Max's Sawmill -- Real Or Hallucination ?

[Mike 9 or 10]

As you may have noticed, Max has made occasional references to his alleged Sawmill.

Is this a real sawmill or one of those heat induced deliriums people down South are always experiencing ?

I think it is just so cool to put your own Sawmill together, cut your own trees, sell your lumber, and create actual wealth not only for yourself but the entire society. If I had accomplished something like that I would be mighty proud.

Hey Max --- how about posting some pictures and maybe a little narrative for those of us with Mill-Envy ?

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Well gosh Mike, I didn't know you were so ON about this sawmill stuff. But since you astided me I'll just tell you more about the whole thing.

Having a sawmill has revolutionized my whole way of life. I'm not kidding. Any time I need some lumber I just go and make some for myself. Of course, I'm kept busy sawing lumber for my customers, but I always seem to find time to saw for myself as well.

The whole thing started with my Dad coming up here from Mississipi with his sawmill. I quickly got sawmill envy and bought my own sawmill. I'd been wanting one for many years and this just caused me to really put the whole thing together. I'd been looking at sawmills for a good long time and finally settled on the Mister Sawmill brand. A couple fellows up north of me make them and the do a real good job. Here's a few pics to get you started. I don't know just how this software will post these pics so I'll post them and then go to another post. I think that's how this works anyhow. The picture I'm posting is of a really large oak tree I sawed up a few weeks ago. It took me and my two buddies to mill that log and that's for sure and for certain.

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Now that may not look like a very big log, but trust me it was a real monster! I don't plan on milling any more that size because my small mill just isn't set up for it.

Here's a pic of some cedar I've been milling. It's a slab cut off of the largest cedar tree I've milled so far. From that tree, I milled some nice thin slabs for lining closets and such. That's what this pic is. Ain't that wood purty?

 

[MaxTheKnife]

In the beginning, I was going to build a sawmill shack out of cedar poles and sheet steel. It didn't work out that way but it worked out fine after all. I didn't have the help I needed so I just put op one of them cheesy canvas tarp things. It works real good but it sure is hot under there when the sun is shining. Makes me sweat buckest of sweat. Anyway, here's a pic of my sawmill camp. It ain't much but it's what I have.

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Mostly I saw 8' lumber from the cedar I'm milling up. It don't make much sense to mill it any longer. If you know anything about this eastern red cedar you'll know what I'm talking about. It's large at the butt cut end but by the time it makes it out to 8' is't getting pretty skimpy. And I try to saw all my lumber to 8'4" so there's room to trim and make good lumber. The ends tend to crack a bit so that's only fair. Well, that's my story Mike. Got any questions? Want to see more pics? I got em! Let me know and I'll bore you to tears right here and now!!

 

[Mike 9 or 10]

Max, thanks for the pictures.

As you said the Cedar is exceptionally pretty.

OK, time for my first stupid question. When sawing does the log remain stationary and the saw move ? Thats how it looked in the picture. If that is correct, after the first cut does the saw or the log move over to make the next one ?

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Sorry Mike. I guess a pic isn't always worth a thousand words. The log is dogged down tight to the cutting bed and the cutting head powers through the log. So the log stays stationary. It really works out nice like that. However, when the log is large like that big oak, it sure makes it hard on a fellow. Yiou saw down the log and then yank the slab off the top and saw another slab. Do that till you get down to the top of the square for the cant and then turn the log. Keep sawing till you have a nice square cant and then saw boards from the cant. The bigger the cant, the wider the lumber. Make sense?

 

[Mike 9 or 10]

Max, thanks for the explanation. Sounds like tough work but I am sure it is satisfying to see the progress you make with every cut and the finished lumber.

If you have more pictures I would really enjoy seeing them.

 

[jmh]

The heck with the mill, whose tractor is that? Now I want a tractor!

jmh

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Hey, that little Ford tractor is a real work horse for its size! It's a 24 horsepower 4-wheel drive diesel tractor and really gets with it. I have a log boom on the 3-point hitch and I use that to skid the logs to the mill and then load the logs on the cutting bed of the mill. I also use the end of the log boom to push over 'hung' trees on the few occasions when I miscalculate the 'lie' of the tree and try to fall it against the law of gravity. Sometimes I get lucky and I can get by with it if I notch it right. But most of the time I wind up with my chainsaw blade pinched. I wouldn't be able to do much at the mill without that tractor and that's for sure. It also comes in handy when I mess up and fall a cedar tree across the road. I hook up my pto drive chipper/shredder and chip up all the branches and no more problem. Yeah, I sure do love that little tractor. I'll have to get a pic of it with a log in tow. I haven't been taking many pics lately. I've been milling cedar like a maniac and haven't taken the time to piddle with my camera. More pics soon Mike.

 

[FireDance]

Really NEAT Max! That piece of cedar is very beautiful. Any properly cut wood is pretty, but cedar is especially so.

I call for more pics!

