Well thought it about time I posted some saw mill stuff since spring seems to be in the air here. This winter we had a couple heavy snow falls ( wet snow) and while working in the shop when it started coming off the trees ( some chunks in access of 50# ) and I heard it hitting the roof I decided I'd best to some thing about it before next winter so today was the day. This was the easiest for clean-up . I got started 9 AM .
This is the second tree first ones cleaned up.
2:30 work is done heading to town for a coffee break if I hang around home I'll see more to do and miss it. Had time when I got home to haul some logs to the mill Kioti's front tires were a little squashed with these logs.
Wow, Bill, you spin a good story in pictures! Makes me want to head out and try something.
Unfortunately, not yet for me, but thanks for posting all this.
Bill, Your quite the lumberjack! I agree with r.g! Great picture show! How far to the mill?
Jimmy F Kaiserlik
1/2 a mile to a mile by rd. above the house Fred 4 or 500' straight up from the shop a few rock faces inbetween.
Bill, great story with photos. How do you get the graphics on the photos? What species is the tree?
Wayne their fir trees and I don't know the program or how I put it on the puter I just double click the pic. in my album it gets big and I edit it ? Must be a miricle but I think I've also done it in Photo Bucket in the past they may still have that option.
Very cool pics
It takes real skill and a lot of confidence to fell trees that close to the house. Nice job! What are your plans for the lumber?
Good judgement comes from experience... experience comes from bad judgement.
PO their on the mill and in the next few days they'll be cut into either beams or 2x6's . I've had plenty of experience falling many types of trees but when they are next to anything that could be damaged I like to really take my time . I check the lean, the side the limbs are on and by the type of tree determine how much meat should be left on the side you wish to pull the tree to. Also making the under cut exactly 90 degrees to where I'd like the tree to go. One other thing when the tree starts to fall and is swinging from the wood that's left on the side your pulling to it's nice to have a sharp powerful saw to finish off the back cut as soon as the tree is lined up with where you wish it to fall.
Great job and photo shoot!
Left the stump in front of the shop high for a project and also to protect the post from me backing into it with something. When putting on my boots a few days ago my back gave out when I bent over to tie the shoe laces so things got put on hold until this morning. Went out and tried to make the stump look like a bear but my skills are lacking anyway here's the result. I may do some touch up in a mon. or so when the wood dries out a little then again I may just leave well enough alone.
My first atempt and I can see where my perspective could use some tuning.
Bill,
I like it!!!
I may try the same. I am sure mine will pale in comparison to yours.
Great job, Bill. You're a man of many talents. I've tried to carve a couple times but couldn't find anything hidden in a block of wood except more wood..
Nice job, Bill. Hope your back is doing better. Amazing how one can lift logs & lumber all day, but something simple like tying a shoe will throw it out. I watched a fellow demonstrate chain saw carving a bear one time. When he got just below the waist, he asked the audience whether the bear should be male or female. Not a peep from any of us. So he said "OK, I'll make it female", and proceeded to carve it with the mouth open.
Good judgement comes from experience... experience comes from bad judgement.
Po that's a hoot if I carve another I'm going to use that with my wife ( male or female)
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Baron those logs are clean so I won't peel them and yes I burn fir as well as birch all the time. In over 30 years of burning fire wood I've never cleaned a chimney . I let the wood dry for a couple years after I split it also it's very seldom I clean out more than a 5 gal. pail of ashes over the winter.
Wayne the animals in blocks of wood appear to be hiding from me as well I'm just not good at going from visual to actual animal but I think I'll practice using pictures as a guide.
This tree is half dead and I plan to take it down (with Pro help) and it measures 11'5" and if I remember my math (which would be a outstanding event) I think that makes it about 45.2" diameter and if that is right what is the best process to get it to a size that I can mill on HD36. Fred
Wow, that's a big black oak. Find someone that has a 48" bar and split in half, but wait until it's on the ground and bucked to length. It may be rotten up the middle. I cut it's twin last spring ; dropping limbs and dying back for ten years, it had a 16" core of rot top to bottom, boy was I disappointed.
Bill, Not sure but think it is white oak and I hope its not rotten in the center anyway the electric company needs it down so they can run electric lines to my shed. The good thing is the site had electric service yrs ago and all but one of the poles are still there so I will only have to buy one pole to get service back and have it for my mill and other things in the shed. The pro that is going to help take it down has a big saw but I might have to buy the right chipper chain for it to slab or quarter it and he will have to do the work I've never used a big saw he is a lot (younger) than I am. If it not hollow I would like to 1/4 saw some of it in 8'lenghts like Baron suggested anyway I'll post some pictures. Fred
Bill, I thought you might enjoy what a fellow artist carved and my wife gave me about 15yrs ago for Christmas. She the artist from Texas said the one on the left was half of a redwood tree and the one on the right is a third of a redwood. You might notice the meanest one has my wife's name on it but don't tell her I said so.
Love the bears Joan makes me smile
. I don't think a chipper chain is necessary for 1 tree the difference in speed isn't really warranted but that's only my opinion. I cut so much dry hard fir that by the time I sharpen my chains a few times their more like 20 degrees . I split a 54" 8' maple with my 24" bar and it didn't take very long. I love oak but odds are I'll never see one around here anywhere near that big. If your not comfortable getting an experienced faller is a very wise move, you stand back and be the spotter so no dead limbs come down and wack him in the head. If it's white oak all the better you'll soon know for sure.
Having power near the mill is a real asset I appreciate having a compressor close by to keep things clean. Looking forward to seeing the follow up pics. O notice you even feed and water those bears.
Lots of animals in them for wood carvers Baron but I could see me making lumber on the mill with them
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"O notice you even feed and water those bears"
You wouldn't want 'em hungry, would you? As far as splitting, get Eddiemac to come up and blast 'em apart. There are a few Youtube videos on splitting wood with black powder. Quartersawing would be a great way to go.
Good judgement comes from experience... experience comes from bad judgement.
fbl, if you haven't already done it the hard way, you can blast 'em. Sounds dangerous I know (not responsible for accidents), but it's actually pretty easy. I think Oakie is referring to my explanation on Norwood's Sawmills & Equipment Forum (4th or 5th page), "Quarter Sawing" (go to page 2), post #35. Or try this (don't know if it will work):
https://www.forum.norwoodsawmills.com/norwood-sawmills-equipment-forum/quarter-sawing?page=1
Bill, Your quite the lumberjack! I agree with r.g! Great picture show! How far to the mill?