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@douglasbattjes3991 I wish we could get big cherry like that up here! Cherry is the only domestic hardwood up here in the mountains that we can't seem to get over about 18" diameter. I like the lt15 a lot, it's definitely a good mill. For production cutting I would recommend a lt40super hydraulic, or lt50 super hydraulic. It's the material handling and moving that is the true cost of the mill, nott the actual cutting. So if you can cut down on the handling, that's where the efficiency is. Be well! -Andy

@@cripplecreeksawmill I know Andy, all the walking around, setting the holders, moving lumber, back and forth, neighbor down the street from me has a 35 an had it widened to cut much wider logs, He cuts a ton for custom tables that he makes, they are awesome. Where are you located ?

@@douglasbattjes3991 In Southern Vermont, not too far from Manchester.

Our prices are kind of all over the place depending on what we have in stock/how long it has air dried/and how big the order is. For anything aside from pine/hemlock, we are usually $5 a bf to start, and it goes to from there. You should definitely build a small display, your clients will immediately gravitate towards species that they like. How is everything going with the mill/building? -Andy

It's a great wood (great looking and durable) just seems that no one really has much access to it. I've really wanted to get my hands on some Osage orange, just to try cutting it, but I'd probably have to take a 2k mile trip to get a piece lol! -Andy

Thanks for taking a look, we appreciate it! -Andy

Thanks for that! There is a lot (probably way too much) musings on random stuff in the next two parts as I go through the species that we carry. Hope you are well! -Andy

The plaid makes the mill run 25% faster😁

I have to see if I can clip that, thanks for the heads up! Beech is a great wood, i wish we had more of it up here. -Andy

The hoist makes all the difference! How thick are the bridge planks you are cutting? -Andy

@@cripplecreeksawmill The bridge is a railroad box car cut off. Cross planks are 4 x 12, 9 foot 7 inch long. I am cutting these from my largest butt logs. Half of the running planks are 3 x 12, and the other half is 4 x 12 mostly twelve feet long. The approach has settled a bit is the reason for the two sizes. I use a grapple on my tractor to help move them.

@netfun8 That sounds like an awesome project. Typically up here people want 4x8 stood on-edge for bridge packages, unless it has to support the weight of fire trucks. Be well! -Andy

I would have liked woodmizer to come up with a taller option for at least a pair of these. 10" on big/taller slabs really isn't tall enough when you are trying to keep everything square. We make it work as best we can. -Andy

It varies, and a lot of the municipalities here don't have official code inspections, or building codes. Most of what we cut is for timber packages for builders who hire mobile-graders on multi-million dollar homes. -Andy

I think it must be a mix? I've worked "behind the curtain" with a bunch of manufacturers, and it's always a mix of guys in the shop who k own what they are doing, and draftsman/engineers who can do the CAD work, but don't necessarily have enough real-world experience to make things easy to manufacture (or select the right materials for the assemblies). Hope are you are doing well! -Andy

@@cripplecreeksawmill I'm good Andy hope you and all the Family are good great videos

It didn't even occur to me that they had significantly increased the bed width, I just assumed that the lt15 and lt15wide used the same rails. You are probably correct, it significantly decreases stiffness. I have to watch that sharpener vid from you and Dave from the old man and the saw, I just glanced at it, but want to watch the full thing in the next day or two. -Andy

No, we have been lucky that we haven't had the bolts snap, but the design for those braces are just.....not great. There is no way to keep the pivot tight enough to maintain squareness, without making them quite stiff to turn. On the bigger logs we always check with a 24" framing square, to verify against the bed rails before we make the 3rd and 4th cuts on all the cants. -Andy

I have a bunch more vids that I have to edit, it will be kind of a mish-mash and out of order, but we won't be disappearing any time soon. Its good to be back. -Andy

@@cripplecreeksawmill I'd appreciate whatever you can bring my and every one else's way. Thanks

I think it's a tough decision for any OEM to make: when do you grow out of the original parts/materials vs just making everything have continuity. We make the best of what we have, that's for sure. Hope you are well! -Andy

