New to sawmilling and forum

[Lugnut]

Hello to everyone this is my first post on this forum even though I have been reading a lot of post as a guest. I have already learned a lot from everyone and have a lot more to learn going forward. I purchased a woodland mills HM126 a few months ago and soon will be setting it up for action,its still in the crate on my trailer. My question is does anyone that owns a small mill like this have any problems with it shifting on the base it sits on,should it be fastened down somehow? I know it has the leveling feet and would sit a little of of the actual platform like as if I used 6×6 timbers. Is the mill railing and bunks heavy enough to stay put if you would let logs slip or roll onto it a little to rough by accident?

[goose63]

 

 

Welcome to the Forum Lugnut my 126 will move all over the place ;D

[btulloh]

It will crab overas you turn logs. The feet can be screwed down easily though. I got away for a few weeks sitting blocks as long as kept watch and scootched it back once in a while. 6x6's make a good base especially if on 6x6 cross ties. Itneeds to up at least that high anyway. O thers have used different bases with good results. Just matter of what suits you. 

Welcome aboard from another hm126 owner!



 

This is how I have mine setup. 

[Lugnut]

Thanks for the input guys,I was thinking I would need to do something to tie it down somehow. I'm getting a load of crushed stone brought in that packs real good and have enough 8x8x16 concrete block to set down for the 6x6 timbers to rest on. I guess I may fill the cores of some of the block with sackcrete and have a threaded rod sticking up through the timbers to anchor it all down as well as having the mill rails fastened. I see in your photo btulloh that you have bunks beside your mill,I plan on having something like that as well. Will probably be the first thing I mill from some old white oak logs I have that the sapwood has rotted on them. That way I can spend a day hauling logs and have four or five sitting on the bunks ready to go

[btulloh]

Sounds like a plan.  My cross ties are just spiked down with rebar, and the feet are just fastened with deck screws and that's enough to keep things from moving.  I've turned a lot of big logs and heavy cants and had no problems with lateral movement.  I have to re-tweak the level every spring just a little using the adjustment built into the feet.  Without poured footers or something really stable, things will settle a bit during the winter.  



 

(Looking at this photo reminds me:  I'm not sure extending the cross ties out 8 inches on either side was necessary or a good idea.  Clutters the walkway and adds extra obstacles.)


Those webbed blocks have a pretty small bearing area, so they may have a tendency to work there way down into your gravel.  Just depends on how you've prepared your gravel.  

When I added the log ways, it really helped my productivity and made staging logs very convenient.  They did get in the way of a couple other things, but it's a trade-off.  Working out material flow in and out of the sawing zone took me a while and a few different setups.  All part of the fun of learning.  Material flow for me can make a huge difference in productivity because I work mostly alone, and with a manual mill there's a lot of - - manual labor  :D.  Actual sawing is the easy part.  I get plenty of walking in during a sawing session, as well as weight training, and some aerobics.  It all gets more efficient and easier as I go along though, and it's been a rewarding experience, not to mention I like using the lumber I produce.

Happy sawing to you and welcome to your new sawdust addiction.  

[SawyerTed]

Welcome!  I'll let others who have anchored mills provide input.  Welcome to Sawdust Anonymous....

[Lugnut]

You are correct in pointing out that the blocks turned on edge has a small area btulloh. I am located here in the slate belt area of nc so I may can round up enough flat rock to bed into my crushed stone to fortify my block. I have been trying to finish up some other projects before I set up my mill because I know after I start seeing that white oak lumber coming off I won't be able to concentrate on anything else. Told my wife that I was surely crazy to buy something that would create more work for me here at home,sold two feeder calves and three of the best Angus cows I ever owned to buy this mill and could have bought a good fishing boat with that money. But I know once that sawdust starts hitting the ground I will be hooked 

[Patrick NC]

When I first got my mill this is how I set it up.

 

 

 
I have since mounted it on a trailer, but I thought this might help.  I took the leveling feet off and used lag bolts to secure it to the 6x6 with large washers for shims.

[btulloh]

Told my wife that I was surely crazy to buy something that would create more work for me here at home,sold two feeder calves and three of the best Angus cows I ever owned to buy this mill and could have bought a good fishing boat with that money.

Told my wife that I was surely crazy to buy something that would create more work for me here at home,sold two feeder calves and three of the best Angus cows I ever owned to buy this mill and could have bought a good fishing boat with that money.

But buying a fishing boat leads to buying more goodies - side scan sonar/depth finder, trolling motors, etc.  Buying a sawmill never leads to spending more money or building sheds and kilns and buying a bigger sawmill and a telehandler and . . .  and . . .  and . . .  :D:D

[Outlaw]

I sold my fishing boat to buy the mill. I'm surely crazy as well. No regrets 

[Sixacresand]

Welcome to the Forum, Lugnut

[Lugnut]

After seeing Patrick NC photos I may have to rethink the concrete block idea,those cross timbers really look stable like a railroad track. A lot more surface area to spread out the weight. I have two white oak blow downs still on the root ball that even up past the bell 6 feet are 24 inches across easy. If I cut 8 foot logs out that's still going to be a lot of weight, after a big rain those block will probably settle even on the crushed stone. Really getting fired up about seeing that mill ready to run may have to put all these other projects on the back burner. Reading Outlaws post made me feel a little less crazy now,I think he's got me beat selling his boat and all

[Lugnut]

Thanks for the welcome everyone, Sixacresand,SawyerTed,goose63,btulloh, Patrick NC. I'm just getting started I know I'll need lots of advice going forward,cut a lot of firewood over the years but this is a whole different game. When my firewood turned out ugly I could burn it and nobody would know

[Patrick NC]

I find that my ugly lumber burns just as good as firewood. Just more expensive. 😉

[cgchuck]

About 1 1/2 yards of concrete with some rerod in it and set your mill on that and tapcon the feet to the slab . End of movement .