Well I for one am thankful that you are giving away your knowledge for free. I am also very glad you are not sponsored. I don't like watching the commercialized videos where you are trying to sell me something, or trying to get people to follow some link to buy something or donate to your UA-cam channel. I know it is time consuming, making, editing and posting these videos, just know some people do apricate it very much.
Thanks, so far I am completely unsponsored, I really don't like being "in the bag" for the Man, I have a tendency to say it the way I see it, and this way I don't have to worry about if they like it or not. I am planning on doing some "real life" product reviews of stuff we buy or own that others may find useful that we use on the sawmill and farm. I get a lot of requests for that from our customers because they see me using this or that tool and ask to do a real life review, and as you say, everybody else's reviews are sponsored so I want to be different and tell the truth so maybe it will help somebody out. We use a lot of tools and generally use them util they burn out so do real life torture tests. Thanks for watching.
Please keep it coming you are wealth of knowledge and much appreciated by this Northern boy.. your time, efforts and sense of humor are joyful to watch. Thanks so much for passing it on to me and others.
People will say it's shameful to cut off so much sapwood........until they see what it does to a once-beautiful, now trash, board. The only thing I do differently from this video is to leave a 4x4, 6x6 etc from the center so I can use it for blocking. I always learn a lot from your videos. Thanks. Dave
You are correct. We actually dry the pith boards and sell them as Project Wood for building dog houses, planters, etc, so we try to get a little money out of them. Thanks for watching!
64 yrs old, w this hydraulic system Id be able to saw logs for a few yrs. Theres a local sawml not having an idea how to saw logs, wavy cuts etc. I have too many dreams,lol. I enjoy watching a man that knows what he's doing. Like yer time, effort saving techniques. Lord Bless.
I like your saw mill .I saw on a lt 50 extra wide . started out with a lt40 back in 1993 . and it looks like you have mastered a lot of techniques that makes you a one man crew.and you do what it normally takes 3 workers to do.good job my wood man fan .
You are very correct, we used to have a 3 person crew, me and two off bearers, but due to lots of things, we have downsized to a one man crew (me) on the mill. It's a lot less complaining and more enjoyable and our yield is still about the same. This comment is a good topic for a video, thanks!
Just ran across your channel tonight. Getting ready to have some big cherry logs milled up from a storm-downed tree. Perfect timing. Subbed and liked. Thank you for your professional wisdom. I'm so damn tired of the hacks and quacks that infest UA-cam with their half-baked opinions and know-it-all attitudes. The real deal always stands above the crowd. Appreciate it.
Most other sawyers on the Tube make money from the videos, not sawing wood. We are a true lumber business, and these are real sawmilling techniques to produce high grade wood. If a person on the Tube or anywhere else wears Spandex, then they don’t know what they are doing, especially if they are running a sawmill. As a matter of fact, in the real sawmilling world, there is a newly coined term for a sawmill hack or greenhorn, it’s called a “Spandex Sawyer.”
The man generously gives us all his top techniques for efficiently producing quality product. Turns out they're still the market leader down there, even so. Gotta say they're doing something right!
I know this has to be a rough patch for you as a business man. You are trying to run a business and like you said, filming cost you time. However I really believe it is still worthwhile once you crest this hump and find the balance. From a larger perspective, sharing your knowledge and experience with the upcoming generations is priceless and contributes more than you know. Hold the line and I bet you will find your footing and your audience will continue to grow. For now, thanks again. I come here to learn and never leave disappointed.
Thanks, every time I turn on the cameras, the production slows down. It's painful. Meanwhile, I need to make wood to sell. I'll figure it out at some point, I'm always doing something on the farm or sawmill, so figure people may want to watch. Thanks for watching!
Love your videos. A lot of useful knowledge here that you share. I have a woodland mills manual mill, and every time you made mention of being able to keep sawing without moving, i felt that in my soul. Thank you for all that you share!
Thanks, I have an artificial hip and a bad knee, and have to produce a business level quantity of wood. So every bad step hurts me and I can only blame myself, and I try to be as efficient as possible. Thanks for watching!
You offer so much more on understanding the milling aspect then any sawyer. Thank you for that. I just wish I lived closer to you for my hardwood supply. Keep them coming, I know it’s almost not worth your time but is good advertising but making a new commercial every week I’m sure is tough. I thought about a channel myself about building furniture and custom millwork from a wheelchair but I work alone and refuse to go back to 18 hour days. Burn out is a real thing. At 25/30 is one thing but 62 is another and I’ve learned to say no.
Thanks, yeah I don't make peanuts on those stuff, but at least people know that we are aren't just winging it, that we at least can look like we know what we are doing. Thanks for watching!
I am just starting out with the saw milling. All manual Woodland Mills unit. I have mostly hard wood on my land which is great for furniture but not so much for building projects. Thanks for spending time to teach us.
