I was quite surprised to find this sitting outside the office just a few minutes ago :)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/my_mill.JPG)
The 15' track is there too...just can't see it in this pic.
Let me tell you how good Ed Zimmerman and his company have been to me:
When ordering the mill, I decided NOT to buy the trailer package that's an additional $400.
I also forgot to add the cost of one of his cant hooks to the order...I just put the check in the mail for the cant hook yesterday. Well, the mill just arrived with the cant hook AND the trailer package! 8)
Just wanted to let everyone know how good EZ Boardwalk treats their customers. I am very glad that I chose to do business with such great people.
Looks like a good excuse to shut the office down early!! Congratulations!!!
Have fun and be careful. ;D 8) 8) 8)
Looks like your fun is about to begin. Good luck and keep us posted.
No turning back now :D
All the posts and feedback I read about EZ are positive.
Take your time and enjoy your new mill.
Best
DGD
I'm betting you don't get any sleep tonight. ;D
way to go deese! keep the pic rolling in
Sure is an exciting day. I remember when I brought mine home
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/25938/3512/13.jpg)
Ur gunna love that mill. The biggest complaint I have about mine is the name. Who wants a mill named "Jr."?
That's great! 8) Also that they have enough experience to know what you need so that you don't get disappointed or frustrated later. That's how a good company treats and keeps customers.
YH
Quote from: hackberry jake on August 22, 2013, 06:37:50 PM
Sure is an exciting day. I remember when I brought mine home
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/25938/3512/13.jpg)
Ur gunna love that mill. The biggest complaint I have about mine is the name. Who wants a mill named "Jr."?
Well, would you be happier if it was named Bubba? :D
Quote from: Dave Shepard on August 22, 2013, 07:42:47 PM
Quote from: hackberry jake on August 22, 2013, 06:37:50 PM
Sure is an exciting day. I remember when I brought mine home
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/25938/3512/13.jpg)
Ur gunna love that mill. The biggest complaint I have about mine is the name. Who wants a mill named "Jr."?
Well, would you be happier if it was named Bubba? :D
I think my mill just got a new name 8)
Add that critter to your signature line and start sawing!!!!!!
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/image.jpg)
Got the mill assembled tonight. Going to be a fun weekend :)
congrats deese, got a question for hackberry jake. You see that silver bolt in bed track ( bottom left corner of picture) in deeses picture. What is that for???? I got the same mill also deese , your gonna be happy with how smooth and effortlessly the saw head adjust up / down
Deese
Good looking mill you have there. Are you going to saw in that shop, or move it outside when sawing? Nothing like rubbing off new paint! Keep the pictures coming, and be careful. Have fun. Andy
that is fantastic! I was thinking you said it would be a while longer before you got it, just glad you did, going to be a good week end, now, you have those logs ready? david
Gotta love that "new mill" smell! Have fun and be CAREFUL.
Don't rush in and start trying to saw until you have properly set up and aligned all aspects of the mill. That is a common problem.
Congratulations Deese. Have fun with your new toy. 8)
Po-Jo You see that silver bolt in bed track ( bottom left corner of picture) in deeses picture. What is that for?
I have a EZ JR also. That bolt is most likely the bolt to stablize the mill when it is on wheels. There are two bolts that are used to bolt the black "straps " to the rail when it is being moved.
By the way Deese, Congrads.......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Or it is a shipping bolt.....
Quotecongrats deese, got a question for hackberry jake. You see that silver bolt in bed track ( bottom left corner of picture) in deeses picture. What is that for? I got the same mill also deese , your gonna be happy with how smooth and effortlessly the saw head adjust up / down
I would also like to know what this silver bolt is for...?
QuoteGood looking mill you have there. Are you going to saw in that shop, or move it outside when sawing?
I am going to move it under a big shed (old chicken house) before sawing. I don't have electricity in the shed yet.
QuoteUr gunna love that mill. The biggest complaint I have about mine is the name. Who wants a mill named "Jr."?
I agree! :snowball:
Quotethat is fantastic! I was thinking you said it would be a while longer before you got it, just glad you did, going to be a good week end, now, you have those logs ready?
Yes, I was totally surprised to see the mill yesterday. I was thinking it would have been one day next week. They sure didn't waste any time getting it to me. I will be cutting a few trees this weekend to get things started...
Quote
Don't rush in and start trying to saw until you have properly set up and aligned all aspects of the mill. That is a common problem.
I plan on taking things really slow. As you can see in the pic, it's sitting on its axle. I've still got to figure out the easiest way to remove the axle and level the mill for sawing. I'm afraid this may be a big challenge without a front-end loader, etc to lift it high enough to remove the axle. I've got equipment here at the farm, but what do I do when I pull the mill to another location for sawing? I guess I need to invest in some jacks?
