REAL MAN TRUCKWORKS & SURVIVAL
TOOLS, CONSTRUCTION, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY => Hand Tools, Power Tools, Welders, etc => Topic started by: Flyin6 on March 07, 2017, 04:17:24 PM
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I have spoken about this for what, going on two years?
Purchasing a personal sawmill, that is. This fall I was pricing some 6X6 posts and other materials I needed to build the rest of the shed, the porch around the shed, the shooting house, the well house and who knows what else, and well, the price of lumber is skyrocketing.
For what I'll spend on the materials alone of this year's shed project, I could easily buy a sawmill which has the capability of creating that lumber from all these thousands of trees all over my property.
So today I did it, I purchased one
After looking at Wood-Mizer, Norwood, Timber-King, and some others, there was one shining star, a cool Canadian company by the name of Woodland mills. They build three mills, a 26" standard model, a smaller 22" machine and the HM-130, 30" log sawmill. I chose the affordably priced HM-130 because it has the capacity for what I want to cut, and it is so reasonably priced!
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It comes broken down with some assembly required, which is something I actually wanted in a machine. By building the thing up from sub assemblies, one learns a lot about the fit and function as well as the overall quality and strength. I will be making notes of everything I see and learn in my usual fashion, so we will all be learning together about this newest addition to the Hide Site operation.
Just look at some of the construction features of this mill:
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It is powered by a 14 horsepower Kohler slanted single cylinder commercial engine with a three year warranty.
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It comes with two six foot track sections which yield a ten foot cutting length. That will not enough to handle the 16' to 20' length logs, so I purchased two additional six foot track sections which bolt on solidly
The tops of the "Bunks" are overlaid with stainless steel with a wide footprint to allow for easier log turning and to prevent the marring of the surface of the "Cant"
(A cant is a squared up log with four flat sides)
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I also added 20 extra Lennox bandsaw blades and a cover for the mill for the time it will sit outside in the weather. Very quickly, however, I will erect a shed around it open to the front, or perhaps with sliding doors to keep it protected from the weather. I'll likely add a structure on the back for storing thousands of boards while they are drying
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I plan to sink eight piers into the ground on the farm, then attach a twenty foot long 6X6 to each row to form a base, then bolt the mill to that base.
Overall I don't think there is a better mill for the money. With $350 shipping, the machine, the blades, cant-hook, cover and two extensions I am under $6K delivered to my door! Any other machine goes up in increments of thousands of dollars with one of the offerings eclipsing $10,000!!!!!
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I was fortunate to speak directly with the owner, Neil Bramley, who eventually sold me the machine. He has promised a pic of him smiling next to a saw or perhaps a crated one. I am hoping for a few shots of the factory and the folks working there as well.
Here is their demo vid of the machine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFwHieaXzCU
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SAWEeeeettt! Acquisition! You can't go wrong with your own mill when you have as many trees as you do on site. :beercheers:
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OK, starting the official pool. How many days after delivery until Don has a catastrophic failure. You know things like he ran over it with Sarge as he was loading a log etc. Things like him putting bad gas in it don't count.
I'm thinking a ten dollar buy in, but if we want to drop it to five I'm ok with that.
I say we do week time frames for every bid.
Any other suggestions? :popcorn:
Edit: and if Don dismembers any part of his body I say we forfeit the pool towards his medical bills........ :likebutton:
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Ah shucks, thanks for the kind thoughts :shocked:
I have that good retired Armee insurance. Replaces everything including a bad attitude!
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you've got a lot of cedar to get working on. Have fun with the new toy!
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I do like the saw Don, however giving you crap trumps any positive feedback I might have towards said object.....
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Very cool! It is a lot like the chainsaw versions I mentioned but I'm sure you'll get better cuts and won't waste as much wood with a bandsaw. Very cool!
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I do!
I plan to saw up 6 X 6, 2 X 8, and 4 X 6 beams to build the deck outside the second floor of the shed and the front porch. I think I'll make the lumber actual dimensional stuff, not the typical 1 1/2 X 7 1/2.
Given that the beams will be cedar and larger dimensionally. I think I can get some pretty good strength from the boards.
If you recall all those oak, ash, elm, walnut, hickory, and whatever logs in the barn, I will use them for flooring and wall covering and higher end stuff.
I think I'll use half and sell half of what I mill to try and pay for the saw this year. Then for ever more all my lumber is almost free!
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I do like the saw Don, however giving you crap trumps any positive feedback I might have towards said object.....
Understand
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Dumb question, those saw blades.......