I try to find all the time savers I can too and handle the wood as little as possible... I'm lazy though and a lazy man will always find the smart way.. Always catch something from your videos though.... Thanks
Yes, although the dragback is standard in many milsl, the dragback shoes, the small metal pieces welded to the bottom of the arms was invented here. They are now being seen in other mills, many people are modifying their current dragback with them, and it was one of the first things I do whenever I buy a new mill, whatever model. I fabricate and weld them on. WM doesn't offer them, and I have done several videos on how to build and install. Using dragback shoes, a Sawyer can not only drag boards back, but stack them on other boards, basically put them anywhere, and is an incredible time and back saver. They are that good.
Ever since i been watching your videos. I find myself looking at stacks of wood an seeing if there laying flat ..checking the tension in the board ..thank you for teaching us
Thanks for watching, since I don't make enough money off the Tube to pay for a cup of coffee, I really appreciate the compliments and thanks because that's pretty much the only reason IO do it, as well as to pass a little knowledge on.
You have made me an addict! I just can't get enough. One thing I would love you to do is smply let the tape roll from a slight distance so I can see all your movements from start to finish. I am planning on setting up my new LT70 with the same meathod. Also, I am curious how you are rotating the log and knowing/setting the top face with the blade to continue down? Thanks
Oh, the turning and not having to reset is using a combination of using the setworks and my eye to get all the edges set to a reference as soon as possible.
Really appreciate all of the tips you give on producing high quality work while also being as time and labor efficient as possible. Invaluable information.
Thanks for watching! Chip's the real star. When people come visit our store to buy wood, everybody knows his name and nobody knows mine! People walk in and immediately ask "Where's Chip? Is he here?"
@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama please don't 😆! You share a lot of valuable knowledge about wood and techniques. I didn't watch your vids at first simply because of your advanced mill, advanced lingo that took a while for a beginner like me to understand. You kinda have to grow into your vids, you feel like a boss that's pushing to produce and the novice is afraid of messing up and getting fired 😳lol. But it's better than you wearing spandex oh lordy lol..
Great video. You are a little (a lot) out of most of our league with this mill setup so a lot of stuff you talk about we only dream of but still some good info in there for all. Thanks.
Most folks don't know we started with an Alaskan chainsaw mill, then an LT15, LT40 and finally our latest, an LT70. If we can do it, anyone can. Thank you for watching !
really good video. woodmizer needs to send you a check. you are one of the best if not the best. if i was a young man i would get a mill like yours and get you to teach me. take care, be safe and well.
Wow Robert! This was so amazing to watch. Now I know what it takes in preparing the wood for making my guitars....BTW I'll bring the 13 string bass next time. All from your wood.
Good to see you! Thanks, yes, there is alot that goes on behind during the week that folks don't see. That's why I like doing these videos. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Glad it was helpful! Lots of my techniques with the sawmill have been learned after decades of sawing, as well as learning from some of the best in the country. They are not hard but do take practice and timing. Once they are learned, they are second nature.
Wow, subbed for sure. To me, these videos are gold. I just got an LT28. So I won't have the hydraulics, but the techniques you share on getting quality wood is very valuable information to me. The mill showed up months early, but this spring I'll be milling up on site at my buddy's place a pile of New England red oaks. Many of them have 30+in diameter. So I have time to do some research. Which technique would you recommend? The piths of oak can be bad i have observed, but there isn't much sap wood (I don't think?). Maybe just face the bark slab to an exposed 8in wide sawn face, rotate 180, and repeat on 4 sides. From there, it seems I could follow the method shown here to the pith, or I maybe get some QS... hmm so many things to think about.
Sapwood on oak is can be a problem, although not as bad as in cherry or walnut. However, since it is a different color, a bicolor oak board is sometime refused by the customer.
Hi, thanks for sharing. Just wondering why you didn’t level the top of the log to the bed, and instead centered the pith. In a different video I watched of yours, you said to level top of log. Hope this question makes sense.
Yes, make perfect sense. It depends on the log and the defects it's showing on different faces, as well as how naturally straight or how much bell is on the log. I don't do much "explaining" on some of these videos, I have people say they can't follow me as it is, so I just don't mention some things. Even if the log is parallel bark sawn, at some point I will always try to center the pith except not always necessarily at the beginning. As the cant gets smaller, the growth rings get more parallel to the pith so at some point it's a good idea to get aligned with the pith to keep it from getting into the boards. For cherry, especially with a straight log, it's sometimes good to just start out that way. This is a good question because my next long video will be me sawing up a walnut, and I explain and demonstrate this very thing.
