Our operation is underway!

[OlJarhead]

OK so many know I bought the LT10 and have started milling for our cabin so I thought I post a few pics of our progress -- note to self:  I NEED STICKERS!


I decided to quarter saw this large pine that was blue stained.  I didn't know if pine would be better this way or not but wanted to try it.


We found this took A LOT longer to mill then just cutting cants and going for it but I'm hopeful the lumber will be more useable for cabinets etc.


One issue I found was that the wood was too wide to easily mill in half once we milled it out of the center of the log (15" w/o bark).  So we had to stack some previous lumber against the stops to move the wide boards into the middle of the mill and then could mill it in half to give 7 1/2" wide boards.


Josh (left) and James (right - step son) standing by our stack of lumber -- 4' tall by 42" wide and 8' long   Over 100 boards.


We ran out of time and had to leave the flitches sitting on the pallet for milling next weekend.  We also ran out of stickers!  I didn't have ANY when we began and only realized as we were milling that we needed dry stickers or the wood would stain.  So, in a pinch we cut stickers out of OSB that we had left over from the cabin build.

Next weekend I'm thinking we'll mill pine stickers and set them up to dry so we'll have some in the future.

I did some simple math (using the woodmizer book) and determined that we milled approximately 350 board feet of lumber this weekend.  It took as a long time to quarter saw the big pine (2 1/2 hours -- but we are complete newbies) however once we went back to straight sawing we milled 5 logs in 2 1/2 hours   We were VERY happy with that and can't wait to get 10-12 lined up for milling.

Also, a thanks to the poster who recommended using flitches (?) to lay on the snow and roll the logs over.  It was MUCH better!

Cheers
Erik

[Ironwood]

Congrats, a couple things.

  Are you going to try to move the pallets at any point? If so put some timbers under them so they dont freeze to the ground (I get used, fairly nasty RxR ties for free for this). You could nail some 2x2 to the bottom of the pallets also to help get the forks under the pile after freezing is not an issue (unlike the ties, they will travel with the pallet). Condensation is going to build under your tarps (unavoidable, even with the airflow aided by the ties) I found a second pallet on the top, with some sort of plywood or slip sheet of any sort will help this problem, doesnt have to be good or new or fancy (I look for ANYTHING to throw in there). Also, stickers sticking out the sides of the stack, around 2-4" will help keep the tarp from hindering airflow. I then tarp all the way down to the pallet and staple the tarp to the side of the pallet. High quality tarps can oft be had from either rubber roofing contractors dumpsters, or billboard companies cast off used signs. Once you find a source, take care of them. I get my long pallets anywhere I can, one really good source is a Sylvania Light operation that replaces commercial bulbs, tons of good ones, and they love to see me come take them. I get the 2x2 (mostly treated) from Lowes and Home Depot lumber sections. They cast off the bundling "cribbing" under their cantilevered racks by the dozen, especially this time of year when lumber consumption is high. They are also grooved for banding already which helps if I send a load out, I use them for my shipping
 Enjoy

 Ironwood

[OlJarhead]

Thanks Ironwood!

We won't be using a forklift, couldn't get one there anyway but the boys will do nicely

I was wondering about condensation and will pick some pallets up from work for this.  I've almost run out of scrap OSB and Plywood already!  Never thought I'd need any but it looks like a little more will be needed.

My plan is to let the wood dry for a month out of doors and then move a workable amount indoors for two weeks.  Then we'll plane it and mill it into T&G or Shiplap (still deciding there).

Of course, coating it with Poly will be tough in this location without getting dust or bugs in it but I guess that's what you have to deal with in the woods??  I figure I'll coat it before nailing it to the walls.

My plan is to have all the interior wood milled and ready to nail up by late April or early May and have the interior of the cabin completed by late June.

Then it will be time to finish the exterior (batting boards over the rough sawn plywood) and begin other projects.

We're still fighting the log clamps a bit.  One comes loose a lot but I think I know why now.  The book tells you to put one log clamp in the center of the mill/log but from forum member suggestions I bought a second.  I originally had them in the middle of the mill one section apart but moved them a little further this time -- only that meant one was at the end of the log and one near the first 3rd or so.  So I figure I need to move them both to the end of the log and hope that will settle the matter.

Another issue I'm wondering about is that the book tells you to make sure each rail of the mill is even all the way down (using a string and standoffs).  We did this however noticed that one rail dips and one doesn't.  It's only in the last 3-4 feet of the mill that it is noticeable but I think we need to pull the milling head off and level the whole thing -- maybe lift it a few more inches off the ground too.

We also noticed the guide cables get loose after a while and we had to tighten them a few times.

All in all however, I'm not just happy, but flipping ecstatic!  I can't wait to get milling again!

[Ironwood]

If you are using the wood that quickly, you better keep the sides open, so dont fully tarp. You will have lots of movement as it will not nearly be dry pior to final milling. You may need to consider kilning it if you can transport it and find one to cycle it through to get it to a workable moisture content.
 Ironwood

[bandmiller2]

I've found it better to leave green boards uncovered and save the tarping for dry lumber. On top of the green lumber pile overlap boards and make a peaked roof to shed water.Free air circulation is what dries lumber.Different parts of the country have different conditions you will soon find whats best for you.Nice cabin. Frank C.

[Magicman]

Looking  good with your sawing.   

