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Grumpy Toad Creations
Приєднався 13 лют 2023
Hey, I'm Kevin. I'm an Equipment Operator and a Builder, and I operate a Sawmill in my free time. These are things I do for fun. Thanks for stopping by, enjoy the show.
Don't let dead ash trees go to waste.
A recent storm knocked over a standing dead ash tree, and I'm gonna mill it.
Переглядів: 2 095
Відео
Fungus made this lumber beautiful.
Переглядів 2,3 тис.Рік тому
I've got three small red maple logs to put on the sawmill today. They're the only three that I have, so I want to maximize the yield. Lets make some cuts!
Putting hours on my sawmill.
Переглядів 1,5 тис.Рік тому
A beautiful day on the sawmill as I work through some Hemlock. Woodland Mills HM126
Digging a Basement with a Mini Excavator
Переглядів 8 тис.Рік тому
My last big project of the season, the big dig! It's time to excavate the basement. I saved major money borrowing equipment and digging it myself. Affiliated Product Links Grade Stick - amzn.to/3sXcuzU Tarps - amzn.to/3N2W1kr
Moving a shed onto a new foundation.
Переглядів 1,7 тис.Рік тому
What a relief to finally have this shed on a foundation again. As much as it's been fun to push this thing around, I'm glad to be done. There's nothing more satisfying than some creative problem solving. LINK TO D-RINGS amzn.to/3QMw1ex
Strange Shed Footings
Переглядів 2,8 тис.Рік тому
I need to finish relocating my shed. With a break in a rainy weekend, I got the new footers poured and moved it a step closer to its final place on the new homestead.
Sawmilling Hemlock
Переглядів 7 тис.Рік тому
I'm happy to be back doing my favorite hobby, operating the Woodland Mills HM126. It's nice to just relax and make some lumber. Let's fire up the sawmill!
I moved everything off my property.
Переглядів 51 тис.Рік тому
I was given 30 days to remove the structures from my land by the local township. I don't have a primary house on the property, which means I can't have anything else on it either. Erasing years of hard work in just a few weeks is a pretty tall order.
Spreading gravel in my new driveway.
Переглядів 590Рік тому
I hauled in 8 loads of 23A Road Gravel to spread as a base for my new driveway. This step has been a long time coming, and I am happy to cross it of the list. Now that the site is accessible, the real work can begin!
Earth Work with an Old Machine
Переглядів 1,5 тис.Рік тому
My wife and I plan to put a modular home on this land, but we need road access first. Today we cut in the subgrade and do the prep work for gravel. A machine like the Domor makes quick work of moving earth. I'm happy to operate it, and happy to have the new grade set. Successful day!
ATV Shed Roof - the Quad-Port!
Переглядів 2,6 тис.Рік тому
I finished up some covered parking for an old ATV. It's nice to have a workhorse on the property. It's a 2002 Polaris Magnum 325, and it finally found it's home!
Making boards on a rainy day.
Переглядів 7 тис.Рік тому
Back on the Woodland Mills HM126 to finish up a list of lumber I started last week. I'm finally getting the hang of sawmill operation, and had my most productive day yet. Nothing like cutting boards in the rain.
Homemade 2x4s
Переглядів 1,7 тис.Рік тому
I had the chance to mill some lumber for a job that I'm on, and I couldn't resist. I'm working on an old pole barn and needed to match some rough sawn 2x4's. The Woodland Mills HM126 didn't let me down and we made it happen. Another day in the life.
My first batch of 2x6 on the Woodland Mills HM126
Переглядів 8 тис.Рік тому
Not one to let a snow storm stop me, I trudged out into the cold to mill the first batch of 2x6's on my Woodland Mills HM126. I'm trying to stock boards to make a picnic table for my campsite. I threw a couple blades, but I made some progress. Always learning.
Rookie Mistakes on my Woodland Mills HM126
Переглядів 18 тис.Рік тому
My second round on the sawmill, and what an improvement. I took the time to correct the mistakes I made in my first attempt, and was able to mill my first cant.
Woodland Mills Assembly - HM126 Unboxing
Переглядів 20 тис.Рік тому
Woodland Mills Assembly - HM126 Unboxing
Simple Sawmill Base - Easy and Customizable
Переглядів 35 тис.Рік тому
Simple Sawmill Base - Easy and Customizable
Another funky soundtrack!! Good video. Can't wait to get my own sawmill!
Nice soundtrack! Appreciate your transparency and a great learning experience for a near future sawmill owner!! Keep on rocking in the free world brother!
@kirkwann9675 Thanks man, you're gonna love it!
Just found your site. Binged on it Great job, and I hope you will post again
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Boy you like working hard
You need too turn your saw cartridge around look at what you do
Look into the deed and local zoning before you start up any dreams. If you don't have business, agriculture, farm, and residential on the deed as options for the land with rights to dig a well and solar panels then I would not homestead on it. If its 20 acres for a crazy low amount its cause you have no rights on it other then a few nights in a tent. Some property is sold by owner as camping property only. Dont buy that if you want to build.
