New Green Horn

[Buddyw]

Hi everyone, I am as green as they come so expect a lot of dump or stupid questions. ...  I have always been interested in logging and sawmilling and kind of wanted to get into it some how.  Well  all my life I have been a mechanic on equipment mostly utility equipment like bucket trucks and heavy equipment like dozers and crawler cranes.  in fact I started collecting and restoring antique construction equipment nearly 15 years ago . I have in my collection 5 crawler cranes 2 dozers 2 graders and a bunch of farm equipment mostly what we had when we were farming. Well I came across a guy whos health was fading and he wanted to sell his sawmill. So , I went on and bought it hope I did not make too much of a booboo. .  This mill is a Lane mill. He was powering it with a W40 McCormick tractor. I got the mill and tractor for only 400 bucks. He also had a Farmall Super M with a thrown rod (did not hurt block) I got that too for free . ...   My question right out of the box , Lane sawmills , any good ?  I know it is a little late to ask since I already bought it but , I just had to. I have 2 nice Murphy Diesel power units to pick from that I plan to use dont think much of the tractors. Well , what do you pros think ?  any suggestions well be more than welcome.

[Okrafarmer]

Welcome to the forum, Buddy! Sounds like you got a deal on the sawmill, any time you can buy a complete mill for $400 I'd say you haven't done too badly. Since that is probably similar to scrap price, anyway, I don't see how you could go wrong! I don't know anything about the Lane mills, someone else will chime in.

If you don't want those tractors, I'll take them, dead or alive. I'm a bit of a tractor nut myself, would love to have a W-40.

What dozers do you have? I love dozers, too.

Where do you live?

[drobertson]

I would say if you have not been in the sawmill business, get some help from those that have been.  the money spent sounds well worth it, Most likely scrap prices will cover the bill. Get some good advice follow it and it will work.

[Okrafarmer]

When you consider the two tractors he got along with the mill, it is plenty lower than scrap price.

[dgdrls]

Welcome aboard BuddyW. 

Lots of circle mills here,  Lane equipment is now here
Bornemann & Greene located at 33 Foundry St Morrisville VT 05661,
phone 8028883311.

Search the board for a fellow named Lyle Niemi ,
he too went in feet first with a circle mill and has some great posts!!
DGDrls

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum from here too.

You are a lucky guy, IMO.

8)

Here is a some good reading of basic things to do with circular mills.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/misc/circsaw.pdf

Also, lots of good material if you use the search feature for past posts from members here.

[clww]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Buddyw.
Sounds like you are committed to sawmilling now, with your Lane purchase. I think you made out great for $400. All the other heavy equipment in your yard will prove to be a valuable and useful asset, too. 8)

[Ron Wenrich]

A Lane mill is as good as any other.  In 2004 they sold out to Meadows Mills.  Meadows is still in business, in case you need parts or assistance. 

There are no dumb or stupid questions.  Some times the answers might not be up to snuff, though.   ;)

[Magicman]

I can not help you with your sawmill questions, but Welcome to the Forestry Forum,   Buddyw.   

The only dumb question is an unasked question.

[Sawdust Lover]

Welcome to the forum Buddy! If your mill didn't come with an operators manual you have one here. Just ask the question and you will get all the right answers. Well, maybe 95% right.

[bandmiller2]

Welcome buddy,you must be somewhere up here in the northeast Lane mill usally don't stray far from home. Lane mills are right up with the better built mills.You could not find a better power plant than a murphy diesel they just loaf along a little over an idle and have the torque so valuable on a circular mill.Do you know which model Lane you have.?? Frank C.

[thecfarm]

BuddyW,I was going to tell you the mill and tractors are no good, send them to Chesterville,Maine. But that would be no way to welcome a new member.  ;D

[Chuck White]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, BuddyW.

[WDH]

Welcome!  No question is stupid if you do not know the answer. 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Welcome!  No question is stupid if you do not know the answer.

Well then, where do you live Buddy?

