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Starting A Sawmill

Started by CKWoodCutter, April 21, 2017, 09:12:10 PM

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CKWoodCutter

I'm new to the forum and looking for some input and advice from those of you that have experience in this business. I was just starting to log big red oaks on my place and the first one I take down is about 5' in diameter and 16' to first branch. Big beautiful log. Also took down another that produced a 3' by 11' log. These trees also produced a handful of other logs that would be great for dimensional lumber. Problem was that no one around me can handle a log that big. So I get to looking at options and realize the price of dried slabs out of these trees are worth quite a bit. So this gets me thinking maybe I should just get my own mill. Problem here is I have no experience in milling or drying. Is this a reasonable idea? What mill would you suggest. Please feel free to comment with tips and ideas. Looking for advice from people that no what there doing.

thecfarm

Welcome to the forum.
Cutting trees down that size is taking some power. Must have a good size chainsaw? I've cut some white pines that size. Had to cut a "road" for the trees to fall in. We did not want to wreck all the other trees.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

WV Sawmiller

Ck,

   Welcome. See my comments to you r=earlier post over in the Watcha Sawing thread. Good luck.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

CKWoodCutter

I have a stihl MS461 with a 32" bar that I use. Thanks for the posts.

CKWoodCutter

Let me know what you have or what might work for my needs as far as a sawmill. Looking for ideas.

TKehl

Where are you located?

First, if they were green, paint the ends to reduce end checking.  Anchor seal is better (IMHO), but you don't have time to wait for a shipment.

The 8 or 10 size Lucas slabber would handle these.  Mine slabber only goes to 4'.  I can cut dimensional from bigger logs though. 

Anything bigger than that is rare, but I have put some thought into getting a second Stihl 660 and a double ended bar and Alaskan mill.

Also keep in mind, these slabs can be HEAVY.  You either need support equipment, muscle power, or get creative with levers and pulleys to move.  (A combination of the above helps.)

You will need to keep it stored in a dry area that is breezy for the first months.  After that it can air dry in a barn or such a couple few years.  Then kiln dry slow.  Refinish the surface for warp/twist/degrade and hope the market hasn't changed.  Or pay to run through a vacuum kiln and have a saleable product much quicker.
In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent. Loretta Lynn

TKehl

It also depends on how many you plan to cut this size.  Many here will quarter a large log with a chainsaw then run the quarters through the mill.

What do you want to get out of your logs?  Beams, lumber, slabs, money?

I wouldn't buy a mill for two trees.  What are the future plans?
In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent. Loretta Lynn

Ianab

As far as the mill goes, you need to look at the Swing blade + Chainsaw Slabber set up to handle logs that size. Check out the sponsor links on the right for Peterson and Turbosaw. There is also the Lucas mills from Australia which are a similar design.

Idea with those mills is you can take them to a large log, where it's laying. Set the mill up around the log, up to 5-6ft dia, and start cutting, either dimensional boards, or live edge slabs depending on whether you use the circle blade or the slabbing chain. Larger logs like that are still common here in NZ and Australia, and the mills are designed to be dragged into the jungle on remote Pacific Islands. So they have to be durable, reliable and simple to service.

This gets you around the problem of moving a log that might weight 7 or 8 tons. Even a 2" slice of that log is going to be heavy, but at least that's something that can be slid onto forks of a front end loader and moved around that way.

Drying and marketing the wood is a whole other can of worms, but at least this might help with the actual milling question.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

CKWoodCutter

I'd been looking into the Lucas mill.  I'm thinking something like that might be the way to go. I have equipment to move the slabs. I'm looking to make the most money out of my trees. So I'm thinking slabs and then dimensional the other logs.

CKWoodCutter

I agree a sawmill for 2 trees would make no sense. Have another 5' for sure and probably a dozen plus 3' and up. That's not counting the hundreds smaller of all sizes still growing and the all the other species that would make great 2 and 4x's for lumber. Several other big trees in the area too.

sealark37

No need to slab these logs unless you have a place to stack and dry the slabs.  As noted above, slabs this large require the matching equipment and facilities to handle them.  Buying a mill is still a good idea.     Regards, Clark

paul case

Check out the Turbosaw in the adds to the left of this page. There are a few new owners of these on here that seem satisfied. Also look on Sawmill exchange. A warning though, these are addictive.

PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

mad murdock

CKWoodCutter-too bad you don't have a veneer mill in your area, if you have clear red oak 5' in dia they would be one heck of a prime grade veneer stick! Sell 2 or 3 logs like that as veneer you would have near enough money to buy a new swing blade mill straight away! With blocking the Turbosaw can handle any size log as it is simpler set up due to design vs any other swing blade. If you are routinely cutting large dia trees a swinger is the way to go, and get the slabber like Ian said. They is made for the big stuff!
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

CKWoodCutter

Does the turbosawmill have a slabber?

