WoodMizer LT10 - Will this carport work? Few Questions....

[Schramm]

I am wanting to get the mill set up by the end of next week so I can get this going.  Right now it is sitting on its pallet in my building.  I want to set it up at my house (not living at for about 1.5 years) and was thinking of setting it up under a carport like the one below.  My questions start with will this be good enough to work under (thinking 7' tall), I am also thinking of putting sides on it.  My next question has to do with foundation, should I just go with gravel or should I opt for a concrete base?  If I opt for concrete I dont think it will happen for at least a month due to the ground being frozen.  Next if I opt for gravel do I put 6" x 6" post material down for the rails?

Thanks for any info you can give as I really want to get this going.
Rob



 

[GAB]

Schramm:
I use a green house that is 26' x 72' as a sawing shed.  I have the mill set up on one side and drag the logs in on the other side (log loader side).  I have been told that those small mills need to be set upon something level and solid.  Otherwise there is a probability of crocked or twisted lumber.  I have an LT40 so I'm going by what I was told by a fellow who for that reason traded his LT15 for an LT40.  In what you have suggested how do you plan on getting the logs along the mill as there appears to be a building keeping you from a pull through.   If you put gravel down and a log gets dragged across it there is a chance that some of the gravel will get imbedded into the bark of the log and gravel is tough on blades.  Others may that have more experience than I have with small mills may and are welcome to chime in with opinions and comments.
Wish you the best,
Gerald

[Schramm]

Well the mill is only 50" wide and I was going to get a 21'L x 20'w port.  I have seen what you have and that is nice and possibly ideal but for my property I thought that this would work better.  I do not like the idea of gravel myself but my brother in law is in the concrete business and he said that the ground freeze rate is too high to put the slab in and I really want to get this going.  It could be 2 months before I get going if I dont go with gravel but I have no idea how to get things level enough as I only have the LT10 which needs very level area from what I understood.

Rob

[Ianab]

Re the gravel, can you get a relatively coarse rock? Thinking 1-2"? This way you don't get the small sand and grit  into the logs. The mill area is going to get packed down with sawdust anyway, so you wont be walking on bare rocks for very long.

As for the mill support? A couple of heavy beams laid down on the gravel should support it. You can chock the beams up with shims to get everything level. If it moves over time it can be re-adjusted. A more permanent approach is to put in some concrete piers down below the frost level, then mount the beams on those, and then place the mill.

Carport? Only issue I see is log and board handling with those supports / walls. How are you loading the logs and removing the boards? Is the opening large enough to bring full length logs in? Maybe with an LT10 it is?

Ian

[Happycamper]

WM says with the new zinc coated bed which is now 1/4" X 5 and 1/2" the mill can just sit on the ground without support. The older beds were 3/16"X 3". I am in the same situation and just waiting to bring my new LT10 home. I think that change came about within the past year. I'm sure you'll find a way to use the carport for your mill. It's nice to have a cover for it. Put some sleeper on the ground to keep your logs out of the dirt,gravel. Good luck with your mill, great times ahead.

 
                                        Jim

[rooster 58]

   You could set your mill on 6x6 runners and anchor you mill to them. You would need to dig some post  holes and place support posts beneath your 6x6 bedways. You would need to dig the holes below the frostline. After you have the bedways fastened to the support posts, you could place bracing between the two runners to stiffen things up. I hope this gives you an idea

[drobertson]

I agree with Ian, if you can get it oriented to the opening it should give you quite a bit of room, If it were me, I would limit the gravel to just under the support beams, I feel this would facilitate cleaning the dust and bark without the hassel of dealing with the chat. Ian is right, the dust will make a nice cushy floor, I love to work on it. beats the heck out of concrete any day.  david

[tyb525]

First off, your building will never be big enough. You will always wish it was bigger.

Gravel is a great base. Get a couple heavy beams 12-14' long, they should be 6x6 minimum and straight as possible. I would then screw 2x4s onto each one, and mount the mill to that. You will need some hardwood shims, softwood shims compress too easy.

Use a string to make sure the rails are straight and level. Use a level across the rails to make sure they are level all along the bed.

After using the mill some, check it for level and straightness of the rails again. Remember your lumber will only be as accurate as your mill is set up.

You will have it good under that carport. My LT10 is set up on a small gravel pad with no roof overhead, and a very tight space to load logs with the tractor.

Just remember, you want the base as rock solid as possible, because the mill will slowly move and slide around as you load logs and turn cants.

[beenthere]

Start out on the gravel and get some sawing done. And in time when the ground dries out, and when you can get around to it, then slide the mill out, pour some 'crete and re-set the mill again. Cleaning up around will be so much better with a slab to work on, I'd think.

[tyb525]

The good thing about dirt is the wood waste slowly gets packed into the ground and turns to dirt :D concrete would be nice though.

If you go with concrete, I would put a rubber mat (such as a livestock mat) between the timbers and the concrete. It reduces the shock on the mill when you turn heavy cants but it is stiff enough to keep everything solid.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I don't know the type of soil ya'll have up there but down in S.C. we have RED CLAY. The floor in my shed is Red Clay and has become as hard a concrete.....some what. I like a good firm dirt floor.

[francismilker]

The shed should work just fine.  As others have said, it will never be big enough in the end.  Because it doesn't have an open side you'll have to drag your logs in so I'd recommend setting up a log cradle outside that's perpendicular to the end opening of the shed and then a wooden trough built off the cradle that's parrallel with the mill to drag logs in to the shed.  This way, you'll never deal with much dirt or rocks ground into the log bark and there will be less resistance from the log when dragging.  A

A good post with a winch anchored to it would work great as a means to drag the logs into the mill. 