Andrew, it's predicated on a lot of different situations. On the east coast of the United States, it's typical to "box the heart" on timbers because most people don't have enough access to huge trees. On the weat coast, timber framers will actually request/specify timbers as "FOH" (completely free of heart, cut outside that zone) because they have access to huge redwood and fir trees. Boxing the heart has more to do with the characteristics of drying. With a severely off-center pith in a beam, it increases the chances of a beam pulling/cambering/twisting as it dries. Ideally you would box all your posts/beams, but it depends on the beam packages you are cutting, how the posts/beams will ultimately be used (ie is it a crane mat? is it a bridge deck? is it dunnage for a rigger? is it a timber frame home?), as well as how soon it will be used after it is cut. If you can, try to keep the heart centered if you have that option. -Andy

@@cripplecreeksawmill I am in South Louisiana, most of the pines I am cutting right now are around 26 to 34 inch diameter. Dad lost a couple dozen to last summer's drought...which kind of forced the sawmill purchase. First lumber will be for the Sawmill Shed, about 44x24. Second for my work shop, 55x30ish... I cut two dead pines today that dropped across the sawmill pad. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, your videos are more instructional than they are entertaining and that is what I need most right now. I cannot thank you enough.

@@andrewlewis9300 Absolutely, and just a friendly heads-up: as soon as you slash the logs to length, seal the ends with old paint (any paint will do, most paint stores sell wrong-mixed paint for a huge discount), don't waste your money on anchor-seal. Painting the log ends as soon as you slash them will prevent a lot of end-checking in the log. -Andy

In one of the future videos we will take the time to show a lift in more detail. Andy

Andrew, this was the log that we were working on when I filmed the video a month ago "woodmizer lt15 problem, and solution", I just uploaded them out of order. -Andy

@@cripplecreeksawmill I really appreciate you answering, I watched that video just now. I have this same mill on order and your video is very helpful to me.

@andrewlewis9300 If you have any questions about the lt15, or running it, just ask, im happy to pass on what ive learned from running it. -Andy

Yup! Look up "log taper wedge for the lt15". It should be $77. -Andy

The mill has a throat of approximately 33" guide-to-guide. Since almost all longer (16ft) logs have a taper you are going to lose a bit cutting that out. Also, the chordal-height on the first outer cuts knocks a bunch off the diameter. Once you start climbing into the 42"+ range, you have to take a few cuts, then rotate, take a few more cuts, etc. The biggest we've done (a few times) are 52-54" logs, and they really start to max out the capacity of the mill, because you have to slice down the length of the log with a chainsaw to get the log to pass the upright frame members, and also have to take a relatively deep 36" max height pass on your first cut. So you are forced to take a monster slab off the top before you start chopping down. I'd say anything above 42" start to really be a bear and you waste a lot of time in the material handling/log-rolling. If you have any more questions about setting up your mill, I'm always here to help. -Andy

Thanks JB, hope you are well out there! -Andy

I (Andy) own the sawmill, and Dave is a full-time custom home builder. I do my own construction work as well, or help Dave on his bigger projects. When I need a hand on the mill, Dave always lends a hand, there's always a million things that need to be done and never enough time. -Andy

Those two draw files are about 8-10 years old. We have a half dozen of them, and I try to keep them as sharp as is physically possible, it makes all the difference! -Andy

@cripplecreeksawmill thanks Andy we don't see many people using them here in Ireland if you ask the young lad's do they know what they are they wouldn't have a clue

That's the same here. I think it's a generational shift, where most young people would rather play video games or be on social media, vs going out and learning about the real world. I started to see it 15 years ago in the machining trades. Tons of guys leaving/dying/retiring, and having no one to pass the knowledge on to. We live in strange times. -Andy

@@cripplecreeksawmill exactly

Do it and don't look back! The first time we flipped a log with it, it was a complete revelation. Makes it livable most days. -Andy

I was looking at electric chain hoists for a new project, and I seem to have forgotten how incredibly expensive they are now! If you have one in good shape, it's definitely worth keeping in working condition, the cost of everything is getting outrageous. -Andy

@@cripplecreeksawmill I paid $400 for it used almost 30 years ago. It was old when I bought it. I take good care of it. I can’t imagine how much it would cost now. It’s 480 volt 3 phase.

