Whatcha Sawin' 2020 ??

[Hackeldam Wood Products]

 
br>
 

 

Towed home a few nice Pine from camp. I wish all my logs looked like these! The Pine in the area around camp grow straight and tall. Put one on the mill but I had to go back to work and I will cut it tomorrow if the storms hold off. Hot here today in the 90's. That last pick is my BBQ porch I built on my screen room. The screen room was one of my first rough cut projects. I hired a good guy with a wood-mizer and he came and cut my logs. That was the start!Much handier to have a wood-mizer of your own! The porches are the first project that I cut to a lumber list,other then furniture. Folks keep buying all the lumber I have time to cut. I need to keep some so I can finish the sawmill shed before winter. 

[Hackeldam Wood Products]

 

 
Ready to go. I read on the f.f. that it is bad luck to leave a log on the mill. But I had a Uncle that taught me to lay out and prepare all your tools in the evening so you are prepared to go to work first thing in the morning. I have doe this all my life and I can't stop now. I pulled those logs on the trailer with a come a long. I have to rig up a winch on that small trailer!

[Dave Shepard]

I leave logs on the mill all the time. When I've had enough, I go home.  :D

[GAB]

A large and log log on the mill makes a good theft deterant.
GAB

[firefighter ontheside]

I leave logs on the mill often.  I don't know if I'd call it bad luck, but often I have to take it back off to mill someone else's logs.  Leaving a log on there sometimes is the difference between milling on a certain day or not.  

[WV Sawmiller]

Rich,

  You are sure right about that big lumber being heavy.

  I sawed 2 more 16' logs today. I sawed 14 - 1"X12"X16' boards, a few 1X6
X16, a few 6/4X16 4 & 6 inches wide. Total 368 bf but I also moved some more short sawhorses over and did some more stacking. 4 more 16' logs and 3-12' logs to go. I got too hot in the early afternoon and came in and cooled off and got some dry drawers and socks and went back in the evening. No pictures because I did not finish till about 8:30 pm and too late for a photo.

  My leafblower went on strike. It will start then immediately shut down like it is not getting fuel. I'll try changing a plug - not that that is a likely cause but a chicken soup fix. Can't hurt and might help.

[Old Greenhorn]

that taught me to lay out and prepare all your tools in the evening so you are prepared to go to work first thing in the morning.

I leave logs on the mill all the time. It's not so much as getting ready for the next day as it is reminding me where I left off. Sometimes I even take a marker and write on the end of the logs what the the 'plan' was for that log. Yes, I am 'reedy to go' in the morning but mostly I want to keep the flow going from the previous day.

[Magicman]

Luke and I are still pecking away at our road trip job.


 
We fully utilized the cantilever head design with a couple of 37" & 38" logs that we did not have to Bibby.  Just scooted them over and let them hang into the opening so the saw head could pass.


 
We finished with the 24 logs in the second location and moved on to the third and final location.


 
We left this whack of stickered lumber.  Some of the previously sawn lumber is seen in the background on the left.


 
Another view of the lumber that we left behind this morning.


 
So now we are at the final setup with 27 logs.  We surely would have finished the job tomorrow but rain shut us down at 12:30.  Now we may not finish tomorrow, and the hurricane could affect us Thursday.  We are both ready to lay this 136 log job in the history book. 

I am about to loose my helper because Luke starts back to school next Monday the 31st.

[WV Sawmiller]

 

 I didn't need that s point on that claw anyway did I? :(

 Only broke off 4 teeth. 1 gone, skipped 2 then broke off 3 more. A big old band doesn't need that many teeth anyway does it? :

    Maybe I need to rig up a convex mirror on the opposite side of the log (or remember to check before sawing).

   I sawed 4 more of my customers 16' poplar logs. Sawed some 6/4 into 4 & 6 inch framing, sawed 2 logs into 1X12 and some smaller widths as I was able to salvage. Total 558 bf. 


 35 1X12X16 on top of 4- 4X10X16 and some 1X6-1X10 in front for future stacking.

 6/4 X 4 & 6 X 16 framing. 33 4", 10 6" all 16' long.

 Assorted 4/4 & 6/4 boards for trimming and stacking. May cut off 2'-4' of flare to leave a shorter finished board before final stacking and customer tally. I don't charge for parts the customer can't use.

