The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: JBS 181 on January 25, 2011, 08:59:57 AM

Title: Mill Shed
Post by: JBS 181 on January 25, 2011, 08:59:57 AM
Need to build a mill shed and the little mill I have now is more or less a hobby mill. Need to know how tall from ground to bottom of truss and how wide to make on the inside. Sizes that would acommodate, say an Woodmizer LT 35, a Timberking B-20 or any of the larger mills. Would like to have enough room to get down the side of it to clear sawdust with a skid loader.
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: POSTON WIDEHEAD on January 25, 2011, 09:34:50 AM
JBS.....you have asked this question at the right time. I have just finished my shed for my LT40. I built it 36 feet long x 34 feet wide and it is 14 feet tall. This is plenty of room for my saw and room to store lumber until the customer can pick up his lumber. Now....for the trusses I ordered for my roof, I ordered "scissor" trusses which raise the inside ceiling up 5 more feet. This will allow my backhoe/loader to bring logs in. But a flat ceiling of 14 feet will be plenty of room for your saw. Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: Buck on January 25, 2011, 09:41:44 AM
You could put it in the Superdome and not have enough room! ::)
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: POSTON WIDEHEAD on January 25, 2011, 09:42:18 AM
I forgot to mention, for my saw dust, I have a piece of canvas about 20 feet long and about 10 feet wide. It lays on the ground along the side of the saw. As the saw cuts, all the saw dust is blown on the canvas. I can walk on this canvas and never no it's there. It's feels like it is part of the dirt floor when I walk. When I get a load of saw dust, the canvas has a small chain hooked to each corner where I can just pull the whole load of saw dust out from under my shed with the tractor or backhoe. Then I can do what ever I wish with the saw dust. Works great.
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: flibob on January 25, 2011, 10:37:12 AM
We just love pictures.
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: beenthere on January 25, 2011, 10:54:45 AM
Poston
How many "loads" do you think you will get out of a canvas pulling it that way?

What weight canvas do you get and where do you get it?  Have it made up?

Sounds like it would save a lot of scooping with a shovel or pushing with a broom. :)
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: JBS 181 on January 25, 2011, 11:59:59 AM
Thank you for the information I sometimes need all the help I can get and your input sounds great.
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: POSTON WIDEHEAD on January 25, 2011, 12:10:46 PM
I got the canvas at an army surplus store 7 years ago. It has never been wet or left in the weather and is still just as strong as day 1. It's thicker than TENT canvas. I think it was used on one of those old army trucks with the side planks on it, to cover the top. The edges were already sown. I just pull the saw dust out when the pile gets about 3 ft. high. It just takes less than 5 minutes to hook it up, pull it out with the tractor, dump it in the yard and pull it back in by hand and lay it back out. It a whole lot better than scooping.
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: barbender on January 25, 2011, 12:22:43 PM
POSTONLT40HD needs to learn to post pictures ;D
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: pa_of_6 on January 25, 2011, 12:54:05 PM
The sawmill canvas....what a great idea.....
It solves some of my problems and building design!...
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: red oaks lumber on January 25, 2011, 01:06:26 PM
my saw shed is 60X40 with 12' ceiling . saw dust removal is with a conveyor laying on concrete floor next to the discharge chute of my lt40, it goes outside to a cross conveyor that goes up an incline into a pile. the only time we touch the dust is with the loader to load a paying customer
yes i know... if there isn't pictures it doesn't exist. just wait someday
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: beenthere on January 25, 2011, 02:27:51 PM
Quote from: POSTONLT40HD on January 25, 2011, 12:10:46 PM
......... It has never been wet or left in the weather and is ..................

So you are saying you hang it up to dry and don't leave it on the ground. Good idea. :)
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: POSTON WIDEHEAD on January 25, 2011, 02:58:20 PM
Barbender, I don't have a camera to post a picture. I gave the size of the canvas and how to use it. The canvas never gets wet. It's under my shed.

However, if it will help you to understand Barbender, I'll have my 3rd grade son draw you a picture. He's does very well in art class.

Ya'll have a good day.

Also I liked the conveyor that takes out the saw dust to a pile. NOW THAT IS THE WAY TO GO!!!
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: Peter Drouin on January 25, 2011, 08:05:11 PM
 

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22511/2948/Sawmill_building_001.jpg)   This mill building is 24 x 60 and is to small ::) maybe this summer  . will put up another 24 x 60  ::) ::) ::) ::) ;D ;D
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: JBS 181 on January 25, 2011, 08:13:59 PM
Nice work Peter. Is that a chunk of red iron free spanning  that opening?
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: r.man on January 25, 2011, 08:42:34 PM
You guys that can't load pictures must not have teenage daughters in your house. Since we got a digital camera a few years ago, out of the need to drop our developing costs, I have had to buy enough memory cards to hold over 1000 pictures for the 16 yr old alone. The 19 yr old sets up my browser controls, shows me how to load pictures and gives me hints on word processing. If I could only get them to do some dishes.
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: Bandmill Bandit on January 25, 2011, 09:18:20 PM
About the Saw dust;

Go look in my photos and you will see a minor mod I mod i made to deal withe the sawdust. it works great.

Tried to add a pic here but cant make it work for some reason.
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: paul case on January 25, 2011, 09:20:49 PM
my mill shed is a used chicken house.40'x400'. not enough room though. pc
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: Peter Drouin on January 25, 2011, 10:15:15 PM
Jbs yes 45' 8) 8)
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: jimparamedic on January 26, 2011, 04:21:42 AM
Figure the size you need then double the sizes  24x48=48x96 this will get ypu started leave room for the addition what ever you build you will end up wanting more room it just never is enough. Lumber storage bigger toys more toys OOOOOOHHHHHH MY!!! I LOVE SAW DUST AND TOYS!!!!!!!! sorry got a little exsited.
Title: Re: Mill Shed
Post by: StephenRice on January 26, 2011, 06:02:16 AM
Quote from: Peter Drouin on January 25, 2011, 08:05:11 PM


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22511/2948/Sawmill_building_001.jpg)   This mill building is 24 x 60 and is to small ::) maybe this summer  . will put up another 24 x 60  ::) ::) ::) ::) ;D ;D

I was going to say that I liked the red iron header providing that large open span for loading the mill bed, plus the fact that it appears that all of the wood in there was milled yourself except for the treated pilings in the back.  Even the roof decking was milled the old-fashioned way.  Congrats!  Now you just need to build more buildings for drying your lumber and such.