You’re a great sawyer! Love all the info so helpful ! Nice to have so much info a tips not just cutting boards. Nice job mister keep the videos coming always looking forward to them
Thanks for the compliments. I am trying to make some videos that are different by trying to provide some useful tips that may help folks with their saw milling and kiln drying. Also mixing things up with what we doing on the farm, so some variety as well. Thanks for watching!
Your videos are so helpful. I’ve watched the walnut and cherry ones. So with those species you don’t worry about 1/4 sawing vrs plain sawing for stability!? Is that right??
It depends on the end product desired. This video covers the proper way to flat saw these species because flat sawn orientations own the market share of these species marketability. There is not much commercial market for QS cherry or walnut, although it does increase board stability, in fact some commercial customers will purposely avoid qsawn or rift sawn cherry and walnut because it doesn't match the conventional orientation of most cherry and walnut furniture. I do sometimes vertical grain saw cherry and walnut if the log dictates it, as matter of fact I did some of that this week, generally if the stress in the cant is so great that flat sawing just won't settle it down. Very good question.
Great video YH! Love seeing this method (I don't mill Cherry since we don't have any! Though I did one short log a dozen years ago when I was still pretty new). Also love seeing and hearing your commentary on production sawing! Even with the LT40 with it's slower hydraulics I try to do the same things (reverse roll of the CANT, moving flitches up onto the deck etc) for all the same reasons! It's slower than the Lt70 but still can produce at a decent rate if the sawyer learns to use the hydraulics the way you are demonstrating. Great video! See ya on FF (I'm trying to be more active now that I'm just sawing :D ). Cheers!
Sir, with respect, may I ask - is your wood mizer the top-of-the-line unit? I have seen other wood mizer units and they must be minimal lower-end units. Thanks for this video: extremely interesting. Stay safe. YF JB.
Excellent question! Yes it is and you are correct. I come at it from a different standpoint of many UA-cam content creators in that they are just happy to run a sawmill, make a few boards, and can make lots of videos with spandex, but don’t have the equipment or background to make top quality lumber that will sell. Your question is one reason I started making videos, to show the viewers there is a difference in equipment, technique and mindset between someone who sells videos and someone who sells lumber.
I have a 89lt40hd with claw turner. Do you think any of those time saving techniques would work for me? Did you use any of them when you had your smaller mills?
Definitely by how it's cutting. I normally change blades couple times a day. Once it starts to wander or slow down, it goes into the "needs sharpening" pile.
Yes, although the dragback is standard in my mill, the dragback shoes, the small metal pieces welded to the bottom of the arms was invented here. They are being seen in other mills, many people are modifying their current dragback with them, and it was one of the first things I do whenever I buy a new mill, whatever model. I weld them on. WM doesn't offer them, and I have done several videos on how to build and install. Using dragback shoes, a Sawyer can not only drag boards back, but stack them on other boards, basically put them anywhere, and is an incredible time and back saver. They are that good.
No, and that is a whole video, or even career, in itself. A board sawn at the optimum speed, with the optimum blade, lube, etc will have no real sawdust to clean. So there is no dust to remove and no time wasted dusting. This simple idea can double you production. It’s an easy concept but very difficult to achieve. However, it should always be the goal, i.e. no appreciable sawdust on the board that needs cleaning. Excellent question.
Yes, mostly, but I learn sawing techniques from everywhere, anytime I see a Sawyer, or go places to talk with others, or read on line, I always try to learn something new. However, there is as much, actually more, "bad" or incorrect information out there than useful, and yes, the school of hard knocks is a painful teacher. Since I am the rare business who saws the logs and then sells the dried wood, I get real customer feedback, and if a customer doesn't like it or the lumber doesn't turns out perfect, I have no one to blame but myself, and I need to pull my game up. Since I pay real money for these logs I mill up, I need to make sure the lumber comes out "right" or I'm losing money. I am always learning how to saw better, flatter, faster, it's a process that can take a lifetime.
Thanks for the great education. I am working on a forestry education website similar to udemy. Would you be interested in working on some courses? I live near huntsville, so not to far away from you.
Thanks for the compliments. I don't really have time for "teaching" coursework, it's all I can do to sneak some time in for these videos. Thanks for watching!
@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama I would send a videographer to do the video work and you would receive lifetime royalties for the courses. It would be a nice passive income stream and could end up being a nice source of income. I also wouldn't mind paying for your time if you wanted to be compensated for the first course.
