First Customer

[pnyberg]

A woman called last week with a log to saw.  That's right one log 7 feet long by 18 inches across.  She lives on the other side of the state, about 70 miles away (I can hear some of you big state guys laughing).  I had hoped to start out closer to home, but a one log job sounded like a perfect size to start with and the lady was very enthusiastic, so we set an appointment for Sunday at 1:00 PM.  No need to roll at the crack of dawn for a one log job.

I arrived at the end of their driveway at about 5 minutes of.  The driveway winds like a snake for about 500 feet.  By the time it occurs to me that I could be in trouble, I'm already committed, so I keep going, hoping that I'll find a big turn-around at the end.  Of course not.  I don't know how they turn cars around in the space they have.  But here I am, so we might as well saw a log, and worry about getting out later.  In the future when I can't see where the driveway is going, I think the plan will be to park it near the road and walk in.

The husband comes out to greet me, and confirms that I'm at the right house (thank goodness).  The wife, I learn later, is just now on the phone with my wife asking where I am and if I am lost.  It's still 2 minutes of.  She was very enthusiastic.

We got through the meet and greet, and went to see their log.  It was a decent looking log.  Oak, probably red or black.  Not much taper.  It was about 50 feet from the driveway up a slight grade.  After I made approving noises about the log, the husband begins to roll it toward the driveway with his foot.  I mention that I have tools for this, but he persists.  Fortunately, the lawn is very soggy, so the log does not roll out-of-control across the driveway and down the steep pitch on the other side.  The log does have to cross the driveway though, but I'm able to dash to the truck and grab a couple of chocks from the truck to put between the log and the drop-off.  (I need to make more chocks.)

I backed the truck and mill up to where it would be able to load the log, and began to set the mill up.  Since there really was no place else, it was being set up in the driveway.  I think I managed to look reasonably professional in setting up the mill.  I did a few steps out of order, but I don't think they noticed. 

It was a beautiful day, by the way.  Mid 50's and sunny, which is not bad for early March in Connecticut.  The neighbors down closer to the road were out doing yardwork, and invitations were shouted down for them to come see the exciting sawmill.  Oh great, a bigger audience.  Now I'm sure to do something embarrassing.

With the mill set up, we loaded the log.  The hydraulics really do impress the masses.



The lady wanted thick slabs, for benches I think, but she was a little vague.  After much discussion, it was decided that the slabs were to be 2 1/2 inches thick with live edges.  I stopped the saw after every cut so that we could examine the slab and decide how to proceed.  Things were going well until about the third cut, where the blade climbed pretty dramatically a few feet into the cut.  I stopped, and managed to back out, wondering what in the world was going on. 

The first thing I noticed is that my blade tension had dropped while I was busy not paying attention.  I jumped to the conclusion that this must be the problem.  It was the customer who found the metal.  We were looking at the last slab cut, and she was complaining about this ugly blue stain when she brushed off some of the sawdust and found two 1/4 inch round cross-sections of something metal. 



This was my first metal, and I had only a vague idea of what I should do about this.  I got out some tools and began to probe the slab.  It soon became clear that whatever this was, it got bigger below the surface, so extracting it would be difficult.  Then it occurred to me that I was busy digging out of a piece of lumber that I had already cut.  There was no reason for me to try to dig metal out of this.

I turned my attention to the rest of the log.  I did see one piece metal on the top surface, but as soon as I started digging in the general vicinity with my chisel, it disappeared.  It must have been the last sliver of whatever I had sawn into.  I don't know where it went.

So, I put on a new blade and continued to saw.  The slab I climbed into was ruined, but I got several more good slabs out of the log.  We got a couple of slabs with some nice ray-flec on one side. The lady customer and I had a conversation earlier about quartersawn lumber and grain orientation, and this was clearly all news to her. But, she recognized the visual tells of quartersawn oak in her slab instantly.  Again, she was a happy camper.

Once the log was gone, things got more interesting.  Whoever had taken down the tree had left a number of 'cookies' meant to be split into firewood.  In other words, these were logs that were about 14 inches long.  The request was to make these into 'wood cubes'. 

There was some discussion around here a while back about some high-end retailer selling log sections as decorative items for absurd prices.  My lady had seen these adds as well, and wanted her own version out of her own tree.  I had some boards that I could lay across bunks and backstops so that I could put the cookies on the deck and hold them.  We first cut the cookies into 9" by 9" beams, then came the request to square the ends.  So the 'beams' were placed on end and wedged to perpendicular (or close to it), clamp,  cut one end, flip, clamp, and cut the other.  I warned them that these wood cubes were likely to do strange things as they dried.  On the other hand, they did look pretty cool.

We did three 'wood cubes' before everyone was willing to admit that they were done for the day.  As I packed up, I found that I had an astounding number of tools spread around the general area.  Eventually the mill was ready to go.  After some discussion, I was paid for 3 1/2 hours at an hourly rate, rather than the board foot rate I had quoted for the one log.  She was being generous.

