getting my first saw mill

[david privett]

there is one in Chattanooga that works with the woodcraft store there went twice it was ok but nothing to write home about to me, I guess turning styles between me and them are too different. They were mostly art mine is to the more practical go out and use it style.

[John K Jordan]

...turning styles between me and them are too different. They were mostly art mine is to the more practical go out and use it style.

Then you might be interested to hear what I turned this Monday - a new handle for my favorite shuffle hoe!

I cut a bunch of long handle blanks from a hickory log prob 8 or 10 years ago and put them in the barn to dry so they would be ready when needed. (I read this hint somewhere in an old farming book.) A good use for a sawmill around the farm! So far I have made handles for a froe, shovel, foot adz, axe, and this hoe.

handle_shuffle_hoe_comp.jpg

The handle is 53" long, stretching the limits of the PM3520 with bed extension. Turned mostly with a big skew. A steady rest would have been nice. I'm doing a club demo this month on turning long, thin spindles and I'll take this for show-and-tell. Long and thin is relative.

JKJ

[Cody Colston]

Hey John, is that squash behind you? Mine is producing more than we can can or eat this year.

[John K Jordan]

Hey John, is that squash behind you? Mine is producing more than we can can or eat this year.

No, I may have to come visit you! Our squash is late this year - delayed while we were wandering around Italy at planting time. That is our rhubarb patch. I pick what berries and cherries are ripe and we have the most amazing rhubarb crisp, strawberry-rhubarb pie, etc.

I'm a little surprised more people don't grow rhubarb since so many people take some home with them. Unlike strawberries or asparagus, It's almost no work after it gets established since the shade from the big leaves discourages weeds.

This year our garden is scaled down a bit but we managed to put in greens, onions, carrots, yellow squash, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, beans, okra, and cushaw. The cushaw is always a huge favorite!

JKJ

[david privett]

is it generally accepted that cant hooks are more useful around a sawmill than a peavey? and what size would you buy? I was thinking a 2-1/2" by 60" . The saw mill throat will be 28 ".

[Cody Colston]

Either will work. I use a 48" Logrite cant hook but a PV has one big plus...it can be stuck in the ground.

[John K Jordan]

is it generally accepted that cant hooks are more useful around a sawmill than a peavey? and what size would you buy? I was thinking a 2-1/2" by 60" . The saw mill throat will be 28 ".

I don't have a peavey but I have several cant hooks, 4' and 5'. One with a 60" handle gives quite a bit more leverage than the 48".

JKJ

[david privett]

I was talking to the 80+ year old neighbor and he gave me a cant hook a 5 footer . It was not fitted to the handle and had no bottom prong so made a prong and sanded the handle down so I could get the new prong and the hook to line up ,2 coats of poly nice enough to work with. should get the mill mon. but we shall see. how many spare blades do you guys try to keep on hand? I am getting 8.

[John K Jordan]

... how many spare blades do you guys try to keep on hand? I am getting 8.

Depends on how much you plan on using it and how often you want to order or get resharpened and if you have a local sharpening service. I don't saw much but I don't like to stop if I run out of something so I bought 20 blades. I still have one new one left and was about to send them off when I found the local bandsaw blade shop can make up new blades (from Lenox stock) practically while I wait and at good prices.

If you saw anything but from the deep forest that has never been farm land you will eventually hear that zzzzzt from hitting something that takes out a blade. Also, if you have logs with dirt in the bark the blades can wear very quickly. And I had one break.

JKJ

[david privett]

I was thinking about pressure washing the logs before sawing . Is there a down side to doing that. And I have a cheap metal detector guess it would be a good idea to use it ,although the guy at the local sawmill said if you let the log lay a week if there is metal in the log the wood will turn black close to the metal more so below the metal towards the trees butt. I have seen that with trees that was used for fence posts.

[david privett]

well I got put off a week but fri. the 17th I am going to go get it, wish me luck. Getting 12 blades instead of 8 we shall see how fast I can dull them

[david privett]

picked up the mill yesterday and cut some 2"x6"x12' in red oak, seems pretty straight forward as far as using it. I am surprised on how fast it cut that oak. Has anyone had any experience with the band sawmill blades meant for frozen wood. I seen one yesterday, the blade manf. is going to send me one as a test blade , but I do not know what to expect out of it . I was told by another person that the will not cut soft wood well at all.

[Danny Hamsley]

I believe that 4 degree bands are the best for cutting very hard wood if you mill has the horsepower. Low horsepower mills cannot handle them.

[Todd Burch]

I emailed the folks over at Lumberjack a couple weeks ago, asking if they had any videos. Have not heard back.

[david privett]

they are small time , I think there is just two of them over there better give them a call , phone were used in the century they are most at home with. ha ha ha yea me too