timberking on its way

[tlkellar]

just ordered a timberking 1220 with 25 hp want to get site completed before mill arrives. just a couple questions .
i want to use gravity to either help with feeding head or return, need to know which is better & if this will effect saw performance?
future plans are to get power up & power feed
going to fab an 8 foot section of track so i can cut 20' i have the materials on hand has anyone attempted ?
height of mill ?, have a fel so loading log should not be a problem
skidway ?/ i have worked on circle mills & skidway almost touch carrige . what kind of adjustments are necessary for band mill ? & what side of mill should it be on

i know this is alot of questions ,but i also know there is alot of wisdom on this site .

thank you in advance, any feedback will be appreciated .

[thecfarm]

tlkellar,welcome to the forum.I have a manual mill to.Mine pushes so easy,gravity is not really an issue to me.I just have mine level.Make sure you put your locks on when you are not using the mill. Don't want to find it on the ground some day.I have mine up in the air some. Loading is not an issue for me. I have mine log borough raised,I guess you call it a skid way,it's just removing the lumber is when you want the correct height.I load my logs on the opposite side I remove the lumber from. I have my saw mill set up so when I saw,I am facing the house. I can see who's coming this way.I can cut a 20 foot log on mine too. Much easy to put a log on a 16 foot log on a track 20 feet long.This way I have feet instead of inches to deal with.You don't want to try to move a 16 foot log 2 inches on a manual mill.
Few questions for you. Been around a mill before. Where are you getting your logs from.What will all the lumber be used for.
You will like having a mill.

[tlkellar]

my father ran a circle mill for most of his life he mainly sawed blocking for the steel mills I have done about every job on his mill except for head sawyer . I
loved the work & the time spent with my dad .Well as the steel mills went out of business so did he, I went off to explore other options . now 30 years later
i want to get the sawdust flying again , I know the band sawmills will not match the circle mills speed but thats ok i just want to saw some lumber & use it on some building projects . I have 22 acres of wooded ground with plenty of good sawmill size trees . The reason i choose a band sawmill is because i will be running it mostly by myself   

[Magicman]

Congratulations tlkellar on the new TK sawmill and welcome to the Forestry Forum.  I'm not familiar with your mill, but I would think that level is always a good option.

With my mill, I tend to have the operator's end a bit high as well as the log loader side.  That caused the log to favor the side support side and also increases the pressure on the debarker.

[ladylake]

  It's good that you got the 25hp, those big logs take power. I'd also put it level, with a push along I'd use 10* blades the will pull into the wood rather than the 4 or 7* I like to use. With the little service I've needed from TK it's always been great.   Steve

[bandmiller2]

Welcome Kell,as with any mill level and plumb, you don't want to be pushing up a hill.Your dead deck should be level with the mill and have two removable sections so you can walk along the side of the mill and not have to step over obstructions.As stated you want the mill built up to a comfortable hight.Covering the bandhead every night is a pain figure on a roof over it. Frank C.