Now I had to get out.  The husband offered that there seemed no alternative other than I back the mill up onto the soggy lawn.  This I did, but it took several tries, and would not have been possible without 4 wheel drive.  I left deep tire tracks on his lawn.  He claimed not to care.  I pretended to believe him. 

I drove 70 miles back home, and arrived after dark.  But, I had a check that would almost make the monthly payment on the mill loan. 

--Peter

[blaze83]

peter,

good job,  i'm sure the next one will get easier. sounds like you had lots of fun and may get some more work from all the observers.  nothing like doing something you enjoy and getting paid on top of it.  8)

steve

[Magicman]

Hourly rate is the only way to handle something like that.  Little jobs count too, especially when they make a payment.... .

[Dan_Shade]

good deal!

I charge a minimum fee if I pull the mill out of the driveway.

I also will not put a lot on the mill that's under 5' long.  I may make an exception for a very good customer, but the best customers understand the limits of your machinery.

a froe is the best tool to make firewood square.

that nail puller you have will come in handy.

mill:  zing
customer:  what was that?
me:  the sound of $25

;D

[fishpharmer]

Pnyberg, well done.  Glad to hear it all went well.  

I have no idea how difficult it would be, but was wondering if it would be possible to unhook the mill and turn it around seperately from the truck?  Then turn the truck around and reattach going  in the right direction.   I have done that sort of thing when in a pickle with trailers.  

Thanks for sharing your day. 8) 8)

[gator gar]

When you first noticed the stain, that was your warning. Unless of course it was too late and you were already in the metal.

[ErikC]

 Sounds like you made Woodmizer look good. 8) Or did they make you look good? :D Either way sounds like a good first day on the job. Hope you get more of 'em too.

[beenthere]

Thanks for telling about your successful day.

Now, when you get the opportunities with more room, practice backing up the mill using the rearview mirrors. 
That can come in real handy if'n the only way out is backing out.

[sigidi]

A terrific story for your first job - well done!!

It's also good to do a little job to begin with, it helps you get things squared away for 2-3 days away and making sure you take everything with you.

What a bummer though hitting metal on your first log :( You will get used to the stain that appears on the log and know when to pull up and check it out before putting the blade in, it's one of things you learn, by sour experience unfortunately

[backwoods sawyer]

Our county is about the size of your state but it don't bother me to take the mill across the county for a one log job, sometimes the one log job will turn into a bigger job later. Turning the mill around in some locations can be a real challenge. With the control panel on the front of the mill I have right at #300 on the front leg but with a good bar and a chock block to assist, the front of the mill can be swung around. Then again, if there is a slope I hate to disconnect from the mill so backing out becomes the best option. Having the truck well stocked and organized, and working out of the truck will save you from pulling out of a job site with a bar leaned up against a stump, leaving the job site with a disorganized truck is better then leaving with out a tool. Always carry more saws then you think you will need that way when you run out of saws it is later in the day.
I was milling up some white fir for a customer the other day, it was day #2, first log, when I hit a cluster of bullets. He commented that "if we were going to hit something we would have hit it by now" as I was changing saws.
Enjoyed your first adventure, hope you have many more. 

[Chuck White]

Pnyberg, well done.  Glad to hear it all went well.  

I have no idea how difficult it would be, but was wondering if it would be possible to unhook the mill and turn it around seperately from the truck?  Then turn the truck around and reattach going  in the right direction.   I have done that sort of thing when in a pickle with trailers.  

Thanks for sharing your day. 8) 8)

Congratulations on a job well done Pete!

Quite a few times, I end up unhooking my mill and swinging it around to head back towards the road.
Times will come when you just don't have time room to turn around while still hooked up.

[Magicman]

I would check the tongue weight of your mill while in the "travel" mode.  I can lift mine and swing it around by hand, since it only weighs about 75 lbs.

Someone said that an old "moon" hubcap works well under the front jack.... ;)

[Tom Sawyer]

An LT40 Super weighs a whole lot more at the hitch in travel mode than I can lift to spin the mill around.  With 2 strong people it could be done, but it would not be fun.

Good work on the job!

Tom

[backwoods sawyer]

Tongue weight varies with each style of mill, having the command controls on the front of the mill rather then on the head along with the agus track will trough more weight to the tongue as dose the size of motor and saw head, if the travel pin is in the same location.
A $50.00 harbor freight, trailer mover, or home built ball on wheels would make turning these heavier mills around a lot easier.

We all like to do our best to leave the job site looking the best that we can, therefore something else I carry in the truck is a large tarp for jobs when the mill is set up in someone's driveway or yard. For a small job like this, I would lay it out under the mill and set the mill up on top of it as well as the sawdust side of the mill. This makes it so that if customer wants to move the sawdust, the tarp helps in shoveling it up, if the customer wants it left then it can be rolled into a much smaller more compact pile. For larger jobs, using a tarp is not realistic.   

