------------------------
So I respond with a general price that will be adjusted based on quantity and AGAIN ask where he is and tell him if he gives me quantities, I can give him a more precise quote. I also mention basic details about it being green and he is responsible for transportation. I then get this response:
------------
Ok im looking to order 1500 BDFT each size i mention if you can cut it to odder and also am located in SD. 4x4 - 1500 BDFT 4x6 - 1500 BDFT Thank you
-----------------------------
So SD? South Dakota? His request works out to abut113 4x4's and 75 4x6's but that seems like a lot of trucking costs for that amount and he should be able to find it much closer and faster.
I am strongly wondering if tis is some kind of scam, I get a ton of these coming in through the website, but thsi one appears to have a real human involved
What do you guys think?
ask for a phone number so you can call him.
Why are you now wondering whether this is some kind of scam?? :shocked2: smiley_headscratch ffcheesy
Good answer Doc, I'd ask for the phone and also what he plans to do with the lumber, just to feel him out a little.
Because I would rather figure it out now rather than after I start work and it's too late. If it's a real job, then I think there has to be somebody closer than me.
Doc, That's a good idea.
It sounds like he really does not know much about lumber and timber and says it twice, and exactly the same number of 4 x 4s and 4 x 6s, and once you know the size, I would be ordering the number of each not the boards feet. He cont. to not say what it is for.
The grammar wording has already given you the answer. ffwave
Scam, no question.
I had a similar exchange a while ago about crossties.
I asked for a purchase order and a check for 1/3 the order up front.
The response... crickets.
Well, you know they don't have a lot of trees in South Dakota from what I hear so your prices sound like a pretty good deal for him. ffcheesy
I would tell him "Thanks for your order. I require a 50% (Maybe 100%?) deposit up front before starting. Upon receipt of the deposit I will start on your order. Pick-up of the completed order will be required within 15 days or you will forfeit your deposit and the lumber will be sold for costs."
Good luck but don't hold your breath.
Figured it to be a scam after viewing the initial request. But you took a chance and made a good response. 2nd email also indicates a scam.
I get messages like that and don't have a sawmill or a website. Figure it has to do with something I've ordered in the past from a business that caused my email to be skimmed and worthy of someone to try to scam me. I don't respond.
It's either a scam (99.99%), or someone so clueless it'll turn into a job from...
I once told someone that I required a 200% deposit. They would get half of it back, minus any changes or aggravation caused by them.
That's a good response for nuisance calls!
What potential buyer has ever ordered 4X4's and 4X6's by the bf instead of by the piece?
I have already spent much more time responding on this topic than I would have ever given him from the first inquire. Barks like a Quack Quack. ffcheesy
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on January 11, 2025, 10:03:32 AMWell, you know they don't have a lot of trees in South Dakota from what I hear so your prices sound like a pretty good deal for him. ffcheesy
I would tell him "Thanks for your order. I require a 50% (Maybe 100%?) deposit up front before starting. Upon receipt of the deposit I will start on your order. Pick-up of the completed order will be required within 15 days or you will forfeit your deposit and the lumber will be sold for costs."
Good luck but don't hold your breath.
@customsawyer:
Could you please repeat what you said at the pig roast concerning deposit and was it down payment. I think it applies in this case.
GAB
When I had my sawmill in MA, I got a call from a builder who said he was in Chicago. They were building a bar in Boston and wanted some 1x4 barn board for inside paneling/siding.
And gave me some bdft number.
I normally don't sell any 1x4s, so I said sure. Cost would be X dollars up front. He FedEx me a check overnight.
The next day they shoulded up with a van and picked up all the barn board 1x4's I had selected out of my inventory. And off they went.
Sometime later that afternoon, he called me and told me that they were returning all the ones that they couldn't use.
When the driver showed up, he had all the dark gray sun faded boards in the van. I said: "oh, you want it to look like a new barn?" Yes, he said.
I talked with the project manager who was building a Toby Keith bar in Foxborough, MA at the stadium. And he said he had a table saw there, so I loaded up all the wider fresh sawn "new looking" barn board wood and I delivered it to him in Foxborough. And he ripped it to the widths he needed.
When he said he needed it delivered to Boston, I said no. But I had been to the stadium before and I knew where it was and how to get there, with my trailer.
My point is that sometimes these things can be a sale.
Jim Rogers
Lynn,
Sorry to burst your bubble but I had a customer last year who ordered 1,000 bf of 8' long poplar 4X4s. When he picked them up he ordered another 1,000 bf of 4/4 8' poplar lumber.
Of course he was not a stranger. He was the guy I did the sawing on shares for. It all worked out very well for me, the buyer and the log owner.
Howard, my bubble is not burst and I have no skin in the game.
I was simply giving my thoughts and opinion after I read those emails that Tom got. It may work out and the inquiry was legit and I hope that it does, but the grammar and wording was suspicious at best.
This could be a large supplier/shipper and is needing blocking for securing loads, etc.
Actually I think what my customer was looking at was his budget and I told him I sold fresh cut rough poplar right off the mill for $1/bf and he said he wanted $1,000 worth of 4X4s then later wanted another $1,000 worth of 4/4 lumber - all 8' long.
I got the same E-mail, I deleted it. ffwave
Same wording Pete? Or a little bit different?
Cut more large pine logs into cants for a future timber frame addition.
Brought flitches into the heated garage to be edged at night after work.(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/52943/20250112_135858.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357413)
Those are some nice size cants. :thumbsup:
My next scheduled sawing is 1-27 through 2-7, and then 2-8 through 2-10. This is sawing for customers that have "oil patch" jobs so the sawing has to be scheduled when they are off/home. I have another oil patch guy but we have not scheduled his yet. I have a whole house framing lumber job scheduled in March for a couple who are moving here from Ohio. That one is 40-50 logs. There are presently 10 jobs in the book.
Quote from: Old Greenhorn on January 12, 2025, 12:21:55 PMSame wording Pete? Or a little bit different?
Word for word.
Yeah, some of those pine logs are stretching the limits of my standard width LT15. Had to notch one to clear the blade guide on one side for the first cut.
We have some even bigger ones yet to mill, they'll require some chainsaw work on one side. That's a handy way to slow production... smiley_thumbsdown
Been awhile since I last posted. Been having problems with my hormones. But I have been sawing boards for the sawmill shed.
Made a pallet too.
Also added 5 full size 20 foot 2x12s to my stack of top sills, but no photo. Howard will say it didn't happen.
All this sawing had the sawmill burp only once. One burp.
Sawing cedar baseboard and door trim for my church, Willis Cowboy Fellowship's new church building.
7/8x3 inch trim boards.
Log on the mill now has this burl on it. I was gonna cut it off and save it. But should I cut it in half and save it, or cut the whole thing off? It is about 8 inches high.
Tim,
Glad to see you back. Happy New Year and what's with the negative waves? When have I ever challenged the veracity of anything you claimed? (Okay, except for those times ffcheesy ffcheesy)
I'd keep the burl as one piece cut off on a thick slab. Kind of looks like a turtle, so I'd call it a turtle burl. ffsmiley
Turtle Burl, I like it.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on January 13, 2025, 07:44:33 PMTim,
Glad to see you back. Happy New Year and what's with the negative waves? When have I ever challenged the veracity of anything you claimed? (Okay, except for those times ffcheesy ffcheesy)
Those times is what I am referring too. sling_shot
I got about 2 and a half's months of reading to catch up on. Catching up on John's Timber Frame Build right now. So Howard, leave Doc and OGH alone until I get caught up. smiley_smug01
Good to see you, Tim!
Nice to be seen.
Hey Tim, good to see you come up for air, a refreshing breath of Forestry Forum air that is. :thumbsup:
Welcome back Tim.
Was gonna saw more cedar trim boards today. Got up earlier to do just that. Then the phone rang from my log supplier. Got 10 nice SYP logs to make more sawdust.
6 here and 4 more didn't get a photo. Oops. Glad to get them as I was down to 2 pine logs. So I had a day off from sawing
Those SYP logs are what sawing SYP is all about. ffcool
Happiness is a full load of straight logs. I have worked with my log guy long enough for him (and his loader operators) to know to not try to load knotty or pretzel logs.
Remember the Cedar 3 inch thick cookies I cut last year? They were up to 36 inches around and was the butt of the log.
This is the next 13 feet. It sure will make some nice long baseboards for the church. I cut up to dark this evening, because the mill was in regen. So I cut until regen finished. Tomorrow I will get cut photos.
I finished the Church cedar trim today. I hope. 1808 linear feet. We will find out tomorrow if we cut enough, as the guys are installing it then. I will check in on them later afternoon for the good news or bad news.
I doubt I will ever get to saw a cedar log that large ever, wowzers that was nice.
I have a lot but but not much over 12 inches or so.
I have had a few, but most with heart rot.
Yeah, forget it around here. I read in a local history book that there was an area in town that they set up a circle mill years ago had a concentration of cedar. Of course they logged it clean so there are no more... smiley_thumbsdown
Working the LT15 with some more oversized EWP this weekend. Had to do some chainsaw notching on this 35" one. We have a half dozen more big boys then normal size ones.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/52943/20250118_121928.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357466)
That is the last of my large cedar logs for awhile. I have a 16 foot one that is about 16 inches at the butt and I can shove a 3 foot long screw driver up the rot hole. Here is one I cut up for the trim. Just too much rot for wide boards. So I was able to cut down into the rot from 4 sides.
Here is the monster cedar right after I got it home. Butt was 36 inches and the first 40 inches went into 2 and 3 inch thick Cedar cookies. The pallet it is on is 12 feet long.
It and a trailer log of cedar was free. Just cost me going and getting them and 2 six foot mantels.
Quote from: jpassardi on January 19, 2025, 04:08:24 PMWorking the LT15 with some more oversized EWP this weekend. Had to do some chainsaw notching on this 35" one. We have a half dozen more big boys then normal size ones.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/52943/20250118_121928.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357466)
I can't imagine taking on those monsters without hydraulics!
Any body up for a :snowball: fight. We suppose to get 4 inches of the white stuff in 2 days.
Last time it snowed here was in 2021 and I was just fixin to saw in the snow when the power went out for 6 days. Right then and there I decided to get a whole house generator and a 1000 gallon propane tank.
This time I just plan on building a life size snow man. Never built one. He will come to life with my straw cowboy hat!
Quote from: Magicman on January 14, 2025, 08:29:31 AMHey Tim, good to see you come up for air, a refreshing breath of Forestry Forum air that is. :thumbsup:
Come up for air? Friday I finished the cedar trim job in drizzling rain. Saturday, the wind was ripping hard and I was feeling under the weather. I was gonna sleep in this morning, but my daughter used her key and came in to cook me breakfast and usher us off to church. I had to eat the eggs and toast on the way to church! So I hope to sleep in tomorrow morning!!!
Quote from: TimW on January 20, 2025, 12:07:51 AMQuote from: jpassardi on January 19, 2025, 04:08:24 PMWorking the LT15 with some more oversized EWP this weekend. Had to do some chainsaw notching on this 35" one. We have a half dozen more big boys then normal size ones.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/52943/20250118_121928.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357466)
I can't imagine taking on those monsters without hydraulics!
Tim, Although I don't have hydraulics I do have "Electraulics" :wink_2: . I don't think I could do it without my winch driven claw turner. I also made power up/down & feed for it.
For those of us saps without hydraulics & drag back: This is the most efficient setup I have found. Slabs to the left on cribbing to be removed with forks. HD horses for boards and flitches to be removed with forks.
CAT BH w/ 6' forks will reach over slabs and still remove a large cant. Large logs are loaded from end of mill with loader, small with BH/thumb. Sawdust removed w/ pails/bin.
I'm open to suggestions to improve material flow/handling.
Quote from: TimW on January 20, 2025, 12:11:13 AMThis time I just plan on building a life size snow man. Never built one. He will come to life with my straw cowboy hat!
Build your snowman on a good solid stump. A stump make a good solid snowman start/base and if some wise individual decides to take it down with their car you can have the last laugh. just make sure the stump is well covered with snow.
GAB
I don't have stumps down here. I got a CAT!
Not sawing anything we are enjoying a old time January in the N.E.
Five or six days with lows below zero. Highs in the teens. Going to start warming up today and the sun is slightly higher everyday.
How are the southern gentlemen dealing with your recent snow fall?
Rich
Three jobs have popped in within the past 24 hours. One from a previous customer and two from new customers. That makes 12 customers waiting (again). That plus my plan is to sloooow down.
I am refusing to saw any beetle killed SYP from 2023.
What I am gonna saw....24 foot SYP 24 inches at the butt. Gonna mill it into nice truss 2x6s.
This is my present job that I began this morning:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7117.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357580)
27 Red Oak logs the smallest @ ~10" top end and the largest @ ~24" top end. All 1" lumber. We got 13 of them sawn by quitting time @4:00 this afternoon. The largest are yet to be sawn so we will not finish tomorrow.
He is building a huge "barndominium".
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7118.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357581)
The floor joist which are about 4' above the ground can be seen to the right of the wrecked/covered truck.
So the Red Oak boards will be siding?
Interesting design if I understand it correctly. Are you saying the floor will be roughly 4' above ground? I don't understand the concept.
It does look like some pretty logs. How wide are the boards he is having you cut? Wide goes up fast but they cup too bad.
The 1X12's & 1X4's will be B&B siding. The 1X6's, 8's & 10's will be used inside for whatever.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on January 27, 2025, 09:46:39 PMAre you saying the floor will be roughly 4' above ground? I don't understand the concept.
Yes, but I do not understand what is not to understand? The left uphill side is probably 2' above the ground.
Thanks. From the picture I thought I was seeing the low side and figured if it was 4' I was wondering if they could walk under the high side. ffcheesy
Lynn,
Is he going to get the RO siding nailed up before it dries so he doesn't have to pre-drill?
He should not have any problem with splitting by shooting nails through it with a nail gun. If he does, then he will have to cross that bridge then. These trees died during the drought in '23. The sapwood has all rotted so his boards are almost 100% heartwood. All of the lumber is being stickered and hopefully I can get a picture tomorrow when I finish sawing.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7123.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357590)
Here are eye popper bookmatched pieces that he will use for a table, sawed 1 1/2".
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7124~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357591)
Here is a 2" spalted piece that will be either a table or a bench.
I will finish tomorrow after sawing the customary ERC logs. Yup, everyone just happens to have a few out behind the barn.
Quote from: jpassardi on January 28, 2025, 07:57:30 AMIs he going to get the RO siding nailed up before it dries so he doesn't have to pre-drill?
He is going to drill and screw.
I finished sawing this morning, 2 1/2 days yielding
2764bf. It should have easily been at least 500 more bf, but the sapwood on some of the Oak logs was spalted/rotten and had to be discarded. I slabbed down to the solid heartwood. Lotsa loss.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7130~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357595)
This is part of the lumber plus there was another whack and plus today's sawing was still on the trailer.
I brought the sawmill home, parked it in it's spot until Monday's sawing, and went home for lunch. A doctor customer called and said that he had just dropped 3 logs off at the sawmill. ?? Now how did he drop 3 logs off, so I had to take a look-see? smiley_headscratch
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7131.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357596)
Yes he exactly did what he said and I will give him points for being able to count....none for the definition of a "log". The bottom two stems are Walnut, but so far I have no idea about the top one. It kinda has Elm'y or even Pecan looking bark but it was light in weight. I'll find out Monday when I bust it open if I can figure out a way to clamp it. I see a sacrificial 2X6 in my future.
I have twenty 2X12 X 16' to saw Monday and then nothing planned until Saturday the 8th and finishing Monday the 10th if needed. That job is eleven very nice 10' SYP logs to be sawed into mostly 2X4's for a new home.
Did the doctor ask you to mill tongue depressors out of those nub logs? ffcheesy
Actually, he wants ~4X4's. He will use his Powermatic bandsaw to break them down further as he decides on projects.
I have sawed for him many times (6-8) and apparently he thinks Magicman means miracles. He has a variety of 8-10 logs for me to saw at his normal site, but I reckon he needs these now. I shoulda asked if he had an appointment?? ffcheesy
Those logs are like the occasional random animals that get dropped off at the office from time to time. ffsmiley
I have small sawing jobs this week so I will be moving the mill each day. Hot (80° for 3 days) but the good thing is no rain in the forecast.
Fairly large job next week, probably 4 days on it.
Welp, today started my fast/slow week:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7154.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357631)
This customer wanted 420 1/4" X 1 1/2" SYP strips, which is what he got. ffsmiley
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7131.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357596)
Then on to these 3 "logs" for my doctor customer.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7156.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357632)
I used a landscape timber for a side support.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7157~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357630)
And made two 4X4's from the Walnut.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7158~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357635)
And then on to the "mystery wood".
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7159~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357633)
And made a 4X6.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7160~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357634)
Nope, no longer a mystery....it is Catalpa. :thumbsup:
Today is done and tomorrow will be Cypress & SYP.
Lynn,
I hope you had a couple of good strong helpers to off-bear those heavy strips, 4X4's and mystery wood. We all know how heavy that catalpa can be. ffcheesy
Quote from: Magicman on February 03, 2025, 02:03:20 PMWelp, today started my fast/slow week:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7154.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357631)
This customer wanted 420 1/4" X 1 1/2" SYP strips, which is what he got. ffsmiley
Those should make good and stiff tongue depressors.
If you charged by the bdft you made out well.
I'm curious how many boards you had on the mill at a time when doing your last cut.
GAB
Five 2X12 X 16' at the time each making 28 plus the 1" dog board. 28 X 15 = 420.
Took 1 1/2 hr. @ $125 = $188. I was satisfied plus it gave me plenty of time to take care of the doctor's "logs" and get that delivered. As I said; "fast/slow week".
Oh My, I just went and looked at a "whole house" framing lumber job that is still standing. :shocked2:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7169.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357641)
Two of these babies that are probably 50' to the lowest limb.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7168.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357640)
And 40" DBH. They carry so well that I doubt that the log's top end will be over an inch smaller than the butt. He will fall three more trees that will easily be 32"-36" DBH.
He has his faller lined up that has a 100HP skid steer and his sawing site picked out. It's level but it will be several months before it dries out enough. I told him July-August.
My tomorrow guy called and he has his help lined up and ready.
Looks like someone has a contract to screen in lots of porches.
I forgot to take photos. I had a 14 foot Pine log that was 24 inches at each end. I cut an inch off of each end to see a brownish heart. The jacket boards made normal looking SYP 2x12s. But the cant threw brownish sawdust and the boards were a brownish tint. There was rot in the heart that I have only seen in ERC. The log was straight with no extenal knots, but had a huge knot grown over.
Two boards with rot in one end about a foot from the end that I could poke a stick thru. No rot around the rotten random rotted "circles". At first I thought they were just strange looking knots. Some of the heart had length wise rot. Externally, the log looked like a prize winner that was just cut down.
What caused the brownish tint and the rot?
Hard to say, just a diseased tree that probably started in the ground which took out the tap root so nothing was holding it up but the feeder roots.
The heart of all trees is essentially dead and it only serves as strength for the tree. The sapwood/cambium are providing the "lifeblood" link between the leaves and roots.
Lynn,
What size boards are you cutting the Cypress into?
Well that is an easy question to answer. ffsmiley
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7178~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357662)
Today's job was two 20' and one 18' SYP and three 12' Cypress logs.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7180.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357663)
The Pine was sawn into full size 2X4's and 1X4's.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7179~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357664)
The butt swells on the Cypress butt logs measured 37". I prefer that the butts are toward the front, but they weren't.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7181.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357665)
Surprisingly 100% of the Cypress was sawn into 1X4's. I just do what the customer asks.
This entire job was a Goodwill job for a legally blind friend and even though I sorta disagreed with his cut list, I did not question him nor offer any alternative suggestions. I have known him for 40+ years and he is a good craftsman and always turns out good work. I have sawed for him probably 5-6 times.
He did not expect a "paid in full" invoice but he could not deny me the opportunity to receive the joy and blessing of giving.
I am now off until Thursday still fulfilling my fast/slow week.
Paid in Full. Awesome Lynn. You're 10 foot 10 inches, now, in my book!
I have been working at some understory and not good tree clearing on a small part of my land.
There was a decent size pine but leaning a lot. I got 2 12' logs out of it.
Yesterday I decided to cut it into what ever I could get 1 5/8 thick, I can cut it into what I need later.
I will say it cut so much easier than the red oak I typically mill. I also had to scrub the resin off my arms.
Sorry no pictures and I ended the day by hitting a backstop............
Leaners generally have off-center piths and will usually show stress related movement.
I brushed a side support last week. I was edging wide flitches and watching the wrong side. I did not take a picture of that either. ffcheesy
"Brushed a side support" - I'm not sure what you mean by that... smiley_headscratch ffcheesy
When you hear it you know it, and no explanation is necessary. ffcheesy
prob. skimmed the top with a blade (taking out set and poss. teeth) as opposed to hitting it dead on metal to metal and destroying a blade.
Red Oak (future 1/4 sawn lumber).
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/47685/IMG_20250206_115929016.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357680)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/47685/IMG_20250206_153623808.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357682)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/47685/IMG_20250206_153608849.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357681)
I got a message about a big red oak that was taken down in the city, and I could have whatever logs I wanted free. ffcool
Well... "free" was actually lots of chain sawing and sledge + wedge to cut the really heavy logs into pieces I could move. ffcheesy
Thank you to Forum member Otis1 for providing the tree! :thumbsup:
Back to my "fast/slow" week; this morning I sawed for a repeat customer who is building a new home which is enclosing an old log home which will become the living/great room.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7203.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357675)
Ten smallish Cherry and Elm logs.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7204~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357676)
Elm on the left and Cherry on the Right. We had completed the sawing by 10:30. I did not scale but no way was there 1Mbf so I invoiced the minimum rate of $450. He handed me a check for $600. ffsmiley
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7205~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357674)
Here is an Ash paneled bedroom wall.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7206~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357678)
This is a Cherry paneled bedroom wall.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7208.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357677)
ERC closet ceiling.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7207.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357679)
Existing log house that will become the great room. The logs will get new chinking. The ceiling paneling is reclaimed 2X12's.
I am off tomorrow and will start a framing lumber job Saturday to continue my fast/slow week.
Magic, you have some really nice and generous customers.
I have sawed for this customer many times sawing all of the inside lumber being used in the new home. Also "ovals" that come from some log's humps as decorative pieces for his wife & daughters. Got two ovals yesterday from an Elm log. Simply keeping an eye out for special stuff that would normally go to the burn pile. Customers appreciate stuff like that, especially the wives. :wink_2:
Here is Resonator's logs before he cut them into manageable lengths and quartered them. The big end of the butt log was 30". Despite it being a yard tree, we didn't see any signs of metal. Fingers crossed it stays that way.
I had most of the firewood pile behind them cleaned up before he got here. I felt like it was a win-win; he got the logs, I helped him load some of the quarters, I got my yard cleaned up. Thanks Jeremy.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/45323/IMG_3802_28129.jpg)
Back on my fast/slow week:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7226~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357720)
I started the morning with 14 logs...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7227.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357723)
The three largest log butts were 36" and the smallest were 20" top end.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7228~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357721)
So far one has had 3 nails, so kiss one blade goodbye.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7229.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357722)
And the neighbor skidded up two more logs making the total now 16 logs.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7230~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357724)
We quit work @ 4:00 leaving 4 logs for Monday.
We are sawing mostly 2X4's & 2X6's with 4 logs being 1X12's, etc. No tally yet because some lumber is stickered and there are still two trailers to be unloaded, plus a whack on the ground at the sawmill because the trailers were full.
Depending upon the weather, I should finish Monday before the rain moves in Tuesday.
Looks like green mold on top of your snow!
Sorry, that just looks so weird to me today all the green and guys in t-shirts. I was in a frozen marsh today cutting standing dead and the only reason we could do that is because the ground is frozen up really hard.
It just struck me as weird.
Happy sawing and good on ya!
Quote from: Magicman on February 06, 2025, 06:58:37 PMBack to my "fast/slow" week; this morning I sawed for a repeat customer who is building a new home which is enclosing an old log home which will become the living/great room.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7203.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357675)
Ten smallish Cherry and Elm logs.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7204~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357676)
Elm on the left and Cherry on the Right. We had completed the sawing by 10:30. I did not scale but no way was there 1Mbf so I invoiced the minimum rate of $450. He handed me a check for $600. ffsmiley
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7205~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357674)
Here is an Ash paneled bedroom wall.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7206~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357678)
This is a Cherry paneled bedroom wall.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7208.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357677)
ERC closet ceiling.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7207.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357679)
Existing log house that will become the great room. The logs will get new chinking. The ceiling paneling is reclaimed 2X12's.
I am off tomorrow and will start a framing lumber job Saturday to continue my fast/slow week.
Looks like a beautiful home. You definitely work for some great projects.
The building codes are so strict in NYS you do not see many sawmill/home projects. Mostly out buildings.
I finished and moved another job from the schedule book to the invoice book.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7239~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357756)
I far outpaced my tailgunners because this is all that got stickered so far and there are three trailer loads waiting. At least I am content knowing that the lumber is being properly stickered.
We sawed for a total of 11 hours and yielded 4480bf not counting the stickers which are done for free. This production rate is an example of what you can do when the 12' logs are ranging 300-400 bf per log. :thumbsup:
I parked the sawmill at the next job that will not begin until Friday. Tailgunners are hard to find. I am off and will watch it rain for the next few days. ffsmiley
Nice load of free pine was delivered to me today. Not all in the photo. The largest is 30 inch ten footers. Warms up a little and I will get sawing.
Nothing wrong with those EWP logs especially delivered for free. :thumbsup:
Nice score. Sadly I had an offer yesterday of about 30 free fresh felled SYP logs. I say sadly because I am not in the log business and had to refuse them. Just not enough of me to do any more than what I am already doing. At least I have whittled my sawing schedule down to 8 jobs. ffsmiley
Quote from: Magicman on February 12, 2025, 07:53:51 PMJust not enough of me to do any more than what I am already doing. ffsmiley
Of all the stuff I have been doing lately, running the lt40 seems to be one of the easiest thing I do, including the material handling.
Yes, since I have virtually eliminated any material handling, although I do occasionally get involved with flipping flitches. Customers/tailgunners rarely see what I am looking at or what I am seeking to recover. They will often say; "Oh, now I see what you were doing and why".
I tailed one end of slabs for years and my stretched knuckles constantly remind me of it. I can no longer make a fist with my right hand.
A guy called yesterday to try to buy my sawmill. "No" was as far as the conversation reached. Not yet and probably never.
I set two all time records for me today; First, I hit nails with 5 blades, and Second, the first time that I have ever emptied my Magic Blade Can which was not full but there was 7 in it. I was sawing for a many times customer that gets his logs from wherever, these being tree removal service trees, so no surprise and expect what you get.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7263.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357804)
22 logs which included ERC, SYP, Red Oak, Tulip Poplar, and Cherry.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7267.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357801)
An "empty" Cherry log. The top log yielded some nice lumber but this butt log only yielded not too much lumber and a nail.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7264~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357802)
This butt ERC log made five 2" and one 3" live edge slabs. There were four 4X4's from pecker poles that we stacked the lumber on.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7265.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357800)
The Red Oak turned out some amazing QS plus 4 rift sawn 5X5's for table legs.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7268.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357799)
And the 1X12 SYP wasn't bad.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7266.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357803)
I sawed the job "hourly rate" so no bf tally.