[Migal]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, 8) Lots of Circular mill imformation going on right now in Sawmills and Milling post's. 400 can't go wrong for sure show us pic's you have to create a gallery then when adding just click my gallery and play around a bit then Preview and cut out any double posts This has been the most wonderful web sight that I have found for information on your not sick wood is addicting when sawn!  8)

[fat olde elf]

Welcome !! Your equipment mechanic background puts you way ahead of a lot of us including me !!  This forum is the hands down best place for info in the world...... Good luck to you.........Paul R.

[mad murdock]

Welcome Buddy! Major score, IMO! Let the fun begin. Beware there is no cure for the illness with which you have been infected, but it will have many positive side effects

[Ianab]

To put your purchase in perspective. $400 is the price of new saw blade for a 10" Lucas sawmill..... Never mind the rest of the sawmill.  :D

I suspect the old guy sold them to you for a token payment because he wanted to see them used again, and not just hauled off for scrap?

Anyway, no reason you can't get it all up and running again. Those circle mills are pretty simple mechanically, and it's cut wood just fine for decades, no reason it can't continue to do so. If you have a mechanical inclination you should be able to keep it running just fine. A circle mill might have a bit steeper learning curve than the smaller portable band mills and swing blades that many of us run, but it's old established technology. If it worked 50 years ago, it will still work today.

Did anyone mention we like pictures?

Ian

[Buddyw]

Thanks guys for the good replies. Makes me feel good knowing I did not make a mistake buying the Lane mill.  I will try to answer some questions that was ask. I do have a few pictures of this mill taken last week end after we got it loaded onto trailers. I will have to get my wife to do the picture thing on here for me since I am limited with computer smarts. .. S

[Buddyw]

Sorry about having to start over on my post . See I did something wrong already with computer. Someone ask where I lived, well I am in Virginia. I forgot to mention yesterday that I won't be getting nothing done with this mill project or any other project for a good while .  I just had sholder surgury last Tuesday and will be sitting on my butt for months , so they say .. I am trying to gather as much information as I can so I will be some what prepaired for milling. ...  I will be on and off this site to ask questions as they pop into my head.   I did notice that their was one guy that answered my post , he was in Virginia also. Williamsville , I know of a Williamsville , Va. Might be neighbors..   Thanks again of ALL the good answers to my first post.

[Magicman]

Go to your profile and add as much information as you wish to share.  Things like location and sawing equipment.  It will really help when others are answering questions or giving advice.   

[lyle niemi]

Welcome to the site, Im a green horn myself

[beenthere]

Buddy
For picture posting help, and while you are recovering from the surgery (do ALL of the physical therapy as suggested), here is a link to some help. Pretty straight forward and not hard.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,56957.0.html

Will be glad to answer any questions.

[Buddyw]

My computer wiz wife got some pictures of my mill in the gallery. Pleae take a look and tell me what you can about my purchase.   I will also get her to add some pictures of the W40 tractor that came with it as soon as she has time to upload or download whatever all that means . .. 

[Magicman]

Now go back to your Forum Profile page & scroll down to the "My Gallery" entry.  Following those instructions will add a gallery link and make it easier for members to see.  The gallery link is the little camera symbol seen below the user names as they make posts.

[Buddyw]

 

  

  

 

[Shotgun]

Thanks for posting the pics, Mrs. Buddyw. and thanks for showing your general location in your profile.  We all appreciate that.  Glad to be able to see what you have acquired, equipment wise. Keep the updates and pics coming.

Norm

[Magicman]

Buddy, type 30634 on that line in your profile.  That is your forum #20634 plus 10000.  That is just a quirk that has to be done to make your gallery come up properly.

EDIT: Looks like you typed in 30604 instead of 30634.

[beenthere]

She's a beauty. Hope you can get it assembled and running some day.

[Sixacresand]

Welcome to the Forum, BuddyW.  Looks like you got a deal. 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Buddy.....your mill.......I say your mill is bad to the bone! 

