Watching from Scotland - Michael’s homespun philosophy and the guilty pleasure of watching him working so hard is an irresistible combination, isn’t it !
Take a look at the "EZ Boardwalk 40" the best mill I've seen. Blade is offset 15 degrees and log stops are on the opposite side. Made to turn logs in the opposite direction. Log stops and log locks are one piece. Handles 40" logs. The unit is bullet proof and is always true and square. If you need parts you can buy them anywhere, no need to order them and wait for delivery. Take a few minutes to look. It will be worth it. You'll be impressed, a unique mill. That thin piece of material you shaved off is called a skin where I'm from. Glued in layers around forms to make furniture etc.
The old conundrum: Dirt vs. Sweat. What I end up with is quite a bit of dirty sweat from turning the logs... Thumbs up from your neighbour in Linn County
I agree that sawyers are nuts. Then again, if you aren't a little bit nutty, then you just don't know how to live right. Another great video by one of those nutty timber falling, forest loving sawyers. Stay safe and enjoy this beautiful Oregon weather.
I have tried using the same blade to take the slabs off and just stack cants to the side once I have a bunch I put a fresh band on and cut two or three cants at a time , I also don't have water near by. Great channel
Great content as always, very informative with your Forestry work and Milling. I agree, I think it's easier to just use the cut side to square your logs on the Mill. Bigger Mill with a debarker, awesome idea Michael.
Great video on explaining on trying new methods. Examples from others sometimes are great ideals. That’s for the Chanel mention. I like using what I have laying around available.
I have always liked trying to use what I have laying around. And if that doesn’t work, sometimes I just try to make it work even harder until it works.
I have a swing mill so it is convenient to cut from inside the log. Thus you can blow the dirty bark off with out pulling it inside the log where itn dulls the blade. it is never necessicary to spud the bark off and I cut with carbide which also helps. I have cut 8500 bf without sharpening the blade. I have suggested to other millers that they turn the log toward the cut as you demonstrated because a stone can ruin a band but none of them could get their head arround the advantage of doing it that way. I would modify a new band mill to make that possable before I ever turned it on. Band mills offer som real advantages but the need to clean the logs isn't one of them
Absolutely love the video, and sawdust mountain, I have a LT 15 go, on trailer, you are making this way to difficult for cutting with the log stops on the other side. Make a square out of 1/4" X 2" X2" flat stock, or angle iron 2x2 or something you like or have, weld two pieces together and make a square of out of it, you need 2 another piece to to extend over the rail, at two ends welded to the square so they rest on the beams, now weld one more piece out of I think 1" or 3/4" tube or pipe and a few inches long so it fits over the log clamp acme screw or what ever the log clamp O.D. is, , Hope your still with me, all you have to do now is slide it on the log clamp and tighten it on the good cut side and into the log stops, it will plum itself as it pushes the log into the log stop. I going to make one in my machine shop this weekend. Really enjoyed the video . I wonder why nobody else took off the dust duct end like you and I did, if you hang a 5 gal. bucket you could sell the sawdust for smoking fish. Really. Really like cutting ninety degrees too. You need a photo just ask. 👍👍👍👍 Enjoy Mike
Seen ppl hang buckets on the discharge spout then ya can dump the bucket as far away as you want , or into something that you could haul it away easily👌🏻🤘🏼🤘🏼
I wash the logs before milling them on my Woodmizer. But what really makes my blade dull all the time, is the last log stop I forget to retract. After your blade eats one of those, you can throw them away.
You could either add a debarker to the sawmill or by an angle grinder debarker head and use it with a battery angle grinder. That way, you could turn the log the conventional way.
If you had a sawmill shed 😁 you could mount a hoist so that it would rotate the log backwards and hold it against the stops...it wouldn't help much with squaring however...oh well.
I have seen the EZ boardwalk on Hometown Acres channel. Some people are suggesting I modify my mill. I would sell it and get one of those before I would modify it.
How about using a reverse PV? Ok, not really a PV but use a PV type hook and strap from the backstop side under the mill then hook to the fresh cut on the log clamp side. Either a lever on this PV type hook and strap or a manual/powered winch to pull/roll the log. The uncut side would stay in contact with the log stops so no sliding of the log and it would just rotate into position. Also turning the log this way keeps the heavy side (after first cut) against the log stops reducing the stress on the mill from the offset weight of the log.
