Handy things around the mill

[wiam]

The doc opens but there is no text, just drawings.

Will

[Gilman]

Wiam,
If you can't get your Adobe to work, you can get a free drawing viewer from www.solidworks.com and download e-drawings. 

direct link to drawing viewer is http://www.solidworks.com/pages/products/edrawings/eDrawings.html

Below is the drawing in edrawing format.

Oops, I lie, I can't upload a file with that extension.

I renamed the file extension to "txt" to view it, download, save and rename the "txt" extension to "edrw"

DanG! not so easy with XP, oh how I love how software developers make things "Easier." To rename an extension in XP you will have to download and save the file to an easy to find location on your computer.  Go to you cmd window ([Windows Start] [Run] cmd [Enter])

type cd followed by the directory you want to go to then hit retrun.  Once to the directory you have the saved file type

ren *.txt *.edrw

that will rename the extension for you.  Make sure you don't have any other .txt files in that folder.

[wiam]

Thanks guys.  It took over 2 hrs to download the update to Acrobat 7.0 last night, but now I can see dimensions on the bibbyhorse. 8) 8)

Will

[sawwood]

Prosawer Mary here are the photos of the stake making jig the JR was
telling you about. We finily has a good day to set the jig up and take a
few photos. You will see that we used a platic bottle to keep the chips
off the stakes from gitting under the guide roller. The firs time we use
the jig the chips would git under it and the blade would jump off the
wheels.

Sawwood

[wiam]

This is how I sharpen stakes.



I clamp a 2x6 flat with one on edge next to it.  Run the saw up to the one on edge.  Blade height needs to be just above center of stake.  I have gotten so I can hold the stake stiff arm at the same level on each side and slide it across the saw.  For me this worked quicker than clamping groups of stakes.  I have a short clip I can email if anyone is interested just  im me.

Will

[Gilman]

I bought a 2nd water bottle from WM.  Well worth the 15.00. If I need to run water on Full I can do it all day without running out.

[Larry]

Little tweak here...little tweak there equals few more bf/hr, also little less tired at the end of the day.

Made few adjustments...my tractor will only lift about 300 BF and my forks are short so made them a little different.  Attached the back strap with a tarp strap so I could remove them when it is time to move a bundle.  Pickup the bundles and put em on the trailer.  All I have to do is strap the bundles to the trailer bunks.




The boss took a look and suggested I make a second set for the boards that will get an end trim for grade.  Another couple of bf/hr??




Set them up right behind the mill.

Thanks for the idea Bibby...you have to put on the sun tan lotion today? :D

[Bibbyman]

You're welcome.  I just put the idea in the Forum - Mary is the one that made the first pair.

It was a nice day.  Every day like this in winter is a gift. 

We worked all day and didn't get much done!  We cleaned out from under the mill and that took some time.  While I had the bucket on I raked the ruts down on the log lot then spred some gravel where the mud was sticking through.  By then a customer showed up to pick up his lumber.  We had to visit.  He only left when two more PUs pulled in.  They were just picking up slabs but left us some honey.  As soon as they left,  a tractor trailer load of logs came in and had to be unloaded.  He was taking another load out so he had to be re-loaded.  By then two more customers showed up - bought some dry lumber and got some slab firewood.  Then another customer showed up to dump off a load of cedar to be squared up.  He's goning to be back with a dump truck load of oak - maybe today.

We only got about 300 bf of 8/4 walnut sawn.  Some days are like that.

[ohsoloco]

Bibby, just gotta say thanks for the info, and especially the pictures, of those large wooden crates.  I always wanted to make something like that, but just never thought about it enough to actually make one  :  I was never exactly sure how to tie everything together.  Two weekends ago I made one (in the middle of a snow squall), 'cept I made it 48" deep since that's how long my forks are (although I think it's going to be tough reaching back there  :-\  The next morning I went out and set it next to where I have been cutting and splitting my firewood.  I cut all of my own firewood at 20", but I end up with a lot of short pieces from the ends of logs and slabs.  Didn't take me much more than half an hour to fill that box up, and it will stay full until I burn those short pieces next year.  So, I made two more boxes that same day.  I had some knarly hybrid poplar that I didn't know what to do with anyway...some of it I already cut into 5' pieces and dumped up by the fire pit.  Yanked them back out and milled away.  I used 4x6's for the bottom pieces, 6/4 lumber for the deck, 2x4's for the corners, and 5/4 lumber for the sides.  Even if they only last a few years they'll make better use as crates than a bonfire 

[Bibbyman]

Bibby, just gotta say thanks for the info,

You're welcome - I'll tell Mary as she's the one that built the first one.   ;)

[Larry]

Store brand generic for "Pam" cooking spray.