Pith is never high grade, and in the video you have captioned I was sawing cherry, and pith is large and totally unusable in cherry. Whether I sawed through it or not, it is always sent to the burn pile as a routine and if I said the stickered wood was high grade, not would have contained all the boards EXCEPT the pith boards which automatically go to the burn pit. In the videos, and real life, I will saw through the path regularly, even cherry, (I was doing it yesterday in a video I filmed) simply as a matter of process and convenience, because my mill is so fast, it is easier and faster for me to saw down through the entire cant and cut it into easy to remove boards as opposed to having to eject the entire pith centered cant, which is heavy and harder to handle. Pith will never go on the stickered stack, whether I sawed it or not. As a general rule, in the videos, I mention that I am "sawing down through the pith as a process convenience, and will discard the boards as a matter of routine" or something like that, but sometimes, I may edit out the narrative. However, as a hard and fast rule, pith or juvenile core on hardwoods will always make low quality and cracked wood, and is always disposed of, even if I sawn down through the cant for convenience. Pith always goes to the burn pile. Good observation.
Well I for one am thankful that you are giving away your knowledge for free. I am also very glad you are not sponsored. I don't like watching the commercialized videos where you are trying to sell me something, or trying to get people to follow some link to buy something or donate to your UA-cam channel. I know it is time consuming, making, editing and posting these videos, just know some people do apricate it very much.
Thanks, so far I am completely unsponsored, I really don't like being "in the bag" for the Man, I have a tendency to say it the way I see it, and this way I don't have to worry about if they like it or not. I am planning on doing some "real life" product reviews of stuff we buy or own that others may find useful that we use on the sawmill and farm. I get a lot of requests for that from our customers because they see me using this or that tool and ask to do a real life review, and as you say, everybody else's reviews are sponsored so I want to be different and tell the truth so maybe it will help somebody out. We use a lot of tools and generally use them util they burn out so do real life torture tests. Thanks for watching.
Please keep it coming you are wealth of knowledge and much appreciated by this Northern boy.. your time, efforts and sense of humor are joyful to watch. Thanks so much for passing it on to me and others.
My pleasure!
People will say it's shameful to cut off so much sapwood........until they see what it does to a once-beautiful, now trash, board. The only thing I do differently from this video is to leave a 4x4, 6x6 etc from the center so I can use it for blocking.
I always learn a lot from your videos. Thanks.
Dave
You are correct. We actually dry the pith boards and sell them as Project Wood for building dog houses, planters, etc, so we try to get a little money out of them. Thanks for watching!
64 yrs old, w this hydraulic system Id be able to saw logs for a few yrs. Theres a local sawml not having an idea how to saw logs, wavy cuts etc. I have too many dreams,lol. I enjoy watching a man that knows what he's doing. Like yer time, effort saving techniques. Lord Bless.
Thank you!
I see a future olympic event, throwing wood
Yep, it takes proper technique, followthrough and is kind of fun. Like throwing horseshoes, just more productive.
good stuff as always Robert, always learning from your videos,
Thanks 👍
I love lumber so much. To work at a mill would absolutely be delightful
Thanks!
I've been milling for fifteen years, but I still learn things from you. I certainly appreciate that about your work and what you share.
I appreciate that!
I like your saw mill .I saw on a lt 50 extra wide . started out with a lt40 back in 1993 . and it looks like you have mastered a lot of techniques that makes you a one man crew.and you do what it normally takes 3 workers to do.good job my wood man fan .
You are very correct, we used to have a 3 person crew, me and two off bearers, but due to lots of things, we have downsized to a one man crew (me) on the mill. It's a lot less complaining and more enjoyable and our yield is still about the same. This comment is a good topic for a video, thanks!
How does this channel not have 100,000 subscribers? It is excellent!
I wish I knew, I ask myself the same question everyday. Thanks for the compliment and thanks for watching!
Thanks so very much for sharing your tips and methods of getting the best lumber out of each log.
Glad to help
Just ran across your channel tonight. Getting ready to have some big cherry logs milled up from a storm-downed tree. Perfect timing. Subbed and liked. Thank you for your professional wisdom. I'm so damn tired of the hacks and quacks that infest UA-cam with their half-baked opinions and know-it-all attitudes. The real deal always stands above the crowd. Appreciate it.
Most other sawyers on the Tube make money from the videos, not sawing wood. We are a true lumber business, and these are real sawmilling techniques to produce high grade wood. If a person on the Tube or anywhere else wears Spandex, then they don’t know what they are doing, especially if they are running a sawmill. As a matter of fact, in the real sawmilling world, there is a newly coined term for a sawmill hack or greenhorn, it’s called a “Spandex Sawyer.”
The man generously gives us all his top techniques for efficiently producing quality product. Turns out they're still the market leader down there, even so. Gotta say they're doing something right!
Yep, I appreciate the straight forward comments. I do show people the techniques we use to produce the highest quality hardwood possible.
I always look forward to your technical sawing videos. Thank you for being so open to helping the sawyer community. Keep up the good work👍-Andy
Thanks, will do!
Still very new to sawing and your channel is a wealth of information. Thank you. Cherry sap wood rots really fast too.
Welcome! You are correct. Sapwood is bad.
Watch, listen, and learn. Methodical mastermind. Probably have dinner cooking too. Simply smooth workmanship. Thank you.