Then we'll plane it and mill it into T&G or Shiplap (still deciding there).

T&G, V groove is another option.  While emphasizing the cracks the V seems to minimize the appearance of any expanded cracks.
 


This is a V groove ceiling.

[thecfarm]

Good pictures,good lumber,good help.Can't beat it.

[Chuck White]

Looks like you've got a good thing going there Erik!

Glad to hear you're enjoying the mill!

[flibob]

Nice work.  Everybody likes pics.

Looks like you have good help also.

[OlJarhead]

Looking  good with your sawing.   

Then we'll plane it and mill it into T&G or Shiplap (still deciding there).

T&G, V groove is another option.  While emphasizing the cracks the V seems to minimize the appearance of any expanded cracks.
 

(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)
This is a V groove ceiling.

Interesting.  I assume it's just a v-groove milled into the board just like a standard T&G with a router?

[OlJarhead]

Nice work.  Everybody likes pics.

Looks like you have good help also.

Thanks all!

The help is priceless   They don't mind much either and were joking a lot while milling -- which with these two means they were enjoying themselves.

I notice the two week old pine that we had seemed dry already and the stuff we milled with the CSM shrank no more after two weeks.  Perhaps it's not 'dry' at that point but I suspect it will be fine.  Woodmizer shows air dry time for Ponderosa Pine of 15-150 days so I assume that means in a dry climate 15 days -- which puts us a little further out since humidity is a bit higher here then in the desert we live in.  Say 50% most days.

[Magicman]

I assume it's just a v-groove milled into the board just like a standard T&G with a router? 

I've done it with a router bit or a hand power planer.  Just knock the edge off of the tongue and the groove side.  The V is formed when you put the two boards together. 

[Brucer]

It's not just condensation you have to worry about under a regular tarp. The humidity will stay way up and the wood will not dry quickly enough -- with pine you'll get mold and stain forming. Proper lumber tarp will let vapour pass through while preventing water from getting in. Around here the big mills usually give away used lumber tarps.

Lessons learned the hard way:

1) Make sure your stickers are at least 3/4" thick. I tried thinner stickers one season to keep the height of the piles down. Even with open sides, I had mold growing on the boards in the center of the pile.

2) Don't leave the sides of the pile open too long. I did that once and ended up with a very thin layer of very fine dust on all my boards. You didn't notice it until you put the wood through a planer .

The variation in air-drying times is a function of the season. I found that my 1" Douglas-Fir air dries down to 10% MC in one week in July/August. It takes several months in the winter.

[OlJarhead]

It's not just condensation you have to worry about under a regular tarp. The humidity will stay way up and the wood will not dry quickly enough -- with pine you'll get mold and stain forming. Proper lumber tarp will let vapour pass through while preventing water from getting in. Around here the big mills usually give away used lumber tarps.

Lessons learned the hard way:

1) Make sure your stickers are at least 3/4" thick. I tried thinner stickers one season to keep the height of the piles down. Even with open sides, I had mold growing on the boards in the center of the pile.

2) Don't leave the sides of the pile open too long. I did that once and ended up with a very thin layer of very fine dust on all my boards. You didn't notice it until you put the wood through a planer .

The variation in air-drying times is a function of the season. I found that my 1" Douglas-Fir air dries down to 10% MC in one week in July/August. It takes several months in the winter.

Not sure what you mean about the dust with the sides open unless you mean dust (dirt) from being blown in?

I'll have to get bigger stickers.  We had none so used OSB instead.  Next trip we'll have to use pine and let it dry before using it as stickers -- we'll mill it and then stack it to dry.

I can live with a little stain but would like to dry the lumber without it too.

[fred in montana]

Looking good Marine! I raised my mill up off the ground to minimize the bending over.

[OlJarhead]

Looking good Marine! I raised my mill up off the ground to minimize the bending over.

Semper Fi!

I might raise ours up a little but with the push bar as high as it is there isn't much bending over except to pick up the lumber -- and I have young men to do that! ha!

[Kansas]

Long ago, we started out with stickers that came from castoffs from a cabinet company. Don't know if you have a cabinet company in your area, or similar wood working company, but that laminate stuff they use for backing and sides never left a sticker stain. They didn't usually last for more than 3 or 4 loads in the kiln, but all that meant was another trip to the dump to get more. We eventually did switch to stickers, using either cottonwood or basswood.

[metljakt]

I went to a lumber yard & bought a pile of 48" stakes (cheap) and split them on the table saw.  They were already dry - used them as stickers.  Not that a former CAV guy needs to tell a Marine what to do.  (ha ha)

[Brucer]

Not sure what you mean about the dust with the sides open unless you mean dust (dirt) from being blown in?

Sorry. That's fine dust (dirt) blowing off the highway, carried over from the log yard, etc., etc. It doesn't seem like much as it's happening but over a few weeks it becomes noticeable.

[OlJarhead]

I went to a lumber yard & bought a pile of 48" stakes (cheap) and split them on the table saw.  They were already dry - used them as stickers.  Not that a former CAV guy needs to tell a Marine what to do.  (ha ha)

Not a bad idea -- I'll have to see what I can find in similar locations.  Speaking of the CAV I served with 1st CAV in 13th Sig 98/99 when I was in the Army   I did both, 1st the corps then 5 years later the Army - to get some training to find work.  Was hard to find work as a machine gunner, grenadier, scout etc