I ain't gonna hit any metal....

gator gar · August 31, 2010, 11:01:28 AM

Well, I woke up this morning and the first thing I laid eyes on when I opened my front door, was a flat tire on my truck. I guees if you're going to have a flat, the best place to have it is in the yard.

Next, I go out and I have a couple logs to cut. I put one on the mill last night, to be waiting on me this morning. I make a few cuts and have to use the manual log turner to turn the log. I'll usually use the turner as a dog, until I can get the actual dogging handle in place and tightened down. Then I'll drop the log turner and keep on sawing.

Guess who didn't drop the log turner after he dogged the log??? Yep, I missing a top tooth off that turner and Dang near cut the other tooth off on the other claw. No matter how careful you try to be, it seems you're going to miss something every now and then.

On a positive note, I recieved my cylinders from the surplus center in the mail yesterday. Just another step closer to going hydraulic.

Jeff · August 31, 2010, 11:16:55 AM

QuoteI ain't gonna hit any metal....

As soon as I read that I knew either you had either become delusional or done the deed.

ronwood · August 31, 2010, 11:19:01 AM

It happens to the best of us!!!

Chuck White · August 31, 2010, 11:43:30 AM

Even when you're "EXTRA" careful it happens.

Join the crowd! ;)

sgschwend · August 31, 2010, 12:43:14 PM

I like to leave those lines the saw made on the mill. A little reminder of what has happened and what could happen again.

paul case · August 31, 2010, 02:00:32 PM

keep tryin ,you will eventually get that claw modified to fit the blade. 8)pc

pineywoods · August 31, 2010, 06:45:26 PM

Gator, me thinks you have a ways to go to match mine. Ths must be some kind of record. The claw on my pineywoods turner/clamp.

Usually happens when somebody is watching. :-[

kelLOGg · August 31, 2010, 07:13:14 PM

I was sawing a big red oak for a customer and explaining things as i went along and sawed my squaring arm because I was engaged in demonstation and not paying attention. I told him "now you can see the changing of the blade..." . Put a new blade on and commenced sawing and you can probably complete the story... I forgot to lower the squaring arm and "DanG" I hit it again!!! >:( >:( >:( :-[ :-[ :-[. I did NOT hit it a third time.

Bob

paul case · August 31, 2010, 07:48:52 PM

ez boardwalk has a stop catcher that will stop the head before you cut the clamps squareing arm. but you can lift it up with a cable to get around knots ect on the first cut and this i how i usually prove my stupidity.pc

gator gar · August 31, 2010, 07:54:42 PM

The tip of Pineywoods log turner looks like mine. I cut the point, smooth off. I was thinking it was a nail. Pineywoods, are you a drinking man??? Or do you just saw a bunch of lumber??? That turner is in bad shape for sure.

bandmiller2 · August 31, 2010, 08:14:42 PM

Its a rite of passage for sawyers,but one dosen't want to become a repete offender.Frank C.

Chuck White · August 31, 2010, 09:02:36 PM

Whow, what a bunch of scars Pineywoods!

I feel awful lucky when I see someone elses mill with scars on it.

I've only got metal on my mill once (K.O.W.), (Jeff; we need a smiley for "Knock on Wood") but the other 2 guys that owned it in the past left some marks on it.

Oh Well, I gives a mill character!

Banjo picker · August 31, 2010, 09:13:18 PM

I guess you probably couldn't help from getting the flat...But leaving a log on the mill will put the vodo on you for sure...at least that is what my youngest son Bobby always said when he was sawing for me....I believe if the mill had broke down with a log on it he would have rolled it back on the deck.. :-\

And I bet Bob knew better than to give a demo...I have done more damage with people watching than at any other time...Like Bob said you just aint paying attention to the right thing....

While we are confessing ...My dogs are run by hyd moters...with chains on them ...I have cut both chains into...and the dogs about 1/2 into...I have clipped atleast 2 of the 3 stops as well...I have managed to steer clear of the log turner...I'll probably get that the next time I fire the mill up.... ;D Tim

weisyboy · September 01, 2010, 05:50:51 AM

i was wondering how you guys didnt hit the gizmos and hozits on your mills that seam to stick up in the way.

ely · September 01, 2010, 09:21:34 AM

i have seen a guy at my mill saw into the log stops and clamps on numerous occaisions :

i keep thinking he will wise up , but i know in my heart he will do it again and i will watch him do that too. ;D

pineywoods · September 01, 2010, 09:43:36 AM

Quote from: gator gar on August 31, 2010, 07:54:42 PM
The tip of Pineywoods log turner looks like mine. I cut the point, smooth off. I was thinking it was a nail. Pineywoods, are you a drinking man??? Or do you just saw a bunch of lumber??? That turner is in bad shape for sure.

