Whatcha Sawin' 2025 ??

[TimW]

Howard,
   Tell your gloves to lay off the down lever!

[terrifictimbersllc]

Things are heating up. Both outside and on my phone and email. Have only had four jobs this year so far probably because of glaciation, up here in this corner of the country, both real and imagined.

I'll be going out in several hours to saw some bracing for a several times previous customer who is doing another timber frame project. Maybe report on that later.

In the last month, I've done some long-awaited work on my 2001 F350 crew cab long bed truck. For sometime I have been afraid to haul anything heavy in it, because the bed was all rusted out. Here's a quick update.








The scrapyard gave me $18 for the old bed. Five cents a pound for 360 pounds a giant claw lifted it off and set it on the scrap heap.

I've got the new bed fixed up with some pressure treated 2x10 around the perimeter. Having almost 7 feet of bed width with no wheel wells is quite liberating and I really like the new set up.  I'll come back and add a picture after the sun comes up.

[TimW]

Nice flatbed.  I've always wanted a flatbed, but I think I would miss being any to throw small stuff in the bed without having to strap it down.  Suitcases, for one, comes to mind.

[Resonator]

Like the flatbed, can haul some lumber with that!
Did you ask if you throw in the passenger fender could they make it an even $20?

[terrifictimbersllc]

So here's the new bed configuration. Same as the old one but more space. I can carry all my 2x blocks In the back rather than strapping them to the sawmill table. Saves a lot of time and effort.  With the pressure treated sides and the blocks it weighs about what my old bed with tailgate weighed so my fear of having a light rear end has gone away.

The black plastic Contico boxes have fluids in the left one and a couple chainsaws, logging chains, and trailer hitch in the right one.

I might add under body boxes to eliminate one of the plastic boxes, so that I can put sawmill's spare tires in the front of the bed, as well as get some of the tools, spare parts, straps, etc., out of my back seat.






I need to add a backup camera which I've never had with this truck so I don't mess up my pretty 12 inch flatbed apron. It would also be nice for hooking up to the sawmill at the end of a job. My record is getting out of my truck 14 times to hook up.

[caveman]

I have about the same truck except for mine is a 2000 and a shortbed.  I've contemplated adding a flatbed over the years.

John (JMoore) and I sawed some 4' 2x4's Sunday for a couple of hours and I finished up the pallet load yesterday morning.  

This probably should go in the "I did something dumb" thread.  As I was lifting the pallet load of lumber, preparing to strap it down, I decided to play Jenga.  

We used some new old Kasco 1.5, 7/34, 0.050 blades that we've had for several years on this job and the last and they performed well.  I just sharpened several 7/39 Silvertip .055's, so the next batch will likely be the Kascos.  The last couple of jobs were mostly slash pine with some live oak.

[TimW]

I like the mini stake bed sides.  But I would need a hinged back for gooseneck hitchin.

[WV Sawmiller]

  Okay, today was an easy day for a change. I slept in and took a leisurely drive over to the client site and got there about 10:30 am.

The customer had these oak and hemlock beams he wanted sawed into approximately 5/4 boards. I was able to get him close with one true side he could run through his planer which he said was his goal. This took about a half hour on the mill and he was very happy with the results. I found I had to use a very slow speed in the hard, dry oak.

Here are the finished boards.

I sawed his remaining 5 logs into 2X4 and 2X6 and one small good looking log I sawed as live edge 1-3/8" live edge boards. He'll use them for shelves. I offered to square the backs but he decided to leave both sides live so his wife and daughter can pick which side the want for the front.

  I loaded up the truck and mill while his daughter fixed us a pot of soup for lunch, we ate and visited then we went and tallied the weeks worth. We were right at 8,000 bf. I had 5 trips, one was a bust because his tractor operator called in with the flu while I was in route and returned empty. He had no problems paying for the 5 trips. That was 3 pretty full days and a couple of hours today. I got a few pictures but not all including ones of the lumber he had stacked in his shed. Most of the lumber is down by the build site. The concrete guys are coming to pour the footers tomorrow and he plans to start building in a few weeks with the partly AD pine lumber. He says he will get it in the dry and it can finish drying in place before he puts the walls up. He is a builder and apparently he has done this before so I trust it will work for him. Permits and codes are minimal if any in Pocahontas County WV.






Here are a few stacks. There are other boards inside, other stacks and one load still on the truck.

    I love sawing for people who enjoy what we make. This guy has been calling me for over a year as he was planning to start collecting his logs and wanted to be sure I would still be able to saw it. Actually, he probably had close to 7,000 bf of the white pine cut this year. I just wish he lived closer. Those 76 miles one way get old. Watching those WV sunrises and sunsets from your truck is overrated

[Magicman]

Looks good Howard. 

Yup, I am trying and so far succeeding to end those long drive trips.  Thankfully I can pass them off to another sawyer without saying 'no'.

[WV Sawmiller]

  I started the morning earlier than I (and certainly my wife) wanted with a wake up call from a repeat customer who recently moved down here from New Hampshire. He lives 50 miles away and last time I had to do all the sawing, stacking and such by myself. This time he will be there to help and has a tractor with forks to help. Sounds like about a 2 day job.

    I've been trying to schedule a weekend job with a local Vet (critter doc) and we have not had a decent weekend since we started trying in December so he called yesterday and is going to take a day off during the week to get us started and his help can stay to finish the 2nd and maybe 3rd days. It starts with 9 - 20' long 7X7 beams. Those kind of cuts are stressful on my mind as they are meticulous to cut. We will see how that one goes and if the weather permits us to do it mid-week next week.

[Magicman]

Thankfully it looks like this "weekend blast" will pass through and I/we will have good weather for sawing next week.  Weather has been my concern since we made our sawing schedule back in November.