An experienced sawyer teaching a greenhorn

[VictorH]

So I decided to post this over here in the sawmilling section.  I'm hosting a workshop (a thread about that is in the Timber frame section).  I have been looking forward to this for along time - have been dreaming of how I would have everything set up and have all the timbers nicely sawed and organized etc etc.  Well life happens and I find myself scrambling to have enough Timbers to keep us busy the first day.  I AM SO GLAD I didn't have them all cut.  Jim has been a wealth of knowledge and wisdom on how best to cut my Timbers - tricks to center them and on and on.  I have had my mill several years - and have not seen another in action or been able to see a demo or anything.  I have learned a lot from this forum - But if you are new to sawing take this advice and get a jump on your education.  Find a good sawyer and spend time with them!!  Thank You Jim for your knowledge both in Timber frameing - and for sharing with a greenhorn how to saw better and faster.

[thechknhwk]

Do tell all the tps & tricks

[Jim_Rogers]

Most of these tips and trips that Victor is learning, I have posted here on the forum.

One is "last cut first" story. You need to figure where you're going to make your last cut on a face of a log so that the heart/pith is in the center of the timber when you are done.

I would believe that you can find it with a search.

Jim Rogers

PS. Thank you Victor for your kind comments.

[VictorH]

One tip is to power the saw up  before you set the saw height.  I would adjust my height then engage the clutch.  I would often have to bump the height a little as it would settle slightly from the vibration of being engaged.  Engaging first eliminates the settle.  This saves a little time and I'm sure will prolong the life of my up-down motor.  I had read about centering the pith and was getting my timbers "somewhat center" but using a carpenters square Jim's method insures you will enter and exit the log on center.  Jim also told me to replace the sight gauge - mine is plastic with a red line,  he told me the new ones are metal with a piece of wire for an indicator.  I never knew there was an "upgraded" gauge.  As I said having bought my mill without having seen another one run I am unaware of some of these basic things that make it's operation and my product better.

[drobertson]

Glad to hear it worked out so well!  No doubt about it, learning from a more experienced sawyer is worth its weight in gold, and its nice when they are willing to share,

[Brucer]

... I would often have to bump the height a little as it would settle slightly from the vibration of being engaged. ...

With 2500 hours on my mills, I've never had the head settle when I engaged the clutch. Once in a long while the head will rise slightly, and that's a sure sign I need to lubricate the mast.

The thing is, I always drop my head below the desired cut and then raise it up to the mark. Due to friction on the mast, there is always a little slack in the system when you lower the head. Bringing it back up pulls out the slack.

It's exactly the same principle as tuning a guitar or other stringed instrument.

[Dave Shepard]

I also go below and bump back up. On the old LT40 manual, it was so automatic that I could land right on my mark 99 out of a 100 times. Down, up, pull the clutch, saw the log, repeat. ;D My Accuset also goes down and bumps back up. I don't know if that is intentional, or just the way the computer finds where it wants to be.

[isawlogs]

Going down past and then coming back up a touch is also how I do it with mine, to center the log, I use tapes, helper has one and will tell me where the center of the big end is( I like sawng from the small end ) and I raise the small end to meet with his mesurement. If a log has any sweep to it, I put the sweep off to the side at a 45° angle and saw away. Best not to have any sweep, but life has its little chalenges to deal with at times......  ;D

[VictorH]

Yes part of the procedure is dropping past and going back up.  I had been doing the ruler thing as well, giving each end an eyeball with tape.  I was getting close but not dead on.  He uses a framing square with the body against the rail and the tongue running out on the end of the log.  No eyeballing, you are on within a quarter inch or so.  Combine that with the "know your last cut before the first" and it is a different and better way to get to where you want to be.  This may be covered by Woodmizer when you pick up a new mill, but I got mine used.

[justallan1]

VictorH, I agree that it's sure nice the way folks are willing to show how they are doing different things on here and help each other out with projects. I've watched a video or two of Jims' and while I may never use the info myself, it still beats the heck out of what's on T.V.

Allan

[isawlogs]

 A quarter inch off center on a beam is nothing to worry about, life is way too short for little things like that. You would need perfect logs to be that accurate all the time. Using a tape off the bunks of the mill makes for much quicker sawing , wich makes getting the job done faster.... that in its self is good enough reason for me to use this method, now either way will have the same outcome, a beam will be sawed  ;)

I also mark with a crayon the outline of the beam after finding the center, that way you never lose where you are going or what you are about to do. I most often saw out specific beams to be made from a plie of logs, making these outlines of the beam makes a good reminder of what you are sawing.

[Klicker]

When I was thinking about buying a mill a  person I know with a woodmizer took the time to show me  his mill and how to use it. After I ordered my LT40 HD I spent time helping him and using his mill  so I would have some experience  when  I got my mill.

[Chuck White]

Excellent, Klicker.

Hands-on is an excellent way to learn the operation of any type of equipment!

I learned by helping my FIL, then later I operated his mill and finally I ended up buying my own mill.

[Jim_Rogers]

I would like to add that even though I am somewhat more experienced then Victor, I too learned some things from him.

At his yard and sawmill shed, he had a very nice dust collection system.

In the below picture you can see him with his helper taking a picture of me and the group.



 

To the right hand side you can see a brown card board barrel, and his sawdust collector system base.
On the left hand side you can see a very large white tank up on a bench. This tank collects rain water off his roof.
Here is another shot of this rain water collector system:



 

Here you can see the entire set up.
First is the roof over the sawmill, and a very nice collection gutter. From the gutter the water runs down a large black pipe to the tank. From the tank the water runs out a hose to a faucet.
He fills his water jug for his mill from this system. And it's great to wash your hands as well.

In the background you can see the black sawdust hose coming off the mill and up and over a board in his roof system. The hose is held up with bungy cords so that it is flexible up and down with the head.

Here is a shot of the sawdust collection hose for his mill:



 

The brown barrel on the left is the first place the sawdust goes through the silver pipe coming down from the overhead hose.
Also, in this shot you can see the rain downspout Victor used to connect to his mill's sawdust output chute. He is holding it with his left hand. We had to adjust this for the long timbers we were cutting so that it would travel the full distance of the mill head travel.
Also, in this shot you can see a very nice 8x8x14' piece of cottonwood we cut for Victor's office timber frame building.



 

In the above "group shot" you can see on the left the sawdust collection machine, and a couple of brown barrels being used as a bench for our tools.

This system works very nicely to collect the sawdust from Victor's mill.

I have learned a lot as well.

Jim Rogers