# having big trouble narrowing down brands of portable mills



## Skywalker (Dec 26, 2011)

there must be 50 makers of portable mills that i have found in just a short search. i have narrowed it down to Baker, EZ, cooks, american bandsaws, anyone im forgetting im in the 8000.00 range thanks, i guess they all cut wood


----------



## thechknhwk (Dec 26, 2011)

Norwood... buy used.


----------



## gemniii (Dec 26, 2011)

Skywalker said:


> Thomas 8020 Bandsaw Mill
> 
> heres the mill im getting, around 8700.00 shipped and heres a pic of the new shop where the magic will happen



What happened to that?


----------



## Skywalker (Dec 26, 2011)

i started looking further and am not sold on that unit as of yet, it is the priciest of all ive looked at and unproven


----------



## Sawyer Rob (Dec 26, 2011)

Here's another vote for buying a used Norwood LM2000. EXCELLENT manual mill!

Rob


----------



## scor440 (Dec 27, 2011)

*Sawmill Brand*

Meant Turner for ease of use and price.[video=youtube;IZpzvjTBHhY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZpzvjTBHhY[/video]


----------



## mikeb1079 (Dec 27, 2011)

when i was looking at manual bandsaw mills i found both excellent pricing and reviews of the ez boardwalk sawmills. seemed like alot of bang for the buck.

there's also woodmizer, timberking, linn lumber, etc, etc....


----------



## gemniii (Dec 28, 2011)

mikeb1079 said:


> when i was looking at manual bandsaw mills i found both excellent pricing and reviews of the ez boardwalk sawmills. seemed like alot of bang for the buck.
> 
> there's also woodmizer, timberking, linn lumber, etc, etc....



I'd been looking at mills since I joined this forum, getting literature, reading other users experiences, and finally even visiting demos, and buying a mill.

Most of the mills are priced pretty similar for what you are getting for materials. And most of them have some form of support.

When I first started looking:
(1) ALL my trees were small (acreage had been clearcut 30 yrs ago) 
(2) I wanted to be able to transport it easily on my little 23hp tractor
(3) I was only going to be using it for building small sheds etc.
(4) An Alaskan Mark III just wouldn't do the volume
(5) I always want the best perceived bang for the buck
(6) I'm new, and will need some support
(7) I was trying to keep the $$ well under $5K, preferably under $3K (about what a new 880 w/ a 48" Mark III and all accessories - Long bar, extra chains etc.) 

Well life happens, #1 changed (got some bigger trees), (2) is still good (3) now I also need a LOT of shelving and and wood to build cabinets, (4) thru (7) stayed the same.

Initially I focused on a BSM sold by Harbor Freight for as low as $1,600. But by the time I determined it was a rebadged Hud-Son Oscar 18 HF went to another mfg.

But in my search for under $5K mills I have determined the following:
Hud-Son is extremely portable because the lower end models are lightly built. Support seems pretty good in the Northeast.
Norwood, very good once built right (it's a do-it-yourself kit). Lot's of threads on here. They recently increased the price about a year ago when they introduced their new models. Good support.
Timberking is very good, even the low end has a 4 post head, but it's heavy. Good support network.
E-Z boardwalk EXCELLENT mills, they don't make many, are Amish based (a good thing), but of course support is limited because they are so small.
and 
Woodmizer, good mills, WIDESPREAD support network.

I ended up going w/ a Woodmizer LT10,


----------



## Skywalker (Dec 28, 2011)

its between EZ boardwalk and American Band saw, the latter named is closer to me, still have to make a decision


----------



## locdogg (Dec 29, 2011)

Skywalker said:


> its between EZ boardwalk and American Band saw, the latter named is closer to me, still have to make a decision



EZ boardwalk are nice mills, i just bought a used one.


----------



## Tim L (Dec 30, 2011)

I have a Turner and like it. Customer service is excellent and they furnish you with all belt and bearing numbers so you can buy what you need local. It cuts very well, I have the trailer model with a 24 hp honda.


----------



## wej52 (Jan 6, 2012)

Here is another vote for the Turner. I have had one for 10 years and sawn many 1000's of feet for use on our farm and for others. Simple, basic. easy to maintain. I work solo so I am not conserned with high volume production. I tend to saw trees that have died and salvage the the best part of the trunk. The rest is used for firewood. W Jones


----------



## Tim L (Jan 6, 2012)

This is my neighbors farm stand.It started with a pencil drawing and transformed into a cut list. We are kind of proud of this.


----------



## Tim L (Jan 6, 2012)

Heres the actual saw.


