What Dummy did today.

[Swede]

Loded a 19" 12´pine log but didn´t lift up the poles first. 

The customer took his tractor out and pulled the log back to the right side of the saw mill.

Swede.

[Tom]

That is a helpless feeling to watch the log roll off of the back of the mill, isn't it?   You know what is going to happen but you also know that there is nothing you can do fast enough to stop it. 

Why is it that we always do these things in front of a customer while we are trying to look experienced?

[Jeff]

I bet that dont happen often with a manual mill.

[Ed_K]

 Just once, and it was a bigun  .

[wiam]

Maybe, once or







twice

Will

[Dan_Shade]

I'm sure I'll eventually do it with my manual mill.  I almost did it the last time I was sawing!

[Cedarman]

Rolling a log over the mill is like hitting a dog with the blade.  You get complacent or in a hurry, but once you do it, it will be a long time before it happens again.

I find that with my sawyers.  It doesn't take them too long to ruin a blade on the dog, but most time they never hit it again.

It leaves an indelible memory mark.

[Kirk_Allen]

Dont feel bad Sweed, I did it yesterday with an Ash log.  Second time in two years. Dogs were up but this log had a nasty figure and a whopper of a branch sticking out. I was going to cut off the branch first but when I loaded it would hang up and not turn.  Once I finally got it where I wanted, it had just enough height and momentum to go right over the back dog and slide sideways off the mill.   Fortunatly, Furby wasnt there with a camera yet and the but of the log was still on the bunks.  Two of us STRUGGLED and lifted that sucker back on the mill. 

[Part_Timer]

The BIG advantage of the small manual mill (LT15)  Just roll it back on. 

     But I have done it in front of a customer as well. YAh just gota smile and go on. 
I just told him we didn't want to cut that one yet and needed to get the others done first and do that one last.  Good thing he had a sence of humor.  We had a good laugh and went on.  Now he is one of my best customers.      

[dail_h]

It happens on manuel mills too. Yesterday I was turning a big SYP (sorry yard pine) when the turning hook came loose----ole log rolled right backwards off the mill, between mill an log deck. Walked around and took a good look at it ,came in the house got a glass of tea,went back and sat down on the end of the mill to give it a chance to right itself. After an approiate amount of time ,and nothing happening,I dismanteled part of the log deck,got "Spud", and a pair of tongs ,put that sucker back on the mill and sawed it anthow

[Brucer]

I haven't rolled one across the mill and off the other side -- yet  .

Last year I was sawing a big, ugly D. Fir on Louis' hydraulic mill. Finished my first face and was reaching for the lever to lower the toeboard when the timber framers next door knocked over a pile of timbers with their new forklift. Heck of a crash, but no one hurt. When I looked back at my log, I discovered I had lowered the side stops instead of the toeboard. They had caught on the log and rolled it onto the track. Half a second more and I'd have had it right off the mill. Now that would have been embarassing to explain 

[Swede]

I´m happy to hear that the world is full of dummies..........

.......or let´s call it experienced sawyers. YES!

Finished that job Saturday evening, hooked Amerika-Sågen behind the Passat and pulled it out of sawdust and fierwood. There was just space for a hair both sides. There is days I wish I had a TK 2400, a Silverado and a driving licence for it but mostly I´m happy with my small stuff.
Told the customer he´s "a very good helper around a sawmill to just be a teacher"  (he also has a wonderfull humor) and left the nice family. Headed the next customer a mile or two away and arrived there at 1/2 past 6. Parked the sawmill at his yard. He told me "sorry, but the trees, felled by the storm, is not cut off yet". Let´s do it, I said. Hey, he said, we can´t do it now, can we?  Why can´t we, i said.

There was two aspen Ø27" laying close together. They were growing from the same root.  A dangerous job! Wen I cut the first off the other wipped up in the air and the root fell down. Cut the second tree down and stoped  the Jonse-red.
He said: Doing that job my self I would have fasten 20 chain saws in them trees.  We turned the logs down and checked the place so playing children can´t be hurt.  Told him to paint the ends SAP and find a log truck (every log truck here has big cranes) a tractor isn´t much help on these big logs. Then call me when the logs been hauled to his yard. Very intresting to see what we´ll find in them logs and how to saw them.
If I hadn´t spent the days after the storm together with some experienced tree huggers I couldn´t take them aspens down without loosing my chain saw (and 19 moore) and perhaps get hurt.
Today I´m at the office. Need to make some papers and rest my body. I´m down at 80 Kg. now. Love this life out doors and meet a lot of nice people every day.


