The new guy

[Brantwood]

Hey everyone,
My name is Tom, and I am graduating from college in May and I have been looking over all the topics for over a year and a half now and finally decided to join.

I have been a part time logger in north-central Wisconsin for 2 years.  I own a Tree Farmer C5d fowarder with a newer cummins diesel in it.  I just purchased a 2008 Logmaster LM 1 Sawmill and will be picking it up in two weeks, so I have a couple of starter questions.

The first question is what would be the best band for me to purchase.  The sawmill has a 13 hp engine if that helps.

I have read through many of the topics and spent way more hours on here than I should reading. I should  have spent more doing school work but this is much more enjoyable and more informative. Is there any basic advice that would be recommended to a person starting out in sawing, since I have never done it before?

Finally, I have soft maple, hard maple, white ash, black ash. yellow bitch, white bitch, white pine, white spruce, hemlock, cedar, elm, tamarck, red pine, white oak, poplar, and balsm already piled and ready to saw.   Does anyone have any advice on which species I should start with or anything I should look out for in the species.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated and I am sure I will be picking all of your brains in the future, since it never hurts to ask questions. 

Thanks in advance,
Tom

[beenthere]

Welcome to joining the Forestry Forum.

As you know, we like pics.

And would like to see the wood you have stacked up, with a few of the equipment.

Which college? UW-Stevens Point?

Congrats on the pending graduation and plan to get some sawing done.

[tyb525]

Congrats on the upcoming graduation, but personally I'm more impressed with your logging history- and the fact that you already own a skidder.

I started out young with a sawmill, but still don't have a skidder (just a tractor).

I'd start out on the poplar,white pine,and birch. They are fairly forgiving species when you are learning.

Welcome to the forum, and in case you haven't noticed, we love to see pictures!

[thecfarm]

Welcome to the forum.Alot of different species all ready piled and ready to cut. What's all the lumber going to be used for? That spruce might give you a hard time sawing,meaning wavy boards. I think you need a certain pitch in the blade for spruce. Best too keep the trees standing as long as you can,if possible too. Less problems with checking and staining. Where are you located? All these trees grow on your land or in your area?

[Magicman]

Congratulations on the upcoming Graduation, and Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

Where you will have the bands resharpened may have some influence on where they are purchased from.  For example WM will only resharpen WM bands.  What does your sawmill manufacturer, Logmaster recommend?

I read reports from sawyers using different band brands, and I doubt that there is any significant difference.  Just use a brand that is listed  under the sponsors to the left.   ;)

[paul case]

hey brantwood,
welcome to the forestry forum and congratulations on the up coming graduation. now if you are new to sawing with a bandmill get ready to go back to school. :D :D  it isnt that bad, but my experience is that my mill teaches me something new just every little bit and we re learn serveral lessons over again.

if i had it to do over again i would start out with simonds red streak bands just simply because they are cheaper and i promise you will ruin a few while learning to cut wood, not the mill. i knocked a few bands off the wheels when i was first learning and it ruined them.  then when you get the hang of it try some different bands and find out what works best for you.

as for the tree i cannot recomend what species you should cut except to say '' the one that makes you the most''. if its lumber for your own projects or for sale or whatever more good lumber is better. that may not be the biggest logs either. small hp motors on mills will slow down the speed of cut considerably so a 12'' log may work better than a bigger one. trial and error is the best way to find out.

we look foreward to seeing some pics and hearing about your progress. pc

[trapper]

If you are from north central wi you are probably close to woodmizer wi at mosinee  check for their upcoming open house. lots of good info and a place to get your bands sharpened.  For the little I have purchased there they have been very good to me

[5quarter]

I'd get both the yellow and white bitch out of the log yard...they'll give nothing but trouble and you'll never get anything done. :D :D  After that I'd cut the ones that won't last, like your soft maple, pines etc...leaving the cedar and white oak for last. Keep em off the ground if you can.

[Brantwood]

I am graduating from UW-Eau Claire.  I live in Brantwood, WI.  Most of the first wood I saw will be used for personal use.  I plan on using the boards that don't turn out as good to section off part of our pole shed because my dad is retiring this fall and likes woodworking so I am going to insulate the part I section off and put a wood stove in it so he has a nice place to work.  I will also saw a lot of lumber to air dry for him to use make tables and cabinets and things like that.  I then plan to saw 1 inch lumber to turn into tongue and groove for my brother's house and I am dealing on a old fixer upper house that I would need wood for redoing. I have over 2 semi truck loads of logs piled up for the winter logging, but I might still sell some of these.  I won't run out of wood for sawing either because my parents own 320 acres that I am logging on and managing for them.  I also have many relatives that have wood they want to get sawed, but I plan on practicing on all of my first.

[Buck]

Sounds like a plan Tom. Welcome! I am looking forward to hearing of your adventures.