[SPD748]

Buddy,

Welcome to the forum. I too started with an older mill what was in need of some skilled care. Do yourself a favor: ask as many questions as you wish. Believe me, I asked and will ask plenty. Oh... and... welcome to the 'journey' 

-lee

[customsawyer]

Great find on the mill and welcome to the forum.

[Sawdust Lover]

You get that beast up and running and I'm coming up to see it. I'm not far from you and would love to see that thing in action.

[Buddyw]

Thanks guys for all the good replies . I do appreciate it .Sawdust Lover you are , and will be welcome any time. Floyd , Va , I have herd of it , how far do you think we are from each other? I been looking around on the site some and I could not help to notice that  alot of yall have really nice buildings over your mills and some buildings in progress, nice work.  I too will have mind under cover some day. Mine is under cover now but, disassembled and sitting on trailers . ...  I will get my lovely bride to put some pictures on here of some of my other equipment (antique construction equipment) if any of you are interested in that type of stuff. I will also get her to add the W40 tractor that came with the mill first.   Thanks again for the replies...

[thecfarm]

Antique construction equipment.sounds good. Take care of that shoulder. Ask questions. I suppose you know click onto profile,on the same line as home and you can bookmark things you will need to remember when you get better.

[bandmiller2]

Good idea on the building Buddy,a mill worth owning deserves a roof over it.It would be my suggestion to do some mill bumming that is visit any mill you can find and watch them operate you will pick up many thing, keep the good and ignore the bad,dangerous and inefficient.The layout of the mill is very important,hights of working surfaces,and material handling.Watching outher mills will let you avoid many of the pitfalls. Frank C.

[Buddyw]

 

  

  

  

  

 

[Magicman]

Where is Okrafarmer when we need him  ???

[Buddyw]

The pictures are the traactors that came with the Lane mill. The Farmall M has a thrown rod but it did not hurt the engine block, old guy said he happen to be close when it started knocking and shut it down . The McCormick W40 was the tractor he was running the mill with. It too needs attention now  , mainly carb and tank issues, tractor has been sitting a few years and the wonderfull gasoline we have now days has done a number to the fuel system. I dont think I will be useing them. My plans are to power that mill with a Murphy Diesel. I have 2 Murphy model 12's which are 4 cylinders engines to pick from and 1 model 21 which is a 6 cylinder.  I will soon post pictures of them too.   

[clww]

I did notice that their was one guy that answered my post , he was in Virginia also. Williamsville , I know of a Williamsville , Va. Might be neighbors..   Thanks again of ALL the good answers to my first post.

That would be me, buddy.

[haywire woodlot]

great old iron, especially the Farmal M, they are such an iconic machine! Great buy on the Lane mill, I wouldn't be able to pass up a deal like that either!

[samandothers]

Welcome to the forum Buddy!

You have some great toys.  You will be busy a while on all those items!

[Okrafarmer]

Where is Okrafarmer when we need him  ???

smiley_curtain_peek

[Okrafarmer]

Nice tractors. I'd certainly give you what you gave him for them.  ;D

[sandhills]

Nice mill, and around here either one of those tractors would have brought double of what you paid for the whole works  .

[paul case]

Buddy,
For me to say that you did OK on the mill purchase would be the understatment of the year! That M appears to be a Super M. It has the live pump on the distributor shaft. Look at the tag on the left side of the clutch housing, I bet it says SM ( for Super M) if so It was a 53 model. If It does say SM it will have a bigger clutch and also a bigger motor than an M. Any collector might give you 500 for it for parts. But of course it would weigh out about 2½ tons at the scrap yard at the current price of $180/ton. The mill and other tractor were FREE!
It looks like lots of fun is in your near future. Please take lots of pics of your progress and keep us posted so we can enjoy it with you. Of course ask as many questions as you wish. PC

[Magicman]

You guys with the PC mustaches know tractors.   