   These stacks are from the last 3 days and 8 logs. So far total is about 1405 bf and 3 more logs left to finish the order.

   I did have to work on my debarker - I did not torque the 2 little set screws on to the new motor shaft and it slipped down. A pretty quick while I was changing a band that was attacked by that pesky claw. :D

Lynn,

   Can I borrow your umbrella and Luke for a while? :D :D :D Looking real good there.

[firefighter ontheside]

Just like the teeth on the blade, I don't think the points on that claw serve any purpose.  You're good to go.

[Walnut Beast]

It looks like a nice factory cut 

[donbj]

"I am about to loose my helper because Luke starts back to school next Monday the 31st."

Challenging times for schools now, I hope he does well. You have a good grandson there Magicman. He learned a lot of what schools just can't teach working with you

[Don P]

Looks like you bronzed and buffed him too :D Good luck Luke.

[Banjo picker]

I am fixing to be sawing pine, if the rain will stop long enough for me to get to the mill.  I loaded the deck yesterday afternoon in anticipation of this flood.  Tim

[Durf700]

I had a good 2 days of milling..  my company ordered 20 6x6s and a local guy came back and ordered 44 full size 2x6's. I finished it on own without a helper in 15 hours over the course of 2 days.  Its not terrible not having a helper.  but does give you a breather from time to time.. good exercise!!

 

 

 

 

[WV Sawmiller]

   I got out this afternoon when it finally cooled off a little and sawed the last 2-16' poplar logs from my customer load. I only have 2 more 12' logs left and the order will be finished. I sawed these today into 6/4 X 4" or 6". I took a picture but it is just the same one showed before only 3-4 layers taller. If the weather permits I should finish this order tomorrow.

I did get a call yesterday from our local market wanting a couple dozen more tomato stakes so I dropped them off when I went to town today then as soon as I got home a local teacher came over and bought 2 LE 8/4 cherry slabs. I put on on the mill and re-sawed it into 3" widths. About 6' long. That was what he needed to complete a table he is building. He liked the matching slab so went ahead and bought it too.

 I had another neighbor come by and go through my slab pile and got a bunch of edging strips for tomato stakes (Rather than buying my ready cut ones :) but he will be back to buy my slab pile for his boss lady's firewood pile. She has a little warming stove in her kitchen and he buys several truck loads a year and cuts it to short lengths.

 I need to pull 10 1X6X8 ash boards and resaw 5-2" ash strips for a repeat customer to build a chest or dresser. he built one for his daughter and of course then the other daughter wanted one just like it. Not a lot of money at one time but he buys a couple hundred $ worth of lumber every year. It all adds up eventually.

Durf,

 That is some pretty wood. I know what you mean about working alone. I envy you guys with that pretty SYP. Keep up the good work.

[Durf700]

  I got out this afternoon when it finally cooled off a little and sawed the last 2-16' poplar logs from my customer load. I only have 2 more 12' logs left and the order will be finished. I sawed these today into 6/4 X 4" or 6". I took a picture but it is just the same one showed before only 3-4 layers taller. If the weather permits I should finish this order tomorrow.

I did get a call yesterday from our local market wanting a couple dozen more tomato stakes so I dropped them off when I went to town today then as soon as I got home a local teacher came over and bought 2 LE 8/4 cherry slabs. I put on on the mill and re-sawed it into 3" widths. About 6' long. That was what he needed to complete a table he is building. He liked the matching slab so went ahead and bought it too.

I had another neighbor come by and go through my slab pile and got a bunch of edging strips for tomato stakes (Rather than buying my ready cut ones :) but he will be back to buy my slab pile for his boss lady's firewood pile. She has a little warming stove in her kitchen and he buys several truck loads a year and cuts it to short lengths.

I need to pull 10 1X6X8 ash boards and resaw 5-2" ash strips for a repeat customer to build a chest or dresser. he built one for his daughter and of course then the other daughter wanted one just like it. Not a lot of money at one time but he buys a couple hundred $ worth of lumber every year. It all adds up eventually.