Did you tell them what you were cutting? Reason I ask (& this is strictly from a guy who's logic is rooted in managing several very large bandsaws of a commercial variety cutting steel) is that there are many different tooth profiles depending on what your cutting. Along with this goes speeds and feeds not to mention blade break in etc.
I would assume those old logs will take something completely different than the young cedars. Only saying this because good blades aren't cheap not that I'm implying Lennox is top of my list but they're not the bottom either. Blade life or cuts will depend on a number of things with the biggest factor being the operator. Just food for thought.
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Dumb question, those saw blades.......
Did you tell them what you were cutting? Reason I ask (& this is strictly from a guy who's logic is rooted in managing several very large bandsaws of a commercial variety cutting steel) is that there are many different tooth profiles depending on what your cutting. Along with this goes speeds and feeds not to mention blade break in etc.
I would assume those old logs will take something completely different than the young cedars. Only saying this because good blades aren't cheap not that I'm implying Lennox is top of my list but they're not the bottom either. Blade life or cuts will depend on a number of things with the biggest factor being the operator. Just food for thought.
That is sort of true
Factors seem to be species, soft vs hardwood (Pine-White Oak), dryness, diameter, desired blade service life, horsepower, cost and a few other things. The tooth seems to run from 3/4" to 7/8" for this kind of mill. Woodland mills has chosen a middle of the road blade. So it will push most all woods, however not exactly optimized for any specific log...I think...
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Can't wait to see it in action!
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Looks like a solid machine.
Will be nice to see some of the barn logs opened up!
The way the dollar is right now will help a ton for you too.
Can't wait to see it in action.
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Yea this is dangerously exciting..... exciting to see the old wood cleaned up and usable, dangerous because Don now has a 30" bandsaw to wreak havoc on everything including his digits and limbs....Now, no fluid changes until after several hundred board feet are cut, well maybe the initial after break in oil change, but a full on fluid change you enjoy so much, let's keep that for a later date.... cause I already see you mentioned horsepower and blade cutting ability/duration, my first thought, he's already looking at a bigger motor...
I do think a congrats is in order though, because that's pretty cool.
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Yea this is dangerously exciting..... exciting to see the old wood cleaned up and usable, dangerous because Don now has a 30" bandsaw to wreak havoc on everything including his digits and limbs....Now, no fluid changes until after several hundred board feet are cut, well maybe the initial after break in oil change, but a full on fluid change you enjoy so much, let's keep that for a later date.... cause I already see you mentioned horsepower and blade cutting ability/duration, my first thought, he's already looking at a bigger motor...
I do think a congrats is in order though, because that's pretty cool.
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Funny...
When I was talking to Neil about his saw yesterday, I was asking him if he could put a bigger engine on it! ;-)
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Looks like a solid machine.
Will be nice to see some of the barn logs opened up!
The way the dollar is right now will help a ton for you too.
Can't wait to see it in action.
Yea, I couldn't argue with the price!
And the quality. A note here. Ever since America's manufacturing base moved to China, I have been buying more and more Canadian made products. These Nor-Landers and ice people are building some seriously good stuff!
Even that Timmy Ho's quoffee which is not only better than the man bun starbuck swill, but after drinking the Timmy Ho's stuff I don't feel like I accidentally walked into a woman's nail salon
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Looks like a solid machine.
Will be nice to see some of the barn logs opened up!
The way the dollar is right now will help a ton for you too.
Can't wait to see it in action.
Yea, I couldn't argue with the price!
And the quality. A note here. Ever since America's manufacturing base moved to China, I have been buying more and more Canadian made products. These Nor-Landers and ice people are building some seriously good stuff!
Even that Timmy Ho's quoffee which is not only better than the man bun starbuck swill, but after drinking the Timmy Ho's stuff I don't feel like I accidentally walked into a woman's nail salonCan't wait to see it in action!
I think it will ship from Buffalo this week!
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So that moves the base/mount up to the front burner of the DPL's (Don's Project List)
I plan to use the auger to punch 8 holes into the ground, then set some 8" Sono-Tubes in and fill with concrete.
I'll set a bolt on top and of course cut the top's off as level and as even as I can. On top of that I'll set and bolt down a 20 foot long 6X6 treated post and then bolt the mill down to that. Aside from an earth quake, Meteor impact, or Rosie McDonald jogging nearby, it should remain stable.
I'll properly prepare the area with a proper supply of skin cells, blood, and gravel and call the thing ready to slice and dice.
Then the fun will begin!
