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I have a bad back - should I even consider buying a mill someday??

Started by Warbird, March 31, 2011, 07:28:09 PM

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Warbird

Hey guys.  I dream of owning a sawmill someday but I have lower back issues.  Crouching, bending, or slouching for long periods of time hurt me bad.  I can lift okay but have to be very careful.  Standing in one spot for long periods also kills my lower back.

So what do you think?  Should I give up the dream of having one someday?  If not, then what sort mill would you recommend that is easiest on a guy's back?

I'd only own the mill for my own use, hobbyist stuff, and helping out friends.  Doubt I'd ever go commercial with it but ya never know.  Interested in your opinions.  Thanks.

Skip


red oaks lumber

you can own one just don't use it! 2 things you need strong, your back and well your back.
the experts think i do things wrong
over 18 million b.f. processed and 7341 happy customers i disagree

TreeWinder

Only you can say,  but many of us have very bad backs and still work the mills, I'm one of them.  I'm surr you have good days and bads, work it the good  days,.  Would not be surprise to see a person in a wheelchair running a mill.

Follow your passion.   Good luck to you.
Ed
041 056S 056M
MS660 070 084
CS670
Baker 18M
Komatsu D-21-P ,
Speeco 35T

beenthere

I used to have lower back problems.
Did two things... push ups, (25 a day), and changed how I stood upright so the spine was straighter in that lower back area.

Now, if I feel some lower back pain (tightness), I do 5 pushups and it is gone. Has worked for me for 35 years now (but still remember how painful it was).
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

laffs

it is hard on your back thats for sure. i went with full hydraulic and have some support equipment also and its still hard on my back. but if your going to do it as a hobby maybe you could get some buddies to help out and work at your own pace.

slow and steady

Brent
timber harvester,tinberjack230,34hp kubota,job ace excavator carpenter tools up the yingyang,

WH_Conley

I have had back trouble for years, have to think things out how to protect it. Hydraulic mill LT40 and a helper. The last couple of weekends I have been helping a young neighbor boy set up and learn to use his new LT 10. I would not attempt to use it by myself.
Bill

POSTON WIDEHEAD

I had a back problem. And then one day my brand new, shiny orange Woodmizer LT40 HD G28 showed up and BAM.....I was healed, healed I tell ya!

True story.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Jeff

 Follow your heart. You can find ways to work within your abilities.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Sixacresand

I just had major back surgury last August.  I bought a Woodmizer LT10 three months later.  I have to pace myself and use my tractor, winches to move/lift things .  One thing, my mill is stationary and on the ground.  I plan to raise the mill a couple of feet off ground to reduce  bending.  The summer heat, flies and ticks concern me more than my back.  So, I say go for it and get a mill.  
"Sometimes you can make more hay with less equipment if you just use your head."  Tom, Forestry Forum.  Tenth year with a LT40 Woodmizer,

bull

Broken back @ 17 osteo and rhumutoid  arthritis bad legs, still running my mill go for it !!

fred in montana

woodmizer lt15, mf 65 tractor
logdovetailjig.com

Knute

Some type of back support may be helpful. I always wear a wide leather weight belt around my lower back while sawing and doing any heavy lifting.

tyb525

I'd say do it if it's your dream, nobody says you gotta be a production mill! Take it slow and use things other than your back to do the heavy work.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

cypresskayaksllc

Ive had two broken backs and I can run a hydraulic mill. Never tried a manual so I dont know about that. My back tells me when breakfast lunch and dinner is.
LT40HDDR, JD950FEL, Weimaraner

sigidi

Warbird, here in Aus, I'm a university qualified Exercise Physiologist, pretty name but basically means I know stuff about the body, muscles bones exercise that kind of stuff. Majority of back issues can be greatly reduces or even negated all together by better control of abdominal wall muscles. Not so much making them rock hard, but switching them 'on' all the time, we tend to forget about them and more often than not it is abs not switched on which allows the lower back to roll into a much greater curve, this in turn loads up the lower back greatly and also means the weight bearing aspect of the spinal column is compromised. Go see a personal trainer/physio/exercise physiologist get some coaching on 'bracing' practice this until you do it as 2nd nature, you may find your back issues will almost all but disappear once your abs are doing their job properly.

I'd tend toward a swing mill ( I know I'm biased ;D) but you said standing for periods is a no go situation for you, with a swing mill you are doing light exercise (walking) most the day, when the board is to be tailed it is an edged board so you're not having to pick up a slab that needs resawing. I have a fairly serious leg injury and the walking back and forward has done wonders for me over the years - even now my right leg is still much smaller than my left, but it gets me through milling 5 days a week or more
Always willing to help - Allan

Ron Wenrich

We're pretty automated, so there isn't a whole lot of handling things.  The biggest problem seems to be moving heavy slabs and boards.  Rollers probably could be used to move that stuff around, and some of the mills have a drag back feature that helps with much of the pulling. 