As to the benefits of power-washing versus the ax, those who prefer the power-washing are maybe the kind of people who don't think they're working unless they are burning petroleum products. I've known a lot of them.
You could do your first 2 cuts the old way, then on the third cut roll the log so the blade entered the cut side. You could do that and still roll the log toward the stops. That would mean rolling the log an extra time, but would also mean entering from the bark side on one of your cuts.
Well once you hit the lottery, have your welding buddy made you up some flip up sliding dogs for the other side. The lottery comes in once you have to buy him beer and pizza! 😉
I could do that but it doesn’t solve the problem of not having square log stops to square the log against. I still have to take all the time to pull out the square and take a whole lot more time to square it up. Part of the advantage of only turning 90° is it‘s faster. Turning 270 makes it a lot more turning and when you roll it around that clean face is going to have to roll over the rail that is now dirty from the bark. Especially on a bigger log that’s a lot of manual rolling.
I learn a ton from you! Question... rather than axe the bark away, would a draw knife be better? I just barely received my LT15 wide, and haven't gotten it up and running yet.
I haven’t tried a draw a knife. This Douglas fir has thick tough bark, I don’t know that a draw knife would have enough oomph. And it would dull quickly from the dirt. With the oomph behind an ax I can get away with it being dull.
As always - a very enternaining video - thank you! All the dirt problems are easily solved - do not drag the logs through dirt... no seriously - a little bit can be done during cutting down the tree but whats my take on the whole dirt - sawblade thing... 1. I dont care too much about it 2. I only remove stones etc as they realy ruine the blade badly. 3. i know a good company for sharpening the blades 4. as it is a hobby im doing - i don't care about costs either. 5. blades are not that expensive although 6. i dont have a No. 6... but i have a 7. As logs are getting heavier - i turn them with the front loader of the tractor - in that case it doesn't matters much in which direction they are turned - why I'm doing it so - because the log-stops are not the stronges at the Woodlandmills - they get out of shape pretty easily by turning a wet 4m long 60cm oak log - ask me how i know. :-)...
Keeping them out of the dirt would be great. Sometimes I can do that but a lot of my logs get yarded up out of steep places. Places where I can’t get equipment to the logs to lift them off the ground. Or if I was to bring some kind of a device down to the log to keep them off the ground, I haven’t come up with practical solutions to that yet. At least nothing that wouldn’t be more difficult than just cleaning up the log at the mill.
Instead of rolling the log toward the side with no log stop, how about rolling it with the peavey against the log stop 3/4 turn for the second cut and 3/4 turn for the third cut and 3/4 turn for the forth cut?
I think that’s what I did in the previous video. The problem with that is the blade is entering on the dirty side of the log. That is if I understand you right.
That wasted 1 inch board you are seeing is usually either from: a tapered log, a crooked log, avoiding the bugs that are boring into the outer edge of these bug killed trees, or some other defect I am avoiding.
So now you should roll 270 deg first roll and second and third and with all that rolling you might need a mill with a power turn system and you might as well get a debarker thrown in as well, or wait how about a blade sharpener and a axe and no worries? ; )
What you really need is a log straightener to take out the bow in some of the log. And it would seem to me that turning the way you have been makes more sense and is quicker than the way you tried in this video. And if like the old man znd the saw you had an automatic log turner it turns it thd way you have been, which seems thd traditional manner.
Why are there two cuts per side on the initial squaring? Why not one deeper pass? It appears you're doing a lot of extra work if it is just to keep from cutting/dragging dirt through the cut.. I vote for the simple axe removal. 30m seconds and you're sawing. Sawyers are NUTS??? My wife and I shared the 7th grade and finished high school together. She says I am still a BIG KID at heart! That's a nice way of saying NUTS!
Everyone has their own method and it’s right because they are the ones doing it. Do you saw mostly 4/4? Do you have any ponderosa on your lot? “Orographic” wow.
Lately I have been doing mostly 1 inch material. Not fully 4/4, 1 inch minus saw kerf. I get a better price for it. I have a lot of Ponderosa. Douglas is the most abundant here, Ponderosa comes in at second.