I believe it. The ones i was browsing for the fall project would be 3500-5000. Its ridiculous. I will keep my eyes peeled for auctions when i get closer to needing it. -Andy

I need to either build or buy a big edger, it's just not efficient to it on the mill. There's a big jointer and a big planer here to reprocess lumber and specialty products. What size track hoe do you have? Are you happy with it? I'd love to get one in the next few years. -Andy

Look at the Cook saw eager that the one on my wishlist bus motor has one they do a lot of videos on UA-cam but they are built right in a small town just east of me they make one of the best sawmills out there they are made too last and they are made just like a big mill you will find at a big company they have solid wheels no fan belts under your blade the only fan belt is on the drive pulley and they sale their self you can find a few people on UA-cam that have them but they are not like wood mizers and pay people to use them and videos of them but I have used both and you could give me a wood mizers and I would sale it and get a cook's they just don't break down as much as a wood mizers I had a lt70 I spent most of my time working on it in stead of sawing.i have a mill that is homemade and it has a lot of cook parts on it if was doing this for a living I would ether have a cook or Baker I have been doing this for many years and if you are broken down you are not making 💰 God Bless Y'all' and good luck with it i dont try to sale my lumber but i sale little bet all along to help with blades and fuil

If I buy an edger it will definitely be either a Cooks or a Baker. Hobby Hardwood Alabama has a Baker, and I hear good things about them too. I'm super happy with my Cooks dual tooth setter, and Cat Claw sharpener. They both have a learning curve, but once you sharpen enough blades, everything seems to fall into place, and you get a system worked out. God bless you as well. -Andy

I can see the can't hook and cable. I'm wondering what hoist you're using...brand, lift capacity, etc.

It's quite a coincidence that you asked that because Dave and I filmed a video on it last week, and I'm editing it tonight. Should be uploading it tomorrow. It's a 2000lb electric Pittsburgh brand winch from Harbor Freight. How do you like your LT15, happy with it overall? -Andy

I'm a machinist by trade, I had my own shop as well, for 9 years. I wrapped the machine shop up 3 years ago to move up to Vermont. I did mostly manual work, as well as some cnc milling. What sorts of things do you get up to in the shop? -Andy

@@cripplecreeksawmill I ran a job shop. I ran short run production of machined and fabricated parts. I also did tool sharpening and repair for the locals. I had numerous industrial customers that I did tool building for. I still have the shop and equipment. I closed it 12 years ago, when I started teaching in higher education. I enjoyed my years in the shop. I still putter with it now and again. I built the sawmill because I have an old building in need of repair. I also have a small wood lot and a pile of steel, therefore for sawmill. I want to build an edger next. Alan

That sounds similar to what I had, a job shop with lots of repair and metal fabrication. I also did some hot work/ architectural forging during random spurts when I still had forging hammers. I've been thinking for a year, about building an edger (or some sort of gang saw) if I can't find one cheap at an auction. -Andy

That log wasn't too bad, all things considered! I wish I could give you an informed opinion on the norwood guides, but I can't. What is very interesting, is that woodmizer has solid carbide guides that are sold as an upgrade over/beyond the regular rollers. The only thing that I've heard with the solid guides in general is that they can be finicky, and sensitive to sap build-up. They can also make the blade run hot if they are too-tight/binding. Is it a significant cost to upgrade the Norwood to the rollers? -Andy

@@cripplecreeksawmill $450 for roller guides. They say the 1/4" down pressure helps stabilize the blade from dipping and rising

@@justinrussell760 Have you checked on Forestry Forum for possible reviews of them? I'm sure you already know this but: I always tell people that how tight you choke the saw is super important. When I cut, I try to keep the adjustable roller guide within 1.5-2" of the face of the log. The stiffness loss on a cantilevered member is exponential, so every inch counts. I see guys sawing with the rollers 6, 8, 10" away from the log face, and I don't think they understand what that does to the quality of the cut on a band mill. Every little thing adds up. -Andy

I told Dave that we need to do a walk-around at least once, mid-log. I'm super thankful/blessed that the foot/ankle finally healed, it took about 6 months to get off of crutches/cane and another 3-4 to stop limping. Now it only really bothers me when its about to rain, which is happening a lot in Vermont these days. How are you guys, rain-wise? Getting hammered so far? I'm praying for a bone-dry summer up here. -Andy