Quote from: Po-Jo on August 23, 2013, 03:54:34 AM
congrats deese, got a question for hackberry jake. You see that silver bolt in bed track ( bottom left corner of picture) in deeses picture. What is that for???? I got the same mill also deese , your gonna be happy with how smooth and effortlessly the saw head adjust up / down
That bold looks like the carriage stop to me. Is so, it should be bolted to the outside of the frame instead of the inside. There is a metal plate on the side of the mill opposite the operator. You put the bold on the far end of the rail and the plate hits the bolt before the carriage runs off the rails. Hope this helps.
Would it be necessary to remove the axle before milling? My TK sits on the axle and has 6 bulldog hand-crank jacks attached to it for levelling. Of course, it would be easier to load logs if it were lower and the 5000 lb log capacity of my mill might be because of the axle. Just a thought...
QuoteThat bold looks like the carriage stop to me. Is so, it should be bolted to the outside of the frame instead of the inside. There is a metal plate on the side of the mill opposite the operator. You put the bold on the far end of the rail and the plate hits the bolt before the carriage runs off the rails.
Yup--this makes perfect sense. Gotta be what it is.
QuoteWould it be necessary to remove the axle before milling? My TK sits on the axle and has 6 bulldog hand-crank jacks attached to it for levelling. Of course, it would be easier to load logs if it were lower and the 5000 lb log capacity of my mill might be because of the axle. Just a thought...
I'm not 100% sure if it would be necessary to remove it or not...I would probably need to remove it unless I am cutting really small logs that won't overload my axle. I'm simply guessing at this...
I guess I could call ED and ask him about it...
Also--I guess I could attach hand-crank jacks to the track and that would solve the whole problem.
Deese call EZ. He has super simple way of explaining it. Two people can do his way. One or strong person.
Congratulations. Have a good weekend. 8)
John
QuoteDeese call EZ. He has super simple way of explaining it. Two people can do his way. One or strong person.
I just called and talked with his wife. He will call me back shortly.
Also--I have a question for you EZland: I have a small, very stout spring maybe 4-5" long that is "zip-tied" to the mill. I am wondering where this spring is supposed to go...Of course, I'll ask him about that as well whenever he calls me back.
Beautiful !!!! Sit Blue....sit......good boy! smiley_thumbsup
Deese...your not gonna saw in that garage?! I thought maybe that was your stationary log lifter/loader in the background :D. I want one of those toys too ;D. way to go deese, heed what WDH recommended and you'll be making dust in no time.
that spring goes into the tension system. On the other end of the "T" tighten handle. You can't tighten the band without it. It confused me too for a minute. Good mill but the directions are not the best.
Thanks EZland--I figured it out this evening after work :)
Haven't even cranked it up yet...but tomorrow is the day.
QuoteQuote from: m wood on August 23, 2013, 05:33:30 PM
Deese...your not gonna saw in that garage?! I thought maybe that was your stationary log lifter/loader in the background :D. I want one of those toys too ;D. way to go deese, heed what WDH recommended and you'll be making dust in no time.
Haha I'm afraid not...I'm gonna have to build some sort of pulley system to load my logs---um...this is going to keep me a little busier than I thought :o
Here one that got jacks
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/28604/IMG_5944.jpg)
I THINK YOUR RIGHT JAKE, THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE, I REMEMBER THERE WAS A PLATE THAT WAS BOLTED TO THE PALLET(I COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT WHERE IT WENT, ALONG WITH THAT BOLT) NOW I SEE IT WOULD GO ON OPPOSITE SIDE AND HIT THAT BOLT (WHEN THE BOLT WAS PUT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE RAIL) DUHH, OH WELL I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE SAWHEAD ROLLING OFF THE END OF THE RAILS, SO I DRILL UP THE PEICE OF METAL AND ATTACHED IT TO THE END OF THE RAIL AS A STOP, IT WORKS MY WAY ALSO. MY ONLY THING WAS I WISHED THE SETUP INSTRUCTIONS WERE MORE DETAILED FOR US FIRST TIMERS, BUT HEY THATS WHAT MAKES THIS SITE SO GREAT!
