5-29 milling and cherry spaghetti mess

RPowers · May 31, 2014, 12:04:04 AM

I milled for two customers yesterday about 40 miles from home. The first one had a log pile they wanted 10x10 and 8x8 timbers out of. Mostly post oak with a few black oaks and one hickory.

Thankfully there was a small backhoe to pull the logs out and load them onto the mill. One of the big black oaks had a really pretty black/red marbling inside, and the customer decided to slab that one up. Very pretty stuff.

While I was cutting a neighbor stopped by and wanted me to come see his logs, so after 4 hours I finished up and took a look at about a day's worth of oak and walnut he wants milled next weekend. More work is always good! Then on to my afternoon client who had this for me.

That is a 48" Logrite leaning against the cherry piece. This was a nice tree, about 28" DBH, that blew down during a storm. They had managed to use tow straps to drag up several 4' sections. I helped pull out several more pieces including a large crotch, and we set up and got to milling. I discovered that the woodmizer will clog up with haste when you have to rip a cherry crotch on it.

What a flippin mess! After about every two cuts it was so clogged that we went to work with a screwdriver and leaf blower cleaning out around the belts and rollers, and that was after leaving the wheel covers open so much of the saw~~dust~~strings could blow out. I wonder if I cut those little metal fingers off if this wouldn't happen? Anyway, it was worth it, and the customer was really proud of his big cherry crotch pieces we cut. No bark inclusion or anything, just perfect color and pattern!

This crotch was over 36" wide at the top, so I ended up cutting a 22" section out of the crotch and ripping across it to catch the largest piece possible. After 8.5 hours working I drove the mill to the next customer's site and dropped it off, then drove the hour back home. Supper was at 9:30 and I was ready to go to bed.

RP

Darrel · May 31, 2014, 01:34:59 AM

Being tired from a day like that is a good thing in my way of thinking.

kelLOGg · May 31, 2014, 05:22:00 AM

I guess the crotch was so short (wider than it was long) that you had to lay it on the mill with the bark perpendicular to the travel direction. I've never cut that way. Maybe that caused the strings. Beautiful wood and a very busy and productive day.
Bob

Chuck White · May 31, 2014, 06:59:31 AM

I believe Bob has it, you need to saw cross-ways, not parallel with the grain in order to avoid the spaghetti mess!

BBTom · May 31, 2014, 07:18:29 AM

Do not remove the fingers. They are there to stop a broken blade from flying out the chute to slice and dice a customer or bystander.

Peter Drouin · May 31, 2014, 07:32:31 AM

I cut mine out , And never had a blade come out of it and it's only been 27 years. :D ;)

petefrom bearswamp · May 31, 2014, 07:48:02 AM

Peter,
Me too but it has only been 14 yrs.
Pete

drobertson · May 31, 2014, 08:05:25 AM

Sounds like you are getting in and running! I do like the look of the stained oak, if memory serves me the lumber graders call it some kind of mineral stain, and knock the grade be cause of it. In any case it has plenty of beauty in my book. As to the spaghetti, I have never ripped on the saw, but can see why you may have, as it makes clamping a little easier. I have done similar size logs by resting them on a wide board and blocking them in on each side. I hope your business and good travels continue,

thecfarm · May 31, 2014, 08:18:27 AM

A chain will do the spaghetti,noodling, thing too when cutting the same way.
Maybe a diffeant blade MIGHT help that part. I wonder if WM would know?

Dave Shepard · May 31, 2014, 09:45:45 AM

I cut the fingers out of my sawdust chute. I don't advise anyone else does it, but I don't get clogs anymore. As the sawyer, I don't allow anyone on that side of the mill, or anywhere near the head when it's running. Besides, if the band wants out, it's going to find a way:

backwoods sawyer · May 31, 2014, 11:05:36 AM

I milled a 36 box elder stump. The block was 24" and the only way to get wide boards was making ripping cuts. Removing the fingers would not help as it don't let loose of the saw and plugs up around the guide, the brake and the top.
Thats why I go by the hourly rate for specialty cut.