As for mounting the LT-10, I chose to mount mine on a skid I made out of heavy 4x4 square tubing.  The mill is bolted to it and it's heavy enough guage metal to mount an axle under if I ever get around to it. 

I'm actually fixing to pour a couple 8" concrete runner 16" high to set my mill on. I've found when dealing with big logs there's quite a bit of rocking and rolling going on when I roll them with the tractor and it's hard to keep a mill shimmed level in my soil type so I'm going to pour some concrete.  This will also make it easier for me to back a 16' utility trailer up to the concrete runners and use a chain hoist to skid the mill on for easy moving to another location.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

On this garage, you can cut out the 2 center beams and add a beam to go across, giving you room to bring logs in from the side.

[Schramm]

Thanks for all the great ideas!  I actually called WoodMizer this morning and the great people there told me to use the yard as the base, they said to level it as much as I could and use some 6x6's the entire length of the track and 3 or 4 coming toward the area to load the mill.  Much the same that was offered by you guys!  They said NOT to use either gravel or concrete that the zink coated rails can sit direct on the ground.  I personally like the idea of putting them on posts with inner and out stakes not to mention the cost savings.

Rob

[tyb525]

On the subject of pulling logs into the building, when I had my mill in the barn, I built a cart on raiload-type track. I could load a log onto it outside, then push it inside by hand. My mill was the same height as the cart so I could roll it onto the mill. I stacked the lumber onto it and rolled it back outside to stack. I loved it but mom wanted the barn so I had to move the mill outside :D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

On the subject of pulling logs into the building, when I had my mill in the barn, I built a cart on raiload-type track. I could load a log onto it outside, then push it inside by hand. My mill was the same height as the cart so I could roll it onto the mill. I stacked the lumber onto it and rolled it back outside to stack. I loved it but mom wanted the barn so I had to move the mill outside :D

If Mom ain't happy, ain't know body happy.  I like the rail idea. 

[dgdrls]

Here is what I did with mine when I set it,
Once set run some logs through it and then recheck your level.
Remember to balance your bed height with how much work is it to
get wood off vs how hard is it to roll logs up the loading ramps :D



 

DGDrls

[Schramm]

Here is what I did with mine when I set it,
Once set run some logs through it and then recheck your level.
Remember to balance your bed height with how much work is it to
get wood off vs how hard is it to roll logs up the loading ramps :D



 

DGDrls

I guess I am lucky I have semi level ground to begin with and a brother in law that is a concrete contractor with a skidsteer so it wont have to be set up as a ramp.  The one thing that WM said was if it leans forward or backward too much the head will roll forward quickly when it comes out of the log or could come back at you.  They said that stops when you get it close to level.
How do you push the head forward at the end as that seems too high to walk next too and it much be a pain to get a log on it.  Have you had it running on there yet?  I only ask as I see your head unit over on the pallet.

Rob

[dgdrls]

was not as high as it looks,  I walked the left (right as your looking at it) side,  after a few logs the sawdust was built right up.
Loading was a little tough but off-bearing was easier because I didn't have to bend down as far to slide off boards.

Get the mill level, or maybe a touch downhill.  The head will roll, a reasonable breeze will move it and a good
breeze will roll it along,  when your done sawing for the day set a rod through the carriage and track to "park it".
I forgot that one night and the head was derailed the next day after a windy night.

I sold the mill this past December, that is a different thread :D



 

[Compensation]

My lt10 is on gravel. I had 53's brought in and packed it and graded it with my dozer. Have a heavy canvas tarp covering the head. This spring i wanna build a trailer out of 2x6 tube and start storing it in the barn. If you have issues getting the log in the shelter, just cut some round steel tube and use them as caveman rollers. Sure beats putting the shelter on rollers

[Kingcha]

Good reading, I again am learning more.

I am ordering the lt 15 this spring.  I am hoping to put it under a steel shelter to.   I have found one 24' wide so I can run the mill the width of it.   Made by VersaTube.

http://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/versatubes-carports-shelters/metal-carports-shelters-frame-only/24w-x-18l-x-8-5h-storage-shelter-frame/p-1441914-c-5865.htm

I figure that if I decide to build a permanent shelter I can use this for a variety of things later.

[Schramm]

Yeah I was just at Menards buying interior doors for my house and checked out those sheds however you can get them much less expensive then that which will be fine.  I hate to waste money and I did not see the extra cost for any extra benefits.

Rob

[bandmiller2]

The railroad idea is a good one especially if the hight is close so you can just roll logs on the mill.It would also be helpfull to remove heavy beams, slabs and lumber. "V" castor wheels running on ^ angle iron work well.I used my bandmill for years on half burried RR ties summer and winter and checked the level often ,no change.Some sawdust spread around goes a long way in preventing frost heaves. Frank C.

[rimshot]

I like the idea of raising the bed up off the ground s foot or two.  The reason is because at the end of the day, The log dogs are usually lost in the sawdust.  That is just one reason why I always sweep up the sawdust from down between the be rails.  Can you imagine how hard that becomes when the mill is down on top of gravel with no real room to get rid of the sawdust and it's all tangled with cross braces for the bed rails.  I know, some of you do it that way and it works for you.  But I'm doing it too and I am gonna raise this lt 10 up a couple feet.

I lagged a 4 X 4 to my bed bottom and that seems to work fine.  I also left an opening to each end so I can take a 2 x 4  and rake out between rails if it is down on the ground or my flat deck trailer it is setting on. 

Good luck there have been lot's of good methods coming out.

rimshot

[Schramm]

I have to agree lots of various great ideas and good reasoning behind them.  WoodMizer did bring up that gravel is a nightmare to clean up around or getting it out from under the rails.  I cannot wait to get this going.

Rob