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View Full Version : Abbreviated saw day on Sunday



John Fairbairn III
09-17-2015, 10:28 AM
We set out on Sunday to saw up some hemlock. Started with a big bole - probably 26-28"DBH (I had to shave some parts to get the guides on the mill to go all the way down through). Once we got it squared up to a 16x18 cant, I had the "great" idea to turn it 90deg to cut two 1xs off the top so we would have a 16x16 cant (then rip down the middle, flip the two pieces, and make a bunch of 1x8s.
WELL
When we turned the 16x18 cant, it hit hard enough that it broke the weld on one of the jacks. The guy we bought the mill from had made his own jacks that use a top nut welded to a 1/2" threaded rod, that extends or retracts the t-jack. Nice design, but it depends on a relatively thin washer to hold. Well the welds on the washer broke free. So then we picked the cant up off with the tractor, set it aside, and my friend got his generator and welder out. Couple hours later, all fixed up. But lost our time to keep sawing.

Hopefully we can get back to it and finish up the sawing. Big logs are great to produce a bunch of lumber. But boy they are HEAVY.

That's my tale of woe.

Anyone else been sawing?

AL Ursich
09-17-2015, 1:11 PM
Pictures.....

:)

Cody Colston
09-17-2015, 5:16 PM
I feel your pain, John. Big logs and manual mills are truly a love/hate situation. The lumber is nice but it is a lot of work. In a perfect world, all of my logs would be about 16" diameter, straight and clean.

I haven't been sawing anything but I will be when I get back home October 7th. I have a bunch of Pine and Cedar logs to saw but have been waiting for cooler weather. Early October should be perfect!

John Fairbairn III
09-21-2015, 9:46 AM
Well, we go it finished Sunday. Cut two 1xs off the cant, leaving a 16x16 cant, then cut down the middle (I can just barely but 8" thick under the saw carriage and belt guard) - I used a wedge to hold the upper 8x16 up and it went well. slid that 14' long monster off onto the tractor, turned and then cut the first one, then the 2nd one. One log =
Sorry - no pics. I rarely even bring my cell phone b/c I don't have service there...
I figure we got roughly 280BF or so out of that one.

Danny Hamsley
09-21-2015, 9:13 PM
I sawed yellow poplar today. Smaller logs, lots of growth stress. All in all, about 600 BF. It turned out pretty nice.