Loaded a White Pine Tpday

[Drilling Man]

  Today i put a killer white pine on my mill,
 

 
  It's going to be a bear to mill,
 

 
  As it's 36", and that's bigger than the mill is rated for   
 

 
  I better get some help for this one!  lol

  DM

[scootrd]

What model Kubota?

[Drilling Man]

  cough..cough...spit..KUBOTA?  That's aintnokubota!  That's an AGCO...  lol

  DM

[Graybeard]

I have a pine near the back corner of my property that makes that one look like a sapling. I'll bet it's 36" close to 50' up and at least 60" to 70" where one would cut it. I really should put a tape on that big rascal some time. I'd sure like to turn it into lumber but have no clue how one would go about getting it out from back there or what kinda saw it would take to fell it.

My little JD likely couldn't move that log of yours around on the ground much less lift it. That big pine of mine I think would take a dozer to move. I dunno what you'd need to cut up such a tree but I guess one of those huge round blades folks used to use at sawmills.

If you can cut that one it's gonna make a bunch of lumber. Should be interesting seeing how you pull it off.

[scootrd]

Sorry DM all I can see in pics ..is a bit o  orange

[Gun Runner]

Couple years ago my brother had a ponderosa pine removed from his yard. The base measured 57 inches across. Had my grand daughter standing on it and had to strech to reach her. This was taken out by a Pro. He had to use a boom to lower the pieces down.

Gun Runner

[Drilling Man]

  Bill,

  The best way to deal with that huge pine is, get a "swing mill" to saw it in place.  They carry them in, in pieces, and set up over the log no matter where it's laying, and then mill it in place.  Here's one in action,



  They don't do everything well, but can handle logs up to several feet in diameter, and that is what they are best at...

  Of course, you have to get it on the ground, but there's lots of folks who know how to take down a big tree...  If you get serous about wanting to give it a go, pm me and i'll try to help you find someone who can do it for you...

  Keep in mind, it may be hollow in the center too...

  DM

[Graybeard]

Yeah I know it could be hollow. It's in a really bad place to do much of anything with it as it's so close to my corner. Someone would have to really know what they are doing to drop it on my land and not one of the neighbor's place. It's also kinda steep back there.

I doubt I'll ever do anything with it even tho I sure would like the lumber from it. I think on it and if I decide to will get with you. There is a fellow no more than a mile up the highway from me with a sawmill somewhat like yours. His dad used to work for me before he and I both retired. Dunno how big his can handle. I wish he'd had it set up when I took down the big pines in my front yard as the guy that sawed them up really made a mess of it and let the largest of them set and get bug infestd before cutting them. They weren't even worth cutting when he finally got ready to saw them.

[Drilling Man]

  It was sunny and in the 70's today, and time to make 2x6's, so i rounded up my nephue "Jim", and headed for the bandmill...

  With the big log on the mill, and the mill head UP as far as it would go, this is how far i made it on my first pass,



  SO, it was time to break out the chainsaw and cut some groves so the "guides" will clear the log!!



  It took a couple "stop-n-goes", but i finally got that first slab off!!  That "first" slab is always the biggest job when milling these grossly oversize logs!



  With that bigassed slab off, it was time to turn the log, and there's NO WAY we were going to use canthooks to do it!  And there also was no way the cable winch log turner was going to work, because this log was waaaaaay to high over the log post to work safely...  SO, i did the smart thing, and turned it with the tractor/loader using the grabble,





  So, with the first turn out of the way, i took a couple planks off,



  And set them aside,



  And with a good band on, it left flat wide surfaces!



  But i soon had to change bands as i was still using a band from a couple logs ago!  And i put on two bad bands in a row, making some not so pretty lumber!  It's the first time i ever had two bands in a row that wouldn't cut straight and flat!  So i set them aside to be re-sharpened!

  Meanwhile, we turned the log again and now with it smaller, we could use the cable winch log turner,



  When all of sudden, the band started dipping and diveing all over the place!!  Grrrrrr!  So, i finished the cut, to find that my "experimental" guides had come apart!!  DANG!  So, off i go to the shop for the "origional" roller guides, and install them.

  Because the roller guides hold the band in a slightly different place than the experimental ones did, i decided to make a thin cut to check the accuracy.  As soon as i finished the cut, my nephue grabs the piece of wood, pulls it into a round shape, and proclaims...



  LOOK, a "Polish swimming pool"...  ha ha ha

  Anyway, that left me with a 12-1/10th" "cant" that i split into two 6 inchers,



  Then i rolled them up on edge, took the last slab off,



  and milled two full 2x6's off with each pass...



  Then we put all the planks we had set aside, back on the mill, edged them and took off five 2x4's, and with a second pass, ten more 2x6's...



  And FINALLY we were done with that big SOB, and it was a tough milling job!  So, here's the tally for the Big White Pine Log,



  (26) 2x6's, (5) 2x4's, and a stupid looking wide board, complements of a couple bad bands!!

  And that's how my nephue Jim and my day went!

  DM

[streak]

Good pictorial! And good work.

[Dirt Bag]

D' Man....... You make it look easy... and fun. Obviously you know your machine well. Thinking of how solid a shooting or work bench we could make out of some of that BIG lumber you saw. All mortise and tenon, and wedged and pegged.  That big pine had a couple good chainsaw carvings in it too.  Glad to see you putting it to use.
              Have a good one, and many thanx for putting up the pictures;
                                                                                    D.B.

[kodiak1]

Drillingman
What is your mill worth new?
Where is it built?

You have posted some amasing pictures on cutting logs.

Ken.

[Drilling Man]

  My bandmail is a Lumbermate 2000, and they are made in Canada.  The company has just introduced a new mill to replace it, the new one is called MX34 and they have gone up in price to about $7,500.00.

  Glad you all liked the picts....

  DM

[newdad]

ive got the same mill, just a little older version. ive cut some fairly big logs on it, but nothing close to that white pine. i dont have a grapple like yours, and thers no way id try to turn a log that size with a cant hook. nice work