# 1st House log off the mill....



## MotorSeven (Jan 16, 2008)

Well i finally got started on the logs for the house(it's been almost a year). Retired in March, built a 30x50 arched steel building w/ an apt in one end & we are settled in now. I found out the hard way that a 14' cedar log is a bear to wrassle onto my trailer, so from now on i will cut them in 10' lenghts. I am using a 20' Woodbug & a 066 w/dual port muffler. I am only slabbing off 3 sides & leaving the outside round. I cut this first "official" house log at 5" tall leaving the width between 6 & 7"s. At 5" thick i figure i will need about 250 10' logs. Before i mill anymore logs i will be cutting some long cedar poles for a pole barn to house the logs for air drying. Only 249 to go..........

RD


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## woodshop (Jan 16, 2008)

Great... thanks for the pics of your setup and what you're doing. I'm about 6 years behind ya. Keep us in pics as you progress, it will be interesting to see how you build your stockpile and then start to build your house. 

As for that first piece... I hope you're going to mark that particular "first" piece, and keep track of where in your house it will go. When I built my 20x16 two story garage (read: wood storage shed), I took a sharpie and marked the the very nail of the frame. No particular reason other than... I wanted to, just for shoots and grins to look back on it years later.


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## MotorSeven (Jan 16, 2008)

WS, how do i load pic's onto the bottom of my thread so you don't have to click on em to see em?
RD


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## VT-Woodchuck (Jan 16, 2008)

Great to see another Woodbug user. Yes, keep the pictures coming as I'm living vicariously through you (too much snow up here). Can't wait to see all 250!


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## Nuzzy (Jan 16, 2008)

MotorSeven said:


> WS, how do i load pic's onto the bottom of my thread so you don't have to click on em to see em?
> RD




The little icon with the yellow background and mountains above the text box will wrap image tags around the URL of wherever you're hosting the image.

[ IMG ]URL[ /IMG ]


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## GeeVee (Jan 16, 2008)

Wow. 

You have a chore ahead of you. I hope you enjoy it. 

I would like to suggest you look at some come-a long winches or even cheap Harbor Freight electric winches. You have power supply right? 

And thats only if you aren't in a hurry and are extra manly in your retirement. 

My first suggestion was a small ag tractor or Skidder, but not everyone likes gas or diesel and hydraulics, or are equally Maguyver-ish with metal. 

Keep us posted.


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## woodshop (Jan 16, 2008)

MotorSeven said:


> WS, how do i load pic's onto the bottom of my thread so you don't have to click on em to see em?
> RD


 Many free hosts for your pics available, an easy one is photobucket.com ...open an account (free), then upload your pic to it, then click on the link below the pic in photobucket and paste that into the window that comes up when you click on the pic icon above as nuzzy said. 

If you can, it helps to re-size your pic to around 1K x 1K pixels (I use photoshop but lots of apps can do that).


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## Adkpk (Jan 16, 2008)

MotorSeven said:


> WS, how do i load pic's onto the bottom of my thread so you don't have to click on em to see em?
> RD


 
Woodshop posted a little on the subject here. Nice looking mill. Good luck.
http://www.arboristsite.com/showpost.php?p=731035&postcount=15


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## TNMIKE (Jan 17, 2008)

*Where ya located in E TN??*

My farm is in Hancock County...about 45 minutes North of Morristown..Youve got some big cedars on your place.


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## MotorSeven (Jan 17, 2008)

Thanks, i will try a pic on screen. Yes i have a good stand of cedars, i just hope alot of them are not hollow. They are all up on the sides of my ridges. I have a 30 horse tractor, but off the logging trails it ain't much help. My plan is using the 4-wheeler & a winch to get the ones up off the sides of the ridges and alot of muscle(need to work off the Miller anyway). 

Testing............testing.......if this comes up, this is what my ridges look like, a wee bit steep.

RD


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## MotorSeven (Jan 17, 2008)

Argggg....


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## MotorSeven (Jan 17, 2008)

Hmmm, i tried both the IMG & the URL from my pic in photobucket....neither are working. I'm not sure what i am doing wrong


Here is the reg pic:


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## daemon2525 (Jan 17, 2008)

If you are uploading them to Arboristsite, then I see no need to worry about photobucket. Just wrap the IMG tags around the AS url.

[LLA]http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63013&d=1200586190[/LLA]

I changed the IMG to LLA so that you could see it. 






Also, If you try and quote my post then you can see what it looks like.


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## rb_in_va (Jan 17, 2008)

Motor7,
Cool stuff! Is the WB really as easy as LeClere makes it look in the video?


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## TNMIKE (Jan 17, 2008)

*Nice talking to you Rick*

Its a small world..meeting someone on the forum less than ten miles away. I will def stop by the next time I am over and look your mill over. Your valley is very pretty by the way and I have always admired the bottom land along the creek.

