The Forestry Forum

I made a foolish mistake a couple months ago. I was planning to buy a larger mill last fall, but I fell deathly I'll and ended up in and out of the hospital, ultimately ending up in a dual organ transplant that saved my life. I figured there was no point in buying a new mill if I was going to kick off anyway. So I waited until 3 months or so out of my transplants to pull the trigger. Once I decided to buy my LX450, I put my LT35 Hyd up for sale on craigslist. I figured I'd test the waters and if I got my asking price I'd sell it, if not I'd hang onto it until the new one arrived. It sold the same day...

My new mill has been delayed until an early September delivery. My fault, they released the debarker and diesel after my original order, and I elected for a later delivery date to gain those options. Sadly, I've got tons of small projects that the mill was perfect for. I've used up all the flitches I had lying around. I ran them through the edger to clean them up for the boards to finish off the first level of my daughters tree fort. At least I managed to cut the main lumber for that, and my sawmill roof before I let the mill go.

On the plus side, I've got a roof up over the sawmill shed now, and the forklift and storage area beside it. Even got my edger finally under cover. I've added a decent hydraulic drive to my log deck, and started a storage area off the end of the sawmill shed. It should provide a nice place to store blades, sawmills, chains gas and oil, etc.

One thing I still lack is some decent roller stands to move lumber down a green chain and onto an offloading / landing area. I saw a really cool system at a local sawmill. It's like 50 years old school, but still works. They have a series of heavy duty roller tables about 5' wide and 10' long. Finished lumber is pulled off the green chain and stacked on the appropriate roller table. Once a stack is complete, they band it, stick a hunk of pipe off the end and give the unit a good heave. It rolls off the roller table, onto the pipe and out into the yard. It eventually tips over and stops, leaving enough room under it for a forklift to come pick it up and put it away. Brilliant, low cost, simple and strong. Any body have a source for good roller tables on the cheaper side... near Portland, OR?

Heavy pipe some channel iron and some C-ring bearing inserts. Cheap build.

Glad to hear that you're doing well since your surgery, Stuart.

I understand your frustrations dealing with the waiting for the mill!

Glad all is well. The waiting part is good. Means you are alive!!