Jeff B came north with his mill and we got started on sawing his cedar. It was beautiful day to the point it was almost HOT ;) ;D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/PICT0001.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/PICT0002.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/PICT0003%7E0.JPG)
We didn't get a bunch sawed but made a few boards and some slabs and very little sawdust ;D Weather permitting we're gonna do it again this weekend 8)
How did the engine run? Ok I hope.
Nice pile of wood.
Yep, the engine ran very well, much better then the guy that hauled the mill up there. He's just plain decrepid. Hopefully the hot shot in southfield this coming monday has a plan to get me running so I can run my own mill.
I think the whole trouble was that boat tank pushing gas into the engine when it was sitting. It never missed a beat today and when we checked the oil when we were done, we didnt gain any either.
I just love that photo on top , rolling hills and the mix of pine tree's amongst the hardwood . Boy do I miss Michigan ! Looks like a good day was had ! :)
You guys cut up a 'whackette" :D
Glad you got together and made some dust and I hope next Monday is good news, Jeff.
I was a little concerned about the rumblings coming from the mill shed. The old Corley wasn't too happy about this bandmill in its front yard ;)
Nice whack-o-cedar. Was it pleasing to the nostrils?
Cool .. or as the boss puts it kewl ....
Ya sawing that to 5 3/4 X 1 inch ? ;D ;D ;D
Here is my photo from greg's. :)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/sawing_at_gregs_1.jpg)
JeffB and Corley5,
Nice bunch of logs.
What size logs were you sawing...also, does plainsawn nwcedar have warping issues when it dries.
Bret
The logs were smallish. Many we only were getting 3 1x4s out of. Northern white cedar is a pretty stable wood and has less warping problems then any other wood I have ever worked with.
Thanks, Jeff. I am buying a M7 portable mill on Sunday and will be spending the summer sawing cedar in Rapid River for a cabin. I am gratefull for all the help this forum provides! :)
Bret
We go through Rapid River usally a few times a year. Going to Chet's or the escanaba engine show or the U.P. state fair.
Some of em woulda made better fence posts ;) I hauled in some slightly bigger ones today ;D
Fired up the ole Corley yesterday for the first time in almost two years :o The MM didn't want to fire at first but as I was checking for spark it finally fired and ran like it always has, SMOKY ;). I needed material for campfire wood racks and cedar was in stock ;D Sawed a couple logs after we got her running and sawed a few more this morning. We used that material up and cut some logs this afternoon. I was sawing for 4X4s and 2X4s but got a few inch boards in the process. Sure felt good to saw again. Gonna have to haul some logs back in for Jeff to saw ;)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/PICT0019%7E0.JPG)
Sawed this batch first and had it and yesterday's little bit used up by lunch
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/PICT0021%7E0.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/PICT0022.JPG)
This was the afternoons run. Sawed about 15 sticks all small except for one which made some 2X8s 8)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/PICT0020.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/PICT0023.JPG)
I bet it was fun to fire up the Corley ,looks like its been cared for very well. I took your advice Greg and started edging on the mill last week and that is way better than a edger . I was afraid just a bit on the first stack but I pause for a moment after the boards all go through the blade and the boards coming off just lay nicely ,nothing flying around . I took my time and practiced sawing dimensional only and by gum the target numbers in my head just come second nature after awhile and then reading the scale board only makes it that much easier . A very good tip you had 8)
If I've only got a few flitches to edge it's easier for me to do it on the mill than get the edger hooked up. If I've got a pile of em to run the edger's the only way to go. I edged a few on the mill today and left some stickered to run through the edger when I've got more. You've got an edger don't you Uncle Buck ??? I had to rethink my sets today but it all comes back. 2, 4 1/4, 6 1/2, 8 3/4 or 1, 2 1/4, 3 1/2, etc It's second nature after a while ;D One thing about sawing 3/4 rather than 4/4 is it all comes out to full numbers. Grandpa always liked to saw on 3/4. Easier to figure 8) 8) It was good to saw 8) 8) Them little bandmills are neat but there ain't nothing like a big circle saw ;D ;D
That sure is some beautiful country.. 8)
That part of Michigan is a beautiful area indeed jp .