Keep us posted with pictures on your progess.

here is the link to machine builders ..

www.machinebuilders.net

Im sure you and others on the forum will like it....Mike


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## TNMIKE (Jan 17, 2008)

*Land Ark wood finish*

Rick ,

here aome info on the finish we talked about.

Land Ark Wood Finish 
Mike and Nita Baugh 
213 Townes Road
North Augusta, SC 29860 
(803) 279-4116; fax (803) 278-6996 
[email protected]
Mike and Nita Baugh make Land Ark Wood Finish, an all-natural penetrating oil finish specifically formulated for timbers and logs. Land Ark Wood Finish contains no driers of any kind, no petroleum distillates, nor any chemical additives. It is bio-friendly to both the environment and user, even those with chemical sensitivities; and it even smells good!


You can google Land Ark for more info. I have used this product and it is very good


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## MotorSeven (Jan 17, 2008)

RB, yes, milling is slow & smelly & if the wind is up in the wrong direction you get a face full of sawdust(they din't show that in the video). But all in all i think they represented it well in the video. It's too bad that they went out of business. The hardest part by far is getting the logs out of the woods. Once on the mill it takes be about 10-15 min to slab off the 3 sides for a house log. If i pick on shorter 10' cants, i am guessing around 10 min. The most important thing is filing the chain often & to their specs. It looks like once a day or about every 3-4 logs for sharpening. Once oi get a load down off the hil, i will start with a sharp chain & see how many i can do before it gets dull. I'll let y'all know. 


Damemon, what's a LLA? I wish i could just drag & drop a pic here.... Forgive my un-puter-savy.

Mike, thanks for the info, talk to ya soon.

RD


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## user 19670 (Jan 17, 2008)

*Woodbug out of business?*



MotorSeven said:


> It's too bad that they went out of business.



Out of business? :censored: 
THAT explains why they don't answer e-mail. I guess it wasn't a big seller. They still have a web site up. Welding and metal work are no problem for me so I am gonna try my hand at building one but am getting my feet wet with an Alaskan in the mean time.
The largest logs on our property are smaller than 24 inches so a Woodbug would be a nice mill for me.


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## MotorSeven (Jan 18, 2008)

Gord, i'm just assuming, since i have sent them several em's with no response over the span of a year. The one i bought(used) was damaged from an oak tree falling on it(ironic revenge?) & i had to replace the entire 10'top section from the ground up. It was no big deal, just 1/8 angle & square tube. I have plans to weld up a 20' section for doing my rafters(when the time comes). For me the plate that holds the dimension stop is the only thing i will have to get a shop to do. it's got a bunch of 1/2 notches that the stop fits into. Or i can come up with my own stop set up. Either way a 20' section willl run between $2 & 300, way cheaper than what they were selling them for & i can't imagine the shipping fro BC to the US. If it is going to be a stationary mill, it could be made heavier and larger to handle bigger logs.
RD


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## user 19670 (Jan 18, 2008)

*Thanks for the reply - MotorSeven*



MotorSeven said:


> Gord, i'm just assuming, since i have sent them several em's with no response over the span of a year. The one i bought(used) was damaged from an oak tree falling on it(ironic revenge?) & i had to replace the entire 10'top section from the ground up. It was no big deal, just 1/8 angle & square tube. I have plans to weld up a 20' section for doing my rafters(when the time comes). For me the plate that holds the dimension stop is the only thing i will have to get a shop to do. it's got a bunch of 1/2 notches that the stop fits into. Or i can come up with my own stop set up. Either way a 20' section willl run between $2 & 300, way cheaper than what they were selling them for & i can't imagine the shipping fro BC to the US. If it is going to be a stationary mill, it could be made heavier and larger to handle bigger logs.
> RD



Thanks for the reply. I sent off an e-mail to Woodbug after reading that they were out of business and have received no reply as yet.
Yeah, shipping from BC to Nolalu should be a bank-breaker too. I live about 35 miles south by southwest of Thunder Bay, Ontario in a little community with so few people that we don't even have populations signs LOL.
Got some pics of the Woodbug from the NET and am busy figuring out the details as far as dimensions, wall thickness of the square tubing, gap on the bottom guide, outside dimensions, inside dimensions, dimensions of the stops and dogs, etc. Most pics are not large enough to see properly.

Prolly can't figure out everything by myself as I don't have one to copy so I may have to ask someone (like perhaps you).
1 -- Are the log dogs easily removable or are they fixed and just slide up and down the squared tubing? If they could be carried as a separate package it would lighten up the load.
2 -- Do the stops come off easily to be carried as a separate package?