----------



## Tim L (Jan 6, 2012)

We cut everything but the under cross beam, one of which is on the front porch. We sawed in the winter and ran out of space on our trailer.So the local mill sawed the under beams that spanned the piers on a circular mill.All else was done on the Turner including the hardwood floors inside.I almost forgot, PT on the exposed porch boards.Hemlock beams and rafters, pine boards elsewhere.


----------



## porta mill (Jan 6, 2012)

if you are still looking you might want to give hudson a look . I have one it is all manual but they have mills with all the bells and whistles. here are a few pic's I do not know why but I am unable to upload video. Hudson is located in NY . good with what ever you buy.


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 7, 2012)

I'm VERY happy with my Linn mill, but I built it myself. Very clear and concise plans and support second to none. The few questions I DID have were answered with one phone call. 

I've had my mill together for 3 years now and have replaced nothing until this week. Had a bearing go bad in one of the blade guide rollers. Called Gary to find out if I needed to buy a whole roller or if the bearing could be replaced and if so, what was the part number. He sent me 4 bearings at no charge and emailed me the procedure to replace them.

Even his completed mills seem to be in the 'very affordable' price range and all parts and prices are listed right on his website.


----------



## TraditionalTool (Jan 7, 2012)

chaikwa said:


> I'm VERY happy with my Linn mill, but I built it myself. Very clear and concise plans and support second to none. The few questions I DID have were answered with one phone call.
> 
> I've had my mill together for 3 years now and have replaced nothing until this week. Had a bearing go bad in one of the blade guide rollers. Called Gary to find out if I needed to buy a whole roller or if the bearing could be replaced and if so, what was the part number. He sent me 4 bearings at no charge and emailed me the procedure to replace them.
> 
> Even his completed mills seem to be in the 'very affordable' price range and all parts and prices are listed right on his website.


I agree. In fact if you compare some of the features on the Linn to some of the other mills, Linn has a few really nice features. As an example, the blade tensioner looks pretty sweet and much better than I have on my LumberMate 2000. Most everything about the carriage is superior to most other mills, when you start looking close at them.

The one area I have always felt they were a bit weak is in the bed, but to give them credit, it seems easy to fabricate your own with Gary's plans.

Gary was helpful to me, even though I don't have one of his mills, and offered to help me fabricate some dogs for my mill that would use springs like the dogs he sells. I need to re-think my log dogs and/or clamping, as I have a custom bed and not happy with how the previous owner fabricated them. I've come to the conclusion that I am best off buying a trailer, and bolting angle iron to the bed, so that I could trailer my sawmill around, most any trailer is built much better than the trailer options on most mills, and you can carry more lumber that you mill up when returning home.

For folks thinking about building their own mill, Linn is a great option as they have most all the pieces cut and/or welded, depends on what you want. Linn is one of the most flexible in that sense, you can buy the parts, you can buy a partial carriage and finish it, or you can even buy a complete carriage.


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 7, 2012)

TraditionalTool said:


> The one area I have always felt they were a bit weak is in the bed, but to give them credit, it seems easy to fabricate your own with Gary's plans.


I built my bed as a copy of a Baker, so I have no experience with Linn's. But I agree; it looks like it could be a little more robust. Linn's bed IS made to bolt together in sections tho, so it can be added to easily. I suppose it would be a rugged bed if you mounted it on a trailer frame.


----------



## TraditionalTool (Jan 8, 2012)

chaikwa said:


> I built my bed as a copy of a Baker, so I have no experience with Linn's. But I agree; it looks like it could be a little more robust. Linn's bed IS made to bolt together in sections tho, so it can be added to easily. I suppose it would be a rugged bed if you mounted it on a trailer frame.


Tell me, what did you do for log dogs and/or vertical posts ????

I was thinking of doing something similar to how Linn uses the chain with springs and u-channel over the cross member, and I have 3" wide cross members. It looks easy to pull and cinch it up quickly.

I was wanting to find some cam type log dogs, but don't see any that would work without modifications. WoodMizer has some they will sell, but it would take something to get them operating on my mill.

I may end up just cutting some off center rounds on a pipe, which is common. As you rotate them the offset clamps the log.


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 8, 2012)

TraditionalTool said:


> Tell me, what did you do for log dogs and/or vertical posts ????


If I get time today, I'll go out and take a few pics or maybe a video of them.