Before removing the fingers you got to ask yourself if you would run a chainsaw with out the chain gaurd because it keeps plugging up when ripping

The safety features are there for your safety

Peter Drouin · May 31, 2014, 01:02:24 PM

Quote from: Dave Shepard on May 31, 2014, 09:45:45 AM
I cut the fingers out of my sawdust chute. I don't advise anyone else does it, but I don't get clogs anymore. As the sawyer, I don't allow anyone on that side of the mill, or anywhere near the head when it's running. Besides, if the band wants out, it's going to find a way:

I'm going too fast thought the log to have the blade come out like that. My blades get all caught up in the log.

Quote from: backwoods sawyer on May 31, 2014, 11:05:36 AM

The safety features are there for your safety

I took all the [safety junk off] my mill, lawnmower, truck and the rest of my stuff. So much [safety] it makes me sick. I just use common sense. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D But the rest of you keep it on, Don't do as I do. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Dad2FourWI · May 31, 2014, 01:45:31 PM

Wow, I love that Oak!!!!

Nice pics!

What is the old saying.... "Hard day, Soft bed!" :D

-Dad2FourWI

drobertson · May 31, 2014, 02:08:32 PM

Thanks Peter for the humor! It really is a laugh :D :D :D, Without these humorous situations why we would not have any stats at all, Seems I recall a story just a few days ago of a concrete saw coming loose and causing some major issues on a busy side walk, I'm sure you enjoy stirring the pot, just hope it does not slosh on your forearm while boiling at high speed low drag,

Now I know, everyone is looking and waiting for Peter's response, safety starts with me! is a motto I hold to,
I've seen high speed low drag, if the tolerances allow this, then all for it, but safety has no room for arrogance or ignorance, just saying, freak things happen, then what?

Joe Hillmann · May 31, 2014, 02:55:22 PM

Growing up my family had a woodmizer that always broke blades. We would be lucky to get one sharpening out of a blade, woodmizer was out several times and they could never figure out the problem. Any ways from the blades constanty hitting the fingers the two side ones were bent completely over and the center one was busted out and a hole punched through the dust chute. There were several blades that would shoot out when they broke. Most of the time they would end up with only a few feet of the blade sticking out but there was at least one where the entire blade shot out and ended up with the near end of the blade several feet away from the mill.

When a blade would break it would happen in the blink of an eye. I can't imagine the damage a loose blade would do to a person who happened to be there when a blade broke.

I would suggest running the mill with all the guards in place, they are there for a reason. And even then not letting anyone on either side of the mill or in front of the blade when it is running.

ozarkgem · May 31, 2014, 07:15:43 PM

If safety crap stops me from using a piece of equipment or really is not about safety I unhook it. I leave the chain brake on the saw because it really does not cause a problem
My zero turn lawnmower disengages the blade every time you back up. Going to unhook that little "safety" thing.

drobertson · May 31, 2014, 09:31:33 PM

On the Lt-40's, it's really not about stopping anything in regards to milling, it's about safety, and I have to say this all got started by someone new at milling. Rip sawing is a good recipe for clogs, no other way to say it.
Laughing is good medicine for sure, but not at the expense of injury, sawmilling is dangerous and I believe we all with band mills have pushed the envelope. Freak accidents happen, then there is no turning back, I mean no disrespect to Peter, just the laughing gets me a little,

Peter Drouin · May 31, 2014, 09:47:36 PM

RPower's, You got the job done, And a find job you did, Now you will know what happens when you cut that way. And the wood looks good. 8) 8) 8)

5quarter · May 31, 2014, 11:56:25 PM

Peter...I'm with you. Safety this, safety that, blahblahblah...No added safety feature can replace common sense ;)

.

ozarkgem · June 01, 2014, 06:29:35 AM

2 yrs ago a local Amish was sawing with a push bandmill, I think it was a small Woodmizer. It was spring and the wind was blowing and he walked around to turn the log and I guess he left the mill engaged , not sure how they work but the wind blew the mill and it caught him in the left leg. Almost cut his leg off. I saw him hobbling around at a sale a few months later.

Peter Drouin · June 01, 2014, 08:54:00 AM

Quote from: ozarkgem on June 01, 2014, 06:29:35 AM
2 yrs ago a local Amish was sawing with a push bandmill, I think it was a small Woodmizer. It was spring and the wind was blowing and he walked around to turn the log and I guess he left the mill engaged , not sure how they work but the wind blew the mill and it caught him in the left leg. Almost cut his leg off. I saw him hobbling around at a sale a few months later.

