Whatcha Sawin' 2021 ??

[TimW]

Brandi, you work yard is looking sharp!  Doc.

Thanks Doc!  I can't wait until it is moved 75 yards across the gully and under cover.
hugs,  Brandi

[beenthere]

Last photo is black walnut in my bathtub.

But... why? :

Thinking he is making some Black Walnut Essential oils.  

[samandothers]

Last photo is black walnut in my bathtub.

But... why? :

Thinking he is making some Black Walnut Essential oils.  

Stain maybe.

[doc henderson]

yes, I want to see the tub, after it is drained.

[btulloh]

Yes, we need "the rest of the story" on the walnut in the bathtub. 

- what's the juice going to be used for?

- why not use a big plastic bin instead of the bathtub?

- have you retained a good divorce attorney yet?

[Nebraska]

 

[firefighter ontheside]

I always ask people what they are bringing to mill so  I know what to expect.  Sometimes I have to say, that's too big, etc.  I had a repeat customer bringing some pin oak.  He said they were 24" and 20" and 7' long.  He showed up with two logs.  One was about 8' long and one was about 10'.  The trouble is that the longer log was about 32" diameter at the big end.  We just cut off about 3' of it to make it fit thru the mill.  I couldn't have carried the thing full length anyway.  The pin oak was pretty coming off the mill.  I hope he manages to dry it flat.

[Magicman]

 


20' Black Oak with a 27" butt.  It took both the sawmill loader and the JD to get it onto the sawmill.  I closed this job out this evening but will go back probably in February.

I will travel back next week to finish the 106 mile Longleaf Pine job where the skid steer caught fire in June.  After I finish that job my plans are to shut er down until next year. 

[WV Sawmiller]

 

No, I did not start sawing these today but I did go look at them. They are 16 miles from my home. I was scheduling to saw them Thursday but once seeing them I realized it is 2 long and possibly 3 days as the biggest log here is 36" in diameter and several are 30+ which is going to require rotating them several times and whittling them down They are all RO & WO and there is a smaller 16' log perpendicular on the backside. The customer is just cutting them for stock so they don't go to waste. He was thinking framing for the WO but I suggested checking a nearby couple who might need them for their board fence business. We will see what comes of that. He'd be just as happy with poplar or pine for framing I bet but neither of those would make good fence boards. 

   I also looked at another job 40+ miles from home. We were over there for wife's Dr. appointment and the guy called yesterday. I forgot to take a picture. Turns out there were 3 maple logs about 14-15 inches in diameter. An 8, 10 & 12 footer. Sounds like he wants 6/4 - 7/4 boards and maybe even LE. Maybe 2-3  at 4" square for wood turning.  I told him my minimum fee would apply to come that far but just my BF sawing fee if he brings them to me. He still sounded like he wants me to come. If the weather permits I think I'll just bring my mill with me on 21st to my next dental cleaning appointment and saw them then as he is very close to my dentist. (No comments, Tom or Danny, from the peanut gallery about WV and out of work dentists ;)).

[WDH]

Lynn,

That is the most water oak oakish, willow oakish, laurel oakish, black oak that I have ever seen.

Howard, how do you compliment an Auburn graduate?

"Nice tooth."  

[Magicman]

Yup, you are right.  I was thinking about the previous log that had the bright orange underneath.  That one was course bark and wasn't Water Oak, but one of them others.  It came from Denham Springs, LA.

[WDH]

The orange inner bark of black oak tree is a good identifier. 

[Magicman]

I learned that from you Sir.  

[LeeB]

Fellow called me last week to arrange some sawing about 80 miles from here. Said he had about 10 pine logs 16"x12'. I explained my fees and he was ok with that. Got there this morning to discover this:



 

 



Two piles of unsorted logs along the side of the road. The guy he provided to tail for me had supposedly been around mills all hife and he was the one that staged them like that. There weren't any 16" logs and they ranged in length from 7' to 20'. Some of them were ok but the longer ones hat too much sweep to get any worthwhile long boards from. They had rented a small backhoe to handle them with. Others needed to be trimmed a little to take a kink or such from the end. Then they all would need to be properly stage to be able to get them on the mill. Having explained all that to them in person, even though I had told the customer what I needed over the phone, I got set up and managed to load a log while they went about trying to sort out the mess. I schooled them in how I wanted them to tail and to have another log on the arms ready to go as I finished the current log. The customer knew nothing at all and wasn't really catching on. The helper did a little better. Neither one was overly proficient with the backhoe. They never did get the hang of aligning the logs to center the loading arms. After awhile I started pulling the slabs myself and loading the next log while the helper finished clearing the sawn boards from the mill. Much time was wasted in repositioning the logs so they would be even semi close to right on the loading arms. All the pushing around with the backhoe ended up getting a good bit of dirt on the logs that I had to brush off to try and get any footage at all from a blade. Ended up using 3 blades, although one was not fresh to start with. The whole affair should have only taken a few hours but ended up being 9 hours. I didn't tally because I worked hourly. I did manage to get mostly 2x6 and 2x8's for them with some 2x4's and some random 1x. At the end of it all the customer was happy with the lumber and his helper wants me to do a job for him later on. Hopefully he learned a little on this job so it will go better on the next one.