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Here's a little bit better pic of the sawmill Mike. It's not a big one, but it sure does a nice job once you get all the the little pieces parts adjusted. The pic is taken from the front side. You load the log onto the cutting bed and then push the cutting head through the log manually. The bandsaw blade is 13' long and has one tooth per inch. It's 1 1/4" wide and 1/16" thick. With the set in the teeth it cuts a 3/32" swath through the wood with each pass. I can saw a square cant all the way down to the last 1" of thickness because of the special design of the log dogs. It's a very simple setup but extremely easy to use and very accurate. I've never cut a wavy board yet on this sawmill. As long as you keep the blade reasonably sharp it will saw straight and true. And it's surprisingly easy to push the cutting head through a log. Very little pressure is required. Especially with a nice sharp blade.

 

[MaxTheKnife]

And here's a pic of those special log dogs I was telling you about. They use a simple cam action to lock the log or cant in place. That's a cedar cant locked down in the pic. I'm just getting ready to saw a stack of boards from it.

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Oops! Forgot the pic!!

 

[MaxTheKnife]

And to give you a better idea of how it all comes together here's a pic of that big oak cant after I got it sawed down to a square 14" X 19". I later turned the cant and sawed off five 1" X 14"s for shelves in my bedroom. So it's 14" square now and drying on pallets right now. The cutting bed is simply 4 cross pieces in the frame that are all lined up at the same height. The log sits on those and that gives you your base line to saw down to. It's very level and true and tough as nails. That is one solid mill bed I gaurantee!

 

[Mike 9 or 10]

Max, thank you for taking the time to post the pictures and narrative when your so busy.

Your set-up is very impressive to say the least.

How is the marketing of your finished lumber coming along ?

Does it take awhile for word of mouth to get around that you have lumber for sale ?

 

[HoofTrimmer]

Max, what a terrific mill. My daughter always says that on my birthday I'd be happy with lumber and concrete. She's right, but I never thought of milling my own.

Did see a homemade saw once. Driven with Volkswagen power. But I guess it boils down to managing the cants and logs more than actually doing the sawing.

Hard work, especially in the summer.

Thanks for the pics.

HoofTrimmer

 

[MaxTheKnife]

You got that right HoofTrimmer! It is hard work and that's for sure and for certain. It's the hardest work I've ever done on a regular basis. I've lost almost 25 pounds in the last three months and still losing. So far, this summer has been very mild and hasn't caused me to lose any days for the heat. Last year by this time I was spending a great deal of time inside the house in the air conditioning. Doing busy work and making sheaths for knives and such. If this weather keeps up I'll be able to mill wood all summer. I've got my fingers crossed but I'm not holding my breath. This is Arkansas after all.

 

[booger]

Very cool!

Dare I ask how much something like that costs?

 

[MaxTheKnife]

$4,700.00 with a 9 horse honda commercial electric start engine. For this size mill that's the largest engine you'll need. Trust me. I can mill cedar for two days on a gallon of gas. It might be just a tad bit slower than with the 16 horse Briggs. But this little 9 horse honda will outlast that 16 horse Briggs three to one. I'm very happy with my little honda motor. No Briggs for me. Thank you very much.

 

[booger]

Oh, wow, not as bad as I thought! With the price of lumber these days, that sucker could pay for itself quickly.

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Your'e absolutely right booger. And that's what I'm counting on. I just finished milling up the last of a 1,000 board foot cedar order yesterday evening. I've been working on it for the last two weeks like a madman! Every day I'd come in covered from head to toe in cedar sawdust, sap and grimey with sweat. One thing about the sweat though. It sure does keep me cool all day. The smell is sometimes a little hard to handle, but ten minutes after I hit the back door I'm in the shower. What a way to make a living! I love it!!!

 

[grannyclampett]

Thanks for posting the pics!

You said it was stacked on pallets to dry. Is it under a shed or roof of some sort? How long do you need to dry it before you use it?

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Well granny, I'm actually going about it all wrong. But I believe there are some redeeming qualities in my methods, however wrong they might be. I use old pallets to stack the wood on. As soon as I'm through for the day I pull a tarp over the stack of wood so if it rains it won't wet my lumber down. Of course, that makes the wood dry a bit slower. But I've decided that's a good thing. As long as the sun shines at least a few hours a day anyway. Lately it's been cloudy every day with little or no sunshine. When that happens, the cambium or white part of the wood tends to get a little moldy. Not much I can do about it since its all controlled by the weather. I should really have a huge drying barn to stack the wood under but since I'm by myself I just haven't had time to build one. It's kind of hard building a barn by yourself anyway. It's really a two man job. So I just do my best and that's all I can do. During dry weather I find that 1" cedar dries in about 6 weeks. That's down to whatever the current humidity level is. On hot dry days that's usually around 20%. Does that answer your questions?

 

[Mike 9 or 10]

OK, one more dumb question then I promise to stop.