Prolly is how I would make them anyway.

I have already decided that the stop notches should be contracted out to a machine shop so as to get something accurate that can be relied on. The rest of it should be easy enough for me to make as long as I can draw up a plan with proper dimensions.

Started to think about such things as I just got some trees removed from the property to make a clearing where my new 32' x 32' shop is to be located. Began with GOOGLE to search the NET and wound up on this Forum. Now, I start and finish my day reading and learning as much as I can.
 Really appreciate seeing what the sponsors have to offer too.


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## VT-Woodchuck (Jan 18, 2008)

I ordered a new blade for my 088 and a modified tip form Woodbug about a month ago. Both arrived. Sorry to hear they may be out of business.

Gordie - I welded up an extension for my Woodbug last fall. I will look for the material list to see what I bought for steel.


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## MotorSeven (Jan 18, 2008)

Gord, pm me your address & i'll send you a cd of pic's & measurments i took for another member(also canadian). The dogs are not attached & just wedge on the tubing down bar & on the wood with spikes. They go on & pop off easily. The dimension stops just fit over the 1/4 inch flat bar with a male notch that fits into the female notches on the bar. The dogs work amazingly well, the stops could be done a little better, because sometimes when you butt the log against them too hard the pop out. I would guess the tubing is 1/16 thick, pretty standard stuff, i can measure it for you if needed. The bar track is about a half inch wide & the bar just has a bead of weld on each side at the tip that has been ground down to fit in the channel. This keeps the bar form having any slop & also keeps the chain from touching the inside of the trac.....simple but neat. You might try their phone # but i have heared others say it is disconnected......... 
RD


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## DRB (Jan 18, 2008)

> Quote:
> Originally Posted by MotorSeven
> Gord, i'm just assuming, since i have sent them several em's with no response over the span of a year. The one i bought(used) was damaged from an oak tree falling on it(ironic revenge?) & i had to replace the entire 10'top section from the ground up. It was no big deal, just 1/8 angle & square tube. I have plans to weld up a 20' section for doing my rafters(when the time comes). For me the plate that holds the dimension stop is the only thing i will have to get a shop to do. it's got a bunch of 1/2 notches that the stop fits into. Or i can come up with my own stop set up. Either way a 20' section willl run between $2 & 300, way cheaper than what they were selling them for & i can't imagine the shipping fro BC to the US. If it is going to be a stationary mill, it could be made heavier and larger to handle bigger logs.
> RD
> ...



I have always been interested in this mill design and have thought about building one like it. Do you guys have any good pictures of the upper saw carriage assembly and the lower bar guide that you can post here. How does the lower blade guide work? 

Thanks


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## user 19670 (Jan 18, 2008)

DRB said:


> I have always been interested in this mill design and have thought about building one like it. Do you guys have any good pictures of the upper saw carriage assembly and the lower bar guide that you can post here. How does the lower blade guide work?
> 
> Thanks



Actually, most of the pics I have came from this Forum. If you use the search feature you can find them too.


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## DRB (Jan 18, 2008)

Thanks Gordie. I have also found most of my pics on this site as well. I am having a hard time figuring out how the carriage is mounted to the rails? I was hoping somebody with a woodbug had some good pics of the carriage rollers & bar tip roller assembly. 

MotorSeven do you have any good pic you could post? The first and last pics you posted the other day in a larger scale would be helpful

VT-Woodchuck do you have any pics?

Thanks


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## user 19670 (Jan 18, 2008)

*Just sits there*



DRB said:


> I am having a hard time figuring out how the carriage is mounted to the rails? I was hoping somebody with a woodbug had some good pics of the carriage rollers & bar tip roller assembly.



Looks like two bearings @ the front and another two @ the rear ride on the sides of the top support and keep the carriage true. Two more bearings on the saw side and one @ the rear support the weight of the carriage and saw. It would just sit there (of course the bar tip is in the guide at the time. During the cut the teeth of the chain pull the saw (and carriage) down tighter so there is not much chance of it jumping off.
I think it can be removed at any time and anywhere along the cut if so desired.

That is how I plan to make mine anyway


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## DRB (Jan 18, 2008)

Gordie - keep use informed on how the build goes opcorn: 

Thanks


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## user 19670 (Jan 19, 2008)

*That would be a BIG help*



VT-Woodchuck said:


> Gordie - I welded up an extension for my Woodbug last fall. I will look for the material list to see what I bought for steel.



Thanks VT-Woodchuck. A bill of materials would take some of the mystery out of the whole thing. Wish my sketches actually LOOKED like something  because I would like to make some plans first. Will have to sit with a ruler and a pencil and some graph paper to make something I can work from.
Of course I could just cut and weld until it looks like a Woodbug but it helps to have a plan (usually saves material toooooooo)

Hope you can find that list.