My method so far is on the 3rd and 4th slab cut that is where I am setting myself up for the dogboard so I might peel off say six 2 inch thick boards and leave them down at the other end of the mill and then send the carriage down with the last little piece of scrap left on it , slide all the full 2 inch boards on the carriage ,maybe 6 of them , then slice off 4 inch thick boards with every pass ending up with a perfect stack of 2x4 left on the carriage . You might want to improve my technique sometime . Seems awfully thick though , a full 2x4 , I read the articles of dry dressed,dry rough etc... Heck I just want something I can grab and use right away ???
My sister has dibs on all the flitches as she uses them for some craft stuff so I try to keep her pile off to the side . I am back to the basics here wondering if a full 2x is required , a 1-3/4" sure looks better . What do you think ?
UB, ya gonna plane 'em ??? If not, you could cut back a little on the 4" way, so the lumber might match other lumber you have ??
You're ripping 2Xs on the carriage. Ya that's the way. 1 3/4" is plenty for a rough sawn 2X. Grandpa sawed sheathing 3/4". Especially if you're using it rough. Stuff he was going to plane he'd saw 7/8". Looking forward to seeing your operation. It'll be the first part of June. The exact date hasn't been set yet :)
Quote from: BWG on May 05, 2006, 12:14:33 PM
Thanks, Jeff. I am buying a M7 portable mill on Sunday and will be spending the summer sawing cedar in Rapid River for a cabin. I am gratefull for all the help this forum provides! :)
Bret
Hey Bret,
I know Rapid River well. ;D My dad owns some land over in Stonington, and my great Aunt lived in Rapid River. We would visit her usually at least once a year when I was growing up, and I still try to get up to our land every year or so when I can.
Love to see your progress on that cabin, hopefully in pictures. I keep thinking of building a place up there myself. Add it to the list of projects that I want to do, but just don't seem to have the time to get around to... ::)
Corley5,
How bad does it hurt to run that old gal (MM), being that it is gas? The Case LAE that I had on the mill would go through 20 -25 gallons a day with my dad and me sawing.
It's not too bad. The second load on the truck took just five gallons of $2.899 gas. That's also some of the reason I put the few flitches on stickers. She was out of gas ;D It'll usually saw 2-2.5 hours on five gallons of gas.
Thanks Harold and Corley , I am just using it rough and no need for planing so I think I will make a 2x4 at 1-3/4"x3-3/4" atleast then when I shoot 3-1/2" air nails it will have more bite . This is good stuff to know as it's my first week of dimensional sawing and it's alot of fun .
Look forward to my first forum member visit in June 8)
Paschale, I'll post some pictures. Might be a couple weeks before we get something worth seeing...going up tonight to RRiver to cut some logs for the cabin. I'll be up most the summer, so if you get up that way, let me know...you can stop buy and see it (and haul some logs for me) :D
BWG,
Let me know where yur at. I'm always lookin' for an excuse ta take a ride on dat ole motorcycle.
Chet you can always ride over to my place and hep me git my sharpener set up.. ;D
BWG,
Are you mainly using the cedar for flooring, siding, or what? We've got a big ole patch of cedar too, that I'd like to tap in for building a cabin someday too. Plus some Hemlock, which I figured would be good for the structural members. Lot's of hardwood, possibly for the flooring, but just wondering where you're planning on using the cedar.
Dan
Well, Tammy and I got up and went up to Greg's and finished up the cedar today. We cut around 750 today. Not bad I guess for a one armed sawyer, a bus driver, a layed off poop counter and a 20 year old manual mill. (sorry greg, couldn't help myself.) ;D We even took a couple video clips. It rained today, it S N O W E D today! the wind blew 30 mile and hour ( I guess that explains whay we didnt have any sawdust laying around). By afternoon when we broke the camera out the sun decided to come out, but it was coweld!
