Sawing a little walnut and an introduction

[TheRidginian]

I've been enjoying the stories and knowledge on this form for a couple of years now and thought I should introduce myself. 
I'm an old Mc Donald-type farmer in Indiana with all of the e-i-o livestock and vegetables.  Most of our land is woods or partially wooded pastures and with all of these tree-sources, it is hard to go buy lumber to build with.  I have now figured out how to make a 2x4 cost twice as much as the lumber yard, and not be able to drive a nail in it  ;D

After fiddling with an old belsaw last summer and never being quite satisfied, I decided that if I was ever to get to making dust before all of the ash trees were junk I needed a bandmill.
So, I picked up my LT35 hydraulic in Indy last month and have been getting the hang of it. 
I have benefited greatly from the knowledge base here and hope to share some of my adventures as I slowly destroy, I mean, learn how to use this machine to its potential.

Here is a decent walnut that a neighbor brought for me to mill.

The log's owner had a sawmill on the end of the ridge, where I worked in high school.  I was not expecting him to be the first person to need a log sawed.  I was a little nervous!

Jerry Eaton

[WV Sawmiller]

Jerry,

   Welcome to the FF. Always glad to see another LT35HD owner show up here to compare notes with. I trust you will enjoy the mill. I'm still well pleased with mine.  I see your bucket hanging on the sawdust chute. I tried that and it kept hitting the wheel  so I restored to original condition. May try again with some minor rework sometimes but the sawdust is not a big issue for me.

   Nice long walnut looking good there. I am sure the customer was happy with it.  Be sure to update your profile with all your equipment list and ill type so we remember when we see future posts from you. Keep us informed as you learn new tricks with the mill. Posting mistakes are fine too - we have all made them and may be able to help some new user (or remind an old timer) from making/repeating the same thing.

   Be sure to read the other threads too as good info in the Health and safety, Food, Chainsaws, logging, etc.

[fishfighter]

Welcome aboard. yes, you are right that there are some great people here to help out us newbee's. :D

And yes, that is a nice Walnut. Wish they would grow down here in the south.

[mad murdock]

Welcome!  Nice walnut log!  Now the project list will grow! 8)

[TheRidginian]

Howard, the little bucket sort of worked to keep the walnut out of the other sawdust.  It is onl 3 gallon or so, and hung out enough it only bumped the tire.  It is a nuisance I only want to deal with for walnut.  I plan to use the sawdust for bedding (along with wood chips and straw) for the critters). 
I would like to figure out a way to keep that fine stuff out of my eyes.  I'm thinking a sawmill shed with a few walls would keep the blowing to a minimum.  Of course I want the shed to 60' long and suspended from a sky hook to keep me from knocking the posts out :D while I only have time to build something along the lines of a doghouse.

[thecfarm]

TheRidginian,welcome to the forum.

[francismilker]

Welcome Aboard! Sawing lumber and making sawdust is one of the most relaxing things I've ever done. Sure, there's mistakes and miscuts along the way, but it's a lot of fun!

[ButchC]

I decided that if I was ever to get to making dust before all of the ash trees were junk

Me too,  Wonder how many 100 new mills that the EAB sold?? ??? I bought a swinger instead of a bandmill but know of 3 other mills within a bicycle ride that were purchased specifically to cut up dead ash.   

[ToddsPoint]

There are piles of ash logs at our local log dump.  I'd bring one home to mill but I still have 6 healthy ash trees in my yard and don't want to bring home bugs.  I'm sure that will change eventually.  *DanG bugs.  I was hoping they'd hit a "biological wall" like the Japanese beetles did as they move south but no sign of it yet.  Gary

[Chuck White]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, TheRidginian!

[BigZ La]

Welcome to the forum.

[samandothers]

Welcome!  Sounds like you have a great start!

Use the neighbors knowledge to help you.  He may enjoy sharing with you and the opportunity to remember and enjoy old times!

[TheRidginian]

You are all right, the ash borer does sell some mills!  It was hard for me to see all of those good logs going to waste, but the payments are also hard... :'( 
Now I am realizing they are going downhill faster than I can ever hope to saw them, and they aren't worth having a logger come in (besides, where is fun in that?)

