Started a Custom Sawing Job

[Coon]

Well, I finally got around to going out and setting my mill up and starting a custom sawing job.  This is the job I had mentioned in another post and is all dry spruce.  It is although surprising how much moisture is in some of the bigger logs still as they have been down for around three years.

We took the mill out to the jobsite on Monday but never set it up and leveled it.  I did that today and then started sawing.  These pictures are how the site was when I showed up today.







The customer is doing the bucking of the logs himself and decking them for me to saw.  He did make one mistake with piling them in that he put all the big ends at the wrong end.  He offered to rotate them and I said nah, just put the next ones on the right way. 










He bought all these logs in long lengths.  This is how he has them before bucking.

You can see there is another mill there on site in some of the pictures.  It is a very old Norwood mill that is rather beat up and in pith poor shape.  It is owned by my customers hired man and they are so busy at their real job hence why the logs have sat so long.  I'll change that.   ;D

More pics will come in the days ahead.  I just got too busy and forgot to grab the camera once I started sawing.  There is definately no shortage of slab material coming off some of these logs.  Rot and bugs are the culprits.  >:(

[fishpharmer]

Coon, thats a BIG job! You will be busy for a while. 
What dimensions and use for tbe lumber?

[SAWMILL BUDDY]

You got your work cut out for you there. ;D

[Magicman]

That is a very nice job for sure.  I was curious about the "wrong end" comment.  Personally, I prefer the small end toward the saw head simple because it's a bit quicker to level the log, but I regularly get them both ways.  Many times they are mixed.

[Mooseherder]

That is a very big job for your first one.
Now show us some of the end product. ;D 8)

[chet]

Ya better git yerself a bunch more bands, and a sharpener.......quick  ;)

[WDH]

I would call that a whack.

[Banjo picker]

I have been following your thread about going and looking at a mill an such,,,good to see you are more than just talk... ;)  Even if those logs are tough...you will enjoy it...Tim

[Coon]

The owner of the logs really is not sure what the lumber will be used for.  He originally was going to have a log cabin built but the logs sat around too long and started to degrade. 

Magicman,  I had asked the customer to put all the small ends to the east side which would mean that they would be oriented towards the saw head.  It is a whole whack easier IMHO. 

Chet, I have 30 new bands coming from Woodmizer and they should be here on the bus today, hence why I am not out sawing yet.  I am also stiff and sore too boot and it's gonna take me few days of sawing to get back into shape.

I can tell you all that these logs are slicing like butter and maybe even soft butter.  I am having a bit of a problem with pitch build up on the band even with lots of lube.  I may have to switch over to diesel for this task as the windshield washer fluid doesn't seem to be up to the task.  Of course, some logs are a whole lot worse than others.

I can tell you one thing.  I will be definately taking a helper with me out there to saw..... more production, easier to load and handle the logs and beams.  The customer cant find anyone to help me..... so I will provide the guy for him.

[gator gar]

That looks like one heck of a weight loss program. I hope the customer has some pretty deep pockets. That's alot of wood.

[stumpy]

Try some PineSol in the water tank.  I find it cuts the pitch very well.

[Magicman]

the windshield washer fluid doesn't seem to be up to the task 

-32° Windshield washer fluid with 4 gallons of water is a very good antifreeze, but a very poor lube/cleaner.

Search blade lube and you will find several that work very well.

This is the one that I prefer:  https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,49402.msg714026.html#msg714026

[Coon]

Thanks for the tips guys.  I will try one of those just not sure if I can get the cascade around here.  I don't remember seeing it in the grocery store. 

I never managed to go out sawing today.  I went on my way to go out there but I got just a few miles down the road and a vibration that I was having in the car got alot worse after I hit a bad spot in the road.  I turned and headed for home and checked out what the problem was . I had figured it was a tie rod that was bad but as it turned out it ended up being a bad ball joint.  I changed them out on both sides.  I already had the parts in the trunk of the car as I had planned on redoing the whole front end.  I am good to go for probably Monday now as it is supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow. 