[Buddyw]

Thanks for the replies .  Yea Paul Case , you are so correct that is a super m . good eye site , I dont think I would have noticed ..  Tractor has a bad rod . I took a good looksee at it and it dont appear to have hurt the block any, I can see where it hit  it but it did not crack nuttin. In fact it is still full of antifreeze .  The guy was running the mill with this tractor until it decided to puke.  The W40 was the one he thin started powering the mill with.  This old girl looks to be in good shape for its age. Im not real sure what im going to do with these old girls yet. I got all winter from what the quack doctor was telling me.   I got another appointment with him this aftenoon. Realling looking forward to that, oh well......

[clww]

So where are you located in Virginia?

[Jim_Rogers]

I learned how to saw on a Lane #1 from the old timer who taught me.....

Jim Rogers

[Okrafarmer]

Even in that condition, a Super M ought to be worth at least $1,000 to somebody. Since they were only made for a short time, and were a great tractor, the collectors love them. So do the antique tractor pullers. Certain parts, as PC stated, are different from a standard M, so those who need Super M parts are always looking for one like that. Plus, it would probably be a relatively easy rebuild and restoration, it wouldn't have to go for parts. In Virginia, antique tractor prices seem to average a little higher than they do in the central states, so I think you ought to be able to get at least $1,000 as is, if you advertise it enough. The W-40 is also sought after, so don't sell it cheap either. It ought to be worth at least $3,000 running, and maybe more.

[Okrafarmer]

Here's a WK-40 restored, they want $4,900 for it. The WK was just a different fuel option of the same tractor.

http://www.tractorhouse.com/list/list.aspx?ETID=1&catid=1100&Manu=INTERNATIONAL&Mdltxt=WK40&mdlx=exact

[steamsawyer]

Hey Buddyw,

I am impressed with your sawmill and stuff. Can't wait to see it running. I am more partial to the old circular mills and I always like to see another one come out of moth balls and go back to work.

Nice score on the old tractors too. Does the Super M  have the torque amplifyer? That is a lever on the side of the transmission that gives you a high and low range and it can be shifted while underway without useing the clutch. The TA was popular around here and was available on other models up into the 60s. I worked in an International dealership in the early 70s. At that time the old H and M modles were still working every day. The Super MTA was only built for one year, 1954.

Alan

[Buddyw]

Thanks of the good words on those old tractors, I will most likely will get them running again wheather I do anything with them or not. They will bring more if running but , I cant stand owning something that wont run. I guess im just sick .....  I do have a question about the mill I have. I had a old friend





















(long retired) come by yesterday ,he took a good look at my mill. He and I , mostly him, started taking inventory of my stuff. Seems like my Lane mill had a feature call a (reseater) ???? I think that is what he said.  This resets the set works ?  I do see a gear linked to the set works mounted down under the carrage but , I seem to be missing the gear or shafts /pullys that link this to whatever makes it work.  I think I need a drawing or a parts book...what yall think ? 

[beenthere]

It is spelled receder. But pronounced as you spelled it. ;D

It gigs back the carriage when you want the knees back.  But there are a variety of ways to accomplish the task.

[drobertson]

Slow I am, not realizing that old iron is precious to others, here is our "M" been in the family for years and years, lots of wheat and milo from this warrior,  stills runs, first tractor I ever plowed with, Buddy stay with yours, it will work just fine,  david

  

  

 

[beenthere]

That old M needs some love and tender care.  ;D

[drobertson]

been rebuilt at least three times, this ole "M" runs man, and yea it needs a coat for sure, been robbed of starters and batteries all its life, Uncle Jesse, has been a good master on it, he made the rooster tail for it,  a bit over kill, but no failures with it,  time will tell on it's outcome, but it is safe for now, 

[thecfarm]

That tractor looks just fine to me. looks like it needs to used more than what it is. Rooster tail? looks like one too,but what's the use of it? Makes things easier-quicker? I never saw or heard of one before.