Author Topic: Milling Beams (Read 2329 times)

Drilling Man · « **on:** April 01, 2011, 01:39:53 PM »

It's been sunny here and 45* into the 50's here. A friend is building a porch on his cabin, and gave me a materials list to fill. He bought some logs, so i went up with the tractor/running gear and got 3 of them,

bringing them to the mill site, loading the first one on the mill. They look pretty skinny because they are 20 feet long,

Anyway, i got one 6"x10" beam and two 10" wide 5/4 boards out of each one,

One of the logs had some heavy wire near the center of it, and it did a number on my new band,

As it was a customers log, guess who gets to buy me a new band! lol

While i was out there, i threw on one of my logs and milled out a bunch of 2x4's too,

Here's the tally for the three long logs,

I ended up with a bunch of firewood from the slabs and trimmings, so i'm set for firewood for a while!

While i was out there, i had a mink swimming all around the pond, putting on a show! lol

Anyway, it sure was a nice day to be working outside!

DM

Zulu · « **Reply #1 on:** April 03, 2011, 02:16:54 PM »

DM,
Is that a mink or a beaver?
Zulu

Drilling Man · « **Reply #2 on:** April 03, 2011, 03:18:56 PM »

It's a mink, it got out on the bank several times, shook itself off, looked me over, and dove back in... lol

DM

bilmac · « **Reply #3 on:** April 03, 2011, 04:02:13 PM »

I thought hard about buying a bandmill when I retired. Didn't live in a place where the would be enough logs to make it pay. Lovely lumber.

Drilling Man · « **Reply #4 on:** April 05, 2011, 03:19:55 PM »

Quote from: bilmac on April 03, 2011, 04:02:13 PM

I thought hard about buying a bandmill when I retired. Didn't live in a place where the would be enough logs to make it pay. Lovely lumber.

My sawmill has saved me a PILE of money, just sawing out lumber for my own use!

DM

illini warrior · « **Reply #5 on:** October 07, 2011, 08:02:36 AM »

you should think about a metal detector for checking those logs

45-70.gov · « **Reply #6 on:** October 07, 2011, 08:10:09 AM »

this is interesting
what does a saw like that cost??.....maintain?

Drilling Man · « **Reply #7 on:** October 07, 2011, 08:45:00 AM »

Hi Guys,

I have a metal dector, but after a long time of NOT finding anything in logs, you slack off and quit useing it. Unless you want to spend $1,500.00 for a metal dector, they they only reach 3 to 7" into the log, and that means haveing to use one SEVERAL times on each log, as you mill it. It's just not worth it to me "time wise" to do that. Band cost is passed onto the customer, if they are customer logs...

You can buy bandmills similar to mine for 5 to 6K, and after that, the maintance on my mill has been near zero in cost. BUT, you have to buy bands and keep them sharp, and that's where the cost is.

DM

Alan R McDaniel Jr · « **Reply #8 on:** October 08, 2011, 05:22:22 PM »

The tractor with the front end loader to move, lift and load the logs costs more than the Mill. It would be very difficult to do any appreciable milling without a tractor/front end loader. Not to mention a trailer suitable for hauling logs with a winch.

Alan

Drilling Man · « **Reply #9 on:** October 08, 2011, 05:50:50 PM »

I hear that all the time, but it's not that hard to load the logs with the manual winch that's on my mill that i use for turning bigger logs. A pu will pull logs to the mill, and i know a guy that pulls his logs to the mill with an old compact car. Others use an ATV with an log arch... and a good log arch works VERY good!

SO, yes a tractor is nice, but you really don't have to have one as there are other options...