VIDEO CLIP 1. Loading a little log. (https://forestryforum.com/media/sawing_at_gregs_1.mpg)
CLIP 2. Sawing on a little log (https://forestryforum.com/media/sawing_at_gregs_2.mpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/sawing_at_gregs_4.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/sawing_at_gregs_3.jpg)
"a layed off poop counter" That'd be me ;) ;D
ok, I just gotta ask....
what kinda poop do you count, and how do you do it?
Pellet surveys were used to determine our whitetail population. The key was the taste test for freshness ;)
:D I wasn't goona tell em that!
Ask em' anuther good question GOI. ;D
Ya just gotta think chocolate covered peanuts ;) ;D
Greg, remember our deer dont eat peanuts, them were soy beans.
Acorns or beechnuts up here ;D :) That's what we always hoped anyway :o ;D ;) :D :)
How about the elk poop?
Always figured the bitter ones were red oak ;) Elk poop is too hard to swallow ;D
I was always told you DNR guys could tell when the elk were coming into rut by the flavor. ;)
:o
Somehow I kinda figured I didnt wanna know how you did it :)
Greg, yer sposta par boil Elk poop. Makes it lots easier ta swaller. :)
Quote from: Jeff B on May 21, 2006, 11:17:24 PM
I was always told you DNR guys could tell when the elk were coming into rut by the flavor. ;)
White tails too. An experienced Pelleteer can even tell a bred doe from an open one and identify bucks. That's how the population models are constructed you see. ;) ;D
pelleteer? :D Gimme a break, You just mispelled poopateer dindcha?
Nope ;D ;) :)
O.K., I'm going to google...
8) :D :)
Whats up with Chet given out Elp poop recipes anyhow Greg? I though he was a moose poop guy eh?
Apparently he's been sneakin below Da Bridge and poaching 'em without sharing any of his brand ::) ;)
Back on topic a little bit, you couldn't ask for a prettier location to set a mill up. :)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/sawing_at_gregs_5.jpg)
Yeah, sure is a beautiful setting, and picture...but, if I'm not mistaken, isn't that some elk poop I see in the foreground? ;D
It always comes back to food, doesn't it?
:D :D :D You guys are just chewin up money :o Round here, they make the moose poop into earrings or maybe tongue studs :D
I sawed my first cedar a couple weeks ago. Smelled real nice.
Looks like a beautiful place and great weather.
You're kinda cramper for set up room there aren't ya Jeff?.. :D
It's been raining here for 4 days.. ::)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/Jeff%20%26%20Tammy.jpg)
Team work 8) :)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/Watch%20out%20for%20the%20knot.jpg)
What almost happened here ???
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/The%20Pile.jpg)
Almost done
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/Tammy.jpg)
The photographer
What a beautiful spot to saw at. :)
Was that knot stub in the way? Didja joke about the guy who missed trimming it off da log ::) ??? ;D
I once saw some moose poop stuck togeather with toothpicks in the shape of a nasty little bug but much larger, it was varnished and called a Moosequito :o. And people paid good money for them ;D ;D
Quote from: Chet on May 21, 2006, 11:19:30 PM
Greg, yer sposta par boil Elk poop. Makes it lots easier ta swaller. :)
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D Smuthered in....Ketchup hmmmmmmm :D :D :D :D
Ganong's just covers them moose droppings in Chocolate and adds them as part of their 'Delecto' branded chocolates. Oh wait, those are Brazilian nuts covered in chocolate. ;D ::)
Monday we went back up to Greg's to finish the project of making cedar paneling for the shed out back.
