More lessons - longer logs

Percy · March 25, 2015, 02:29:37 AM

Quote from: Magicman on March 19, 2015, 10:01:43 PM
I'll have to admit that I have exceeded the loader limit many times. I use the log clamp in conjunction with the loader and proceed slowly.

The "end tong" in buried into the log and chained to the clamp.

I raise the loaded and tighten the clamp together. I am sure that the dual hydraulics in the SuperHydraulic helps.

Slick. What a great idea...

WV Sawmiller · March 25, 2015, 09:42:50 AM

All,

Thx for the pointers. I never heard of or thought about keeping the arms up. My problem is I routinely forget to lower the arms till they get in the way. I had been told to keep them halfway down and I use them to stack flitches for edging and such. I will try to remember to keep them high for big logs in the future.

I still question that I can cut a 21-1/2' log on my LT35 but am sure going to check that at the first opportunity.

terrifictimbersllc · March 25, 2015, 10:16:47 AM

I had a medium size log roll off the loading arms once, even though the arms were half way up. It went over and up and off.

pineywoods · March 25, 2015, 10:33:50 AM

My mill has hydraulics, but no loader. I usually park my tractor so the forks are right where the loader arms would normally be, so I can push flitches off on to the forks. Trying to roll a BIG log and lost it, the log rolled off onto the forks. Tractor boogie, fortunately nothing bent or broke, but the rear wheels came off the ground.

Dave Shepard · March 25, 2015, 10:54:44 AM

Quote from: WV Sawmiller on March 25, 2015, 09:42:50 AM
All,

Thx for the pointers. I never heard of or thought about keeping the arms up. My problem is I routinely forget to lower the arms till they get in the way. I had been told to keep them halfway down and I use them to stack flitches for edging and such. I will try to remember to keep them high for big logs in the future.

I still question that I can cut a 21-1/2' log on my LT35 but am sure going to check that at the first opportunity.

I know that the LT40 is supposed to cut 21', but you would have to remove both rubber bump stops to do it. Is the carriage shorter on an LT35?

Chuck White · March 25, 2015, 07:38:52 PM

I hate it when that happens, Peter!

Better to go all the way out rather than between the main rail and the tire! :-\

Luckily, I've only had that happen a couple of times! ;)

WV Sawmiller · March 25, 2015, 09:58:10 PM

@Dave Shepard,

I have no idea if there are special tricks to cut that long a log. I was just commenting based on Millwright's comments above.

@millwright,

Any special tricks or techniques to use to cut those extended lengths.

shakebone · March 25, 2015, 10:43:15 PM

The 35 I have will cut 21 BUT it has to be perfect ! Best thing I like about 21' logs is I can cut them into two tens and wa-la no problemo ! ;D and I learned the hard way on the big daddy's also

WV Sawmiller · March 26, 2015, 02:47:20 AM

@shakebone,

I agree about the 21' logs. As I mentioned I cut a 20'6" log and it walked just a hair when flipping the cants and I couldn't get my blade out at the very end. Had to raise the rollers and back it up a couple inches to finish. I just did not see the extra length on the mill mentioned by others in the text.

I see what you are saying about the 21' lumber but with my limited experience I'd much rather cut the 2 - 10's separately. Much easier handling of the boards and flitches and such. Plus I could likely just stretch a hair and not even have to walk around my left side tire on the mill.

Peter Drouin · March 26, 2015, 06:17:50 AM

On the WM mills there's a black painted line on the top of tube to show how far the blade will go.

4x4American · March 26, 2015, 06:29:37 AM

^ Thats smart, like a gunning line on a chainsaw eh

millwright · March 26, 2015, 07:16:12 AM

In my earlier post I meant to say 20-1/2 ft not 21-1/2.

WV Sawmiller · March 26, 2015, 09:17:52 AM

The lines Peter mentions are clearly painted and very accurate. If the log touches one of them you better expect problems. As long as you are inside them you are okay. With my 20'6" I just had a couple inches on either end to the mark.

SawyerBrown · March 26, 2015, 09:37:01 AM

Quote from: Magicman on March 19, 2015, 07:19:21 AM
@fishfighter, Yup, heavy. Look to the left and click on the red toolbox to find the weight of logs, etc. The Tool Box is also found above under Extras

Norwood also has a really nice app for your phone that calculates bf in a log (all 3 scales), bf in a board/beam, and weight of a log by many major species. Unfortunately does not give you weight of finished lumber. This in case you're somewhere where you can't access the Red Toolbox. ;D

DMcCoy · March 26, 2015, 09:54:08 AM

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment." - Will Rogers

Big logs are much different to handle, and they can move surprisingly fast.

SawyerBrown · March 26, 2015, 10:26:16 AM

Also need to make sure the stops are up! Almost had one roll off the other side one time when I forgot ... Can imagine a big log would be really, really hard to deal with if that happened.

Magicman · March 26, 2015, 11:20:59 AM

"It" can happen.

:-\ smiley_dizzy smiley_dunce

WV Sawmiller · March 26, 2015, 11:49:51 AM

@Magicman - Thx for the post. It is reassuring to us novices when we see even respected pros occasionally experience brief periods of cerebral flatulence. I like Sawyerbrown's post from Will Rogers about good judgment coming from lots of bad judgment.

I guess the big lesson is we are all involved with many different things happening all at once and even a brief lack of attention to any one of them can result in embarrassment and lost time, if we are lucky, or damage or injury if we are not. I am sure WM and the other sponsors will eventually develop a mill that will provide warnings or shut down if forget to raise or lower the arms, won't let us cut into a clamp, etc. (Of course I am sure there are people reading who will immediately disable these functions for increased speed, cut operating cost or for ease of operation).

ncsawyer · March 26, 2015, 12:01:41 PM

Quote from: Magicman on March 26, 2015, 11:20:59 AM
"It" can happen.

:-\ smiley_dizzy smiley_dunce

The best thing about this situation is the shade tree you've got to work under.

SawyerBrown · March 26, 2015, 02:17:25 PM

WV, great saying, but that credit goes to DMcCoy.

MM, so how did you get that out of there? (And please don't say "magic" :D)

WV Sawmiller · March 26, 2015, 02:26:06 PM

My apologies to DMcCoy and Sawyer for the misquote.

D - that's what happens when you get your post sandwiched between 2 of Sawyers.

Sawyer - I bet MagicMan has one of those 78" logrite tools and just rolled it right out. I only do things like that when my wife is watching. You'd think there would be a Statute of Limitations on a woman's memory but apparently not.

SawyerBrown · March 26, 2015, 02:33:35 PM

:D :D

Oh yeah, wives never forget anything. My dad used to say something about "memory like an elephant", but don't use that one on your wife ... that's one she'll NEVER forget. :D

Magicman · March 26, 2015, 04:26:39 PM

Quote from: SawyerBrown on March 26, 2015, 02:17:25 PMMM, so how did you get that out of there? (And please don't say "magic" :D)

OK, I won't. My Dad always said "main force and awkwardness", so I will not say that either.

A combination of a couple of chains and peaveys, We slid a slab under the top end to keep it level so we only had to lift the butt end up level with the sawmill bed and roll it back on.

In my very early days of sawing, I had one much larger than that to roll off. A ~24" twenty foot White Oak log. Of course the engine was raised so the momentum almost turned the entire sawmill over. That one took a very large tractor to lift it out and put it back on to the sawmill bed.