Thanks!
I know this has to be a rough patch for you as a business man. You are trying to run a business and like you said, filming cost you time. However I really believe it is still worthwhile once you crest this hump and find the balance. From a larger perspective, sharing your knowledge and experience with the upcoming generations is priceless and contributes more than you know. Hold the line and I bet you will find your footing and your audience will continue to grow. For now, thanks again. I come here to learn and never leave disappointed.
Thanks, every time I turn on the cameras, the production slows down. It's painful. Meanwhile, I need to make wood to sell. I'll figure it out at some point, I'm always doing something on the farm or sawmill, so figure people may want to watch. Thanks for watching!
This may be the most educational channel on YT. Sincere thanks for sharing your vast knowledge.
Wow, thank you!
Love your videos. A lot of useful knowledge here that you share. I have a woodland mills manual mill, and every time you made mention of being able to keep sawing without moving, i felt that in my soul. Thank you for all that you share!
Thanks, I have an artificial hip and a bad knee, and have to produce a business level quantity of wood. So every bad step hurts me and I can only blame myself, and I try to be as efficient as possible. Thanks for watching!
You offer so much more on understanding the milling aspect then any sawyer. Thank you for that.
I just wish I lived closer to you for my hardwood supply.
Keep them coming, I know it’s almost not worth your time but is good advertising but making a new commercial every week I’m sure is tough.
I thought about a channel myself about building furniture and custom millwork from a wheelchair but I work alone and refuse to go back to 18 hour days. Burn out is a real thing. At 25/30 is one thing but 62 is another and I’ve learned to say no.
Thanks, yeah I don't make peanuts on those stuff, but at least people know that we are aren't just winging it, that we at least can look like we know what we are doing. Thanks for watching!
I am just starting out with the saw milling. All manual Woodland Mills unit. I have mostly hard wood on my land which is great for furniture but not so much for building projects. Thanks for spending time to teach us.
Sounds great! Thanks for watching.
Thanks for sharing all these tips! Especially on how to minimize material handling!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video and content! So glad you and Martha are doing well. I love the water bottle trick. Lol
Thanks so much
I try to find all the time savers I can too and handle the wood as little as possible... I'm lazy though and a lazy man will always find the smart way.. Always catch something from your videos though.... Thanks
One of the phases I have coined is "Take Steps to Save Steps." Thanks for watching!
@ 11:17
That was Really your
doings 🤔 😊
Yes, although the dragback is standard in many milsl, the dragback shoes, the small metal pieces welded to the bottom of the arms was invented here. They are now being seen in other mills, many people are modifying their current dragback with them, and it was one of the first things I do whenever I buy a new mill, whatever model. I fabricate and weld them on. WM doesn't offer them, and I have done several videos on how to build and install. Using dragback shoes, a Sawyer can not only drag boards back, but stack them on other boards, basically put them anywhere, and is an incredible time and back saver. They are that good.
Ever since i been watching your videos. I find myself looking at stacks of wood an seeing if there laying flat ..checking the tension in the board ..thank you for teaching us
That’s great, and you will always look at wood, both yours and others, with an “educated” eye! You can take pride you are seeing things others don’t.
Thanks Robert, I learn alot watching you
Glad to hear it.
Perfect! I wish you were down the road from me. I have so much cherry to be sawn.
Pick the best logs and mill them first.
Thank you I did learn something on that video about the sapwood with cherry and Walnut did not know that I'm new, thank you!
Glad it was helpful.
Thanks Robert, I enjoy learning from your technical skills. thank you Sir!!!
My pleasure. I'd like to pass some of this knowledge on to help others, so they can learn form my mistakes. Thanks for watching!
Love your sawmill I have one ordered just like yours I want shoes on my drag backs thanks for sharing that with me
Glad you like them! They are amazingly effective, and thanks for watching.
Thank you for sharing yet another slab of knowledge!
My pleasure.
I appreciate your experience and your videos, I just bought a sawmill and I'm brand new at it, no experience, and hungry for knowledge. Thanks.
Glad to help.
This was probably the most informative sawmill video I've ever seen. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama I even went to work and donut cut a walnut. Got the pith in 1 board.
Getting a lt 40 hopefully soon. Really have learned a lot from your videos. Thanks
Great to hear!
Enjoyed the video, the tip on the hydraulic lines was worth the watch in itself. Thanks for the education on milling lumber.
Glad it was helpful!
Beautiful wood another great video Robert thanks for sharing with all
Thanks for watching, since I don't make enough money off the Tube to pay for a cup of coffee, I really appreciate the compliments and thanks because that's pretty much the only reason IO do it, as well as to pass a little knowledge on.
didnt know about the cherry sap wood, good information as always, thanks
Yes, sapwood is a board killer and pure heartwood cherry lumber sells for more money that a sapwood/heartwood board. Thanks for watching!
