Im still adding on

[lyle niemi]

I installed this conveyor today to get the slabs away from the mill

 

[slider]

what are you going to load them on ,a dump.

[bandmiller2]

Lyle, which do you like better farming or milling, and which pays better.?? Much of a market for slabs in your area.?? Frank C.

[lyle niemi]

Lyle, which do you like better farming or milling, and which pays better.?? Much of a market for slabs in your area.?? Frank C.

I like milling better then farming, Farming really isn't in my blood but I thought I would try it. I only have a 100 acres of farmland and I rented another 100 but that isn't enough land to make a living on. I didn't even put a crop in this year, price of fuel is up and the price of grain is down. The seed cleaning plant is shut down and its hard to get fertilizer this year. That was to many strikes for me.

The mill will pay off if I can keep on getting bigger logs for making planks. Its a lot of hard work tho. I lose all my steam by about 4 pm.

I think there is a market for slabs if I can easily process them into 16 inch lengths. If its to much labour involved is cheaper to lite a match

[red oaks lumber]

early on i thought i needed to cut slabs 16" long. what i found is people still bought them full length.
the question i asked myself, i'll ask you. are you in the  lumber buisness or the slab buisness?

[lyle niemi]

early on i thought i needed to cut slabs 16" long. what i found is people still bought them full length.
the question i asked myself, i'll ask you. are you in the  lumber buisness or the slab buisness?

yep, I ask myself that question all the time...lol

[Don_Papenburg]

Why can't you be in both ?  you are making both products. 
How about setting up an automated  slab slicer that would cut the slabs to a predetermined length. Somewhat like a firewood processer.

[lyle niemi]

Why can't you be in both ?  you are making both products. 
How about setting up an automated  slab slicer that would cut the slabs to a predetermined length. Somewhat like a firewood processer.

any ideas on how to build one?

[Don_Papenburg]

I'm  not sure , but you built the off bearer belt system with the hydraulics  I figured that you could whip one up in no time . 
Might use several cross cut blades  spaced to your spec. on a single shaft .
Or several of  the hydraulic harvester saw chain
A powered roller table with an auto stop , equipped with a bumpstop micro switch to activate the saws  .
I don't have time to build this thing for you so jump in any time . we don't want to burn up good money.
speaking of good money ,how about a slab sander  and a spray booth ? you sand spray on a finish  and put it on craigs list for $300. Poston could use some compediters

[stefan]

Why can't you be in both ?  you are making both products. 
How about setting up an automated  slab slicer that would cut the slabs to a predetermined length. Somewhat like a firewood processer.

any ideas on how to build one?

I have seen setups like that where the slab moves along a flat conveyer, and when the slab touches a plate at the end of the conveyer that is set to determine the lenght to be cut, it also triggers an arm that holds the slab and stops the conveyer while a sawblade makes the cut.
The sawblade was mounted on a arm so it could swing back and forth and air cylinders were used both for clamping and swinging the sawblade arm.
I dont know if you are using air on your mill, but air can be a problem when it is cold, and i belive you did alot of sawing in the winter.
But the same thing can easily be made with hydralics using relatively small cylinders, and gas accumulators can be added to the cylinders if suspension is needed.

[mad murdock]

Looks like you got sawdust mountain growing in the back behind the shovel in the first pic. Have a plan for that?  If not, you will need that acreage to put the sawdust. Any market around you for sawdust?  Commercial blueberry operations use a lot of it, as well as horse stables. Maybe you need to add steam power and burn your waste as you turn it into power?

[stefan]

After i put some more thought into this it occured to me that it may not even be nessesary to use air or hydralics at all for moving the saw and clamping the slab (i say maybye)

An electric motor with a wormgear to reduce the rpm´s to something suitable could drive a axle acting as a crank or camshaft, lifting the arm from the slab and retracting the sawblade.

With weights added you can let gravity move the saw through the slab and provide the clamping force.
What would be needed is, at least, a switch that stops the motor after one completed cycle, much like a windshieldwiper.

I dont know if this would be a better way to do it than using air or hydraulics, but it could perhaps be a cheap and easy way to do it, and also would not require the use of pumps and valves.


edit; spell check...

[beenthere]

Maybe the "chomper" idea that is used to pass a knife blade through logs to crosscut them.
If the slab could slide down a chute to a stop, the chomper (guillotine-like) could be triggered and the cut piece drops out, then the slab slides forward for a repeat.
This is the simplest I can think of, that is "hands-off".

Stefan's idea sounds possible too.


Anything automatic has its dangerous side.

[North River Energy]

Lyle,
I have a Cornell slab saw that I plan to refurbish and eventually use.  I can take the necessary photos if you feel like fabricating something.  The auto cycle controls have been removed, but the saw head movement is controlled by a long hydraulic ram and what appears to be a GM style power steering pump.