Depending upon the weather my next job begins Monday. It is 30-40 logs.
The rain came yesterday before we finished edging the last four 15' flitches and the customer had all of the lumber that he needed so he gave them to me. I went back this morning and bucked and edged them into 1X12's plus a few stickers.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7271.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357816)
I loaded them up, strapped them down and home I came.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7272.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357817)
Since it is well known that I have no shed, I stickered them beside my truck parking space in the carport.
I fueled the sawmill and since we have some low 20°'s coming next week I also winterized the lube system. I already have a good mix in the system which would not freeze but I went ahead and purged with 0° WW fluid. Better safe than sorry.
This sawing customer has had about 40 logs; White Oak, Water Oak, Tulip Poplar, Cherry, Cypress, Sweetgum & ERC that I can think of.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7278~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357838)
It was all separated by species so really spread out and hard to picture.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7280.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357837)
Most of what is seen here got sawed with the exception of the Tulip Poplar in the furthest whack.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7282~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357839)
The customer and his Grandson were excellent help.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7281.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357836)
We quit early so they could haul this to the shed and sticker. It is about 1400bf that we sawed in 5 hours.
We both have appointments tomorrow and whether we saw Wednesday is dependent on the weather/rain. We can easily finish this job in three days....maybe two if he finds good help.
My customer and I just made an 'executive' decision and decided not to saw until next week when the temperatures will be in the 60's and 70's. That will be much better than the remainder of this week when we will be in the low 20's.
Quote from: Magicman on February 18, 2025, 08:14:51 PMMy customer and I just made an 'executive' decision and decided not to saw until next week when the temperatures will be in the 60's and 70's. That will be much better than the remainder of this week when we will be in the low 20's.
Lynn:
I wish you a happy hibernation day(s).
Keep the fire stoked and put your feet up a bit.
GAB
We made a good decision because I have watched the temperature drop from 37° to 33° during the past hour with a ~15mph wind.
Nothing happening here but: fire_smiley
Dear Northern friends,
Your weather is down here in my yard and I need you to come get it. :sunny:
We don't have room for it, we've got too much weather as it is. ffcheesy
Quote from: TimW on February 19, 2025, 01:08:01 PMDear Northern friends,
Your weather is down here in my yard and I need you to come get it. :sunny:
Now, Now, Now there are some things we are very willing to share and that and snow are two of them. Hope you enjoy our generosity.
GAB
Not to worry Tim - we have more than enough to share these days... :snowball:
Yeah, you hang onto it Tim, we have plenty. Don't worry, it will grow on you.
I think it is more that Y'all are mismanaging Y'alls possessions. :snowball:
But then again, we are more than willing to share our heat and humidity. :sunny:
I was in South Dakota in July 2023. They were having a heat wave in the 80s. I was walking into a hotel in Rapid City and a lady asked me about the heat. I said what heat? :huh? I'm from Texas. ffcool
That summer we had 54 over 100 degree days here. smiley_thumbsdown
It's been 27 degrees all day here. I think my thermometer is broken.
I'll find out next week as the temps suppose to go back into the 70s with :sunny:
Today sure is a great day to do Taxes. rayrock
I know that this Glaciated Crap is causing me to loose 3 good sawing days. :snowball:
Quote from: Old Greenhorn on February 19, 2025, 05:55:16 PMYeah, you hang onto it Tim, we have plenty. Don't worry, it will grow on you.
Heck no Tom. It is so bad, it is headed south and even Trump can't stop it. It's headed for Mexico.
Lynn,
Tell you neighbors way to the East to bring in their peaches. smiley_sombrero
Hopefully this thing is early enough that fruit crops will not be affected. Time will tell.
Agreed. Hopefully it is too early. Last freeze, some news folks, down here, made a fuss about the spring crawfish harvest would be affected by the freeze. La. farmers said nope....them mudbugs are burrowed down in the mud and won't feel it.
Quote from: TimW on February 19, 2025, 06:48:35 PMI think it is more that Y'all are mismanaging Y'alls possessions. :snowball:
But then again, we are more than willing to share our heat and humidity. :sunny:
I was in South Dakota in July 2023. They were having a heat wave in the 80s. I was walking into a hotel in Rapid City and a lady asked me about the heat. I said what heat? :huh? I'm from Texas. ffcool
That summer we had 54 over 100 degree days here. smiley_thumbsdown
I've been in South Dakota at the rest area next to the Missouri River and it was 114 degrees. The Plain States are a land of extremes also dipping far into the negatives during winter. Here in Michigan, I live 4 miles from Lake Michigan which moderates our temperature.
Quote from: Magicman on February 19, 2025, 06:57:05 PMI know that this Glaciated Crap is causing me to loose 3 good sawing days. :snowball:
I haven't fired my mill up in 2 months because of it.
How much snow is covering your mill Howard? Our LT50 in under cover and ready to run anytime, but my manual Hudson is under 10" of ice and frozen snow and would take a half day to dig out and fire up.
Either way, this cold weather is rough on equipment.
Tom,
The only snow on my mill rights now is what came yesterday and today. All the earlier snow had melted. It is out on the lot with a nylon WM cover over the head unit.
A neighbor followed me home after I cut the tree off the road 2 days ago. He had a buddy with him and they talked about me sawing some small walnut logs for him. I told him bring them up and I'd saw them in the lot where the mill is parked. It sounded like a couple hour job and not worth moving the mill to them. The neighbor said he'd bring them in his truck/trailer. We will see if this happens or not.
I have one or two several day jobs waiting but we have to wait for the snow to melt and mud to dry out and the first is a weekend job. The other is 75 miles away.
I've thought about building a shed to keep the mill in but I don't have space I am willing to sacrifice for such a permanent loss of real estate and it would be in the way most of the time for my log and lumber handling. Most of my sawing is off site and what little I do here is split between the front lot and pasture area.
Quote from: TimW on February 03, 2025, 10:41:08 PMLooks like someone has a contract to screen in lots of porches.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7154.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357631)
Nope, and not tongue depressors either.
But I did get a picture of those 1/4" X 1 1/2" slats this morning.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7299.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357870)
I sawed them for a fencing company that used them to close the gap between 1X6 fence boards. Made it sorta look like board & batten. Well actually I reckon that it is B&B, just a fence and not on a building.
Quote from: Hackeldam Wood Products on February 09, 2025, 01:37:26 PMYou definitely work for some great projects.
The building codes are so strict in NYS you do not see many sawmill/home projects.
Yes, and my opinion is that most of those 'building codes' are instigated and enforced by folks that have jobs instigating and enforcing building codes.
I quit counting @ 25 but I know without question that I have sawed the framing lumber for well over 100 homes. Not graded nor stamped, and guess what?? Not the first one of those homes have fallen down. I sawed a whole house framing lumber job this month and will saw another beginning March 17th.
- E (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=post;topic=125468.0;id_draft=5034)
Yes even the northern plains can get sweltering hot. And still enjoy -40° in the winter.
Magic, the only possible problem I can see with rough sawn lumber is people not letting it dry completely before enclosing the walls. You almost can't saw as poor of quality of boards as what ends up in stud grade lumber piles at the big home centers.
Yeah, the graded lumber requirement is unfortunate. As a Licensed Engineer I can say that it's driven primarily by liability. There are unfortunately some who could get in over their heads using under sized or under grade members without black and white codes.
The codes are understandably written and enforced to shift liability from the Inspectors and ultimately their employers (Towns/taxpayers).
For a conventionally framed house though, most framing members are redundant and less critical.
I understand both sides of it but unfortunately, I'm not sure there's an easy resolution.
Absolutely. Six months stickered here in the 'tropics' and moisture is not an issue so my recommendation is always 'at least 6 months'.
Box store framing lumber is dried to 18%.
My sawn lumber will exceed SPIB #2 specifications in all instances.
Building codes are driven by the last disaster (liability) and subsequently the insurance industry and fire protection industry (NFPA).
There are some minimal earthquake codes in NC. The coast has more hurricane related requirements. Florida has more codes related to hurricane risks well.
California has earthquake requirements and likely will have more fire related codes after the recent fires.
I'm convinced that insurance loss reduction is a key factor behind building codes. Somebody has to pay/lose when buildings are lost to disaster.
Several years ago, 2015 I think, there was a beach house (Emerald Isle) that had a deck collapse and people were critically injured. For the next several years, contractors were remediating decks on the NC coast. The insurance industry pushed for every deck to be inspected, especially in Emerald Isle, and brought up to code. Our beach house reservations in October were moved to other houses while our usual house received deck updates.
Risk management/ loss prevention drives the codes. Follow the $$$$$!
My only building code objection is that, in some areas, it's requirement that only graded/stamped lumber can be used in home building.
On the back of my Sawing Contract there are 5 items listed that I read and verify with each customer before sawing framing lumber:
1. County and City building permit requirements?
2. Lending Institution requirements?
3. Does the blueprint specify/allow rough sawn lumber?
4. Will your homeowner insurance cover a dwelling built with rough sawn lumber?
5. Will your builder/carpenter build with rough sawn lumber?
Yes, there are specific counties & cities that do not allow and that I can and will not saw framing lumber for a home. Some will allow a non-inhabited building such as a shop or barn but not allow for a home. I have told many potential customers to get their permits in order and then give me a call.
I hear you Lynn and I'm confident yours all exceeds #2. On the flipside, unfortunately that may not be said for all sawyers.
If Inspectors were trained/capable and willing to grade lumber, it would be a non issue. Of course there would be a time (cost) impact on their part to do so and in fairness they can't do it properly once the material is up. A good example is studs for a conventionally framed building, a low quality piece of lumber can easily meet stud grade. There is the moisture content/mold potential issue but that could also be addressed by the Inspector with a moisture meter. Some would argue that it must be KD to kill off bugs as well.
It would be good if there were an exception at least for someone building their own house. There is more potential for misuse with a developer looking to put up and sell a place ASAP for least cost.
Quote from: jpassardi on February 21, 2025, 07:56:50 AMI hear you Lynn and I'm confident yours all exceeds #2. On the flipside, unfortunately that may not be said for all sawyers.
When I bought my sawmill 23 years ago,
no building contractor in this area would use 'Mizer lumber'. That bad reputation had been created by folks using dull blades, etc. and sawing wavy and thick & thin lumber. Now, there is not any builders that have not built with my lumber. Most if not all of those 'peckerwood sawyers' have fallen by the wayside.
IMG_7200.jpeg
I thought they called pecan the devil wood because it is hard and doesn't act right , not because it's loaded with nails. smiley_thumbsdown
That too !!
We have native lumber laws in Massachusetts, but it's unusual to stud frame with rough sawn. I did saw all the lumber, including siding for a garage in '22 from logs cut down to clear the lot. Might be the only one I ever do. ffcheesy Interestingly, if was for the grandson of the man you talked me into getting a mill in the first place. The building inspector was all for it.
After the continuous rain for the past week, I was very hesitant to go to my sawing site this morning. The customer's Dodge 1500 had an easier time than I did with the Ford F250. His lighter truck was floating on top, but I had to break through to get a firm grip.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7312~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357980)
Nothing but fresh bulldozer-ed dirt.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7311.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357979)
I have finished sawing the Oak and got 9 of the 17 Tulip Poplar logs sawed. There are 30 logs left so 2 more sawing days. They were hauling and stickering when I left so no tally for today's sawing.
Woodmizer Service Loop guy came today. First time for me. I learned a few things. Got my new 1.5 inch guide bearings installed and Yes, the blade alignment was off.
But now, when I put simple set on 4 1/8 ( for 1/8 for shrinkage) and the mill cuts consistent 4 inch 4x4s. Oscar said I needed to add another 1/8th, which is not what the mill was doing before. So to cut a 4 1/8 thickness, I now have to set simple set on 4 1/4? What am I missing?
Tim,
One real simple thing to check is where you set your pointer on the scale. Are you setting it to read the thickness at the bottom, middle or top of the line as you read it?
I just kiss a line on the end of the log, measure from the bottom of the cant, then set my pointer to where I want it to read for the actual height based on my tape measure.
Good luck.
He adjusted the scale a tad also. But I am not even using the scale. I am talking simple set setting on 4 1/8 setting and the cut giving me 4 inches. Before I was setting it on 4 1/8 and it cut 4 1/8. It is cutting 4 now, when set to 4 1/8.
How does your Simple Set measure where it's at? I know the Accuset ll uses a transponder. My old setworks didn't "know" where it was, it just measured down from where it was activated.
It doesn't know where it is at. It also, measures from where it is activated.
On my simple set I have to add 1/8" to the thickness I want the board to allow for the saw kerf.
If I want my boards 1" than I need to set my simple set to drop an 1 1/8".
Tim, my understanding of SimpleSet is that you always have to add the 1/8". This is what WDH told me back years ago when he was comparing my SetWorks to his SimpleSet. He was surprised to see that I did not have to add the 1/8".
Tim,
Yes, I have to add the 1/8" kerf. I thought you were talking about the last board being 4-1/8"
Attached is my cheat sheet showing the kerf added at each drop. Well, disregard that. I don't see the add attachments option any more. I finally figured out how to add pictures but now can't attach word or excel docs.
Oh well, I said every time I learn something new I have to forget something else because my mental hard drive is full.
Anyway my cheat sheet adds 1/8" to every drop so I end on a finished mark. For example if I'm sawing true 1" thick boards I turn to the 4th face of the cant and start or 10" and drop1-1/8" every cut to end on 1". (10", 8-7/8", 7-3/4", 6-5/8", 5-1/2", 4-3/8", 3-1/4", 2-1/8", 1")
Quote from: Magicman on February 25, 2025, 08:00:43 AMTim, my understanding of SimpleSet is that you always have to add the 1/8". This is what WDH told me back years ago when he was comparing my SetWorks to his SimpleSet. He was surprised to see that I did not have to add the 1/8".
So your older SetWorks is more advanced than SimpleSet?
I guess my saw was not aligned right from the factory and that caused me to be off in my calculations on my cheat sheet in my head. I'll have to relearn my 1/8 shrinkage calculations. Fuzzy math comes into focus now.
Quote from: Magicman on February 25, 2025, 08:00:43 AMTim, my understanding of SimpleSet is that you always have to add the 1/8". This is what WDH told me back years ago when he was comparing my SetWorks to his SimpleSet. He was surprised to see that I did not have to add the 1/8".
Lynn:
You are correct, however i think that if you set the accuset computer kerf setting to zero then you would have to do the same as the simple set owners.
When you hit the drop down lever on an accuset mill the computer drops to the next setting and automatically adds the kerf setting to the drop.
GAB
Quote from: TimW on February 25, 2025, 11:54:53 AMSo your older SetWorks is more advanced than SimpleSet?
That would kinda be true in a sense Tim. That being said, my SetWorks is no longer supported and has not been for many years. It does not know where it is, so I have to set my starting point to saw through a cant.
A few years ago, probably 2016, FF member and Wood-Mizer employee "Sparks" knew of a couple of SetWorks mother boards still in Indy. He had one of them bench tested and sold it to me. Hopefully this one will carry me to the 'Great Sawdust Pile in the Sky'.
If it ever dies, I am sure that I will be buying a Mikron.
All that I lack is 'finishing up' on this sawing job.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7328.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358002)
After finishing the Tulip Poplar logs, there were these two about 30" X 5' shorts left.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7331.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358003)
They had some very nice heartwood color.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7332.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358007)
I sawed them 1 1/2", 2", and 3" live edge as a Goodwill Gesture for my Tailgunner who just recently 'graduated' from rehab and had been living homesless for the past 5 months. They will need to dry for at least a couple of years, but anyway, I did this to try to help him.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7334.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358006)
The Oak stickered.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7333.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358004)
The Tulip Poplar stickered.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7335.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358005)
We still have nine 'pecker pole' Cypress logs and the 4-5 ERC logs seen on the right of the tree in the background. Should be finished well before noon.
We have sawed 3532bf in three 7 hour days which is low production but the great majority has been 1". Good customer, good logs, and most excellent Tailgunner.
Thursday I should move to a repeat bowl turner customer who also has some Tulip Poplar. Probably a one day job.
(about:invalid)
18' of white oak.. Should have been sawn a year or two ago. Still stinking heavy. Would have been easier with a helper but I got it done. I doubt that the 2x12's will blow away. Weather has been warm here in Wisconsin. So far behind with so many things, utilizing the lights in the mill shed.
log.jpg
Picture maybe...
Oh yes, the sapwood has rotted....no fun.
I finished the Cypress and the ERC this morning about 11:00, sawed ~3 hours for 532bf.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7341.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358010)
Two junky ERC logs and three pecker poles. Yes, I did hit a nail in the butt log.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7342~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358009)
Those knotty ERC logs are pretty though.
This total job yielded 4068bf of mostly 1" lumber.
Even picking and choosing, I have been fairly busy sawing so far this year. My two month total is now 22,912 bf which I suppose ain't too bad for a knocked out 81+ year old fart.
Okay, finally did my first sawing job of the year. See picture below. Don't get excited, they were were much worse than they appear. Small scrappy pieces that only returned poor quality 5/4 boards 5" wide or less. I estimate we got about 125 bf in total but the client was happy so I guess I should not complain. We talked as much as we sawed then I forgot to get a finished picture - but you did did not miss much. It was reassuring to see the mill still cranked and ran fine after a 2 month rest.
I've penciled in a multi-day job 75 miles away for the weekend. I'm not looking forward to it but the guy has been calling for over a year and finally got his logs together and he is excited about it. We will see.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4241.JPG)
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on February 26, 2025, 08:18:45 PM... Don't get excited, they were were much worse than they appear. .......
Gee, I dunno Howard, they look pretty bad to me. ffcheesy One man's ceiling...
--------------------
Now what am I sawing? Apparently lag hooks.....
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/52103/IMG_20250226_115905576_HDR.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358012)
I was gonna whack 3 feet off that log, but I dug all the pieces out and took a chance on the next cut. I got lucky and the rest of the logs was clear. It was an 18' lof and I needed 17' 1x's for facias and other stuff. I still lost 2 full length boards and came up one board short on the order. Not a good day. Now I have to put up another 17' log for just one board. Gotta finish the 10 footers off tomorrow. I was degusted when I got done with this log, quit, and went off to cut mushroom logs. That was a lot more profitable for sure.
Pin Oak that Hurricane Beryl blow over last summer. For my neighbor.
It's good to see you guys back to making sawdust guys. ffcool
Well, Tom's included some filings, but I made a few of those too yesterday. Not fun. :lipsrsealed2:
I think this is only the second time I have found metal in a log at Bill's mill. The other one I caught before sawing and Bill is real careful to look trees over when he takes them and cull out any with metal. This hook was buried about 4" inside the bark line so there was no way to see it and my metal detector battery was shot. (fixed now.)
Just glad I got it all out and could continue on the log at full length, only losing 2 boards. Surprised the blade didn't blow up. It looked like it was sharpenable, but pretty shiny on the tooth sides. ffcheesy
I sawed a small job for a repeat bowl turner customer today.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7351.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358015)
The first thing that he did was present me with a Cherry bowl that he turned from a blank that I sawed the last time I was there.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7348.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358013)
He had 20 logs, the largest probably being ~16" butt and the smallest ~10" top end.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7349.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358014)
I started sawing @10:00 and we were finished @3:00 so 4 hours of sawing. Pictured is the 1" & 2", but not pictured is the bowl turning blank slabs. No lumber scale because I sawed "hourly rate".
There are 3 large jobs on my schedule but the soonest is a "whole house" framing lumber job scheduled to begin March 17. Hopefully I will now be off for a couple of weeks. ffwave
A friend has brought over a few logs for me to saw for him. 3 erc, 1 hickory, and 3 Walnut
I sawed the ERC yesterday, it saws so easy compared to all the haardwood I saw.
I did hit metal on the first log, the first board off the cant
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/65100/cedar_metal.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358027)
I got the rest cut with no more metal and ended with a small whack of 4/4 boards.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/65100/Cedar_wack.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358028)
That is a nice ERC whack, but bummer with the nail. Predictable but still a bummer. :uhoh:
M.M saws slabs for a guy down on his luck. Next guy gives him a beautiful handmade bowl.
That's how it works.
My dad had a antique shop for many years. Many times I watched him buy things from a "picker" and after he left my dad would put the item in the junk pile or trash. Just trying to help a guy out.
Weather finally "broke" looking forward to more moderate temps and getting the mill fired up this coming week.
I forgot to take a Before picture and only got a partial picture of the finished wood as the customer had already hauled a couple back to his house/storage area. He is a builder who has been calling me for over a year about sawing for him and finally got his logs ready to saw, well come of them. Turns out he has decided to downsize and sell his large home and build another for him and his wife and daughter who has graduated college and looking and likely will move I suspect.
Anyway he is 76 miles away and had a small stack of logs beside his new build site. They are in the way of where he wants to drill his well so he needed them gone first. Red oak, tulip poplar, White pine and locust. The pine became 12' 2X4, Poplar was 5/4 and oak and locust 4/4. All full dimension and none of this wimpy dimensional stuff. ffcheesy
Customer was happy we got the logs out of his well driller's way so that part can proceed.
It started snowing and got bitter cold before e shut down. The customer has a large whack of big white pines at his house. I went with him and discussed how to arrange them and where I could set up. His suggestion would have my mill blocking the road and no way to get my truck out. I could not back in because the mills would have been on the wrong side of the loading arms. I let the mill and I'll go back Monday when he had MHE and more help required. Looks to be 4-5 days work but weather looks like we will have to break it up.
I did not do a tally today but suspect somewhere between 1500-2000 bf. (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4242.JPG)
About 15 or so pine 2X4s to be relocated and stacked above, poplar and locust below
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4243.JPG)
It's good to see you up-and-at-um Howard. (https://forestryforum.com/board/Smileys/alienine/cool.gif)
I have two full weeks off before I saw again..... (https://forestryforum.com/board/Smileys/alienine/cool.gif)
I had a guy call a couple of days ago wanting us to saw him 160 1x6x16's. He called a few days previously and said he'd determine how many he needed and let me know. I assumed next weekend would be a realistic expectation. He wants them the middle of this week. Normally, this would not be a problem, but I have not seen my place in the daylight since 2/15 or before and I did not recall any good 16' pine logs in captivity.
John and I started looking for logs this morning and only found five pecker poles that were really not worth sawing, but we sawed them anyway. We considered felling some trees in my pasture or in my mother's backyard and even went around the neighborhood looking for blowdowns.
I decided to change into shorts and start wading in the pond to try to find enough logs to fill the order. The pond is deeper than normal for this time of year and the water is still pretty cold. After an hour or so, I had located, and we removed nine decent logs. While sawing, Furby showed up with his latest acquisition (pontoon boat trailer). We will finish up sawing the rest of the order tomorrow, assuming all goes as planned.
It is a pain to get the logs out of the pond, but they saw nice and they don't get eaten by the bugs.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22883/IMG_5353.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358104)The logs were so slick that I could not get the tongs to grab them. I used my toes to work the cable choker around the ends of the logs. It was a bit of a challenge to determine what was pine and what was cypress. Thankfully, most of the logs still had a little bark on them. While walking on the submerged logs they sometimes roll or I'd slip off of them, floating my hat. There are quite a few more in there, but they are too deep to easily access.
Being able to tell the difference between pine and cypress with your toes...that's next level, Cavey!😂
Going in the water in March is next level too!
I am expecting to see Caveman put his mill on pontoons and get some of those big water shoes and just go saw the logs when they lay/sunk. ffcheesy
It may be hard to get Furby to off-bear till he relocates that 12' gator in the pond. :uhoh:
There was a pretty good gator in the pond until a few months ago, but I have not seen it in a while. John was on the bank pulling the rope and tying it to the telehandler. He was watching for snakes and gators just as I do for him when he draws the short straw. The water was cold enough that they would not have been moving too fast anyway.
You can tell the difference between pine and cedar bark with your hands. It is about the same as determining pine from cypress with your feet, except for everything is wet and cold (by my standards).
I'm sure Furby would have been glad to offbear, but he had the whole Furby clan in tow. They followed him over when he dropped a truck and trailer. We'll give the neighbors another hour of peace and then we'll start sawing.
Quote from: caveman on March 02, 2025, 10:29:25 PMor I'd slip off of them, floating my hat.
That is very descriptive !! ffcheesy
Well, that was a bust! I drove 76 miles back to the site and got there where my mill was parked and the customer came over and told me the man with the tractor had called about an hour earlier and said he had the flu and could not come. By that time I was half way there and no cell service to even get the call. We talked a while and looked over his next log pile but there was no way I could have set up and sawed over 1-2 logs the way they were jumbled with cut off stump in the way too so we called it a day and will reschedule for another time.
I hooked up the mill and returned home with it. I stopped at our local Middle/High School (Same campus) and talked to the receptionist since the principal and shop teacher were supposedly in a meeting. I left couple of cards and she said they would call. I have offered workshops there several times but only had one temporary shop teacher take me up on it. The kids and the teachers loved it but the school admin typically won't go to the effort to set it up. We will see what happens this time. (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4244.JPG)
Pretty poor picture but here are the logs still to be sawed. All White Pine, mostly 12'- 16' it seems and I think mostly it will be framing lumber so it should be a decent job by the time it ends. I just wish it was about 65 miles closer.
That dead trip is a bummer for sure. Hopefully you are charging 'return trip' mileage to at least break even on traveling. move_it Even then, the dead trip is time wasted.
Yeah, he will pay for the milage. Last year i started milage on every trip. Before that I only charged when I brought the mill out but found I'd have cases where I'd drive 30 miles, saw all day and have 2-3 logs left and the customer would say "I'm give out. Lets finish them other 2 tomorrow." It was not costing him any more but just cost me 60 more miles. Now when I tell "Okay but it's gonna cost your this much more in mileage" and I find they say "Well, let's just knock these other 2 out and be done with it." That's what I prefer anyway.
Now I charge the same mileage for every trip I have to make to a customer site. The only exception would be if I have a breakdown then those mileage costs are on me. This customer seems to be a real good guy and was very apologetic but like I said "It could have been me or you getting the flu so those things happen."
Good for you. I am now @ $2 per mile one way for the initial travel & setup, and $1 for each return trip. That does not cover the actual expense, especially when you consider your butt/windshield time, but it helps.
IRS is now $.70 per mile.
I have never had anyone to question nor make any adverse comment about any of my charges.
Had a whack of almost too old to saw logs. Got enough from 3 logs to make this 16 foot pallet. So 90% of the log went onto the burn pile.
I screwed the bottom boards on, so when I move into the new sawmill shed, it can be lower to the ground, or concrete.
Many time repeat customer needed more raised garden boards, so 3 more full size 2x12 Ten footers. They burn them black before using them.
Quote from: TimW on March 03, 2025, 10:05:58 PMMany time repeat customer needed more raised garden boards, so 3 more full size 2x12 Ten footers. They burn them black before using them.
how long do the have to burn them to make then rot resistance. Steve
Make them black.
My understanding (Scary I know) is the burning seals the wood and helps prevent rot.
I'm not sure how effective it is but there's a guy selling "thermally modified " pine, oak and ash. on Marketplace. He says it's baked at 400o to prevent decay. "Better than pressure treated " he says. $5.50 a LINEAR foot for t&g 1x5 1/4
The wood is a different color -darker.
Scorching the lumber as Tim describes creates a carbon layer that is supposed to be water, decay and bug resistant.