It's always informational and fun watching a Pro at work .......
Thanks, I may not know what I'm doing, but at least I can look like I do! Thanks for watching!
Great videos!
I just purchased my first sawmill about 6 months ago and your videos are the most informative I've seen. Thanks!
Brady
Glad to help!
Love your videos
I appreciate it, they sure take a lot of time to make, I'm glad they are worth watching!
New subscriber, enjoyed your video very much. Thank's for sharing your knowledge.
Welcome! And Thank You!
Really enjoyed your video. Happy sawing.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting!
I recently bought a lt35hd ... l like the flipping tip with the fletches
Just give it a try, you will get the hang of it before long.
You have made me an addict! I just can't get enough. One thing I would love you to do is smply let the tape roll from a slight distance so I can see all your movements from start to finish. I am planning on setting up my new LT70 with the same meathod. Also, I am curious how you are rotating the log and knowing/setting the top face with the blade to continue down? Thanks
I may do that. Good suggestion, I will try.
Oh, the turning and not having to reset is using a combination of using the setworks and my eye to get all the edges set to a reference as soon as possible.
Thanks, really helpful for the aspiring sawyer!
Thank you!
Thanks Robert, great video.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!
I'm getting my first sawmill this week, used Timberking 1400. Very happy I found your channel right in the beginning! Thanks
Welcome aboard!
Really appreciate all of the tips you give on producing high quality work while also being as time and labor efficient as possible. Invaluable information.
My pleasure!
The videos has helped me a lot.I'm starting out and looking for ways to make it easier.
My pleasure, thanks for watching!
Incredible machine and boards!
Thank you !
You may want to try a
too saw with a swing blade saw. Good information.
I run a Lucas, it is very good. Thanks for watching.
Very good useful information
Glad you liked it
that was really informative . thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Great info on your setup and techniques.
Maybe you can train Chip to film?
Thanks for watching! Chip's the real star. When people come visit our store to buy wood, everybody knows his name and nobody knows mine! People walk in and immediately ask "Where's Chip? Is he here?"
Thank you for taking the time to provide such a very informative and training video. Love your channel.
Thanks for watching!
Great video, didn't realize the sapwood was that bad. Hi Chip!
Yep, sapwood ruins lots of wood. Chip says "Hi" and and thanks for watching!
Well done.
Thanks you!
Thanks for the hyd. Tip
Any time!
Not sure why you’re not getting more subs! Thanks for another great video, I learn something from each one!
I appreciate that! I guess I need to start wearing Spandex like some of the other big sawmill channels.
@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama please don't 😆! You share a lot of valuable knowledge about wood and techniques. I didn't watch your vids at first simply because of your advanced mill, advanced lingo that took a while for a beginner like me to understand. You kinda have to grow into your vids, you feel like a boss that's pushing to produce and the novice is afraid of messing up and getting fired 😳lol. But it's better than you wearing spandex oh lordy lol..
Great video. You are a little (a lot) out of most of our league with this mill setup so a lot of stuff you talk about we only dream of but still some good info in there for all. Thanks.
Most folks don't know we started with an Alaskan chainsaw mill, then an LT15, LT40 and finally our latest, an LT70. If we can do it, anyone can. Thank you for watching !
These are great. I haven't looked through your back catalog, but do you have any videos on maximizing vertical grain yield? I'd love to see that.
Yes I have a video or two that introduces vertical grain sawing, but not specifically for maximizing yield. Good idea, and tanks for watching!
Good information .
You got cool weather, we have here as well, down to freezing tonight 2 hrs north blanket of snow and freezing rain.
Good to hear form you. We ar win the south, it's supposed to be warm.
Great deets!
Glad you like them! I had to ask my wife what deets were!
Great video. Always enjoy learning tricks to use on my woodmizer.
Great to hear! I try to put some information into them to make them worth watching!
really good video. woodmizer needs to send you a check. you are one of the best if not the best. if i was a young man i would get a mill like yours and get you to teach me. take care, be safe and well.
I appreciate that! I really do. Thanks for watching.
Wow Robert! This was so amazing to watch. Now I know what it takes in preparing the wood for making my guitars....BTW I'll bring the 13 string bass next time. All from your wood.
Good to see you! Thanks, yes, there is alot that goes on behind during the week that folks don't see. That's why I like doing these videos. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Liked and subscribed!
Thanks!
Thank you,
You are welcome! Thanks for watching!
Big fan of your videos--keep them coming!
Thanks, will do!
Thanks Robert, I definitely need to work on my reverse flip.
Trimguy
You can do it!
Skills.
Thanks!
What a great video - I learned a ton - and now I am going to practice some flips thanks
Glad it was helpful! Lots of my techniques with the sawmill have been learned after decades of sawing, as well as learning from some of the best in the country. They are not hard but do take practice and timing. Once they are learned, they are second nature.
