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General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: SkyDoc on January 03, 2017, 08:32:18 PM

Title: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: SkyDoc on January 03, 2017, 08:32:18 PM
This new, custom built, Turner Mill should be at my house late this week. 38" bed, 24 foot capacity, fully hydraulic with all the bells and whistles plus 34" between the blade guides.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/42303/IMG_0040.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1483493302)

Super Excited Doc....
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: jwade on January 03, 2017, 08:48:15 PM
wow that is really nice. hope to see pictures of it in action.
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Ljohnsaw on January 03, 2017, 08:57:44 PM
Interesting design.  Is that electrical or hydraulics on the overhead wire?
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: SkyDoc on January 03, 2017, 09:12:33 PM
Electrical. It doesnt have much in the electronics department like many other mills. It's mostly hydraulic. Electric up and down, clutch, and start.
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: SkyDoc on January 03, 2017, 09:17:27 PM
Here are a few more from the build.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/42303/IMG_0030.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1483328099)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/42303/IMG_0027.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1483328096)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/42303/IMG_0038.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1483328087)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/42303/IMG_0029.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1483328086)

Test run
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/42303/IMG_0036.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1483328076)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/42303/IMG_0031.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1483328076)
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: scully on January 03, 2017, 09:20:14 PM
I'd be prity excited about that ! Looks like a nice mill !
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Bruno of NH on January 03, 2017, 10:00:05 PM
Great looking mill :)
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Darrel on January 03, 2017, 10:12:27 PM
I've never heard of Turner Mills. Looks like they make a pretty good machine.
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: SkyDoc on January 03, 2017, 10:27:43 PM
When I didn my research I wrote down all of the options I wanted/needed and priced them out to all the manufacturers. Bottom line if I wanted hydraulic loading arms they all started at 27k or more. I got a custom mill with a much larger capacity for a decent bit less. Plus I was involved with the whole process. They don't do a lot of advertising but those that have them swear by their reliability and quality.

For example. If you break down you can go to napa and get almost any part for it. If you lose a bearing on the head of an orange mill you are down until you get one from the manufacturer. Based on what I've learned.
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: fishfighter on January 04, 2017, 06:30:12 AM
Congrats. Now that is a big step up. When you get it set up, I will come by and check it out. ;D
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: 47sawdust on January 04, 2017, 07:15:11 AM
Looks like it has a separate motor for the hydraulics.The power feed must be electric as well?
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: bandmiller2 on January 04, 2017, 07:41:17 AM
Doc, does Turner still use rubber tires for their wheels on there larger mills.?? They work and you won't have to stretch belts over cast iron pulleys. I have seen the manual Turners cut at shows but not the deluxe model. Frank C.
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: slider on January 04, 2017, 08:05:30 AM
Looks like a good score on a nice mill but the killer shop is what i like the best.
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: SkyDoc on January 04, 2017, 09:59:22 AM
Yes, Turner uses trailer tires for the bandwheels.
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Bruno of NH on January 04, 2017, 10:37:08 AM
What is the power unit for the mill head ?
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: thecfarm on January 04, 2017, 11:02:46 AM
You will like it!!!
What's the plan for the lumber?
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: SkyDoc on January 04, 2017, 11:40:55 AM
The power unit is a 36 hp Subaru, the biggest I could get without going diesel and really upping the price tag. I'm told that subaru is shutting down it's small engine department but will carry parts for 8 years. Despite this news, I still went with it over the 24hp Honda.

c-farm, I intend to mill for others primarily and develop my property. Possibly (if the wife approves) build a house with the spoils...
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Darrel on January 04, 2017, 01:04:31 PM
I've heard no complaints about Subaru engines
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Chuck White on January 04, 2017, 02:14:07 PM
Congratulations on the new mill!
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Oliver05262 on January 04, 2017, 07:26:51 PM
My understanding is that someone (Yamaha?) is buying the Subaru small engine line, so it will not be an orphan, and will be available and supported in the future. Subaru had already promised support, but now it will also be still manufactured, although it may gain a name change. I'm sure there will be plenty of press releases to keep up customer confidence.
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Bruno of NH on January 04, 2017, 07:34:53 PM
I have an industrial generator with a robins/Subaru engine
It's built like a tank and they rebage it as a John Deere
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: W5E2J on January 04, 2017, 08:18:31 PM
SkyDoc, You will enjoy that mill and get a lot of work done with it. I have had a manual Turner Mill for 15 years and cut many 1,000's of feet of lumber with it. Other than replacing a few bearings on the guides and the main drive belt, it has been very reliable for me. Mine is manual with a 13 hp Honda. But I have wished on many occasions to have something as large as yours. Good Luck with it. smiley_thumbsup smiley_thumbsup
W.Jones
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: SkyDoc on January 05, 2017, 09:58:06 AM
Bruno, that's good to know. I've only heard good things about the Subaru engines that's why I was comfortable getting one knowing that they're stopping production.