All I can say is I am glad we were all in good moods. Greg's four sided planer or "sticker" as they are called is quite a machine ans was built over 100 years ago. It had not been run for around 8 years as Greg can remember. I can't really recall everything that went wrong, but it started out with a rather large colony of Yellow jackets living over the machine, then went to 8 year old note we found left by Greg's Grand dad that said we had to fix a loose knife. As it turned out the knife was shattered. Since it was a bottom side planer knife on a four knife head, we opted to remove the opposite blade as well and run with two knives. We figured that all out and began greasing and wiping and oiling. We got the tractor set and tried to run a board through. No go. Shut it down, adjusted the feed roller weights and tried again. no go. Turned out the machine was set up for 4 inch wide and we had 6. adjusted that, got one board through finally and the first flat belt broke. Now these were old belts, and the belting to fix them with was mostly old. Good thing we found a new box of lacing in the refrigerator cause we were going to need it. We estimate we broke belts going on close to 30 times. Every belt including 3 times from the tractor to the sticker. To culminate things, we had only about 20 pcs left and another and final belt broke. We would have fixed it and continued because WE ARE TROOPERS however the sky was rumbling and the sprinkles were starting and we needed to get the paneling made covered. We got the tarp on just before the sky broke open. Had to stay out and get it tied down or the paneling would have got soaked if the tarp blew off. We got soaked to the bone. Stepped back in the old shed and laughed some more about how the day had went and headed for home. We drove for about a half hour on the express way doing less then 15 MPH due to the amount of rain falling. Tammy and I both remarked we had not saw rain that hard in years. Anyhow, as bad as it was, it wasn't bad. Tammy and I had a good time with Greg and Dee stopped in late in the day and kept us going with some soda and pizza. I was basically a witness to all of this as Tammy and Greg did most of the work as I cant do that sort of thing. I was the official filmer and yawner and post leaner. ;D
Here is a video clip of the sticker running. Its not to big, a little over 1 meg. Pay no attention to the last few seconds of the clip... :-\
https://forestryforum.com/media/sticker.wmv
Here is the Cedar, sorted to width waiting for the planer to come alive.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cedar_paneling_1.jpg)
Me, doing my job of keeping the trailer from blowing away.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cedar_paneling.jpg)
The planer before we started cleaning and greasing.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cedar_paneling_0.jpg)
Greg getting ready to belt the planer up to the Farmall. That tractor ran sweet and sat there patiently idling for us much of the day. :D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cedar_paneling_2.jpg)
Planer in motion with a board stuck in it. STUCK.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cedar_paneling_3.jpg)
A very common site. Greg taking a break again. Or was that fixing a break? Tammy learned to be a top notch belt lacer before the day was out.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cedar_paneling_4.jpg)
Up and running. For now...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cedar_paneling_5.jpg)
Me doing my Job. I was testing for softness and sleepability on the wood shavings.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cedar_paneling_6.jpg)
Tammy tailing the planer and stacking on the trailer. Notice the pig roaster went to wolverine with us as I had no way to get it off the trailer. :D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cedar_paneling_7.jpg)
Here is another clip with a better view of the belting. This is the start up after having a jammed board.
https://forestryforum.com/media/sticker_2.wmv
Quote from: Jeff B on July 27, 2006, 12:18:32 AM
I was basically a witness to all of this as Tammy and Greg did most of the work as I cant do that sort of thing. I was the official filmer and yawner and post leaner.
Looks like a fun time was had by all.
That machine looks like one that would make a good display at a steam engine or old tractor show.
Did you hit any loose knots? I bet that'd be real exciting given the open design. :o
Not so much loose knots but when a belt gives way that will get your attention. Especially when it comes apart slow and pieces start whipping around.
"Watch yourself next to them belts, Tammy," ??? ??? ??? ???
Jill wouldn't have been within a 100 feet of that operation :D :D :D
Burlkraft, I should have got pictures when she was crawled up under it to thread belts
Oh Boy that is an AWESOME machine Jeff!! I want one!
What make is that again? A Corley? Model? It's amazing how well that machinery ran back then with a big old belt to a little tractor. The old guys knew how to get her done!.. 8)
Here is what that old Machine makes...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cedar_paneling_8.jpg)
Wow, Tammy's making quite a bit of progress on Tom's cabin :D :D :D
That is some fine looking v-joint that planer milled.
Those old machines get a bad rap. Yes they might be a finiky thing to deal with but, isn't the new stuff too?
I'm running some machines here that are over the century mark. Those old flat belts have been replaced with off the shelf components that have saved me time and therefore money. The shingle mill I bought was a cash out and trade for 3 grand. I put another few days into getting it to run right, pouring bearings and such. I changed the power to gas and now it has generally the same capacity of a new $65,000 machine.
