Finally saying hello, been lurking here forever

[Pife]

Good afternoon,

Thought it was about time to say hello at least, since I've been reading in the background for well over a year.

I started reading here after I decided that I would eventually build or buy a sawmill.  And for the record, I'm building a bandsaw mill with parts I ordered from Linn lumber, still wont be ready till later this summer or fall, but everything is in place to start on it. 

I little of my background, I am almost retired from the US Army, that will happen later this year.  Ive been everything from a diesel mechanic to radio repairer with a little time as a MP (Military Police) in the middle.  I live in the middle of no-where Alaska on 40 acres of timber I was lucky enough to get.  Hobbies are machining, paintball and misc Mc-Gyvering (if its broke, I can usually fix it - and usually go overboard in fixing it, it wont break again in that spot at least.)

As far as any tooling / machinery goes, I have a couple milling machines (one is CNC), a small lathe, welder, surface grinder, and pretty much anything a repair shop has.

I've built a small log arch for my ATV, rebuilt a rack from a pickup into a nice ATV trailer, and mentally built and rebuilt my sawmill a couple hundred times. I'll be taking pictures of the mill as I build it, but - still a while off.

I do have some pictures in my gallery, after figuring out how to work it.  The pictures include some of the trees I'm going to harvest eventually.

Enough of my rambling, time to go back to being productive.

[jwade]

welcom pife. glad to have you with us. and thank youfor your service, hope you have a long happy and prosperous retirement.

[Seavee]

Welcome to the forum Pife.

[Savannahdan]

Welcome and you sound like your enjoying things.  Way to go.

[Kbeitz]

Wow.... Sounds like your going to fit right in....

Welcome from another builder...

[samandothers]

Welcome aboard!  Hope you are enjoying your peace of heaven on earth!  Thank you for your service.

[ChugiakTinkerer]

Welcome to the forum neighbor!

That's a mighty fine looking piece of land.  And some nice home-built equipment too.  Do you have a commercial source for wheels and tires, or are you able to find what you need repurposing old machinery?

[petefrom bearswamp]

A warm welcome sir!

[goose63]

Thank you for your service and welcome to the FF

We like picture's

[dgdrls]

Welcome to FF Pife,

best
D

[sawmilllawyer]

Thank You for your service to our country and a warm welcome. Sounds like you have a plan, go for it. I will be watching your build, pics are important.

[BigZ La]

Welcome to the forum and many thanks for your service.

[Pife]

Welcome to the forum neighbor!

That's a mighty fine looking piece of land.  And some nice home-built equipment too.  Do you have a commercial source for wheels and tires, or are you able to find what you need repurposing old machinery?

I actually bought the hubs/spindle/wheels for the ATV cart - that was the only real expense on that.  The wheels and hubs for the log arch are the back wheels/hubs off of a ATV that was being junked.  The front wheels are going to be used making the other half of the arch to keep the logs from being dragged on the ground, the engine was melted down into ingots for later use.  If I see something that may have a use, I try to squirrel it away somewhere the wife wont notice immediately.  It may look like junk, but a lot of the stuff I'm hording (wife's term) are future projects. I'l have a lot more time on my hands next year, and I'm pretty sure she will not want me in the house being a annoyance.  I'll be out in the garage or woods being a annoyance.  My buddies up here are all excited about the sawmill, they dont realize yet that their excitement equates to grunt labor...GRIN.

An example of my hording:  a few years ago, a bunch of machines were being junked that had some real nice single action hydraulic pistons really easy to remove.  They are now in safekeeping in a crate under a workbench with mental projects for a system to clamp log dogs, raise either end of the log to level it out, or...who knows yet.

[fishfighter]

Welcome aboard. Retirement = to , how the heck I was able to do everything working a full time job before. :D

[Chuck White]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Pife!

[Treehack]

Welcome to the forum, Pife.  Thank you for your service to our country.  Sounds like if we ever get you and Kbeitz together it would be the dynamic duo.  Looking forward to your build project.

[Darrel]

Thanks for serving and welcome!

[Crusarius]

Any progress on the Linn Lumber Mill? I am looking at doing the same thing. Like to pull the trigger soon but hard to justify it.

[mad murdock]

Welcome and thank you for your service to US!!