Cold weather stop you sawyers?

[Ed_K]

 Below 25° and the mill won't start manual pull cord at 22° the skidder won't start without lots of extra work, find generator to use block heater, jumper cables to juice up cold batt. After 10° I'm next the the furnace adding wood ;D

[Jwswan]

agreed on all the above.  Also, depending on how much finger dexterity I need vs. working in heavy chopper mitts, I can reliably add on 15-50% when there is decent snow on the ground and the temps are teens and less. I'd like to work out some clever ratio.  And at 38, I'm already pretty soft and prefer to head into a very cozy shop.  I love winter for the cross country skiing, no so much for outside work.  I've decided there's no need to be a hero when it gets cold.  

[thecfarm]

I don't have to work outside. I just play around getting firewood. I wear certain clothes. If that don't keep me warm I head for the house. I think I can tell when it's 10° and 16°. 16° I am fine,but that 10 is a, I am cold and heading for the house.
Years ago I worked for the state working on low income homes. Now that's a cold job. Blowing insulation and standing on a ladder. At least cutting wood I can keep warm.

[nybhh]

 I'll take a sunny 20 over humid 90 all day long and be be thankful for it.  i saw for myself though so below 20ish with no sun or lots of snow or wind and I'll ussually find something else to do.  

I like to fire up the incenerator/burn barrel below freezing and burn off some slab wood while working too.  Makes breaks, and the end of day beers a lot more enjoyable as well!  ;D

[Kwill]

Mid 30s here today. I sawed all day in it not much wind so it was about right.

[Kindlinmaker]

I'll take a sunny 20 over humid 90 all day long and be be thankful for it.  i saw for myself though so below 20ish with no sun or lots of snow or wind and I'll ussually find something else to do.  

I like to fire up the incenerator/burn barrel below freezing and burn off some slab wood while working too.  Makes breaks, and the end of day beers a lot more enjoyable as well!  ;D

Across the river in Dutchess with the same usage needs and same sawing guidelines.  Must be a Mid Hudson thing.  Enjoying this warm spell after falling behind with the hot, wet summer we had; woodshop needs boards and some nice figured logs going to firewood if we don't get to them soon. 

[Old Greenhorn]

I'll take a sunny 20 over humid 90 all day long and be be thankful for it.  i saw for myself though so below 20ish with no sun or lots of snow or wind and I'll ussually find something else to do.  

I like to fire up the incenerator/burn barrel below freezing and burn off some slab wood while working too.  Makes breaks, and the end of day beers a lot more enjoyable as well!  ;D

Ditto what NYBHH and kindlinmaker said. The humidity here can be terrible in both winter and summer with fall not far behind that. If it is dry, sunny and 10° I can still be good with a couple of breaks and a little slab fire to check in with every once in a while. It's all about my feet, If they are comfortable than I am good. There are a lot of benefits to working in the colder months, like no mosquito's, fewer ticks, easier skidding, no leaf cover on the trees, etc. We get very damp, overcast days here before mid-January and it can be hard to stay focused when that chill gets in your back.  It's 32 and damp out right now and it is killing me to be sick, and in the house for the last 3 days. 

[Brucer]

I don't saw when ....
A) It's -10 °C (or colder) -- that's 14 °F.
B) It's snowing heavily (snow packs between the bed and the cant).
C) Snow on the ground is more than a foot deep.
D) I've got nothing to saw.

Right now C & D apply .

[Stephen1]

This is the 1st year I have sawn past December 1st. The new mill caused this as I am getting the bugs out of the new mill by  sawing wood for my adition to my cottage. 
I do not mind around the -5 or so and sunny. The snow on the ground is the biggest problem I find. I have a small yard and I have to stack all the unfinnished bundles of wood when I am finnished for the day. I then have room to plow snow in the morning, unpile my bundles and then saw wood. br>
 

 

[petefrom bearswamp]

I could and did mark timber to well below zero, of course I havent done that since 2006, but saw?
Not under about 35.

[boonesyard]

There's an orange mill under there somewhere ??? Right now we're in a blizzard warning, -40 windchill, supposed to get down to -21 temp tonight. Milling will have to wait.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I hope its a manual mill because I don't see the loading arms raised up so the feet don't freeze to the ground. That's a trick I learned here. If there is a remote possibility of freeze before I will saw again I make sure to lift my loading arms at the end of every sawing session. Has saved me from some headaches several times.

[moodnacreek]

Way up north, circle mills that operate below 0 use solid tooth saws I am told.  These saws are thinner than insert tooth style and sometimes use more guides.

[Chuck White]

I'll bet it's that new LT50, I can make out the loading arms!

Too darn cold anyway!

[Bandmill Bandit]

I used to saw down to about minus 10C but now I like it above freezing a few notches. 

The joints don't like the cold so much.  

[boonesyard]

  I hope its a manual mill because I don't see the loading arms raised up so the feet don't freeze to the ground. That's a trick I learned here. If there is a remote possibility of freeze before I will saw again I make sure to lift my loading arms at the end of every sawing session. Has saved me from some headaches several times.

Hmmmm, didn't think of that and I just got 20 years in 20 minutes. I'll break the loading arms loose before I grab the lever, thanks for the heads up.

[welderskelter]

looks like all of us will be sawing tomorrow or the next day as it will be warm enough to make saw dust. Happy sawing.

[ladylake]

 
 It's +2 in Waubun right and -7 here in Grey Eagle and your over  100 miles north of me.  But the is going to be 16 above so I'll be sawing.  Steve

[boonesyard]

I've got a bunch of logs coming, but they're not here yet. Supposed to be in the mid 30's, would be great weather for making sawdust. Keep sawing! 

[Andries]

I'm about eight or ten hours North of the Minnesotans.
Same weather patterns here - a strong wind with really low temps for the last week.


 
Minus 43 degrees equals no milling.

[Andries]

That last photo shows what we call 'sun dogs'.
Pretty much a common thing on clear and cold weather with ice crystals in the air.
A spectacular first for me were these 'light pillars' five nights ago.


 
No, they don't help with night milling, it has to be brass monkey cold for these guys to show up.
Danny @WDH doesn't know what he's missing up here in the far yonder.  ;) :D

[Andries]

Like the guys in Minnesota and the Dakotas @Goose63 we'll get some above freezing weather for a short spell.
My milling orders are filled for now, so the firewood splitter is going to have to get to work.


 
It's a newer Honda, and I haven't changed over to synthetic oil yet, so some extra heat will convince most machines to cooperate.

[Southside]

Andries - I love that first photo - what is there when the snow is gone?  

[WDH]

I am missing glaciation on a large scale.

[Andries]

Andries - I love that first photo - what is there when the snow is gone?  

Its a wheat or corn field in summer.
As Danny would say: "for all of three weeks?" 
He's a true Inuit at heart.  :D