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## MotorSeven (Jan 19, 2008)

DRB, Ok, i'll rustle up the pic's, here's a few of the carriage i just took. VT, maybe i am assuming too much since they(Woodbug) don't answer e-mails, i will give them a call. 
RD


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## MotorSeven (Jan 19, 2008)

more...


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## VT-Woodchuck (Jan 19, 2008)

Gordie,
Attached is the order that I had for a 4 ft extension. All pieces were cut to fit and did! I've included the drawing I did for the bunk index. I have a nephew who works as a mechanical engineering lab assistant at a local tech college and he whipped off two of these in no time - lucky me! Good luck with this project and keep us informed.

Motorseven,
I have wondered how long WB would be in business. Walker's Saw Shop used to sell their mills and parts, but they (Walkers) no longer do. The carriage is the only part that I haven't reproduced.


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## user 19670 (Jan 19, 2008)

*Thanks for the help*



VT-Woodchuck said:


> Gordie,
> Attached is the order that I had for a 4 ft extension. All pieces were cut to fit and did! I've included the drawing I did for the bunk index. I have a nephew who works as a mechanical engineering lab assistant at a local tech college and he whipped off two of these in no time - lucky me! Good luck with this project and keep us informed.
> 
> You did me a big service. Thank you. It sure is hard to guesstimate accurate dimensions from pics. I had the angle as 2-1/2" and the square tube as 1-1/4". By some miracle I actually guessed the thickness correctly as 1/8" though so even "I" can't be all wrong


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## TNMIKE (Jan 22, 2008)

*What is your drying time?*

Rick I was wondering what your drying time was for your logs? Cedar is so full of oil...Im curious as to what you think...MIKE


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## MotorSeven (Jan 22, 2008)

Mike, i figure about 6 months should be plenty. ERC doesn't seem to shrink a whole lot. Haven't been able to get any cutting in, too much ice here, & along with that a frozen pipe.... 
RD


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## TNMIKE (Jan 22, 2008)

*Sorry to hear about the pipe*

How cold did it get there?? We had lows around 7 or so. Its been a cold winter with more on the way.

Im curious about how you are proceeding. Are you going to cut and mill all the logs before you start construction or build as you go? I have had several friends who bought old, and I mean old, mobile homes to live in while they built. I like you way better. Its gives you a good place to work out of.

You might be interested in the link I just ran across. This guy is doing pretty much what you did. His shop is huge and the apartment very nice.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=589523

Take care...


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## MotorSeven (Jan 23, 2008)

It was 11, then 8 degrees here. Yep, i want to cut/skid/mill all the logs before i start. I will do the heavy joists & beams last and on site so i don't have to move them around much. We looked at the older mobile homes and i wouldn't live in most of them. We ended up getting an old 20' Airstream Argosy travel trailer & lived in that for about 6 months while i built the building. The Argosy is now the "guest house".... . Soup to nuts, the 30x50 arched steel build with our 600 sq ft apt in one end cost us about 25K. That is what a decent old MH would have cost, and i still have 30x36 feet of shop left for my STUFF! It is nice living in a county without a bunch of codes, rules & the evil home owners associations. Here is a pic of the place from the apt end, Argosy to the left:
RD


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## TNMIKE (Jan 23, 2008)

*Ditto the code Nazis*

They are so bad here in NC its crazy. I tried calling you about noon..got your answering machine. 

Can you get me some close up pictures of the milling head? Im interested in where the bar connects, the thickness mehanism etc. I had plans to either build or buy a band mill and this would eliminate some work.

Thanks Mike Ill send you my email ...


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## MotorSeven (Jan 24, 2008)

Ok, in ref to Woodbug, i called their 877 # and their local #, got a recorded "Woodbug" message, then the machine was full so i was unable to leave a message......hmmmmm.......

VT, how did you get in touch with them a few months ago?

RD


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## VT-Woodchuck (Jan 24, 2008)

Doesn't sound good, does it?  You would think that they would put a notice on their website and the answering machine. 

I emailed Suzy what I wanted. About a month later the bar and tips arrived with a bill.


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## user 19670 (Jan 24, 2008)

*Website long inactive*



VT-Woodchuck said:


> Doesn't sound good, does it?  You would think that they would put a notice on their website and the answering machine.
> 
> I emailed Suzy what I wanted. About a month later the bar and tips arrived with a bill.



<wink>Hmm, maybe I can order a Woodbug and they will send it and just bill me</wink>

Seriously, the Woodbug website has been inactive since 2005. I e-mailed for an updated price list since 2005 has long gone and there has been no answer.
No biggie. I'll build one for myself. Just gotta work out some of the details like how much is the gap on the lower bar guide and things like that.


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