How many people watching from Australia ? And by the way i reckon this channel the best foresty channels on the internet keep up the good work mike 😁
Watching from Scotland - Michael’s homespun philosophy and the guilty pleasure of watching him working so hard is an irresistible combination, isn’t it !
I’m not far at all. I’m in south Louisiana!
Alberta, Canada
Im Australian and I small scale mill too
Minnesota
Take a look at the "EZ Boardwalk 40" the best mill I've seen. Blade is offset 15 degrees and log stops are on the opposite side. Made to turn logs in the opposite direction. Log stops and log locks are one piece. Handles 40" logs. The unit is bullet proof and is always true and square. If you need parts you can buy them anywhere, no need to order them and wait for delivery. Take a few minutes to look. It will be worth it. You'll be impressed, a unique mill. That thin piece of material you shaved off is called a skin where I'm from. Glued in layers around forms to make furniture etc.
In your Other life you had to have been a standup comedian! Love it!
The old conundrum: Dirt vs. Sweat. What I end up with is quite a bit of dirty sweat from turning the logs...
Thumbs up from your neighbour in Linn County
I agree that sawyers are nuts. Then again, if you aren't a little bit nutty, then you just don't know how to live right. Another great video by one of those nutty timber falling, forest loving sawyers. Stay safe and enjoy this beautiful Oregon weather.
Dealio and Ora graphic lift,man I learn stuff from you everyday.Thanks and keep em coming
Great videos and humor, new to sawmill learning a lot, turning 90's made big difference.
Well, that was interesting and fun.....perfect for a rainy Saturday afternoon.
I have tried using the same blade to take the slabs off and just stack cants to the side once I have a bunch I put a fresh band on and cut two or three cants at a time , I also don't have water near by.
Great channel
The old flip and scoot. I like it 😁
I don’t like it so much when I am the one doing the flipping and scooting 😁
Great content as always, very informative with your Forestry work and Milling. I agree, I think it's easier to just use the cut side to square your logs on the Mill. Bigger Mill with a debarker, awesome idea Michael.
Great video on explaining on trying new methods. Examples from others sometimes are great ideals. That’s for the Chanel mention. I like using what I have laying around available.
I have always liked trying to use what I have laying around. And if that doesn’t work, sometimes I just try to make it work even harder until it works.
I have a swing mill so it is convenient to cut from inside the log. Thus you can blow the dirty bark off with out pulling it inside the log where itn dulls the blade. it is never necessicary to spud the bark off and I cut with carbide which also helps. I have cut 8500 bf without sharpening the blade. I have suggested to other millers that they turn the log toward the cut as you demonstrated because a stone can ruin a band but none of them could get their head arround the advantage of doing it that way. I would modify a new band mill to make that possable before I ever turned it on. Band mills offer som real advantages but the need to clean the logs isn't one of them
what about overturning it? 1 quarter turn clockwise is the same as 3 quarter turns counter-clockwise
Part of the whole point of the last couple videos is to reduce turning.
Yes the dirt will absolutely dull your blade. It is like sandpaper. But it isn’t as bad on the exit side.
Absolutely love the video, and sawdust mountain, I have a LT 15 go, on trailer, you are making this way to difficult for cutting with the log stops on the other side. Make a square out of 1/4" X 2" X2" flat stock, or angle iron 2x2 or something you like or have, weld two pieces together and make a square of out of it, you need 2 another piece to to extend over the rail, at two ends welded to the square so they rest on the beams, now weld one more piece out of I think 1" or 3/4" tube or pipe and a few inches long so it fits over the log clamp acme screw or what ever the log clamp O.D. is, , Hope your still with me, all you have to do now is slide it on the log clamp and tighten it on the good cut side and into the log stops, it will plum itself as it pushes the log into the log stop. I going to make one in my machine shop this weekend. Really enjoyed the video . I wonder why nobody else took off the dust duct end like you and I did, if you hang a 5 gal. bucket you could sell the sawdust for smoking fish. Really. Really like cutting ninety degrees too. You need a photo just ask. 👍👍👍👍 Enjoy Mike
I do realize that I'm late to the table however have you ever thought of clearing up your dirty bark with a draw knife?
