Does anyone here operate a large portion of the mill as a shingle mill?

[just_sawing]

I am about the only one here that I know of that will cut Lap siding or cut Shingles.
I am getting more interest and need to standardize my process.
1. Do you dry your wood. On shingles I don't but highly recommend dipping them. I have ceder siding and shingle 20 years plus and are in fine shape. They improved after a hard hail storm , they brightened up.
2 What wood do you offer. I offer Cedar (Eastern Red) and white oak for roofs and Sassafras, Poplar and ceder for the walls.
What do you use for your shingle machine? I use currently a HM120

[just_sawing]

I have a large portion of my farm that is Eastern Red Cedar. I am looking at the feasibility of moving my operation to shingles.

[reswire]

I"ve thought about designing a Lap siding jig for my mill.  I don't thing it would be too hard to do.  Shim one side at a time for each cut?  As long as the cuts remain the same depth and angle, it should work as well as a factory add on?  Am I missing something, or has anyone done this type of thing before?   

[backwoods sawyer]

I built a lap siding jig a few years ago.
upper frame, lower frame, attached with hinges, bar clamps to hold the piece and a lever that concts three cams. It fits on both the WM and Cooks mills.

 

[bandmiller2]

Justsawing, I think if your serious about shingles you need a dedicated shingle machine not a reconfigured band mill. The red cedar we have up in the northeast looks dandy for a wile but unless coated will turn black as it ages. White cedar is the one used for the classic weathered look. Cutting shingles gets boring fast a lot of labor for little product. To dry them I always made square stacks tip to butt, although you could also stack them tip to butt in a line, they dry fast. Possibly clap boards would be less labor and more profitable on a band mill. Frank C.

[Privacyleech]

I built a lap siding jig a few years ago.
upper frame, lower frame, attached with hinges, bar clamps to hold the piece and a lever that concts three cams. It fits on both the WM and Cooks mills.

I would like to see a few pictures if you have any. I was thinking of making a jig too and would love to see how you did it if you wouldn't mind.

[just_sawing]

I run a hm120 dedicated resale. This makes shingles fast.

[taylorsmissbeehaven]

I'd like to see some pictures too. I built a sloppy jig to cut some siding a few years ago, it worked and got the job done but something a little more substantial would be better. I'd like to see the shingle maker as well. If y'all have time. Brian

[Woodsrover]

I made a jig for cutting shingles a couple years ago.  Posted about it here.  Link: http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=65213.0



I used white pine as they were only for a chicken coop.  Been a year and a half and they haven't rotted yet!   

[bandmiller2]

Rover, that's a coop da ville you going to spoil those hens. Years ago I bought a shingle mill from an old timer he told me the man that puts white pine shingles on a building will never live long enough to have to replace them , he wasen't talking about a roof though. Just for chuckles I'd coat them with something, Thompsons est. Frank C.

[just_sawing]

Just finishing up an order for a pergola, Here it would be a Gazebo but this is in the high priced part of town.
 

 
 

  

  

 
 Here are photos of the HM120 in action