@@cripplecreeksawmillRain, rain and more rain. Then it clears up and just when you go out to work it rains again

@@southernadirondackoutdoors That's exactly what it's been doing here! And what it did here all last summer! You can't plan anything for outside work, and then when you have a clear day, you have to scramble to wrap up when the clouds appear out of nowhere. -Andy

I'm going to try a magnetic-mount near the saw blade for a few of the cuts, and see if the go pro can handle the vibration. It seems to have odd frequencies that make the auto-correction wander (creates a "slow undulation" on video, because it can't cancel certain HZ bands). I think Dave and I will start making some things once we get to 10k subscribers (youtube doesn't like listing merch for sale until you are at 10k). Lets hope we get there! All in good time! Hope you are well! -Andy

@@cripplecreeksawmill Try a few rounds of copper wire and putting it next to the camera as an external filter. It might help.

I really hope that they didn't intentionally sell it, knowing it was rotten. I told them afterwards, but nothing came of it. I take it as a lesson learned. -Andy

So glad to hear that you're not afraid to tackle logs that have been dead for years. My off-grid property gas literally over 1000 dead-standing trees. They'll either be a forest fire or a D-Log cabin as a result of the beetle-kill. Many Sawyers want green logs only.

@sidlawrence4045 I bought the property here as an off grid site as well, and had to drag in power almost a third of a mile. As long as the standing dead hasn't started to rot, a lot of the bigger logs will have good wood. -Andy

But some are just too far gone.

Absolutely. I should have put in the caveat: don't buy single/stand-alone standing trees, because you can't amortize the risk/cost of it being rotten, over a few hundred trees in a full stand of trees on a timber tract. We have been burning the rotted ones, as well. -Andy

I say it all the time "Doesn't even tick the meter, now". Because of how often it happens, day to day! -Andy

I think in the future we will save them and keep them for customers who are looking to do epoxy-work. It definitely won't hurt! -Andy

Thank you, we are always trying to make the best with what we have. -Andy

It was a freak thing, the tree looked robust from the outside. The business was taking it down because it was growing out over their building a little too much. An expensive lesson learned. -Andy

The only "mistake" was making an offer prior to them felling it. They likely would have given it to you at that point. But you still got some nice boards and learned something in the process. The analogy is that the meal you paid for wasn't as tasty as you anticipated, and you won't order it again.

@sidlawrence4045 That's a great analogy. I try to take everything with a grain of salt these days, you can't anticipate every circumstance, so we just learn from the lesson, and take it forward. Be well. -Andy

JB, I've been meaning to ask: what's your position in the company? Will they go in with a feller-buncher and knock it out in a couple days? -Andy

@cripplecreeksawmill I am a driver for the Amish mill owner. They log with two horse crews and one crew who use skidders and a yard saw. The mill prides themselves on leaving a better woods behind than we find. I help do some of the scaling of standing timber. We mark and scale the trees our crews will harvest. The mill pays the landnowner before any wood is cut. Our scale of the standing timber is usually within 5% of the mills' actual yield.

​@@jbbrown7907JB, I've always wanted to see horse crews work in person! What you said about leaving the woods cleaner is a major thing (up here at least). A lot of the logging crews with heavy equipment leave the tracts absolutely obliterated when they are done, and the landowners are left with a lot of work to make it look half-decent again. -Andy

@cripplecreeksawmill We have two Amish horse logging crews who harvest for the mill. I enjoy watching them when I get the chance.

Speaking of losing some, I just lost my entire typed up reply! it's nice to know that our little area isn't the only one that battles red rot in a lot of medium logs we cut(we almost never see it in logs bigger than 36"). I wonder why that is? -Andy

It was a bit of a complex and rushed situation, because I made an offer, had to leave to get the trailer, and by the time I returned, it was a thunderstorm, and they had cleaned up there equipment, aside from the crane to load the logs. So I realized they were rotten, and they didn't want to chip them in the rain. I kept my word and paid, but it's a bit of a pill to swallow, that's for sure. -Andy

Oddly enough, we've had epoxy table-makers come through the yard, and tell us that our slabs "aren't in bad enough shape to use". It's a hard thing to wrap your head around! -Andy