Visiting woodworker while back said he used it as a lubricate on any of his machines that had cranks, because it doesn't attract sawdust.  So...I thought I would give it a try on the acme thread rods on my four poster.  Works great...lasts long time, lubes well, not very expensive, and doesn't get all gunky with sawdust.  I've used WD-40, ATF, bicycle chain lubricate, and some graphite based products.  All had some kind of drawback.  The cooking spray label says it's soybean oil.

Logger dropped by the mill this morning.  He saw the cooking spray cans and smelled the aroma of freshly sawn black locust.  Accused me of baking cinnamon cookies instead of making boards.  When he left he mentioned even though my mill is not orange it is the best smelling mill in seven states.

[sprucebunny]

That's a good idea, Larry. I have some spray wax stuff that drys, lubricates and doesn't attract dust. Still trying it on different things...

My handy thing is a very large C-clamp. I love clamps ;D
My mill has no stop on one side, the cam style dogs drop when bumped and turning big logs can be scary so I put this clamp on the rail and there is less chance of the log escaping.

[Bibbyman]

We're often sawing out big timbers for various reasons.  We normally just saw them one at a time and take them off the mill with the Terex. We were thinking about sawing out some RR ties and figured we'd need a better way to handle these.  Also sometimes it's nice to have a way to kick a junk cant off the mill besides hacking it up and pitching it off. 

A couple of weekend's back I decided to experiment with some 10' sections of roller skate track we had in the bone yard.   I just kind off threw this up to see how it'd work.  Even then it took me one afternoon and the next day.  I know.  I'm slow.



Looking in the south end of the mill.  There is about a 3' gap between the sections to aid in getting around the mill and to the 'frig'.



Looking out the south end of the mill.



The down rollers before I put kull cants under the lower end. With this amout of slope a tie will roll about 20 feet down the hill. 

It works pretty slick.  I can raise the toe boards and push a cant down the track with little effort.  There is only an inch or so drop – not enough for the cant to go off down the track with just gravity. 

I've thought about adding a kicker to the last section but after cutting some RR ties I've found it works well to push a tie on the last set of rollers and then "work it over".  That is, trim it and take off any bark, etc.  If I send the tie down the track on it's 7" side and 9" side up and down,  I can easily tump the tie over on the down rollers.

I've since propped up the ends of the down rollers with a couple of cull cants.  This way I can park the Terex there and slide down four ties onto the forks.  I can (I think) lower the forks and stack the next layer and so on. 

I'll get out after while and take a picture of the bracket I made to rest the skate track on the end of the mill and the modified output area.

[Bibbyman]

A few more pictures and details.



I had to cut a notch in the skate track frame to fit over the tail light guard.  So I went ahead and made a bracket to support the track and to hold it against the mill.



Here is another view of just the bracket.  It's bolted on where I think the bed extension is normally bolted on.  Note that I took the turn signel off.  I stuffed it up inside the frame rail.



Here we're looking down the ramp to the Terex.  Note the use of poly banding to hold the down ramps up against the other ramp.  It's just a test.  It may even last!



Another view from outside.  I think I can place the forkes so it'll load a layer and then lower them for the next and so on.  Thus the ties will be pretty much self-stacking.  At least I'm thinking they will.

[DanG]

That's a DanG neat setup, Bibby! 8) 8)  It oughta work out just fine.

My handy thing of the day is a lot simpler and cheaper.  It is a plain ol' everyday toilet bowl brush. :D  They are great for cleaning sawdust and dirt from all the little nooks and crannies on the mill.  The long handle lets you get into places near the blade without nicking your hands, and you can hardly damage anything with it, either.  I keep one at the mill all the time.  The most usage it gets is cleaning the sawdust from around the fuel filler cap before opening it.

