Who here is into circle mills?

[ChainsawmanXX]

Excellent...if this ol' timer is local sawyer used to sawing the woods you're trying to saw then he is your best bet. I doubt your mill requires a complete tear down and rebuild...it just needs to be set up correctly. Once it is right on it will be much easier for you to keep it that way and you'll begin to see what it takes to keep it that way. I was somewhat more lucky in that when I bought my mill I had a partner who knew a fair amount about the mill as his father had built it from scratch from 2-3 burned up/ torn down mills/parts. Old Alton never had any money so he made stuff or remade stuff to his liking but made do with what he had and though his son knew much much more than I did about sawing, he was not a very hard worker and real poor with money not to mention very hard on any machinery that he touched. But he completely lacked his fathers ability to fix or make things...which is where I came in. I could weld and wrench pretty good so for a while we made a fair team and ran the mill daily as our only income for 2 1/2 yrs steady....I was never in as good shape in my life before or since....10-12hr days 6 days a week..Sunday being a day of fixing...not enough money for food or beer. It was a rough way to make a living...seemed like everytime you would start to pull ahead something major would fail. At the 2 1/2 yr mark we had the crankshaft in our diesel break and the loan was half paid off. So we were forced to go back into carpentry to make enough to keep the payments up and aquire a new power unit. That was the point that my partner said screw it "Let the bank have it".......however the loan was taken on my tax number and I was not about to let that happen so I bought out his 1/2 of operation and assumed the rest of the debt as well (another $1,000.00 lesson learned the hard way) I have had just about every part of this mill apart over the last 27 yrs. It's real hands on stuff and very hard to explain long distance to someone just starting out. You'll get there...you have it running...that is no small matter.....hopefully this ol guy will get you straightened out.

Oh and Jay-cub......I know you have alot on your plate and you're doing damn well at it for a guy your age....you see I was 31 when I started milling...58 now and still have alot to learn...you'll get get there with this ol mill...no doubt...be patient..listen...think and learn.

No... none of the pics I have are digital and they are few anyway.....

Milled up 5 big cottonwood logs with good results! But still burning out the guide?

That sounds like a hard row to ho robin!

 

[Cantdog]

Milled up 5 big cottonwood logs with good results! But still burning out the guide?

That sounds like a hard row to ho robin!

Well at times it certainly has been...but in recent yrs with no partner it has been much better.....It's also been paid off for the last 22 yrs. For one thing I no longer do custom sawing...that is to say you bring me your logs and I saw them to your specs. for so many cents per board foot..that is just put and take with no chance for profit....these days I only fire up to make specialty lumber/timber for jobs that I am doing in my carpentry business or stuff for my own personal projects....it's just my biggest table saw these days!!

 

[ChainsawmanXX]

New addition to the sawmill
Old tannawitz band saw, gonna be used for resawing

 

[ChainsawmanXX]

I think we have narrowed down the problem to the mill. The holders are getting bad and not letting out sawdust like it should. :msp_unsure:
I guess it would explain the guide pin getting burned up so quick? The kerf getting packed up and pushing against.
Thats 150-200 (Depending on if it will need hammered after) Gonna sell a saw to pay for it though. Been getting a quite a bit done. Going to pick up about 10 logs tomorrow. Some big Cottonwoods there cutting down at the local big factory (General Mills) Getting them free so, were willing to pay alittle to drive the backhoe down there to get it.
Still lacking a forklift, getting by with a backhoe. But Damn hooking them log tongs to the bucket gets old and frustrating :hmm3grin2orange: Found a local guy that had a "Customized" forklift. It was a homemade forklift, a guy took a one ton frame with the rear end still attached, turned it around (So that the drive axle is in the front) and mounted the forklift attachment on the front, pretty neat. But two grand is a bit more then we have at the moment.

Ill be sure to get some pictures of getting the logs and stuff tomorrow.