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How to train your sawyer.

Started by AdirondackMill, April 07, 2015, 04:22:54 PM

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AdirondackMill

Might as well be a dreamworks movie...
I've tried a googling the crap out of sawyers, and schooling, and help wanted adds. My sawyer is closing in on retirement. Hes a difficult man to get a long with so getting him to train someone is next to impossible. I think he might be afraid of being replaced. I need another sawyer. I know they used to have a Sawmill Course at Paul Smiths College. Anybody know of any other schools for teaching someone how to run a saw? Or where to find a or advertise that I need a sawyer.
Thanks
3rd Generation Sawmill in the foothills of the Adirondacks. Making big timber is what I love.

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Ron Wenrich

I got a sawyer out of Williamsport Pennsylvania College of Technology.  He was very raw, and only knew the fundamentals.  I tutored him for a couple of weeks, and he continued to saw after I left.  Not fast, but improved with practice.  About a year later he called me and asked if I knew of any place in my area that needed a sawyer.  I gave him a few leads, and it ended up he was a top notch sawyer.  I know they have a mill at Penn College, but it is just the basic knowledge.  Maybe give them a call. 

I also had to train a sawyer at my last consulting job in Newark, NJ.  They wanted to try the guy with the most equipment experience.  Turned out he wasn't sawyer material.  Most of the help were work release from jail.  Some good workers, and some not so good.  But, I did have a young kid that was running a Mighty Mite.  He had the basics, but also was raw.  I got him up and running in a couple of weeks.  He wasn't a grade sawyer, but he did well with saw maintenance and could handle logs without wrecking equipment and he was eager to learn.  I wouldn't hesitate using him as a sawyer.  But, I don't have the information on him.  He lived in northern NJ and its been 2 years since that mill closed.

You could train someone, but they have to have the right temperament to be a sawyer.  There are lots of things you have to be aware of.  Saw maintenance is the primary, and that is something that you can show them how to do it, but they learn by making a bunch of mistakes.  They have to have a fairly decent head for numbers.  The math isn't all that tough, but they have to be shown how to do it.  They have to be shown what not to do and what to do.  Things to watch for.  They also have to be the kind of guy that will keep your production up without killing your men or equipment, and give you the quality you need.  I don't know if you have a guy like that in your mill operations right now.  Find out if any of them are interested, or you might have some disgruntled employees feeling they were overlooked. 
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

ladylake

 

You don't train a good sawyer, you should watch what he does.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

Jeff

Quote from: ladylake on April 07, 2015, 06:56:08 PM


You don't train a good sawyer, you should watch what he does.   Steve

When it comes to a commercial circle sawmill sawyer, I highly disagree with that. Most mills don't have the financial resources to train someone that way, and especially to train someone more than once. Its just flat out expensive to train a commercial sawyer. Ron is absolutely right though, it takes a very certain temperament to make a sawyer of this type.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

sandsawmill14

Quote from: ladylake on April 07, 2015, 06:56:08 PM


You don't train a good sawyer, you should watch what he does.   Steve

I agree show him the buttons, tell him to watch the dogs, then stand back and watch if he cant saw ties it in 2 weeks he will never be good at it :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

sandsawmill14

Jeff is right about that.
saw a dog off or push log into side of saw or something but it usually happens after they have been sawing 2-3 months when they think they got it all figured out :D :D  I know of 3 such cases at mills I installed around here. 1 of them had been a sawyer for 20+ yrs but was his first hurdle mill and auto setworks  he said it just outrun him  :D. around here its usually the vertical edger that takes the brunt of the learning curve though.
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

YoungStump

One of my friends had his sawmill sign made out of a saw his sawyer wrecked trying to saw off the dogs.
Echo Enterprises 45HD2 production series band mill, Cook's Edger, sawing mostly pallet cants, rr ties, and grade lumber.

4x4American

I would think that with all the sawmills that used to be around here you'd be able to find one at your local stewarts'!
Boy, back in my day..

Jeff

Quote from: sandsawmill14 on April 07, 2015, 10:08:47 PM

it usually happens after they have been sawing 2-3

Absolutely. Right about the time they THINK they really know what they are doing is when they get the most dangerous.  :)

Here is a topic of interest perhaps. This was a sawyer in training to be a backup when we were running two head rigs. As it turned out, this was a mechanical failure. Something happened with the dogs.

Duck and run! A circle sawyer initiation
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

sandsawmill14

Jeff that duck and run thing and everyone talking about the noise it must have made reminded me of one happen back in jan.   On the scragg mill has a chain between the saws that carries the cants out to live rollers and a bearing went down/broke off and let the idler sprocket fall into vibrator trough and went into chipper. The sprocket was 10" dia. and 1" thick with a 2" shaft in it. It looked like a covey of birds flushed when that thing hit the chipper :o
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

Jeff

We had multiple incidents with a chipper over the years. One time the roof top chain on the green chain had broke just as it went over the drive sprocket. This was the heavy cast chain. Unbeknownst to anyone, it began to feed down the vibrating conveyor. It made itself apparent when it started going into the chipper.  Another time one of the guys mindlessly left a hookaroon laying on the deck he had just used to pull off a tie and forgot it was up there.  The third, and worst time I remember was sabatage. We have no idea who did it. It was not unusual for guys to shut off the shaker conveyor with slabs in it yet, then shut down the chipper. Mostly when they were in a hurry to get out of there.  Well, that practice came to an end when one morning I started up the chipper. Starting sequence always had the shaker slab conveyor start last. First the chipper, then the the chip blower, then the chip conveyor, then the chip shaker screens, then the slab conveyor last.  Sometime after shut down the evening before, someone loaded a bunch of scrap in the mouth of the chipper, and concealed it with slabs. Steel flat stock, angle iron, some old bearings.  Not good.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Peter Drouin

Can't you put a guy in the booth after hours and have him cut slow with 2 or 3 logs to get the feel and know what all the buttons do. for a week or two. Then ½ a day at a time. till they can do it.
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

Lumber Grader

If you need to hire a sawyer for a production circle of band mill, simply put a classified ad in American Lumber and Pallet out of Fayetteville, TN and put one in Lumberman's Equipment Digest out of Columbia, TN.  Between those 2 publications, you have you will get a great sawyer, if you are willing to pay what a good grade sawyer is worth. Just run the ad, until you find the right person.  If you are looking for a really good sawyer, that is fast and really great at grade sawing it will cost you. Some mills will still try to hire a highly skilled and fast sawyer for $10-$15 dollars per hour and wonder why they "can't find a sawyer"??? The reason is because those mills are trying to pay 1981 wages and it is 2015.

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