I noticed that you also use blocks under the legs of the mill. On soft ground, they are a big help, and on asphalt, they prevent the white marks that come from the mill settling in and shifting. Any thing that can be done to minimize the lasting impact of the sawmill having been there goes a long way towards customer satisfaction. I had a customer point out a spot where there was still a jumbled pile of tailings out in his tree farm where a portable sawmill had been set up three years earlier. I offered to remove my tailing pile for a small fee, as it was a large job, and 6 months later, when he had me back in there to do more milling he seemed to be very pleased with the minimal impact to his place after having my mill set up there. 

Keep up the good work and take a look at Magicmans garbage can idea for hauling saws, as you will need lots of saws for yard trees. A large nursery tree pot works as well, just no lid.

[Chuck White]

I just went out to the garage (with the bathroom scales) to check the weight at the front outrigger!

The weight is exactly 130 pounds, assuming the scale is right!

It's actually a lot heavier than I thought it was.  All along, I had thought it was 50 pounds or so!

[pnyberg]

I did bring a tarp, and had only made two cuts before I remembered it was in the truck    I shut down, apologized for not remembering the tarp earlier, and offered to spread it out under the sawdust chute.  They declined the offer. 

I've been thinking of getting a long narrow tarp designed to cover firewood piles to lay down for sawdust.

As mentioned, we have discussed the heavy tongue weight of mills with the control station before.  We've also discussed the dangers of moving the head towards the rear of the mill to reduce the tongue weight.  I had an idea to get a short length of chain to use as an extension to the head safety chain, so that the head could be moved toward the rear without the danger of it running to the end of the rail, but I never got around to it.  Today, while puttering around the mill, I had an epiphany. 

I carry some gear for moving logs.  I'm not sure how often someone will ask me to move logs, but I'm ready to try when they do.  Among the items I carry are heavy duty nylon slings.  The shortest one is 3 feet long.  When I used this to extend the head safety chain, and moved the head as far back as this arrangement would allow, the tongue weight dropped to around 30 pounds. 

What I like best about this solution is that it uses a piece of gear I've already got in the truck.  I don't have to figure out where to carry something new.

Now I'll have to see if this will really allow me to turn the mill around using muscle power.

As for carrying blades, somewhere back in the archives is a picture of someone who built a set of drawers that held bands in flat-pack loops.  I'm thinking of shamelessly stealing that idea.  Though I may steal MM's garbage can idea too, for the dulled blades.

Thanks to everyone for their encouragement and advice.

--Peter

[Magicman]

Peter,  You are going to do just fine...... 8)

[Bibbyman]

The mill could have been swiveled 180 more easily with the head locked down in the travel position if you had a couple of friends add their weight to the tail end thus to make the hitch end easy to lift. 

Also,  if you were to run the head down to the end of the rail,  it'd be best to have the end support down almost to the ground so the tail would not go down and the hitch end come up.

[Fla._Deadheader]

Just fab up a quick hitch ball holder that attaches to the FRONT bumper. Turn the truck around  and drive forward pushing the mill back or turning it around  : : ;D ;D

[Chuck White]

The mill could have been swiveled 180 more easily with the head locked down in the travel position if you had a couple of friends add their weight to the tail end thus to make the hitch end easy to lift. 
Also,  if you were to run the head down to the end of the rail,  it'd be best to have the end support down almost to the ground so the tail would not go down and the hitch end come up.

Makes it a lot easier to swing with someone on the tail.  ;)

Tried moving the head back toward the tail one time and forgot to put the end outrigger down.  Well, you guys know what happened!  :-[

[DR Buck]

  Among the items I carry are heavy duty nylon slings.  The shortest one is 3 feet long.  When I used this to extend the head safety chain, and moved the head as far back as this arrangement would allow, the tongue weight dropped to around 30 pounds. 

What I like best about this solution is that it uses a piece of gear I've already got in the truck.  I don't have to figure out where to carry something new.

Now I'll have to see if this will really allow me to turn the mill around using muscle power.

This sounds good.   However, if during the turning around process you suddenly find the head of the mill lower than the tail things get ugly real fast.       This is especially more likely to happen when you on uneven ground.    Don't ask how I know.  :

[Brucer]

I've had to swing my LT40HDG28  around by hand once in a while. Here's some rules learned the hard way ....

• Figure out exactly how you want the wheels to roll as you swing it. Then place chocks to keep something else from happening.
• Roll the carriage back to the end of the travel chain to reduce the weight, but first ...
• Lower the rear outrigger at least part way down.
• The half moon hubcap can work but it can also act like a plow. A piece of 1x6 or 1x8 acts just as well.

[backwoods sawyer]

I've had to swing my LT40HDG28  around by hand once in a while. Here's some rules learned the hard way ....

• Figure out exactly how you want the wheels to roll as you swing it. Then place chocks to keep something else from happening.

I have milled in a few locations where I have thrown a safety chain around the frame of the mill and to a tree or the truck while it is being set up. Unhooking and turning the mill around should only be done in a location where the mill cannot get away from you. Having at least two people would be advisable as well.