Dummy left the customer Saturday evening at 1/2 past 8 with just one problem. Happy my girl friend hasn´t mooved in yet................


Swede.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Hey Swede, really enjoyed all them pics.

[UNCLEBUCK]

Hey Swede how much is 80kg ? You sayin you only weigh that much ? 

[Engineer]

Buck,

Some of these guys is LIGHTWEIGHTS - not like us...   

Me, I go 20 and a half stone.   

[Swede]

UNCLEBUCK; 
1 Kg=2,2046 lbs.

10 years ago I was up at 104 Kg. Couldn´t get down to 90 before I begain sawing. Now I´m loosing weigt without starving. 

Harold; What DanG pics are You talking about? Have some bills to pay first, then buy utility to take proper care of my blades. THEN I´ll buy a new camera.

Swede.

[Tom]

I never could get those scales to read what they were supposed to.  So,  I got rid of the scales.

[Cedarman]

Tom, try moving the little thingy at the bottom of the scales.  I can weigh what I want to.

[Tom]

I think I need to move more than that little thingy!   When I step on the fool thing, it grunts and the needle spins around three times.   Then I hear a lot of laughing from somewhere.     I can sure make one of those things work. 

It's a lot better for my self-esteem if I keep pictureing myself as I do in my mind's eye.

[maple flats]

Dumping a log off the back of the mill sounds like something where sawyers are in only two catagories, those who have and those who will, so far (fingers crossed) I am a have not, hopefully conversion to a have is a long way off!! 

[Minnesota_boy]

Maple Flats,
Want me to come teach you how?  I'm experienced.  I've done it 3 times now and even know how to get the log back on the mill alone with no power equipment and without straining much.

Maybe I could set up a short course on dumping and reloading logs from the wrong side of the mill. 

[isawlogs]

  You can put me down for twice ...     One time I was lucky enough to have the skidder beside the mill ...    The other I put the log back on using the loader on the mill , using down pressure ... after tying the support  legs to the frame and then chaining the log to the loader ....  It worked well .. but I'm sure that the loader was never designed by WoodMizer  to work like this ... 

[asy]

Tom, try moving the little thingy at the bottom of the scales.  I can weigh what I want to.

I know I am skinny, coz the scales tell me I don't weigh very much at all.

(Um, someone, tell me, does the first time round clocking the scales count?)

asy

[GF]

Have to put me on the list as having done it once (so far). 

Had a log on there went to adjust logs stops and went the wrong way and the log rolled off the back, luckily it was only about an 18" log.

[Furby]

Haven't lost one over the other side yet, but dropped a short between the bunks and it slid under the axel.
Just too DanG heavy to lift (even though I tried many times  ), and would get hung under the frame if I tried to pivot it out.
Had to get the hoe over it and pick it straight up.

[Swede]

  ............... the saw head jumped off the rail!

Was taking the saw head "home" for a new cut.
A 5/8 chain is going from the saw head over the frame, driven by a sprocket on a hydraulic motor in front end, back inside the frame pipe, around an other sprocket that´s hold by a rubber torsion in rear end and up over the frame to other end of the saw head. Perhaps 3´/sec. is a little too fast. 

The torsion had turned some and when I droped the level to "neutral" the sprocket hooked into the frame pipe so the saw head stoped and jumped right up in the air. Happy I didn´t get the saw head in my face. 5/8 chains are strong!
The customer lifted the saw head upon the frame with his log crane. The uper plate on the guide next to driving wheel was broken. Put a new Monkey blade on, adjusted the guides and found that one can saw  with 1,5 blade guide  .........with out making  waves!