WS, that's good to know that you've had one for a long time. What I liked the best was the ability to talk to Bill and design the mill.

Everyone else, yes the mill runs on trailer tires not steel band wheels.

Oliver, thanks for that tip. If you hear more in the future please let me know for my own resources
The mill should be here late tonight or tomorrow. I'm not sure about the power feed but I will let y'all know about that specific item. I've got 2 26" logs that were too large for my small push mill that have vexed me for nearly a year. They will meet their demise when the Turner Monster shows up. We had some weather the other day and I'm crossing my fingers for more free trees.
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Rando on January 05, 2017, 03:22:03 PM
I stopped by the shop one day to look at the Turner mill. Very impressed but he was behind in production for months so I went with something else.
From what I remember seeing I believe you'll be very happy with your choice.
Also, he was a very nice man and easy to talk to.
Good luck and have fun!
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: SkyDoc on January 05, 2017, 07:16:13 PM
When I called him I asked him what his production time was and he said about 8 weeks for what I wanted. He had to do some custom fabrication to meet my needs.

I couldnt be happier with the process and his product. It's supposed to be here either late tonight or early tomorrow.

Doc
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: SkyDoc on January 05, 2017, 09:18:59 PM
Well, she showed up right before dinner!

If you need a hotshot service I cant say enough good about JB Transport. John was super easy to work with, he kept me informed and got it from New York state to Baton Rouge in less than 48 hours.

I'll get pictures of her once I take her to the car wash and rinse the salt off of her tomorrow. First up are those two big pine logs I've been sitting on.

Doc
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: fishfighter on January 06, 2017, 06:44:34 AM
There will be a good chance they are going to put sand down on the roads today. Oh, watch out for ice on the roads. If you are home next week once it warms up, I would like to come by and check it out. ;D
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Deese on January 06, 2017, 02:03:03 PM
Nice, sturdy looking mill  smiley_thumbsup
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: johnnyllama on January 06, 2017, 02:49:10 PM
I've also got a Turner Mill and have been very happy with it. 1 broken blade in the last 3 years, no lube to deal with at blade......
Bill is great to deal with as he personally works on every mill, alongside one other worker. He's less interested in growing his volume than putting out excellent work from what I see. I'm only about 75 minutes from his shop so that's a plus too. You get your money's worth!
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: SkyDoc on January 19, 2017, 08:44:20 PM
I'm quite pleased with my new mill! I have some learning curve that I'll have to figure out. Going from a small push mill to a giant fully hydraulic mill. I have milled about 4 logs to date, mostly oak from a storm a while back.

Started building a chicken coop 12x14' out of what I had to use...which was oak. It seems I made ALL of the newbie mistakes rather quickly. I bent a band by raising the log stop into it, I hit the log loading arm with the band cover and I learned that if I am going to take an 8" bite off of a cant that the drive system cover will not let it pass, so you just need to scoot the cant over an inch or so. I'll post pictures in the Whatcha Sawin thread soon.

Doc
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Magicman on January 19, 2017, 10:43:22 PM
Congratulations Doc on the "new baby".   8)
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Treehack on January 19, 2017, 11:16:34 PM
Nothin like a new mill to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.  Congrats!
Title: Re: New Beauty coming to South Louisiana
Post by: Rougespear on January 19, 2017, 11:36:09 PM
You know, that is just a well thought out, simple, and good looking mill.  I like it a lot, and I'm sure you do too!  Simplicity is a big bonus in my books.  Enjoy :)