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Mud around the mill--and a solution

Started by Jim_Rogers, March 12, 2012, 01:57:48 PM

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Jim_Rogers

When I move my mill out to go to a road job, and before I put it back, I take the backhoe and scoop up all the sawdust and bark pieces from where it sits. I dump this into the one ton and it goes to the tub grinder for bark mulch.

Last month when I did this the ground was somewhat frozen and I couldn't get all the sawdust up as it was a big slab and froze down good.

What happened was, I took the mill out in December. And when I came back, being that it was such a mild winter, the ground was muddy. Then I walked in the mud creating many foot prints. That night the weather changed and it froze up. So the next day I had a yard full of ankle twisting frozen foot print holes. To get by, I spread some sawdust down to fill in all these holes and let it freeze up again to get a solid surface to walk on.

Well, it's March now, and last week even though it snowed here, it got to 65 degrees and everything has melted. This is known as "mud season"..... for those of you who don't have that season, it is when the frost is coming out of the ground and the water can't drain down in because the frost hasn't completely come out. And it make the surface a muddy mess.

Last Friday, I started sawing a customer order of red oak flooring for a customer, and the yard where I walk was a wet sloppy sawdust mess. I had on my best boots but by the end of the day they were soaked and so was my socks and feet. I hate when that happens.

Today, I was about to start sawing again, and not looking forward to this muddy wet mess again. I hate walking it all this.

So, here is my solution.

Years ago, at home, we had a muddy mess, and I made up some wooden walkways.

What I do is take some stickers 1x2x4 pine and cut some of them to 2' lengths.
And using two inch nails in my nail gun; made up some walkways, to lay down into the mud.

This is a drawing of what it looks like:



I liked them and would leave them there all the time to clean off your shoes and boots when walking into the house. But my wife for some reason never liked them.
She would pick them up and put them off somewhere.

I brought them back to the mill recently.
I decided today, I'd use them.

And I added some more I made up today to create a nice wooden walkway along the mill



and out to the lumber stack.



I'm real happy the way they came out and now my boots won't get soaked with mud or wet sawdust.

What do you think of this idea?

Jim Rogers

Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

medic

I like it.  Cheaper than concrete, easier on your feet and you can move them completely when you don't need them anymore.  Think I'll dig into the scrap pile and make some. 
scott
Retired Paramedic, TimberKing 1400, Logrite cant hooks, old MacCullough chain saws.  Too many projects not enough hours in the day.

steamsawyer

Hey Jim_Rogers,

Great minds think alike... Does your butt itch too.

I have been thinking about the same thing at my mill. I don't have a mud season here but I have a spot that turns into a small mudhole at the rear of my steam engine. My engineer has been putting down slabs to walk on but it still leaves a mess. I have a pickup truck load of used 2x4 pt to use for stringers and I figured on sawing a bunch 1x6 for the floor boards. I am planning to make a good sized platform in the back with a walkway down the side of the engine so he can get to the catwalk on the side of the boiler.

Over at the sawyers position I am thinking about the same type of walkway. I could use the extra height and it might keep me from tripping on the ends of the crossties between the carriage and the brow.

That's a nice job and it looks good.

Alan
J. A. Vance circular sawmill, 52" blade, powered by a 70 HP 9 1/2 x 10 James Leffel portable steam engine.

Inside this tired old mans body is just a little boy that wants to go out and play.

Great minds think alike.....  Does your butt itch too?

Alan Rudd
Steam Punk Extraordinaire.

purple otter

Good idea.I definitely can relate to the mud season! I have a pile of pallets that I use the same way ,but something more uniform like you made might be the ticket.
Hudson Oscar 228 on homebuilt trailer, Kubota B2320 with homebuilt forks,Stihl 028 Super & 029 Super, Solar Kiln .

Jim_Rogers

Thanks for your comments.

And yes it is easier walking on wood.

I think I'm going to make some more tomorrow. There are a couple of spots where I'm still walking in the wet sawdust and I need to make it better.

