Manual mill owners, how do you turn your logs?

[Bill Bukovec]

I've seen the nice videos of sawmills with hydraulic log turners and was wondering, how do the manual mill owners turn their logs?

I see that TimberKing has a model with a manual (crank operated) log turner. Does anyone know if the hand crank method is easy or not?

Let's assume I have a log about 30" in diameter.

Thanks,

Bill

[John Fairbairn III]

Hi Bill,
Ours (a Turner) came with a crank (winch) style turner. It works. But it is difficult on larger logs because it has no real leverage. Canthook or peavey will work on the smaller logs but when you get into the big ones, the crank is a minimum necessity. We have had logs so heavy we have used the tractor (with mixed results). I don't know what other options are out there - I will follow this thread with interest. thanks for bringing it up.

[Dennis Ford]

I use a hand crank winch on my home-built mill for the bigger logs. Small ones I turn with a cant hook, really large ones I use a snatch block to double the pulling power of the winch. I wrap the cable part way around the log and connect it to a steel hook (similar to a cant hook with no handle). This will turn a 36" dia x 10' log but that is pushing its limit.

[Cody Colston]

I use a cant hook (Log-Rite) most of the time. For really big logs I normally use my tractor. The hand winch works ok, too, but the tractor is faster. I try to avoid logs over 20" diameter unless I'm quarter-sawing. Big logs on a manual mill = slow, slow, slow.

[Jim Andrew]

My Cooks mill came with a small electric winch, and all the hardware to use it to turn logs. The small winch is not big enough to turn large logs, so I bought a HF winch a little larger so it has the power to roll the bigger logs.

[Lawrence Schultz]

I use a Log Rite cant hook. I find the cant hook is faster than the manual turner on my Woodmizer mill.

[Danny Hamsley]

The 78" LogRite mega hook will turn some really big logs and save your back.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Bill, I use a cant hook..........Rod.
324649324650324651

[Kenneth Hertzog]

I use my mini excavator and straps with a cant hook
also works for loading the logs
woodmizer LT15 with diesel engine
Ken

[James White]

I mounted what looks like a double hitch receiver on the underside of my mills rails. Them mounted one of these cranes on two parallel 2"x2" square tubes that then go into the receivers. It needs help from a large cant hook when trying to roll a 32" maple cant. But it does pretty well for me. I did have to upgrade the winch itself to the HF model that comes with a strap. I just replaced the strap with the cable that came with the crane. Ill try to snap a photo when a get a chance.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-capacity-pickup-truck-crane-with-cable-winch-61522.html

James

[James White]

Ok here it is. Don't mind the mess.

James