Too Big White Oak log

[Magicman]

I finally got around to sawing that old 38" White Oak log today.  The lumber was sawed 8/4 and will be used for bridge decking.  I had to use the log clamp and an end tong to help the loader pick that bad boy up.



Yes it was heavy.






Loaded up



Loaded, the small end (butt) was as tall as I am.




One hour later, I had Bibby'ed it down



Pretty good whack of bridge lumber

[moonhill]

I hope you had help. 

Tim

[James P.]

nice job Magicman, I don't have to imagine how much fun it was turning that puppy to bibby it down.

[Magicman]

I hope you had help. 

Tim

Actually, I did.  Those full size 2X12's are  h e a v y....The guy sells "bundled" firewood and wanted all of the slabs, etc.  He had been "watching" that old log and called me Friday wanting to know when I was going to saw it.  I said as soon as I can get some help.....a deal was made..... 8)

[Magicman]

nice job Magicman, I don't have to imagine how much fun it was turning that puppy to bibby it down.

It took the turner and the log clamp to turn it.....That was the mill's limit....more ways than one.....  

[James P.]

watch what you say. You may become the guy to go to .  ;) I cut one 1/2 that size today. without an edger I have to turn logs more than I like and if I had to cut that oak of yours. I would have shut the mill down for fuel efficiency between doggings. Maybe even a coffee break.

[Bibbyman]

Makes my back hurt just looking at the pictures...  :-[

[pineywoods]

I have a big pine about that size waiting. Only I don't have any help. It's only 8 feet long, maybe I can manage. Skid it to the mill with the tractor, then parbuckle it up the ramps.

[fishpharmer]

Do you charge extra for oversize?

Also, how many board feet did you actually yield?  I got a log that looks alot like that one.

[bandmiller2]

I don't mind the big-uns if I have time and not rushing to fill an order.I think most of us embrace the challenge of course thats if you have hydraulics.Frank C.

[RENOV8R]

That is one big mudda!  They never had any logs NEAR that big on the sawmill promotional videos.  HA!  Nice work on the lumber!

[Dodgy Loner]

How long was that log? I had a 38" water oak log, 10' long, sawed up a few years ago. We used a big bucket loader to lift the log onto my friend's LT40 and to turn the log until it was whittled down where the hydraulics could handle it. It took about 3 times as long to saw as a 34", 9' pin oak log that we sawed about a year later. A 38" log is definitely past the point of diminishing returns, but that's not to say that I wouldn't try to tackle another one ;)

[Magicman]

Do you charge extra for oversize?

Also, how many board feet did you actually yield?  I got a log that looks alot like that one.

On those big ones, I saw by the hour.  It took an hour just to whittle it down to "sawing" size.  That one was 12' long, and I could not have loaded it without the help of the log clamp hooked to the end tong.

I know I exceeded WM's " load limit".....    That stack was 525 BF.

[customsawyer]

They get easy after you do a bunch. ;D You could try to do them at 40' long then it will have you scratching your watch and winding other parts of yourself.

[Ianab]

Carefull, if you get logs much bigger you will be wishing for a swingblade mill  ;)

Ian

[moonhill]

Ian, such true words.  One saw is not enough.

Tim

[Magicman]

Oh, I've thought about it....If I regularly sawed logs that large....... 8)

[Chuck White]

That's one big log!
Being hardwood makes it even harder to handle/saw!
"Ya done good"

The biggest I've sawn on my mill was 36" on the big end, and 10' long!
Wasn't to bad though, it was White Pine!

[customsawyer]

I cut 19 logs today that were about that size some a bit bigger and some a bit smaller they were all 18' long. I got to trying to figure out why it is that I seem to have less trouble than some on here and I have come to one main differance and that is the chain style turner on the LT70 it allows you to turn the log a bit further than you need to for the next face trim a wedge off than turn it back to where you need it for the face to be 90 degrees from the first or second face. I guess what I am saying is maybe I'm not as good as I been thinking I might have to give some credit to the mill. ;D

[Magicman]

one main differance and that is the chain style turner on the LT70 ;D

I'm sure that the chain turner makes a huge difference.  I had to use the turner and the log clamp to even budge that log.  I use both to raise the log and then drop the clamp which causes the weight of the log against the raised turner to roll the heavy log a bit.

[footer]

I sawed a pin oak that big and 17 feet long with a lt40 manual..By myself, AUG!!
I got it squared up to 26" wide by whatever, high, then slabbed the whole thing into 2 1/2" x 26" pieces. Those suckers were heavy!

[backwoods sawyer]

A set of rolls that you can take to the mill site can save a lot of strain on the back when you know you will be cutting big pieces.  I have a pair of 4"x 24" rolls that can set between the mill and the stack of wood or trailer. The last big Oak I done that the customer wanted 3 ½" countertops milled was 17' and I was glad to have the boom truck to lift those pieces off the mill. I am going to look at a redwood job in the morning. The good thing is redwood is lighter then oak.

[customsawyer]

Magicman I still have to use the clamp to help turn it some but with being able to turn both ways really helps.

[Magicman]

It just proves again, that if a mill is in one's future....get all of the hydraulics that is available.  I've sawed many jobs and gained many customers because I could handle logs that other's couldn't.  I had one sawyer that came and watched.  He had told the customer that no portable mill could pick up his logs......   I laughed all of the way to the bank..... :D

[fishpharmer]

I am curious what kinda mill that other sawyer had?