----------



## qbilder (Jan 8, 2012)

I agree with the Linn comments, even the bed part. I was a bit nervous about the bed but it seems fine. Here it is getting ready to cut a rather large cherry (5 logs one tree) & it didn't flex or buckle like I was worried about. All I had under it was a few ties here & there to keep it out of mud. I cut mostly hard maple but have cut lots of mesquite, desert ironwood, mulberry, oaks, etc. & have had no troubles at all except blades dulling out on the hard stuff. I think i'm gonna have to try WM's razor tip blades. A lot of stuff I saw is either dead & dry and/or pulled from the desert floor and full of grit. I bought mine for around $5G's from a fellow in Michigan. The Amish assemble them & he sells them. Mine came with the axle, 20' bed, & a 16hp electric start. It is the 1900A with 30" adjust throat. Happy as a two peckered puppy  















A nicely stained & figured hard maple bulge area:





Bundled up on axle ready for tow or storage. Fits easy into garage:


----------



## qbilder (Jan 8, 2012)

Tim L said:


> This is my neighbors farm stand.It started with a pencil drawing and transformed into a cut list. We are kind of proud of this.



That is impressive and inspiring!!! Thanks for posting. I'm planning to build a cabin similar to that and was nervous about using my manual mill, afraid it would be more project than I figured on. But seeing this is encouraging  Nice job!!!!


----------



## Tim L (Jan 8, 2012)

Thanks , I like your set up also and your co-worker is much easier on the eyes than my crew.We were working off the land of the farm so we had it pretty good.He (Pustizzi fruit farm) had a logger working out back so he brought us loads of Hemlock to where we set the mill up.We had a cut list on a clipboard so we knew what boards were needed.If we were doing 2x12's for example and we couldn't get anymore but we could get 2x8 x8' we would do that and subtract it from the cut list.Joe had a big equipment trrailer where we stickered the lumber so when we were done it could be hauled down to the stand location.If you got to the Pustizzi fruit farm website last I knew he had pics of the stand going up if that helps.He is also on facebook but I think it's just greenhouse photo's there.It was a lot of work but everday I drive by it it still gives me "swelling".Also thats my Jack Russell on the porch ,her name is Rosie.Joe Pustizzi is standing by the sign,I took the pictures after all it's his name on the building.People come in and are amazed to find that the building was made from scratch right on the property.He documented the stand in pictures which he displays in the stand.Check out his site just for the interior pics,it's beautiful.Joe drew a picture wirh a pencil and showed it to our neighbor Mark Wyman and Mark said"yeah, I know what you want" and came up with the cut list and design.The posts inside are not for structure, Joe thought it would look cool so thats what we did.Hope you like it and good luck with yours.Oh the interior of this structure is 18x26 not including the porches front and back.Now there are ramps going up to all doors so that Joe can back his Polaris Ranger up to any door.


----------



## Tim L (Jan 8, 2012)

here's a front view ,different angle


----------



## TraditionalTool (Jan 8, 2012)

qbilder said:


> Here it is getting ready to cut a rather large cherry (5 logs one tree) & it didn't flex or buckle like I was worried about. All I had under it was a few ties here & there to keep it out of mud.


Not for nothing, but that is NOT a large log. It was before you cut it up into a bunch of 8'-10' sections, but it is not that big the way you are working it. When you start tossing 30' logs on your sawmill that are 32" DBH, then you'll stress that small bed much more. However, you don't have the capability to cut a 30' log. Most small sawmills have a limitation of the width they can actually cut, 24" being pretty common and what mine will cut. This limits you to approx. 32" DBH to have clearance. You can cut larger logs if you manually trim them up with a chainsaw, but I'm speaking in general. I can cut up to about 28' comfortably, that is probably almost twice what your sawmill will cut. You need to have machinery to handle logs like that, a cant hook gets old fast with a 28' log.

There is nothing your sawmill can't do in regards to building a cabin. All of that timber in the cabin pictured is milled, so no problem. If you were building out of solid log, that would be a different story, because length/weight would bite you in the end. Of course you'll need patience as your engine is small, and that requires patience to get a decent cut. Entry level sawmills are just that, most everyone would prefer 20+ hp for ANY sawmill, even entry level. I have 23 HP and often wish I had more power.


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 8, 2012)

TraditionalTool, sorry I didn't get out to the mill today to take pics of my dog system. I'll try again tomorrow I promise.



qbilder said:


> I bought mine for around $5G's from a fellow in Michigan. The Amish assemble them & he sells them. Mine came with the axle, 20' bed, & a 16hp electric start. It is the 1900A with 30" adjust throat.