Durf,

That is some pretty wood. I know what you mean about working alone. I envy you guys with that pretty SYP. Keep up the good work.

thank you sir!!!  its actually north eastern hemlock from my land.  a friend has a bunch of really nice white pine or something that we are gonna mill up this fall. I've had great luck with the hemlock on my land so far.  I have only had maybe 3 logs that had some shake in them that were no good out of probably 300 logs.  my logger said I was lucky with my hemlock.. alot of it in my area and south of me is no good and full of shake. 

[Magicman]

Luke and I kicked this job in the butt log yesterday.  He goes back to school Monday so this was our last job together for the Summer.  He learned a lot about sawing and probably also learned a bit about me.  We had a wonderful time together.  Thank You Luke !!!


 
This is how some of the 136 logs looked when we arrived at this job.


 
The first whack of lumber.


 
The second whack of lumber.


 
The third whack of lumber.  The three whacks total 10,349 bf.  We were on the job 8 days but were rained out at ~noon 3 days so I was pleased with our production.


 
Yesterday Luke learned about "ring shake" and what it will do to a log's lumber yield.  Many of what should have been 1X12's were reduced to 10's & 8's.  :-\ 


 
So we got paid and showed this job our taillights.  Luke has learned how each job is different.  Kinda like Forrest Gump opening a box of chocolates.  From here we moved the sawmill to the next job.


 
Luke said "What??" 


 
So I just backed the sawmill in, set up, and will saw it next week.  The point is that not everyone has access to good logs so they saw what they have.  My job is not to judge but to provide a sawing service.

[WV Sawmiller]

Lynn,

  I like the contrast between the big 2 week type job then stop off for a job you can finish in a single morning. I really prefer the one day jobs as I prefer to bring Millie home every night. She sleeps better in my lot or pasture than at a customer site. :D Also it is easier on the cash flow to get paid daily. I tell my customers I get paid at the end of each week or at the end of the job whichever comes first. I once let one job run 3 weeks before I got paid and it was a new customer and I was getting nervous but it was not an issue and he paid immediately when I finished by truck light.

Durf,

  Sorry for the mix up. I should have noted your location and if so I'd have realized it was not SYP. I think I have 2-3 hemlocks on my place. The only one big enough to ever saw is full of railroad spikes and there is an old aluminum deer stand left up in it. That was before I got a sawmill and did not know better. ;D I occasionally saw hemlock but usually it is a customer in one of our surrounding counties as not much here.

[Bruno of NH]

Mr Lynn
I'm glad you got to work with your grandson.
I worked many days with my Peper'e when I was young.
I will probably never get to have that experience. 

[Hackeldam Wood Products]

Lynn,
So glad to see you and that fine grandson working together. I had many like experiences when I was a young man. 
He will never forget it.

[Magicman]

I tell my customers I get paid at the end of each week or at the end of the job whichever comes first.

Yes, since this was a new customer and I knew that it would extend beyond one week, I stated in the "Sawing Contract" that I would be paid at the end of each week.  Actually I was paid on Friday for the sawing through Thursday and Friday's sawing was added to the next week.  It worked very well.  I can appreciate the natural apprehension when the weekly invoices are above a thousand$$.  

I have stated before that with 19 years of sawing, I have never not gotten paid for any sawing done.

I have gotten another benefit from sawing and wearing steel toe boots:



 
A Redneck tan line.   :

[cutterboy]

Magic, I've enjoyed seeing the pictures of Luke and knowing what a joy this must have been for you having him with you this summer. I will miss seeing him in future pictures. I know you will miss having him with you.

The very best to both of you.

[Bruno of NH]

Mr Lynn, 
My Redneck tan lines look different this year.
Shorts with compression sleeves up to my knees.
I have one ring on each leg up to my shorts line.
It looks pretty funny. ;D

[WV Sawmiller]

   I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings but those are not the kind of tan lines I am looking for. :

   I finished my customer order today and even squeezed in a small ash order which included re-sawing a LE slab into 2X2 strips for the customer.

    My customer's poplar order turned out to be 1865 bf. I exceeded every category on his cut list (which totaled 1407 bf) except for the 1X3 battens and I can throw a handful of excess 1X6's on the mill and cut those in 1-2 passes. I will let him make that call. It was after dark when I came in so no picture tonight either.