Epic days milling western red cedar

[Big J]

Thanks interesting that. I did not realise you could sharpen them as well. Marks me realise another reason wood is not cheap!

 

I usually get about 5 sharpens out of my bands before they start snapping.

[Woodworks]

No real point to this thread, other than that I had an excellent day milling western red cedar that we'd harvested ourselves near Aberlour. Had two guys in for the day, both forklifts buzzing around (timber stacks sorted at the top, and logs cut to 2.5m and brought down to the lower yard. Other chap pressure washing logs prior to cutting and doing most of the unloading).

 

What a joy WRC is to cut - soft with little wear on the band (only had to change it once over the course of the day), a very fine finish and smells beautiful. With an average log of 48cm in diameter and 2.5m long, we ended up milling 30 of them on a 7.25hr day, for a total of 10.63 hoppus cubic metres (or 375 hoppus foot). All cut to 51mm with one straight edge (we still have some double waney boards to fire through the edger once it's properly set up). Most productive day I've ever had and lovely (a bit warm) weather to boot.

 

 

Anyone else had any great days on the saw of late?

 

Always good to have a super productive day whatever the job.

[wills-mill]

Lovely looking bit of WR! I find that the ones round here are lovely and easy to cut, but have a dulling effect on the bands- perhaps because they are mainly planted on chalk soils and they're pulling up mineral deposits??? Perhaps I need a pressure washing bay! Very nice setup you've got sorted there

[wills-mill]

 

I've been milling some super slow grown small WR!

[Big J]

That's slower grown than the stuff we were milling, and we're hundred of miles north!

 

Can't recommend a pressure washer enough. You quite often have complete days milling on one band. Last year I did 185 hoppus foot of beech for floor boards, cut at 32mm, on one band.

[codlasher]

Like reading this post! Thanks Big J.

codlasher

[Big J]

Just finished the second cedar cutting job.

 

140 tonnes this time. 5 weeks (with a few days away for various things) and a lot of effort, but 93 cubic metres of sawn product out the door.

 

Today was the last day's cutting, and the last day with the Logmaster mill (which goes out tomorrow on a low loader up north). I will bid a sad but fond farewell to the mill - it has been excellent and is particularly quick on small logs. I think this is because you operate everything from one position (hydraulic log handling and sawhead movement). With a Woodmizer you're walking up and down like a numpty and having to lean over to operate the log handling hydraulics.

 

Today we had a stack of average 9-12 inch 3 metre cedar logs to cut (some a bit bigger). We cut 82 logs on a 8.5hr cutting shift - 10 logs an hour plus band changes. That's cut to 102x160, 102x203, 102x217, 102x242 and 25mm edging boards. All logs pressure washed quickly prior to cutting. 2 guys working with me.

 

Might take a little while to beat that log tally PB - it was 56 before today!

[arbwork]

Big J that's an impressive total there ! good luck with your replacement mill, I hope you are as impressed with the new one as you were with logmaster

[Graham w]

well done 82 is good going and i would love to see the new beast!

[delabodge]

looking forward to seeing new mill:thumbup1: