Remote band mill, how can I avoid walking and measuring ?

[WV Sawmiller]

Yeah, it is easier for me as I start on a cell with the last board and I just add each new thickness till I get to the top height I can cut.

[YellowHammer]

For routine pith centered sawing, load the log, look at the far end, (big or small) and look at where the pith crack is on a couple planes and project that out normal to the bark and look for a defect or swell or something that "marks" it or gives you an idea of where it is, especially relative to the mill backstops, which are measuring sticks for the lines projected out to the bark.  These are your projected reference planes. You have to visualize and think in 3D.   Then adjust the toe boards until the bark reference points are equal heights above or below the backstop.  You can practice by taking a hatchet or something and physically mark the bark on a couple planes, but after awhile, that won't be necessary, you'll be able to eyeball it.  At that point, your pith is centered pretty close.

For parallel bark sawing, find the best face, eyeball the dominant line on the best face, and adjust the toeboards or worst case, drag the band over the top of the log or use the fingers, and correct with the toeboards.

At that point make a cut and if it's not good, make a quick toeboard adjustment, and start sawing.

For quartersawing, level the pith by eye, then double check the ends with a tape measure.  I get mad at myself if I am not pretty close. 

As they say, after awhile, you'll be able to eyeball it within a 1/4" without much effort, but for Sawing, I like to be within a 1/4".

I keep wanting to install a laser, the WM is $1600 and many months lead time....I even bought an aftermarket el cheap laser off the Amazon, and it's still in the box it showed up in, a couple years later.  So all I have to do is install it, but just never get around to it.  Now it's kind of matter of pride not having one, although I keep thinking "I ought to install it....Naw,,,yeah,,,,nah,,,maybe someday I'll find a used WM one and buy it,  nah....yeah..."