Tip for moving logs on the mill

[kkcomp]

Had a neighbor give me some ERC logs from 16 to 23 inch diameter that he cut right at 8 feet. Of course my dogs are 8 feet apart but placed just right I could secure them to cut. Getting them on the mill was easy with the hydraulic loader but as life goes some were an inch or two away from where they should have been so they don't quite get into both dogs. And that is the question, any tips to easily move a log a few inches lengthwise when it is on the mill?

[kelLOGg]

When I am rolling a log onto the mill and I see that it is not going to land where I want it, I roll 2 or 3 of these rollers in place for it to land on. If the log is already on the mill and needs to be moved I have to lift it either with levelling jacks or my boom loader. Either way it is slow but it puts the log where it has to be. Removing the rollers also requires lifting the log. Again, it is slow but it works.

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[Patrick NC]

You can move the brackets that hold the log dog/rest over a little.  Takes about 15 minutes.  I bought an extra set  from norwood when I bought my mill. Set the first 2 where I can clamp as short as 5' and the other farther down for longer stuff.

[Walnut Beast]

That looks pretty handy 👍. Maybe he can use some pipe and do the same as you do

[kantuckid]

Rural King has the best price on a 6' steel bar. :D Thats my method when I'm a bit cross-eyed in placing a log with FEL and it needs a nudge, easier to do by hand than using forks. 

[WV Sawmiller]

  A couple of tips I use is first if I see it is going to miss on one end before I let it roll out of the loading cradle and will still pivot a little I will swing one end around to point the log where I want it to go. That usually works. You can roll it back in the lowered cradle and repeat if needed.

   Another method is to use my LogRite as a bar or the spud bar (as Kantuck described) that I also keep handy and just lift the short end and jack it around till it lays on the rails. 

   If it is too heavy for that I use my Magic Hook - a 3' length of 1/4" chain attached to the hook off an old cant hook, hook the hook point in the long end, wrap and hook the chain around the hydraulic side supports and raise or lower as needed to nudge the log a few inches to the direction needed. Just be careful not to lower so far the log can roll off. You may need to make a couple of pulls to do this in some cases. I keep an extra 6' chain with hooks in case I need more reach on my Magic Hook.

[fluidpowerpro]

Rig up some toe boards that use hydraulic jacks and use rollers on the top of the toe board. This way you get a 2 for one. Rollers for moving the log back and forth, and toe boards to adjust for log taper.

[SawyerTed]

Roller toe boards are the ticket.  I've raised the toe boards and rolled many logs.  When one end of the log doesn't land on a toe board, I have to get creative in lifting that end either by prying up with a digging bar or by lifting with a chain attached to the forks of my loader and nudging or tugging it in the direction I need it t

[Hilltop366]

I use a piece of 3"x5"x8' lumber held so the 5" was vertical and then set it on the mill rail and push down and pull in the opposite direction (like rowing a boat).

By using a taller piece of lumber 5" verses a pry bar 1" it increases the distance between the pry point on the mill and the log and reduced the risk of the log rolling back towards you because the pry lumber does not go below horizontal on the person end.

This size worked well for my mill but may need to be different for others depending on the height of the bunks verses the rail. 3" worked well for not wanting to roll over.  Also the wood will be less likely to damage the mill rail verses a steel pry bar. 

[SawyerTed]

Having the log roll to you is a consideration but I normally pry and lift from the side with the stops.  As long as the stops are up, the log won't roll to you. 

Having a taller fulcrum as hilltop recommends does help with the lifting height.  

[WV Sawmiller]

Hilltop,

   That sounds like the same way I do as I described above only I use my LogRite or a spud bar. I like the rowing description as a good way to tell people how it works. I think they can envision that better than me telling them I jack the log around in the direction I need to move it.

[RAYAR]

I use my cable winch (manual) to move larger logs ahead or back if needed. What I do is wrap the cable around the log three times with several feet  of a free end, away from the direction you want to move the log. While holding the free end taught, I start winding the winch, which rolls it against the back stops and moves it in a screw like fashion. Sometimes I need to do this more than once depending on how far you need to move the log and how the first attempt worked out. Very easily accomplished without too much effort.

[Walnut Beast]

Roller toe boards are the ticket.  I've raised the toe boards and rolled many logs.  When one end of the log doesn't land on a toe board, I have to get creative in lifting that end either by prying up with a digging bar or by lifting with a chain attached to the forks of my loader and nudging or tugging it in the direction I need it t

Yes indeed they are the ticket. Your log clamp works extremely well for moving and lifting and putting a roller under then lift log and take out for shorter stuff. Larry knows all about the clamp for moving slabs

[Walnut Beast]

Timberking magic hook. Use the carriage with a block between and the toe boards raised to move your log forward or rearward Couldn't move by hand but moved it at idle with ease

 

 

[Deese]

 

 

[Walnut Beast]

When it comes to the grapple or forks on a CTL hands down the grapple for me. I put the forks on yesterday and you just don't have the precise control like what Deese is doing especially 

[Deese]

I typically use forks to bring several logs to the mill and let the mill lift them onto the bunks. The grapple works great in situations that require very specific log placement. 

[justallan1]

Y'all are going to hate my answer....
I'll pick up one end with a bar and shove my 5' Log Rite cant hook handle under it as close to center as I can, then pick up on the heavy end and shove it the direction that I want. Then pick it back up with a bar and pull the cant hook out.
On shorter logs I'll spin the log sideways on the tracks, roll it a bit and then spin it back.
I don't work with many big logs or I'd be doing things different probably.

[Iwawoodwork]

I built a winch bracket with a 3500 lb winch that I use. The winch post is 4"x4" steel L tube that the bottom of the L pins into a tube mounted under the mill frames and the bottom leg of the L is long enough that the saw head will travel back and forth without removal but does not extend out any farther than my tire.  The long upright leg of the L is about 6' long with the winch mounted at the top but can be unbolted and slid down if needed. I use the winch to turn large logs , pull logs back on the mill when some body didn't put up the back stops or front clamps and also to move a log lengthwise  by wrap-roll as  explained in a previous post, I have a log deck in front of the mill so cant get the loader in there.

[kkcomp]

I use a piece of 3"x5"x8' lumber held so the 5" was vertical and then set it on the mill rail and push down and pull in the opposite direction (like rowing a boat).

By using a taller piece of lumber 5" verses a pry bar 1" it increases the distance between the pry point on the mill and the log and reduced the risk of the log rolling back towards you because the pry lumber does not go below horizontal on the person end.

This size worked well for my mill but may need to be different for others depending on the height of the bunks verses the rail. 3" worked well for not wanting to roll over.  Also the wood will be less likely to damage the mill rail verses a steel pry bar.

Tried this method this weekend, worked great. Thanks for the tip.

[Hilltop366]

Another bonus with this method is you are using your weight to lift the log not your back, my dad taught me any time you pry something to push down instead of lifting if you can.