[Magicman]

That sounded very much like some of the messes that I have gotten into over the years.  Thankfully they are not typical of the majority.  You did good. 

[LeeB]

I got lazy about unloading the truck lst night when I got back. Found out this morning that I lrft my 12t bottle jack behind. Too far to be worth going after it. I called the customer and told him where to find his prize. He did say he would likely be calling me back for more milling and would return it then.

[Magicman]

Sounds like me and my leveling boards.  I have retrieved several when I went back on a repeat job.  8)

[Southside]

Had a guy this fall ask if I could saw a 24" log for him.

"Sure, bring it over". He showed up with a 24" round piece of 16" long firewood.

I made a jig and got it done, only because I felt bad he had taken his firewood for an hour long ride and I guess I should have asked for his definition of a "log". 

[LeeB]

Sounds like me and my leveling boards.  I have retrieved several when I went back on a repeat job.  8)

I picked up my leveling boards but one. Guess where it was.

[Magicman]

Under the jack.  :D

[WV Sawmiller]

 

 

Now these are the jobs I love! Sawed 15 of these logs and lightly squared 3 locust poles for the customer. He was 12.5 miles from home. Logs were stacked well and trimmed good. Easy access and very good help - 61 y/o customer very familiar with logs and lumber and his 40 y/o nephew. Both were quick studies and kept the logs flowing. 1690 bf in about 8 hour day. Mostly poplar 2X4 & 2X6 with a few 1X6 and 2-3 RO logs in the mix. It was cool, in the 40's but the sun did show up about mid afternoon for a real pleasant day. A referral job from another customer (His BIL) who also often comes and buys my slabs for his boss to burn in her little stove.


 

 

  Good looking weather next week and I'll plan on knocking out another small job or two. May take the mill 40-45 miles and saw 3 maple logs Monday when my wife has a Dr appointment over near that customer. Finished and brought the mill back home with no problems.

[Magicman]

I love the way you keep knocking them out Howard.  8)

[WV Sawmiller]

  Yeah, the jobs just keep coming. I will easily double my best previous sawing total this year and the jobs just keep coming. Its a combination of high lumber prices in the store, people having time on their hands to collect and saw their logs, traveling more and further on jobs, referrals and people generally learning I am here and repeat jobs. A huge factor is experience and better efficiency and using the techniques you and others here on the forum passed along. I posted my current process for sawing in general which seems to be working well. Its easy for the help to pick up on and train them, keeps them hopping and they keep me sawing. 

   I've already sent my IT guru an updated price change I'm implementing with the new year. A big change will be my mileage. I've way undercharged on it by just charging one way one time even when I often had several days sawing with multiple trips. My last week 100 mile trip each way, I charged for both days and will be doing so from now on. That helps put the onus on the customer to have his logs better prepared, better help and be willing to work harder/longer. I've had customers stop with 2-3 logs left and say "I'm tired, lets finish these in the morning." Now I'll just remind them that will be costing them more so more incentive for them to push on through and not dawdle. 

[samandothers]

Had a guy this fall ask if I could saw a 24" log for him.

"Sure, bring it over". He showed up with a 24" round piece of 16" long firewood.

I made a jig and got it done, only because I felt bad he had taken his firewood for an hour long ride and I guess I should have asked for his definition of a "log".

It would roll!  Though it may have rolled end over end.

[TimW]

I put a monster 16 foot log on the mill today. It took an hour to move it and load it.  The telehandler is down and going to the repair shop tomorrow.  Hyd. issues with the auto tilt and left right tilt.

So I had to drag this 5000 pound plus log with the tractor.  The big end was 33x36 inches.

   Even just lifting one end, the tires would flatten.  So I had to lift just enough to take the weight on the chained in.  I had to unhook twice to make a two 90 degree turns.

I drug it about 100 yards.  Nice deep rut.

 

The WM lift arms wouldn't budge it, so the Mahindra AND the lift arms lifted it.  I would lift with the tractor until the front tires were squatting.  Then lift with the lift arms.  Flatten the tires, lift with the lift arms.  Repeat.   About half way up, the arms didn't need assistance.

 

Now, I didn't want this monster to roll across the mill into the backstops, so I left the lift arms up and inched the clamp over until it stopped rolling.

 Then caught the clamp under it ever so slowly to roll it.  There was no lateral movement with the clamp, just up a few inches to chock it, not clamping it.

 

To turn it, I used the rollers

 , the clamp and this 4x6 chock.

I had to bibby a little.

 

After turning it, the log moved too far on the rollers, so the Magic Hook was utilized.

 

I got 3 sides flat before dark.  I got the Magic Hook installed to turn the last side tomorrow.  That 4th turn didn't work like before with the clamp, rollers, and chock.   But I think I will try the grapple on it to turn it with more control first.  The cant, right now is 3 sided and will yield a 23x18 inch cant.  Still, a pretty big chunk of wood.

I do have any problem with the thick bark on this monster and the debarker.  Maybe operator error, but the breaker keeps popping when the debarker bits off more than it can chew.  Any suggestions?
hugs,  Brandi