DM

Alan R McDaniel Jr · « **Reply #10 on:** October 08, 2011, 06:46:09 PM »

Well, other options not withstanding, I'll continue to use the tractor. Most of the logs we mill are mesquite and are very irregular in shape and size. We have to do quite a bit of turning and adjusting to get the logs in place and clamped in. I will drag the logs out of the brush with my truck, load them on the trailer with an 8000# winch but unloading and wrasseling them onto the mill is done with the tractor. Dragging them with the truck to the mill is not really an option because it's a 4 hour drive and the Texas Dept. of Transportation frowns on dragging logs on the interstate. We don't mill commercially, so monetarily there is no payoff. Some people gamble, others chase women. We mill mesquite lumber. Even with the tractor, trailer, mill and the truck I think we're operating cheaper than those other two pastimes.

To cut slabs you really don't need a mill either. You can use a chainsaw or a rail splitter. Then an adze and plane should smooth them right out. Having a mill is a lot easier though, even with the added cost.

Alan

Drilling Man · « **Reply #11 on:** October 09, 2011, 05:16:32 AM »

I wasn't implying that you pull logs down the interstate,

I was commenting that once home, they can be pulled to the mill to then be loaded on the mill deck by winching.

My loader tractor gets used for a LOT of things here on my place, not just around the mill. BUT, it's sure nice to have one to use around the mill!

DM

bilmac · « **Reply #12 on:** October 09, 2011, 07:02:22 PM »

Mesquite, now I'm really envious. Are you really saying that there is no market for mesquite. I would think you could sell that stuff to a hardwood specialty dealer and buy 5 times as many board feet at the lumberyard.

Alan R McDaniel Jr · « **Reply #13 on:** October 09, 2011, 08:31:13 PM »

Oh, it can be sold. We just don't sell it. My father to a greater extent and myself to a lesser one do some woodworking. We don't mill for others for money. If one of our friends has a log that they want cut we're happy to do that but not for money.

Mesquite lumber is kinda pricey and a guy could make a few $$$ selling it.

Alan

Alan R McDaniel Jr · « **Reply #14 on:** October 09, 2011, 08:32:49 PM »

It's tough on saw blades too. Very hard wood.

Alan

bilmac · « **Reply #15 on:** October 10, 2011, 01:43:39 AM »

Probably lots of sand in the bark.

bilmac · « **Reply #16 on:** October 10, 2011, 01:50:23 AM »

Couple of years ago we toured the southeast and stopped in at Sam Clemmens boyhood home. I think it was at Hannibul Missouri. They had exposed some of the framing of one of the old houses in the neighborhood. It was black walnut. I suppose if the walnut hadn't been sawed into such small dimensions, 2x4s the house would have been torn down for the value of the wood.

Alan R McDaniel Jr · « **Reply #17 on:** October 10, 2011, 02:47:41 AM »

There may be some sand, but mesquite is really very hard wood.

Alan

gunther66 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 03, 2012, 03:06:54 PM »

I wrestled with heavy red oak logs today. Need a turner real bad.Can someone who has experience with a turner tell me how large a winch I should buy to make one? I run a Hudson mill if it makes any difference. G66

Drilling Man · « **Reply #19 on:** February 04, 2012, 02:40:42 AM »

Some guys put small electric winches on their turners, but unless it's a good brand name, they don't seem to last.

As for a crank winch like mine, better get a GOOD 2 speed model made in USA or it won't be geared low enough to turn big logs. At least that's what guys that bought the china made Harbor Freight models are telling me.

DM

gunther66 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 04, 2012, 05:12:47 AM »

D M
Thanks for the info. Any idea what wt. rating your hand winch is? Like I stated in my post, some logs I can barely turn with the 48"peavy.I'm just getting too old to do this! G66

Drilling Man · « **Reply #21 on:** February 04, 2012, 05:57:07 AM »

Quote from: gunther66 on February 04, 2012, 05:12:47 AM

D M
Thanks for the info. Any idea what wt. rating your hand winch is? Like I stated in my post, some logs I can barely turn with the 48"peavy.I'm just getting too old to do this! G66

I think it's 2000 on the low speed.

I can easily turn any log the mill will saw.

DM

gunther66 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 04, 2012, 09:24:09 AM »

Thanks,D M