I don't mean this to come across as a criticism of you, so please don't take it that way, but I have a real problem with that 'fellow in Michigan' if it's who I think it is. He sells Linn mills on ebay illegally. He bought a set of plans from Gary and thinks that gives him license to build the mills and still put the Linn name on them. If he called them something else Gary would have no problem with it, but it opens him up to all kinds of liability with the Linn name on them. That idiot also has copied the plans, which are copyrighted, and the DVD and is selling them as a Linn product as well. My biggest gripe is that he couldn't do this on his own so he essentially stole everything from Gary after all the work was done and is now profiting at Gary's expense. Not real ethical in my book, not to mention illegal.


----------



## TraditionalTool (Jan 9, 2012)

chaikwa said:


> TraditionalTool, sorry I didn't get out to the mill today to take pics of my dog system. I'll try again tomorrow I promise.


No problem, when you get a chance I would love to see what you did.


chaikwa said:


> I don't mean this to come across as a criticism of you, so please don't take it that way, but I have a real problem with that 'fellow in Michigan' if it's who I think it is. He sells Linn mills on ebay illegally. He bought a set of plans from Gary and thinks that gives him license to build the mills and still put the Linn name on them. If he called them something else Gary would have no problem with it, but it opens him up to all kinds of liability with the Linn name on them. That idiot also has copied the plans, which are copyrighted, and the DVD and is selling them as a Linn product as well. My biggest gripe is that he couldn't do this on his own so he essentially stole everything from Gary after all the work was done and is now profiting at Gary's expense. Not real ethical in my book, not to mention illegal.


Honestly, that would be awful if this is true. AFAICT he doesn't sell them as Linn mills, at least in his ads. Are you sure they have the Linn name on them?

Even using the same design is actually a violation, AFAIK, but IANAL.


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 9, 2012)

TraditionalTool said:


> Honestly, that would be awful if this is true. AFAICT he doesn't sell them as Linn mills, at least in his ads. Are you sure they have the Linn name on them?


I don't know if he is still listing them as a Linn, but he was. I tried to curtail that on Gary's behalf, but there was only so much I could do as I'm not an attorney. I did manage to get him off ebay for awhile but he came back in a month or so. I don't know if he can legally sell the mills that Linn has designed if there is no Linn name on them. Gary was most concerned from the liability aspect of something that had his name on it that he did not build and didn't really care if the guy sold a machine of the same design. The guy is a real idiot tho and still sells the copyrighted plans, but Gary doesn't have the resources to go thru the legal process that would remedy the situation.


----------



## Sawyer Rob (Jan 9, 2012)

chaikwa said:


> I don't know if he is still listing them as a Linn, but he was. I tried to curtail that on Gary's behalf, but there was only so much I could do as I'm not an attorney. I did manage to get him off ebay for awhile but he came back in a month or so. I don't know if he can legally sell the mills that Linn has designed if there is no Linn name on them. Gary was most concerned from the liability aspect of something that had his name on it that he did not build and didn't really care if the guy sold a machine of the same design. The guy is a real idiot tho and still sells the copyrighted plans, but Gary doesn't have the resources to go thru the legal process that would remedy the situation.



Same thing happened to Norwood, a company copied the LM2000 and sold them under a similar name, "Morwood" i think? Norwood sued them, won the case and the guy made a few changes in the mill to get by selling it. The mill is still being built under the new name.

They stole the whole design from Norwood, and they were Norwood a dealer when they stole the design!

Rob


----------



## qbilder (Jan 9, 2012)

TraditionalTool said:


> Not for nothing, but that is NOT a large log. It was before you cut it up into a bunch of 8'-10' sections, but it is not that big the way you are working it. When you start tossing 30' logs on your sawmill that are 32" DBH, then you'll stress that small bed much more. However, you don't have the capability to cut a 30' log. Most small sawmills have a limitation of the width they can actually cut, 24" being pretty common and what mine will cut. This limits you to approx. 32" DBH to have clearance. You can cut larger logs if you manually trim them up with a chainsaw, but I'm speaking in general. I can cut up to about 28' comfortably, that is probably almost twice what your sawmill will cut. You need to have machinery to handle logs like that, a cant hook gets old fast with a 28' log.
> 
> There is nothing your sawmill can't do in regards to building a cabin. All of that timber in the cabin pictured is milled, so no problem. If you were building out of solid log, that would be a different story, because length/weight would bite you in the end. Of course you'll need patience as your engine is small, and that requires patience to get a decent cut. Entry level sawmills are just that, most everyone would prefer 20+ hp for ANY sawmill, even entry level. I have 23 HP and often wish I had more power.



The butt log was 30" x 10'. That's LARGE for only me with no loading equip. It didn't buckle or bow within that 10', so i'm not sure why it would over a longer log. It may. I don't know. But logic tells me if the cross bars can support that size of a log, then the length wouldn't matter. The cross bars, not the rails, are what supports the weight. If they are evenly spaced along the length of the track, then they'll support any length log that fits. Not arguing, just don't really see what you're saying. The track is supported from under, with continuity to the earth. It's not on an axle with jacks on the corners to support the weight. If that were the case, i'd be welding some rectangle tube under the length of the track to give that sag support.