From what I understand, scorching seals the wood, and also the chemical compounds created in the burnt creosote are decay resistant.
https://nakamotoforestry.com/japanese-flame-treated-wood/
The art of Japanese flame treated wood (https://nakamotoforestry.com/flame-treated-wood/%22), known as yakisugi (https://nakamotoforestry.com/what-is-shou-sugi-ban-yakisugi/) in Japan and shou sugi ban (https://nakamotoforestry.com/shou-sugi-ban-101/) elsewhere, is a centuries-old craft that is returning to popularity today. This method of preserving wood involves heat treating it with fire, a process that hardens the surface layer and preserves the wood from rot, insects, and other damaging elements. It's a beautiful form of wood siding that has been used for centuries in traditional Japanese architecture. Today, it is becoming increasingly popular in modern designs.
My customer said they used a high octane torch that is a lot hotter buring than a weed burner. I think adult beverages was involved as they tried the torch on a daughter's softball bat. The torch melted the bat.
The link above has a video showing the traditional way to do the burning.
It will turn faster now.
Condolences for the premature loss of a blade...
It was a brand new blade too! :uhoh:
Murphy is a cruel SOB!
I don't think I've ever seen where someone was pushing a dull, 9 time resharpened blade and hit a back stop🤷
Me neither, but I've had them break.
I definitely was hauling down the cant....new blade, six inches of wood, sun in my eyes. You know the story................ :toilet:
Yeah - the only good thing about a 9 time re sharpened dull blade is it's not gonna find metal. Metal strikes are reserved for ones with the manufacturing oil film still on them... taz-smiley
In log find............a rock. Lucky my eye saw it while bucking to length.
Quote from: TimW on March 06, 2025, 12:42:29 AMMe neither, but I've had them break.
I definitely was hauling down the cant....new blade, six inches of wood, sun in my eyes. You know the story................
Yup 3/4's asleep and the other half day dreaming.
Not a good combination.
GAB
Sawed 1 big 17 foot log into 2x6s for my trusses, today. But you can't saw'em if you are haulin'em. ffcool
Wow, those are great logs. all of our softwood/pine tend to be yard trees.
Wheee, I have another full week of my self imposed sawing siesta ahead and this one is not quite over yet.
It's nice but I would not want to siesta full-time. That would be too much like retiring!!
Yikes!! :shocked2:
Use it or loose it. whatever your it is. ffsmiley
That is a very good synopsis doc and I am still looking for my 'it'.
I have now been in various stages of 'retirement' for 30+ years which is almost as long as I worked for 'the man'. I think that I am going to really like this continuing sawing but at a very reduced scale.
Doc, they are not all nice. I got the leftovers this morning. One went directly on the burn pile.
But I got 3 good huge logs out of the 7 count load this morning. Suppose to get another load next week.
The log on top went to the burn pile. The lower log will be bucked a little over 8 feet, so the little curve in it shouldn't matter.
Nothing wrong with that Tim - ya gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelette. :wink_2:
If that burn log would have been longer it would have gone on the ground, along with another log, to stack a whack of logs on.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0047~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358211)
My last customer sent me this picture of his son carrying the Cherry 9' 8X8 that I sawed for him. The FF Toolbox says 182 pounds. :shocked2:
you know, I did not know you could look up people's sons in the toolbox. he looks bigger than that. :wacky: :thumbsup: smiley_smug01 :wink_2: ffcheesy ffsmiley oz_smiley
I think it all comes down to what my Dr. tells me every year: "if it makes you hurt stop doing it". So, the only way to go is to adapt each year to what you can do (it may still hurt but do not tell your Dr.).
I used to be able to pick up timbers like that, which is why I can't pick them up now. 16' 8"x8" EWP was no problem.
17 foot 2x6s to build the trusses for my sawmill shed. I labeled them 16 in the photo, but they are all over 17 feet, for Y'all that are picky.
Quote from: doc henderson on March 09, 2025, 06:31:39 PMhe looks bigger than that.
Yup, about 6'4" and whatever goes with it. He picked it up off of the loader and carried it to the other timbers that we had used the tractor to move before he got there. I commented that I wished that I had gotten a picture which is why my customer sent me that picture.
This was the bowl turning customer.
I had better enjoy this week off because no sawing for me until the 17th next week. ffwave
Tim, that's a nice looking stack of lumber!
Why are they all over 17' long? Are they a special order or do you guys not have tape measures in Texas? ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy
Everything is bigger in Texas at least that's what they say in Texas...
Yeah, I heard a new dad in Texas was handed his just born son and was amazed till the doctor explained that was just the umbilical cord." :wink_2: ffcheesy
My old mentor Kenny referred to a smart end and dumb end of a tape measure.
But the smart end has been known to be read upside down and the inches counted the wrong way.
I once sawed a job where the customer said that all of the logs were 20 1/2'. Wrong, every log was 19 1/2'. He marked the 6" on the wrong side of 20'. Yes, on every log.
I had a fellow try to sell me 12' logs that were measured the same (wrong) way. He got mad when I scaled them at 10'. He came over to protest. When I put the tape on them "right side up" he realized what happened.
His tree service workers cost him several hundred dollars by measuring upside down!🙃
Got a taste of early spring today, watched the snow melt away into puddles. Good day to make some sawdust, mill fired right up on first crank after it's long winter nap. ffcool
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/47685/IMG_20250310_150137870.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358228)
Lined up some of my spruce logs on deck, and worked on getting the better ones cut first for 2x's. I will cut the ones with the bark falling off for natural edge siding boards.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/47685/IMG_20250310_162739711.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358227)
Fresh cut stack of 2x4's and 2x6's for future deer blinds, or possibly a garden shed, or maybe even a chicken coop? :huh?
We shall see what is most profitable. :wink_2:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/47685/IMG_20250225_112528481.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358073)
Hoping the weather cooperates, I've got a whole pile of logs to saw... ffsmiley
Resonator, That's a nice looking stack of logs. That would be enough to last me a couple years.
My Father, a Carpenter for 42 years and never short on sarcasm introduced me to the "dumb end" when I was a young boy. smiley_whip :smiley2:
I learned a lot from the Ole Man.
Quote from: cutterboy on March 10, 2025, 07:25:11 AMTim, that's a nice looking stack of lumber!
CB,
Thanks! I miscalculated on how many I need and added two more levels to it today. It's getting too high to heft the boards up that high by myself.
h
Quote from: Resonator on March 10, 2025, 08:19:53 PMGot a taste of early spring today, watched the snow melt away into puddles. Good day to make some sawdust, mill fired right up on first crank after it's long winter nap. ffcool
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Lined up some of my spruce logs on deck, and worked on getting the better ones cut first for 2x's. I will cut the ones with the bark falling off for natural edge siding boards.
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Fresh cut stack of 2x4's and 2x6's for future deer blinds, or possibly a garden shed, or maybe even a chicken coop? :huh?
We shall see what is most profitable. :wink_2:
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Hoping the weather cooperates, I've got a whole pile of logs to saw... ffsmiley
That's at least, two whacks full of beautiful logs!
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on March 10, 2025, 08:42:43 AMWhy are they all over 17' long? Are they a special order or do you guys not have tape measures in Texas? ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy
Howard,
I was thinking of you when I bucked them and wondered if I could confuse you on the length. ffcheesy
I will be making 30"4" trusses out of them. So half will be cut to 15'2" and the rest will be somewhere over 16 and a half foot long. I will determine the upper cord length upon layout. I got quotes online and the quotes come with drawings, but no dimensions. So I am kinda going by their drawings and kinda scratching my head to figure the numbers out. I figure I will save around $3,000 building my own trusses.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on March 10, 2025, 09:07:14 AMYeah, I heard a new dad in Texas was handed his just born son and was amazed till the doctor explained that was just the umbilical cord." :wink_2: ffcheesy
:sleepy:
Thanks guys. Was able to get a bunch of white pine and a few spruce cut while doing my winter logging. (Details are on the Forestry and Logging: "What are you cutting 2025 thread"). I'm just hoping I can get them sawn before the bark munchers start tunneling. :uhoh:
If you plan to get them milled this Spring you should be fine as far as the pine weevils. I doubt they'll get deeper than the sapwood. If there are any you can't to get to, take the time to strip the bark once it starts to slip and that will go a long way to drying the weevils out before they get past the cambium. :thumbsup:
Yup, peeling the bark is definitely what I plan to do. :thumbsup:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48503/image~44.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358267)
The Doctor (pictured) wanted a fire pit so I built one.
Then she wanted benches, so I built 2 cedar benches with legs.
The 2 cedar benches weren't enough.
So today I built two live edge benches from a tree that blew down last spring.
So I sawed up a perfectly good red oak log to make her benches. The mill struggled on my last job. I thought I was having blade problems. After investigating , my drive belt was crazy loose! I tightened it and it sawed great today!
I drove 76 miles back to the site I started last week. Drive 67 miles till you get to Beartown State park, go 3 more miles then turn into Droop Mountain Battlefield State park, stop at the ranger station to use the toilet, then 6 more miles along county and private roads, ford the shallow creek then go 1/4 mile and you are there. ffcheesy
I had to back the mill a couple hundred yards to get it into the site but got that done and his helper/contractor with his tractor and grapple started feeding me logs and I never had to wait for one the rest of the day. We started with a couple of scrappy logs and made some dunnage and stickers then started sawing framing lumber. Anything under 16' was 2X4, 2X6, 2X8 and 2X10. 16' logs became 2X12 and whatever narrower width the flitch would make. A few 4/4 board of assorted width for future B&B and such when the cant would not yield another 2X.
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I did not get a starting count as the log were pretty scattered but looked like 50-60 logs. Most are 12-16 feet long and 18-24 inch diameter. All white pine with plenty of knots.
The customer stacked a few of the short logs but hauled most to his future cabin build site about 1/4 mile away. We'll tally at the end of the job. I did hit one screw about 1' from the end of one log but other than that they have been clear of metal and actually pretty clean.
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From his biggest log he wanted to make a 3" book matched LE counter so we loaded the 16' log, rotated it to select what would be the live edge and oriented some defects to reduce the chance of future damage. I sawed the back to about 17" thick in the center, then turned the log 90 degrees and sawed a few 2Xs then got these two 3" book matched pieces. The counter is to be a waterfall about 8' long and attached to a wall on one end. I printed and forwarded some notes from Tom (OGH) and lessons learned and the customer said he really appreciated and will use them. Thanks again Tom. Now the customer just has to get his wife and grown daughter to agree on which piece of the slabs they like best - Good luck getting 2 women to agree! ffcheesy
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Some of the stacked shorter lumber (8-10 feet), and some 16' 2X on the truck to go to the site in the morning.
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I did not get a complete count but it looks like about 30 more logs to finish. We might finish tomorrow if the stars align and the batteries in my headlight in the console of my truck hold out. If not the weather is good for Thursday and we should sure finish by then. I've had very good help on this job and the customer is knowledgeable and has a very nice family. I just wish they were closer.
Sounds like a very nice job for sure. Also a good money$ job. :thumbsup:
Howard,looks like a lot of level ground. Are you sure you are still in WV. ffcheesy
Bill, the camera angle is distorted.
Lynn, I could get used to this sawing whole house framing jobs out of soft pine!
Gotta go. Time to make the donuts.
Maybe Howard is like my friend Kenny. Kenny has been living in WV long enough he has one leg shorter than the other.
If Kenny gets on flat land he has to concentrate not to walk in circles.
Maybe that accounts for the levelness in the photos.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on March 12, 2025, 06:09:55 AMLynn, I could get used to this sawing whole house framing jobs out of soft pine!
Yup, I will start one Monday morning and good logs make good production. This will be my third one this year. :thumbsup:
Well, I could agree that Howard is a little off kilter I don't think that has anything to do with his legs though😁
I very seldom presurvey any sawing jobs, but this one was only 8 miles away and the tree service was still there to relocate the logs to wherever we wanted so I went out:
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Five very nice clean Oak logs; two White Oak and three Red Oak. He was wanting an estimate so I told him not more than $600 without measuring anything.
I did stop and measure before I left and scaled 1170 International 1/4 Rule, so hopefully I can give him some change when I saw them. He is a Nam DAV so anything that I can do, I will.
My Monday's customer just called from Akron, OH, verifying that we were still on for Monday's sawing. He will leave tomorrow morning for the ~1000 mile trip. move_it
March 17th was set back in November.
Quote from: barbender on March 12, 2025, 11:34:46 AMWell, I could agree that Howard is a little off kilter I don't think that has anything to do with his legs though😁
:veryangry: :veryangry: :uhoh: ffcheesy ffcheesy
I returned and sawed hard all day long. We had 5 logs left to do when my customer gave out and asked me to come back tomorrow. He actually has a bunch of old beams on his truck he wants me to resaw so there is still a little more left to do. I have had great help this trip with 4 pretty much full time helpers so I always have a log ready on the arms and boards and scrap is quickly removed so that does not slow me down.
I did tear up 2 blades and messed up a couple of boards by getting the cuff of my gloves hung in the down toggle while I was sawing. Once yesterday, again today. With the Simpleset in use it automatically drops to the next setting when this happens.
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An end of the day shot of some nearby wood. The live edge counter was moved inside today and the customer is stacking 4/4 boards there now. Most of the wood was hauled to the construction site 1/4 mile away. We still have not done a tally but will finish and do one tomorrow.
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These are all that remain from the 30 or more logs we started the day with and these are short and smaller than most of what we sawed today. I am ready for this job to end but will make a leisurely trip over tomorrow with no urgency like the other days.
Howard,
Tell your gloves to lay off the down lever! :uhoh:
Things are heating up. Both outside and on my phone and email. Have only had four jobs this year so far probably because of glaciation, up here in this corner of the country, both real and imagined.
I'll be going out in several hours to saw some bracing for a several times previous customer who is doing another timber frame project. Maybe report on that later.
In the last month, I've done some long-awaited work on my 2001 F350 crew cab long bed truck. For sometime I have been afraid to haul anything heavy in it, because the bed was all rusted out. Here's a quick update.
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The scrapyard gave me $18 for the old bed. Five cents a pound for 360 pounds a giant claw lifted it off and set it on the scrap heap.
I've got the new bed fixed up with some pressure treated 2x10 around the perimeter. Having almost 7 feet of bed width with no wheel wells is quite liberating and I really like the new set up. I'll come back and add a picture after the sun comes up.
Nice flatbed. I've always wanted a flatbed, but I think I would miss being any to throw small stuff in the bed without having to strap it down. Suitcases, for one, comes to mind.
Like the flatbed, can haul some lumber with that! :thumbsup:
Did you ask if you throw in the passenger fender could they make it an even $20? :huh? ffcheesy
So here's the new bed configuration. Same as the old one but more space. I can carry all my 2x blocks In the back rather than strapping them to the sawmill table. Saves a lot of time and effort. With the pressure treated sides and the blocks it weighs about what my old bed with tailgate weighed so my fear of having a light rear end has gone away.
The black plastic Contico boxes have fluids in the left one and a couple chainsaws, logging chains, and trailer hitch in the right one.
I might add under body boxes to eliminate one of the plastic boxes, so that I can put sawmill's spare tires in the front of the bed, as well as get some of the tools, spare parts, straps, etc., out of my back seat.
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I need to add a backup camera which I've never had with this truck so I don't mess up my pretty 12 inch flatbed apron. It would also be nice for hooking up to the sawmill at the end of a job. My record is getting out of my truck 14 times to hook up.
I have about the same truck except for mine is a 2000 and a shortbed. I've contemplated adding a flatbed over the years.
John (JMoore) and I sawed some 4' 2x4's Sunday for a couple of hours and I finished up the pallet load yesterday morning.
This probably should go in the "I did something dumb" thread. As I was lifting the pallet load of lumber, preparing to strap it down, I decided to play Jenga.
We used some new old Kasco 1.5, 7/34, 0.050 blades that we've had for several years on this job and the last and they performed well. I just sharpened several 7/39 Silvertip .055's, so the next batch will likely be the Kascos. The last couple of jobs were mostly slash pine with some live oak.
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I like the mini stake bed sides. But I would need a hinged back for gooseneck hitchin.
Okay, today was an easy day for a change. I slept in and took a leisurely drive over to the client site and got there about 10:30 am.
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The customer had these oak and hemlock beams he wanted sawed into approximately 5/4 boards. I was able to get him close with one true side he could run through his planer which he said was his goal. This took about a half hour on the mill and he was very happy with the results. I found I had to use a very slow speed in the hard, dry oak.
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Here are the finished boards.
I sawed his remaining 5 logs into 2X4 and 2X6 and one small good looking log I sawed as live edge 1-3/8" live edge boards. He'll use them for shelves. I offered to square the backs but he decided to leave both sides live so his wife and daughter can pick which side the want for the front.
I loaded up the truck and mill while his daughter fixed us a pot of soup for lunch, we ate and visited then we went and tallied the weeks worth. We were right at 8,000 bf. I had 5 trips, one was a bust because his tractor operator called in with the flu while I was in route and returned empty. He had no problems paying for the 5 trips. That was 3 pretty full days and a couple of hours today. I got a few pictures but not all including ones of the lumber he had stacked in his shed. Most of the lumber is down by the build site. The concrete guys are coming to pour the footers tomorrow and he plans to start building in a few weeks with the partly AD pine lumber. He says he will get it in the dry and it can finish drying in place before he puts the walls up. He is a builder and apparently he has done this before so I trust it will work for him. Permits and codes are minimal if any in Pocahontas County WV.
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Here are a few stacks. There are other boards inside, other stacks and one load still on the truck.
I love sawing for people who enjoy what we make. This guy has been calling me for over a year as he was planning to start collecting his logs and wanted to be sure I would still be able to saw it. Actually, he probably had close to 7,000 bf of the white pine cut this year. I just wish he lived closer. Those 76 miles one way get old. Watching those WV sunrises and sunsets from your truck is overrated ffcheesy
Looks good Howard. :thumbsup:
Yup, I am trying and so far succeeding to end those long drive trips. Thankfully I can pass them off to another sawyer without saying 'no'.
I started the morning earlier than I (and certainly my wife) wanted with a wake up call from a repeat customer who recently moved down here from New Hampshire. He lives 50 miles away and last time I had to do all the sawing, stacking and such by myself. This time he will be there to help and has a tractor with forks to help. Sounds like about a 2 day job.
I've been trying to schedule a weekend job with a local Vet (critter doc) and we have not had a decent weekend since we started trying in December so he called yesterday and is going to take a day off during the week to get us started and his help can stay to finish the 2nd and maybe 3rd days. It starts with 9 - 20' long 7X7 beams. Those kind of cuts are stressful on my mind as they are meticulous to cut. We will see how that one goes and if the weather permits us to do it mid-week next week.
Thankfully it looks like this "weekend blast" will pass through and I/we will have good weather for sawing next week. Weather has been my concern since we made our sawing schedule back in November.
Woke the sawmill up today after a long winter nap. Couldn't remember if I left it with a sharp blade or not but it seems to saw good so I guess I did. Had four poplar logs on the deck and sawed up two today. About all I wanted to do. Both had a lot of sweep and although I didn't get a lot of lumber it turned out pretty good. Ended up with around 120bf of sheeting. Like to keep some on hand. Someone will be wanting some or I might use it myself.(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/68995/BBA220EF-4947-4440-B026-E30C76D063AD.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358409)
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Got the last of my needed 2x8 x 14' RO's cut for rafters and joists for my barn. That makes a total of 178 - need to stack/sticker these with the rest.
That is a nice whack of framing lumber. :thumbsup:
After being off for two weeks, I am sawing SYP framing lumber this morning/week.
I am back in the saddle again:
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Eighteen 16' logs at the mill and twenty one 8' in the background on then right. My customer and his wife in the background. We got 9 logs sawed today along with a nail and a rock blade....two lost.
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Four 2X8's and the rest is 2X4's & 2X6's. Customer with the red shirt, wife in the foreground was the sticker cutter with my Milwaukee Hatchet, and the other two are tailgunners. I did not scale/count but we had a good day. The stickered stack on the left is 800bf.
Today was a successful day. We finished sawing the 16' logs this afternoon and started on the 8'
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The twenty one 8' logs that will all be sawn into 2X4's.
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Ten of those 8' logs yet to be sawn including the one still on the sawmill. I hit 3 nails in it so we quit for the day. Destroyed a NEW fresh out of the box blade. smiley_thumbsdown
The ERC logs are seen in the background.
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This is all of the lumber that we have sawn/stickered in two days sawing. I have not counted/scaled but I am seeing close to 3Mbf. If all goes well we will probably finish tomorrow.
I have a 2 ERC log Goodwill "job" that I will probably saw at this location before I leave.
Finished !! :thumbsup:
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4328bf of 2X4's & 2X6's from ~39 logs in ~17 hours sawing.
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And then I sawed ERC Goodwill for the neighbor. This was from the logs that were on site when I got there.
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And then my young friend showed up with his two ERC logs shown here with the tailgunner.
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He and the neighbor are shown here strapping his lumber down. This was also sawn Goodwill.
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Before I left the foundation contractor showed up and started shooting the grade and building forms to pour the foundation for this customer's new home which will be framed with the lumber that I just finished sawing. :thumbsup:
While I was there a new customer called with 20+ logs wanting framing lumber sawed for his new home. :uhoh:
It seems that it never ends but for now it's time for more time off.
As per normal, lots of white spruce to saw this season. I have about 85-90 cords of 16' and several in 12' and 20' lengths in the yard now. A few more incoming loads like todays would be fine by me.
A couple logs are in excess of 30" on the butt. We don't get many of those around here.
Thanks to a logger friend who is always keeping an eye for premium sawlogs for me, the yard is becoming stocked again.
I got more good logs too. 36 Inch Butt log and it's 2nd stick, 17 foot long. Gotta be careful with the metal detector as these are city logs. I cut these in half on the trailer before unloading. I have an order for 200 full size 1x10x8 feet.
Wow Guys, nice logs. :thumbsup:
I started off the day driving 53 miles to saw a whack of poplar logs we have been trying yo saw since December on a weekend. We have not had one good weather weekend since then so the customer took off today to get us started.
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I think the guy said there were 87 logs plus the 9 facing 90 degrees to the others at the far end. I got out, took this pictures and inspected the logs then got back in my truck and nothing. I assume it was a computer failure of some sort preventing it from turning over. I unhooked and the customer towed it into place then started with a 4' sticker log (Front of the stack) and sawed enough stickers to get us started then sawed about 31 logs if our starting and ending counts are right. Tomorrow was a weather day anyway so I'll see if I can find a mechanic who will go to the site or someone to tow it in.
We had a good day sawing and probably sawed around 3,000 bf but did not tally yet. Lots of framing lumber and even some 4X12X12 beams. Actually the beams slowed us down as I spent too much tine turning and trying to squeeze a 4th beam out that just wasn't there.
The customer fed us all lunch (He had 4 relatives as helpers mostly stacking boards he hauled on a skid steer to them) or I should say his sister did then at the end of the day he took me to my son's house that was only a few miles out of route from his home. I borrowed a van from my son to use till we get my truck fixed. Fortunately he has 2 drivers at home and 4 vehicles available.
I will resume sawing Friday and hopefully we can finish by end of the day Saturday.
Very Nice Howard, that job will be a good one!! :thumbsup:
Yes, handling time dictates that the same bf sawing rate applies for beams/timbers as lumber.
Nice looking poplar logs there WV!
Your poplar is different than ours. We have white poplar, which generally has a smooth bark, except on the over mature trees. Those look more like our black poplar which are found in low/wet ground around here and don't typically grow very large.
Poplar here where I live is always Tulip poplar. It is a good wood to saw. Will sometimes have some tension but is pretty easy to saw. Soft wood and no sap issues. Sometimes on very mature trees with thick bark the bark is real stringy and will clog up the sawdust chute.
Now if I can just get that dang truck out of the field! Nobody does on site repairs here and the wrecker/towing services want the vehicle parked on the side of the road. I guess they have been stuck too often to feel comfortable driving off the pavement.
Have you checked simple stuff like battery connections, voltage etc?
Nice whack of logs!
Sawing 31 in a day is a bunch as well!
Sorry about the truck trouble. Hope it turns out to be an easy fix.
yes. And the towing truck driver tried to jump w/no results.
Hopefully Howard you can get the no-go problem figured out. :thumbsup:
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Spruce.
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Sawed up the spruce logs I cut from standing dead trees for natural edge paneling. Minimal areas of grain were borderline soft/rot, some had nice blue staining.
Red Oak.
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Took a break from sawing spruce, and sawed up the red oak log pieces I got from member Otis1 back in February (reply #152 and #156).
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Sawed it all 4/4 (1") random width, and gave me a chance to practice YellowHammer's RRQS technique. These are some of the boards that "hit" good ray pattern. I can definitely tell bigger diameter logs give a better growth ring target to aim for, and more wide boards after they are edged. Thinking of ways to index the logs a few degrees at a time as I saw them, and still hold them secure. Will think on it more. ffsmiley
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One of the lumber stacks. Think I got a couple hundred board feet, still stacking and counting. Plenty of good clear straight grain boards, a couple are already spoken for to be made into cribbage boards. Thanks again Otis1 for the logs! :thumbsup:
Out the door at 4:45 am tomorrow, 90 miles, 3000+bf of possibly rotten fir and spruce, plus other stuff. Nice customer, probably overnight, guest cottage, wife coming too, dinner out, it will be an adventure. :sunny:
Take care and enjoy. ffcool
A tow truck company that wants it towed to the road first. I heard it all now! I owned my own tow trucks for 20 years. Good luck , Howard.
You are all sawing some nice logs. I have been to busy since I retired to fire up the mill.
Maybe today!
Howard, I would have come and got you!
Sometime in the 1980's my first wrecker was a 49 Chevy with 29,000 original miles one owner.
That's me in the 1990's with a 84 International flatbed. Great truck.
Nice trucks/wreckers. It's crazy how sharp IH trucks can turn. :thumbsup:
Those old twin boom Holmes wreckers are neat. They were designed so one boom could be swung out and the line secured to an anchor point, and the other boom swung out to "fish" a car out of a ditch. Big trees along the highway were referred to as "Holmes trees", as they were the ones the tow trucks would hook onto.
One of the local milk tanker truck drivers had the same vintage IH as your wrecker, (believe it had the DT466). From what I was told it had couple million miles on it when he retired. It was sold, and lived on as a maple sap hauler. ffsmiley
I will start unloading and cleaning my work/sawmilling truck today. I took off two weeks before this last job and I am hopefully planning three weeks or a month this time. I am smelling some salty air.
I am either refusing or passing off distant jobs. This is all part of my slowing-down/semi-retiring objective.
I left home at 0630 and returned to the same site 53 miles away. Here were the logs remaining.
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We sawed hard all day and finished about 20 very big logs. I think we have 28 logs left plus 8 20' to saw into 7X7 beams. I sawed some 4X12X16 and 4X8X16 beams today.
At about 7:00 pm we quit and here is what the yard looks like.
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We have not tallied the lumber yet but here are the stack I saw on the way out.
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Looks like another long day tomorrow and may a short day Sunday to finish. My customer had to leave and stopped at a local store and saw a neighbor and they talked about our sawing now it sounds like he has logs nearby he may want sawed.
