My mill specs and comments about them

[WV Sawmiller]

   Since we have several days of rain and not getting out much I figured it was a good time to list and comment on some of the pros and cons about these features:

Width of cut - WM says it cuts 26" and it does but realistically only 23" of that is commonly available for most sawing. The actual opening between the roller guides is 26" but from the side support to the idle side roller the opening is 23". On opening cuts I sometimes get a little use out of this if part of the log extends over the top of the side support. It has be to 3" or less. Once squared, the 23" max cut applies. It would be nice to be able to saw 2-12" cants at a pass but I simply can't do that.

Max blade height - I can cut up to 32" high above the bed rails. With a couple inches clearance above that I can saw a 34-36 inch diameter log. After a pass or two I reach the 23" width of cut which stops me and I have to rotate the log and take another pass or two. I usually rotate the log 90 degrees but sometimes that is not possible and I have to "gunbarrel" it making several more passes with an octagon looking log/cant. I think no matter how much height we have we will always find a need for a bigger mill/clearance at times.

Depth of cut - my mill only has about 8.5" of depth before my mill hits the log/cant. One of the biggest drawbacks here is I can't simply cut a 12" thick cant which is about the widest cut most of my customers want for edged lumber. It also limits the width of the quartersawn boards I can normally make because the normal practice is to cut a thick cant till the rings are 90 degrees to the cut, cut a few boards out of the center then flip and repeat. To get a cant thicker than 8" I have to take it out of the middle or bottom. This also means I can't leave over 8" of finished boards on top of the cant before I have to move them out of the way.

Length of cut - I can cut 21' with no changes but that means every log needs to be cut perfectly square on each end because even 1/4" over the line on the front or rear means the blade would not enter or exit the cant. Every time you rotate those long logs or cants they want to shift just a little so the hydraulic toe boards/rollers get a lot of use shifting them forward or back. All this slows the process. I took the rubber bumpers off the front and back and they gave me an extra clearance of about 2" on each end but it is hard on me and the mill so I would not want to do it for too long a time.

Minimum length of a log - my bed rails on either side of the clamp are 29" apart outside to outside so I could probably squeeze out a 27" "log" on it.  My internal side supports are 40.5" so if the "log" is less than that I have to add a board longer than that on the side for support at least till squared. With a square edge the 29" length would apply.

Cookies - without a cookie mizer or jig of some kind I can stand a long (Think firewood chunk) up on the base of my 2 plane clamp and squeeze it tight. There is a plate there about 1.5" wide I have successfully used. It is a couple of inches below the bed rail so can stand about a 34" log on it and squeeze tightly and cut cookies down to about 1" from the rail with a 3" waste cookie at the bottom. It works better with a helper to either hold the log upright or activate the clamp. I can cut such cookies up to 23" wide.

Loading arm width - my loading arms are about 5' apart so can be used as designed to load 5' long logs. If shorter I either need a helper to balance the log on one arm as I lift or I have put scrap boards across the arms. On one  job with a bunch of 4' oak logs I bought 2 chains 1/4" thick and about 6' long with hooks on each end to make a sling across the arms. That works pretty well.

Weight - I have never actually weighed them but WM says the arms lift 4400 lbs. I am confident of that and have probably lifted more. Turning logs that big can be challenging as the claw alone may not rotate it so I end up using the clamp and even the toe boards and keep jockeying the log/cant until it is at a manageable weight.

If I think of other pertinent specs to address I'll add them later but welcome comments from others on their mills or techniques to maximize the abilities of my mill and any ways to limit the restrictions of these specs.

[Magicman]

but welcome comments from others

You is also ugly.  :D

[WV Sawmiller]

I see certain members have not read or have forgotten the FF rules. See rule #1. :D

[WV Sawmiller]

   I see I did not list anything about speed of cut and I really don't see how to gage that because it all depends on the type and size of the wood being sawed combined with the sharpness of the blade which changes at least slightly after every cut. That is one of those questions like "How many board feet do you get out of a blade?"

   I do remember Marty Parsons suggestion to most of us to saw faster to reduce the amount of sawdust left behind and to help keep the blade cooler.