Have also seen at least one running on YouTube. Looked to be at least semi-automatic.

[lyle niemi]

Lyle,
I have a Cornell slab saw that I plan to refurbish and eventually use.  I can take the necessary photos if you feel like fabricating something.  The auto cycle controls have been removed, but the saw head movement is controlled by a long hydraulic ram and what appears to be a GM style power steering pump.

Have also seen at least one running on YouTube. Looked to be at least semi-automatic.

I would love to see some pics that's for sure

[lyle niemi]

Looks like you got sawdust mountain growing in the back behind the shovel in the first pic. Have a plan for that?  If not, you will need that acreage to put the sawdust. Any market around you for sawdust?  Commercial blueberry operations use a lot of it, as well as horse stables. Maybe you need to add steam power and burn your waste as you turn it into power?

I use the sawdust fr under log decks and under lumber piles, keeps the dirt off everything. I will have a market for sawdust once I get enough of it. I was told I could sell it for 30 bucks/yrd. I think that is a good price.

[lyle niemi]

Maybe the "chomper" idea that is used to pass a knife blade through logs to crosscut them.
If the slab could slide down a chute to a stop, the chomper (guillotine-like) could be triggered and the cut piece drops out, then the slab slides forward for a repeat.
This is the simplest I can think of, that is "hands-off".

Stefan's idea sounds possible too.


Anything automatic has its dangerous side.

this sounds like a good idea, if it don't work for slabs I can contract it out to the justice system..lol

[Don_Papenburg]

Lots of good ideas .  I like the simple automation as that seems to work best .
you do not want to be handling slabs while the lumber is coming off the mill.

[North River Energy]

These guys moved out yesterday.  Didn't even say goodbye:(


 



 
Shiny rod is the forward/back hydraulic ram.


  
The pair of rusty round parallel bars are the guides/carriage.  The saw rides on bushings with a drip type oiler (vertical cylinder at the tail end of the feed ram).  This rig was out in the weather before I took ownership...


 
Back view of the drive sheaves.  An electric motor mounted to the top of the frame, engaging the three belts to the upper right.
 

 
The business end.  Hydraulic pump, table, and manual jog spool.

Let me know if you want more detail.  In retrospect, the hydraulic shear might be the easier/cheaper/safer way to go, and you could run it with a standard issue auto-cycle splitter valve.  Find an old forklift frame and you're 75% there.

[lyle niemi]

Thanx for the pics, This should help if I build something

[lyle niemi]

The slab conveyor is working pretty dang good!

 

[Peter Drouin]

So what do you do with them now on the ground?

[lyle niemi]

So what do you do with them now on the ground?

Pick em up and bring them to the big pile

[redprospector]

Just curious, and mean no offense, but doesn't it take a long time to move a "straw stacked" pile of slabs like that.
My Dad had a pretty big wood shop when I was growing up. He also had 2 sizes of feet. One was a size 6D, and the other was a size 11E. Every time I piled the off fall from the rip saw like that, I got the #11 in the seat of my britches.
Is there a secret to moving a pile like that?

[lyle niemi]

Just curious, and mean no offense, but doesn't it take a long time to move a "straw stacked" pile of slabs like that.
My Dad had a pretty big wood shop when I was growing up. He also had 2 sizes of feet. One was a size 6D, and the other was a size 11E. Every time I piled the off fall from the rip saw like that, I got the #11 in the seat of my britches.
Is there a secret to moving a pile like that?

I can use the trackhoe or the 966

[redprospector]

Just moving them to a burn pile?

[lyle niemi]

Just moving them to a burn pile?

Yep, might try to make a slab processor eventually but for now they will probably get burnt

[redprospector]

Ok, my curiosity is satisfied.  ;) Thanks.

[lyle niemi]

Ok, my curiosity is satisfied.  ;) Thanks.

yer welcome..lol

PS

I have more surprises coming up in the future...lol

[redprospector]

Cool!!!
I can't wait.  :D

[bandmiller2]

Lyle, your pretty rural but is there any demand for bark mulch in your area. Possibly an old hog mill and you would have a saleable product. Frank C.

[bandmiller2]

Lyle, going to be in Banff next week, but I don't think I can convince the tour guide to drive 300 miles north to visit "Lyles mill". That's big country out there. Frank C.

[JB Griffin]

I saw a shear type "board breaker" in Farm Show magazine A while back made out if a old pecker wood hay baler. A square baler has a plunger in it that a wedge could be put on and they run pretty fast cycles about every 1-3 seconds. I'll look it up again and see how they built it.

[Don_Papenburg]

They probably drilled out the 1/4" shear bolt hole too 3/4"