Handy sawmill tricks or things I've just come to know.

[Bibbyman]

Here is a small collection of little tips that help solve problems or make things easier.  Maybe you done do some of these things maybe you've got tricks of your own.  If you've got a trick or two up your sleeve,  lets share. 



What to do if your log does not quite make the toeboard.  I place a board (sometimes longer than this one) under the log that sticks out far enough to reach the toeboard.  If there is not enough room under the log to stick it under,  I'll lift it with the two-plane clamp.



If given a choice,  I'll run the sawhead down to the end of the mill to change the blade or do blade guide work, etc.  Just makes it much easier to work around when not having to climb over or walk around the mill.

[Part_Timer]

Bibby

I've been sorting through old post and came across one by Captain for swingmills.

When you have a log with quite a bit of tension make several vertical cuts BEFORE making the horizontal cut.  This way you should have less chance of taper in those boards.  Hope that made sence.

I'm thinking that it might help on small logs.  If you open the top then when you switch to the vertical cut, make several of them before making the horizontal.  I think that this will help to keep the log from shifting by keeping more weight on it.    I haven't tried it yet, it won't quit raining.   

What do you think?

[Dan_Shade]

if you have a short piece to mill up, but it won't stretch across two backstops, a 2x2 clamped to the frame sticking up makes a great backstop that you don't have to worry about sawing into!

[Kirk_Allen]

I think today I discovered the best method for moving large full 2x10x21' boards.  LET THE CUSTOMER MOVE THEM

I have been cutting for my brother this past couple days and yesterday my back started giving me a hard time and today I could hardly pick up my coffee cup.  Worked out pretty good since I didnt have to move any lumber

[Bibbyman]

Bibby

What do you think?

What do I think?  You'd better ask some of the swing blade guys.  I only know enough about swing blade mills to walk a big circle to stay away from them.   

[woodbowl]

Sometimes when a slab is too thick on one end and bottle necked in the middle, I know it's gona' be a cumbersom ordeal to get it off the mill, so about halfway into the cut I raise the head while sawing and the blade will take a turn upward and  exit out the top. I toss the first half of the slab, gig back a little and lower the head to the # I was sawing at. Then I continue sawing through the 2nd half of the cut. This makes for a quick and easy way to get rid of a big heavy mess. Never had any problems with the blade or guides. I'll try to get some pics. ..............

[DanG]

I think it'll quit raining eventually.

Kirk, big boards ain't a problem here.  I can handle a 24' 4x12 with one hand if I park the Hootiemobile behind the mill.   The board return will slide it right onto the forks, and it will balance there if I parked it in the right place.  It's easy to pick up one end if the other is acting as a counter-balance.

I've seen Woodbowl do that and it works real good.

[Part_Timer]

What do I think?  You'd better ask some of the swing blade guys.  I only know enough about swing blade mills to walk a big circle to stay away from them.   

Bibby no need to walk a big circle.  Back and forth works just fine unless your afraid of how contageous it is. 

The what do ya think was ment for a swing miller but hay anyones thoughts are fine by me.

DanG if it does quit raining it better freeze or I'll need higher mud boots and less weight on the trailer

[Qweaver]

Rain?  What's rain like?  It's 78 and clear skies here in Texas.  But sadly I have to go back to WV and saw wood in two weeks. I hope it's spring by then!  What's the chance?
QL

[Brucer]

If given a choice,  I'll run the sawhead down to the end of the mill to change the blade or do blade guide work, etc.  Just makes it much easier to work around when not having to climb over or walk around the mill.

Yep, I do that, too. Question for you, Gary. Do you find the debarker gets in the way of blade changes? Do you have any tips for dealing with it?

[Bibbyman]

 

I don't have a good way of dealing with the debarker.  We just box it one way to get the idle side door off the box it back to the the center door hinged down and then push it to about mid-swing to change the blade.  Then reverse the boxing to get the doors back on and closed.

[woodhick]

Qweaver, I noticed your profile, that the  New River Gorge bridge you jumping off of.  where in WV you located?

[Qweaver]

Hi Woodhick, yep, that's the New River bridge.   I was born and raised in Weston and we are getting ready to build a small house there.  Are you a hillbilly?

[Dan_Shade]

Welcome, Qweaver.  I used to head out that way to Jackson's Mill for state 4-h camp for several years.  I'm originially from Berkeley County.  Bueatiful country out there.

[woodbowl]

Welcome to the forum Qweaver. So yer jumpin' off bridges huh?  Click on these two topics and prop a foot up for a while. http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=15800.0  http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=9559.0

[Larry]

Nobody cares if my mill is level or plumb so why should I worry about it?  Everybody wants there lumber square, same thickness, straight edges, and no twist.  Some are willing to pay for superior lumber so...I mostly quit aligning my mill and started to align my lumber.

Take a slab off the log and a flitch.  Put two precision  “winding sticks” on the face and sight across them.  That will show twist.  Take two boards that you have edged on the mill and put them side by side.  That will show a hump or valley in your tracks...and the error is twice magnified so it is easy to see.  I don’t have to check often...mainly after a freeze thaw cycle or when I drop a log on the mill little extra hard.

[Bibbyman]

Say! I just remembered a new trick I learned the other day digging metal out of this big log.



I dug into the log about 8" when I found it.  I started to chisel around it trying to get it out.  I struck on the idea of using a 3/8" drill bit in my cordless drill to drill a bunch of holes around the thing. As it was a metal bit,  it was in no danger of damage.  Well it worked pretty good until Mary came out and put her heavy hand to trying to pull it with a 4' crow bar.  She ended up breaking it off.

Anyway,  we used the drill on a couple of 16d nails and were able to loosen them enough to pull them easily without breaking the head off or breaking them.

[ohsoloco]

Nice idea about drilling holes, Bibby.  Every time I start to chisel a nail out of a log the hole has to keep getting bigger and bigger so I can get the chisel in deeper.  One time I was trying to get a large barn spike out of a huge red oak.  After chiseling for a while I got sick of the thing not budging, so I put the claw hammer on it and beat on the end of the hammer handle with a small sledge. 

I now have a claw hammer that's missing one of it's claws     


When the blade jumps off of the band wheels, I used to take it completely off, get the carriage out of the way, and try to back the blade out with my gloved hands.  Unless it was in the first few inches of the cant it was pretty much impossible to do, so I'd end up taking the chainsaw to the board I was cutting to get the blade out.  This ruined not only the board I was cutting, but usually put chainsaw cuts in the cant as well.  Now I just loosen the tension on the wheels, slip the blade back on, crank up the tension, and back it out. 

[woodbowl]

You know that area on the mill that knocks off several teeth when the blade jumps off? Over time, it has eaten through the 2 1/2" angle on my WMLT40. You know that piece of aluminum tab on a Husky saw that saves the chain and is all chewed from the chain comming off? I think I'll put a piece of aluminum down there on the angle iron!

[logwalker]

When I need to back the blade up for some reason I keep a splitting wedge at the mill and drive that home in the kerf at the end of the log and I then can backerup. Works everytime. LW