I've had back problems off and on for a number of years.  I've had sciatica so bad that I could barely walk.  Chiropractors didn't help all that much.  I finally ran across a website run by one of those therapy type guys in Canada.  He has lots of stuff to support his techniques.  I ended up laying on a tennis ball and put against some pressure points.  Sciatica was relieved in a matter of minutes and was gone within a few days.  Hasn't come back.  His theory is that back pain is a muscle problem in 90% of the cases.  It worked for me.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Warbird

Thanks for all of the excellent info and opinions guys.  I am in very good shape, excepting my back.  My back problems are brought on by scoliosis in the lower lumbar.  I have two 33 degree bends with 2 compacted vertebrae and arthritis developing in that area.  You can't tell it by looking at me and only a trained person would notice my gait is off a bit.  I wear a shoe lift in one shoe and it helps reduce much of the pressure from standing.  Even so, just standing really gets me.

That's pretty much my story.  A couple of buddies and I have been talking about sawmills for a couple of years now.  I love the big old circular saw mills but will likely never operate one.  Heck, I've never even seen an operating mill in person.

Being a new dad, I can't afford a mill right this moment anyway.  It's just a dream but it's a big dream.  Trying to figure out what I want to work toward.  On a side note, I really appreciate reading this board.  You guys are great.  Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

Brucer

I have had back problems in the past -- mostly in the lower back, mostly from lifting too much. First time was when I was 30. I have been able to carry on production sawing, first with a manual mill, later with a hydraulic mill.

I've got smarter with age and I know how much I can handle without risking my back. That's my secret -- I listen to those little warning voices and if something looks to heavy, I don't lift it. Since I'm handling timbers, some of them over 1000 pounds, I use rollers and gravity a lot. The front-end loader doesn't hurt.

One thing that has helped me a lot is good abs and good posture. That comes from doing 15,000 crunches a year (OK, so I'm a little weird :D :D).

There are options if standing around causes you pain. I read an article a few years ago about a sawyer running a mill from a wheelchair. Wood-Mizer has a seat option on some of their mills (Magicman has one). Other manufacturers might as well. When you're just sawing for yourself, you can take frequent "back breaks". Mind you, I've noticed a lot of us seem to overlook aches and pains when the sawdust is flying and everything is going good :).

If you have a chance, try one out. You'd certainly be welcome to run my mill if you ever made it this far south. I'm sure a lot of FF members would say the same.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

captain_crunch

Go in pards with your buddys good sawyer don't need strong back just a sharp mind. Sawyer makes or breaks opperations My back should be shot from Logging and Rodeo but still going (mind might not be as good)
Brian
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

backwoods sawyer

Rollers, lots of rollers, saves picking the wood up carring it, power rollers will save on on pulling as well, a remote mill or a mill with a seat can minimize standing.
Backwoods Custom Milling Inc.
100% portable. . Oregons largest portable sawmill service, serving all of Oregon, from our Backwoods to yours..sawing since 1991

Old Hilly

When I moved out to the country there were lots of mills around here and I got friendly with a couple of the owners. One thing that they both told me time and time again was "Don't carry timber, slide it!". When I watched the process of getting a log from the log-yard and turning it into sawn timber "scantlings" I noticed that there was no real carrying of the timber. Heavy flitches were moved on trolleys to the saw bench, then on a trolley to take the weight as the flitch went through the saw. There was a similat trolley on the "out" end of the saw bench that would support the heavy section of timber while the sawn piece was flipped over to the docking bench. From the docker it went down a slide to the yardman who slid the piece to whichever stack it was needed in. The yardman did the most walking but carried very little weight, all the timber just slid along until it got to the stack it was suposed to be in.
When my neighbour and I get our bandmill finished and start cutting Paulownia, the shed will be set up the same way.....Minimal lifting but lots of sliding on either rollers or slippery plastic stuff.
Oh yeah, have had a crook back for 40 years, just had to work out how to make life less complicated. One of my old "Leading Hands" in the gang that I worked in for a while used to say...."Always have one lazy bloke in your gang because he will work out the easiest way to do something".
I still rekon old "Jacko" was pretty well "spot-on"!
Good luck with your mill. Just think "lazy".
Dennis.

bandmiller2

You want to saw smart,when ever their is an operation that stresses your back stop and figure a way to negate it.As mentioned heavy slabs are A prime suspect make two slab cuts insted of one,lift one end at a time and let them slide down an incline.Very important to have your mill elivated so your not bending over.Rather than a new manual mill find a used hydraulic,let the oil do the heavy lifting. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Norm

Sigidi has some very good advice, my back was so bad I thought I'd never be without pain but aerobic exercise with 10 minutes of abs work really helps. Start slow and over months time work your way up to that 10 minutes. I also walk weather permitting 2 miles a day and during the winter when I can't really feel the difference.

A hydraulic mill with roller boards and some help you'll be fine. Jay will be a great offbearer and you never know maybe April will like helping.  :)

SwampDonkey

I have a touch of muscle pain in the lower back at times, it's definitely not in the bone. It is best dealt with (in my case) by exercise and movement. A good walk does wonders if I'm a little sore.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

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