Always appreciate the information.
Thanks, I try to make it worthwhile to watch.
Wow, subbed for sure. To me, these videos are gold. I just got an LT28. So I won't have the hydraulics, but the techniques you share on getting quality wood is very valuable information to me. The mill showed up months early, but this spring I'll be milling up on site at my buddy's place a pile of New England red oaks. Many of them have 30+in diameter. So I have time to do some research. Which technique would you recommend? The piths of oak can be bad i have observed, but there isn't much sap wood (I don't think?). Maybe just face the bark slab to an exposed 8in wide sawn face, rotate 180, and repeat on 4 sides. From there, it seems I could follow the method shown here to the pith, or I maybe get some QS... hmm so many things to think about.
Sapwood on oak is can be a problem, although not as bad as in cherry or walnut. However, since it is a different color, a bicolor oak board is sometime refused by the customer.
Hi, thanks for sharing. Just wondering why you didn’t level the top of the log to the bed, and instead centered the pith. In a different video I watched of yours, you said to level top of log. Hope this question makes sense.
Yes, make perfect sense. It depends on the log and the defects it's showing on different faces, as well as how naturally straight or how much bell is on the log. I don't do much "explaining" on some of these videos, I have people say they can't follow me as it is, so I just don't mention some things. Even if the log is parallel bark sawn, at some point I will always try to center the pith except not always necessarily at the beginning. As the cant gets smaller, the growth rings get more parallel to the pith so at some point it's a good idea to get aligned with the pith to keep it from getting into the boards. For cherry, especially with a straight log, it's sometimes good to just start out that way. This is a good question because my next long video will be me sawing up a walnut, and I explain and demonstrate this very thing.
Very nice information, thanks for sharing
My pleasure!
You’re a great sawyer! Love all the info so helpful ! Nice to have so much info a tips not just cutting boards. Nice job mister keep the videos coming always looking forward to them
Thanks for the compliments. I am trying to make some videos that are different by trying to provide some useful tips that may help folks with their saw milling and kiln drying. Also mixing things up with what we doing on the farm, so some variety as well. Thanks for watching!
Your videos are so helpful. I’ve watched the walnut and cherry ones.
So with those species you don’t worry about 1/4 sawing vrs plain sawing for stability!? Is that right??
It depends on the end product desired. This video covers the proper way to flat saw these species because flat sawn orientations own the market share of these species marketability. There is not much commercial market for QS cherry or walnut, although it does increase board stability, in fact some commercial customers will purposely avoid qsawn or rift sawn cherry and walnut because it doesn't match the conventional orientation of most cherry and walnut furniture. I do sometimes vertical grain saw cherry and walnut if the log dictates it, as matter of fact I did some of that this week, generally if the stress in the cant is so great that flat sawing just won't settle it down. Very good question.
Great video YH! Love seeing this method (I don't mill Cherry since we don't have any! Though I did one short log a dozen years ago when I was still pretty new). Also love seeing and hearing your commentary on production sawing! Even with the LT40 with it's slower hydraulics I try to do the same things (reverse roll of the CANT, moving flitches up onto the deck etc) for all the same reasons! It's slower than the Lt70 but still can produce at a decent rate if the sawyer learns to use the hydraulics the way you are demonstrating. Great video! See ya on FF (I'm trying to be more active now that I'm just sawing :D ). Cheers!
It's great to see you here! I'm glad things are letting you get back ti making sawdust. Thanks for watching! I'll check out your videos!
@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama Thanks bud, I'm happy to be back making sawdust again! Woot! Now let's see if the old broken jarhead can keep at it lol
Always love the tips . Thanks .
Thanks, I try to add some stuff that I don't see in other sawmilling videos. Thanks for watching!
Sir, with respect, may I ask - is your wood mizer the top-of-the-line unit? I have seen other wood mizer units and they must be minimal lower-end units. Thanks for this video: extremely interesting. Stay safe. YF JB.
Excellent question! Yes it is and you are correct. I come at it from a different standpoint of many UA-cam content creators in that they are just happy to run a sawmill, make a few boards, and can make lots of videos with spandex, but don’t have the equipment or background to make top quality lumber that will sell. Your question is one reason I started making videos, to show the viewers there is a difference in equipment, technique and mindset between someone who sells videos and someone who sells lumber.
Enjoyed your video and thanks for the tips, on my second Wood Mizer and never done the reverse flip, now I got to go practice
You can do it! It's a critical move that after awhile you'll be able to do in your sleep, and it saves lots of time and steps.
How about VG vs. flatsawn? No market in VG cherry, or simply too small of a log to yield anything of proper size?
No VG cherry has a distinct look, some people like it, but it’s best when actually quartersawn.