Seen ppl hang buckets on the discharge spout then ya can dump the bucket as far away as you want , or into something that you could haul it away easily👌🏻🤘🏼🤘🏼
Good points!
I wash the logs before milling them on my Woodmizer. But what really makes my blade dull all the time, is the last log stop I forget to retract. After your blade eats one of those, you can throw them away.
Have tried it on occasion, used a level on logs that were quite large for my mill.
Like learning how to drive, three right turns equals one left turn.
I think the whole purpose of blade direction towards backstops is the torque or force keeping the log secured.
I think you are right.
Keep an eye out for an old adze, that would be easier than the axe I reckon for removing the bark.
You could either add a debarker to the sawmill or by an angle grinder debarker head and use it with a battery angle grinder.
That way, you could turn the log the conventional way.
If you had a sawmill shed 😁 you could mount a hoist so that it would rotate the log backwards and hold it against the stops...it wouldn't help much with squaring however...oh well.
I just need to build a sawmill shed that is even more fancy than yours. One that squares the log too.
@@WilsonForestLandsActually I never tried it backwards with the hand winch. Something to try...off camera first!
Hello. Love your videos. Take a look at EZ Boardwalk Portable Band Saw Mills. Then you dont have to modify your wood-mizer 😀
Watching from Norway.
I ordered the EZ Boardwalk 40 3 weeks ago. Log stops on the opposite side is one of the many reasons I chose it over the lt 15 wide
I have seen the EZ boardwalk on Hometown Acres channel. Some people are suggesting I modify my mill. I would sell it and get one of those before I would modify it.
How about using a reverse PV? Ok, not really a PV but use a PV type hook and strap from the backstop side under the mill then hook to the fresh cut on the log clamp side. Either a lever on this PV type hook and strap or a manual/powered winch to pull/roll the log. The uncut side would stay in contact with the log stops so no sliding of the log and it would just rotate into position. Also turning the log this way keeps the heavy side (after first cut) against the log stops reducing the stress on the mill from the offset weight of the log.
true I had some cedar that had to be cut into quarters to get on my 26 inch mill a real pain
Yes quartering them to get them on the mill is a pain. I may have some of that coming up this summer.
As to the benefits of power-washing versus the ax, those who prefer the power-washing are maybe the kind of people who don't think they're working unless they are burning petroleum products. I've known a lot of them.
You could do your first 2 cuts the old way, then on the third cut roll the log so the blade entered the cut side. You could do that and still roll the log toward the stops. That would mean rolling the log an extra time, but would also mean entering from the bark side on one of your cuts.
build a de-barker, which can be used as mulch, then add hydraulics and log pushers.
Well once you hit the lottery, have your welding buddy made you up some flip up sliding dogs for the other side. The lottery comes in once you have to buy him beer and pizza! 😉
Or when I win the lottery, I can pay the buddy to do the turning. I will supervise while I spend some quality time with the beer and pizza.
😆
Why not keep turning toward the stops a full 270°?
I could do that but it doesn’t solve the problem of not having square log stops to square the log against. I still have to take all the time to pull out the square and take a whole lot more time to square it up. Part of the advantage of only turning 90° is it‘s faster. Turning 270 makes it a lot more turning and when you roll it around that clean face is going to have to roll over the rail that is now dirty from the bark. Especially on a bigger log that’s a lot of manual rolling.
I learn a ton from you! Question... rather than axe the bark away, would a draw knife be better? I just barely received my LT15 wide, and haven't gotten it up and running yet.
I haven’t tried a draw a knife. This Douglas fir has thick tough bark, I don’t know that a draw knife would have enough oomph. And it would dull quickly from the dirt. With the oomph behind an ax I can get away with it being dull.
As always - a very enternaining video - thank you! All the dirt problems are easily solved - do not drag the logs through dirt... no seriously - a little bit can be done during cutting down the tree but whats my take on the whole dirt - sawblade thing... 1. I dont care too much about it 2. I only remove stones etc as they realy ruine the blade badly. 3. i know a good company for sharpening the blades 4. as it is a hobby im doing - i don't care about costs either. 5. blades are not that expensive although 6. i dont have a No. 6... but i have a 7. As logs are getting heavier - i turn them with the front loader of the tractor - in that case it doesn't matters much in which direction they are turned - why I'm doing it so - because the log-stops are not the stronges at the Woodlandmills - they get out of shape pretty easily by turning a wet 4m long 60cm oak log - ask me how i know. :-)...
