Now what

[Ken Hill]

Well, the past two weeks has been very busy as I am trying to get my wood gathered up, sealed and sorted.

So far I have some really nice Red Oak for slabs and several pieces that should turn into nice turning blanks (crotches etc). Persimmon and Maple long with some Cherry that shows promise are all ready for me to work up.....now what:D

I am at a crossroads here. I havethe money to buy a 14 inch Bandsaw (Rikon) or a Portable Band Saw Mill capable of helping me with my slabs but i'm not sure what direction to go here. It will be tough to work up smaller logs for turning blanks on the BSM and it ofcourse would be a bit harder for me continue cutting slabs for table/bench tops if I stock with the Rikon.

I figured I would run this past you all for some direction on my thoughts....

Buy the BSM and grab up a smaller shop bandsaw and then just cookie the smaller logs with a chainsaw then resaw into blanks. I know this will limit me but I end up getting both and can upgrade down the road to a bigger shop BS....but I am concerned I may run into not being able to do figured wood justice by hacking away at them:(

Any thoughts out there?

My wood stock pile is growing

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Private-Gallery-2/DSC9509/819507769_QioQp-O.jpg

The bi-product of getting my wood ...firewood
http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Private-Gallery-2/DSC9510/819507717_hcHvS-O.jpg

[Matt Ranum]

If it were me and had the cash and the trees, a portable bandsaw mill hands down. Even with the size of logs in the pics you can get some nice material out of them. After taking the choice bowl blanks first of course.:D

[Fred Perreault]

What a tough spot you are in..! Go find a good used band saw mill, and a good new band saw for the shop with the largest resaw capacity you can afford. I have had logs slabbed up for turning, 2", 3", 4" and 5" thick. Then just cut them to length for bowls, and resaw if needed for other projects. When I was squaring some of the logs with the mill, I took a thick slab off of the 1st side for bowls... some slabs are 5""-7" inside the the bark off of 28"-36" logs. Cherry, red and white oak, locust, maple ash, hemlock and cediper. Looks like you have trees and equipment, go for it... we only live once, I think.

[Baxter Smith]

My thoughts? With all those trees and mechanical toys, it looks like youre having fun!:)

[Ken Hill]

Ive been looking for a used BSM and found one fairly close but its a bit out of my range right now. I sent him a low ball offer so who knows LOL

Heck even the cheapest of BSM's would get me by, im not after fine furniture grade boards, and I have the chainsaw mill if I need something slabbed thats wider then 20-22 inches.


Baxter..lots of fun. Teaching my oldest son to handle a saw, my youngest is learning how anchorseal works haha, the wife is happy the woodpile is being refilled for this fall so its all good. My back isnt happy!

I did manage to arrange for the high school to plane any slabs I need done in trade for a slab or two for the woodshop class!

[Charlie Reals]

Band saw mill in a heartbeat. Hmmm you got me thinking.:)

[John Keeton]

No suggestions - just envy!!!

Fred, very nice stock of wood! That load would do me for awhile.

[Karl Card]

me thinks you have too much wood for yourself and should maybe share ...whoops did i say that out loud... just like John said,,, i am envious..

have fun.

[Ken Hill]

Fred, im running out of room as it is:D

Ive been having a blast getting into all this, and have been extremely rushed trying to beat the rattlesnakes and bee's and my shooting schedule (I only have 2 weekends off from April to October) so im trying to multitask and gather all I can so I can play on the lathe this winter

My walnut supplier (free logs) had a medical emergency thsi week so I wasnt able to go get the logs. Another friend has 30 or so walnut slabs 3 inches thick, 16-18" ide and beteen 2 and 3 feet long he is giving me for free...so im anxious to get things rolling!

A piece of cherry slabbed and is now drying.

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Private-Gallery-2/DSC00025/817851988_Yt7VZ-O.jpg

[Bernie Weishapl]

I with John. No idea but drooling a lot.

[John Tomasello jr]

Talk about one heck of a wood gloat. If you can get a BSM go for it.

[Steve Schlumpf]

No idea what you should do... just looking forward to see what you turn out of that really green colored wood!

[David E Keller]

Wow, that's a great problem to have. I think I'd go for the BSM first. You can always chunk off blanks and knock off corners with your chainsaw.

Of course, I think you mentioned that you already have a chainsaw mill, so you could make an argument for the bandsaw first.

Even the ends of your cut logs are turning green with envy:D

[Jim Underwood]

Wow...

Of course you couldn't turn all that in a year. Unless you quit your day job.:D

[Ken Hill]

I was told when I started this that I would get hooked looking for wood:D My only regret is that the hevy snow we had prevented me from getting out and gathering more! It is amazing what people will let you have once they know you are looking. I still have to make a run to Maryland to check out my buddies tree service lot, he said I could take all I wanted:eek:

I think im having as much fun collecting the wood as I do when I get to turn a piece...sort of:rolleyes:

And fishing season starts here shortly as soon as the water levels works itself out, and that leaves many miles of riverbank to scour for treasure! I might need a bigger boat!

[Jim Slovik]

What about a bandsaw with a large resaw capacity and then build a sliding table for it (something like the Laguna system). It looks like you have the means to lift a large log onto the table.

[Jeff Nicol]

Ken, I had the BSM before I started into turning a lot so I guess I would recommend the mill and a nice bandsaw for the shop too. I have a 14" jet with 6" riser so I can resaw up to 12". It works but I would like a bigger saw with more power still. I have a Woodmiser LT30 that my Dad bought in 1985 and it still works like a champ! It has paid for itself 20 times over and still making me some money now and then when I sell some turning wood or lumber. So if you can get them both you will be ahead of the game and not wanting something later. I just need a bigger shop to put the bigger band saw in. The only thing that I see as a problem is that you never run out of wood to saw, but run out of time to saw it!


Have fun,

Jeff

[Ken Hill]

Jeff that is the way I usually look at things, do it all or nothing:D

The wife says if I can just hold off, pay off one of my other toys, then I can buy whatever saw-thingy (as she puts it) that I want. Maybe I should listen to her for once, buy the shop saw (Rikon or Jet), buikd a sled and then when the time is right buy a large enough BSM that I wont ever want more.

Kind of afriad if I do this the wife will kno she has won:eek:

[Charlie Reals]

Jeff that is the way I usually look at things, do it all or nothing:D

The wife says if I can just hold off, pay off one of my other toys, then I can buy whatever saw-thingy (as she puts it) that I want. Maybe I should listen to her for once, buy the shop saw (Rikon or Jet), buikd a sled and then when the time is right buy a large enough BSM that I wont ever want more.


Kind of afriad if I do this the wife will kno she has won:eek:

They always know Ken, they always know :D

[Ken Hill]

Im in denial:D

And I apologise for the jumpled words or dropped letters, I can type faster then this wireless keyboard can keep up:cool:

[Curt Fuller]

There's probably more turning wood right there in the viewfinder of your camera than in the whole state of Utah!

[Ken Hill]

And I aint done yet:D

I have 2 lots to go look at that need wood removed...at worst its all firewood but one is a field and edge being cleared so im expecting some Walnut, Osage and Cherry