Made a call and was told I can get new guides for $75 or so. It´s a type with one vertical bearing behind and two horizontal over the blade.
Don´t need plates for them old guides and soon I´m making the last boad 1 1/8" thick............I think.
Amerika-Sågen is parked at my yard 1:s time since Feb. 26.
Also was told yesterday to make a job in a neigbourhood where they are used to a WM LT-40 Super 42 with accuset.................. AFTER they had seen me sawing with my little 18 Hp. 4-poster! 

Swede.

[Swede]

Have not much time for the office now.  I´m working 12 to 16 hours most days. Travelling, sawing, repairing the saw mill and get blades sharp takes some time.

Had a band-aid around my fingertip, one end was lose. There must have been some "Swede Lube" in it. Use to smoke a pipe so............ Now my finger is burned too!

Swede.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Sure am sorry about yer finger bein loose, Swede.    Must be terrible tryin to use it, while it's floppin around. 

   Thought by now, ya wooda sent some pics of sawin in "Swedeland".  Must have transparent logs, EH  

  Been wonderin where ya been. Figured that yer time was taken up with yer girlfriend 

[Swede]

Must be terrible tryin to use it, while it's floppin around.

  You are SO rigth,  Fla.D-h.!! A flopping band-aid isn´t good for anything!  Annika told me to use it but she made big eyes  when I told her I burned it up.

Have no digital camera yet but Amerika-Sågen will be in the lokal newspaper this week I´ve been told. Hope it will be on internet too so I can send you a link. Think they took 50+ photos last week. 

Swede

[Fla._Deadheader]

 Making the newspaper would be  . Hope to see you in action. 

[Swede]

Dad called early today, told me that there is a whole side+ 1 column in the paper today about me and Amerika-Sågen. A lot of pictures too but on internet there is just one and not so much text.
Annika told me to buy 9 newspapers she want to send her children and friends. It´s expensive to be famous! 

Get a call at 08:10 from a new customer after he had read the paper.

Well Harold, read and learn how to make a business!

Go to>  http://www.smp.se/article.php?args=555254,101;0;0;0

Swede.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Way to go, Swede.    Now yer "Famouser" , as Da Boss wood say it.

  After this year, you will have saved enough money to visit with all yer friends on THIS side of the "Big Pond". 

  Now, ya gotta train someone to run the mill for the last 8-10 hours of each day.

  Sounds like Annika is very proud of her Sawmill man. 

  Good article in the newspaper. I read every word.  Couldn't understand what I read, but, I DID read every word. 

  Proud to know ya, Swede. 

[OneWithWood]

Very nice write-up Swede    At least I think it is.  It looked to big to paste into a translator so I will just assume it must be a nice commentary. 

Who is the old man off-bearing 

[Paul_H]

[Fla._Deadheader]

      Paul, how'd you do dat ??  I have some pics I want to enlarge, but, they always get fuzzy

[Murf]

Harold, if'n ya click on the picture in the article it opens a larger version in a new window.   

Mystery solved. 

Sorry to ruin yer photo guru status though there Paul. 

[Fla._Deadheader]

      OoooKay. Still din't answer my question, though. 

[Murf]

Well, errrrrr, um, well, I thought I did. 

If'n ya wanna make little pictures inta big pictures yer pretty much outta luck though ......

[Tom]

Fuzziness starts with the lens of the camera.  A box camera hasn't the defining lens that professional 8x10 format camer has.   Most of the point and shoot lenses are good for contact prints and maybe 4x5 or 5x7 prints. 

The shutter is the next hurdle.  It may be slow (1/15 or 1/30 of a second) which makes every little jiggle of the hand show up as blurriness in the picture.  Most people's fault at taking a picture with a point and shoot is that they "jab" the shutter tripping button.  It should be treated like a rifle trigger when you are shooting on a 1000 yard range.

Focusing is the next problem.  If your camera is focused by you, then you must be aware of "depth of field' allowed by your particular lens and center it on the subject.

If you have a point and shoot, you have to depend on the manufacturer, the recommended distance from the camera and how good and fast the lens is.  The smaller the shutter opening, the greater the depth of field but the more light it takes to register the subject.