Nope, I'm a tetotaler. My excuse is that I have un-intentionally designed and built a turner claw that will sometimes become invisible. :

Truth is, I put most of those scars on the claw within the first few days I had it on the mill. I was so used to running a manual mill (all I have ever run) I kept forgetting the thing was back there on the back side of the log. Lost track of the number of blades I ruined. Only hit a backstop once in 7 years, I can see them...

paul case · September 01, 2010, 12:39:42 PM

i didnt hit any metal today. but i ran thru a spot in a post oak that was blue stained like it had metal in it.showed up in 4 1'' boards . the biggest was 6''; across and 12'' long. the log was a butt cut 30'' b e and the stain was 4'' from the center of the log. didnt count rings or nuthin but i didnt think any one was here 150 years ago. mineral? maybe a confederate musket ball? no metal though just blue.

first time for everything. pc

Whitetail_Addict · September 01, 2010, 08:54:27 PM

I was guilty of sawing into the edge of one of my nice shiny BRAND NEW dogs within the first hour of running my BRAND NEW mill. I didn't hit it too bad.... just enough for the blade to leave a nice fancy design of RiDgEs on every board I sawed the rest of the day. :D

Then one of my first portable jobs was for a coworker. I should have known better when I arrived at his place and saw a shooting bench with the targets setup at the edge of the woods. Long story short he owns dozens of rifles, pistols and shotguns. Loads his own ammo and goes through LOTS of it. I happen to saw some Cherry with several chunks of lead in it. That wasn't so bad. Not nearly as bad as the solid copper bonded bullet from one of his shoulder cannons he hunts Africa with that I ran a blade through. Those solid bullets make all sorts of cracks in a blade!

Chuck White · September 01, 2010, 09:16:02 PM

Hey Whitetail Addict.... Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

This is a very good site for learning the sawing game.
Lots of good people and lots of help here!

Magicman · September 01, 2010, 09:45:39 PM

I'm not going to hit metal tomorrow, but I am meeting "metalspinner" for a visit. Does that count ???

fishpharmer · September 01, 2010, 11:05:22 PM

Just don't hit him ;)

RichlandSawyer · September 14, 2010, 02:59:42 PM

The metal wasn't the problem, I was sawing a monster 34" X 14' white oak for a boyscout camp. The ranger wanted 3"x12" slabs for bench seating in the amphitheater. As I opened up the log I found blue stain and started in with the metal detector. After sawing through a couple nails and resharpening the blade I managed to find the cause of the stain and removed all the metal. I turned the slabs on edge and sliced them to there finished width. I managed to get through almost all the slabs then the last one I loaded on edge started me first cut and 18" in from the top end hit a ceramic insulator. Funny how I can saw right through a steel nail but cant make it through a brittle piece of ceramic. It appears the insulator was attached to the tree 70 or 80 years ago and I managed to put it dead center of one of those three inch slabs. I now have a skip tooth blade or should I say a skip five tooth blade, left about every sixth tooth. This log has been nothing but trouble from the git go, loaded it with a 3700lbs lift capacity skid loader with a grapple and needed two people on the back to weigh it down to lift the log on the trailer. When I got it home parbuckling it onto the mill I managed to break the welds on two leveling jacks on the mill. Then trying to manipulate those 600lbs slabs on and off the mill for cutting to width was a butt kicker. But now its done and the camp should get a lot of use from those planks.

Richland Sawyer

HousewrightVA · September 14, 2010, 06:48:15 PM

My LT 40 was delivered from New York in 1995. I had logs waiting and the technition/delivery man set it up and started showing how to use the mill. Woodmizer had advertised and there were lots of people there to see this new machine.Well on about the third cut he hit the side support, just a nick ,but he was plenty embaressed.
I figured like the first scratch on a new car, just get it over with. O.K. dont do that again! Yeah Right. 2500 hours, its gotten a couple more.

Chuck White · September 14, 2010, 08:44:00 PM

Welcome to the Forestry Forum HousewrightVA.

This is a really great place to hang out and most likely you'll learn something too! ;)

Great bunch of people here with lots of help.