ALSO DEESE AS SOME RECOMMENDED TO ME WHEN THEY SEEN MY SETUP WAS FIRST TO LIFT THE MILL OFF THE GROUND FOR MORE COMFORT IN USING, SAY ABOUNT KNEE HIGH, THEN BUILD A LOG DECK THAT IS EVEN WITH THE MILL BED ( MINE AT FIRST WAS LOWER AND A REAL PAIN, BUT A HELPFUL SOUL HERE POINTED THAT OUT TO ME AND MAN LET ME TELL YOU WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MADE TO HAVE THE LOG DECK AND MILL EVEN , LIFE IS MUCH BETTER THAT WAY) OH AND BE PREPARED FOR THE WORK OUT, TURNING BIG LOGS IS A BIG CHALLENGE ON THE MANUAL MILL, AS IN "MANUAL" LABOR AND OF COURSE SOME INGINUITY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN ,
Deese,
you sawing yet, what's the hold-up ;)
No, really be careful, take your time and learn the machine well,
Oh yeah, unless your in-charge of your laundry better warn who ever is
there will be sawdust in your pockets :D,
Best
DGDrls
QuoteOh yeah, unless your in-charge of your laundry better warn who ever is
there will be sawdust in your pockets ,
Well, I definitely have sawdust in my pockets after today, but have ran into several issues regarding the mill...first of all--I had too many chiefs directing me and I was the only Indian! My cuts on the first (and last) log were over an inch thicker on the blade exit than blade entry point.
Second--I've got to better reinforce the track...
Third---I couldn't get the dogs to secure the log--it kept jumping upon blade entry...
And 4th--the entry point of the blade immediately encountered two extremely hard knots on both the left and right sides---the blade would immediately dive after entry...
Round two tomorrow.
darned knots they can be tough buggers!!
I'm a bit confused about reinforcing the track?
tomorrow is a new day, good luck,
DGDrls
Deese,
There are several reason you blade could be coming out a inch thicker. One is that the blade is now dull and the second is that the track is not on the same "plane" or level.
If your track is not on the same plane all sorts of weird cuts will happen. It will make it look like a twist in the board sawn. The easiest is to make the whole track level. And the rails must be straight.
You talked of reinforcing the track, I only use three supports. The First behind the tongue, the second about center of the track and the last about a foot from the end. Oh, by the way, if you are not on solid ground you might have to re-level the track after a couple of logs. Especially if you are on sand or in the woods. Take a look at some of my photos on support the track. As you can see I remove the wheels.
Any other stuff with cuts , (wavy, blade going up or down) is something with the blade. Dull blade, blade not tight, roll guide not adjusted right or bumped. But the easiest thing to do is put a new blade on and then try again. Blade changes get faster over time. I use to dread it, now it is like NASCAR. about 45 seconds. (Disclaimer that won't include folding the other blade back up, lol)
Knots, funny things. You will learn to listen and feel you blade. Run the saw a near full throttle for pine and always for hardwood. 13 HP is not a lot of power. The first logs I learned on were poplar. I knew they would be easy on the saw and my learning too. Some times you can see the knot coming and some times you can't.
Log dogs or clamps, make sure you log is seated fully against the other side of clamp before you lock in the cam. Sometimes I have to ratchet the log into the other side of the clamp.
Also I will remember to post some picture of sawing the larger logs without using the log dogs only wedges. Possible with a 29 inchx10' poplar. The log weight about 2000 lbs. With wedges it was not going anywhere until it was small enough to roll again. It took about six passes, but I have some 5/4x18 x 10' poplar boards to show for it.
Hope some of this helps. I learned the hard way too, but man is it fun. As for too many chiefs? I always saw alone. Many times at late night and sometimes early morning. No other Chiefs I hang with like my hours or the weather I saw in....... Especially when is was snowing at night last December in GA.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/30374/EZland_Saw_mill_001%7E0.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/30374/IMG_8908.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/30374/IMG_20130107_193457_621.jpg)
Thanks for the tips EZland :) As you can see in the picture, I set the track on two 13' pine beams running parallel with the track. I used wooden wedges in between the track and beams to get the track completely level...It worked GREAT until the track shifted and then I started getting crooked cuts...So, I'm thinking of drilling holes in the bottom lip of the track and bolting it to the wooden beams to prevent shifting. The mill will be in this spot for a long while before the need to move it would arise...
I also had to use my dremel tool to grind down a tiny "bump" on the right side of the track. It looked like they accidentally touched it when welding the track guides on...Every time my wheel came into contact with that tiny bump, my blade would dive immediately thereafter----every time.
The only other time my blade dove was when my blade got literally caked with pitch...(I ran out of soapy water and didn't realize it :-\)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_1576.JPG)
Oh, yea......and there is pitch on the blade.....yep that one got me too. The pitch got me a while back and dulled a blade up quick. Had to mess with my soap water mix.
It does look like you track is supported Ok. I move my mill a lot. So I only support it only in three spots.
Deese,
I'm a circle guy but this is what I recall from other posts,
Some FF members have lube recipes that have a bit of diesel fuel in them to eliminate pitch build-up.
