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Started by OlJarhead, March 07, 2011, 12:00:49 AM

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OlJarhead

Finally!  It's been since summer that I've had the mill making sawdust an I finally got a good weekend to get busy.


After working on some downed trees that I plan to mill up I finally moved the log pile with the tractor so I could use it to load logs (they ere staged for winching onto the mill but it's faster with the tractor and being alone it is really the only way!


I was able to set the forks just shy of the mill and then push/roll the log onto the mill with ease -- being frozen helps that.

It was about 29 degrees or colder most of today (it's bee warmer but not today) and I had to mix the water with anti-freeze since I didn't have washer fluid handy.  It worked fine though once I got the mix right.


Started with a partially used blade and had to change it out not long after starting but that gave me time to fuel up and get a few more things sorted.  Notice the chain saw in the foreground, I had to whittle this log down a bit to get the mill past it.


The new clamp (which isn't so new any more) works flawlessly!  I'm so glad I did that mod!


This big Fir was close to the limit.  The far end was forked which didn't help but I cut that off with the saw.


Not much lumber for the two hours I milled and I wasn't too happy with the end result as I wanted all 6" or 8" live sawn lumber for siding but ended up with some 1x2's, 6" and 8" live sawn boards.  All in all it wasn't too bad I guess considering it was frozen and I was running the manual mill alone.  I also got a nice 2"x15" live sawn board for some small stands or end table tops.


I've been living here at the cabin most of the last 4 months and managed to make it through some bitter cold (-12 to -15 nights) but life has been pretty good up here :) and I get to go back to my wife in 'the big city' quite often (every other weekend and then some).

The nights are pretty quiet but give me time to enjoy a god book and a snort or two (bourbon and coke is my preferred evening snort) and as I have internet (sat) and dish TV I have plenty to entertain me in the long evenings.

Hope everyone is well and warm out there!
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Magicman

It's so good to hear from you Erik and that everything is well.   :)
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

Ga Mtn Man

Glad you're doing well up there.  I think I see a reality TV show in the making. :D
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

clww

Many Stihl Saws-16"-60"
"Go Ask The Other Master Chief"
18-Wheeler Driver

OlJarhead

Thanks guys.  And no reality TV shows for me! lol though I must admit I can identify with 'Yukon Men' a lot!

Mostly though, I live pretty simple up here since I have limited power, not hot running water (blew a line in the instant on hot water heater) a frozen grey water drain system and limited water since the top of the cistern froze up on me when the pump didn't stop when it should have!

If the sun comes out tomorrow I'll pump more into the cistern though (hopefully) so I'll not have that worry about.

I'm also burning through propane faster then I wanted to!  I finally got the back room sorted so I don't use as much now to heat it as I was but I'm down just a tick below 50% on my 500 gallon tank and prices are way up there now because of the big freeze back easy. I'm hoping to make it to spring but it's not certain if I will.  I also use it for the generator which runs every 2 or 3 days when I am here.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

gfadvm

Do you have any more detailed pics of your "new clamps"? That is the only thing I don't love about my WM LT15. Thanks.
Andy

OlJarhead

Quote from: gfadvm on January 25, 2014, 09:42:23 PM
Do you have any more detailed pics of your "new clamps"? That is the only thing I don't love about my WM LT15. Thanks.
Andy

I`ll see if i can find them
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

OlJarhead

2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

OlJarhead

Those are pre-current configuration but I'll get better ones tomorrow.  It's basically an LT28 clamp modded to fit the LT10 bed.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Peter Drouin

Looks like your ok in the woods. But with all the trees why not burn wood to stay warm? :)
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

OlJarhead

Wood is my primary source of heat however I built a super insulated room off the back of the cabin to house the composting toilet and water lines as well as the instant on hot water heater and eventually the batteries and systems for the solar power.

The room is 2 feet into the ground with R10 foam under the concrete slab and foundation and then R10 on the outside of the concrete walls including R10 'wings' extending out away from the room to push the frost line away.  The 2x6 walls are covered in R10 foam on the exterior and filled with R19 batts on the interior and the ceiling/roof is an R10 sandwich (OSB, R10, OSB) with R21 batts under it.  It's made to be heated by an 8000 BTU vented through the wall heater with the intent of not using much propane to keep it warm -- which is the case today.  However when I was first getting it together I had a backup 18k btu heater I used for a little while and the room wasn't insulated on the inside for a while.  During that period I ran the generator 5 hours a day and the 18k btu heater a lot -- result was a ton of waisted propane.

Whereas these days I use a lot less.  I think I've used about 10 or 12 gallons in the last week and a half if you can believe that.  I was gone a week and during that time my 18000BTU vent free heater keeps the cabin at 55 degrees but the generator doesn't run as there isn't any major draw on the battery bank.  When I am here the 18k heater doesn't run at all since i use the wood stove.