[Magicman]

I can not recommend a substitute for Cascade automatic dish washing liquid.  Store brands seem to foam when agitated.  Cascade does not, but you can only use what you can find.  Good luck.

[Coon]

Well about noon today I got a phonecall from the local bus depot.  The guy told me that I had two fairly large and fairly heavy boxes that came in on the Greyhound.   ;D  I like when parcels come in for me.     I had only called in on Friday morning to put in my order and they arrived for me already.   8)   8) 



Yup I just got 2 boxes of blades from Woodmizer and I can't wait to try them out in the morning.  The blade I have on the mill is still fairly sharp but it's coming off first thing so I can try one of these new bad boys out.   :D  I guess I now have my first piece of Woodmizer.  Which piece is going to be next?   :D

[Slingshot]

      Let the chips fly!!!    smiley_chop      smiley_swinging_board



__________________________

[Magicman]

It has been very interesting watching and following along with your sawmill adventure.  Chalk up one more for today.   

[Coon]

I am just about to walk out the door to head out sawing.  I won't be home for a couple of days or so.  Updates with pics of some of the progress and lumber will come when I get back home.  Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off sawing I go.   8)   8) 

[Coon]

Well..... had my first mill breakdown.  :(  I had a bearing go in the idle side blade wheel.  Got a bearing now will just wait till it cools down before I leave to go back out there for a couple of days and get some production happening.  I did manage to get about 400 board feet or so cut...  Got some pics and a video too just don't knnow if I will have time to load em up or not.   ;D 

I do have a question for the Norwood Lumbermate 2000 owners though.  What are the lengths of band wheel belts?  My belts are in need of changing soon.  I believe they are the original ones from the mill.

I did try out my new Woodmizer bands.  I like em lots.   ;D  So far out of the three different brands I have tried they are the best.  Still on my first one and it feels as sharp as when I put it on this morning.   ;) 

[dmulac]

Try dawn dish soap in the water... cuts the sap pretty well! (Not the wood) 8)

[SwampDonkey]

Coon, white spruce laying in the grass for 2 or 3 years sops up the water like bread in bean juice on your plate. :D

Good luck on the job, and don't break too much stuff like your college there that abandoned his mill. ;)

[Coon]

Swamp, I don't plan on  breaking things.  The rain shut me down today.  It was pouring pretty hard and don't know how long it lasted or if it is still raining.  I just got in the car and left.  No sense just sitting there twiddling my thumbs.  I really need to get myself a camper to take out there to stay in. 

I guess I had better get my pics put on here and figure out  how to put up you tube videos.  ;)  Maybe that will have to wait an hour or so while I go have a nap.   :D

[Magicman]

Dawn foams and makes bubbles which is why I prefer Cascade automatic dish washer soap.

[Coon]

Here is some pics of some of the lumber I have sawn.  Cut quite a bit more since then. 
The first pics is a few 4x6's and 6x6's x 10, 12, and 16 feet long.  ;D



These 2x6's are shorter than 16 feet.  Some of them need trimming to length yet.



And finally some 2x6x16's that are ready to be moved and piled for drying.



You may notice that I never swept the sawdust off of the lumber.  I need to add a dust deflector on the mill so it doesn't blow sawdust on piled lumber.   ;) 

I did take some video of myself sawing a log but it is too long to upload to youtube by some 4 minutes or so.  I do not know how to edit it up to shorten it as of yet but if I can figure out how to split it up into two separate videos I could do that and put them up for the forums critique pleasures.   :D

Magicman, I couldn't find any of the Cascade but I did find some Original Scented Pinesol that seems to be working alot better.

I have also realised that I need to modify the end of the lube tube so that it gives me better coverage on the band.  Thinkin' I got a mod coming up in the near future as I have a windshield washer pump from a car here.  I will add this into the system and modify the end the fluid comes out so that I get better coverage with a wider pattern that covers the whole blade and possibly the underside as I am getting a bit of build up on the underside as well. 

[SwampDonkey]

First order of business for the customer is find a spot for a lumber shed for all that lumber. ;)

Was thinking, if things got too bad, you have a parts mill sitting nearby. :D