iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

WM newb- Q about using pressure washer to clean logs

Started by MinglewoodNC, November 10, 2010, 06:21:13 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

MinglewoodNC

Hi Folks,
    Well I finally broke down and just got an LT28 after many years of hemming and hawing. It is fantastic.
  Now to my quandry- I'll be sawing up some pine logs that are to be horse drawn out of the woods. They'll no doubt get pretty dirty and I have been thinking about getting a gas pressure washer to clean them up. There is a good creek about 50 feet from the site and I'm wondering if the washer will pull the water out of the creek (5' head lift) and still do the job, or am I asking too much of it.
Anybody have any experience?
    Thanks,
        Bill

WH_Conley

Welcome Minglewood. Probably not. I had an industrial machine one time that had it's own generator, belt driven, I have hooked a sump pump to it and worked fine. The small ones will probably burn up the pump before it primes it's self.
Bill

Busy Beaver Lumber

Definately not advised. Pressure washers are designed to have water fed to them, not to have to try to suck the water in and do a 5 foot lift. You can get away with just getting a small submersible pump and garden hose to get the water to the pressure washer. Those little pumps cam move somewhere around 300 gallons a minute through a 5/8 inch inside diameter hose. To keep from possibly damaging the pressure washer by running the pump dry, I would start the submersible pump first and vacate the lenght of the hose, then attach to pressure washer and go from there
Woodmizer LT-10 10hp
Epilog Mini 18 Laser Engraver with rotary axis
Digital Wood Carver CNC Machine
6 x 10 dump trailer
Grizzly 15in Spiral Cut Surface Planer
Grizzly 6in Spiral Cut Joiner
Twister Firewood Bundler
Jet 10-20 Drum Sander
Jet Bandsaw



Save a tree...eat a beaver!

Bibbyman

Welcome to the Forum!

If the logs are not skidded yet...  Try a skid boat or a log arch.  Easier on the horses and will get the log up out of the dirt.

Another point...  If the logs are not skid very far or over the same path, they probably won't pick up too much dirt as they will ride over the grass, weeds, leaves, etc.

As for a pressure washer.  We rented one one time for some extremely dirty logs.  It was time consuming and made a mess and still didn't really get the grit out of the bark.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Qweaver

I pressure wash on a fairly regular basis and it seems to work well for me. The first year that we sawed, I loaded a 1300 gallon tank on a trailer and pumped water out of the river to fill it.  This gave the pressure washer 3' + of head pressure and it worked fine.  I would go through that tank of water in two days if I was doing a lot of washing.  I'm pretty certain that the pressure washer must have at least a little head pressure to work.  Keeping the tank full and washing the logs does add a lot of time to the sawing process and I do wonder if the savings in blade wear is worth it.  I often get really dirty logs that have been dragged through mud and I think that these must be cleaned somehow.  The cleaning can be a real problem in freezing weather... but then the logs are not usually muddy when the ground is frozen.  :D  I also have a new LT28 and really like it.
So Many Toys...So Little Time  WM LT28 , 15 trailers, Case 450 Dozer, John Deere 110 TLB, Peterson WPF 10",  AIM Grapple, Kubota 2501 :D

paul case

hand held wire brush or a axe works good for me and keep in mind that you only have to clean the spots where the blade will cut in. stuff on the out side dont dull that much usually since it is really flying off.  jist of this is it only has to be claen on a few select spots and you are good to saw. with washing the whole log you are wasting quite a lot of energy on stuff that is going into the scrap pile. load the log and choose first cut , clean that line and go from there.   pc
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

Qweaver

We just completed a portable sawing jobs where the logs were very dirty and there was no way to power wash them and we used the hatchet and wire brush method with pretty good results.  Lots of work tho' and really slows the work down.
So Many Toys...So Little Time  WM LT28 , 15 trailers, Case 450 Dozer, John Deere 110 TLB, Peterson WPF 10",  AIM Grapple, Kubota 2501 :D

Buck

I figured Magicman would chime in and show his pic of his brushes.
Respect is earned. Honesty is appreciated. Trust is gained. Loyalty is returned.

Live....like someone left the gate open

terrifictimbersllc

Anybody ever take a log through a car wash on a logging arch? ::) ::) ::)
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

paul case

they wont even let me take my truck thru the car wash. the attendant said it was too muddy. i thought it wasnt too muddy and if it was it would have been job security for him.  pc
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

Magicman

Quote from: Buck on November 10, 2010, 09:05:39 PMI figured Magicman would chime in and show his pic of his brushes.

First, Welcome to The Forestry Forum.   :)

The Magicman had a long day today and didn't stop sawing until dark.  I have a debarker and the brushes still get a good workout.  I know that the "backside" of the log doesn't affect the blade's sharpness as much, but any is worth the cleaning effort.

I tried pressure washing once.  As Bibbyman said, for me, not worth the effort.

OK, where are those worn out "Debarkers"  ???


Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

redbeard

Anyone ever try a log wizard? basicly a small planer head on the end of a chainsaw, wondered what the feedback on one is. I think they run about 200.00
Whidbey Woodworks and Custom Milling  2019 Cooks AC 3662T High production band mill and a Hud-son 60 Diesel wide cut bandmill  JD 2240 50hp Tractor with 145 loader IR 1044 all terrain fork lift  Cooks sharp

MinglewoodNC

Thanks for all the help folks. I'm going to hold off on the washer for now and just use some elbow grease when needed. I'm really surprised at the amount of replies and thoughtful help you all have given me, a newb, on this. It is truly a humbling experience. I will do my best to help anyone out on this forum if ever I can. Now I've got to get out there and get some experience........
      Thanks again,
              Bill

paul case

life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

timberjackrob

yea redbeard i have a logwizard it will sure take the bark off but it gets heavy real quick i wouldnt want to debark a whole log with it. i usually position the log and knock the bark off in line with the blade i havent used it as much as i thought i would because it gets heavy and is time consuming if my logs are not terrible muddy i use a stiff plastic bristle broom it does a good job especially if the mud is dry it also has a scraper on the other end to knock off large chunks of mud. i also have a lt28 and love it just put a set of side support rollers on it and i really love the way they work.
208 timberjack, woodmizer lt28,case 455 trackloader with gearmatic winch,massey 4710, ford f250s ford f700

Brucer

My old manual mill didn't have a debarker. When I had to deal with really dirty logs, I found a garden hose hooked to the domestic water supply was good enough. I used a trigger-type nozzle -- narrow stream of water to break up the dirt, and then a lower pressure flood of water to move the dirt off in a hurry.

Log wizard is too hard on the body; axe & brushes are too slow; water is too messy; a debarker is best :).
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

Banjo picker

I pulled a white oak that was down out of the creek today... Had to use the dozer to get it out...I washed it with a hose..I usually don't but it was filthy....but the debarker is the way to go...on a really dirty log I just slow down a bit and lit the debarker cut in a little deeper...Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

tyb525

LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

bandmiller2

Like outhers here I've had my best luck with a wire brush and axe.It seems to me water especially under pressure just drives the grit deeper,wile washing the silt off.I've had good luck with a wire brush and compressed air.The best setup is to strip the bark off by letting it loosen and using a spud. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Dale Hatfield

 A bark spud works well as does they wood wizzard. If you dont have them.
Here is a trick that will help.
When you load the log.
Turn it so that the dirty part of the log is against the side supports.
When you do this
The dirt is pushed away from band,as it exits cut.
Instead of being pulled into the cut .

Game Of Logging trainer,  College instructor of logging/Tree Care
Chainsaw Carver

Thank You Sponsors!