----------



## qbilder (Jan 9, 2012)

chaikwa said:


> I don't mean this to come across as a criticism of you, so please don't take it that way, but I have a real problem with that 'fellow in Michigan' if it's who I think it is. He sells Linn mills on ebay illegally. He bought a set of plans from Gary and thinks that gives him license to build the mills and still put the Linn name on them. If he called them something else Gary would have no problem with it, but it opens him up to all kinds of liability with the Linn name on them. That idiot also has copied the plans, which are copyrighted, and the DVD and is selling them as a Linn product as well. My biggest gripe is that he couldn't do this on his own so he essentially stole everything from Gary after all the work was done and is now profiting at Gary's expense. Not real ethical in my book, not to mention illegal.




Wow. I had no idea. Ebay is exactly where I found the mill. That's really a bad situation with Linn. Being a Linn design was never advertised & the name is nowhere on the mill. If I wasn't already familiar with a Linn mill from my days of being a farm hand, i'd have never known it was a Linn design. I inquired about it being a Linn and it was explained to me how the machine uses Linn design & parts, but is assembled by some local Amish. I was under the impression that they were buying kits from Linn and assembling, then selling. Building a mill from a Linn kit was a serious consideration for me at the time when I found this mill. I figured up the cost of the kits vs. cost of this machine, figured they were assembling it for low profit, and I bought it because the time i'd have tied up in building my own would be worth more to me than the profit margin I had figured they were making. Had I been aware there were legal issues, i'd have steered completely clear. If what you say is accurate, that's really terrible for the Linn company. It sounds as if you may be friends or family with the owner of Linn. I offer my most sincere apology if I contributed to the mess or hurt anybody in any way.


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 9, 2012)

Sawyer Rob said:


> Same thing happened to Norwood, a company copied the LM2000 and sold them under a similar name, "Morwood" i think? Norwood sued them, won the case and the guy made a few changes in the mill to get by selling it. The mill is still being built under the new name.
> 
> They stole the whole design from Norwood, and they were Norwood a dealer when they stole the design!
> 
> Rob


I HATE that stuff, I really do! People who don't possess the ability to do something on their own and have to resort to stealing from someone else to get ahead in life should be culled from the gene pool as far as I'm concerned.  



qbilder said:


> Had I been aware there were legal issues, i'd have steered completely clear.


I don't blame you one bit for buying from that guy. And I, as well as Gary I'm sure, appreciate the thought that you wouldn't have bought it had you known the story. 



qbilder said:


> It sounds as if you may be friends or family with the owner of Linn. I offer my most sincere apology if I contributed to the mess or hurt anybody in any way.


Thanks for the apology but there's no need. You, and anyone else, who bought from the guy haven't contributed to anything negative in regards to Linn. I say this because most people don't know what's going on with him and no one, (except the idiot selling the mills), is doing anything on purpose to damage Linn.

I'm not related to the owner of Linn, Gary Boyd, but here's the story of why I'm so loyal to him;
When I had decided to build a mill, and also decided to use Linn plans and parts, I ordered the plans and DVD. When I started building, the plans were somewhat 'murky', like they had been reduced from a blueprint to fit on regular sized paper and I couldn't see details of some of the pieces. Consequently, I ended up calling Gary MANY times. :msp_biggrin: Each time he was more than accommodating, and if anyone had a reason to get sick of me, it would have been Gary! 

What I would do is sketch out the part I had questions about so I'd have it in front of me, then call him and mark up my drawing as he explained what I needed to know. After about the 10th call to him I suggested that I re-draw his plans for him as I built my mill and put them in a format that could be easily read by his customers. He agreed and that's exactly what I did. Took me about 4 months to both build and re-write the plans, but the result was two-fold; I had an EXCELLENT understanding of the engineering of the mill and Gary got a set of EXCELLENT, (at least I think!), plans. 

About every other time I called him, Gary would ask me about paying me for doing the plans, but I had no intention of taking any money. (at this point he hadn't even seen my re-drawn plans, so he was taking a big risk by offering to pay me sight-unseen) Heck, I was happy that he'd still talk to me after all my questions! 

As my mill progressed I decided to buy a few Linn parts to make everything work like it should the FIRST time instead of scabbing something together to save a few dollars. I ordered saw guide rollers, the bronze blocks for the Acme rods, the hydraulic tensioner, a clutch and an electric raise/lower kit. Wasn't I surprised when he absolutely refused to take any money for those parts! What I did for him in re-drawing the plans wasn't even close in value to the parts he had given me. 