The next problem occurs in the Darkroom.  If you have a film camera, the film must be properly developed to minimize graininess and that helps to maximize acuteness.  Then the film must be put in an enlarger and the same problems discussed above, come into play again because an enlarger is just another camera.  Then the paper print must be developed and you are concerned withe the developement of grain again.  The finer the grain, the sharper the representation.  Over or under exposure on film or paper or "pushing" the chemicals used for development will screw up the image.

On a digital camera, the concern is the Pixel count.  That's those little dots that make up the picture and can be loosely analagized to the grain on a negative.

Cameras with inferior lenses will not produce a "representation" that is sharp enough to withstand enlargement without the image "falling apart".  You begin to see the mechanical parts of the picture and edges are no longer sharp because the eye is no longer fooled into thinking it is seeing a line.

Small pictures, especially those that have been optimized, do not lend themselves to enlargement because the physical attributes that fool the eye are not present in an enlarged copy.  The pieces that make up the picure are static.  While law enforcement has "sharpening procedures", they are really just inventing pixels based on surrounding pixels hoping that they improve the image by filling in the spaces.

What it boils down to is that you must start with a good quality image and not enlarge it greater than its mechanics allow.



This picture is fuzzy because it has been enlarged beyond the creating
lens' ability to focus and/or create sharp enough lines.  It's like being
far-sighted.  The closer that a far-sighted person gets to the subject,
the harder it is for him to define the image. 



The above image is falling apart due to too few basic building blocks to
create sharp edges.  This is what happens when you enlarge a negative
or digital picture beyond its capacity to represent the subject.

If you pick a picture from the internet to enlarge, you dont know whether it has been optimized, or enlarged, or shrunk.  But, the chances are that the smaller the iimage you start out with, the less enlargement you will be able to perform.  That's why you must go to the original picture to get an enlargement.  Thumbnails in albums don't have the definition.

Check out a Cezanne or Van Gogh.  If you get real close, you will see the building blocks, not the picture.  You must get back far enough that your mind is fooled and begins to see edges.  When that happens, a picture appears.  It's the ability of the artist (lens) that allows all these little building blocks to create a picture.

Did that answer anything that you were questioning? 

[DanG]

I think he hung up on ya about halfway through, Tom.    Good job of explainin' that stuff, though.

Lookin' good there, Swede!  Congrats on the write-up.  Any chance the newspaper folks could put those pics on a cd for ya?  I bet they would if ya asked real nice.

[Fla._Deadheader]

   

  Me, I was askin about taking a picture , that has been optimated, and restoring it back to it's original size, or purt near. 

[Tom]

The building blocks are gone.

By optimizing you turn a block of cheddar into swiss.

[Fla._Deadheader]

   

[Paul_H]

I think I know what you are getting at Harold,but I didn't have to enlarge the pic because it was a thumbnail type in the article.I just clicked the pic and when the larger pic showed up,saved it to my computer and then compressed with xat.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Thanks, Paul

[Swede]

Couldn't understand what I read, but, I DID read every word

There You see one more thing a poor swede has to deal with. ......translating and counting measurements into metric, money into SEK etc.

Who is the old man off-bearing?

OWW; The old man was home for dinner. I had to offbear while the sawmill was cuting. Thats how I use to saw.
Why not try to translate? I have to, every time I´m here! 

Swede.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  My translator won't do Sma'a'land words  

[Murf]

By optimizing you turn a block of cheddar into swiss.

Dat's Okey doke too, I got's a bunch of shaved ham an a loaf of rye bread. 

Who else want's a ham samitch with Swiss cheese ??       

[Rockn H]

Swede, don't they have any Wal-Marts over there?  Well, some place you could take your film and have it put on a CD or a floppy, when it's developed.  Nice looking operation you have there.  I would like to see some more, really.

Paul H, thanks for the pic, I didn't see it when I clicked on the newspaper and wasn't sure what to click next.

[Swede]

Sharpened the first blades with the automatic Swede-Sharpener. Took some time to build it. Takes 3 minutes or so to sharpen one Monkey-blade with 168 teeth. There will come a couple different discs tomorrow, I´ll try them in a few days.

Do you want pictures here?

Swede.