You can't fix stupid. :

backwoods sawyer · June 01, 2014, 12:54:00 PM

Quote from: Peter Drouin on June 01, 2014, 08:54:00 AM
You can't fix stupid. :

No but guards can keep acidents from happening.

I bought a mill that had all the safety stuff removed or cut off. over the first year I replaced all the guards just to keep all my fingers. Now I have a safe machine to operate and can focus on sawing.

A few years ago I had a guy on my crew loose the end of his finger in a chain sprocket. After he got back to work I got together with him and the safety committy as we had not been able to pin down egzacly how he had done it. He says I was here at my work station and I reached around like this and at that point he stuck his finger thru a hole in a guard and pulled back another bleeding finger

So Peter you are right you can't fix stupid, But a new style of guard ment the next one would not be tempted to stick his finger in the same hole with all the moving parts.

Peter Drouin · June 01, 2014, 01:33:43 PM

Quote from: backwoods sawyer on June 01, 2014, 12:54:00 PM
Quote from: Peter Drouin on June 01, 2014, 08:54:00 AM
You can't fix stupid. :
No but guards can keep acidents from happening.

I bought a mill that had all the safety stuff removed or cut off. over the first year I replaced all the guards just to keep all my fingers. Now I have a safe machine to operate and can focus on sawing.

A few years ago I had a guy on my crew loose the end of his finger in a chain sprocket. After he got back to work I got together with him and the safety committy as we had not been able to pin down egzacly how he had done it. He says I was here at my work station and I reached around like this and at that point he stuck his finger thru a hole in a guard and pulled back another bleeding finger So Peter you are right you can't fix stupid, But a new style of guard ment the next one would not be tempted to stick his finger in the same hole with all the moving parts.

Well, If you make everything,[ stupid proof,] There won't be any smart people left. Nothing to learn to teach the young.
I have had a lot of guys work for me , I watched them the first hour and if they had no clue, I let them go. I don't have time for stupid.

RPower's sorry for making spaghetti of your thread.

jcbrotz · June 01, 2014, 06:49:53 PM

Quote from: Peter Drouin on June 01, 2014, 01:33:43 PM
Quote from: backwoods sawyer on June 01, 2014, 12:54:00 PM
Quote from: Peter Drouin on June 01, 2014, 08:54:00 AM
You can't fix stupid. :
No but guards can keep acidents from happening.

I bought a mill that had all the safety stuff removed or cut off. over the first year I replaced all the guards just to keep all my fingers. Now I have a safe machine to operate and can focus on sawing.

A few years ago I had a guy on my crew loose the end of his finger in a chain sprocket. After he got back to work I got together with him and the safety committy as we had not been able to pin down egzacly how he had done it. He says I was here at my work station and I reached around like this and at that point he stuck his finger thru a hole in a guard and pulled back another bleeding finger So Peter you are right you can't fix stupid, But a new style of guard ment the next one would not be tempted to stick his finger in the same hole with all the moving parts.

Well, If you make everything,[ stupid proof,] There won't be any smart people left. Nothing to learn to teach the young.
I have had a lot of guys work for me , I watched them the first hour and if they had no clue, I let them go. I don't have time for stupid.

RPower's sorry for making spaghetti of your thread.

In my prior life as an electrician at old proctor I used to tell management they will just make a smarter idiot if I keep idiot proofing everything, Sometime I asked them to look in the mirror. :D

drobertson · June 01, 2014, 07:06:47 PM

Lots of talk about stupid, the three deflectors in the out shoot of the Lt-40's are just a simple means of keeping large objects from flying out. After a pile of logs and dust, how many board feet? maybe close to a million, they have never been an issue for me. An occasional clog from cedar, and wet pine, that's about it, easily fixed with a knife or thump and flip of the hinged shoot, I see no valid reasoning in taking these out, however, if common sense is the basis, then by all means, this could and should be applied to many facets of sawing and log handling. Laughing is out of the question in regards to safety in my opinion. A recipe for grief.