CKWoodCutter

I would like to slab the big high quality logs and cut the others for dimensional lumber.

Ron Wenrich

Those slabs only have value if you have a buyer.  Where would you sell them?  How would you dry them?  How would you move things around?  Sometimes lower quality logs have higher value due to character. 

I agree with Ianab.  Swing blade is a good way to go, as they're very portable and highly versatile. 
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Ianab

Quote from: CKWoodCutter on April 22, 2017, 12:21:40 PM
Does the turbosawmill have a slabber?

Yes but it appears to be either a cradle for a large chainsaw, or a separate carriage and 4 stroke engine. Because of the single rail design the "clip-on" slabber that the others use isn't really practical. Turbosaw's slabber needs to hang below the single rail, rather than being slung between two rails. Works fine, but bolting the bar and chain in place of the circle blade isn't going to work.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

nativewolf

I'd call veneer mills anyway.  Have the ends sealed.  Trucking cost of $1-3k to get the logs to them is not the end of the world if you are selling $20k worth of logs.  Heck if you really believe in the logs buy the guy a cheap plane ticket to come see them, that will likely move them.   The neighbor of my parents in southern VA helicopter logged a hardwood cove because the logs were such top $.  Not much Heli logging in southern states so you can bet that was absolute top $ lumber.  27 trailers of oak veneer that was just amazing.  60-90 feet to limbs and almost no taper.   

If you can sell a few for veneer you could take that paycheck and use it to buy the mill, cut a few practice culls, then cut 1 decent log (not one in the top 10) but stop cutting trees down until you get 4-5 orders for some slabs.  Then and only then even think about cutting any of the money trees.  Not sure that would beat the paycheck from selling really good veneer.

My thoughts.  Just because you can cut a tree doesn't make that a good idea.   I am actually searching for a someone to do slabbing for me right now but it is because I only have 1 log worth slabbing and it is not something that could go to a mill (down for 3 years and I bet it has metal). 
Liking Walnut

CKWoodCutter

What are people's thoughts on the lucas mill with the slabbing attachments? Thinking about the model 8 with the slabbing attachment specifically.

TKehl

I'm a fan but haven't run anything else either..  Kind of a PITA to switch back and forth between blade and slabber.  If you plan to do a lot, you can get a second dedicated slabber carriage.

If I could do it over again, I'd hold out for an 8, but wouldn't turn down a 10.  I think the 8 and 10 rails interchange.  6s are smaller.

I looked real hard at Peterson.  They have some features I'd like, but bought the Lucas for value (and it popped up used).  Turbosaw hadn't been released yet, so haven't looked hard at them.

No matter how big you get, there always seems to be the logs that pop up that are bigger.  Giant logs or specialty crotch cuts etc.
In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent. Loretta Lynn

mad murdock

Quote from: CKWoodCutter on April 22, 2017, 12:21:40 PM
Does the turbosawmill have a slabber?
I purchased my mill with the Alaskan cradle which allows the Alaskan to be run on the main beam. I have my Alaska. Set up for 36" currently. You can go out to about 72" realistically on an Alaskan mill. Any longer than that I think you would want to go with a dedicated slabber
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

xlogger

Quote from: TKehl on April 23, 2017, 08:57:08 AM
I'm a fan but haven't run anything else either..  Kind of a PITA to switch back and forth between blade and slabber.  If you plan to do a lot, you can get a second dedicated slabber carriage.

If I could do it over again, I'd hold out for an 8, but wouldn't turn down a 10.  I think the 8 and 10 rails interchange.  6s are smaller.

I looked real hard at Peterson.  They have some features I'd like, but bought the Lucas for value (and it popped up used).  Turbosaw hadn't been released yet, so haven't looked hard at them.

No matter how big you get, there always seems to be the logs that pop up that are bigger.  Giant logs or specialty crotch cuts etc.
I got the Turbosaw with the dedicated slabber and 13 hp Honda. Between having some medical problems and now busy trying to catch up I've not ran it yet. After I got it I seen in my opinion some things that needed changing and Jake is working with me on improving his mill. At first it was only 30" off ground at blade height and now he sent me parts and change some parts on it so its can cut close to 5 ft  high off ground with 8" clearance over the blade. There are a few other things he improving and we are working on. He got the parts to me I'm the hold back now. I might of got the first one that he sent out with the dedicated slabber, as least here in US. I feel like it going to be a good slabber, hope to saw on it soon.
Timberking 2000, Turbo slabber Mill, 584 Case, Bobcat 773, solar kiln, Nyle L-53 DH kiln

CKWoodCutter

What would be the best way to go about getting stickers if I haven't dried anything yet?

Kbeitz

Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

TKehl

Plywood or any box store pine is cheap, dry, and rips easy to smaller sizes.
In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent. Loretta Lynn

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