OldJarheads Milling Thread...

[OlJarhead]

Did I Fix My Woodmizer Sawmill Finally? O2 Sensor Replaced! #sawmilling - YouTube
I've been in the woods for 9 days and just got back -- and yes, this DID fix the mill!

I also tore down the hydraulic pump (as you may have seen in the maintenance thread) and the brushes were about half worn.  I'll get that fixed at some point too.

Best part of all this?  I GOT BACK TO MILLING!  WOOT!  8) 8)

[OlJarhead]

Thanks to MM I learned to mill this way and I hope I did it justice in this vid!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aMwr2Sii_k

Funny thing, the more I think about milling the more I think it takes thinking.  I've always felt the best sawyers are some of the more intelligent folks out there and it never ceases to amaze me how much they know and are willing to share!

Anyway, the "odds over evens" is what I came up with to remind myself to mill odds as they seem to have the greatest chance to NOT split the pith or put heart in the middle of side of a board.

Admittedly, I goofed up in the middle of this one, and it is not the first time  :D ;D but I always try to set up so I can box out the heart.

I should add that many of you have helped me along the way, not just Lynn!  But honestly, I have a hard time remembering everyone at the time I'm doing a recording, hence I often try to slip FF in there at least once when mentioning someone who's helped out along the way.

Thanks!

[Magicman]

Keep screwing up and making mistakes.  Those are the ones that we never forget.  :

[OlJarhead]

Keep screwing up and making mistakes.  Those are the ones that we never forget.  :

As long as I'm learning, I'm still alive!  8)
and making mistakes is my specialty ;)
It also occurred to me that it's the video I'm editing today that I mentioned your help though I may have in the above as well...they start to run together when you edit 5 days a week! 

[Magicman]

I don't need any screwing up help.  : 

I was young and dumb once but I got over being young a long time ago. 

[RetiredTech]

Great video. I'm just leaning to mill lumber and this one helped a lot. I've got a bowed log on the mill now. Hopefully I'll get some usable wood out of it. If not, with three houses to heat we always need more firewood and I'll learn a little more along the way.

[OlJarhead]

How bad is the bow?  If it's really bad cut the log in half and cut shorter pieces if possible (make a 16 footer an 8 footer) and that can help.

Got a pic?

One thing I've learned is that you can joint out some of the crown if you get some but you can't joint out all of the crown ;) so make sure you put it where it will not be an issue (rafters, joints vs flooring, paneling, studs).

Seems to work for me :D

[RetiredTech]

It was a log that had been down in the woods for several years. Not too bad of a curve. I cut it just like you said and got some usable 2bys and 4bys out of it. The first 3 inches or so had already deteriorated to much to be used, but the center was still hard. I built a box stand for my grandson with it and some old plywood my son left here.

[OlJarhead]

Awesome!  I've actually milled old Pondo pine that was down a long time but off the ground and it was marbled and gorgeous!  Sometimes we get lucky!  8)

[OlJarhead]

Looks like I will finally be milling for that old family friend next weekend!  Between my back etc and his age it's taken a bit to get it set up but the 7th it is.

Then I got a call from a lady who I was referred to by a past customer, she didn't want anyone else and talked me into it -- truthfully I'm very selective but the logs she has sound like fun!  Cypress, Birch, Doug Fir and Scotch Pine...figured it would be something different and as I can use the content decided to go ahead.

I'm pulling the mill to the cabin to mill more pondo up for the cabin build after the 7th then will have to drag it back down before winter (I was planning on leaving it there to mill in the snow but might not be able to now)....so we'll see.

I'm really trying NOT to mill for others but I keep getting calls so now I'm being selective!!!

@Crossroads remind me when you'll be here for that wide job?  I need to make sure I'm here!   If during the week there is a 99% chance I will be ;) It's the weekends I'm concerned about now!!  Though November is slow for me so should be good!

[Crossroads]

It will be Friday 11/10 should be an interesting job. 

[WV Sawmiller]

X roads - But that is a national holiday! Semper Fi.

[OlJarhead]

Right!!!  10 November 1775 My Marine Corrps Came Alive!

Wanna do a job in Yakima?  If so call me I'm trying to mill at my place and don't have a seat yet 😉

[OlJarhead]

I've been working on this one lately; when I can't get two cants easily without splitting the pith.  This is not the most efficient way but seemed to work.

https://youtu.be/sXfMnkjhRYM

I think I will go back to 1 or 3 and move on though but it was a fun experiment.

I'm off to mill for that old friend.  Going to be a tough day as the herniated disc is angry but the grandsons want to learn about running the mill!

[OlJarhead]

One thing I've pondered is that if you mill flitches on the edges of the main cant, and mill to a single cant, then those flitches will present the stress 90 degrees to where you want it.

With some framing lumber that's ok (blocking material, rafters, joists etc) but for studs it isn't.  That's why I was messing around with boxing out the heart in the middle and making 2x4's out of the mostly FOHC cants.  Seems to work but takes more time for sure.