Looking good Howard. ffcool
fantastic. :thumbsup:
Looking good :thumbsup: I'm sure your back hasn't yet let you forget about your 12 hour day. ffcheesy
Quote from: Magicman on March 21, 2025, 10:53:33 AMI am either refusing or passing off distant jobs. This is all part of my slowing-down/semi-retiring objective.
I am keeping on keeping on. My next tentative beginning sawing dates are April 24 and/or May 26 depending upon the weather and whatever else. :wink_2:
Back up early to make the donuts saw the lumber. We sawed 8-10 logs then moved the mill up to the logs at the far end of yesterdays picture. They were 21' logs that I cut into 7.5" square beams (or square as logs that long would allow) and there were 8 of them. I got the beams and side lumber out of most of them. Some barely made the beams. I had to remove the 2" rubber bumpers from each end to get the extra working room to saw them but that is just a clip to removed and re-install.
The customer said he has everything on his cut list so is going to cull a lot of the remaining logs. We will finish tomorrow or as they say in Sand land "Mumpkin bookara, Insha'Allah".(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4280.JPG)(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4279.JPG)
These are the remaining 19-20 logs. The worst will be scrapped for firewood. The big ones on the end are way oversized and we are not sure if the mill and skid steer together can lift and tun then. They will surely need to be gun barreled if we can load them.
I missed a call from the shop today that my truck problem is the starter. Not a big or expensive fix but I replaced the one on it a year I should have it back Monday or Tuesday.
A starter on a truck usually isn't too bad. I just had to swap an alternator on my Duramax, I stole one off of a dead truck I have out back. Took about 45 minutes. A few days later,the alternator on my daughter's Hyundai died. I went and looked at it, tucked in underneath on that transverse V6. I decided that would be better done by a professional. Well, by the time we got it out of the shop it was over $1500 with the alternator and an oil change. That kinda hurt😬
Howard, between a skid steer AND you loader arms you should be able to load the log. I have done it before with the tractor's loader and the mill. Lift with the tractor until it's front tires get almost flat, then lift a little with the mill, then the tractor, then the mill. It works.
Tim,
I have had to get help from loaders and tractors too. Even had one today and several were slow to load. I think the one was not well centered which contributed to the need for help.
The biggest one he said he could not lift with his skid steer. I don't know what their limit is.
Save your receipt, the last starter I did on my truck was covered under warranty when it failed. The auto parts store covered the price of the new one. ffcool
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on March 22, 2025, 11:51:27 PMEven had one today and several were slow to load.
Remember, the Magic Hook and chain tied to the log clamp will roll the log over the loader pivot point making loading big logs a breeze.
Back to sawing after 8 weeks of heavy duty winter weather.
That is a lot of lumber, Howard.
In a no crank situation many times if you hold in the start position and have someone give the starter a good shot with a bar or hammer it will get you going. Don't shut it off probably only work once or twice.
8 weeks of sleep is plenty. It's good to see her back in action. ffcool
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I decided I had sawn enough Red Cedar blanks and I had better see if my home made shingle jig worked. It did....with a little learning... Not too bad and I actually surprised myself. Now only 800 or so more to go.
ffsmiley I was afraid I would need to post this in that "other thread"....... ffcheesy
I returned mid morning and we sawed about 10 logs. One was a monster that the customer had to help load with his skid steer as too heavy for my hydraulics alone. Another was mullberry which was very hard/dense and heavy and I had to saw it real slow. It was real pretty wood and I sawed most onto 5/4X10" X 12' boards. One poplar log I hit 2 nails in the log so we ditched it then when I went to edge the flitches I hit another so 3 bands down in one log.
At the end of the day my mill starter made a grinding sound and after I shut it off at days end it would not start so I guess it has been my week for starters. We tallied in the dark so no lumber pictures. Total for the job was 9,139 bf.
We have 10 more logs and 3 will have to be split as they are 7-8 inches over my mill limit and too big to even gun barrel.
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I'll pick up my truck and the mill tomorrow and replace the starter on the mill and give it a good check up and return in a couple of weeks when weather and customer schedule permit.
You are rocking on Howard!! ffcool
That is a good job to start the sawing year with. :thumbsup:
Still learning on every job. I learned on this job that relatively fresh cut mulberry is heavy and hard and looks a lot like elm.
I learned a long time back but probably never mentioned it here, when your customer has a large whack of logs stacked directly on soft ground and rolling them on to the loading arms a handy trick, when they are not stacked on parallel runner logs, is to lay a couple of your first cut scrap slabs perpendicular to the mill with the sawed face up to make a track. The logs will roll easier and stay cleaner because they don't dig into the dirt as much. As you whittle away the pile and the remaining logs get further way from the mill, just add more "track". At the end of the job the customer can pick up and dispose of the track just like the other waste cuts.
I felt like I was using a ton of blades on this last job with 20 or so blades used, not counting 4 that hit nails. But when I divided the 9K+ bf by the number of bands used it was still over 400 bf per blade so I don't feel as bad. I don't know what is "normal" bf per blade average and of course the kind and type lumber being sawed makes a world of difference. Yes, much cleaner logs would not dull the blades as quickly but I'd rather just use my debarker and replace the blades more often than power washing or wire brushing the logs. That's just me and not being critical of others who clean their logs better than I require. If it gets bad enough, I'll adjust my rates accordingly.
My mill starter problems seem to be a bad solenoid and my small engine guy should have one in 2 days from now. In the mean time I need to finish a complete service and probably change out a guide roller. I had to adjust it on the fly when the back of the band started hitting it at one point yesterday. I bet when I check closer I'll find some taper to it. Tomorrow I need to replace a bad mill/trailer tire. I think the fender scrubbed and wore it down. I adjusted the fender outward and will be checking that more closely
I attempted to post yesterday, but it got lost. Anyway, JMoore and I got a late start sawing some really dirty but nice cypress logs that varied in length from just over 12' to almost 18'. We were instructed by the customer not to cut them to any particular length. I thought we had a pine sawing job lined up, but it fell through. My intention was to let these cypress logs sit a few weeks until we could easily peel the dirty bark.
We used the same Kasco 7/34 blade that we finished up sawing some pine logs and some live oak cookies the last time we sawed. We were able to saw over 700 bf of cypress on that blade. It cut flat but not as fast as I like to saw cypress.
One of the logs had a bit of stress. I lit my slab pile Saturday afternoon. We will probably have a burn ban soon.
We have quite a bit more cypress to saw for this customer, but most of the rest of this week I'll be volunteering at a Central Florida Youth in Agriculture (county fair) event.
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Another tip I picked up on this trip was due to the fact I was using a borrowed van while my truck was in the shop. To stay in good graces with my DIL and still get fuel to the mill for my daily sawing I bought a deep plastic tote with a lid. I'd put an empty 5 gallon gas can in the tote and snug the lid on tight. I'd stop at the last gas station on the route which was about 5 miles from where the mill was located and fill up the can there, make sure the top was tight and put it in the tote and snug the lid back down tight. As soon as I got to the mill site I'd remove the tote then empty the can into the mill's gas tank during the day and at the end of the day then put it back in the tote and repeat the next morning. That way I was minimizing the time there was actually fuel in the can and I did not detect any smell of fumes. This tote idea would work well for other applications where you had to carry fuel in a van or trunk of a vehicle or such.
Quote from: Magicman on March 21, 2025, 10:53:33 AMI took off two weeks before this last job and I am hopefully planning three weeks or a month this time. I am smelling some salty air.
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Hey....that is no Sawmill behind my truck!! :shocked2: move_it
It's so dry here I can't even look at that burn pile!
As of yesterday, NC had nearly 7,000 acres burned in the last few days. Even with statewide burn bans some have still been burning despite the high winds and dryness.
I just burnt my pile yesterday evening. The winds have died down to 3mph and we had rain yesterday morning.
It's just red coals now.
Last week, we had a 2,000 acre fire about 12 miles East of us. We had fire alerts with high winds. But someone from the Texas Forest Service authorized a controlled burn and it got away from them. That person that authorized a burn in high winds needs to be fired. 1 house and barn was lost to the fire.
Being off does not stop the phone from ringing. We had already talked and he sent me pictures of his logs today:
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All fresh felled. The SYP will be framing lumber and the Oak will be 1" X whatever.
Looks like a two day job.
Did not saw today but did get my mill running again. The starter died at the end of my last job and I had my small engine guy order a replacement and took the mill over and let him install it today. I had completed a service yesterday and decided to check on a hose to drain the hydraulic fluid similar to what I have on the engine. The engine has a rubber hose with a plug in the end.
I asked my guy about it and showed him what I had. I went ahead and pulled the plug and drained the fluid there in his lot. I had bought replacement fluid yesterday. He did not have a hose type drain but showed me one like the picture below so I bought it. I had to stop at the hardware store on the way home to get a reducer/bushing to fit the hole. With this type drain you just twist it a quarter turn, slip it down and pop a rubber cap back and the fluid drains out with no tools needed.
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When I got home I first tried to go ahead and lower the arms and collapse the cylinders but that did not work well. No joke there Smedley - you've got to put the fluid back in first. Duuhh!!!
I went ahead and installed the new drain plug/extension but that was when common sense overtook my inspiration and I removed it and put the original plug back in. The new easy use plug stuck down 2-3 inches below the bottom of the hydraulic box and was about level or slightly lower than the bottom of the landing gear on the front jack. I remembered late last year when I tore that jack off when I hit a high spot on a dirt road on a nearby pasture where I was sawing. I figured the likelihood of tearing off the hanging fitting outweighed the convenience. I could see me driving 75 miles then tearing off the fitting and draining the hydraulic fluid and shutting me down. I set aside the fitting and it I ever become stationary I may put it back on.
I topped up the hydraulic fluid and then did a detailed alignment of the blade and roller guides and such. I am set and ready to go as soon as I get some blades back from my sharpening guru or a new box from WM I ordered this week. Something is due here tomorrow but it is a partial shipment so I can't tell if its my blades or idler arm spring. If blades I'll call and schedule my next mobile job for Saturday or Monday.
I topped up the fluid tank, lowered the arms and collapsed them to verify the proper fill level.
Those cylinders do not empty when they collapse because they fill on the other side. They power both in and out. That applies to every cylinder on the sawmill.
Quote from: Magicman on March 27, 2025, 08:37:59 PMThose cylinders do not empty when they collapse because they fill on the other side. They power both in and out. That applies to every cylinder on the sawmill.
Yeah there was enough to move them but they sure moved slow so I saw why and refilled the tank and all worked properly. The tank holds just under a gallon but I don't know how much more is out there in the lines and cylinders.
That is why the system never needs purging. It will self purge just by operating the levers. :thumbsup:
Today I cut white oak, poplar, walnut, cedar and persimmon for a regular customer. Just a slab of this and a log of that. I cut a half day every two or three weeks for this guy.
It's slow, messy and low production because he wants this CSM live edge chunk "flattened" or this log in mantles or 1 piece 1 7/8". 2 pieces 2 1/4" and a 5" piece. It's kind of random and an hourly rate kind of job.
Until I found JEB Stuart's horseshoe in a piece of cedar. It's not a recommended method of metal detecting!
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Not recommended but 100% reliable. ffcool
My neighbor who is a really nice guy called and asked if I wanted some cherry logs from a tree he had just cut. His property was logged a few years back and there's not a lot of good trees on it but I said bring them on up if you want to. He is trying to get the property cleaned up so he can run a few cattle on it and he was afraid of the cattle getting poisoned from cherry leaves I think. He brought these up on his tractor forks. I might get something from the center log although the center looks a little soft. The other two don't look to promising. One is crooked pretty bad and the other is split almost the whole length. Don't think cherry is much good for firewood either ffcheesy(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/68995/D2765843-C6AC-4AE6-852F-2C46A80CA959.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358583)
Finally got a nice cottonwood log to make target boards for the hatchet throwing venue. it was 9 feet so i could freshen up the ends. It was somewhat squarish. made two cants 10 inches wide and 8 feet long. I cut a split nearly though in the center as we needed boards, 2 x 10 x 48 inches. this had been suggested by
@SawyerTed in the past. turned out about 46 boards and a nice full width slab 24 x 8 feet.
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Also made hammer schlagen logs but no pics. drive the nail game.
Bill,
Cherry makes very good firewood. Crooked logs make very nice benches, Short cherry boards are still in demand so there looks like a lot of options there for you.
Doc,
I don't know nothin' about no cottonwood but looks like you used that offset pith to good advantage.
I sell cherry firewood every year, may not be hickory or oak but it still burns good. Also has a nice smell, and is used for meat smoking.
You should be able to get some boards out of those logs. Box the heart as you cut, especially if there is center rot. Could be cut into slabs or bowl blanks too, always had good luck finding buyers for any cherry I've cut. ffsmiley
Hey
@doc henderson the method of cutting the target boards to length on the mill saves a ton of heavy lifting, doesn't it?
Good going there!
Quote from: Wlmedley on March 29, 2025, 09:47:31 PMMy neighbor who is a really nice guy called and asked if I wanted some cherry logs from a tree he had just cut. His property was logged a few years back and there's not a lot of good trees on it but I said bring them on up if you want to. He is trying to get the property cleaned up so he can run a few cattle on it and he was afraid of the cattle getting poisoned from cherry leaves I think. He brought these up on his tractor forks. I might get something from the center log although the center looks a little soft. The other two don't look to promising. One is crooked pretty bad and the other is split almost the whole length. Don't think cherry is much good for firewood either ffcheesy(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/68995/D2765843-C6AC-4AE6-852F-2C46A80CA959.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358583)
@Wlmedley:
Do not ignore Howard and Jeremy's suggestions. There is more value in those logs then you are seeing.
Bowl turners do not want pith in their bowls as it behave like juveniles, ie they don't. So place the log on the mill and center the pith at the same height at both ends then take a cut above the pith and then take a cut below the pith. This will give you a nice quarter sawn cherry board. It might have a curve in it, but in the right hands it is a valuable treasure.
Then chunk both the upper and lower pieces so that they are 2" longer than the average width and then give them a double coat of wax on all cut surfaces so they do not dry or they will crack and become expensive waxed firewood.
GAB
Add one more vote for cherry for smoking pork or chicken. So the unused parts could be split and bundled for smoking.
When sawing Cherry, identify the pith check and orient the log accordingly.
Pretty decent production today. We cut 60-3x8x16's and 60-2x6x16's in a little under 6 hours total, including cleanup. For easy math, call it 500bf/hr or maybe a little better.
Quote from: Magicman on March 30, 2025, 05:36:14 PMWhen sawing Cherry, identify the pith check and orient the log accordingly.
MM:
If his logs were straight or at least straighter I would agree with your suggestion. However looking at the pictures he may not be able to do that. I hope he lets us know what he acccomplished with those challenges from mother nature.
GAB
If you fail to saw parallel to the pith check in Cherry, the chances are almost guaranteed that the boards will split from end to end. Maybe best to avoid the pith and saw bowl blanks, etc out of some of it.
It is generally best to "choose your battles" when dealing with Cherry.
Quote from: Magicman on March 31, 2025, 09:31:25 AMIf you fail to saw parallel to the pith check in Cherry, the chances are almost guaranteed that the boards will split from end to end. Maybe best to avoid the pith and saw bowl blanks, etc out of some of it.
It is generally best to "choose your battles" when dealing with Cherry.
Ahhhh, where was this good information last year when i cut my crooked cherry logs! I have a whole stickered log that is cracked on both ends. Ill have to get some pictures. I was able to slice the slabs in half and get some nice boards out of it for a night stand, so not a total loss. Im also thinking of a little (well a lot) of epoxy and butterfly's to build a buffet top out of.
All my cheery logs are crooked but ive been able to get some good lumber out of them.
One way to maximize your yield on crooked cherry is to cut them into 4' or 6' logs between the crooks. More work to mill and sticker but allows you to parallel and remove the juvenile wood. Whether it's worth it all depends how valuable the cherry lumber will be to you in the end. I've done it because cherry is rare on our property.
MM,thanks for the advice. I have sawn one cherry log in the past which was shortly after I got my mill. My BIL gave me the log and I gave him a stack of slabs mostly because at the time I didn't have anywhere to store them. I do remember that some had pretty bad cracks but at the time I probably didn't cut them correctly. I kept a few boards for myself and they still look pretty good. I really don't particularly like the look of cherry by itself but found it looks nice in a glue up with other wood species. I made some cutting boards with cherry in the middle and walnut on each side and it turned out pretty good. I'll try and get what I can out of these logs being I probably won't get very many logs in the future. I don't know of any on my place.
I really like cherry.
I have sawn some and it saws fairly easy.
I like the look after it ages for several years and darkens.
I have several 3x10x10 pieces I had milled about 15 years ago, someday I'll use them for something
I also have saved a lot of small chunks to smoke food with. IMHO its the best for poultry.
I use it for my thanksgiving turkey.
I have sawn two jobs that were all Cherry. Both were in the 1500 bf range and both were to be used for inside wall paneling. One had a few logs that were in the 30" range. I saw it so seldom that I love it. All of the logs that I have ever sawn had a crook and pith check.
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Here is an example of an 18" butt Cherry log. Notice the pith check and that the faces will be opened so that it will be parallel with the blade for the saw through.
And if you are sawing live edge slabs for benches or bookmatching saw parallel to that check to contain the check in one board/slab as best you can.
Cherry makes a pretty fireplace mantel also. I like a 3" thick mantel and try to box the heart keeping the check in one mantel. Because of the sweep I sawed one log with a lot of curve. I centered the front as best I could and squared off the back leaving a rounded front LE mantel (actually 2 of them) that started at about 7" wide on each end then increased to about 12" in the center. I had a 1/2" trim cut a guy grabbed and put a couple of 1" dowels on the ends to make it look like a cross-cut saw as the shape was right. A man came and saw the 2 - 3" thick mantels and bought them both. He had 2 fireplaces in his home he was building.
I've got a small stack of cherry that I sawed a few years ago. Top board is 1" and the rest are 3/4" thick. Don't know why I sawed them at 3/4" but they stayed pretty straight and maybe I'll find a use for them someday.(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/68995/693B885D-A494-4C1F-A02C-F5C54A223E1C.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358653)
New customer wanted me to meet him half way to Austin to sell him these two beams.
He then convinced me to saw him two 18 foot 4x8s while he drove 3 hours to get here.
This is what he came to pick up the 8x8s and 4x8s with. He does remodeling and new construction. I think he will be a repeat customer!
I sawed a Goodwill job this morning for the Grandson of a friend.
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There was not too much to it; three ~6' Beech logs. Notice that Luke stopped by to check on me. ffsmiley
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The two larger logs were sawn into 2 1/2" X 6" and the smaller log into 1X10's. I also pulled a couple of SYP 1X6's out of my stack and sawed him some stickers.
He was happy and I was happy to help him.
I have a one log job scheduled for tomorrow morning. ffcheesy
Lynn,
That looks like one of those low/no profit but high reward jobs. ffsmiley
Yes, sorta like that. His Grandad and I were next door neighbors for over 20 years and have been friends for over 55 years. There are simply times when Goodwill is the proper thing to do. I had already told PatD and also Marty that there would be no invoice. :wink_2:
Nice gesture on your part Lynn. :thumbsup:
That sounds like Magic Man
Yeah, I am sure you guys are like me and have some people you just can't charge for work done for them. Most have done so much for me and my family I could never saw enough lumber to pay them back anyway.
Goodwill is a circle that can not be broken
You're a good man Magicman. :thumbsup:
Every once in a while someone will call me wanting some wide boards for shelves and I normally don't have any as wide boards tend to cup in my past experiences. I had a pretty nice poplar on the mill yesterday and decided I'd give it a try mostly because log had a slight bow and using MM's method I did my saw through with the horns up and I didn't save any side lumber on my first and second cuts thinking it would crook anyway. Ended up with with some nice 13" wide boards. Time will tell if they stay nice. Stacked in my shed with some weight on them. Should fit through my 13" planer once they dry.(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/68995/6859F4E3-AF04-4334-8C5A-439D5CDDC1CE.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358737)
Bill, the lumber looks great now, hope it stays that way. Some might cup but some will probably stay flat.
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Forty eight red cedar shingles, would've been two bundles exactly but I forgot to flip my lever and made a short half inch board instead of a shingle. Just was a very nice evening to work outside a while.
That is a nice bucket-o-shingles. ffcool
Quote from: Nebraska on April 07, 2025, 09:25:10 PMI forgot to flip my lever and made a short half inch board instead of a shingle.
I've done doodid dat a few times myself. You get busy and just forget a step in the shingle sawing pattern. I looked at my thin short boards and said birdhouse material.
GAB
Yeah I have a place that could probably use them. ffsmiley
Birdhouse material, stock for produce crates, shims, wedges, sign making stock, wood-burning media, charcuterie boards, veneer and more are all useful byproducts of a missed step or other sawing technique malady.
Just don't use the same one twice in a row with the same customer! ffcheesy
The problem is cataloging and storing all of those missteps...I'm going to have a huge bonfire with all of mine. Kind of like a can of random nuts and bolts, it's almost a curse😊
Almost a curse?!? A container of random hardware IS a curse.
It seems I was a very bad person in a past life. Every time I get one sorted or used, I seem to have another. All I can figure is it's a character flaw. ffcheesy
Ted, sometimes I think that I am a container full of random character flaws. That's why my wife gets so frustrated trying to sort them all out😁
I got up and left home at 6:30 am in the cold and spitting now. I drove 51 miles to a repeat customer from 3 years ago. I got about 3 miles from his place and met a big loaded log truck hauling a pup on a tight curve on a small mountain road and had to back up about a quarter of a mile to pull into a side road so the trucker could pass. When I finally drove up the steep drive to a house place on a narrow ridge here are the 2 log piles I found.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4293.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4294.JPG)
I got turned around and backed up to the first pile which were cut over one year ago. The other stack are fresh cut. I loaded the first log on from higher up on the stack (so it would not fall on us later).The customer said it was tulip poplar but I told him it looked more like red oak but when I sawed it maple inside. On further review I found it was Sassafras which is a new species for me to saw. I sawed it and several more. The big one on the front was a big red oak with some sweep and butt swell and I used my magic hook to load it on the arms. My hydraulics complained but lifted it. It took some gunbarreling to make it small enough to saw.
I sawed the Sassafras, several Red Oaks, a maple and white oak. Off every new species I saved a 6/4 "plank" as the customer called them. He plans to make a table from the different woods on his place. The rest were 1-1/8" boards as wide as I could get them, up to 12" wide.
Oh yeah, on one log I had sawed the hump off set it aside to saw some short boards. On the can in mid stream the customer said cut a 6/4 so since I had already started on my mark I cut his 6/4 then a trim cut about 1/2" thick and when he saw that he asked if I could cut more that then. Sure. So I cut the hump into 1/2" boards he wants to use to make a deer blind. It always amazes me when the customer see a trim cut like that and suddenly want more thin stuff.
About 1:00 pm I loaded an 8' X 16" diameter RO log on the mill and everything slowed to a standstill. My mill would run but not enough power to cut. new blade did not help. I checked and found the operator side coil showed no power so I was running on one cylinder. I rolled the log off and the one flitch I had produced and packed up my mill and went home, via my small engine repair guy's shop. He confirmed the bad coil and has a pair at home for them so I will meet him at the shop in the morning and replace both and I guess I'll keep the working one as a spare. (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4295.JPG)
We did not tally but looks like around 500 bf rough stacked lumber made and 3.1 engine hours on today's sawing so far. Looks like probably 2+ days work left for the 2 of us to finish and it will likely be 2 weeks or more till I can return due to weather and family schedules.
Just another reason I don't like long distance jobs.
John and I sawed some cypress Saturday afternoon. The customer brought us another trailer load of logs and picked up the cypress boards we sawed and stacked for him a week or so ago. Sunday, I sawed most of the boards on the sawhorses and the flitches pictured. I stopped sawing when I ran out of room for more flitches.
John came over after he got of work this afternoon and we edged, scaled everything and got it ready for the customer to come pick up. We have some more cypress to saw for this fellow.
This morning, I delivered a pallet of 6"x 6" and 4"x6" dunnage to a place in town.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22883/IMG_9280.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358775)(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22883/IMG_9278.jpeg)
Notice the mud packed ends on some of the boards. These were the dirtiest logs we ever had to deal with. They came from an I-4, U.S. Hwy 33 project. They were harvested with an excavator without much care given to the logs. Regardless, they are making some beautiful boards. Several of the logs had woodpecker holes. I saved one flitch with a hole because I thought it was cool.
I'll be guiding fish trips the next few days and we'll likely be sawing again Friday afternoon and Saturday.
My gosh man, you are working harder in retirement than I was working full time! You suck at this 'retirement' thing. ffcheesy You are doing it all wrong...I think.
I did not work real hard today. Yesterday was long, but not hard. I took three separate parties fishing in a brisk breeze and fished in five separate pits.
Retirement for me is getting used to not having my life and activities dictated by school bells. I have plenty to do to stay busy.
The sawing the past few days was not incredibly pleasant with the south winds we've been having. The sawdust was blowing right into my face, but at least it was cypress and other than having to shovel sawdust and clean out the stopped-up sawdust chute periodically, it was easy sawing. I disconnected the dust collector hose prior to sawing. Our 120v collector would have choked on this job.
I noticed that the drive belt would squeal a bit if I sawed too fast. We checked the belt tension, and it was low. It has been so long since we've had to adjust it, that neither of us remembered how. We got it figured out and I wrote directions that even a caveman can understand on the belt shield with a paint pen.
Dear Mr. Caveman Sir:
I'm elated to read that you have failed at retirement.
Carry on.
GAB
Quote from: Old Greenhorn on April 08, 2025, 09:39:42 PMMy gosh man, you are working harder in retirement than I was working full time! You suck at this 'retirement' thing. ffcheesy You are doing it all wrong...I think.
Yeah, a guy who goes by Magicman has a similar retirement schedule - though he claims to be slowing down...
A One Log Job. The Red Toolbox shows it @8,000+ pounds:
Yup, this one was a 37" butt & 30" top X 20' long Red Oak. Yes, the largest and heaviest log that I have ever sawn.....But.
I have sawn plenty of 20 footers and many over 36", even up to 46" but never one both this diameter and long plus being fresh felled Red Oak.....But.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0209.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358786)
It took the loader, log clamp with a Magic Hook, plus the backhoe FEL to boost that thing up onto the sawmill bed. It was actually 21' when we loaded it and then I bucked 8" off of the butt end.....But.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0210.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358788)
Don't it look mighty purdy up on the sawmil.....But.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0211~0.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358785)
Another view.....But.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0247.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358787)
After bucking the butt end off there were obviously two nails. The gun barreling has begun....but.
(Insert But and the Good and Bad here.) LINK (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=125873.0)
OK, back to sawing:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0248.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358791)
Gun barreling the log down. Notice the two blue spots on the far side.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0249.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358789)
This is the entire edging from the log so virtually no waste/loss. I was able to capture both nails within flitches without hitting either nail.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0250.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358790)
Nothing but 1 1/2" X 6's & 8's. I used two blades.
I had quoted a fixed amount for sawing the log so I did not scale the lumber.
But and the Good and Bad later. Right now there is supper plus a shower.
I was wondering if that is skill or just living right. prob. both and a little bit of God's grace and luck. :usa:
Where's the beef beam? :huh?
