I want a new mill.

[shelby78]

I cut some more oak yesterday and i am wishing my mill would hurry up and sell so i can get a hydraulic mill. This oak is frikin heavy stuff. My tractor can barely lift it onto the mill and i don't think i could get any longer than 12ft lifted when doing the 30 inch stuff.

I was suprized the tractor skidded the oak with no real issues. I wasen't sure if in the snow it would pull out the 15fter or not. It was packy snow if it makes any difference. The packy snow sure made a difference milling as after you packed it it was like walking on some kind or frozen water or something 

This is my first winter with the mill and i can say now that running it in the snow isn't near as much fun as not. I'm watching a used lt40 super and a lt70 right now and hoping they don't sell before mine does.

My oak has been selling so well that i decided to try milling in the snow as i was out of lumber. I sell green, rough cut and get $2.50 a bdft and guys are coming from up to 200kms away to buy it. I'll sure be sorry when the oak runs out..

Anyway pics or it didn't happen.



 



 



 



 



 

[drobertson]

What a way to go! massive, and brutal weather for sure, good luck,  david

[ladylake]

 If lumber is selling good at $2.50 a bf get a loan and get that hydraulic mill.   Steve

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I won't comment on the weather  ......but that's a "High Dollar" log. Good work. 

[customsawyer]

I would have to say that after being in NB, Canada the last two weeks and walking through Home Depot. I know exactly why you have such a good market up there. Most of the Home Depot hardwood was right around $10.00/bf. It wasn't even that good of lumber, lots of splits and bad spots.

[WoodenHead]

Shelby,

If the LT40SH and the LT70 were the ones listed on kijiji (Caledon and Bancroft), I've been keeping an eye on them too   ;D  Unfortunately I haven't seen either lately, so I'm guessing they have sold.

Those are some nice logs!  I'm about 2 hours away and can't seem to source red oak much over 14" in diameter.  I think you're getting away with $2.50/bdft green because of the width.  My brother-in-law is a cabinet maker.  He pays about $2.50-$3.00/bdft for top quality kiln dried delivered, but typically buys it in 4"-6" widths.  For maple he's paying about $3.00-$4.00/bdft kiln dried delivered.

[learner]

Just a thought shelby78 but have you considered a ramp?  Something you could use to PUSH the logs onto the mill with your tractor?

[dgdrls]

Shelby78,

I'm there too, but I have no mill to work with :

The oak your skidding out is some dandy looking material,
If you have a buyer for all you can saw it might be worth
leveling a pad and dropping your mill to ground level and sawing away.
Run your operation that way for a while and get the benefit or easy demonstrations for potential buyers.

DGDrls

[scully]

weather ! yeah my mill is burried but I have to dig it out ! Your advantage is a tractor ! what I wouldn't give for anything with forks and a bucket ! We got so lucky with the good weather but over nite we got dumped on and it is nuts how bad that brought things to a grinding hault . I hope you get the mill you want looks like you sure have some great stuff to saw ! As meantioned Home depot and others are getting a ton for hard wood ! I looked at a red oak board a few weeks ago and almost blacked out ! are you kidding !

[thecfarm]

Do you have a small knoll? Could put the mill on the low side and put down 2 logs to push the logs onto the mill. Would have to crib up the 2 logs.

[dboyt]

Shelby, if you like the Norwood, you might take a look at the MX34 band saw mill.  You can add hydraulics to it all at once, or one piece at a time.  Meanwhile, here's a link to a thread that has some techniques for turning big logs.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,62818.0.html

It looks like you could just about make a temporary ramp and log deck out of snow!  My hat's off to you for milling in that weather.  It is just a few degrees below 0 C and I'm leaving the tarp on the mill.  Nice oak... and a good price for the lumber.  About twice what I could get for it here in Missouri!

Best, and happy new year!

[shelby78]

dboyt:  I'm not real big on the norwood style so i will be going with a woodmizer if i do sell mine. I get winters off so thats when i do alot of milling. Set-up in uneven snowy conditions i believe the woodmizer with its rigid frame will shine.

I did see your log turning tractor trick and after useing it the last few months it had made a huge difference dealing with the large oak. Even with 2 guys on my big logrite its rediculous to turn at 12ft 30 inch oak.

Log loading guys:  I have considered a ramp as i already have a electric winch i thought about mounting. It would double duty when i find a customer with no material handling gear.



WoodenHead: SSSHHHHH  Don't tell everyone where the mills are. My last batch of oak i sold to a furniture maker and he took everthing i had at the time ($1800 worth) I've had 3 different guys come from between oshawa and  hamilton in the last 2 days and they all said you can't get good wood in toronto.

Log Value?:  I have no idea what a log like this would be worth to a buyer but i am kinda curious.... I'm kinda wastefull as the wood is free but after i made all my cuts and at my pricing i'll get $800 out of the lumber. $250 of it is already gone.

I skidded some smaller stuff out today from the tops of the trees to more live edge stuff as it is selling quickly all the suppen. I figure it too cold to play outside so everyone is looking on the net and seeing my lumber for sale.

This log isnt near as nice as the last few big oaks i cut down. I never know what to cut so now i do half 1's and half 2's. As soon as i cut all 1's a guy wants 2's and vice versa.

There is already 3 slabs gone from the pile in the pic, but thats what i got out of it.