I use Pine-sol with water with good results so far, others use dish detergent, I suspect really tacky logs need some type of petrol based lube.
Also check for systems to apply the lube to both sides of the band.
Suffolk Machine has a recipe that does not use water and is driven by a wiper/washer pump.
http://www.suffolkmachinery.com/six-rules-of-sawing.html
you will find what works best, just take your time
best
DGDrls
I got to be alone with the mill for the first time this evening...after 30 minutes of adjustments without everyone else's opinions, I got that sucker cutting smoother/truer than a Mach III razor blade! I'm ready to sling some dust now!
Now on to phase #2: leveling those hard-packed clay floors (floor of the chicken house) for stacking/drying lumber. After that, I'll be cutting/stacking/drying 1x1 stickers like its going out of style!
I am being 100% honest when I say this: Without the sound advice/info I have received from FF, I would still be pulling my hair out!
THANK YOU FF AND ALL WHO HAVE HELPED ME.
And by the way---when I said "without everyone else's opinions" I meant the local crowd---not FF advice. Just wanted to make that clear!
I'll post pics of my progress tomorrow
Figured that was what you said, and meant to say. ;D
That plus "locals" tend to distract you and when you get distracted bad things generally happen. Bad things like trying to saw off various parts of your sawmill. :-\
Ahhhhhh. Peace and sawdust! The smell of joy and wood in the air! Congrads.
I learned a bunch about my mill this evening--ran it low rpm some, ran it with loose blade tension some, pushed it to its limits on low blade tension while still cutting true-- :)
I cut and stacked a bunch of stickers from a dead pine beetle loblolly pine log...for some reason it's not allowing me to post pics from my iPad so I will do so tomorrow AM when I get to the office.
I am finally familiar with my mill and it feels sooo good ;D 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
God Bless and will check in tomorrow with pics ;)
Quote from: Deese on August 26, 2013, 11:28:31 PM
And by the way---when I said "without everyone else's opinions" I meant the local crowd---not FF advice. Just wanted to make that clear!
I'll post pics of my progress tomorrow
Too late for apologies...I'm taking my opinions and going to a thread where they're appreciated. ;)
Here's the one I cut yesterday evening
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_1587.JPG)
And this is what I made of it
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_1588.JPG)
Great pics. How hard was it to learn? Whats your next cut going to be of?
Deese I believe your sawmill fever is up to about 105.
Quote from: amgont75 on August 28, 2013, 09:36:48 AM
Great pics. How hard was it to learn? Whats your next cut going to be of?
amgont75--It's exactly like everyone on here says...It's more about getting everything set up and adjusted properly than the actual cutting. As I've learned, you cannot get in a hurry with this stuff. Go slow, pay attention to the smaller details such as checking that the blade guide bolts haven't vibrated loose, sawdust hasn't caked up the rollers, etc...and probably the most important thing---SHARP BLADES. ;D I am incredibly new to the world of sawmilling and have much to learn. I haven't had this much fun in a very long time. :) 8) My next few trees will continue to be dead pines. Gotta make lots of stickers for stacking.
Quote from: sawdusty1 on August 28, 2013, 10:00:59 AM
Deese I believe your sawmill fever is up to about 105.
I've got a cold rag on my head at the moment ;D
Looks like that you are sticking very nicely ;D. Keep that cold rag on your head :D.
Well keep us posted. Like you I am very new to this and wanting to get as much information as I can.
I'm picking up either 3 or 4 30"+ loblolly pines within the next few days. I'll probably have to bibby them some to fit them on my mill. Should make for some great video and pictures and will definitely be a workout for the 13hp Honda. Updates to come :)
Quarter sawed some water oak today. It turned out pretty good!
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/image%7E0.jpg)
That is some screamin' fast growing oak. :o ;D 8) 8) 8)
Great work. In addition to stickers, you might consider sawing some boards for a few 2'x8' pallets to stack your lumber on. Makes a real difference handling them later. I used to put individual 4x4's under everything. Now I don't saw unless I have a pallet ready to stack the lumber on as soon as it comes off the mill.
I was reading our post about having too many chiefs....don't worry, they will disappear real quick when you start asking them to tote all the wood you will have coming off the mill ;D
YH
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/image%7E18.jpg)
YH,
That is some nice cedar.
i thought you guys usually mod up a cheep paintbrush to hold infront of the front wheel to keep the dust from building up on the guides.
I've been using this idea for a year or so now. Works pretty good.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,7789.msg943093.html#msg943093
Thanks for the compliments, and the way Deese is coming along, I expect he will make my lumber look like chopped liver before too long. 8)
YH
QuoteI expect he will make my lumber look like chopped liver before too long.