I keep a couple around the shop, too.  It works good for cleaning up the planer and table saw.  Also, when working under a vehicle, you can use it to remove some of the sand and stuff that tends to fall into your face.

[Bibbyman]

I didn't have the camera to capture the moment but yesterday afternoon Mary used the outfeed rollers for the first time.  I watched as she aligned the 6x6 and,  with some hesitation, tipped it over on the down rollers.  You could see the anticipation build on her face as the 6x6 sped down the rollers, onto the forks and bumped nicely against the back board of the forks.  A satisfied smile broke on her face. (Like – "Humph! It works!)

Later, with the first layer filled, she had about the same reaction when the next 6x6 down the ramps slipped nicely over the first and stacked itself neatly in place. She turned and caught me watching and gave me a big cheesy grin.   ;D

I guess I did good.

[beenthere]

Great Bibby
I take it Mary is easy to please. 

[DanG]

It really feels good when the recipient of your ingenuity gives you a big cheesy grin!  Good stroke, Bibbyman! 8) 8)

Is the poly banding holding up ok, or are ya gonna upgrade to duct tape? ;D

[Bibbyman]

Is the poly banding holding up ok, or are ya gonna upgrade to duct tape? ;D

The poly banding is nearing the 100 cycle test point and still holding fine.  I think we'll go for a 1,000.



When we rig something up for test and it works,  we tend to leave it.  Note the black rectangle floating in the upper left center of the above picture.  It's a 2 gallon jug of oil about half full hanging on the end of a cloths line that's ran over a pulley on a rafter and back down to the middle of mill's power cord.  It keeps enough lift on the middle of the cord to keep the droop up out of the way.  It was only a test back in January of 2002 when we installed the mill.  We bump or heads on it a hundred times a day and curse it a little but we've never taken time to set it up better. Some day it'll go "ka-thump" and we'll have to fix it or do something better.   :D

[Bibbyman]

Here is an idea I've been meaning to add for some time and just didn't get around to it.

Our nearest water source was some 150 feet away. It got to be a chore to carry the water jug off the mill over to it and fill it and bring it back. We had an extra stock tank - maybe 100 gallons - that we put on an old bulk gas tank stand about head high.

The gutter on the front side of the mill keeps it full. Even a .1" of rain will usually fill it up. There is an overflow that goes down to a drain pipe buried under ground that takes off excess.

In the winter we drop in a stock tank water heater (note in right corner). Keeps it nice and un-froze.  In the winter, we also have to remember to let the garden hose down so it will drain – else it'll be froze.

[Furby]

Something to watch for at an auction or something Bibby, is a ball bering roller table.
You can push things in any direction on them and you could replace the last set of skates with it.
It would make kicking the ties off sideways really, really easy. ;)

[Bibbyman]

Something to watch for at an auction or something Bibby, is a ball bering roller table.
You can push things in any direction on them and you could replace the last set of skates with it.
It would make kicking the ties off sideways really, really easy. ;)

Maybe too easy..  We use that last section to clean up the tie - trim ends as neede, knock off any bark, etc.  I've learned to finish them up on the mill with any bark edges up and or to put them on the 7" face.  That way when they're ready to push off,  they just take a little tip and down they go.  If they have to be turned over,  It takes only a little effort to pull it twords me and then use my handy dandy 24" LogRite mill special to tump them over.

My first thought was to mod in some kickers.  But this works so well the way it is,  I've abandoned that idea.

[DR Buck]

A couple of weekend's back I decided to experiment with some 10' sections of roller skate track we had in the bone yard.   I just kind off threw this up to see how it'd work.  Even then it took me one afternoon and the next day.  I know.  I'm slow.

I wish I had a couple of those roller tables.  Sure would make things easier.   

Bibby,  if you haven't done it yet, I'd add a few angle braces to those wood frames you used for your "experiment".  If they end up hanging around for a while it could keep you from being surprised when they decide to fold up on you. 

[Bibbyman]

Bibby,  if you haven't done it yet, I'd add a few angle braces to those wood frames you used for your "experiment".  If they end up hanging around for a while it could keep you from being surprised when they decide to fold up on you. 

Good suggestion...  Know where I could find a couple of scrap 1x6s?

[Onthesauk]

See the thread above on "Home Depot prices!" ;D