I bought a 7800 dollar ball cap...

[woodworker9]

Zopi

I already have a fair amount of support equipment, including a Bobcat with forks.  At one time, I had milled up about 10,000 bf of hardwoods from logs destined for the firepit.  A friend was the project manager of a large building project where they cleared a whole bunch of trees.  Maples, walnuts, cherry's, poplar, red and white oak, and some ash.  I have a 16' dump truck and 20' trailer, so I took it all.  They were going to burn it, if you can believe it.

That's how I started milling my own lumber for my woodworking business, instead of paying retail $$$$. 

I'm looking forward to seeing those pictures of yours, and I certainly do appreciate all the info and "heads up's" you can give regarding assembly.  Avoiding mistakes is high on my priority list.

I'm still in the process of figuring out the best way to set up the mill.  Should it be set on 6" X 6"'s, or on concrete.  If I put it on 6 x 6's, I'll be able to move it to a trailer with the forks if I have to.  Ahhhhhh, I have much to learn, grasshopper!

Woodworker

[zopi]

I thought about making a set of skids for it..but i think i will forgo that..i just have it set on scraps of synthetic decking lumber..i am thinking of making a cantilevered axle that I can slip under it and  roll it up on the trailer with a set of ramps...i will have to noodle that over tho..

i wish I had that kind of support equipment...guess I better git ta sawin, huh?

[Tom]

Zopi,
What I've seen done with an LT15 is run the head to one end.  Put the "light" end on the back of a pickup or trailer, then run the head up the bed to the 'high" end. 

The pick up the "light" end and push the mill onto the vehicle.

It's supposed to come down the same way as long as you don't let it run off of the end of the track.

------------
One thing that I've seen is handy with all of these "ground mounted" mills is to put them on timbers, or blocks, like a railroad tie or a little taller.  It accomplishes two things.  It gets the cant a little higher so that you don't have to bend over so much to pick up boards, and it also lets you shovel junk out from under the mill.

[zopi]

I notice you put "light" in quotes...for good reason... :D I normally work alone, unless one of large hairy biker friends is kicking around...I'm a scrawny little guy..I cant lift the end of the mill..had fits getting it off the trailer..

I am familiar with the technique tho'...grew up around the oilfields..so loading skid units is second nature...

the Idea I have is to build a set of axles..think log arch, which will fit over the mill bed, but with a pin that will go under the mill to lever it up..strap the lever to the bed, just have to figure out where the CG is with relation to where the axle will go in order to
balance the mill...

eh...I'll work on it..the idea has bugs. I may be able to build the thing and have it double as a log arch.

Pics are coming...i am downloading them now...busted up a couple of cypress shorts tonight.

[Part_Timer]

Zopi  I don't know where either of those is.   I had a 10" tilt bed trailer for mine.  The "light end "was jacked up in the air, backed the trialer under it, ran the power head forward and that set the trailer down on the lock.  Reverse to unload.  It took about 6 minutes start to finish.

Don't feel to bad about the water hose. Peterson's hides the keys to the mill around the dipstick. Just takes interupting Husband and Wife on a sunday while they are pouring concrete to find out.

[zopi]

Well..there you have it...wifey wore her new WM ballcap out to take pictures...and log dog came out
to supervise.

[WDH]

I told you so ;D.

[thecfarm]

Now there is some nice pictures of a happy man with a new sawmill.That's life at it's best.Start banging nails now.

[zopi]

Now there is some nice pictures of a happy man with a new sawmill.That's life at it's best.

yes.... ;D

Start banging nails now.

nahhh...air nailer... 8)

[Lud]

Congrats Zopi!

Cutting that first board!  What a joy to be a manual miller.  My avatar is my first board it was so good.

I saw to enable  my wood-working Jones,   and don't have to let it work me  as those pursuing the wood dollars to pay for the mills  and the bills both must.  You bought a good size ,  there's lots of Orange-lovers here that will support  the brand.

Be safe and cautious when you load a log, slice a log,  move a board, stack a board, or open a wallet. 8)

[zopi]

 :D after I cut the first two logs, I told the wife, I only had to cut 7550 dollars worth to justify the mill..

[SwampDonkey]

Some of us can only wish we had such toys and logs to mill.  ;D ;) 8)

[Part_Timer]

congrats on the first sawdust.  It to late to go back now.  Your hooked for life.

[shinnlinger]

Zopi,

Congrats on the mill.

Would it make sense to establish a "Mill Set Up" section at the top of this forum where we all pipe in in what has worked for us with 1,2,3 man arrangments?  Perhaps a manual, hydro, swing etc section?