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You have a transit or laser level? Might come in handy
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You have a transit or laser level? Might come in handy
Just a line level for this one, that and a standard long level
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I stand corrected!
Just got the following email from Neil:
Hi Don,
Just finished reading through some of the thread, looks very well documented! I did notice that you are under the impression that we manufacture the sawmill here in Canada. We do all of our design, development, testing, marketing and sales out of our Canadian office and build all of our units at our factory in China. The sawmill has a 2 year parts warranty, so if you ever need something, just give us a call and we’ll ship it out to you from our Canadian office. Just wanted to be open and honest about our company.
I’ve attached a picture of our showroom here in Canada for you.
Thanks again,
Neil Bramley
Woodland Mills
info@woodlandmills.ca
1-855-476-6455 ext. 101
http://www.woodlandmills.ca
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Oh boy here we go. Don is buying China stuff
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Kinda like that iPhone you posted that message on huh? :wink:
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Kinda like that iPhone you posted that message on huh? :wink:
Oh Snap!
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I can't believe Shawn beat me to the punch on "breakage pool" on that great looking piece of equipment! Hopefully it's go some type of auto-drive that prevents Don from getting all "Home Improvement" on it.......... :popcorn:
I predict 510 linear feet of production before the first SNAFU :shocked:
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I can't believe Shawn beat me to the punch on "breakage pool" on that great looking piece of equipment! Hopefully it's go some type of auto-drive that prevents Don from getting all "Home Improvement" on it.......... :popcorn:
I predict 510 linear feet of production before the first SNAFU :shocked:
It would need a big mean dog to keep him at bay from modding this saw......
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Like I say about my vehicles:
It aient ready to ride...till its mod-e-fied :laugh:
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Like I say about my vehicles:
It aient ready to ride...till its mod-e-fied :laugh:
Oh no!?!?!?!
Or, well, this aient a vehicle...
Maybe there's hope. :facepalm:
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Don, haters gonna hate....
I've been around a few of these things and most people have mounted them to a utility trailer. Makes it mobile and functional.
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Shawn, I'm in on the pool. But think we should have 2.
1) based on your idea, waiting for a breakage.
2) modification date (fluid change)
I can see exhaust and nitrous!!!!
Don, will a diesel fit on that and can you power with a PTO?
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Kinda like that iPhone you posted that message on huh? :wink:
I have never said I didn't support china stuff, I drive a gm truck assembled in Canada with Mexican parts and a Izuzu motor. I am no stickler to where anything is made as long it lasts.
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Don, haters gonna hate....
I've been around a few of these things and most people have mounted them to a utility trailer. Makes it mobile and functional.
Also makes it easy for someone else to tow off in the middle of the night!
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Shawn, I'm in on the pool. But think we should have 2.
1) based on your idea, waiting for a breakage.
2) modification date (fluid change)
I can see exhaust and nitrous!!!!
Don, will a diesel fit on that and can you power with a PTO?
Yea, there's some cool two and three cyl Kubota diesel engines
Nitrous: No
Exhaust: Maybe... ;-)
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I can't believe Shawn beat me to the punch on "breakage pool" on that great looking piece of equipment! Hopefully it's go some type of auto-drive that prevents Don from getting all "Home Improvement" on it.......... :popcorn:
I predict 510 linear feet of production before the first SNAFU :shocked:
It would need a big mean dog to keep him at bay from modding this saw......
Just some decals, and maybe a storage shed...Possible some welded on places to mount wrenches and needed tools...Possible a larger engine in time...Ya know, the essentials.
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Oh and a shotgun mount, gotta have one of those for those pesky knots!
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A 16hp blade and you want a weapon mount?
You thinking about making it portable at all? That is a big place you have and it might be easier to move the mill to the trees and bring the boards back.
Does anything hold it on that tract?
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It weighs in over 900 lbs with the extensions, so I'd call it less than portable, easily.
I do like the way you're thinking tho.
Not sure what Dons thoughts are, but it might fit on the trailer, and be relatively portable that way.
But then there is the getting the logs up etc too.
I don't see it as very portable, even though it is portable, a solid dedicated spot like he's thinking is likely easiest.
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Probably better to use the trailer to move the logs to the mill location.
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Since you're going to build a structure around it, are you planning to create a hoist to place logs on the "table"?
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It weighs in over 900 lbs with the extensions, so I'd call it less than portable, easily.
I do like the way you're thinking tho.
Not sure what Dons thoughts are, but it might fit on the trailer, and be relatively portable that way.
But then there is the getting the logs up etc too.
