Maxing out your mill - Woodworking Talk

**Daren** · 06-17-2008, 10:23 PM

I run a little http://www.taschmid.com/ manual bandmill. I have done just about everything I can to tear that machine (and myself) up for the last 5 years. Today was no exception. Around here things go in spurts as far as logs I can get being an urban logger, I just saw what shows up . I had not seen much sugar (hard/rock) maple for awhile, now that is all that is coming since I told my sources I needed some. I have grade sawn plenty and have it air drying. I decided to try to make some rustic/live edge slab table/bar tops. The pictures show what a little mill can do. 28" wide at the widest, 2 1/2" thick and 9'6" long. Not bad for a little 13 HP Honda and me pushing it. Hard maple is not easy milling, with 24"+ of blade buried the old girl was huffing. We made it through another day

. I was huffing too, trivia question for you math whizzes. Wet sugar maple weighs 59 lbs ft3...what would (this is an average because of the width variation) a 24" X 9'6" X 2 1/2" slab weigh ?...AND does anyone want to come help me next time

dirtclod · 06-17-2008, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daren

..AND does anyone want to come help me next time

You come and pick me up

on a Saturday morning and have me back by Sunday evening on a weekend that's not too hot nor too cold. I like good conversation, free food

, good drink

and a nice soft bed without any nasties.

I'm ugly,

so don't try to introduce me to the neighbors. (Got a privacy fence?) But I will work.

Marauderer · 06-18-2008, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daren

Wet sugar maple weighs 59 lbs ft3...what would (this is an average because of the width variation) a 24" X 9'6" X 2 1/2" slab weigh ?...AND does anyone want to come help me next time

1 ft3 = 1728 in3
24" X 9'6" X 2 1/2" = 6830 in3
6830/1728 = 3.952
3.952 ft3 X 59 lbs/ft3 = 233.20 lbs

Yes I want to come and help but being in the Metro Atlanta area and with the cost of fuel, it just isn't going to happen.

firefighteremt153 · 06-18-2008, 07:40 AM

I'll throw in on the gas money Barry if you swing through Marietta and pick me up. Of course we're gonna need to bring a trailer with us for all that wood we'll be bringing back to Atlanta.

**TexasTimbers** · 06-18-2008, 10:05 AM

As much rain as you been getting you might hollow that slab out to have an escape canoe ready.

So are you gettin enough Maple to make a palett for pallet trade maybe?

My wife, and her husband, would really like to have some killer Maple in time to finish the house.

Marauderer · 06-18-2008, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firefighteremt153

I'll throw in on the gas money Barry if you swing through Marietta and pick me up. Of course we're gonna need to bring a trailer with us for all that wood we'll be bringing back to Atlanta.

I have a 5X10 utility trailer that can hold up to 3k lbs. When do we leave? I can tow up to 7K lbs if you can get a bigger trailer.

**Daren** · 06-18-2008, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasTimbers

So are you gettin enough Maple to make a palett for pallet trade maybe?

Not as of yet, still backordered from the little drought I was having . You can see how big that log was and even near the heart (you can see it in the mill picture) there is still included bark. All the stuff I have been getting is about more work that it is worth. This log was shaped like a triangle

. How does a guy go about making a square cant and get anything from it ? I have more to mill, but some of them are rotten in the heart

.I shoulda just put this chunk on a pallet and sent it to you, bout the best piece I have milled from this little jag I have gotten. It has been several months since I have even milled a hard maple...and am totally surrounded by them, it is the most common tree around. (I'm gonna whine a little here) with the expected price of heating fuel this winter way to many good logs are getting split for firewood.Sugar maple makes good firewood. A felled tree is not done bouncing before some dude with a chainsaw and log splitter is all over it. All the nice round/straight/manageable one...I am getting the ones too big to split and rotten ones (ok, done whining) I hope to be getting some more nice ones soon. Seems things usually just kinda work out for me

Marauderer · 06-18-2008, 11:59 AM

So Daren, when is next time out?

**Daren** · 06-18-2008, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marauderer

So Daren, when is next time out?

Every day. I am milling today, just in now to make a couple phone calls.

Tweegs · 06-18-2008, 12:34 PM

Phone calls?
Looks like yer surfin the web to me

**Daren** · 06-18-2008, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tweegs

Phone calls?
Looks like yer surfin the web to me

Ok, make a couple phone calls and answer business emails. I get email notification on replies to my threads, so I had to have a look.

( I was "on hold" anyway with some supplier

)

Terry Beeson · 06-18-2008, 07:56 PM

"Multi-tasking".... Good man.... Were you also drinking beer, eating a sandwich, playing solitaire, watching Andy Griffith reruns, and vacuuming the house while on hold?