That was my first thought when I seen how big that log was, that it would be for cutting a beam. Impressive none the less. :thumbsup:
Helene damage, this is along the New River, a 4' butternut at the Wildlife Club. They need a new counter in the kitchen. 6' bar on the CSM. We stripped out the sprocket on the 3120. Tomorrow is another day.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10017/riverbutternut2.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358844)
4' butternut with a CSM - that'll keep you in shape!
I love butternut A CSM not so much
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/47685/1Sprucepanel.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358858)
Spruce. Got the spruce I had on deck sawed into natural edge paneling. Took some time to peel all the bark off, I've learned it's easier to do it now than after it's dried.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/47685/IMG_20250412_101310553.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358860)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/47685/2x4wPine.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358859)
White pine. Slowly but surely working my way through my big winter stockpile of white pine logs (reply #278). Like eating an elephant, one chewy bite at a time, nom-nom. ffcheesy
Trying to get at the best ones first for framing lumber, lots and lots of 2x4's. Also a few 2x6's and 2x8's, kind of going by what the log will best yield. I do enjoy sawing white pine, cuts like butter. Just got to remember not to grab the end of the log, or my glove will end up stuck like glue in the goo. ffcheesy
Those are some nice looking whacks. :thumbsup:
I am back to normal sawing:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0145.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358574)
There are three whacks, each having about a dozen logs, so;
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0281~1.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358861)
I set up on the closest one and will move the sawmill down as they are sawed. There are only two logs left in this whack. We sawed 5 hours (probably 1Mbf) and filled his trailer so we had to stop for the day. The landowner gave him the logs but the lumber must be moved away as it is sawed so it will probably take at least 3 days and maybe four to finish this. I can only work 3 days this week, so we may have to finish this next Monday.
My customer lives in Lake Charles, LA, so he had a long drive ahead of him and did not want to be overloaded. It's kind of a strange deal, but it is what it is.
Finally some good weather, and I did my first bit of milling for 2025! Turns out the last guy who used this mill left the tension on the blade (https://forestryforum.com/board/Smileys/alienine/smiley.gif) . First log it was dipping and rising all over the place. Rechecked the level on everything and then I put on a new blade hoping it was the issue, and it started smoking right away. A quick look at it and I realized the blade teeth were backwards, don't remember these Kasco's being inside out. Afterwards I was glad to see it cutting true. I don't think I used my mill for 6 months, last year was just too busy doing other unrelated projects.
I got through three logs, all red oak. Two made great 8x8x8' timbers for the future sawmill shed, the other log was just too small. I forgot how much waste milling creates. So I kinda stopped there and decided to work on a slab rack to turn the waste into firewood sized pieces. Just one of those run around all day type of days, but it felt good to get back into the process. Must have had close to 70lbs of sawdust.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/62608/20250414_095317.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358874)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/62608/20250414_192142.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358875)
Back at it tomorrow, need more timbers.
D87,
Yeah I hate it when "somebody" leaves the tension on the band and similar mistakes. I guess you just need to chastise "that guy" most severe for his mistake. ffcheesy
For this very reason I have considered hanging a big mirror on the wall next to the sawmill, so I have somebody to yell at. :wink_2:
LOL. I'm being chastised today by the rain.
"Someone" forgot to release the tension on mine recently as well...Can't get good help these days :wink_2:
Quote from: Old Greenhorn on April 15, 2025, 09:40:52 AMFor this very reason I have considered hanging a big mirror on the wall next to the sawmill, so I have somebody to yell at. :wink_2:
Or you can just hang a photo of Howard. :snowball: :uhoh:
Quote from: TimW on April 15, 2025, 01:16:56 PMQuote from: Old Greenhorn on April 15, 2025, 09:40:52 AMFor this very reason I have considered hanging a big mirror on the wall next to the sawmill, so I have somebody to yell at. :wink_2:
Or you can just hang a photo of Howard. :snowball: :uhoh:
I would not recommend that as it might just scare new potential customers away.
If that is your objective have at it.
GAB
Rain stopped so I built this firewood processing rack for the waste coming off the mill. Its just over 9ft long, 33 inches wide. In retrospect, I wish I built the verticals in the back up beefier so when I drop the waste off my forks it won't eventually break. It will definitely take a beating, maybe I'll mill some solid 2x4s for the back if I ever break it. The base is complete overkill.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/62608/20250415_133515.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358900)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/62608/20250415_133607.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358902)
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nice. does the saw bar and chain cut between the uprights? let us know how it works. is that 16-inch centers?
I built a similar rack a while back. Worked OK, just be ready for a deep pile of saw chips where you stand and cut.
Also seen one also where the rack was built to be lifted with loader forks, and secured with a chain. Then they could cut the slab wood to size, and dump the whole load in a trailer.
the cut wood will fall through on the ground and also then nice to pick the thing up to make it easier to get at the cut chunks of wood. mine supports the slabs at 16-inch interval, but it is open so I can adjust for knots or turns in the wood.
More sawing today and we should finish tomorrow.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0293.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358914)
Ain't skeered, I had to do another "scoot over" today to clear the blade guide on a "too big" Red Oak log.....but.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0294.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358913)
Yup, nails. Two here and two more making three blades trashed today. The customer then discarded all of the Oak logs, so it will be only SYP now.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0296.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358912)
I moved the sawmill down to the third (last) stack for tomorrow's sawing. The third log from the right on the bottom is Oak, so it will be discarded.
We have only counted boards and I have not done a bf tally but I am seeing over 3Mbf.
Quote from: doc henderson on April 15, 2025, 03:45:05 PMnice. does the saw bar and chain cut between the uprights? let us know how it works. is that 16-inch centers?
Yes exactly. Personally haven't tried it yet. I need to build a few firewood storage racks before I do.
I got the idea from this guy here...
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pFbZJJQMUYo
I used bigger wood so I didn't need that many concrete blocks. I was thinking maybe I could use a ratchet strap or ROK strap and maybe I can pick up each bundle without having to grab each individual piece. Then I can easily transfer it already organized, unstrap it, and it would stack nice and quick. Maybe.
Nice rack and concept. The question that struck me was unloading. Maybe your strap idea will work fine. Too bad it's a lot more work to make those front 'bar guides" so they could flop down after cutting so that unloading was easier. I'll be following on this to see how it works for you when you begin filling racks.
As I recall irregular shaped slabs made it kind of tricky too. As I would cut down through the stack they wanted to shift, or collapse any gaps between the pieces (had to watch to keep the saw bar from getting pinched).
I finally got my sycamore home. Both logs are 42" small end.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/14240/20250410_142556.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358911)
In the past I would just dump my waste into my fire pit which is 6'x4'. The problem is everything is 8' or bigger so you get overhang. Unless I build a bigger fire pit ffcheesy
I seriously hope this helps me centralize the waste so I can continue milling quickly, and when its time to party we got the biggest fire in the neighborhood.
Quote from: Resonator on April 15, 2025, 10:10:31 PMAs I recall irregular shaped slabs made it kind of tricky too. As I would cut down through the stack they wanted to shift, or collapse any gaps between the pieces (had to watch to keep the saw bar from getting pinched).
Maybe ratchet strap them before cutting? Then remove the entire bundle afterwards? I'm just spit balling, I hope it works, gotta get rid of it somehow.
Quote from: Daburner87 on April 15, 2025, 10:28:21 PM.......... and when its time to party we got the biggest fire in the neighborhood.
You gotta think bigger. None of our slabs go to the firepit, they feed the OWB all year round, but the fire pit down there is about 30' in diameter and we feed the pile all year. When party time comes in August we notify the county Fire Control and we have the Department Fire Chief at the party. ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy
we just burned off the Village tree trimming , leaf pile , also my sawdust/slab pile as all my Elm bark had to be burned today according to my Elm permit. Pile is about 30 ft wide by 75 ft deep
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/76444/Slab_Burn.jpg)
I made a slab rack similar to Daburners, but it was a pain to unload. Lately, I have a rack where slabs are piled. I keep them as neat as possible. Then they are banded. When I cut them up, I have a couple of pallets that the slab bundle is set on, that has uprights lagged to the sides. Then I cut the wood to length, on the pallets. This saves me from having to pick the wood up. I use a lot of the slabs in our bundled firewood, after I cut them to length I can just pick the pallet up, and bring it over to the bundling area.
All of this is dependent on having a loader and pallet forks, obviously.
You may find you need more "wiggle" room. the good news is that the uprights can be modified if needed. looks to be a good sturdy base. over time some of the parts may turn out to be sacrificial and need replaced. I just repaired part of my base. I do better to not stack full and then can shift slabs as needed. I cut between the crossbars and the wood can fall through for slabs, and log may tilt and stay on top. when the saw pulls slabs forward as mentioned, you may get in a bind. looks great and yes please let us know how it goes.
Quote from: Dave Shepard on April 15, 2025, 10:18:21 PMBoth logs are 42" small end.
Those will be interesting Dave. ffcool
Yeah, those are some healthy sycamore logs.
they look plenty big enough to quartersaw, and not as much twist as a few I have around here.
Definitely going to get q-sawn. I was on a crane rental when these came down. Didn't have the time to deal with them at the time. Then they showed up at the wood yard, too big to deal with. Their cracker couldn't even split the 18 to 24 inch limbs. The butt was even bigger, but I wasn't going to risk tramp metal.
Dave,
Quarter sawn into what?
Probably 4/4 or 5/4. That's what I've done in the past.
My customer called "calf rope" on this job this morning.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0302.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358923)
I have sawed through many jacketed bullets but never one with this thick of a jacket although it did have a lead core. It was .30 caliber. Notice that the jacket is rounded over and it destroyed the blade. After the nails yesterday, today, and then this, it was more than he could stand.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0303.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358922)
We left 16 logs including these 4 unsawed and partially sawed cants. I actually do not blame him for calling it quits so we did what coon hunters do to the fire when the hunt is over.
We did manage to saw 2394 bf in about 10 hours which included all of the setups, moving, and jaw jacking. All of this lumber will go toward building a new home.
I believe that I am now off until April 24th but if it rains, that job will be pushed to May 26th. I am down to 6 jobs in the schedule book but none are ready yet.
I can see some "nothing" in my future. ffsmiley
Well, you've earned that nothing, Magic👍😊
"Nothing" is hard to do.
I definitely have a hard time doing that. Even on Sundays.
In contrast to many of you, I am really good at "nothing". I'm pretty lazy at heart😊
It takes a while to adjust, then you get busy and have to adjust back the other way! :uhoh: zzzz_smiley ffwave ffcool ffsmiley ffcheesy
You folks need to study the inside of your eyelids for pin hole leaks.
Best done in a lean back chair.
That's close to doing nutting.
GAB
Today is a nothing day except upload some photos for you guys to look at.
This is my 1st portable job of the year.
I don't normally travel when there is snow as the calcium they put on the roads make these mills rust like the old Fords used to.
The second time I have milled for these guys. different guy's logs, but they are buddies and help each. I have to go to the next guys in June.
I really like how they just know, look at the stickers leaning against the pile waiting to Finnish the layer. These guys are always 1 step ahead of me.
It's great sawing for them ,probable the only people that I would like to saw by the BD. Ft. I'd make a bit more for sure. But they also are getting a good deal and it's a pleasure to saw for them.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13648/IMG_0517.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358857)
Day 1 above
Day 2 below Snow!
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13648/IMG_0522.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358856)(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13648/IMG_0523.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358855)
Notice the stickers waiting
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13648/IMG_0515.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358943)
I like it. Actually the only thing that I don't like about it is that it is all 1" lumber.
Maybe I have been spoiled by sawing framing lumber. :wacky:
I sawed a little 9-foot walnut, about 20 inches on the butt. It had a twin division at the other end, and we went for character wood at that end. This is Dr. Lairmore, retired orthopedic surgeon with a cnc for wood, and a vineyard and winery, and a huge telescope. he was able to get this log. flat sawn with 1.5-inch live edge slabs.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/51041/IMG_0149.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=358951)
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MM since we are threatened here with graded lumber , I get mostly 1" lumber. I did my porch and deck here at my home, I hired a grader, his stamp was gone by the time I used such lumber and the building inspector never asked for my letter or stamp. They just approved my structures of rough sawn lumber. The grader had said my lumber was t0o good, it was more in the range of #1 & 2 clear pine. He only rejected 3 2x6 out my pile.
It is that darn metric system! ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4304.JPG)
I put in a long hard day of it today. I took this starting picture after I had already cut one of the big tulip poplar log halves shown in the front of the mill. I sawed it and 9 more logs including the big 16' monster in the back. I was sawing on the little fellow next to it when I had a bearing seize and had to call it. I had already sawed the 2 logs behind it. We did not attempt to saw the one perpendicular to the mill at the end. We finished and tallied in the dark so no final picture. The tally was 1850 bf of mostly 4/4 (1X12's) and a good mix of 2X4s. This is the same customer I sawed 9K+ about 3 weeks ago. He already had a new barn framed up with some of that when I arrived but did not get a picture of it either, Brad. :wink_2:
Sawing the first log did a good job of shocking a big gobbler up in the woods above the hay field we were in. I suspect he could see us but we did not see him. The customer had his .222 with him and said a groundhog almost made it to the barn last week - almost. Turkey season starts Monday so that big gobbler might want to keep his mouth shut around that area.
The big monster in the back was a royal pain and killed most of the afternoon. My Magic hook got a good work out on all but the first big split log. I also had to use all the hydraulics including the loading arms to hold and turn the big logs. On the last one my power feed breaker started tripping so I suspected a bad motor or a bad bearing. I finished the monster log and a 12' then on the last 12' log the feed would frieze but not trip the breaker. I finished the log then threw that little one by the big guy on but just could not get the head to move so unloaded and called it a day. It was already almost 8:00 pm so I did not feel too bad.
Now I have to check and see if I can find a locked up CFB and replace it from the ones I have in stock. Round txrip was 107 miles and I got home at 10:00 pm.
Wow Sir, you are earning your beans for sure. What were the diameters of the logs that you are splitting? Just curious. :huh?
Good for you Howard, I am never fussy about getting home at 10pm. If I can not Finnish by 6 then I am coming back tomorrow and they can pay my reduced travel expense. Years ago I did a few late jobs, headlights on and such, I discovered it wasn't fun anymore.
Lynn,
Those log halves were in the 38" range. The 16' whole log was probably 36" or so. They weren't too bad except the last one. On the others I had to play with them to get the round side on the loader side or the claw did not work.
Stephen,
I did have to put my headlight on to do my tally. I understand but am opposite of you I guess and much prefer to finish and come home at the end of the day on these more distant jobs. This one was 53+ miles and I did not want to return. With yesterdays sawing and the 4 days last month this customer had over 10K bk sawed including some 21' beams. He and his help were great to work with/for. He can only saw on weekends and with today being Easter another trip was not advisable for 1-2 logs if we could help it.
Absolutely, the customer will generally be very helpful to avoid a $1+ per mile return trip.
Lynn,
Yeah I have never had a customer complain about providing whatever help he could when I had already explained his log was exceeding the design capacity of my mill up front.
While I am thinking about it the max cut height on my mill is 32" and the throat height is about 8.5" IIRC. I think your LT40 probably has a 36" cut height and about 10.5" throat so I should be able to cut/gunbarrel a log about 40" if it is narrow enough to fit between the roller guides and you should be able to start gunbarreling on one about 46".
When you add in a limb stub or a little sweep so the claw slides under instead of grabbing you have to get real creative to jockey them around - but that is why we do this, isn't it. ffcheesy
Last Wednesday Thursday 65 mi from home, 6600 bf of 1-1/4, 1", 6x6 and 8x8 0ut of 3 yr old pine and oak logs mostly 14 ft. Lots of heavy slabs. Boss had skid steer and the 2 helpers were great.
Yesterday boss and 2 helpers, repeat customer, 14-16 ft oak and YP 4-6 yrs old. Again heavy cuts all 1-1/8 random width to 16" 7:30-3:45 2540 bf. No machine, i helped with clamp chain and hook.
Why people wait 3-6 yrs after first call i can't figure.
Tomorrow 94 mi, 2 days of ash at a scout camp, got my sleeping bag and suitcase packed, 4:45 am departure.
After that will sleep several days and get ready for turkey hunting.
Yes Howard, you are on track with the dimensions, so we do what we do. 46-47" is about the largest that I have ever had on my sawmill. The only one that I remember being chainsaw split was a 56" Cypress butt log.
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Bolts to saw a few shingles from.
Because of the clamping arrangement on the shingle maker you will not get many pieces from the top row of shingle blanks. Save the not so pretty ones for leveling the mill legs, I find them to be very useful for that.
GAB
Those top ones are waste from the jig, I just covered the cracks in the stack in case it rains. I might set them sideways and make some pretty shims just because I can. ffsmiley
Today was a 5 hour job.
It was an hourly rate job in the customer's backyard in suburban Winston Salem. My customer was the only tail gunner and not used to the labor. He works hard in the refrigeration and HVAC business just not used to lifting 12 and 16' 2x10s.
Now that I mention it I'm not used to it either.
He had about 300 bdft of cedar logs up to 14" SED and about 800 or so bdft of pine. 2x4s and 2x10s were all we cut out of the pine.
Quote from: SawyerTed on April 23, 2025, 07:19:57 PMHe works hard in the refrigeration and HVAC business just not used to lifting 12 and 16' 2x10s.
Now that I mention it I'm not used to it either.
I love my dragback, I'm allergic to lifting. ffcheesy
Larry, yes the drag back is great and I was using it. But as you know, the boards have to get picked up and stacked with stickers in place eventually.
Yeah, handling green, wide 2X framing lumber all day will remind you you're not 20 anymore! I'm framing my barn with oak & maple because it's what I have most of clear and wide - cut/stack/sticker joists & rafters all day and you sleep well. :wink_2:
Framing with it now and it's still not light even though it's now air dried...
I can't imagine! I like swamping northern white cedar and spruce, although close grain spruce can be pretty durn heavy.
Well, a couple of days ago I took down a pretty large stick and the next thing I know I have plans to mill up lumber from it and build a small bridge across my creek. Since my manual mill s right there, doing it manually actually made more sense than trying to take the logs down to the LT50 and bring the lumber back, slower yes, but in the long run it will get done. I have nothing here to load logs with. First order of business was to buck the stem up and get the logs out of the swamp. Yesterday morning it looked like this.
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I bucked 2 12's and 2 10's out of it and got 3 of those out yesterday, but the butt log kicked my butt. I worked on that this morning and finally got it out but geez, what a job! So now it looks like this:
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Next step was to go over the mill and fire it up. oil good and still had gas in it from 3 years ago. I lubed up a bunch of stuff. It fired on the second pull. ffcheesy I put some water in the lube jug.
I had a 4' ash log on the mill from doing a demo a few years back, so I had to finish that off before going any further. I took 3 x 9/4 slabs off of it and 1 8/4 slab. Benches or tables I guess.
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I did notice a fuel drip from somewhere near the carb on the engine, so I will have to pull the cowling and figure out what is going on there before getting into the real work.
The next log up is going to max out the mill and just t be safe, I have to do a little more bibbying on the butt flares before I roll it up, assuming I can i fact find the leg muscles to roll it up. I may have to call a friend. I am hoping I can get five 6x6's x 12' out of this butt log.
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As I said, it max's out my mill at 28" or so. I know I may have some wane in a few pieces but that's ok, they are bridge stringers. So assuming I can get at least 5 good ones, then I just have to mill the other 3 logs into 2x10's (or wider) for the decking.
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They only need to be about 8' long or whatever I settle on the the bridge width. The logs are currently bucked at 10 and 12' and I will buck them again after I cut the stringers and see how that all lays out. The nice thing about having the mill 15 feet away from where you are building is that you can mill and make changes as you go along. :wink_2:
It was nice to get my little mill running and making wood today, first time in a long time. I used the 4° blade I had on there from 4 years ago and it still cuts as flat as a billiard table, rust and all. ffcheesy
Tomorrow looks to be a rainout and I can let my back and legs recover. Big difference between my manual Hud-son mill and the LT50, but it's good to get back to my roots a little bit.
hard to tell in the picture, but what kind of valley are we taking side to side. I wish I lived closer. looks kind of flat, but something needs to keep the water in. any old tele poles around with a little treatment on board? have you put a string across?
It's about a 2" drop below grade and really about 8' across that jump, but I am going with 12' stringers for now just to be well clear on the edges. Yeah, the photo really gives you no idea. When I start working on it I will have an 'end view' that should show it better, but of course, y'all have no idea what the water depth is. Water is down now and only 10" or so deep with 6' of muck below that. Top of the water is about 14" below grade today.
Edit to add: I did lay a stiff tape across and said to myself "yeah, I'll start with 12' stringers and that will be plenty safe". Also, yes I have some PT 6x6's I am digging in for footer to lay the stringers on top of.
glad the old faithful mill got some exercise. thanks for the info.
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Making progress working through my stack of pitchy, pitchy, pine. One good thing the warmer weather is helping the bark peel more cleanly. :sunny:
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Starting to think I should jack my mill up a foot or two. The chute just keeps draggin' in the sawdust pile. ffcheesy
Naw, just put the chute in transport position!
Quote from: Resonator on May 01, 2025, 01:52:09 PMMaking progress working through my stack of pitchy, pitchy, pine.
That is a very professional operation. :thumbsup: ffcool
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A good habit is to shovel the sawdust away after every log. The sawdust went all of the way around the Pine tree in the center. Makes the scoop look small.
This was after sawing 35Mft. ffsmiley
Yup, usually I keep the sawdust pile in check. I have my mill area set up so I can drive my tractor around behind the mill, and load out with the bucket. Currently it is down for unexpected repairs, so things got kinda deep. :uhoh:
I did dig the pile back after I took that pic, found snow still frozen underneath it. ffcheesy
I found snow under sawdust this spring also - goes to show how good an insulator it can be.
Quote from: jpassardi on May 02, 2025, 11:00:24 AMI found snow under sawdust this spring also - goes to show how good an insulator it can be.
We used to find it in July at the big mill. If a bunch slid off the roof, it would get covered up in the corse of the winter as we had a blower pipe out there from the gangsaws. In a big mill, you always had new guys, and they were always stunned when they would get ambushed by snowballs from the long timers. :)
In my area of New England, the "icehouses" had wall cavities filled with sawdust as "insulation" to keep the ice cold.
When an icehouse burned it was usually a big fire.
Jim Rogers
Ice houses here in NC used to use sawdust to hold ice into summer.
Usually the ice was cut in the north and delivered by ships during winter. Later rail cars were used to ship ice.
Iceboxes were a thing here of course.
Even on Portsmouth, where there was never electricity much less mechanical refrigeration, the walls of the ice houses were packed with sawdust. The buy boats brought ice when they bought the seafood from the residents.
Kids used to sneak a chip of ice but had to wait until the sawdust melted off of they got a mouthful.
The "Ice Man" made his regular delivery to us, probably once per week. The ice was packed in sawdust on the truck. We had an "ice box" in the house.
He backed his truck over our reel lawn mower while turning around so after that our grass was cut with a sling blade. The very small fenced yard was the only place that the cows did not mow.
We had no "trickalicity nor frigerator" until after I was 7 years old, no TV until I was 16, and never had a phone. It was sorta funny that when I went to work with the phone company when I was 19, I had never had a phone.
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I cut some red oak today. It's for a couple of tables that I have been asked to make for the people I'm trimming a house for. A 5' x 10' dining room table and a 5' x 7' oval for the outside kitchen. These trees came from the property they are building a house on. I told her I would send her pictures as it went along so she could put the story together.
Nice clear RO there Arnold! That is gonna make some pretty wood for sure. Lucky customers you've got there.
All this talk of ice houses got me thinking about the industry here, and it was a full blown industry. The Hudson river would freeze over in the winter and hundreds of folks were employed cutting, moving, and storing ice for the following year. Along the river were many ice houses built in balloon construction up to three or more stories with no floors and the 2x2x4' block were stacked as high as they could get them with layers of sawdust (from the sawmills) covering every layer. These were huge stacks of ice and all year long it was shipped down the Hudson on barges to supply NYC for all their needs. It was a major employer and industry. You can still find ice saws all over in antique shops, barns and other place. Most folks don't even know what they are and think they are wood saws.
The 'problem' was that the sawdust would fall off the ice as it was removed for transport and would build up in these huge buildings. Eventually all of those ice houses burned to the ground. Often they were rebuilt until the industry died out. We had a series of those major industries that came, became big for a few decades, the faded away as technology changed. Bluestone, tanning, chair making, farming, all came and went.
My great great grandfather Lanoue had an icehouse on the Republican River north of Concordia. there was a pic of him in the foreground on one side of the river, with the Icehouse on the other side. He, it turns out, is standing in a patch of marijuana. It was supposedly (I never saw it but, in that pic,) insulated with cork. It also burned and they said it took weeks for the fire to go completely out.
Back in my building days I tore down the interior of an old icehouse with 20-foot concrete walls and rebuilt it into a warehouse. The ice making vat was under the floor and intact, we had to cut through two steel walls sandwiching in a foot thick layer of saw dust. It was an ammonia freezer, how it worked I could not tell you, however we managed to catch the saw dust on fire with the cutting torch. 100-year-old packed saw dust, it smoldered until we manage to pump enough water into the dust. Under the floor of the office area we found glass pint creme bottles, give away ice picks, and cashed paychecks from the 1920's. If I remember correctly (not always accurate) the foreman received $18 a week and laborers from $8 to $12. Not a 40-hour week either.
It was a journey into the past for me, particularly when a friend told me about going to the icehouse in the 50's with his grandfather to get a water keg filled with ice to cool his beer for the day, the old man was an oil field gauge reader and drove around all day drinking beer and reading those gauges. I gave my friend some of the icepicks and he displayed them at the old home place; they were imprinted with "Livingston Icehouse" and he told stories about his trips with his grandfather.
Different ice story but it was brought to mind.
Been getting some orders off of Facebook Marketplace.
Trenching timbers for a drainage company 2.25x12x14s
Been holding Full size 1x10x8s for 20 months. A customer no showed me on the order. They are selling now, a handful at a time.
Also a new customer wanting cedar first cuts for deco replacement on a South Texas ranch.
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A few bundles of shingles I coated with Tung oil, ready to haul up to the cabin and put up.
I had a pretty good evening sawed some ERC for trim around the shingles. Going to put the shingle jig back on tomorrow and finish that project for now.
That Republican River Doc mentions flowed about a half of a mile South of the house I grew up in, South central part of Nebraska.
ffsmiley
Quote from: TimW on May 02, 2025, 10:44:39 PMBeen getting some orders off of Facebook Marketplace.
Trenching timbers for a drainage company 2.25x12x14s
I assume they're using it for lagging between soldier piles and not vertical wood sheeting? Rare to see vertical wood used these days as opposed to trench boxes or hydraulic shoring.
I have no idea how they are using them.
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This is a white oak log about 32" in diameter. The other end has 1 pith, this end has 2. If I was to RRQS this log, I would want to orient the 2 piths horizontal to keep them in the same slab/ board. Is this right or am I off base with my thinking ?
Just got rained out but was sawing trailer decking from white oak logs. Two trees the guy cut split in two when they hit the ground. So I had the challenge of sawing the halves into 1.5"x6" or 1.5" x8 " trailer decking. The logs were 10' and 12' with one 16' mixed in.
I didn't get photos today but will get some on Monday. Rough measure of the board feet is around 1M in 4.5 hours.
Today was probably my most pleasurable mobile job with the LT50. No metal in logs and no boneheaded sawyer errors. I've had two or three kind of rough days of sawing recently.