YH---Man that is some pretty cedar :o
Chopped Liver? Umm...Nothing could make that lumber looked like chopped liver! :o :o :o
Here's a big boy I slabbed over the weekend.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/Big_Boy_Water_Oak.jpg)
And this is some of my first oak lumber :) It looks like I need to move the stickers out a little closer to the ends :-\
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/Quercus_nigra.jpg)
That oak is still growing :D.
It will all come together. You are doing good. :)
Cut this almost 2" thick baby this afternoon. I've got the fever ;D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/big_boy.jpg)
I can't tell from the photo, did you seal the ends? I usually seal mine before I saw them. A lot easier that way.
Quote from: EZland on September 04, 2013, 06:26:56 AM
I can't tell from the photo, did you seal the ends? I usually seal mine before I saw them. A lot easier that way.
It's funny you asked this question...I bought 5 gallons of anchorseal a few weeks ago for this purpose. However, it was about to storm when I cut this oak, so I was in a hurry to get it down and pulled the log into the shed just as the storm hit. And of course, I completely forgot to seal the log ends before milling it. So, I had to go back and coat each and every board after they were stacked...I don't think they were sealed yet in the photo...
Yep, I've done that before. .... Once!
Lookin good!
Looks like she's cuttin' good Deese. I sure do like the look of those diagonal saw marks. It looks a lot like marks from a circle mill.
Thanks GMM--she's cuts good as long as you've got a nice sharp blade on her...
It's kind of like buying and riding on new tires on your automobile---you didn't realize how bad your old tires were until you were riding on the new ones. :)
I cut some beautiful Quercus nigra "water oak" lumber yesterday. I wish I would have quarter sawed it though 8)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/September_8th_Water_Oak.JPG)
I've got some even better looking oak logs that I will cut throughout this week.
Also--I've been sealing the ends of my oak logs with anchorseal. I also went back and put a second coat on the ends of my already stacked lumber. I think it has made a big difference. However, I do have a few boards that decided to end-check pretty bad anyways, but I guess if a board really wants to split, then it's gonna split no matter what you try to do to prevent it...But like I said--very satisfied thus far. :)
Most of the studies indicate that the best results from end sealing come if the coating is done immediately after the tree is cut/bucked. The effectiveness declines rapidly with delay, as microchecks have already formed and will open even with coating.
I have a few boards with severe surface checking, while most have none ???
And this particular stack is all from the same oak...
Some of them are worse. The ones with bacterial wetwood are worse. Also some oak species are more prone to cracking. Did you have some black oaks mixed in?
Fresh-sawn oak boards exposed to the sun for just a short time (like going to lunch for an hour) will get enough surface drying to cause checking. These surface checks will close when the inner board begins to dry and shrink, but the failure in those fibers will always be there and haunting (or daunting) later on in the finished product.
And like mesquite said, it could be an oak that is bacterially infected. If so, it would likely smell "bad" and have some dark stain.
it looks like you are having fun with it! that's a great shop for it too! I cant wait to start my ez jr. mr. Zimmerman delivered it the Saturday before last and I haven't done anything with it yet. he is a great guy! I called and ordered it on a Friday night and it was here the next morning at 9 am. he olny charged me $1 a mile to deliver. I cant even drive up there for that.
Quote from: mesquite buckeye on September 09, 2013, 02:02:09 PM
Some of them are worse. The ones with bacterial wetwood are worse. Also some oak species are more prone to cracking. Did you have some black oaks mixed in?
The only two tree species I have cut thus far are loblolly pine (
Pinus taeda) and water oak (
Quercus nigra)And to come to think of it---I bet it is due to bacterial infection because this particular oak was already dying for some unknown reason. It was not lightning struck, and had some dead wood beneath the surface on one side of the lower trunk...
The tree must have been dying from infection. It shouldn't spread to other lumber since the wood is no longer living, correct? Or do I have cause for concern?
Quote from: yukon cornelius on September 09, 2013, 02:57:37 PM
it looks like you are having fun with it! that's a great shop for it too! I cant wait to start my ez jr. mr. Zimmerman delivered it the Saturday before last and I haven't done anything with it yet. he is a great guy! I called and ordered it on a Friday night and it was here the next morning at 9 am. he olny charged me $1 a mile to deliver. I cant even drive up there for that.
Hey Yukon,
Welcome to the forum. You can learn a LOT on here if you read through the bazillions of old threads/topics on here. And yes, I am having a blast with the mill. Here's a pic of some lumber I've cut thus far:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/Lumber_1.JPG)
I wouldn't worry about anything other than bugs moving around in drying lumber, as long as it has good ventilation and rain is kept off of it, which it looks like what you have there.