I don't see it as very portable, even though it is portable, a solid dedicated spot like he's thinking is likely easiest.
I'm definitely going to mount it in place to keep the operation centralized. I want all the termites attracted to just one area ;-)
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Probably better to use the trailer to move the logs to the mill location.
Bob, Shawn,
Here's my answer to the question of moving logs about.
I just ordered the heavy duty root grapple, and a 48" set of pallet forks. Those pieces hook right up to Mr. John Deere with a minimum of fuss and will man handle those logs and any tree huggin' hippies who show up to protest my killing of the gay emerald ash borer that killed a goodly number of my trees!
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Forks come in handy, nice.....
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Forks come in handy, nice.....
These are 48", 4500 lb for $595 delivered!
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You make me miss my skidloader, think I once told you that you need one....
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You make me miss my skidloader, think I once told you that you need one....
I think it was more than once, and you're right he does.
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I have an inbound!
It is scheduled to be delivered on Monday!
Yippee!
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Skidsteer? Yippee!!
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Skidsteer? Yippee!!
SAW MILL
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Missed some of the updates on this thread- for log pilings for your building a water level can work great.....just a clear tube filled with water anchored at each end shows you exactly where level is so you can find the right spot on the pilings.
If you haven't used one here's a pretty good explanation. I'm going this route to do some trenching for water drainage in the yard....if the darn snow ever goes away....
http://www.deckmagazine.com/products/tools-equipment/making-and-using-a-water-level_o
Simple, cheap and accurate. That's a win, win, win in my book.
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Heck, I was hoping for pics,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
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Missed some of the updates on this thread- for log pilings for your building a water level can work great.....just a clear tube filled with water anchored at each end shows you exactly where level is so you can find the right spot on the pilings.
If you haven't used one here's a pretty good explanation. I'm going this route to do some trenching for water drainage in the yard....if the darn snow ever goes away....
http://www.deckmagazine.com/products/tools-equipment/making-and-using-a-water-level_o
Simple, cheap and accurate. That's a win, win, win in my book.
Using Duane's laser level...
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Oh fine.....go all high tech and stuff. ....I tried to help....don't blame me when the batt'ries go out and yur building is upside down.... :grin:
Cool....that'll do the trick!
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I watched the water level used on a couple tree house vids. Simple, you can see it in the daylight and it can go around corners.
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Well, it's here!
I have a pallet weighing in somewhere around 1100 lbs (I think)
It is still plastic wrapped, as I am cleaning the garage work space and making some space on the work bench to lay things out.
Should get knee deep into the assembly tomorrow
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Cleaning the garage? Never heard of that. Last night I saw the top of my table!!!!!
Why not build it where you use it?
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Cleaning the garage? Never heard of that. Last night I saw the top of my table!!!!!
Why not build it where you use it?
Several reasons
1. Building out in the weather
2. It is important to build it square which starts with a level surface (Garage floor)
3. I have all the tools I need in my garage
4. I can assemble and test run it in a warm/dry environment and work out the bugs
5. The pier/Rails that will serve as the mills mount are not installed at the moment due to all the rain we have been getting
so
I'd have to wait on all that business prior to starting if I assembled down there
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Suggestion, maybe build it on the trailer?
Would still accomplish the above, and is then ready to slide onto the posts once installed.
You may not be able to get the extensions on, but the main unit would surely fit.
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Suggestion, maybe build it on the trailer?
Would still accomplish the above, and is then ready to slide onto the posts once installed.
You may not be able to get the extensions on, but the main unit would surely fit.
I'll build it in the garage, then use the new pallet forks to set it onto the trailer
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I seriously can't believe it took me all day until after 1830 to get that garage properly cleaned!!!!!!
It needed a deep cleaning, there was dead bugs, cobwebs, dust, dirt, mud-dubbers, cat food, someone's cheeseburger, and a bunch of rusty metal bits. I filled up a large trash can and half of another with junk.
The only real way to get the thing respectable was to haul everything out into the driveway, and pressure wash it
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Found those welding tables beneath a bunch of torched particle board I had been welding on!
I sprayed everything, even the electric fan! Let you know if it still runs tomorrow after it dries out :wink:
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^^^Givin' it the old so-so wave up there
I think I have things ready to get in on some sawmill assembly with mods, of course, and maybe a thing or two on Squareness as well
Phone took a blast, didn't notice it scootin' across the floor. It still works!
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I'll start a whole new thread on the sawmill build up and installation down at the hide...This thread, like most around here is already too junked up!