Next is a debarker...
Some folks call it V-Joint, but all the old farm houses in my area had a similar moulding up to about 3 feet above the floor. Anyone know the term for it. (I know, but was just quiz'n you'all) ;D
Wish I had a prize, but I ain't, sorry. :-\
It's called wainescoating down here, usually toped of with a piece of chair rail moulding.
Stew
Yup, that's the word I was looking for Stew. 8)
I knew all my years running that cabinet shop would pay off someday. :D :D
Stew
That "shed" is looking great Jeff! I really enjoyed the video clips; that is an incredible old machine. Impressive...
The kids were both here today working with there mum and I on installing cedar paneling. It was slow going but they got half the ceiling done and all of the wanescoating.
Here is Jeremy
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cedar_paneling_9.jpg)
and Stacy
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cedar_paneling_10.jpg)
I bet that place smells nice :)
Lookin good Jeff! Cant wait to see it in person :)
I really like the contrast between the Cedar flooring and the wainscotting.
We have dial up but I want to try loading the video clip of that cool old planer later in the day and check it out.I remember a few years ago when you filmed Greg running the Corley,it was worth the time.
I intend to view them videos to, sometime this weekend on dialup. Only takes about 10 minutes per meg. ;)
Both videos are aabout a meg each, so click the link, go get a glass of ice water, let the dog out come back and watch the planer.
Right now, I'm trying to get through breakfast. Been in the bush and run'n here and there since 5:30 am. ;D
::) Ummm...gulp....what a contraption. :D Jeff, was you trying to use the camera at the end of the first clip to look for fingers? or was that edger knives. :o Man, I don't even wanna be near that when some of them long belts give and start slapping and winding around stuff like arms, legs and cheeks. yikes_smiley
Somebody gotta git out the brush cutter to clear a path to the trailor so's the off bearer has an unimpaired escape route. ;D :D Run Tammy run, and no one will ever question wheather ya screamed like a girl. ;)
Once or twice when the belts broke I ran for cover REAL FAST. :D I really enjoyed the day, Greg was very patient when I ask all kinds of questions. I now know how to lace a belt and I can thread the belts all alone. 8)
It's probably just about as dangerous as it looks ;D ;) :) We were just getting started and Tammy told me she really liked the old machine. At the time I wondered if she'd still like it later :) Several hours and many feet of belting later I asked if she still liked my machine and she said she did ??? I was beginning to not like it very much by then. Usually when the belts broke it was proceeding by a flapping sound as they began separating. The last time was a bit more violent and sent shavings and dirt flying. I've rounded up some better belting including some actual leather which I'm sure it had on it back in the day :) Probably shoulda taken an hour or so that day and did some looking for it but each time we fixed a belt I thought/hoped that we'd have it. We got a couple pretty good runs and one more would of finished it but the weather was turning bad fast. I counted 31 1X4s left on the trailer tonight. Probably just exactly what Jeff and Tammy are lacking to finish the project ::) ;) I also found my Leathermen in the shavings. I left it laying on a pulley during the last belt repair ::) :o :( I found it the second load of shavings tonight to the right the drive pulleys close to the wall 8) 8) . Wasn't sure where it was going to be and was prepared to take a metal detector to the pile after they were all hauled out ;D The only time the thing has ever scared me we were running green big tooth aspen 2X6s through it for studs for my house. A knot pulled and forced the one being fed over the one in the machine. It bent the top shaft and broke a couple castings. Parts were flying :o until the drive belt slipped off the tractor pulley. We were all running for cover. The castings were replaced with steel and new a shaft and pillow blocks installed and we off and running again but never ran anymore green popple ;) All the panelling and flooring in my house went through the old machine. We had spells of belt trouble but ran it several days on end with no trouble too. This old stuff is lotsa a fun. I've got another sticker that's a bit bigger than this one that I paid 35 bucks for at an auction. Someday I'll get it running too. I'd like it set up with all straight knives for four siding material. A new Logosol would be awful nice too......