I started cutting two years ago. The first ten logs I cut, I used 3 blades. Since then, I've used 4 blades in two years.
Did you forget to consider the pith?. Maybe you mentioned it, I'm hard of hearing.
Your instincts are correct to anchor your rail bed. Ask me how I know. (Big log rolls on and bang!. Out of true.
I'm not a pro, but I always have my Peavey jammed in the ground within easy reach. So if my carriage head is rolling on the tracks with the wind, I stick the Peavey into the ground as a stop.
I like your videos, I have some advice, from this old man to a young man. Stop dragging and rolling and shoving and sliding and grinding your logs in the dirt. It's just causing damage to your blade. I know blades aren't "too" expensive. Mine are $15 each when buying a 20 pack. However, when your blade begins to lose its edge, your lumber will not be straight. Hello from Maine
Ford RANGER!?!! 👍
for those 4x6s in your garage, how long did it take to dry to 20%?
@@jacobkincaid123 it took a little over a week with the dehumidifier running.
So after assembling the saw head do you see a reason why you can't assemble it on the track?
Well, the assembly starts with the mill lying face down. I suppose you could make a platform of sorts on top of the track, then stand it up onto the rails. Honestly, I didn't think of it at the time. It could probably be done with some planning.
@ I feel like putting the sled on a platform and the slide it onto the track is an great idea for someone by themselves to put it together
Nice work. Good inspiration. My HM122 is on the way. Looking forward to next summer.
Vice grip for a stop
Turn the head around on the track then be going right direction and saw dust won’t be going on logs top is on backwards
What is the green "H" painted on the end of the logs?
Add a little Dawn Dish Soap to the washer fluid.
Overkill and beautiful all in one. Dandy job. Tks for sharing.
I set my mill up to be slightly up hill, no stops needed
What did you use for the gravel? I like the way it looks when it is tamped down. Is it recycled asphalt? or is it just black road base? I heard you call it recycled crushed gravel but I can't find anything that looks like that here in Northern California.
The company I work for crushes it ourselves. We have a big junk pile that we collect through the year. It's mostly asphalt, and concrete would be the second most ingredient. It also has stone, bricks, blocks, and even some clay tiles in it. We let contractors dump for free, so sometimes we'll get an entire basement, or a whole parking lot, or a section of road that gets torn out. The crushed asphalt makes an excellent binder, so it packs in tight. If you're looking for something similar, call local excavators and ask them if they know of any. Or ask them where they take all their junkand you''ll find a yard that crushes it.
Nice job.
I have an HM130 and built a wood support frame for it on short 4"x4" leg and wood beams below the sawmill rails. That places my mill at a nice operating height. I placed boards that rest below the sawmill track and rest ontop of the wood frame. Makes it very easy to clean with my battery powered blower. You may want to consider that approach otherwise you will be shoveling sawdust by hand from between the framework you have built. I also predict you will install short legs below your beams to raise your mill to a more comfortable milling hieght.
How deep will the basement be?
It's an 8' basement wall. 16 inches will be above ground in the back, and 4' of the basement will be above ground in the front.
Surely you must have some sort of snatch block or come-a-long, no?
Ha, I do now! I definitely regretted not having mechanical advantage that day. I bought some rope and pulleys shortly after. They are very handy to have.
I have been going back and forth on what to do for my little mill, you gave me some great ideas here. Thank you for taking the time to make the video and share it!
Maybe make yours just a little higher off the ground. This base is rock solid, but I do bend over a little more than I would like by the end of the day. Good luck!
My back is hurting watching. Looks great
Very good build. I think I will tag along.
You have the head on backwards
Great job
Thx for sharing
Big fan of salvaging anything you can. This is beautiful. I'm in the process of setting up my mill and woodyard. I've enjoyed seeing your setup and process.
Salvaging is why I bought the mill. I'm not a fan of cutting trees that don't need to be cut, so I justify what I do cut by making lumber. Trees are worth more than just firewood. You'll enjoy your mill, it's very satisfying. Good luck with your setup!
Thanks for that! I'm right behind you...have mill still too much snow to set up...but soon. Thanks for the pointers...we are all learners.
Milling is a great hobby. There's so much to learn that it never gets boring. Good luck with your setup!
what mean H mark on the wood? Mark that it is legal wood?
H is for Hemlock! I mark the ends so I don't get my log species mixed up. I have a few different species in my pile.
we also started late autumn and already have foundation. Hope to get AAC blocks for walls next week (it is too much mud on the site now after hard rains)
Very cool, I've never seen AAC Blocks used around here. I hear the lighter weight is easier on your back. I'm sure I'll think about that as I drag around my big heavy CMU blocks 😆
@@GrumpyToadCreations weight of one fresh AAC block 60x40x20cm up to 30 kilos, so it is not so easy for your back =)) I always use back belt. Btw price of AAC here up to 100usd per 1 cubicle meter (include shipping). As for me, i never used blocks like your. Think that it possible to use similar blocks for front fence. What do you think about it?