Keeping them out of the dirt would be great. Sometimes I can do that but a lot of my logs get yarded up out of steep places. Places where I can’t get equipment to the logs to lift them off the ground. Or if I was to bring some kind of a device down to the log to keep them off the ground, I haven’t come up with practical solutions to that yet. At least nothing that wouldn’t be more difficult than just cleaning up the log at the mill.
Can you sharpen those saw blades? Enjoy the content.
Instead of rolling the log toward the side with no log stop, how about rolling it with the peavey against the log stop 3/4 turn for the second cut and 3/4 turn for the third cut and 3/4 turn for the forth cut?
I think that’s what I did in the previous video. The problem with that is the blade is entering on the dirty side of the log. That is if I understand you right.
You can still use your log stops if you turn the log 270 degrees.
Reducing the turning was part of the strategy.
So what I'm hearing is that you need a left handed sawmill or an assistant to rotate logs for you?
Yes please.
Am I wrong, or are you not wasting four one-inch boards on the slabs you cut from the log?
That wasted 1 inch board you are seeing is usually either from: a tapered log, a crooked log, avoiding the bugs that are boring into the outer edge of these bug killed trees, or some other defect I am avoiding.
I’d just roll it towards the dogs 3 times to get the clean side. Easier to roll that way, especially with bigger logs.
Part of the point of the last couple videos was reducing turning.
What about an old junky chainsaw with a bark stripper head on it to pull away the dirt
Just flip it toward the stops three times and that clean side shows up ready to cut against clean wood.
This whole subject came about with the 90° turn which was supposed to reduce turning.
I've found a Pulaski much easier than a axe. The adze works most of the time and when it doesn't just turn it over and you have an axe.
So now you should roll 270 deg first roll and second and third and with all that rolling you might need a mill with a power turn system and you might as well get a debarker thrown in as well, or wait how about a blade sharpener and a axe and no worries? ; )
What you really need is a log straightener to take out the bow in some of the log. And it would seem to me that turning the way you have been makes more sense and is quicker than the way you tried in this video. And if like the old man znd the saw you had an automatic log turner it turns it thd way you have been, which seems thd traditional manner.
I have one log at the mill now that I cut a little too short. What I really need is a log straightener/stretcher combination.
How do you know you don’t like turkey poo water, try it you might like it Sam I am!
Not on a mill, not on a hill. Not on a log, not with a frog. No DANG, I do not like turkey poo water.
Why are there two cuts per side on the initial squaring? Why not one deeper pass?
It appears you're doing a lot of extra work if it is just to keep from cutting/dragging dirt through the cut.. I vote for the simple axe removal. 30m seconds and you're sawing.
Sawyers are NUTS??? My wife and I shared the 7th grade and finished high school together. She says I am still a BIG KID at heart! That's a nice way of saying NUTS!
The two cuts per side gives me a flitch I can make a board out of. In between those two cuts is a usable board after I edge them.
turn the log the normal direction until the flat side comes up. two more turns but what the heck
That makes for a whole lot of log turning. And I still have the problem of not having the log stops there to square the cant.
Everyone has their own method and it’s right because they are the ones doing it. Do you saw mostly 4/4? Do you have any ponderosa on your lot? “Orographic” wow.
Lately I have been doing mostly 1 inch material. Not fully 4/4, 1 inch minus saw kerf. I get a better price for it. I have a lot of Ponderosa. Douglas is the most abundant here, Ponderosa comes in at second.
Not a power wash, how about a large draw knife? Just because 😅
These Douglas fir have thick tough bark. I think the dirt would quickly dull a draw knife. I can get away with a dull ax since it has more oomph.
@@WilsonForestLands makes sense then
You should use a chainsaw to clean the log.
I used to clean the logs with a chainsaw. I got tired of dull chains and breathing bark dust.
Odd; The clouds aren't moving while you talk. But the clouds change position. Must be a lot of editing.