Big Logs

[moodnacreek]

Now that I have a larger sawmill, I seem to be getting larger logs.

 

 

 

[longtime lurker]

It's a happiness ain't it?

Or will be when you get that topsaw dialled in.

Big logs have given me some big hidings at times, but on average they've been good money makers for me. Old mates just going to have to upsize his truck so he isn't ruining your girder orders from the start 

[moodnacreek]

When I got those oaks down on the mill deck I had to round them up a little with a big chainsaw so they will turn easyer. I thought I was done with chainsaws, there I go thinking again. I think I got the top saw matched up to the bottom saw that will stand up buried in the log. Circle saws, even new ones are like woman, no 2 alike and hard to find a good one.          Always good to here from the L.L., the man who knows sawmills.

[longtime lurker]

Lol. My experience is that circle saws are like women too...  Temperamental even when they like you, hard to find one that likes you, and if you take them for granted they'll cut off your balls.

Glad you got yours working mate, here's to a run free of rocks, bolts, and leaf springs ( don't ask)




 

My joint late this afternoon, wet season has started and we're getting them in while we still can.

[Don P]

It must have been moving, the bumper made it into a maple here  :D
I'm impressed that old prentice could self load those 

[teakwood]

Lol. My experience is that circle saws are like women too...  Temperamental even when they like you, hard to find one that likes you, and if you take them for granted they'll cut off your balls.

Glad you got yours working mate, here's to a run free of rocks, bolts, and leaf springs ( don't ask)




 

My joint late this afternoon, wet season has started and we're getting them in while we still can.

Wow, how many truckloads?  i hear ya on the rainseason, dryseason starts now here and the plan is to overfill the storage with lumber the next 5 month

[moodnacreek]

It must have been moving, the bumper made it into a maple here  :D
I'm impressed that old prentice could self load those  

Ye old F-RM, 1972 20' narrow boom on a gas job. She is saving me money. The other yard dog is a 120 on an old Louisville ford 290 Cummins. The hyd. tank has a hole in it so she is laid up. Picking those oak logs with a loader that small takes experience . Notice 2 stakes are not there. I think Don has one of those loaders.

[moodnacreek]

L.L., don't keep any money for yourself, just keep buying fuel and logs and spare parts and get up earlier each day.

[longtime lurker]

Got to spend money to make money, and I need at least 500 ton of log in the yard at Christmas to survive the wet without having to work away someplace. And it's got to be the right mix of species to maintain my customer base which complicates it yet more. I've got 100 ton yet to come in, and I'm at least 100 ton short of species suit GOS framing... but the budget is maxed out and then some.

That's me in poke along mode, run the girl at full capacity and the log requirement would double but I just don't have the coin to do that. It's a cashflow nightmare, plain and simple. 

The numbers around my show should be used as a cautionary tale for anyone thinking about sawmilling for a living. I'm not sure if I'm committed or need committing, but it's why I tell people to be careful if you try it because you just might like it.

[moodnacreek]

Last spring and summer was the best year for my little one man operation. By deer season all the popular lumber sizes where gone and the cookie jar was full. Just about everything I do now is speculation. I buy whatever my regular guys bring in. Since the real buyers stopped sending trucks this far south [diesel prices and hardwood demand] they can bring me more and the cookie jar will get low. If the economy fails I will have a yard full of wood and no money and wish I had completely retired. Those walnut logs in the photo; there was supposed to be more but the job got shut down. I was going to resell the nicer big ones but the high grade buyer never even called back so I will saw those too. Some day I may have to eat wood.

[Ron Wenrich]

I did some work for one mill that had a logger bring in logs like that.  The grade was generally poor, but the mill wasn't paying much.  But, the logger couldn't get rid of logs like that because the major mills aren't set up for big logs anymore.

[moodnacreek]

I did some work for one mill that had a logger bring in logs like that.  The grade was generally poor, but the mill wasn't paying much.  But, the logger couldn't get rid of logs like that because the major mills aren't set up for big logs anymore.

Anything in the white oak group I can saw 2x8 from I am desperate for . The only grade is sound and that can be a problem with top wood. For some reason the w-o south of here [in low grade] is sound. Ours is often brown around the knots. Those came in as rock oak but I would call them swamp, lots of sap wood.