Great setup. I had one of the very early Woodmizers, so interesting to see how far this company has come
Yes, they have some pretty decent equipment. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the lesson
You're welcome and thanks for watching!
Fantastic video!
Thank you and thanks for watching!
I'll be seeing you soon to buy some wood from you. Good videos.
Great, come on by!
I have a 89lt40hd with claw turner. Do you think any of those time saving techniques would work for me? Did you use any of them when you had your smaller mills?
Certainly. We started out business with an LT-40, and developed many of these techniques using it.
Really unusually wet and chilly here in the PNW; at least we're the only region in the West not dealing with draught...
I hate cold weather, I'm out sawing every day, and it just makes me miserable. Thanks of watching out in the PNW. That's beautiful country out there.
👍, awesome info
Glad it was helpful!
How do you decide when to change the blade, by the hours or by how it’s cutting?
Definitely by how it's cutting. I normally change blades couple times a day. Once it starts to wander or slow down, it goes into the "needs sharpening" pile.
@ 11:17
Do whaaat!! 😳
Yes, although the dragback is standard in my mill, the dragback shoes, the small metal pieces welded to the bottom of the arms was invented here. They are being seen in other mills, many people are modifying their current dragback with them, and it was one of the first things I do whenever I buy a new mill, whatever model. I weld them on. WM doesn't offer them, and I have done several videos on how to build and install. Using dragback shoes, a Sawyer can not only drag boards back, but stack them on other boards, basically put them anywhere, and is an incredible time and back saver. They are that good.
Do you dustoff your wood before you stack
No, and that is a whole video, or even career, in itself. A board sawn at the optimum speed, with the optimum blade, lube, etc will have no real sawdust to clean. So there is no dust to remove and no time wasted dusting. This simple idea can double you production. It’s an easy concept but very difficult to achieve. However, it should always be the goal, i.e. no appreciable sawdust on the board that needs cleaning. Excellent question.
@HobbyHardwoodAlabama still working on it. Hopefully a sawmill shed by this winter. Thanks for the information. I'll keep sweeping
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks!
Did you learn all that helpful information from the school of hard knocks?
Yes, mostly, but I learn sawing techniques from everywhere, anytime I see a Sawyer, or go places to talk with others, or read on line, I always try to learn something new. However, there is as much, actually more, "bad" or incorrect information out there than useful, and yes, the school of hard knocks is a painful teacher. Since I am the rare business who saws the logs and then sells the dried wood, I get real customer feedback, and if a customer doesn't like it or the lumber doesn't turns out perfect, I have no one to blame but myself, and I need to pull my game up. Since I pay real money for these logs I mill up, I need to make sure the lumber comes out "right" or I'm losing money. I am always learning how to saw better, flatter, faster, it's a process that can take a lifetime.
Idk if its like this nation wide but our black cherry is incredibly prone to punking out FAST
On the NY Canadian border
Yes, it's hard to get and keep them in good shape, very perishable, and one of the more technical species to mill.
Thanks for the great education. I am working on a forestry education website similar to udemy. Would you be interested in working on some courses? I live near huntsville, so not to far away from you.
Thanks for the compliments. I don't really have time for "teaching" coursework, it's all I can do to sneak some time in for these videos. Thanks for watching!
@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama I would send a videographer to do the video work and you would receive lifetime royalties for the courses. It would be a nice passive income stream and could end up being a nice source of income. I also wouldn't mind paying for your time if you wanted to be compensated for the first course.
Do you jelly roll big cherry logs? That would be a good video but I know it would be a time suck…
Typically I don't on cherry logs, although I do sometimes vertical grain saw them. Thanks for watching!
Pith is no good? Just watched one of your videos and you sawed the entire log right thru the pith and called high grade
Pith is never high grade, and in the video you have captioned I was sawing cherry, and pith is large and totally unusable in cherry. Whether I sawed through it or not, it is always sent to the burn pile as a routine and if I said the stickered wood was high grade, not would have contained all the boards EXCEPT the pith boards which automatically go to the burn pit. In the videos, and real life, I will saw through the path regularly, even cherry, (I was doing it yesterday in a video I filmed) simply as a matter of process and convenience, because my mill is so fast, it is easier and faster for me to saw down through the entire cant and cut it into easy to remove boards as opposed to having to eject the entire pith centered cant, which is heavy and harder to handle. Pith will never go on the stickered stack, whether I sawed it or not. As a general rule, in the videos, I mention that I am "sawing down through the pith as a process convenience, and will discard the boards as a matter of routine" or something like that, but sometimes, I may edit out the narrative. However, as a hard and fast rule, pith or juvenile core on hardwoods will always make low quality and cracked wood, and is always disposed of, even if I sawn down through the cant for convenience. Pith always goes to the burn pile. Good observation.