So besides the fact that we've become pretty good friends, I feel he went above and beyond in giving me those parts not to mention all the advice and knowledge I garnered from him, so I try to do all I can for him whenever I'm able. I'll continue to do so because he's an upstanding person who honestly cares about his customers and people in general. Even if you're not a customer, you can call and ask questions about anything mill related and he'll give you any information he's able to. That's the way businesses USED to be run and it's rare these days to still be able to find that. 

So there's the story of me and Linn! There's a lot of other mills out there that are probably every bit as good as a Linn, but I don't think you could find better customer support with any of them.


----------



## Tim L (Jan 9, 2012)

Sounds like a stand up guy.


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 9, 2012)

Tim L said:


> Sounds like a stand up guy.


He is as far as I'm concerned! 

On an unrelated side note; I come from your neck of the woods. Born and raised in Merrimac Massachusetts, moved out here to Michigan in 2002 after a 20 year career as a firefighter and welder/fabricator. Used to work for a huge sawmill in NH performing contract maintenance. I took that job just to get some sawmill experience and what I learned there has helped me in my own milling endeavors. I still get back to New England a few times a year and would love to see what you're milling with.


----------



## Tim L (Jan 9, 2012)

Merrimac Mass is a beautiful area, My Boss lived there. You must have worked either for Forestal sawmills or CMC.


----------



## Tim L (Jan 9, 2012)

I used to weld for Sandy Talmage in Merrimac.


----------



## Tim L (Jan 9, 2012)

Im sorry, I listed sawmill manufacturing companies.Was it Goosebay ?


----------



## TraditionalTool (Jan 9, 2012)

chaikwa said:


> So there's the story of me and Linn! There's a lot of other mills out there that are probably every bit as good as a Linn, but I don't think you could find better customer support with any of them.


IMO most all the small sawmills work well. If you ask 10 different sawmill owners, the majority would tell you that the sawmill they have is what you should look for. Most all the small sawmills work pretty good. As an example, we rarely see sawmills with tires on them these days, most all have moved to pulleys and v-belts or similar. Most sawmills have similar engines on them, either Honda, B&S, or a host of other common brands. Also, parts are available for most of the common entry level sawmills.


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 9, 2012)

Tim L said:


> Merrimac Mass is a beautiful area, My Boss lived there. You must have worked either for Forestal sawmills or CMC.


Merrimac WAS a beautiful area before all the city people moved in and changed the whole town. A lot of New England is that way now. I worked for Cousineau Brothers. They took over a sawmill in Plaistow NH that an older gentleman had built and ran for YEARS. I had actually started working for him, then he sold to Cousineau. It was pretty interesting. He had built the whole place to operate on gravity. The green chain and debarker was about 20 feet in the air, then everything traveled downhill via vibratory conveyors from there. They had 3 gang bandsaws downstream of the main headrig that would saw 5 boards at a time each, then an automatic sorting system after that. The main saw was a double sided 14" vertical stationary bandsaw and the log sat on a trolley that moved back and forth thru the saw. I have always missed working there.



Tim L said:


> I used to weld for Sandy Talmage in Merrimac.


I know that name but can't put a face to it. What were you welding? Did you live in Merrimac too?


----------



## qbilder (Jan 9, 2012)

Sounds like a fine fellow for sure. Too bad he has to deal with the copyright issues.


----------



## Tim L (Jan 9, 2012)

We were welding structural on buildings.Cousineau is also out of Henniker, is that the same one? Sandy lived in Merrimac. I remember a hardware place in Amesbury that was a4 story brick building that had everything.


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 9, 2012)

Tim L said:


> We were welding structural on buildings.Cousineau is also out of Henniker, is that the same one? Sandy lived in Merrimac. I remember a hardware place in Amesbury that was a4 story brick building that had everything.


I think that's the same Cousineau, yes. They moved the Plaistow mill to North Anson Maine. 

The hardware store you're remembering is Amesbury Industrial Supply. If they don't have it, you don't need it! :hmm3grin2orange:

TraditionalTool;I'll have the video of my log anchoring system posted here shortly. Took some video this morning and I'm uploading it now.


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 9, 2012)

Here ya go. I'm not a professional videographer and I was alone, so it's not as refined as I'd like.