When you are sawing a Hardwood like Oak, does the log from a old tree say 80 years old, cut harder then that of a oak that is only 40 or so years old ? Is the wood itself harder ?

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Your dumb question is no dumber than my dumb answer. Which is: I don't know. I never gave it any thought. I suppose it's possible that a larger, old growth tree is going to be harder. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be any harder to saw. In fact, I believe that the softer the wood is the slower the sawing goes. Especially if the sap was up in the tree when it was felled. I find that a cedar log saws up much nicer and easier when it's been down for a few years and is mostly dry already. A fresh tree tends to 'grab' the blade and cause the sawing to go a little slower. The same with chipping up branches. The dry branches chip up much easier and faster than the fresh cut branches. I've learned alot since I started this sawmilling operation Mike. But I have a whole lot more to learn before I'm finished. And don't stop asking questions now. Heck, the more questions you ask the more we all learn. I may not be able to answer all your questions Mike. But I'll give it my best guess if that counts for anything. And there's bound to be someone looking on here that knows the right answer. So ask away!

 

[Mike 9 or 10]

Thanks Max, I never would have guessed it was easier to cut logs after they were dried a little. Learn something new every day.

If you ever need any Laundry Tips or advice on retaking a Cell Block just let me know.

 

[MaxTheKnife]

I'm good on the laundry score Mike. But I know nothing about retaking a cell block. Let's hear it. I like to learn stuff too.

 

[Mike 9 or 10]

I'm good on the laundry score Mike. But I know nothing about retaking a cell block. Let's hear it. I like to learn stuff too.

Max. to avoid thread drift we will postpone Cell Block stories until you can buy me a pitcher of beer.

 

[suzy]

Max, this is fascinating, and I've looked at your pictures for the longest time.

You've got a neat setup, and there's nothing any more beautiful than freshly cut cedar.

We've done nothing more than clean up old lumber on a plainer and its always exciting to see the grain in the fresh cut wood.

Here's hoping you can have Mike show up at your house, and build that barn (for the wood), while he's drinking that beer!

suzy

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing Suzy. But it might take several pitchers of beer to get that project done! Come on down Mike. I'm buying the beer!!!

 

[Mike 9 or 10]

Max, my lack of construction skills precludes me even attempting something as complicated as driving a nail.

I would however be happy to come down in Jan. or Feb. when your temperatures drop down below 100 F. and tie Suzy to the bed of the sawmill until she agrees to help build the barn.

On a related note. Would you be interested in a tour of Northern Michigan in the dead of Winter ? If you have never seen snow higher than most houses it is kind of neat. I live in the Southern part of the state where we almost never have more than 2 or 3 feet of snow on the ground. You can drive this far ( or I could pick you up at the airport ) and then I will drive us to the wilds of the UP along Lake Superior.. Plus, I'll show you a beer drinking trick that you can only do when the temps are -20 F. or lower.

Let me know if you are interested. Late Feb. or March would be our best bet to catch a real blizzard.

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Well Mike, just so I can stay on topic, Sawmill. There I said it.

Now, I lived in upper mid-Michigan for ten years back when I was in the military and life was good. I helped close down Wurtsmith AFB way back when. I was that determined to stay. Slick Willy ruined my life. That's all there is to it. From Wurtsmith, I went to F.E. Warren in Wyoming. While I enjoyed the state immensely, that base just sucked the life right out of me. It ended my career. Ask anybody that's ever been stationed at that base and you'll most likely get a fairly negative reply.

However, back to Michigan. Living in Oscoda was a wonderful experience. For a diehard fisherman/hunter like me it just doesn't get any better. I fished or hunted 365 days a year. I rarely got more than 4 hours of sleep a day whether I was working days, nights or swings. I always had my fishing gear in my rig and right after work I'd hit the Van Ettan dam and catch a mess of fish. Then I'd head home for a beer and clean the fish and maybe get a little sleep. It was a hard life but I was up to it.

Now I remember the snow up there in Michigan. One particular blizzard was very memorable. The snow was blowing so hard it packed in all the engines of all the vehicles parked pointing into the wind. Oh now that was fun! And I lived in the woods for a year in my old camper right after my divorce. I really got to know the woods around the base real well. I lived off of wild game and whiskey. And ice fished till I was snowblind. Yeah well, I'd better quit and tell you the rest when we're sitting next to that pitcher of beer and a campfire roasting fresh venison. You need to come see me buddy. I've been there in Michigan and done that. I will be glad for the company I guarantee.

 

[Mike 9 or 10]

Darn ! Now I will have to find someone else to crawl out on the thin ice and push the geese to me.

Thought I had found me a novice there for a moment.

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Nope! I was born at night but it wasn't last night!!! I could tell you ice stories that would curl the hair on yer toes Mike. But that'll have to wait till we have that pitcher of beer in front of us. Heck, it might take a whole keg to get through all the stories we have to tell one another!!! Oh yeah. Nothing like a good storytelling match. I'm an old story teller from way back. Besides, I never liked goose much. Too greasy.