Bandmilling in extreme cold

[customsawyer]

You will do fine. I see that you have some other equipment to help handle the logs and with the firewood processor you are used to working with the logs and such. What I am trying to say is the sawing is the easy part handling all the logs, lumber, and slabs is where the work is. With the tractor and all you have part of that whipped.

P.S. Welcome to the forum.

[weisyboy]

geez you guys are keen.

if it ever gets below 15 deg C here (60 deg F) ill sit in front of the fire, even at 65 deg f im flat out getting outa bed. that being said i am more than happy to work at 40 deg C (105 deg c) with 88% humidity all day.

i spent a few years on the darling downs where the watter trofs would freze over in winter, still only got to 0 deg C (32 degf) and i hated every day of winter.

cold is not my freind

[customdave]

Congrats on the new mill AvT!!
 
I've done sawing with my WM in minus 10 deg, the mill works fine, my trouble is cold fingers, sometimes if its cloudy I build a small fire close to the mill to warm my hands (no shortage of slab wood ) I use windsheild washer fluid for blade lube & syntheic grease all year round, no freezeup issues. I see by the pic of your mill you have a trip planned to Marvs in Salmon Arm to pickup your mill, couldn"t ask for a nicer crew than the boys in Salmon Arm. I just went last weekend to look @ a sawing job about 180 trees so I know where my mill will be for the winter, I told the customer - 10 deg is the limit , he was all for that as well. I saw part time, so it will be a while. Anyways enjoy the new mill & play safe...


                                           Dave

[barbender]

AvT, if it's paid for I say no worries, especially since you are already involved in the wood industry with firewood, etc. If you're getting calls before you even bought the mill, that is a good sign! I think you'll be fine, as far as the cold, WM offers cold weather hyd fluid,as others have mentioned,  and all fluids and greases can be changed over for cold temps. My main concern would be the cable track, otherwise the mill should be able to handle any temp you can That reminds me, I might have to try to fire up my mill today and see how it works at 0°. I just got it this fall, so I haven't ran it in the cold yet. I better ante up with all of this big talk I am making :)Weisy, I'll take these cold days over 105° every time, that heat kills me. I can always put more clothes on, but if it gets too hot I can only take so much off before people get upset

[Tom]

I never ran into a log that needed cutting that bad. 

[terrifictimbersllc]

geez you guys are keen.

if it ever gets below 15 deg C here (60 deg F) ill sit in front of the fire, even at 65 deg f im flat out getting outa bed. that being said i am more than happy to work at 40 deg C (105 deg c) with 88% humidity all day.

i spent a few years on the darling downs where the watter trofs would freze over in winter, still only got to 0 deg C (32 degf) and i hated every day of winter.

cold is not my freind

I saw you ripping posts with the chainsaw so I believe you, but I draw the line at 80 degrees F in the morning, unless the customer and his helpers are going to do ALL the work.

[Brucer]

I pack it in at -10C. Too many things start to freeze up and by the time I've got everything freed up and working, half the day is gone. Even then the whole sawing process is slowed down. Frozen logs turn in the clamp, sawing warms the sawdust, which then freezes in the band cover, etc., etc.

[AvT]

Brucer- I think that sounds very reasonable.  it has been about -15C and and -20C here the last few days and i didn't even start up the firewood processor.  so I think I would draw the line at -10C too. I looked up the average daily highs for my area for December and January and they are around -10 so I would still get  some sawing time in in those months.

weisyboy- Those high temperatures and humidity down your way would definately kill me!  I wonder if my body could ever adapt to that kind of heat.  It is amazing how one adapts.  When it first starts to get cold here in the fall i freeze like crazy but after the first nasty cold snap I do just fine.


customdave- yes Dave I'm dealing with Marv and they all seem like a very decent bunch down there.  They are actually the ones that brought it to my attention that some of the weather up here could cause some grief with the mill if i were to try and run it every day through the winter.  Good luck with the sawing.  Thanks for the wellwishes, fellow Alberta Woodmizer owner.

Thanks for the responses everyone.  It's fantastic how everyone is so willing to give information on this board.
many thanks
Andy

[Bandmill Bandit]

HI Avt
My brother and a few other relates live up in that country. Wife grew up about 5 miles south of Wanham. next time i am up that way I will have to stop by.

On tamarack. I have a some ideas for tamarack too. I have made a few threshold and transition pieces that I used on the floor in my basement. i am going to do some flooring this winter for one bedroom and see how that goes. i think there tamarack will be good for flooring. Just have to figure the best way to deal with the characteristic twisting and warping that comes with that wood. i have found that quarter sawn does help to reduce it quite a bit, but its hard to find tamarck logs big enough to bother quarter sawing.

It has a very high oil content and beautiful grain. Fair bit harder than fir too. The thresh holds and transitions I made are in high traffic areas and wearing very well.   

[bandmiller2]

In my younger days I'd cut cold be DanGed but below your comfort zone its just not worth it you will do more damage than good and loose ground.Anyone know how the cold affects the flex life of bands. the cold can't help their longevity. Frank C.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Shouldn't be a problem in a year or so after everything warms up.

[Brucer]

Here is the baby.  I won't get it home for a month or so beacause the dealer is about 12 hours away.

I'm only 4-1/2 hours away from Salmon Arm. I could go and pick it up for you and hang onto it until you have a chance to come get it.

[AvT]

 

[fishpharmer]

Just want to say welcome to FF!  That LT70 may mill enough wood when its warm you will run out by next winter time  

[AvT]

Brucer- just kidding with the raging bull.  Thanks for the offer.  The only guy that wants to try it out more than you is ME.  I can't say I'm looking forward to pulling it home on the nasty roads but I may try next week.

fishpharmer- Thanks for the welcome and yes, I guess I was thinking of geting the bigger mill so I can get it done while the sun shines

[Brucer]

Aww, I'm just jealous. 

When I was getting ready to buy my first mill, I called WM in early January to get a current price, figuring I would want to buy it in late April when the passes were clear of snow. On January 29th Marv called me back to say there was going to be a price increase on Feb 1st -- I would have or order one right away to get the old price. So I ended up bringing the mill back a month earlier than expected.

I was prepared for anything. Chains for the truck, snow shovel, blocks for the wheels in case I had to park the mill somewhere, etc. etc. I ended up driving on bare pavement the whole distance .

[AvT]

Hey brucer- I was looking at your pictures and you have a nice setup there.  That is some pretty fantastic wood you get in.  I think the best log i will ever saw will be about as good as your worst one. 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed on the road conditions

[barbender]

I keep getting thrown off by our difference in measurement systems, I would saw in 10°F or above.  That must be about -10°C, I'll have to look at a conversion chart.

[barbender]

-10°C= 14°F It looks like stuff quits working decent at the same real temperature regardless of what measurement system you use

[Chuck White]

I keep getting thrown off by our difference in measurement systems, I would saw in 10°F or above.  That must be about -10°C, I'll have to look at a conversion chart.

Just look at a regular thermometer.  Usually Celcius is on one side and Farenheit is on the other.  No need for a conversion chart!