@@GrumpyToadCreations weight of one fresh AAC block 60x40x20cm up to 30 kilos, so it is not so easy for your back =)) I always use back belt. Btw price of AAC here up to 100usd per 1 cubicle meter (include shipping). As for me, i never used blocks like your. Think that it possible to use similar blocks for front fence. What do you think about it?
Interesting video and you! Thanks for sharing!
Nice video! I always love the music as well, I know you are busy but I just hope you will make more videos. Thanks.
I have a couple more in the works, I appreciate you taking the time to watch them. If you want more music like the stuff I play, give these bands a listen; Khruangbin, Arc De Soleil, Dope Lemon, and the Allah-Las. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Tooo low
Yeah. I've been using it for a year now, and I agree. It's great for loading the logs, but too much bending over. It's still rock solid though.
Ash lumber was used by the native Inuit in Northern Canada and the native Indians to make their traditional snow shoes and dog sleds.. If you mill the lumber with the grain so that there is no cross grain the lumber can be steamed and bent without splitting
Dead ash trees if left standing will on general last a couple of years without decaying.. They might get some dark staining but would still be serviceable for flooring or furniture..
Now that I know, I'll keep my eyes open for more. It made excellent lumber.
get some chainsaw pants!
I probably should. Do you have a brand recommendation?
Get a minimum of 5 layers, and like the full pants type. not worth taking a chance.
I have never used chainsaw pants or leggings in 35 years. When you finish the cut put the brake on. I am not perfect I have had to take the powerhead off of a locked in bar several times.. Once I waited two days for the wind to bring the sucker down..
lucky for you!@@LynnMacKenzie-w2s
3:01 so close to 1 foot toad creations. ! nice life, awesome mill Cool editing too.
Ha, thanks! I hate undercutting logs. It's always sketchy.
Dead ash trees in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the U.S..are about as proliferous as dandelions..Thank you to China for this ugly beetle... I have one hundred acres of hardwood with 40% dead or dying ash trees. Beautiful wood which is or will be as cheap asdirt..
It might not be valuable, but I'd like to mill some into cants and store them somewhere. It's almost completely gone around me, so it would be nice to have access to it someday. It's pretty nice lumber.
Milled wood is always valuable. I should rephrase my comment by adding the ash lumber is way down in price because the dead or dying trees are being harvested in such huge quantities the market is being flooded. Beuatiful and very stable wood; "poor man's oak.@@GrumpyToadCreations
@user-ku3jw7ux2b I see what you mean. Would you say that once it's all been harvested or dead, it may regain its market value? The hoarder in me wants to store a stockpile because I know the day will come when there won't be any more Ash around.
Certainly store all the milled hardwood you can.. The emerald ash borer is the dastardly bug that is killing the trees by girdling the phleom layer under the bark... This is as insidious as the long ago "dutch elm disease. All the ash trees in lower Michigan are gone except for the very young ones that may survive to replenish the species. I just felled six large ash trees this morning and the butt logs will be going to the mill.. If you store the trees just as cants then paint the ends to stop it from checking.. take care.@@GrumpyToadCreations
As I replied to you before. All hardwood is valuable if you already own it.. It is just dropped in value because so much is being harvested due to the eminate demise odf the trees.. The lumber mills are being inundated with peole trying to salvage the logs before they deteriorate.@@GrumpyToadCreations
Rather serendipitous, the fallen ash being so close to the mill. You really had little choice but to cut into it and see what was inside. It'll be a treasured piece of lumber for your future projects. Thanks for sharing.
The forest provided a treat for me, that's for sure. It's sad to see them go, but I'm happy to give it a second life.
Right on buddy good save. Ash is awesome lumber
Thanks! It's too bad we lost 'em all to the bugs. I wish I had more.
Between you and me, not I.
You'll get me straightened out one of these days.
@@GrumpyToadCreationsSorry 'bout that. Mom was an English teacher. We kids were instantly corrected when we made errors. Hard habit to break, but I should keep it in the family.
@EricRush Well just between you and me, I don't mind. 😉
@@GrumpyToadCreations☺
G’day, I haven’t seen tongs like that since my childhood. An old bullock driver used them to sing logs out of the bush. An idea you could use would be do as that old guy did; use a round piece of steel with a hole on one edge so you can add a bow shackle. Then use a steel loop around the tongs so the disc can jangle freely when attached with a shackle. That disc stops the log digging in and I watched him work with that for several days and it helped. Worth a try to see if it can make log snagging easier. An idea I have as I used it myself when I lived in the bush, if you can get an old ploughing disc you could use that as it has a dished face for the log end to rest in. I hope the general idea is explained well enough. Nice looking timber, you know it will be reasonably stable after standing and drying. It will make a beautiful mantle.
Oh yeah, good explanation. I can see it. The disc is a good idea for sure. I'll have to see what I can find. My tongs came out of an old barn. They're hand hammered, you can see the irregularities and the tool marks. It's pretty cool to think I'm using something that some guy made long before I was alive. Someone told me that they're ice tongs, but they work fine for logs. I appreciate the advice, I'll try to improve it for the next adventure.