Quote from: trimguy on May 03, 2025, 03:22:23 PMIf I was to RRQS this log, I would want to orient the 2 piths horizontal to keep them in the same slab/ board. Is this right or am I off base with my thinking ?
Quite frankly I would not RRQS that log because you have a shot at hitting the rays with 5-6 cuts as it lays. Once you turn it, I doubt that you will be ray productive above the crotch, so probably no more than half the length of the log.
It will be interesting to see what others say.
I would do as some others do and mark it. to add to MM, It is more of a square log than round, and most of the log can be sawn in one plane for very wide boards. the crayon can help see lines perpendicular to the growth rings.
I think if you cut it with the twin pith it is anyone's guess. I might roll it up 90 degrees saw through.
The other end of the log will indicate how to saw it more than the end with the two stems. The two stems confuse the grain so what's happening on this end likely is different on the other.
I see what MM is saying regarding the vertical checking in the middle, unless you see similar on the other end, the rays may change orientation due to the two piths.
Compare the ends.
It may or may not give good 1/4 sawn wood with the 2 piths, but if it were me, this is what I would do.
I would set up the log as it is in the pic, with the two piths horizontal side by side. I would draw a plumb line through the single pith on the one end, and a plumb line between the two piths on the other. Chainsaw it in half, and plan to cut away the wood between the piths on the mill. This way making it similar to a normal single pith log in 2 halves.
Then do the usual RRQS techniques. Level the pit, follow the fine cracks radiating out in the end grain, try for cuts 90* to the growth rings, and "read" the cut faces as you go.
Thank you everyone for your responses.
I know it was not a very good candidate for RRQS , But it was large enough to give it a try.
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This is how I ended up cutting it. Disregard the red lines.
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Due to more knots than Anticipated, I had to take an extra slab out of the middle. This cut my top third and bottom third down to 7 inches.
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I did get some ray fleck, but it faded in and out because of the way the grain ran.
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So this is what I ended up with. Four slabs 26 inches wide and the rest is 7 inches wide, all 2 1/2 inches thick. This was a log I picked up on the side of the road from the hurricane, I'm not sure what made me think. It was white out when I picked it up, obviously I was wrong.
It is really nice-looking wood despite all our advice. ffsmiley should make great stuff.
Water under the bridge, but if you look how the growth rings follow the top red line in your picture, they are fairly straight nearly across the whole log. Almost rectangular. I would have considered rotating 90 degrees and sawing through. not sure how much flec you would get on the round end. or you could have based it on the other end and lost it on the twin end.
Photos from Saturday's mobile job. I went back and finished up in about an hour. Turned out 1464 board feet after this morning's sawing.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48503/IMG_3748.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359159)
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Nice stack of RO is it? - and some vertical sawn fleck as well. :thumbsup:
It was white oak. Very green white oak. Heavy, very heavy. I started sawing 2x6 and the customer asked for some 2x8. I cut maybe 5 or 6 and he said 2x6 was heavy enough!
It appears much like red oak because it was soaking wet from rain Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning early and a heavy dew this morning.
Doc, I took the slabs out with the black lines, ( lines show 3 , I took 4 ) and then I stood the top 1/3 and bottom 1/3 up to cut across the growth rings. This is what yielded my 7" wide boards. I thought this way I wouldn't have the pith in so many pieces. I centered the horizontal line on 2 piths with the single pith on the other end when I gun barreled it. If you look at the top boards on the stack , the grain definitely is not straight, this log had more issues than just the pith. The bark seemed a lot thicker on one side for some reason. Also, im sure someone with more experience could have done a better job, but it was good practice.
I think you did a great job, and not at all sure I could have done better. Just not sure I made myself clear the first go round so took another stab at it. really fine job. :thumbsup:
Today was a quick cedar job for a repeat customer.
He has me saw every few weeks and wants 90% live edge material.
Today I cut 1 mantle, 1 6x6, 1 4x4 and the rest of the trailer load was live edge 5/4 material
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I think sawing cedar live edge is the most enjoyable sawing there is.
Cedar is fun if just plain sawing and not trying to make anything specific. Being able to work around (or just include) bark inclusions and other defects (like rot and black ants) helps. Here a cedar log 16" that doesn't have at least one problem is rare.
There are two species that I consider more"fun".
Tulip Poplar and cherry are my favorite. A good sized poplar is as good as it gets for sawing fun. Sawing can be relatively fast and flat and the lumber isn't too heavy.
Yeah, trying to figure out cuts with all the indentions have is time comsuming. I don't work around black ants. They get a drink of Acetone.
Quite often, ERC is a species that I saw hourly rather than bf.
Not so when I finish a nice job and think that I am through when he says "I have a few Cedar logs out behind the barn that I want sawed". :uhoh:
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I had just finished sawing 4328 bf of framing lumber so I was certainly not gonna scale and charge for this. Sometimes a bit of Goodwill goes a long way.
I took off last week for a trip to Fl/Al for my mom's 95th BD and a school reunion (multi-class) which they combined. I think Mom was the oldest grad there this year.
I had replaced my feed motor before I left due to problems discussed in my last thread but did not have time to test it so today I got out and cut about a 22-24 inch diameter poplar up in my pastures. I bucked a couple of 8's and a couple of 17's and dragged them down with my tractor, moved the mill out to my pasture and got set up to saw.
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The second cut is on the loading arms (18" SED) and the butt log is next to it and a couple of uppers in the background with my LogRite. I sawed the first log and got 131 bf from it. Int'l 1/4 estimate is 110 bf for that size so decent yield. Mostly 1X12's.
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Here is the rough stack. Decent boards but the mill is still sick. The feed is erratic/jerky.
I checked the drum switch and one leg looked bent and another was loose so I replaced it with my spare.
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When I got the new one on the jerky feed was still there. I called Chris at WM Electrical and he was pretty sure of the part required so I ordered it and another spare drum switch. All the wires inside the box looked good so not something as simple as a loose or broken wire.
Before I say what the part is I will see what the consensus of you guys is as to what the part causing the problems.
If you've have and fixed similar problems what was the part/repairs required
I have no idea what your issue is but the only time that I have ever had a jerky power feed the problem has been the potentiometer, the drive belt slipping, a bad bearing in a power feed sprocket, or a cam follower.
I realize that the above covers a lot of territory, but troubleshooting will eliminate the good until you zero in on the bad. I have never had to replace the power feed circuit board nor either drum switch. (fingers crossed)
Quote from: Magicman on May 06, 2025, 05:45:58 PMQuite often, ERC is a species that I saw hourly rather then bf.
"I have a few Cedar logs out behind the barn that I want sawed". :uhoh:
I imagine we've all done the "since you are here with the mill, will you saw ______"
I spent about 5 hours recently sawing big white oaks for a friend and repeat customer. We cut mostly 5/4 boards for outdoor table tops.
He had a big round that he said another friend wanted to make a table out of.
I was just finished put the mill in travel configuration and the friend showed up. He was explaining how he would have to use a chainsaw to cut the big cookie he wanted.
I set the mill back up, as you know it takes 10-15 minutes. I cut the cookie to his specifications. He asked what he owed and I told him no charge.
A few days later I got a very substantial gift card in the mail for one of the steak places in Winston-Salem. The nice note said he couldn't have cut it as well as I did. The gift card was way more than I would have charged.
Lynn,
What is another name for the Potentiometer? I don't see it listed in my manual under the control box items. Any idea what WM calls it?
I checked the rollers and they roll freely. I checked all the CFBs I could find and they seem to roll freely so I don't know of any other bearings that coul dbe the problem.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on May 06, 2025, 07:29:44 PMWhat is another name for the Potentiometer?
In my parts book it is Item VR1 which is described as; Potentiometer, Variable Resistance Power Feed. (024450-1 which may not be the current part#)
It has the knob that you turn to vary the power feed speed.
rheostat or variable resistor, may be a close fit
Lynn,
Sounds like the part I ordered. They called it a speed controller.
Thanks for the confirmation.
WV, just something to try if you still have your mill out and set up, try to saw while gently pulling out on the potentiometer's knob. I've read that removing the knob and placing an 0ring behind it to keep tension on it may improve its function. We ordered a new one for our mill several months ago due to similar performance. So far, ours has been working right lately and we have deduced ours may be related to moisture or poor electrical connections somewhere.
Thanks for the tip. When I bought the feed motor a couple weeks ago they first had me tap the knob and yesterday Chris had me adjust the speed to see if the jerky performance. It just jerked faster. Did not seem to do it in reverse.
I'm sort of feeling like the Johnny Cash One Part at a Time song only mine aren't free like his were. I don't feel too bad on the motor as it had high hours and I don't think these other problems would have caused the breaker to trip like it was doing. The drum switch sure looked like it was ready to be replaced.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on May 07, 2025, 10:09:54 AMThe drum switch sure looked like it was ready to be replaced.
Mine "look" like they need replacing. Several of the contacts are completely worn off and the spring fingers are making the contact. They have been fairly well regularly greased but heck, they are 27 years old with probably 20-25K run hours.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on May 06, 2025, 05:57:10 PMWhen I got the new one on the jerky feed was still there. I called Chris at WM Electrical and he was pretty sure of the part required so I ordered it and another spare drum switch. All the wires inside the box looked good so not something as simple as a loose or broken wire.
Before I say what the part is I will see what the consensus of you guys is as to what the part causing the problems.
If you've have and fixed similar problems what was the part/repairs required
The pot *can certainly cause 'jerky' control of the variable speed motor. Going out on a limb, I would say it is not normal that jerky speed will be exhibited at
all positions of the pot. It could happen, just not how the pot usually fails. The pot can be tested fairly easily and accurately with an *analog type MM.
Last few pots from WoodMizer have been less than satisfactory. Little or no *ramp and too much free movement, not enough friction to HOLD the setting. I bought a spare and one to replace the original faulty pot. Both new ones required ICB pot trim adjustments and artificial friction for the pot shaft. The new pots had enough play in the shafts to create stutter in motor control by simply pressing the knob sideways.
Some time back I discovered a
cold solder joint on the motor ICB control board. Struggled along for quite some time with the saw-head going forward full bore occasionally. Bad outcomes when that happens during sawing. Any intermittent in the wiring connections of control devices of the variable speed can create jerky or stutter motor performance.
Ben,
I am fluent in southern English, conversant in British and Australian English, can read and understand a little Arabic and French but I can't decipher what you said above but thanks anyway for trying :thumbsup: .
Does anyone know the resistance value on the potentiometer/speed control?
I do not but assume it is variable all the from 0 to max (off) ohms. ffsmiley
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on May 07, 2025, 10:09:54 AMDid not seem to do it in reverse.
There is no "control" in reverse because in reverse the motor is fully powered through the drum switch.
Quote from: SawyerTed on May 07, 2025, 05:49:46 PMDoes anyone know the resistance value on the potentiometer/speed control?
Ted, I measured but I have forgotten. I actually ordered and received a couple of "wire wound" pots to trial as replacements but like everything else....aroundtoit. Maybe I will remember to remeasure tomorrow, but I am knee deep in a Club Car engine, so sorta distracted right now.
Ben's reply above was spot on. The sweet spot (speed) that we most often use will wear away first causing the jerkiness/erratic head movement.
I looked at 8 logs this evening, but only 3 (green paint) of them will saw. Hickory. I don't remember ever sawing fresh felled Hickory. He wants 1" lumber.
I would suspect that it will be twisty and similar to Pecan which is the smiley_devil devil wood so I kinda have my doubts whether this guy will get any usable lumber, but we shall see.
I plan to saw those 3 logs but I'll wait until we finish before I say anything about the sawing charge. It will probably be $50 bucks which will cover my fuel and blade. I am curious and want to saw it just for the heck of it.
Hopefully the weather will hold and I can saw it next week.
Quote from: doc henderson on May 07, 2025, 06:26:30 PMI do not but assume it is variable all the from 0 to max (off) ohms. ffsmiley
Doc, the 0 to max ohm range matters due to the sensitivity of the adjustment.
If 500 ohms is required to drop the control voltage to zero, a 500 ohm potentiometer will give better speed control than a 1000 ohm potentiometer (using only half the rotation).
The replacement parts appear to be common linear potentiometers.
Well, I learned a lesson today. When ordering parts from WM if you have one part that is critical and just need others for resupply or back-up be sure to tell the WM rep. I ordered the speed controller 3 days ago and a spare drum switch. I kept watching my e-mails and no Shipped notice so today I called and found they had been holding up the order waiting for the drum switch. The speed controller has me shut down but the drum switch is just for a spare.
I told them ship the controller now and the drum switch whenever it gets in.
Lesson Learned - if you absolutely need a particular part and are ordering others also be sure to tell the WM rep not to wait on the nice to have parts. This mistake has cost me from 3-6 days because if it doesn't get here tomorrow I won't see it before Monday.
I can't fault the WM rep. I am sure they were just saving me shipping costs. I should have been crystal clear when I placed the order.
True that. We live and learn.
11, eleven hours and 3,600 plus board feet of white oak and hickory 5/4 random widths.
The bulk was nice white oak 8' to 10' long 16" to 38" diameter. For 8 hours we plowed through the white oak, three logs were quarter sawn.
Then the hickory was three hours of sawing pain in the a€€. Most were shorts and some would have been excellent for BBQ. We persevered and ended with the final log making two mantles.
I was d.o.n.e. It was one of those jobs that just when you think you are finished here comes the customer with more logs on the CTL forks.
The positives were 1. The customer rented a CTL for the job. 2. The tail gunner was nearly the hardest working woman (customer's wife) I've seen. She was smart, knew how to lift and carry. I was impressed.
Ted, what were the issues with the Hickory? If everything comes together I will be sawing my first ever fresh felled Hickory Wednesday.
I looked at it and already culled the 5 that had limbs/knotty that I know from sawing Pecan will do bad things. I only approved the 3 for sawing that were clear and straight.
Lynn, the hickory wasn't necessarily the problem, the "logs" were too short to fit between the hydraulic back stops. Some of the longer ones were better suited to BBQ wood. The customer wanted them cut so I cut them.
The sawing itself wast too bad, I had a box of 4 degree double hard blades for this job. I used 4.
Ted,
I had a customer bring me a bunch of big 4' long RO logs and of course they were too short to fit on/between my 5' wide loading arms so I took 2- 6' long 1/4" chains with hooks on each end and laid fastened the chains across the gap on the loading arms to make a cradle. I'd roll the logs on top of the chains and lift and it worked fine. These were big enough not to fall in the gap between the arms and the mill when lifted.
Lynn,
I have not sawed pecan but think you'll find it the same. I find hickory to be sappy wood so use plenty of lube. What I have sawed was also bad to split to don't be surprised if you find that is a problem. Good luck with it.
Howard, yes loading those shorts can be aggravating. We just cut a couple of cull boards to lay across the arms before loading the log on the arms. A couple I chained, a few were just loaded with the CTL.
Loading wasn't as much the issue as the constant adjusting the manual back stops and rotating the short cants. As you know those manual stops sometimes fold down as a cant is rotated.
My tail gunner was quick to catch on to the manual stops so she reduced the number of times I had to walk back and forth.
I have the manual back stops hooked to the hydraulics, it is a nice option!. I have always used boards for the short logs but will try the chains next time.
OK, since I have already culled what I deemed as unsatisfactory,and will only saw three of these logs, I'll be OK. (There were limbs and hollow spots/centers in the others.)
There are no expectations for this lumber and it will be virtually a Goodwill job anyway, so I am looking forward to it.
As a side note; I added the hydraulic kit to my manual side supports a couple of years ago and wonder why I did not do it sooner. That kit was/is well worth the $500, not just for shorts but also for crooked and otherwise misshapen logs. ffsmiley
I don't think the option is available for powering the manual stops with hydraulic vertical stops.
It's rare that I do short logs. I try to dissuade customers from cutting them short in the first place and try to discourage sawing them into lumber.
Most times someone wants this chunk of grandma's walnut tree cut saved from the tree service when uncle clement had it cut down. That is like most short log jobs.
Every once in a while the manual stops get used on live edge because the pieces roll off the rollers on the hydraulic stops.
When I bought my mill I added the extra back stops as an option. I think these are the same as what you are calling your manual back stops. Mine are all hooked together and raise and lower by the hydraulics. They should not be an option - they should be standard as they are critical for short stuff.
I have used the short sacrificial board or waste slab as Ted describes for a one off short log but if you have a bunch the chains/cradles works great.
I saw plenty of short logs. Just have to plan to have it supported with a board underneath, possibly a board against the back stops, and clamped securely. It's more "hands-on" kind of work, so I'd recommend billing by the hour for those.
I have hydraulic vertical backstops on my 70 super and manual ones for short logs. Usually pays to pull out one of the 8' 4x4s i carry and put that on the bed, as a fence, behind the hydraulic stops, rather than using the manual stops. After 3 turns, usually with out having to walk down, lift the 4x4 off off swing round and toss it alongside the sawdust pile.
Quote from: Magicman on May 10, 2025, 10:28:15 PMIf everything comes together I will be sawing my first ever fresh felled Hickory Wednesday.
Well that will not happen. My customer works in the West Texas "Oil Patch" and was called back to work next week, so the Hickory will wait and we will saw when we saw.
My next sawing is scheduled to begin mid-day Friday the 16th.
Lynn,
I'm a bit late to the party on your hickory question but I suspect your experience with pecan will be relatable. (I never milled pecan.) As I'm sure you plan to: remove any juvenile wood so he doesn't end up with propellers. Assuming you don't have a debarker- hopefully he didn't drag them through the dirt as the bark is hard a nails and unpeel able... I found that the cambium tends to stick to blades so a bit more diesel drip was required.
Personally I like hickory - for firewood ffcheesy
Yes, I have the Debarker but these logs were moved with a FEL/Grapple so they are clean.
I reckon it really doesn't matter anyway because the customer is now in the Oil Patch in West Texas and I have no idea when or whether they will be sawed. :uhoh:
I'm not sawing yet but I finally have my parts on the way today that I ordered a week ago today. I called today to check on them, again, and found they were still waiting on the spare drum switch after I had told them at least 4 times to ship the speed controller/potentiometer immediately as it had me shut down and the other was a spare. Evidently there was still no update on my record.
I called Joe in NC and got his voice mail. Called Marty in PA and he did not have one. Called GA and he had both so I ordered from them and they are already on the way. BTW - they cost $25 less, maybe the shipping is less from GA to here. I called Indy and cancelled from them. From now on I will remember to order from the branch offices as they can be and are more responsive.
I used to get same day shipping from Indy if I ordered before noon but since Covid hit things just seem to take longer.
Anyway hopefully that is the problem. I should know this week when the part gets here.
Howard, I hate hearing about the ball being dropped. I'm sure it's frustrating.
The ASCs seem to get things right the first time.
Try to get WM to Fed Ex it overnight at their expense.
Quote from: Magicman on May 11, 2025, 05:04:03 PMMy next sawing is scheduled to begin mid-day Friday the 16th.
Well, this one is postponed too. My customer called and his Brother in Law Robert was a drowning victim today. No details yet but he was catfishing on the Mississippi River today and either accidentally fell out of the boat or had a heart attack and fell out. Robert was also a two time sawing customer of mine.
That's horrible. Sorry to hear about that, Magic.
That is terrible. Life can change in an instant and it's easy to take it for granted.
With the big ice storm we had up here, lots of calls and jobs coming in. Im booking into June now!
He dropped off 2 butternut logs and a a pear log a customer dropped off last week . I used to tell people to save their money, but not so much anymore, its what I do and its what they want so I Saw and Dry their wood(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13648/IMG_0587.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359273)
Quote from: TimW on May 13, 2025, 06:56:21 PMTry to get WM to Fed Ex it overnight at their expense.
Tim,
The cost for shipping is not the problem. The lost work and angry/upset customers and damage to my credibility is the problem.
It was shipped yesterday from Atlanta and scheduled to be here tomorrow.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on May 14, 2025, 08:58:09 AMQuote from: TimW on May 13, 2025, 06:56:21 PMTry to get WM to Fed Ex it overnight at their expense.
Tim,
The cost for shipping is not the problem. The lost work and angry/upset customers and damage to my credibility is the problem.
It was shipped yesterday from Atlanta and scheduled to be here tomorrow.
When issues with parts not coming in on time happened to me, I'd tell the customers that the mill was broke down and that the delay was "beyond my control".
Jim Rogers
Jim,
I understand and most of my customers do. I keep a pretty good selection of common parts that can be expected to break or fail but there are limits. I remember one lady who seemed critical when my alternator belt broke and I was shut down about half an hour while I replaced it. She wanted to be sure she was not getting billed for the breakdown time - which she was not. I remember thinking then "What is the chance she has a spare alternator belt for her car?" as I did have one for my mill and was back in operation soon.
She was also like Jake's customers and asked me if I gave a Veteran's discount as she and her husband had both served a hitch in the Air Force. Sorry lady but I had more time in the Corps than both of you together had in the Air Force.
When someone would ask me for some type of discount, I'd say: "my prices are lower than most others doing the same thing. That's why you're here already." "Because if you could have got it cheaper or sooner someplace else, you'd be there, not here. No discounts on this, sorry."
Jim Rogers
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on May 14, 2025, 08:58:09 AMQuote from: TimW on May 13, 2025, 06:56:21 PMTry to get WM to Fed Ex it overnight at their expense.
Tim,
The cost for shipping is not the problem. The lost work and angry/upset customers and damage to my credibility is the problem.
It was shipped yesterday from Atlanta and scheduled to be here tomorrow.
Howard,
I can relate to that, what with all my sawmill problems in the last two years. I have lost customers over it all.
Quote from: Magicman on May 13, 2025, 07:19:38 PMQuote from: Magicman on May 11, 2025, 05:04:03 PMMy next sawing is scheduled to begin mid-day Friday the 16th.
Well, this one is postponed too. My customer called and his Brother in Law Robert was a drowning victim today. No details yet but he was catfishing on the Mississippi River today and either accidentally fell out of the boat or had a heart attack and fell out. Robert was also a two time sawing customer of mine.
An update on my friend, Robert, that lost his life on the Mississippi River Tuesday: He had come in to the landing and apparently mis-tied his boat. The boat came loose and he attempted to swim to the boat but the river current was too strong for him to reach the boat. By then he was too far out and was unable to overcome the river current and swim back to the bank. I am sure that the life jackets were in the boat (highly enforced law) so he was not wearing one.
Lynn, when I saw the original post about postponement, I thought rain.
So sorry about losing your friend and very sorry to hear the circumstances.
My condolences Lynn.
Sorry for your loss, Lynn. I don't even like to get out on my pond when I am alone.
Lynn,
Sorry to hear about your friend.
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Well, the good news is my order from WM GA came today and I put the part on my mill immediately. The bad news that did not fix my problem. I still have the jerky feed. I sawed up this 8' poplar log and got 129 bf of 4/4 boards out of it but I am still chasing a gremlin. The only other thing I can think of is that it is a bearing but I had removed the pressure from the ones that seem to affect the travel along the track and they all seem to be rolling normally. I will check again in the morning.
Any suggestions on how and where to start will will be welcomed.
Rolling by hand without the weight of the head may not be enough. I would replace the cam followers one at the time and get that behind me.
Quote from: Magicman on May 06, 2025, 06:12:28 PMI have no idea what your issue is but the only time that I have ever had a jerky power feed the problem has been the potentiometer, the drive belt slipping, a bad bearing in a power feed sprocket, or a cam follower.
I realize that the above covers a lot of territory, but troubleshooting will eliminate the good until you zero in on the bad. I have never had to replace the power feed circuit board nor either drum switch. (fingers crossed)
I had to go back and review what I thought your problem might be. You have eliminated the potentiometer so on down the list.
There's not many more components in the feed system. The potentiometer, the motor, the belt, pulleys, cam followers, sprockets and chain. Down the list is the H bridge but that doesn't usually give intermittent issues. It is or isn't working.
If it's not cam followers, I'm thinking a connection somewhere might be loose.
You should be able to detect a cam follower by removing the drive belt and rolling the head by hand. It should roll easily and smoothly.
I am only assuming that the power feed is sorta like the LT40 with a chain & sprockets. A "too tight" chain will kill the sprocket bearing. Better too loose than too tight.
We went to a job yesterday, 1.5 hrs away, in the bush, lots of black flies and no heaver equipment. I brought 2 helpers with me and the owner was there. We got thru have the wack of logs , RO and some large one ones, 24" small ends. I did some quarter sawing on the large logs, using the 1/3 method. It works great on portable jobs. about 1500 bd ft with 6 hrs of sawing. We are going back Tuesday after the long weekend to Finnish up. It was a rain day today.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13648/IMG_0601.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359316)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13648/IMG_0602.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359318)(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13648/IMG_0600.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359317)
That is a nice whack-o-logs. :thumbsup:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6421.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=355182)
I also see that you build a corral around the hitch with your fenders which is what I have been doing for years. :thumbsup:
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Boy is my face red! I had anther epiphany last night (that's 2 in one week and may be a record) that the jerky forward movement on my mill was totally consistent with a belt slipping. I know another forum member mentioned that at the start of my issues but I told him I had checked my belt and it looked good. I had and it did. I don't want to call any names because if I remember correctly it would give him a swelled up head and ruin his birthday party tomorrow at the Grey Fox thingee.
Anyway I took the feed belt off and sprayed it down with WD40 as a belt dressing hoping its would soften it and make it grab better. It softened it but if anything it stretched and it just made the slipping worse so I replaced it with my new belt from stock. Night and day difference. I sawed one little upper 45 bf poplar log and no issues at all. I had to quit just ahead of a bad thunderstorm we are having now and could not cut up the other 3 upper logs. If we get a break in the weather I'll finish them tomorrow then on to a nearby mobile job Sunday.
It just goes to prove you should never overlook the obvious and sometimes you just have to double check yourself. I'm just glad to find it and that it was a simple fix. Of course I now also have a spare working Potentiometer out of the issue.
Howard, hopefully you have conquered the beast. :thumbsup:
Remember that V belts grip on the sides, not the bottom. If one ever wears enough to reach the bottom, tightening does very little good. Also those notches on either the top or bottom are not for gripping, they are for cooling. Of course most of our belts (with the exception of the drive belt) never travel fast enough to need to dissipate heat, but they were simply the correct length for that particular application. Our B57 etc. bandwheel belts are also an exception. They ride on the bottom of the pulley but they are tires and not pulling a load.
Lynn, I was just explaining that about belts to someone. If the sides wear enough, it will bottom out. And then it doesn't matter how much you tighten it, it will still slip. I've had this happen on my triple V drive belt 2 times, both times at 1000 hours. The belt looked fine, but it had worn too much to contact the sheaves.
Yes, both the sides gripping and the top or bottom grooves cooling are very widely misunderstood.
MM where do you think I learned about the placement of the fenders. :thumbsup:
ffcheesy I suppose that even a blind hog will eventually find an acorn. :thumbsup: ffcool
Quote from: Magicman on May 16, 2025, 07:44:34 PMHoward, hopefully you have conquered the beast. :thumbsup:
Remember that V belts grip on the sides, not the bottom. If one ever wears enough to reach the bottom, tightening does very little good. Also those notches on either the top or bottom are not for gripping, they are for cooling. Of course most of our belts (with the exception of the drive belt) never travel fast enough to need to dissipate heat, but they were simply the correct length for that particular application. Our B57 etc. bandwheel belts are also an exception. They ride on the bottom of the pulley but they are tires and not pulling a load.