In today's video I finish up the Dlogs, only fall on my butt once (maybe that should be in another thread lol) but survive and finish off the last of these pine logs for the cabin addition!

Sawmilling D Logs for our Offgrid Cabin Despite the Fall! #woodmizer #sawmill - YouTube

After returning home I geared up and went and did a job for an old friend of the family (I mentioned this previously).  It was fun but the 4 or 5 logs multiplied into 10 and I used an incredible 6 bands (which I now can't just send to WM Resharp) but I was happy to do the job for him (no charge!) as he's such a good guy and has been like "Uncle Joe" to my wife for a long time.  He's in his late 80's and still wood working with lots of plans so I'm hoping this gave him lots to do in the future! :D

Oh and he was beaming all day!  That's the best!  Of course, that video will take me a while to get out but I'm hoping to do it next week or weekend.

Lastly, my laser is almost done!  I had to do a little work to move a screw so it can be adjusted and moved it approximately in the right place before Uncle Joe's job and it was nice to have.  I've decided that all but super bright sun and this laser is awesome!  I can see the appeal now for sure and the Apinex laser is working well!

[doc henderson]

Nice recovery.  glad there was not a flitch where you landed.  Your wife does well.  good second pair of hands.

[OlJarhead]

Thanks!  Definitely could have been a LOT worse!  I was lucky.  I was also tired and super sore and should have stopped an a log or two earlier 😉

[Peter Drouin]

Thanks!  Definitely could have been a LOT worse!  I was lucky.  I was also tired and super sore and should have stopped an a log or two earlier 😉

Nice to think that way. But, we will finish the job that day.  :D :D ;)

[OlJarhead]

True that!  I wanted those logs done as I was already late at this point ;)  It was pack up and leave day and I had 3 logs on the deck still...so...git 'er done!

[WV Sawmiller]

Eric,

   I was watching the laser install and one thing I noticed was you had to remove all those little fasteners from various panels for access. One tip if you are not already doing it is buy several cheap magnets from HF and stick them on and around the control panel and as you remove a tiny screw with its washers and nuts and such stick them on the magnet near where you are working then they will be there when you need to put them back. They are also handy for holding paperwork to the mill like customer's cut lists or diagrams and such. I think they are about 50 cents each around here and are as handy as a pocket on a shirt.

[SawyerTed]

So glad there wasn't an injury as a result that fall!  Considering your other back issues, it really could have been worse.  

[Peter Drouin]

Some from 1987

[OlJarhead]

1987?  The injuries started in 1988 ;)  On the beaches of Morocco...

Thanks for the tip on the magnets, I have the bowl types I'm always using but your idea is great for paperwork!  I love it.

Sawyer Ted -- yup.  Thankfully I did not injure my back more!  (side note:  it's worse than I let on in my videos but that's life.  Move on and keep moving or lose the ability to move all-together -- at least that's what my doc says when I say I refuse to quit).  Worse still is that I cannot take any anti-inflammatory's :( as they gave me ulcers so now I'm only taking Turmeric and trying to drink more water but this means I got to learn just how much that 1000mgs of Naproxen was doing for me daily (when I try to walk up the stairs to my office in the morning I'm reminded REALLY well as my knees scream at me).

I get my hands shot up again today (going to hurt this time I'm thinking -- it always does but without the Naproxen the inflammation gets worse and it's harder to jam that big needle into the joint -- ouch!  But, afterwards I can use my thumbs for another few months ;)  It's a trade off.  Hopefully I'll get the shot in my back again soon too then I may even be able to exercise which I need deeply.  I try not to talk too much about it -- and here I am blathering on -- but I have patella femoral syndrome in my knees, arthritis in my hands and shoulders (luckily the shoulders don't need shots) bad discs from my tail bone to my head ;) with one herniated disc in my lower back, stenosis and facet referral pain due to the other discs compressing and that's just the start of a very long list most from my Marine Corps days...seems they are all coming back to haunt me now but I say 'screw it' and plan to head back to the cabin this week to get more done  ;D :D

I guess in the end I hope some day someone will say "the old jarhead never quit so I aint gonna!"  Ooorah!  Pass the pain killers and let's get moving (oh and I don't take pain killers I was just making a joke though the doc offered Acetaminophen since it doesn't hurt my kidneys (which took a beating from the naproxen etc) or guy (NSAIDs) but will be hard on my liver (so less bourbon 30.....hmmm) AND I was also told to cut down on my coffee.

Someone shoot me!   Nah, I'll cut back to two small cups of coffee a day and already cut out a lot of the hard stuff (and don't drink beer or wine)....but after a hard day beating myself up a stiff Kentucky Bourbon goes a long way to taking the edge off ;)

[TimW]

Eric,
  I don't remember if I have said it the past, but say it now..... THANK YOU and all the other vets here for Y"alls Service!!!
         Y'all are the bestest!
               hugs,  Brandi

[OlJarhead]

Thank you Brandi!  I'd do it all over again even knowing where I'd end up today ;)  

Heck, I often feel like saying "THANK YOU! for being such great people!  It was an honor and a pleasure to serve, so much so I did it again later!"

Cheers