Beentheres comments are also appropriate. I have seen sun/drying cracking right at the mill if the air is a little dry or the lumber lays around in the sun.
Sometimes it does not matter what you do, the ends will split, more from tension in the log than from drying out on the ends. Anchorseal cannot prevent these tension splits. Just wait until you saw some pecan :) :-\.
Got me some big, beautiful loblolly logs cut today here at the office! Now, I've just got to get them to the mill!
This one is 29" diameter at the stump, and it doesn't taper down much for about 25 feet.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_1637.JPG)
Another View...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_1642.JPG)
And here are a few more...one has a catface but the rest are very nice.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_1641.JPG)
Watch out for metal. These will make some fine lumber.
Way to go Deese! :)
Lookin good! Transporting logs is my least favorite part...
Deese
Get or build one of these, and moving those logs will be easy to do.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/30359/DSCN2348.JPG)
You can pull them with truck or ATV. I have used mine on public roads for short distances. At your own risk. Andy
Those are some high quality SYP logs. They would make some beautiful 1" boards.
Good job Deese! I've been milling some SYP logs in that size range, using it for B&B siding. My trees are mostly Slash and Shortleaf, short and squat with many branches. Your logs look almost clear! As Poston said, that will be some really good looking lumber!
Quote from: WDH on September 10, 2013, 08:20:31 PM
Those are some high quality SYP logs. They would make some beautiful 1" boards.
I already have a buyer--wants them all in 1" boards as wide as I can get them. At this rate, I will have my mill paid for in no time ;D
Soon, you will be rich!!! ;D
Sounds like something my granddaddy would say, then chuckle a little bit :laugh:
I'm sure he had been low kicked enough times to realize it is never that easy. I'm really glad it is going well right now. Get that mill paid off and you are on your way, even though obstacles always pop up. ;D :snowball:
Quote from: Andy White on September 10, 2013, 06:20:09 PM
Deese
Get or build one of these, and moving those logs will be easy to do.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/30359/DSCN2348.JPG)
You can pull them with truck or ATV. I have used mine on public roads for short distances. At your own risk. Andy
Andy, I have definitely got to make one of those. It would make things SO much easier. Thanks for posting.
A couple of our sponsors have this arch available.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z4wIzb72lA
We cut some monsters today
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/image%7E1.jpg)
I'm not sure what a "whack" of logs is but I bet I've got one by tomorrow afternoon ;D
What kind of a backcut is he making in that pic?
Nice looking butt log.
Just after today...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/image%7E2.jpg)
Got many more tomorrow.
Quote from: beenthere on September 12, 2013, 10:46:58 PM
What kind of a backcut is he making in that pic?
Nice looking butt log.
That's called the "Double Deese" back cut! I taught him well! :D
He actually started too high and cut down at a sharp angle...which wasn't necessary. That particular tree had a cat face in the side and it split right through the cat face when falling. He should have came through almost level and it wouldn't have split.
Finally got the last of the logs today. WHEW :o
I'll have to post pics of them all when I get back to the mill.
Now, time to bust out the'ole metal detector, pull a few nails, and begin sawing ;D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/big_load.JPG)
There will be some nice lumber in those logs.
This is what I did this afternoon with just two of them 'ole logs...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_1720.JPG)
Good Puppy Picture! :)
It looks like he is guarding them, he thinks it's his new doghouse. Nice job on that stack of boards, looks like your doing well with the milling.
I learn something new every single time I crank it up.
It's amazing how much you've just gotta learn the hard way...I LOVE IT ;D
Nice looking logs.
Quote from: Deese on September 30, 2013, 11:53:10 PM
I learn something new every single time I crank it up.
It's amazing how much you've just gotta learn the hard way...I LOVE IT ;D
Learning the hard way usually makes it stick in the memory banks better. ;D
Quote from: Jemclimber on October 01, 2013, 07:33:27 AM
Nice looking logs.
Quote from: Deese on September 30, 2013, 11:53:10 PM
I learn something new every single time I crank it up.
It's amazing how much you've just gotta learn the hard way...I LOVE IT ;D
Learning the hard way usually makes it stick in the memory banks better. ;D
You are exactly right
Pulled the trigger on the Cat Claw Sharpener and single tooth setter yesterday. Going to Dothan either Monday or Tuesday to pick it up. Going to build a table for it tomorrow ;D
Deese, I don't know if this helps but, I had trouble with the band wheel covers rattling while the engine is at idle and trying to talk to customers at the same time. I took the covers off and added an o-ring on each stud that the covers hang on and that quieted down the rattle during idle. Also on the honda engines is a solenoid in the carb to shut off the fuel when the key is off. Mine stuck in the close position after not running during a cold spell. I have since added a little sta-bill to the fuel a few tanks a year and has stopped this from sticking. I think its the ethenol in the fuel that causes some of these problems.