My mill is manual, and what I do is take my FEL and forks and load 10 or so logs on rail road track deck on the "feed side" of the mill an then run the tractor around to the opposite side about 6 ft back and shut it down, level up the mill and run til lunch.

I load the mill with a pevey just rolling onto the mill.  The slab goes right on the FEL forks and the product goes semi organized on some sleepers in the 6 ft area between the MIll and the tractor.  WHen the slab get piled up I run the tractor out to the burn pile and then return and deal with the product I have milled moving it to the stickered stacks around.  THen I come back and throw more logs on the deck if necesary and repeat.  I had a buddy "help" one day, but it was actually more efficient for me to do it by myself.

This knowledge came hard to me.  When I first got my mill and started all day production this thing kicked my Ass and I am a big athletic guy in my mid 30's, but then I figured out a good system (above) and everything worked out.  I am not in production mode right now, but I can go out and do a log or two when I get time off the deck and thrown the slab on a set of sleepers and not even get the tractor involved very often.

Have fun

[zopi]

congrats on the first sawdust.  It to late to go back now.  Your hooked for life.

yeah, no lie..I was out snorting it a minute ago....not intentionally tho...stupid blower...

cypress does smell good though..

[Dan_Shade]

nice, Zopi!

Shinnlinger,  there are several posts around the forum, and a few articles in the knowledge base on area setups to maximize production.  check this out from the knowledge base

[SwampDonkey]

Gotta love that Knowledge Base, it's over there under the Forum Extras beacon. ;)

[zopi]

I just cleaned out the back of the garden shed a little...give me enough room to sticker lumber back there..gonna go get to work cutting some bunks and stickers out..wife and kids are gone to grrrrrl scouts...me and log dog are in heaven.

'cept the hyd pump on the tractor just blew...meh...one thing it's another.

[Don K]

Congrats on the mill, Zopi. Reminded me of the day I got mine. I too realized that the head is impossible to man handle. I couldn't even get it off the pallet the way it was packed. Durn thing weighs about 900 lbs with the 15, even more with the 25 horse. I was lucky enough to have access to a tractor with a boom pole.

I now have a tractor with a FEL and that saved the day the last time I set it up on the 12 X 12 blocks that it now sets on. Makes picking up boards easier on the back as well as cleaning up under it. It does get messy.

Sawmill and Woodlot magazine published a very informative article on the LT15. I have it and it covers how a man adapted his water line to the operators side. Send me a PM with your address and I will send you a copy of the article.

Don

[zopi]

Pm sent!

I may elevate it eventually...it's not gonna stay where it is..I have a nice flat place out back for a sawshed, as soon as I get a little more confident with it and get it aligned, i'll get busy sawing the posts for the shed...gonna roof off of the leaner barn in the pics above and recycle it for a sawshed...I'll floor in the roof partly to store lumber..'cause it looks like i will have a bit soon...

which means i can't get away with building the workshop first...the shed would never get done then... :D

[OneWithWood]

Zopi,
Thanks for the pics.  I feel better now  :D

[zopi]

 smiley_whacko


Things you learn....don't wear short shoes...doesn't apply to those with seats or remote stations... :

the mill head won't roll right because the ways are icy....it CAN'T be that cold..i'm having too much fun.

get a drywall knife for scraping thick sawdust off of boards..the brush you use for cleaning the mill won't do it...

short logs suck. (but that is some pretty pecan..)

the bloody dust chute needs to be longer..or..why am I getting taller?

stickers are fun to cut...

milled off four logs tonight, and if the short one had been a foot longer it would have taken half the time.. :

someone said i would be buried in lumber...true statement...and slabs. (bonfire fuel)

I need a saw shed..it's supposed to rain tomorrow..oh well, I guess you have to sort and sticker sometime..

and a kiln.

seven year old girls are slow offbearers...but they are fun.

OHHHHh...THAT'S what the marks on the setworks are for...now I can ignore the scale more. easy.

[SwampDonkey]

Can ya cut stickers from that slab pile?  :D :D :D


Your daughter didn't know what she was getting into.  Go easy for a couple days. Another slave driving dad, eh? ;)  :D :D

[zopi]

Can ya cut stickers from that slab pile?  :D :D :D

oh heck no...I'm stingy with wood...if it goes on the slab pile you could peel the bark and floss with it... :D

Your daughter didn't know what she was getting into.  Go easy for a couple days. Another slave driving dad, eh? ;)  :D :D

She asked if she could help...she likes to pull the slabs she can lift and pull the mill head back...my teenager won't get
near the mill...but then she has been broken on carrying and stacking firewood...

[zopi]

some pecan from last night...