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Cutting over lenght logs

Started by fstedy, May 23, 2005, 12:11:23 PM

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fstedy

I have a job comming up that the customer wants some 25' Red Oak beams cut into 12" cants. My mill will handle up to 21' but I can't slide the log back on the bunks to finish the cut on the TK B20. My thought on cutting the 25 footers is to take a slab off about 18' then rotate and turn end for end and place 4X4's on the bunks under the flat cut surface and take another 18' slab off to get  good parallel surfaces to work from. Then turn and rotate end for end till the 12" cant is finished. I know it sounds like a lot of handling but we have a excavator with a grapple to move the logs.  I'm looking to you Pro's for suggestions or an I on the right track?
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

Dan_Shade

how many does he want? easy job with a chainsaw mill :)

i'd be scared of the cuts not matching up properly, but i guess if you're attentive to detail you can make it happen.
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

mike_van

I did this for some 18 footers I needed for myself on my 16' mill. Never again,  lots of pulling the log back & forth [doesn't help the mill]  All afternoon alone for 2 2x12x18's -  As soon as I had them that log got cut to 16'.  End product wasn't perfect either,  would have been better off to buy them. 
I was the smartest 16 year old I ever knew.

Jeff

Here is a Bibbyman contribution to our knowledge base.

Sawing logs longer than mill
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

fstedy

Jeff
I read Bibbyman's link and that won't work with the TimberKing because of the control station at the rear of the mill. This is a good customer that has a lot of work for us so I'll have to give it a try. It should work as I laid it out and being very careful to set the head at the proper level once their are 2 parallel sides. Will let you know how I make out its not coming up for several months but just getting ideas together.
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

Brucer

Last year Louis, my boss, had an order for 300 timbers for a timber frame house. The catch was, four of them were 36' long and we only had 33 feet of mill. I suggested cutting a 33' slab and then using my chainsaw mill to finish the cut.

We made a 33 foot cut, pried the slab up with a 3' crowbar near the mill, and backed the saw up for about 3 feet. Then I carefully sawed the slab free with a chainsaw (and nicked the cant  >:(). We laid a 4-foot spacer on top of the flat surface, and then clamped an 8-foot 2 x 12 guide plank on top of the spacer, using a couple of web clamps to hold the guide and spacer tightly to the log. The guide plank lay just above the unfinished end of the log. I measured the depth of cut I needed (about 3 times) and then sawed off the shorty slab with the chainsaw mill. It worked fine, but it was too slow for Louis, so we did the other three timbers by sliding them on the mill.

I recently cut a couple of 23-foot 2 x 4's on my 21-foot mill using the sliding method ('cause I needed them and I wanted to see if it could be done.)  What I found was the overhanging weight at the far end caused part of the cant to lift just clear of the bunks. Hardly noticeable, but the same thing happened in the same place when I sawed the other sides, so the 2 x 4 is noticeably thin and narrow at one spot about 8' from the end. This isn't as likely to happen with a 12 x 12, but it's something to watch for -- you might need to shore up the overhanging end.

BTW, Louis was a little annoyed when I nicked the cant while sawing off the slab, so he sawed off the next slab -- and nicked the cant :(. After that we figured out we should use the chainsaw to cut within an eighth of an inch or so and then use a good handsaw to finish the cut.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

UNCLEBUCK

A long time ago I had to saw 70 foot norway pine logs for purlins and they all come out perfect by the use of snapping lines with a good chalk line and the use of a chainsaw with a 2 man bar . I mean it made childs play out of it and just as smooth as a sawmill . No fancy chain or nothing just a regular saw and a 2 man bar . Plus zero handling effort except for rolling the logs over .
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

UNCLEBUCK

Oh I forgot the logs were peeled  ??? . Never snapped a chalk line on oak bark but I guess anythings possible . Good Luck . I bought one them beam machines they might do the trick .
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

Brad_S.

fsteady,

I'm not a fan of drag backs. so when I had my mill built, I had TH delete them and center my hydraulic controls on the end of the mill, much like yours, if I recall the TK correctly. I have done some timbers as you propose and it is doable but time consuming and mildly frustrating (to me, at least :D).
I put the butt end closest to the machine front and let the small end overhang. I then sawed to the full max of the machine (20') and cut the slab off with a chainsaw. I then rotated the log and did that on all 4 faces. When the first and second faces I cut were turned 180 degrees, I had to chainsaw trim some from the uncut area to allow the sawn part to sit flat on the bed. Leveling with the tapers or setting it on blocks as you suggest should work too.
We then switched the log end for end, and I used the roller tapers to level the log by running the saw head back and forth with the blade (off) just touching the surface of the log until it was parallel. You obviously only need to do that on the first two faces.
I wouldn't want to do a bunch of them this way but it got the job done.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

Sawyerfortyish

I have cut logs up to 30' on my old mill but it ain't no fun. How can you charge enough to cover your time to play with that. My new mill I can only get 26' logs to fit in the 25' door by turning them at an angle and then lumber that long is not that accurate.

fstedy

Thanks guys I know it will be doable but time consuming. Good idea Brad about running the head along the log to level it and you can also make note of the blade height to match the cuts . Sometimes you have to bite the bullet in the name of customer service. These are the two main support beams ( he doesn't want to use steel ) for the barn. We are cutting all the wood for this job, its a real nice moneymaker.
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

Ironwood

Buy a chainsaw entry level mill, it will pay for itself and trust me this won't be the last time you use/need it.

                   P.s. Don't let them see you using it, they will want one. REID
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

red

hi eddie

sounds like a job for the orange machine     8)


you have to come see it run next time you


come north   


talk soon    red
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