Thanks for the info fil-dill :)
The bandwheel cover studs on mine came with o-rings already installed, but I have to keep them greased in order to easily remove the covers. Thanks for the heads up with the carb issue as well. I have made sure to use only ethanol free gasoline thus far, but will mix some Sea Foam with my next tank just for preventative measures.
I'm in the process of enclosing part of my sawmill shed (old chicken house) and making a wood shop. Here is a pic of the outside wall I just finished this morning.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_20131105_105512.JPG)
Looks interesting.
Did you make up some panels from board and batten ?? What is the wood that was used?
It is just some 1" syp I cut from some dead trees. I guess that's why its sort of discolored looking...
Deese I had a friend who is gone now, but his mill was in his chicken house.
This was the best set up I have seen. His logs would come into one end on runners and straight to the mill.
He had soooooo much room to stack various sizes.
In the winter he put up plastic on the chicken house walls, like a green house. This kept the cold wind out.
When summer came he would just take the plastic off and roll it up...... then the summer ventilation could get to his lumber.
You're lucky to have a Chicken House......wish I had 1 or 2. ;D
I drove to Dothan today and visited the Cook's Mfg main office. Very nice folks and walked away with a single tooth setter and cat claw sharpener. Here is a pic of a temporary setup by the mill...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_20131107_202132022.jpg)
Nice! As heavy as those sharpeners are, you're putting a stress test on that table. :D
Quote from: Deese on November 05, 2013, 01:04:51 PM
I'm in the process of enclosing part of my sawmill shed (old chicken house) and making a wood shop. Here is a pic of the outside wall I just finished this morning.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_20131105_105512.JPG)
Why not put the boards up and down?
QuoteWhy not put the boards up and down?
The 4x4"s that support the building were 5' apart, and it just worked out easier to attach the boards to them. If I had placed the boards vertically, I would have had to remove old boards both above and below the posts (as they were warped badly) and replace them. This just seemed the faster method since I did it completely by myself and wanted it done in a hurry :-\
I have been struggling to get this consistently right...But I think I now have it :)
I bet Magicman would be proud ;D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_20131117_130739.JPG)
Looking good! Now that you have had time to play with it a bit would you recommend the EZ Boardwalk Deese? Considering upgrading to a band saw mill from my Logosol. Thanks and keep the pics coming!
In my opinion, you won't find a better-made mill for the money. But get ready for some back breaking labor if you don't have an easy way to turn the logs. I recommend either buying the log turner attachment that comes with it, or making your own. Turning those logs with a cant hook gets OLD quickly. But yes I do like my mill and it has done everything I expected it could do plus some...
Thanks for the advice and thanks for sharing your experiences! How close is Grady AL to Arab AL? In Laws live there.
Arab appears to be about a 3 hour drive North. Grady is about 20 miles South of Montgomery. I plan on doing a good amount of sawing this weekend 8) and I will try to remember to take some pics.
Here are a few 22+" wide syp slabs I cut this weekend. They will make for some nice table tops in a year or so...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_20131124_121353842.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_20131124_121338444.jpg)
Careful Deese! You might get lost in that giant building there. :o. Nice looking slabs too.
Bookmatch for more $. ;D
Quote from: mesquite buckeye on November 25, 2013, 12:11:35 PM
Bookmatch for more $. ;D
Oh yeah I have that covered ;D ;D ;D ;D
My cedar stack is slowly growing ;D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/image%7E5.jpg)
That cedar is mighty red. ;D
Ohhhhhhh...... I wish I was close enough to those Cedars to take a big sniff!!!!! :)
I am sooooo jealous of your shed too!!!!!!!
What is the size of that beast?
-Dad2FourWI
Great setup. It must be nice not having to worry about cutting outside on a rainy day. Love that stack of cedar.
And what an adventure its going to be. Congrats
Arnold113
I absolutely love my Cat Claw sharpener. However, I'm having issues with the belt coming off the pulleys. I've tightened it and still coming off. Think I'll call Cooks and see what they recommend.
I cut some beautiful cedar slabs last night.
These turned out to be roughly 11"x4"x8'
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/Cedar_Slabs.jpg)
Looks like a couple of nice fireplace mantles. Or French door headers. ;D
I was just about to cut the cant into a bunch of 1" boards, and decided against it at the last second :)
Wise move I'm thinking. Your board foot price should be much better. You may have to wait longer to sell them though. Might be worth double price or better. ;D 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Deese, you did good! Price them at $6/BF.