Lynn,
Thanks for the lesson on belts. I did not know that belts grab from the side and always assumed they caught on the bottom.
Now that I learned that I wonder what else I forgot/dumped from my mental hard drive which is full, to make room for that tidbit. If I start looking like TimW you will know it was my wife's birthday or anniversary or such.
Trimming the horns on a cork oak log today
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on May 17, 2025, 01:23:42 PMLynn,
Thanks for the lesson on belts. I did not know that belts grab from the side and always assumed they caught on the bottom.
Now that I learned that I wonder what else I forgot/dumped from my mental hard drive which is full, to make room for that tidbit. If I start looking like TimW you will know it was my wife's birthday or anniversary or such.
It's amazing Howard can thank Lynn and knock me in the same post. Hats off to you, birthday and/or anniversary forgetter.
Just keep thinking they are mañana and you won't forget them! smiley_smug01
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I got out today and sawed the last 3 of the 8' tulip poplar logs into 4/4 boards. There are 290 bf in the picture plus some stickers I salvaged off the edgings. 45 bf of these were left from yesterday. I properly stacked and stickered all these after I took the picture. I now have about 590 bf of a 1,000 bf order and all these came from one tree.
I am loaded up and ready to go to a sawing job 12 miles away.
Hopefully your woes are behind you Howard and you can now be full speed ahead.
Nothing happening here. Eight jobs on the schedule, but it's too wet, etc. for anyone to do anything. I am enjoying the time off.
Enjoy.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on May 16, 2025, 01:44:35 PM......... I don't want to call any names because if I remember correctly it would give him a swelled up head and ruin his birthday party tomorrow at the Grey Fox thingee.....................
Howard, in all my time here on the forum I can not recall even one time when somebody said "I told you so..." Everybody is just trying to help. Glad you got it foxed, sorry it took so long. Those low speed low HP belts do not wear the same way as a running belt does. They dry out, harden up and glaze over, but don't really look 'worn out' when you look at them.
The devil is always in the details and sometimes those details are hard to see.
Saw on!
What does the inside of a Cork Oak look like, I don't recall ever seeing it?
@tule peak timber Hope you put up a picture. ffsmiley
Howard, so happy to hear you got the forward thingie problem fixed. I get frequent loose belts.
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I returned to a many times repeat customer 12 miles away. There are 2 brothers building camps on the Greenbrier River. The first floor of the cabins are ready for the second story to start so they needed more framing and some 5.5" square posts. The logs are scattered the whole length of the lot.
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You can see the river nearly out of its bank in the background.
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You can just see the top of one cabin in the left corner over the mill.
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Here is the other cabin. All lumber we sawed today was stacked and stickered in the basements where it will be used. As you can see the basement is pretty tall to protect above the high water mark.
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Some of the stickered framing lumber. Some tulip poplar, some White pine and some White Oak for posts and full thickness 2X. We started about 8:00 a.m and quit about 2:30 pm or so. Just under 1100 bf. These guys can only work on weekends normally so I see many more weekends ahead - like last summer.
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One of the brothers had a 7-8 inch thick Red cedar stump cut-off he wanted cut into cookies for a couple of end tables. With a little trimming on one side I got 2 of these 3" thick. They are about 23" X 27" or so and very unstable due to the inclusions and such. The customer was real happy with them. It took a while but it is fun to help customers create their dream items out of wood.
Tim, Tom, Lynn, et. al,
I did have one more scare where I thought my feed gremlins were back. It was a large WO log and I would have intermittent stops and I could pulsing in the handle to the drum switch. I removed the belt cover to see if the belt was slipping but I could not see any sign of it. I started to remove the screws to the control panel to see if I could see anything out of whack with the fingers on the drum switch and - VOILA - there it was. The screw to the little plastic handle to the forward and reverse drum switch had backed nearly completely out. A couple of turns with a flat tip screwdriver and the problems seems to be solved.
Today was typical for these guys - we saw 1100-1200 bf and they take a break till next week. Since they are close this is not a problem.
:thumbsup: on both the sawing and also the sawmill power feed. ffsmiley
WV, nice gig and it sounds like you get along with the brothers - so all is well.
I haven't ever seen lumber stacked and stickered on its side.
Is there a reason for that?
Yes, there is a reason. I just don't know what it is. I assume it stays straight better for them.
He is putting the crown up.
Quote from: Andries on May 18, 2025, 07:56:01 PMWV, nice gig and it sounds like you get along with the brothers - so all is well.
I haven't ever seen lumber stacked and stickered on its side.
Is there a reason for that?
Andries:
The only reason I can think of is that it requires fewer stickers.
GAB
I hear you GAB, it would take fewer stickers.
Without air to circulate between them, it would take much longer to dry down and mould would grow between all those nice 2x's.
Wait, are there two jugs of bleach just in front of that stack of wood?
Hmmmm, less work to skip the stickers and more work to bleach the lumber?
Well, I suppose there's many different ways to make and use lumber. 🤔
Andries,
There was a dozen or so bottle of bleach in front of the cabin not shown and they had used it to get rid of mildew on some poplar beams I had sawed last year for them. I agree I would not stack it like this unless I had spacers between each board and that takes as long or longer to sticker as what we think of as the traditional method.
Digging through the stack for boards in lower layers might be easier?
Got to test out the sawmill repairs Sunday. Nice 26 inch oak, I think Pin Oak. Could be Water Oak. Customer wanted slabs for kitchen countertops. I talked him into 2.5 inches for warpage and planning. Got some nice firewood from the first cuts and the sawmill is running like new now. Yanmar shop in Onalaska, Texas looked at the Yanmar but found the problem in the Woodmizer wiring to the Throttle Control Valve.
Nice. I see you installed your oak (anti staining fork covers) on your loader. :wink_2:
Good job. :thumbsup:
It looks Water Oaky from here which is a lower quality Red Oak. The bacterial stain gives it a very nice blend which I like. Those should make very nice counter tops.
Quote from: TimW on May 20, 2025, 01:41:20 AM. . . Got some nice firewood from the first cuts and the sawmill is running like new now. Yanmar shop in Onalaska, Texas looked at the Yanmar but found the problem in the Woodmizer wiring to the Throttle Control Valve.
Tim, the mechanical problems with your mill were a marathon.
You are the definition of tenacious (and patience).
Also, somebody at Yanmar in Onalaska, TX. deserves a promotion.
It's great to hear this and now you can finally discover what your LT50 is cabable of. 👍
Quote from: Nebraska on May 18, 2025, 02:56:46 PMWhat does the inside of a Cork Oak look like, I don't recall ever seeing it? @tule peak timber
Hope you put up a picture. ffsmiley
The wood is an unremarkable white colour. I looked up all that I could about the wood on the internet and there's nothing to be said by anyone. All of the volumes of information on cork oak is about the cork. The thick bark makes for tough handling, almost impossible to log clamp and the logs themselves are chicken wings and dog legs, at best! This is a client's project (a public library) and I am charged with taking their trees and turning them into a series of specific furniture in the neo-classical style. That said, I am forced to get everything I can from these crooked little sticks. Oh, and by the way, I have to kiln dry the bark and utilize it in the furniture designs as well as signage. They don't call me the Wizard of Crap for nothing.
Quote from: jpassardi on May 20, 2025, 06:45:15 AMNice. I see you installed your oak (anti staining fork covers) on your loader. :wink_2:
Yeah, I covered the forks, but not with oak. Them's seasoned pine boards. I don't saw much oak, so it is what it is.
Quote from: Magicman on May 20, 2025, 07:21:07 AMGood job. :thumbsup:
It looks Water Oaky from here which is a lower quality Red Oak. The bacterial stain gives it a very nice blend which I like. Those should make very nice counter tops.
I'll go with Water Oak. I saw some red in it and leaned down to smell. It didn't smell like Red Oak.
Quote from: Andries on May 20, 2025, 10:14:15 AMTim, the mechanical problems with your mill were a marathon.
You are the definition of tenacious (and patience).
Also, somebody at Yanmar in Onalaska, TX. deserves a promotion.
It's great to hear this and now you can finally discover what your LT50 is cabable of. 👍
No to a promotion. Yes to a raise! Mechanics, at small shops, are usually promoted to service manager, where they don't turn wrenches.
I wish I had a LT50. Mine is a 2018 LT40HD Wide. I had ran it for 4 years before these problems started.
Which really makes no sense, to me anyway. smiley_headscratch
Maxing out the little mill on an oak stump
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My sawing job is unremarkable, mostly white oak siding 3/4"x6x10.
What is remarkable is the power of this mini loader. It is a Bobcat brand.
Those MT100's are indeed remarkable little machines. My friend Bill has one and a lot of folks laughed when he got it, but it is always being used and is an excellent machine for yard work because it's gentle on the ground. But boy howdy it can lift! And even if it tips up, you can still get enough weight off the ground that you can drag heavy logs and such. We run forks, grapple, and bucket on it. Great for septic work, moving pallets, and logs. I love the little thing, if I had the money, that might be my ideal machine for my yard. Small, nimble, and string!
but can it build a bridge!? ffcheesy ffcheesy
My customer today is a major tree service company owner. He has started switching from standard size CTLs to these mini loaders. They tear up less ground and can get in tight places. He said he's not taken a standard size CTL on a job in over a year.
Of course he has a crane and grapple trucks to do the big lifting. That's in addition to a chipper that eats up to 10" diameter branches like we eat spaghetti.
He's buying high hp, high flow standard size CTLs for the forestry mulching side of the business.
A continuation from last weeks sawing job. We had a rain delay with no rain as the weatherman really messed up. I went back Tuesday as we had our long weekend.
We had 4 of us working, the owner and 2 paid helpers. Cathy is great at organizing and setting up the building of bunks. This the way we usually leave all our sawmill jobs. I don't consider the job finished unless it is all stacked and sticker and hopefully covered.
At the end is the best, they really love it when it is left in this shape. I saw always by the hour. I sell them breeze wood stickers at $1.25 and then when they bring this wood to my kiln I refund them .75 cents. That way I keep feeding my kiln.
Total for the 2 days is 16hrs billing for 2700 bd ft. of RO , quarter sawn and flat sawn for flooring, sugar Maple for cabinets, and some red maple. We junked a few logs.
The customer was very happy.
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The tree service guy I helped on a cemetery job last fall had a compact track loader, I was very impressed with it's capabilities. He loaded 8' saw logs on my trailer, cleaned up limbs, and left hardly any tracks as he went. Also with the small size and tracks, he could go anywhere on the jobsite to pull trees in whatever felling direction was needed.
My BIL brought me three logs last fall which we think are Chestnut Oak. The bark was extremely rough and was full of dirt and small rocks so I left them lay all winter and thought about cutting them up for firewood. Checked a few weeks ago and found the bark was fairly easy to get off so I peeled them and put them on the log deck. Sawed one up today and got some pretty nice 1" lumber and a few 4"x4"s but it was quite a job being it was to big for me to turn and I just cut down past center until it was small enough to turn and then had to edge several boards on both sides. I'm getting to where I don't want these large heavy logs.My back doesn't like them either.(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/68995/0682D630-1B3C-48DA-8AAF-F9484B4705D6.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359407)
Still have two left to saw . May wait awhile :wink_2:(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/68995/9FFC1C79-F9E2-460A-BA1E-E700303E439A.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359408)
I went back to the same site i sawed at last Sunday and sawed a couple dozen logs I guess. Total yield was about 1200 bf. I sawed 2- 4X8X16 beams and most of the rest were 8' X2x6 pine and poplar with one 6' WO thrown in for 2X12 stair treads.
I am still chasing some feed gremlins and think it was wires interfering with the fingers of the drum switch I recently installed. I re-routed them a bit and hope that fixes the problem. I did not take pictures as the logs were in the last post and the stacking looks the same. We had several comments on the stacking on edge but they do leave a small gap between each board and are comfortable with the drying rate and completion,
There were lots of small diameter pine logs that returned from 4-8 2X6s and an occasional 2X4 or 1X6. Not high production but they saw quick and are easy to handle. This looks to be a whole summer gig for a one day sawing of 1100-1300 bf per trip. Because they are close and good location to set up I am okay with that.
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Got all of my pitchy-pitchy pine logs that I logged last winter peeled and lined up with the log deck. Now I won't worry about the bark munchers making tunnels before I can get them all sawn.
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More logs coming in. One of my neighbors from a few miles away had some red pine trees he cut some time back, that he wanted to go to a good home. I took a quick look at the logs, and said sure bring them over. Also gave him an excuse to take his grandpa's old 1948 Farmall he restored out for a tractor ride. ffsmiley
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Some had been down for about a year, and the bark was falling off. The others were cut last winter and I peeled right away (since I do a lot of bark peeling). ffcheesy
They all appear solid and straight, so I think they'll make good lumber.
What are you using to peel the bark on the pitchy-pitchy pine logs?
That International M looks styling with the loader on it.
My main go-to tool is a flat pry bar. On a warm day with moisture in the logs, they peel smooth and easy. ffsmiley
But on tougher ones, I use a painters knife, a mortar trowel, crowbar, long wood handle ice chopper, small hatchet, sledge hammer, or throw whatever tool I got at it that works. ffcheesy
That whack of logs looks very nice. :thumbsup:
I was wondering. Dad and I peeled SYP logs before for a temp. dog fence. We used his and Grandpa's draw knives. I am now the proud owner of those two draw knives!
Yup, I've used a drawknife before too. I had one years ago, on my list of tools to buy.
There's much to be said for standing up and "skinning' logs." Some call it an ice chopper, some call it a flat hoe, floor scraper, roofers tool and more. It's a long handled scrapper so a person can stand and peel logs.
Of course a spud is the hardwood log peeling tool of choice, especially poplar for siding.
What holds the log up when you stand it up? :huh?
In 2006 I helped peel logs for a log cabin . . the logs were hemlock and pine . . some other guys had tried peeling the logs and gave up . . I figured how hard could it be ? So I tried for two days and I gave up
We had all kinds of tools and I remember the bark spud did very well . . I also remember the cabin turning black while being built and it needed power washing to remove all of the cambium layer
Mine look like straightened out garden hoes:
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The shorter one on the right got a new handle below.
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Here a wooden handle had finally rotted and needed replacing so I bought a rake and used the handle. This one is my favorite. They are sharpened on only one side so "red side up" does not cut into the log.
I would hate to think about bending over and using a draw knife.
North of the grits belt we call those 'ice choppers' for breaking up ice on walkways, driveways, etc. They work fine. But for me, the real secret to easy peeling is when the logs are cut. If you take them after the weather warms and the trees leaf out and they are moving a lot of water, that bark comes off real easy on most species. If you cut them in February (up this way), then the bark is tighter than a knat's butthole and you really have to work at it.... HARD until the logs begin to decay.
I do use a draw knife when peeling slabs to make benches. Again, summer cut is easy and I can do a 4' section of slab in under a minute, but I did some Hemlock recently that was winter cut and it took quite a while and a lot of sweat to clean up a 4' slab.
Quote from: Magicman on May 27, 2025, 09:44:37 PMMine look like straightened out garden hoes:
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The shorter one on the right got a new handle below.
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Here a wooden handle had finally rotted and needed replacing so I bought a rake and used the handle. This one is my favorite. They are sharpened on only one side so "red side up" does not cut into the log.
I would hate to think about bending over and using a draw knife.
Dad taught me to straddle the log. They were propped up just enough to kneel on the ground while straddling the log. I guess with the right height heavy duty saw horses, one could stand without bending over.
Sorta depends upon age and the back.
When I was the age that my Dad was teaching me stuff, my back was in a different time zone. At that time I could shoulder a 100# sack of nitrate and go. Now it is only packaged in 50# and I would hate to have to do now what I did then. Maybe "then" had something to do with "now"? Of course that was also 65 years ago.
We use an ice chipper also. Sometimes a small, light crow bar works better as it won't cut into the bark and you can keep under at the cambium.
I have been trying to do the 20-year shop reorganization for the past 3 days with the help of my buddy Dallas. I have been sore, like when I was 14 and started doing all the lifting, carrying and climbing. I think sports and hard work also allows me to work harder than most my age. Dallas is younger and stronger at this point, but I learned how to lift and carry at that age so can keep up with him some.
My go to for a bark spud is a chunk of leaf spring welded to a socket that excepts a wooden handle. The end is ground a bit. The curve of the spring is helpful. Watched some log cabin guys do the same. Pretty much indistructable. Guess could go all steel if your helpers break alot of things, I prefer the wooden handle.
Quote from: Magicman on May 28, 2025, 07:44:07 AMSorta depends upon age and the back.
When I was the age that my Dad was teaching me stuff, my back was in a different time zone. At that time I could shoulder a 100# sack of nitrate and go. Now it is only packaged in 50# and I would hate to have to do now what I did then. Maybe "then" had something to do with "now"? Of course that was also 65 years ago.
I see your point. Each morning more new aches pop up now. I remember trying to move 100 pound burlap sacks of horse feed when I was little. I couldn't by myself. My brother and I finally devised a plan to put the riding lawnmower at the bumper of the mattress truck and push, roll the sack off of the truck onto the seat. Those sacks wear so bulky, we would drag them up into the grainery. Then pour the feed into a storage barrel. It would take a while! Today, just glad they are 50# sacks.
As far as standing up and peeling logs, IF I have to peel logs I put the logs on top of other logs perpendicular and chocked in place, peel as much as possible then roll them to peel the rest. It's easier on the back and rolling logs is easier.
I have used a floor scraper and a flat shovel among various other scrapers.
TimW
At 14 yr old, I hired on to work at a neighboring dairy/pig/sheep/chicken farm when not in school. The 100 lb sacks of feed were the norm and could carry them, but not easily. Would try to find ways to avoid carrying them. That 72 years went by in a hurry. :wink_2:
But at 86, now the 40 lb bags are preferred over even the 50 lb ones.
The hardware store guy asked why only would buy 2-4 80 pound bags of concrete but buy them every few days. Why don't you just buy a dozen at a time? he asked.
I told him I'm 62 and he's 35, he will understand one day. I only want lift and mix so many at a time and they will keep better in his warehouse than my shed.
Reminds me of my father-in-law who retired from his farm at 75 and moved to town. To keep busy, he worked at the local feed mill where he moved a lot of sacked feed. He watched several young boys hire on but not last very long. FIL told the owner that he didn't want to be in their way and take any work away from the young boys they could keep their jobs.
The mill owner said when the day comes that two of these boys could/would do the work that the FIL would do in a day, might be the day he'd consider that, but not until. ffcool
1500+bf of white spruce 2x4 and 4x4's yesterday morning. About 3 hours of work including log sorting, sawing, edging and piling. My sons and I gave the LT70 and EG200 a good run. I was sure impressed with the help !
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I went out this afternoon to saw these 5 - 8' Tulip poplar logs into 4/4 boards for an order for 1000 bf. On the log on the loader is my new to me hookaroon or equivalent. I bought it at my favorite flea market a couple of weeks ago bit have not tried it out yet.
The first log up the hill from the one on the arms was where the top forked and it did not yield much towards this order.
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I park my old JD 750 next to the sawdust pile and throw the waste slabs and edgings on it. Here is the last load of the day. When I get a load, normally after every log, I take it to my waste pile where customers see it and come buy it. I get $10/pick up load or $25 a trailer load and they load. I don't care how much they load. If for a church or community or someone who can't afford that it is free. I used to haul it off and burn it but now I get others to remove it.
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I got about 510 bf out of the logs shown which, with the second stack beside the new one completes my order. I cut 2 poplar trees to get this order and have a few hundred bf to cut from a couple of short logs and the crooked one in the background in the first picture.
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I also got about 40-50 bf of short boards for my own use off that fork log I mentioned. I'll run these through the RAS and stack and sticker. Most are 6' long 1X12's and will make nice birdhouse tops if some customer doesn't buy them first.
BTW - the hookaroon worked great and now I can reach the flitches on my loading arms to drag them to the mill and I can put the handle between flitches I am edging to separate them when I need to pull one out or flip individual flitches.
I don't use my Logrite Hookaroon as much as I should.
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It's a back saver. Seen here with it's big brothers. BTW, it's the only Green Hookaroon ever produced by Logrite. ffsmiley
No picture because I had not planned to saw this afternoon. I spent the middle part of the day driving to Blacksburg VA and bought 2 - 10' rollers for some slab cutting (kindling type) project. Took the wife and we ate at a mediocre Indian place there near VA Tech. The roller owner had a big yard full of cut off log ends with 2 WM sawmills owned by others parked there. He has a big firewood business and every kind of junk imaginable.
Late afternoon I went out and trimmed the short boards I cut yesterday using my RAS to trim them to length. I rode up the hill and dragged down a 6' poplar log I'd cut out of the middle due to a curve. Decided to throw it on the mill and got 114 bf of mostly 1X12's out of it. All the boards are stacked and stickered in the shed, yesterday's order is covered by old metal roofing and the cut off sticker ends are bagged for fire starter.
The little short log actually made some pretty boards.
I sawed a small job this morning that kept getting smaller.
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The timing was perfect because the bark had slipped and the sawyers were only about an inch long and had not penetrated the logs.
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He originally had 5 logs but here we had already culled one log so now it is 4. After we rolled the 3rd log away from the 4th we saw that the 4th had big limb stubs and big limbs make big knots. I dislike sawing bad lumber so I said no. He needed lumber and I don't think that he really liked me saying "no" but he did not argue.
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He got 640bf of really nice 1X10's, so he was happy about that.
My next job should be next week sawing framing lumber I think. He did not say but that is his usual cut list.
Sawed the largest Chestnut Oak log that I had on my log deck. Used pig pole on my tractor to turn it as it was to heavy to turn with a cant hook plus I'm trying to be easy with my mill by not letting log slam down when turning.Took quite a while to get it sawed up but I got some nice lumber. Sawed most of it 1 1/4" thick to possibly used as stair tread's in the future. Got 13" wide boards which is the max for my planer. (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/68995/4335F2A3-6657-422D-A80D-900287187996.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359583)
Glad I decided to saw this one up instead of using it for firewood.(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/68995/A2F0A03E-817C-450D-B970-FC542FDB9D38.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359582)
That'll make good grade lumber! :thumbsup:
Quote from: Wlmedley on June 05, 2025, 11:45:01 AMGlad I decided to saw this one
Absolutely, that one is a real beauty. :thumbsup:
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I drove a little over 38 miles today to saw the logs in the first picture. The customer had the second stack but he was uncertain if they would make decent lumber. I told them they would all make good lumber but some on the second stack might be a little small but that they were better than many I end up sawing.
I sawed half a dozen or so and my forward/reverse frum switch failed so I replaced it. Then the up down quit and I kept checking and troubleshooting and finally wiggled the right connection I guess because it resumed work just fine. Sawed a log or two after that and one of (Middle one of course) the fingers on the drum switch pupped out of the plastic block it is pressed in so I manually edged the last 2 2X6s on the loading arms and packed it in with only 431 bf of 8/4 poplar and 6/4 Red oak. (Oops - no final picture)
I came home and ordered a replacement switch which will ship from Atlanta tomorrow. On the way home I stopped to refuel the mill and a couple of cans 25 miles from home and a former customer pulled in behind me and started talking and I mentioned the switch and he asked if it could be repaired. I had never thought about it but could not see why not so I mixed up a little epoxy and pressed it back in place. We had a thunderstorm imminent so I'll let it set overnight and see if that works. If not there is nothing really lost.
Have any of you ever had the drum switch finger pop out like that? I have had it happen a couple of times and wonder if I have installed it with too much stress on it?
I continue to be mystified with your drum switch failures. As I have mentioned before, both of the drum switches on my 1998 sawmill are original even though some of the contacts are completely worn off. Hopefully they will continue to hold together because it appears that today's switches are poor quality. It doesn't make sense.
BTW, nice whack of logs. :thumbsup: I am scheduled to saw next week but the weather forecast does not look favorable. We shall see.
I share Lynn's mystification. Those are, or were Square-D drum switches (which are not cheap and come in more than a few pole configurations), perhaps they found another vendor that copied them, but I have worked with those switches on dozens of machines since the late 60's and they are rated for many thousands of cycles, but usually used for on/off. They are very high quality. When I first opened up a WM control box I recognized them right away, but they remove the covers when they install them in the box. The feed switch and the up/down switch, as I recall have two different pole configurations. Although I believe they get a lot of cycles in a WM machine compared to the usual 'on/off' of more conventional machines like lathes, mills, and drill presses I have never seen the failure rates or the failure types you are experiencing, The most common, and if fact the only failure type I have fixed is worn contacts points, high resistance, and rarely contact overheating. I have never seen contacts falling out
Hate to say it, but I just have a gut feel something else is going on here.
Yes, they are Square D switches.
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Here is a picture of the first one that failed yesterday. You can see the hole in the plastic black on the switch in the middle where finger came out. There is evidence of heat but I don't know at what stage that occurred. Both switches did the same thing with the middle finger pulling out of the switch. The plastic is gone off the end of this finger but was still on the other one I tried to repair last night.
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Here is a picture of the repaired switch after I reattached the clip on the end of the middle green wire. I don't see any movement of the wires as I toggle switch on and off so I don't see where that should loosen anything.
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Here is the view before I buttoned up the control panel so you can see the handle and switch placement in the box.
The repairs seem to be working and the mill head moves properly fore and aft so I will make the same repair to the switch shown in the first picture. I have a new one en route but will keep an extra spare if a dab of epoxy (Super glue should work just as well I bet) will repair it.
My concern is I still don't know what caused the problem. I don't really see any other way to attach the wires or mount the switch and handle to the box.
If you spot something please let me know.
I would only use JBWeld.
While it's not a problem, that surely is a lot of copper showing outside of those spade connectors.
Well I am not there and can't feel anything to see what other clues there might be. But I do see some things that perhaps you could look closer at. First, if that terminal pulled out of the bakelite switch block, it was likely due to excessive heat. Can you smell any residual heat odor?
Second, that middle green wire looks like it has seen some heat. I see some discoloration near the terminal and also, that terminal crimp appears to be incomplete. Now all this can just be the way the photo appears and not an issue at all, but it's worth checking. I am not too thrilled with how those crimp connections look with all that bare wire exposed and you might consider cutting them back an inch and re-doing them properly with good crimps and good terminals. Any compromise in the physical electrical connection is going to raise the current draw and therefore heat beyond design limits.
Just a guess from 700 miles away, but I suspect if you find the issue, it will turn out to be a very small detail that has been getting overlooked.
Thanks Tom & Lynn.
Yes there has been some heat. As to the copper showing yes there is but they are just like I received them from WM. I am not sure I could get the clip to bend to fit under the screw if they were shorter.
I would not be surprised if the heat helped it pull away from the bakelite in the switch. But why is there excess heat?
Why JB weld instead of Gorilla Glue brand epoxy? Is it more heat resistant or stronger?
you could shrink some heat tubing over the bare copper and at least make it look better. unlikely to cause trouble buttoned up, but it looks poor with the cover off. No reason to get angry or frustrated. I see you twice talked about "pulling your middle finger out" in the thread. :wink_2: ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy
The folks who build these machines and make the wire harnesses are doing thousands and thousands of connections. Every once in a while there is a new person, or somebody having an off day, who will mess one up. All I'm implying is that it is suspect. If the connection is not 100% tight it will increase the current draw which causes heat. An easy way to get a basic check is to give that wire a yank and if it comes out, there is your sign. I have seen a wide variety of failures at connection points, including wires being crimped on the insulation rather than the wire itself or being crimped past the end of the wire and just barely holding on. It happens and is hard to find unless you start yanking on things (within reason).