I'm hoping posting a video here isn't a violation of any of the rules, but I didn't see anything regarding this in the rules.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKrEMOGv3sM&feature=youtu.be


----------



## TraditionalTool (Jan 10, 2012)

chaikwa said:


> Here ya go. I'm not a professional videographer and I was alone, so it's not as refined as I'd like.
> 
> I'm hoping posting a video here isn't a violation of any of the rules, but I didn't see anything regarding this in the rules.
> 
> LogDogs.wmv - YouTube


chaikwa,

That was a fine video showing your setup!

The portion you have that is based around the Linn design with the chain/spring is similar to what I've been thinking about doing, although I was thinking of using a piece of u-shaped iron that would ride on top of the cross member. I ran into problems sourcing a piece of u-shape iron that is 3" on the inner measurement. 

That's a great looking bed/trailer you have made there, I'm not very good at metalworking so my hat is off to 'ya.

I have kind of a similar setup, although my vertical tubes do not rotate up, they just are adjustable and slide back and forth on the cross-tube that is welded in place. The previous owner did that...the problem with it is that he used a pneumatic impact gun to tighten/loosen the odd bolts he added to it, and had some type of special nut that could be used on the bolts. It's hard to get them cinched up.

When I saw Gary's video I thought, geez that sure looks quick with the chain and spring.

Thanks for taking the time to video that portion, I appreciate it.


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 10, 2012)

TraditionalTool said:


> Thanks for taking the time to video that portion, I appreciate it.


Anytime sir!


----------



## Tim L (Jan 10, 2012)

It was an awesome video. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## TraditionalTool (Jan 13, 2012)

chaikwa said:


> Anytime sir!


Thanks again chaikwa, I went out today and bought some parts, just haven't figured out the dog portion yet which will ride on top of the cross member.

I might be able to just add a tang to my current dog setup, and let it slide on the cross tube that was put in place for it. It is kinda similar to your short tube, sans the piece to pinch the log...I got some springs and chain.


----------



## hamish (Jan 14, 2012)

chaikwa said:


> Here ya go. I'm not a professional videographer and I was alone, so it's not as refined as I'd like.
> 
> I'm hoping posting a video here isn't a violation of any of the rules, but I didn't see anything regarding this in the rules.
> 
> LogDogs.wmv - YouTube



Great video.

Next time you take one et one inside your millshed too!

Gotta remeber get springs and chain in town tomorrow.


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 14, 2012)

hamish said:


> Great video.
> 
> Next time you take one et one inside your millshed too!


I can do that! It'll be towards the end of the week tho as I'm out of town until Thursday teaching a class.

If I don't follow thru by then, REMIND ME! 

I hate gettin' old!


----------



## TraditionalTool (Jan 18, 2012)

qbilder said:


> The butt log was 30" x 10'. That's LARGE for only me with no loading equip. It didn't buckle or bow within that 10', so i'm not sure why it would over a longer log. It may. I don't know. But logic tells me if the cross bars can support that size of a log, then the length wouldn't matter. The cross bars, not the rails, are what supports the weight. If they are evenly spaced along the length of the track, then they'll support any length log that fits. Not arguing, just don't really see what you're saying. The track is supported from under, with continuity to the earth. It's not on an axle with jacks on the corners to support the weight. If that were the case, i'd be welding some rectangle tube under the length of the track to give that sag support.


qbilder,

Logic would tell you that...but when you start moving large logs around, there's a huge difference between 10' logs and 30' logs.

I'm not saying it would make a huge difference, but moving and setting down a 30' logs is much heavier than a 10' log.

Can you take a pic of your bed, I'd like to see how it is constructed. I am thinking about fabricating a section of bed to ride on a trailer. Ideally if I could fit a section of bed on a trailer, and carry my forklift on top with the bed between the tires, I'd have what I need to go a saw remotely. Being able to haul the forklift is a huge effort though, as it weighs just under 17,000 lbs.


----------



## qbilder (Jan 19, 2012)

TraditionalTool said:


> qbilder,
> 
> Logic would tell you that...but when you start moving large logs around, there's a huge difference between 10' logs and 30' logs.
> 
> ...



I understand that, no argument on that point. My only catch is understanding why a 30' log would be harder on a bed than a 10' log given that the log is supported every few feet by a cross member, which distributes the weight evenly. Moving a 30' log is infinitely more challenging than moving a 10' log. But once on the bed, it causes no more stress than a 10 footer. 

Yeah i'll get pics. I'm looking at doing the same thing. Mine has a 20' track that I want to mount to a trailer. I'm looking at a 20' flat bed car hauler with the ramps hinged on the back. The idea is to solid mount the mill to it and be able to pull the ATV's &/or tractor on with it, over the track.


