21' LT40HDD42 Versus 26' Loblolly Pine

[TexasTimbers]

The Woodmizer is actually longer than 21' but it will only cut a little over 21'. Do you think I can get a 26' 8 X 10 beam out of her ??? Too late to find out tonight but tomorrow we shall see ;D

[Dave Shepard]

Let me know how you make out, I have some 28' 8"x10" beams to cut next week. I know it can be done, but it sure sounds time consuming.


Dave

[TexasTimbers]

I couldn't wait until tomorrow to get started so I got after it. Had a few feet overhang. I only need a little over 24 feet but want to cut a 26 footer to have plenty of waste on both ends.

So how am I gonna get this thing on there ???
That's another story for later . . . . . . .


After the first cut . . .


It got dark suddenly like the sun dropped behind the horizon or something



Help! Someone glued a log to the end of my beam!!!!




Yes it was a bear to load and it's fun to turn. Whew. Ya got to have a machine like a skid steer to handle the other end or you can flat forget it.  Tomorrow I get to swap ends and try and line up each side so that it is flat and square. Gonna tak a couple hours I bet. Heck no I don't have to swap ends Ill just raise both levelers and slide her right down. ;D

[pineywoods]

Looks like you got it all figured out. You are absolutely right on about needing a skidsteer, front-loader, forklift. I did a couple of 30 foot 12x12, had a fork lift and 2 BIG helpers.
You need a shed over that mill, hot summertime is coming!!!!

[DWM II]

That log makes that mizer look small dont it? Sounds like your on the right plan, rolling it down instead of swapin ends. Still gotta be carefull and take your time so as not to hurt yourself.

[Gary_C]

There have been some old threads about how to cut longer than specs on a Woodmizer. Looks like you figured most of it out except after you cut as far as you can and cut the slab off, back the saw head up, raise your rollers and slide the log back, and then finish the cut. You can repeat that for each side. I don't remember how they relevel the log on the first cut, but do a search for those old threads.

[Furby]

What ya doing with the beam ???
Header ???

[TexasTimbers]

Yep header. Won't be holding up much more than itself though. I wasn't gonna put it when we start the add-on but I figured I am not breaking any speed records anyway so just do it now.

[Brucer]

Aside from the extra time, the only problem I had with overlength timbers is that the overhanging end tends to pull the whole log into an arch. This lowers both ends a little, so the timber ends up slightly tapered on the ends (e.g., 3/8"). Now I place a heavy sawhorse under the overhanging end and use a hydraulic jack to take some of the load off it. Seems to work OK.

I solved the time issue by raising my rate from $.35/BF to $.55/BF for any logs over 20'-8". My customer has no problem with this. He could buy the overlength logs from a commercial mill, but (funny thing) they charge $.20/BF for overlength timbers too ;D.

[TexasTimbers]

Yeah Brucer I did have the hanging end supported by the skid steer during the cuts, except one where I forgot to reposition the machine. You can see it sag when you drop the forks. 26' don't sound very long but that's a whale of a log on my little Orange Machine. She handled her end just fine and dandy though. Strained a little bit but the hydraulics did their job!

I love my Orange Machine! 8)
I love my wife's Orange Machine! 8)
I love my wife and her Orange Machine! 8) :D

[TexasTimbers]

The Woodmizer of course!  8) I ended up leaving it at 12" X 12". I had not thought I could make a 12 X 12X out of her but she did with a little wane in a couple of spots for character. I took alot of pictures, step bt step of the process and will post them later. Gotta go pick up a roof in the next county over.

DWM I should have listen to you about being careful. While I was very careful throughout the process I made one stupid mistake and you won't believe how close I came to cutting of my right thumb. I recreated the incident because if anyone ever cuts a long log like this on an LT40 there is an inherent danger of losing your thumb. I will show it too so maybe no one will have the same kind of close call.

I would like to thank Rick at Woodmizer in the electrical troubleshooting department for getting me going again. While the beam was scooched back way past the end of the mill, it threw my perspective off and I slammed the head into the backstop several times. The last time I did it, my power feed and up/down would not work. I knocked a terminal loose on a solenoid we think. I will check it more later. Anyway he had me up and going in about 10 minutes. The more I deal with Woodmizer the more I understand why they lead the pack.

Houston . . . . .  we have a big honking header! 8)

[beenthere]

Wow, dat's a beam - er a header    Nice job and glad you kept your thumb.
Where's it gonna be used?

Can't see anyone in dat skidsteer.  How'd he get outta der?

[Bibbyman]

We took a different approch to sawing logs longer than the mill.

Here is a link to the Knowledge Base of how we did it.

Sawing logs longer than the mill

[TexasTimbers]

That's about exactly how I did it Bibbs. Will read it more thoroughly when I get back but same basic approach I think.

[TexasTimbers]

I read Bibby and Mary's cutting exploits and think that I have little to add in the way of tricks and methods, but maybe just enough to make it worth posting so I'll give 'er a go.

I'll pick up with knocking the slabs off. What I did was cut the slab off of the first side up to 21', then I backed the head back about a foot and took my chainsaw and cut a trough down to the beam face, lifted the piece out, scooched the head back to the end of the rail, raised the head, then pulled the head all the way back to the front of the mill.




Once I started taking actual baords off I used the old fashioned tried and true method. A handsaw.



After I got some flat sides I jacke up the beam with the levelers to facilitate rolling it to and fro . . . .



Then I had to turn the log. It got stuck.




Here's where I almost donated my thumb to the fire ant pile that was right under my feet. As you see in the above pic, the turner wants to lift one end more than the other. i used my skid steer usually to sort of hold the other end and act like a roller, but one time I decided I was ten feet tall and bullet proof and didn't have time for all that.

I know. It looks bad. No comments necessary. :

I recreated this without the gloves that I had on, but what happened was, when I turn a log in a normal situation I always place my thumb on top of the hydraulic cover plate them use the other fingers to push up or down on the levers.


So here this 2500 pound beam is right above my exposed and soon to be removed thumb. When I pushed the log turner lever down, the log turner went up and pushed my end of the unbalanced beam down . . . . on my thumb. I don't know what stopped it, but something did the instant it landed on my thumb. It did get it pretty good, but didn't break it or seperate it from the hand. So that's the danger when cutting long beams hanging right over the hydraulic control box. I doubt I am the only one who puts that thumb there. Had you asked me if I do that, I would have said no. I was never conscienece of it until this incident.
In the picture I barely have my thumb in there to illustrate but it was all the way in there when the beam "touched" it.


So now, I have all four sides off, the beam dragged back to get to the rest of the log, and now all I have to do it continue to turn it and let down the head on top of the already cut beams faces, roll it forward and remove the rest of the short slabs off the end.


I didn't use the taper approach much. I took some thick slabs off, some long boards, and then finished it off.

Here is what it looked like after I took the slabs to 21' then pulled the whole mess back.



Here's how I propped up the boards to avoid cutting themn off at a paltry 21'. ;D I wanted some 26' boards and by golly I got them!



Be advised to wrestle a tree this big alone you ain't gonna come out without some bumps and dings. Thia ain't me showing off my wee muscles. That a little welp that is raisin up for gettin my arm between some orange steel and a heavy, sappy, moving, very heavy log  log wid momentum. It hoit.


In hindsight, if there is a next time, there are some things I will do differnet. One is to have at least one other helper. Another is to only put perfect logs on for that legnth.


This thing here, a sorry excuse for my only helper on this project decided she didn't want to help anymore, and dreamt of sprouting wings and flying away. Be derned if they didn't manifest right before my very eyes.

[customsawyer]

I am going to take a shoot at this for you. From the pic you posted you have your log on the mill with the big end facing you if you turn it around and let the little end hang over your hyd. controls and the butt end is even with the back of the mill then the first two face openings should be enough for you to get a flat surface to roll on your rollers than you turn first face down push the log back start your cut in about 10 feet or so back the blade up some and raise it, raise the rollers and push the log back over the hyd. controls lower the log and then the saw to same level as befor and finish your cut then just repeat for other three faces and it is finished. I don't try to cut the boards out of the long beams at first I just cut the beams with thick slabs. When the beam is complete I can take the slabs and put them back on the mill at a reasonable length and get my boards out of it then.

[TexasTimbers]

I wanted long boards. I got them.