When my neighbor (the former sawyer) brought the walnut I told him it was his fault, as I got the sawdust bug working for him years back.  He reminded me that my grandfather got his father started, and then him, so I'd need to hang blame a little closer to home...
Grandpa's Corely 395 is still here on the farm, but I wasn't making progress on it fast enough to outrun the ash borers so I went orange.

Here's a picture of the lower log in a big sassafras that went down in a storm a month a go.  Had some rot, but still made some decent boards.

[paul case]

I don't have a lot of ash here on my place but they are still doing fine. I do hear rumors of bugs killing the walnut trees but I am not sure it is the same critter or not.

Some bigger mills near me have been butchering a lot of ash somewhere within 100 miles of here. They got the whoa from the tie buyer so the ash cutting may slow down, but I havnt seen any dead ones from bugs yet.
That is a big sassafras btw.
PC

[plowboyswr]

 Paul, I was reading that they have EAB up around Springfield now and they are headed west according to the department of conservation.

[TheRidginian]

I loaded up some logs...er well more like firewood, on the ole truck the other day.  I was worried they might not want to slide out, but low and behold, it worked.

   .

Going up


On the ground


Even though the old seasoned logs have been on the ground for a year and a half, some sawed up too nice for the current project:  a wheeled chicken brooder.

[TheRidginian]

I need to get this thing under roof.
Should I start another thread to harbor this process?   I have some utility poles and an old house trailer frame I was thinking about using for a span of about 28 feet.  I intend to use some trusses and make the millshed 24' wide and 36.  I have done a fair amount of research on the strength of i beams, but (whodathunk) the oddball, lightweight housetrailer dimension is no-where to be found.  It is 2" x12" with a 3/16" thickness.  I "feel" that this would be strong enough, but you know what those feelings are worth  ;D

I was thinking of sawing out some 2" boards to bolt to the inside also.  Anyone have any experience using this sort of scavenged material?  I'd like to do this on both sides for the building so I can load logs and take away sawn material and slabs without posts interfering.  I am finding that when sawing alone I like to stack the boards up opposite the sawdust perpendicular to the mill.  I need a wide opening to be able to get in and out of a mess like that!

[ChugiakTinkerer]

What you're describing sounds like a flitch beam, assuming I'm understanding your description of the trailer frame correctly.  If you could post a picture of that frame it would be a great help.  A beam made from sandwiching the frame between a couple of 2x12 boards would give you a decently strong beam, I reckon.  As long as you don't have a lot of snow to deal with it could be adequate for the span you are considering.  If it's not, you can always prop a support post or two under it in the winter.

It might not be a bad idea to create another thread just about the sawmill shelter.  Or create one that is your sawing journal.  It just helps in my opinion to have a thread that at least vaguely matches its title.

[TheRidginian]

Once I get a better start I'll get a few pictures and start another thread.  Thanks for the input!

[Kbeitz]

I use old  house trailer frames to build bridges. They take more weight than
you would think...



 



 



 

[TheRidginian]

Kbeitz, that looks to be the same frame as I have.  I guess I could build it and then drive my Kubota up on the roof to test it.  ;D

[Delawhere Jack]

Welcome to the FF. I think a lean-to off the side of that shed where the mill is sitting now would be ideal. Depending on how often you use it, maybe you could store it in one of your existing sheds, and bring it out when you want to use it?

While you work out your design, a motorcycle cover for a "dresser" motorcycle serves well to protect the sawhead from the elements.

[TheRidginian]

The barn in the picture is in my driveway, and there's just not enough room.  I thought about it though.
I have a problem of not enough sheds, and hope the sawmill will help furnish the material to build my way out of that problem.  It is sort of silly to have the new mill in the weather and a couple $1500 dollar tractors in the shed...
I thought I would like the idea of a portable mill, and after moving it a few times, that sort of passed  :D
I would have ordered the FAOs had I understood fully how crude the standard jacks are.  You'd think you would get a little more sophistication than a leverage stick for that kinda money.  Oh well.  When I order a new super-duper mill for my wife, I'll get the FAOs  :D


I trimmed down the old house-trailer frame with the torch tonight.  Hopefully I can get the site squared up (or parallelogramed may be more like it...)  and some posts set.  Like everyone I need a little more time! 
Sawing on nice sunny days is great, but I need a roof so I can saw when the farm stuff isn't pressing.
And some doors to keep that awful fine sawdust out of my eyeballs