I'm out of nails so I guess I'll have to stop at home cheapo tonight on the way home and get another box for future projects and more walkways.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

sprucebunny

They are called duck boards up here.
Must be much nicer than trying to walk on slabs which is how I end up every year.
MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Jim's "Cat Walk".  :)

Pretty Cool....now your boots won't weigh 50 pounds a piece!  :D
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

eastberkshirecustoms

Nice portable solution Jim, problem is that it's been mud season all winter! Freeze...thaw...freeze...thaw. I've used pallets too, heavy cardboard, old carpet, straw, whatever works at the time. Yeah it sucks having to lug all that mud around. I've even installed those boot scrubber brushes on the porch and entrance to the shop. A couple hundred ton of crushed rock and a vibratory roller are on my wish list ;)

bandmiller2

Mayby we should call it boardwalk milling.I just use course circular mill sawdust seems to drain and always seems to be dry and comfy to work on. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

zopi

corduroy roads....  could also drop a couple bags of portland cement in the mud.
I have a little drain feature in front of what was my mill shed, before the trailer came along, and I got tired of the tractor wearing ruts in it, so I just lined it with slabs...
Got Wood?
LT-15G GO chassis added.
WM sharpener and setter
And lots of junk.

WDH

Aside from moving to the hot and humid South, I think that it is a great idea!
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

eastberkshirecustoms

Quote from: WDH on March 12, 2012, 10:36:38 PM
Aside from moving to the hot and humid South, I think that it is a great idea!
The only problem with the hot and humid South is the 'hot and humid' ;D Otherwise, that would be great!

MHineman

  Don't forget the snakes, cockroaches, hurricanes,.....
1999 WM LT40, 40 hp 4WD tractor, homemade forks, grapple, Walenstein FX90 skidding winch, Stihl 460 039 saws,  homebuilt kiln, ......

WDH

Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

dukndog

and the deep south tornados and gaters....CHOOT EM TROY!!
WM LT-15G25 w/PwrFeed, Mahindra 3510, Husky 385xp, Stihl MS261 and a wife who supports my hobby!!

mad murdock

Chiggers, hookworms and all the other fun creepy crawlies >:(
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

zopi

Got Wood?
LT-15G GO chassis added.
WM sharpener and setter
And lots of junk.

thecfarm

Grits keeps make up here in the Northern territory  :D
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

POSTON WIDEHEAD

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

Jim_Rogers

Quote from: zopi on March 13, 2012, 02:29:08 AM
Ticks and polyticks...

I dug a tick off my knee just the other day.
I was surprised to see one so soon.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: Jim_Rogers on March 13, 2012, 08:50:01 AM
Quote from: zopi on March 13, 2012, 02:29:08 AM
Ticks and polyticks...

I dug a tick off my knee just the other day.
I was surprised to see one so soon.

Jim Rogers

It may have been there since last year,  :D   Good Morning Jim.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Magicman

About the only problem that I can think of is trying to find a place to store our snow blowers, show skis, ice skates, overcoats, hoods, mittens, snow shovels, tire chains, ice scrapers, long underwear, coveralls, and those other things that I have no idea what they are.
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

bandmiller2

Deer ticks are a big problem,anything above 30 degrees you have to watch out,one warm day and there active.They never used to be a problem when I was young ,of course deer were scarce then. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: Magicman on March 13, 2012, 08:56:17 AM
About the only problem that I can think of is trying to find a place to store our snow blowers, show skis, ice skates, overcoats, hoods, mittens, snow shovels, tire chains, ice scrapers, long underwear, coveralls, and those other things that I have no idea what they are.

Did you see my new shed?  :)
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

thecfarm

MM,I know what you mean. I have the same trouble with grits.  ;D
Ticks,we never had any here until about 5 years ago. My FIL would come up with thier dogs and have a fit about ticks. Just because we live way out in the woods, we HAD them,according to him.  ::) They live about ½ South and they had them for years. Than we found one,one year and more the next and so on.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

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