Make sense?  I'll see if I ever posted any pics of that room.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Peter Drouin

I see, good luck with sawing frozen logs  :D :D It's always fun :D
Spring is coming. 8) 8) 8)
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

OlJarhead

 
There is the new clamp.  The only thing with this type of clamp is that it can't be used on a platform that is on the ground.  Has to be up high enough for the clamp to drop to it's lowest position


Milled an 18+ inch log down to a 12x12 cant


I then milled it in two 6x12 cants


I then rotated it upright and clamped it back down.


and began making 2x6's two at a time


Oops.  I was running out of gas so tried to pull the saw back out of the cut and knocked the blade off.  But it needed to be changed anyway!


Part of today's milling.  It's good to have a tractor!

Milling frozen logs definitely takes longer and seems to dull the blades faster.

2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Got to hand it to you Jar Head......you put some good pics on here. Thanks.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

OlJarhead

Thanks :)  I wish I had a better camera as I could get some good ones then!
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

giant splinter

I suspect a mill shed will be on your to-do list for next spring, nice photos Erick and good to see your plugging away in the snow.
roll with it

OlJarhead

A mill shed would be nice and I've given it a lot of thought but I need to get the cabin done first and I need a small shop/shed and a deck around the cabin  :D ;D

But I think I will make a mill shed and a tractor shed :)  They deserve it!
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Ga Mtn Man

Wow, hinged blade covers!  I think it's time for me to upgrade.

Nice job on that log Jarhead and thanks for posting the pics.
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

OlJarhead

Your LT40 doesn't have hinged covers?

Thanks for the kind words on that log.  It was a beast to turn alone but with extended stops and a Log Rite it can be done ;)  I found it was much better milling 2x6's this way then trying to do it one at a time.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Bill Gaiche

Nice photos. Log clamp is an improvement for my 2 cents. For the guys that have there mill on the ground, they should have it on some kind of timbers and if so they could make 2 pair of the log dogs, short ones and longer ones. bg

OlJarhead

Quote from: Bill Gaiche on January 26, 2014, 10:04:05 PM
Nice photos. Log clamp is an improvement for my 2 cents. For the guys that have there mill on the ground, they should have it on some kind of timbers and if so they could make 2 pair of the log dogs, short ones and longer ones. bg

I have often thought that too.  Wouldn't be hard and I wish WM would just do it.  I stole their clamp so I can't make them for others (actually my builder made it) though he has said he'd like to make one of his own.  I suppose of LT15 and LT10 users wanted something done for them he'd do it but you would have to contact him (lawmanonline.com I believe)  He made my mill trailer and the mods to it.  Great guy and outstanding craftsman.

Truth is this clamp is easy to use and works like a champ.  Only issue I have had is it once (in about 4000 board feet of milling) came loose just before I started milling so I cranked tighter and moved on, and once in a blue moon the cant is an odd size and just under or over size for the spacing on my lamp bed so I put a shim under the cam an crank it down.  Works every time.

Only change I could see making would be to add the spring and chain WM uses on theirs.  Should be easy enough to do though I haven't had a issue with it coming loose except that one time and I think it was my fault.

This clamp really is the best and because it is anchored in place it can only actually allow a little movement even if it did come loose.

The remaining WM LT10 clamp I have on the mill is now completely useless and I never use it anymore (I need to take it off and chuck it out).

This one mod would make ANY LT10 or LT15 owner a happy miller :)
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

beenthere

Good to see you back to some sawing again.

Are you making temporary air drying piles? Maybe with the thought of re-stacking later to get stickers moved out to support the ends, a bit closer together, and maybe pieces sorted by thickness?
Don't take as being critical, as maybe the piles are serving your immediate needs. 
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

OlJarhead

Quote from: beenthere on January 26, 2014, 10:17:36 PM
Good to see you back to some sawing again.

Are you making temporary air drying piles? Maybe with the thought of re-stacking later to get stickers moved out to support the ends, a bit closer together, and maybe pieces sorted by thickness?
Don't take as being critical, as maybe the piles are serving your immediate needs.

LOL I hate oddball piles and poor stickering! BUT I was so beat after running the mill all day and was running out of good daylight to get wood into the cabin etc that I did this temp pile with the intent of sorting it later.  My worry is that I might not get back to it soon enough as I have to head out this week but I'll be back before long and able to restack.

I made the mistake when I first started milling of stacking different thickness's in the same pile only later to lament that I did that when I had to tear all the way into a large stack to find the 2x's I wanted!

I try to always stack same thickness and length with stickers every 18" or so on flat ground and covering.  That way I get nice product in the end and it's what I advise my customers (the few I've had) to do also...it's so much nicer to not have to unstack 500 bf of 1x's to get to the 2x's! lol
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Magicman

Sometimes life just happens.  All is OK as long as you smile.   :)
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

Chuck White

You're doing a fine job out there!

Appears you're really hooked on this sawing thing!   8)
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

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