----------



## TraditionalTool (Jan 19, 2012)

qbilder said:


> Moving a 30' log is infinitely more challenging than moving a 10' log. But once on the bed, it causes no more stress than a 10 footer.


The problem is getting it on the bed. In the best world you would have 2 people, both with cant hooks and would ease that puppy on the bed.

Now, in reality most people would use some type of lift. It's when you set the log down that you notice such a difference between 10' and 30', and if your REALLY careful you can ease it down on the bed...but a 30' log has a tendency to bounce/shake the bed when it is put down. This especially holds true if you don't have the sawmill permanently setup. My sawmill bed is much heavier than yours, and I have seen this. I have knocked the bed with the forklift, have hit it with logs, and once backed into the sawmill bed with the forklift as I was backing up. Maybe if I had a bigger yard that wouldn't be a much concern.

My experience when milling large 30' logs is that it's easy to snag an end on the sawmill bed and knock it around, but all of our mileage varies. This can easily happen when you try to reposition a log that is not completely straight. There are more variables when you need to reposition the log. At least speaking for myself, it can be difficult to turn a 30' log on a sawmill bed, especially by yourself. Even when you use slings as I do, they don't often end up centered on the log, even given your best guess. The nature of the beast, IMO. Also, the logs don't roll perfectly so when you have a long log it's more difficult to get it to roll uniformly. Hydraulics are not always smooth. They can often be jerky as you are setting something down. At least mine are on my forklift.


qbilder said:


> Yeah i'll get pics. I'm looking at doing the same thing. Mine has a 20' track that I want to mount to a trailer. I'm looking at a 20' flat bed car hauler with the ramps hinged on the back. The idea is to solid mount the mill to it and be able to pull the ATV's &/or tractor on with it, over the track.


Yes, I've come to the conclusion that most of the "portable sawmills" which are trailer-able are just NOT hefty enough for a long road trip, if it was needed. A trailer, OTOH, is setup for such a road trip and can carry lumber on the way back. Moving into a Woodmizer LT40 type setup would be better, but as you know, at a price. I figure it's cheaper to find a trailer and turn that into a portable sawmill with a section of track mounted to it.

Ideally I'd like a section that can be used with my current sawmill bed, to extend it, or be able to use by itself on a trailer.


----------



## qbilder (Jan 19, 2012)

The only issue I can think of with the trailer is the wheels wells. Gonna be tough to get logs over. I think a winch could be mounted in the front of the trailer and a simple roller system or dolly under the front of the log would allow for it to be skidded up on the mill. The dolly would be an easy fab, but would have to be wide enough to clear the track. Otherwise ramps high enough to clear the wheel wells and a par buckle system can be used. Good thing is that the car hauling trailers are low profile, not too high off the ground.


----------



## qbilder (Jan 20, 2012)

I'll have to measure. Will do that at daylight.


----------



## Tim L (Jan 21, 2012)

View attachment 218911
Sorry to be out of sequence but here is the inside the farm stand pic I talked about above.


----------



## Tim L (Jan 21, 2012)

View attachment 218912
another pic.


----------



## hunterbuild (Jan 23, 2012)

I stared the thread on the Hf Mill. I built my track so I can pick it up with my skid steer and hang it on the side of my trailer. Then I can load my skid steer and saw head and go down the road. I have an 18' trailer. This will work best for me, only one trip and all my stuff.


----------



## alha (Feb 10, 2012)

Tim L said:


> View attachment 218912
> another pic.


I'm new to the sawing of lumber, but did have a basic question. Did you dry the lumber before you started building the stand? I've read that building with green lumber can cause issues down the road when it dries. Is this accurate? Thanks!


----------



## Tim L (Feb 11, 2012)

We didn't dry the lumber but we cut it during the winter and built in the spring.There is Shrinkage which is why you see board/batten to cover the gaps.As for the Hardwood floor we stickered that on a trailer,painted the ends of the board to seal them and aired dried through the summer into fall in a field with a constant breeze covered by metal roofing.Hemlock hardens as it dries making nailing more difficult so green is good. Hope that answers your question.


----------



## Tim L (Feb 11, 2012)

Those old New England barns were sawn and built immediately and they have stood for centuries.


----------



## alha (Feb 11, 2012)

Yes, it does, thanks. I suppose if you had the time and the kiln, drying some of it would have been preferrable, other than the wood that you mentioned was best installed somewhat green to make it easier to install. I've got a lot to learn, but there's a lot of info available, just need to take the time to keep researching.


----------



## Tim L (Feb 11, 2012)

Best of luck,its not an exact science and if you have to adjust and make changes as you go,no one will know but you.Finish work covers a multitude of sins.


----------