$300.00
I was going to say that! You are the $300 man.
Quote from: WDH on December 14, 2013, 09:29:52 PM
I was going to say that! You are the $300 man.
That way you don't have to figure board footage. :D
Too true. Also takes the sticker shock out of it just a bit. ;D
The stickered shock!
I sold a guy 2 oak boards today for $23. 11.5 BF x $2.00 per BF = $23. Air dried and rough sawn at 1 1/8". He had first gone by Lowes to look at the oak. Those same two boards, kiln dried and planed, sell for $92 at Lowes or Home Depot.
Maybe you could go $2.50 and get rich. ;D 8) 8) 8)
Right.....
Quote from: WDH on December 14, 2013, 09:59:44 PM
The stickered shock!
I sold a guy 2 oak boards today for $23. 11.5 BF x $2.00 per BF = $23. Air dried and rough sawn at 1 1/8". He had first gone by Lowes to look at the oak. Those same two boards, kiln dried and planed, sell for $92 at Lowes or Home Depot.
Imagine what you could have gotten for them in Rock Hill, SC! materhead
Is that place full of "Swimmin' pools and Movie Stars"? Or is there a secret gubbernment facility nearby? say_what
I cut two more cedar slabs last night that are about 5"x12"x10'
I'm about to go back down to the mill and restack/spray bleach on some moldy pine lumber that I stacked to tightly.
I priced the first two slabs on facebook at $300 each. I am in no hurry to sell them and they are absolutely georgous.
Also, a guy called me yesterday that wants 300 sq ft of 3/4" cedar boards to finish remodeling his bathrooms. How much should I charge per board foot? I've already got a lot cut into 13/16" and 1" and most of it is really good looking stuff.
$5/BF? $6/BF? I want to be fair but this guy trusts me and won't blink an eye no matter what price I quote.
danG! Where did all my buddies go? :D think I'll do $5/bf.
I sell it for $3/BF. $5 is a bit steep, but if you can get it, go for it.
Thanks WDH for the feedback. I've never sold my own lumber before and wasn't sure about pricing this stuff. Still haven't made my mind up yet :-\
If you want to keep this guy trusting you, price it fairly. If he finds out later he paid too much, he won't be back. :o
Quote from: mesquite buckeye on December 16, 2013, 09:46:40 AM
If you want to keep this guy trusting you, price it fairly. If he finds out later he paid too much, he won't be back. :o
Very good advice. Sell your lumber at a fair price based on competition around you and the quality of how your lumber turns out.
Slabs are a different ball game. A "plain Jane grain" slab may sell for $3/Bf and up depending on species.
But if a particular slab has a highly unusually grain with lots of character and has a bookend to go with it.......the sky is the limit. There are no Blue Book values on slabs.
Quote from: mesquite buckeye on December 16, 2013, 09:46:40 AM
If you want to keep this guy trusting you, price it fairly. If he finds out later he paid too much, he won't be back. :o
Oh, absolutely. I would NEVER take advantage of anyone and that wasn't my intention. I'm just not confident in my ability to price this stuff. I want to go with whatever is the normal going rate for this area...If $3 is the rate, then I'm perfectly fine with that.
Poston and Mesquite,
Is $3/bf about what you charge for your cedar lumber?
Quote from: Deese on December 16, 2013, 10:08:30 AM
Poston and Mesquite,
Is $3/bf about what you charge for your cedar lumber?
Deese.....in my area, I can't get but $1.50 BF for Cedar Lumber.
If I sell Cedar slabs with live edge and the wood has no rot in the grain and the width is consistent ......I can get as much as $100-$200 a slab on a 2 inch thick x 16 - 23 wide inch x 8 foot.
Hmmm....
Now if we could just figure out how to make our slabs do this smiley_divide
My red cedar has gotten used up at home as fast as I have been cutting it. ;D
$3 sounds good to me for regular 4/4 stuff if you can get it.
I told him $3 today and he almost fainted.
Just Kidding :) He said that's fine with him. He is supposedly coming to see my setup and load his boards one day this week.
I am super excited because I know he is going to be pleasantly surprised when he sees the quality of my lumber smiley_really_happy
logrite_cool 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) logrite_cool
Good deal!
I cut a 30"+ pine log last night. I had to bibby it down with the chainsaw to make it fit on the mill. The log yielded 28 total boards consisting of 2x6, 2x8, 2x10, and 2x12. No nails and no knots smiley_beertoast
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_20131219_180133529.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_20131219_180059879.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/33361/IMG_20131219_211810870.jpg)
You can see the pile of slabs on the ground on the left side of the second picture. I had to remove those 2" slabs so that i could turn it for the second face opening cut.