Just trying to help.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on June 06, 2025, 09:45:16 AMa dab of epoxy (Super glue should work just as well I bet)
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on June 06, 2025, 10:34:56 AMWhy JB weld instead of Gorilla Glue brand epoxy?
Maybe it would but I am not familiar with Gorilla epoxy. You mentioned "Super glue" which alarmed me.
My opinion is that JBWeld is the gold standard so that is only what I use. The 30 minute is quick but not as strong as the 24 hour, so I have both.
Those spade tip connections being "factory" is disappointing at best. Someone in Indy needs to see those pictures but sadly I have lost all of my reliable contacts except Bob.
Well, cyberspace ate another reply as Lynn posted about the same time I did and I can't find it in a draft anywhere.
I'll tape up those bare wires good with electrical tape just so Lynn doesn't have to look at them again if I post more pictures of them.
My small engine guy says check all the grounds as that would cause excess heat so I'll do that.
Tom,
I'll give them the "pull/yank" test but I am confident all the connections are tight.
I went back and looked and as Tom mentioned, I am seeing evidence of excess heat on that center conductor with the discoloration on the wire as well as the insulation. Heat means a bad connection (resistance) in either the spade tip crimp connection or the drum switch contacts. This must be located to prevent further such problems.
Quite frankly I do not like that center spade tip crimp connection at all. Once copper wires are overheated, they are compromised and will never be satisfactory again. I would remove it, cut it back, and butt splice a short wire and new spade tip. That bad factory connection could very well be the cause of all of your problems. It overheating and taking out the drum switches. Replace the drum switch and use the same spade tip and take out another drum switch.
Yes, Lynn, agreed. You found a more direct way to say what I was trying to imply. Howard, seeing the bare wire is not the issue that bothers Lynn and I. The issue (and I don't want to put words in Lynn's mouth) is that as veterans of tens of thousands of 'clip and crimp' connections both Lynn and I see what might nicely be called sloppy work, and that makes the whole connection suspect. Lynn has probably done a million more than I have over his many years in Telcom. Yes, it's a pain to redo them if you have to splice in wire or whatever, but for me, it would be a no brainer just on principal. If I did it over properly then I KNOW it is done right and can move on with troubleshooting. Additionally, I also notice some light oxidation on that middle wire or discoloration on the copper. This also means heat and as Lynn p[pointed out that copper has begun to break down and is not longer a good conductor, so it needs to be cut back to clean wire.
Lastly, those drum switches are made with non-replicable contacts. So if that contact got hot enough to melt out the Bakelite then there is a very slim chance that you can replace the contact with any kind of glue and still have the low resistance conduction through the switch contacts, at least, not reliably. Those contacts need a fair amount of contact force.
Last idea: do you have a infrared digital thermometer? They are cheap at HF and if you run the mill for a bit and keep checking the temp rise on those contacts and see jut what you are dealing with. You may even be able to tell if it is the contact points, the terminal, or the finger where the sharpest heat rise is. Those thermometers can be a handy tool for pinpointing issues. One thing I can say for both MM and I is that we both want to see you get this 'forever fixed' correctly.
Bakelite does not melt.
With excessive heat, it will get brittle and char, but it will not soften nor melt. This brittleness is what Howard is experiencing when the contact pulled out.
Yes, you are absolutely correct. I used to know that, but had forgotten and now stand corrected. It also has a distinctive odor when it gets that hot.
But in any event, getting that finger to hold well enough to maintain good contact under pressure is something I think is tough to do once the base material is compromised.
Quote from: Old Greenhorn on June 06, 2025, 05:13:37 PMIt also has a distinctive odor when it gets that hot.
distinctive odor he says. It
stinks and you will never forget that smell. ffcheesy
Well yes, that too is more accurate. I can't get that smell out of my head for hours when I'm in it. You post reminds me of that Eastwood Movie quote: "This is an AK-47, it is the preferred weapon of your enemy, it makes a distinctive sound when fired at you" ffcheesy ffcheesy (Hearbreak Ridge).
Okay, okay. I am convinced I need to go trim that wire and put a new connector on. I don't know if I have an open end connector like that or would have to use a ring connector. That center wire has definitely been hot.
I am still at a little bit of a loss on that end of the finger as it looks to me like it is just pressed into the block. There is no current or such going out that end. The wire connects to the screw and runs through the finger to the bar when it is moved up or down.
That was why I said I could not see why supper glue looks like it would hold it in place. The terminal butt end in the picture has bare metal showing but the one I repaired with epoxy was still coated in plastic/bakelite.
Does the "stink" smell like a wearing belt? If so I may have missed it during operation.
I don't have an IR heat gun/gauge but may have to look at them the next time I am in HF.
I guess I will head out to the mill now. If nothing else I will make this thunderstorm go ahead and break free.
Thanks again guys.
I don't care what Doc said about you both I think you are okay. ffcheesy
Howard it might initially have that smell like a burned belt, but it quickly increases to a pungent smell that will burn you sinuses. Keep in mind that switch is inside a sealed box, so the chance of the odor escaping is low. BUT when you open that box to have a look I bet it will pop right out at you, even as much as a day later there should be a residual smell.
I know, for me, when I get the smallest whiff of that odor it's like a very loud alarm bell going off in my head. There is no mistaking what it means, and it ain't good. :wink_2:
It's all Tom's Fault!
I was sitting here eating my dinner listening to the thunder storm dump more rain while reading the forum...Then I see it! A quote from Heartbreak Ridge and now I gotta finish dinner and then find that movie on the free download machine!
I really do like that movie. I told my wife that the Big Swede character is based on me ffcheesy She responded with "You were 5 when that movie came out!"
I told her I was a tough kid, me and the Swede are like two peas in a pod. Her head shakes so much sometimes, I'm surprised it ain't fallen off!
My wife doesn't have that issue. Her eyes just roll😊
Well I should probably say I'm sorry, but I am not. That's a good movie and I can watch it over and over. Just watched it again a couple of weeks ago. Swede, Swede, Swede!. That gives me a new picture of you in my head now.
My wife informed me that I have an active imagination, and should probably schedule an appointment at the optometrist (says what I'm seeing in the mirror ain't no movie star).
Howard,
As someone else pointed out earlier, if your starting to see excess heat, or heat related issues, it might be a good time to check / clean your grounds. Sometimes adding an extra / new ground helps too. Hope you get to the source of your gremlins.
Here you go:
My bathroom has a picture of an old person. It is mounted right over the sink. ffcheesy
Quote from: GRANITEstateMP on June 07, 2025, 08:22:20 AMMy wife informed me that I have an active imagination, and should probably schedule an appointment at the optometrist (says what I'm seeing in the mirror ain't no movie star).
With a good imagination and enough time and paint and other products someone just might be able to help you.
GAB
A while back I posted some pictures of some old hand hewn beams that I sawed into a little bit of lumber. The beams came from my mothers old house and were identified as chestnut and cucumber tree. There was one left that I didn't bother with mostly because it had several nails in it. Yesterday I decided to see what I could get out of it. Sawed it in to two pieces and got all the nails that I could find out of it.Not positive but I'm pretty sure it's Chestnut also. Seems to be just a little lighter in color than the Chestnut I cut last fall but it may be because it is freshly cut. (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/68995/95BC6102-9DDB-48F8-94B9-F9E287605B3B.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359606)
Didn't hit any nails. Lucky I guess.(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/68995/1178F8CE-926E-4281-B074-4A43A8E2C84A.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359605)
Feeling lucky so I ran them through my planer. My luck held out. Made some pretty wood. Plan to make something special from it.(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/68995/2C128CA5-9FE9-4934-A291-8D5217DD53A7.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359604)
Lucky you. Yes, special wood deserves a special project. ffsmiley
I spent about half the day at a pig roast hosted/thrown by my band sharpener, I met up with several neighbors there and it is always a great time. It is basically a family reunion on his family is more fun than mine. He was raised about a mile from where I live but I never met him till about 2 years ago when he started his sharpening business and WM ReSharp got bogged due to Covid. His dad was one of the first neighbors I met here 35 years ago when we first moved to WV. (I rounded the curve too fast and hit him head on and totaled my truck, his truck and the camper he was towing which is not a good way to meet the neighbors, His wife and brother riding with him weren't non too happy either bit all turned out to be great neighbors.)
When we got there I saw his nephew who lives in his grandpa's old home and we talked about the new Cooks mill they recently bought. He went with his dad to Dothan Ala to the factory and got the grand tour and were very impressed. I sawed for his dad a couple years ago and I guess he decided he needed a mill.
I stopped by the parts place on our way out and when I got home I replaced the terminal ends on the wires to my forward and reverse drum switch.
I even rebuilt my second drum switch and using JB weld just to keep Lynn happy. I will see how that turns out.
Howard, I'm glad you got your mill back into operational form. A couple of things (which may have been mentioned but I missed them). Resistance can cause heat in wires. Poor connections can increase resistance. The smell that MM and Tom mentioned, smells like money. If you have ever let the smoke out of a motor or any electronic equipment, you'll probably remember it. With 12v DC, good grounds are very important to avoid problems. On my outboard motors, I check the grounds, clean them and spray with Corrosion X frequently (Tule Peak suggested to me to use Boeshield).
The first time I recall smelling it was when JMoore and I were 16 years old and we were making $3.35 an hour. He bought a $160 stereo for his 1970 VW Bug that we installed late one night. It played great for about 1/4 mile down the dirt road I lived (and still live on-now paved) before it quit playing music and let all of the magic smoke out. That was many moons ago, but the smell is still dreaded and easily recognizable. I hope your fix will hold up and provide you with good service for a long time.
In the first photo where the contact finger is laying to the left, the plastic/bakelite mount does appear to show heat as well.
That would lead me to look for a ground problem somewhere.
Didn't you recently replace the motor controlled by that switch? Might be the heat was prior to the motor replacement.
But my view isn't any better than Tom's. I'm almost 10 hours away.
All the connections inside the control panel look tight. I will double check the connection to the motor itself the next time I am out there as I recently replaced the feed motor too and even replaced the controller. There was definitely heat there somewhere.
I do remember a burning belt smell and the problem occurred when I was sawing in hard dry oak logs. I sawed about 1000 bf of green poplar with no problem but they were cut mush easier than the big and dry oak.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on June 08, 2025, 11:00:28 AMAll the connections inside the control panel look tight. ........
I don't want to sound like a smart ash or beat this to death but 'looking tight' is just not good enough. You can't tell by looking or shaking, you have to take them apart, clean them and re-assemble to be positive.
My Dad had a station wagon once and it had a weird 'thing'. I borrowed it once for an errand and when I got it to return home it would not start. So I called him and he said 'pull the battery cables off, scrape them with your pocket knife to clean lead and do the terminals too, then it will start right up.' I told him I checked those and they were clean and tight, no issue, no junk. He said if you want to get my car home before tomorrow, just do what I told you. If that doesn't work call me back. when it does work, drive home.'
So I did what he said even though I knew it was stupid. It worked, they looked tight and were tight, clean too. but just didn't have enough conduction is those sub-zero temps. I cleaned them and put them back on and it started like it was a new battery.
Too often there is just a fine film of oxidation between the terminal lug and the wire tab. Cleaning that makes it all better. That's why conductive grease helps a lot also, it prevents oxidation and maintains good contact. It takes very little to make those DC contact connections conduct poorly.
I consider a multimeter a bare essential when chasing gremlins. I have measured a difference with one lead on the conductor and the other on the connector. No load it may measure OK, but put a load on it drawing current and bam!
This ongoing problem could very well go back to that center conductor/connector. Drum switches don't "just go bad". There is/was a high resistance somewhere causing a voltage drop and subsequent high amp situation which is/was destroying the drum switches.
Tom,
I should not have said "looking tight" and should have said "are tight". I can understand there could be some corrosion or such between the ring connections and clips and the terminals but don't see it.
Lynn,
I am not good with my multi-meter but I will play with it some. I assume if I adjust the speed controller down to prevent the mill from going forward I should still get power to the switches when I activate them forward or backwards just like when I am testing the debarker or such.
Part of my big problem is I have no idea what is considered excessive amps until the breaker trips. I assume I should be getting in the neighborhood of 12 volts. Any idea what amps should trigger an areal of concern?
Any tips or tricks to try there?
With trailer lights especially, my dad always told me it is usually the ground. Intuitively you think it must be the supply but ignore the return. no circuit no lights.
Howard, I looked at the schematic. It looks like that connection that melted runs directly to one side of the feed motor.
Given your previous feed motor problems, it's probably related to the old motor.
first class Ted.
Ted,
But I replaced the motor with a brand new one. As I mentioned I will check that connection again when I go out. Any other suggestions?
I am worried about how to reproduce the problem with the smaller logs I have here. I have 1-2 white oak logs I guess I will go ahead and cut up as a test. Also sawing alone and trying to walk along holding a probe from a multi-meter looks like it will be difficult which is why I asked if slowing the speed controller to a dead stop and activating the switch will reproduce the same current issues.
I wonder if the thought is the damage was done prior to the change and just now reared its ugly head. Howard was the belt burning smell before you changed the motor?
What doc said. The old motor probably caused the problem. The damage was probably prior to the new motor but became apparent later.
It's a good thing the drum switch took the heat. The other side goes to some real expensive stuff!
Thanks Ted.
Doc,
I can't remember and suspect now it was the switch melting.
Quote from: SawyerTed on June 09, 2025, 08:34:07 AMWhat doc said. The old motor probably caused the problem. The damage was probably prior to the new motor but became apparent later.
It's a good thing the drum switch took the heat. The other side goes to some real expensive stuff!
Yeah and it looks like my $100 switch did a real good job of protecting that $5 circuit breaker. :uhoh:
I was tracing the other way from the drum switch.
The MOSFET and Feed Controller are what I was seeing. Note the Feed Controller is the electronic component that the speed potentiometer controls.
Not cheap parts.
Friends bought a '92 LT40 E15. The previous owner popped a fuse. He jumpered it with some 14 gauge wire. Never told us. It cooked the drive motor. Sad thing was there were spare fuses bolted in the box, as well as a decal saying as much. I have a battery cable and wiring OCD that fills a 3 drawer and a 4 drawer Milwaukee Packout. I've started using marine grade terminals and heat shrink. Corrosion and bad connections cost a lot of time and money. In 2015 I replaced a hose on the mill. Went better than expected, if you've ever pulled a hose through the tube. Then I did just about every dumb thing I could have done. The mill had been sitting for a couple of months. I turned the key on to run the glow plugs. While it was doing that, I cycled the hydraulics, then I cranked the engine. It started, but it let almost all the magic smoke out of the mosfets on the back panel of the main box. I say almost all, because it still worked, but WM warned me about pushing it. I upgraded to the dual plane H-bridge. This rendered that back panel obsolete. It also rendered my wireless remote inoperable, and now, when the mill gets hot in the summer, the head won't move forward. You can really chase your tail with wiring issues.
I got out and took the drive motor off (Had to remove the brackets, loosen chain, etc) and cut off a few inches of the cable and replaced and greased the new terminal ends and put everything back together. When I replaced the feed motor I had found a bare wire and had just taped it up with electric tape. This time I did a proper fix. It is a bit of a pain to hold that heavy bracket and motor assembly with one hand till I get a bolt or two through to hold it in place during ressembly.
I have learned when working on this to run the head to the tail end of the mill when I have to loosen the chain. It just seems easier to thread the chain back over the CFB and on to the sprocket teeth.
I got out my multi-meter and quickly found I had no idea how to get amp readings off the drum switch. I kept getting about 12.6 v on the different fingers in different positions.
You are not going to get an amp reading with a multimeter.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/DSCN0321.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=191136)
Reading a circuit's amperage is a whole 'nuther ball game. Here I am reading the voltage with a multimeter and the amperage with an ammeter.
The power feed motor does not operate with a varying voltage but with a varying pulsed voltage controlled by the circuit boards, etc. that Ted referenced to above.
I returned to a many times repeat customer this morning:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0483.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359630)
15 logs but about half were "too far gone". Very good help. ffsmiley
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0485.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359628)
SYP is some purdy stuff!!
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0486.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359629)
964bf of mostly 1X12's with eight 8X8's not shown. We called it quits when we had to slab too deep to reach the small amount of good wood. He was happy and so was I.
I think that my next job is hardwood. ??
Well, you can check current (amps) with many multimeters, but you have to run the feed through the meter and change the connections in the meter, meaning you have to disconnect the line and connect the lead to the meter and the other meter connection goes to the terminal. However, most of the cheaper meters we all use do not allow for this. Those more expensive meters that do will have a low limit on the amount of current they will handle before burning up. If you have a nice Fluke meter, it might handle 5 amps or a bit more. Less expensive ones only handle an amp, maybe 5 at best.
For serious current to run a motor or something you need a clamp on ammeter such as MM showed. Those aren't cheap, but they can tell you an awful lot. They worked by induction and sense the current traveling through the conductor. The ones I used always belonged to my employer because of that cost and troubleshooting was not mt main job. If I blew it up, the boss ordered a new one (I never blew one up). I may have an old one around here somewhere I could use in a pinch.
This is why I suggested a infrared thermometer earlier, it's a lot cheaper but still lets you detect heat rise in a conductor.
Quote from: Magicman on June 09, 2025, 08:45:01 PMYou are not going to get an amp reading with a multimeter.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/DSCN0321.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=191136)
Reading a circuit's amperage is a whole 'nuther ball game. Here I am reading the voltage with a multimeter and the amperage with an ammeter.
The power feed motor does not operate with a varying voltage but with a varying pulsed voltage controlled by the circuit boards, etc. that Ted referenced to above.
Lynn,
Thanks for the semi lesson. I now know I need to get an ammeter but where do I need to place it to get a reading and what is normal or excessive amps? The feed motor has 2 wires to it that look to be about 10 gauge wire. Do I need to encircle the wire at the motor or somewhere inside the control panel? What would be acceptable and what would be excessive amps?
As I mentioned earlier, the power feed motor does not operate with a varying voltage but with a varying pulse voltage. All of the tests that I have done with the techs at Indy have been with a test lamp not an ammeter. I have never had a power feed problem.
Howard, I am not knocking you for anything that you did or did not do. I still feel that your ongoing problem has not been with the components that failed but with a dirty connection that was causing the components to fail. Put a new component in and it will fail just like the previous one did. That center wire could have been that dirty connection.
As Tom mentioned, "tight is not good enough". It has to be clean and tight. I know that you eliminated one problem, I just hope that it was the problem.
If I'm not mistaken, the feed motor is a 1/2 hp 12 volt motor. Full Load Amperage would be between 35 and 40 amps. It should not operate at full load very often. Full load would be nearly or completely stalled. So amperage drawn should be considerably less.
Not every clamp on meter like Lynn pictured measures DC amperage. When looking for one, check for that in the specs. About all measure AC amps. The clamp on types can measure several hundred amps. We used to have to measure amps with the meter inline as Tom was indicating.
There was mention of a bare wire leading to the motor. That could easily be the source of the high amperage/heating issue. Intermittent contact to ground might not have been enough to trip the breaker.
Did you have breaker trips prior to finding the bare wire?
I found the bare wire while changing the motor and taped up the spot. Yesterday I cut and properly replaced the terminal end. Prior to replacing the motor I was sawing an oversized log and the breaker was tripping constantly then on the smaller log following my feed became too erratic to run. The erratic feed turned out to just be a worn out feed belt as far as I can tell as a new speed controller (Potentiometer) did the same thing but the new belt stopped it.
My new switch I ordered Thursday from Atlanta came yesterday but I'll try the repaired on till I feel it is not working right.
I have replaced and checked the connections and don't know where else to look if it comes back other than feeling for a hot wire somewhere.
Howard, all the clues say you have gotten to the bottom of it.
There is a shunt that you can use that is wired in series with the circuit. Your regular multimeter reads the small voltage drop across that shunt which is then converted to amps.
The problem with the circuit in question is that the driver is variable and creating a model for the testing duration could be a challenge. As I understand it, the current draw for that motor should be fairly constant but the supply voltage is pulsed which varies the speed. This would be very difficult to test with our normal test gear. It would probably take an oscilloscope.
Howard, I am hoping that you have isolated your problem with the overheated crimp connection but if not you may have to resort to a thermal heat gun/sensor that someone suggested.
On my Super, Wood-Mizer told me they use PWM, or pulse width modulation to control motor speed. They basically increase or decrease the amount of time that the motor is grounded, many times per second.
Exactly. :thumbsup:
Now if there is a bad or compromised connection in that circuit going through the motor, the result will be heat. That circuit includes both the 12V hot and the pulsed ground.
Won't polarity have to switch for reverse operation?
Yes, reverse is reversed polarity and direct with no speed control nor reduction.
At one time Wood-Mizer offered different size sprockets which would speed up the reverse with hardly any affect on the forward operation. I doubt that they still do.
So a short to ground would only be a short half time? Only in forward or reverse depending upon which wire was bare.
breakers and fuses are designed for a designated voltage and designated amps. so, a blown fuse or thrown breaker can be a down and dirty way to say you are pulling too many amps, especially if it is repeated. and do not think you must have a bunch of bad fuses and bypass it cause you'll burn up other stuff, letting the smoke out of the wires. ffsmiley :snowball:
Y'all keep talking them foreign languages like reversed polarity, variable pulse rates and such and keep giving me a head ache. :wacky:
Tom is the only one who has provided a suggested tool I may know how to work with as an IR heat gun I can point at a wire or connection and get a reading. I still don't know what is normal or excessive but I guess if the difference is a lot more between off and running I need to check connections there. :uhoh:
Doc,
Remember Murphy's Law: "A $500 picture rube will protect a 5 cent fuse by blowing first every time."
Well Howard, we can explain it to you, but we can't understand it for you. ffcheesy
To really get good information from the more advanced diagnostic tools you need to have a working knowledge of electricity and electronics. Understanding the difference between current and voltage being a very basic building block, then wave forms (DC vs AC) and pulsed waves. Yes, it gets fairly complicated and I have forgotten much of what I used to know already.
But this is why I suggested a temp test device. In normal operation there should be very little, if any temperature rise in any of the conductors. Seeing 10° or more is a warning sign for sure. Also, it will not always show the heat rise in one spot, it could be along the entire length of the wire. SO it's never simple. With a thermometer, you are looking to 'see what you can see' and it may add another piece of the puzzle. If you had, or could borrow, a small thermal imaging camera (TIC), that would likely show you a lot more. These are expensive, but the price is coming down and a lot of mechanics are now carrying them in their tool boxes. Even Snap-On is selling them.
I am with the other guys here, I think you have it fixed. Just keep a close eye on things for a while.
Quote from: Old Greenhorn on Yesterday at 09:58:05 AMWell Howard, we can explain it to you, but we can't understand it for you. ffcheesy
:veryangry: :veryangry: :veryangry: :veryangry:
That's just a mean thing to say - even if it is true. :huh?
Howard, I'm with you on this one. I can read the words, but they just as well be Greek. I do know though, like Doc said, if you let the magic smoke out, it won't work.
I sawed some oak for a guy who farms and has a business for lube to go on some part of a field irrigation system. he brought 3 logs that his grandfather on his dad's side planted, and his dad was maybe 5 at the time. got a cookie cut off for a family tree table. got some 3-inch slabs and some 6 x 6 and 4 x 6 beams. the longest tree was half inch under 21 feet the theoretical max for my mill. I trimed the ends back as they were at a wonkey angle, and you have to be sure when you come out of the wood that you are not going to catch an angled piece of the log going up and damage or break a blade. He was happy as I had it all banded and on pallets.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/51041/IMG_0442.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359641)
barely fits
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/51041/IMG_0444.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359642)
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I do not think this is even a log.
@YellowHammer(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/51041/IMG_0445.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359638)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/51041/IMG_0450.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359637)
6 hours at 100 bucks and hour and he brought two more logs when he picked these up. well, they do not roll easily, but the weird ones pay the same per hour.
What kind of wood is that Doc? Grain looks like red oak but the ends look kind of strange to me. I suppose it's some sort paint .
He did not know but I think it is red oak. and yes, a yellow green paint left on the ends I did not trim back. looked a bit like mulberry at first.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on Yesterday at 02:01:13 PMThat's just a mean thing to say - even if it is true. :huh?
Howard I assure you there was no ill will intended in that statement, it's just a fact. Truthfully I am as guilty as anyone of trying to 'hit above my weight' many times. My Pop would talk about motor phasing and field shapes as well as capacitive starts and such like that and it remained to this day a total mystery to me. He understood that just as easily as the alphabet, because he was there was these things were developed. We all work and understand at different levels is all I was saying.
A related story: I worked in a shop one time and we and a CNC machine go down. It was running 2.5 shift production and we had a daily delivery quota. I wen tout and did the troubleshooting and narrowed it down to a bad pulse coder. The machine was older, the part would have to be made by the manufacturer in Japan and shipped. They said 6 weeks. This was unacceptable. I had friends at the company that made the machine and they pulled schematics for me while I opened up the pulse coder. Lots of tiny surface mount components that looked like little square cubes. No ID's on anything. The guys reading the schematics could only tell me this questionable component I found was a capacitor, but not the value. SO I went to radio shack and bought a package of about a dozen different small capacitors. I was pretty sure none of this would work, but I had to try, we needed the machine badly to get back up. I took a shot and picked one value at random and replaced it. The dang thing worked and the machine was back up and running after about 6 hours of work. I walked past the boss on the way back to my office an let him know the machine was up and producing again. He asked me what I did to fix it and I just said that I could tell him, but he wouldn't understand it. He wasn't happy with that and wanted all the details, he wanted to know how I always managed to figure this stuff out when nobody else could. So I sat down and gave him all the details including my thought process. When I was done, he looked me straight in the eye and said "You were right, I have no idea what you are talking about or how you figured it out, I am just glad you understand it."
Everything is relative to one's experience Howard.
Nice milling Doc, you definitely get the "big log on the mill" credit for today! :thumbsup:
I'm not a hardwood expert by any means, but if I had to guess I'd say that's burr oak and not red oak. Note the thick deeply furrowed bark, and the end grain kind of "blurry" compared to red oak. If I'm wrong, I'm sure I'll be corrected. ffcheesy
Well, cyberspace ate another post.
I went out and bucked 2 small tulip poplar tops into a 12', 8' and 2- 6' lengths. I needed a 12' 2X6 for a repair project on my barn and the rest is just salvage/stock.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4350.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4351.JPG)
I had a disinterested audience about 40 yards away. She ignored me even when I cranked and ran the mill. I spotted another doe with at least one fawn up in the woods 20-30 yards away a little earlier.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38064/IMG_4353.JPG)
I did not finish the last 6' log but got 118 bf out of these. The 6' boards have a lot of purple color. I smelled some belt smell and found the drive belt was loose and even jumped track once. I tightened that and ran the mill with the control panel open and would feel of the wires and terminal connection points but they all felt cool to the touch with these small logs. The cross bar on on the forward/reverse did seem to warm up in use but I don't know if that is normal or not.
In the background you can see 2 aluminum 10' rollers I bought last week. I plan to mount one to two saw horses and build a trough to load slabwood and edging to saw off to kindling and small firewood lengths.