Those mini skid steer are just so skookum handy around the house. Used to run a compact power all the time loved that little guy. Rented a Vermeer grapple mini like that once, and now my buddy is building a mini grapple attachment for his, we have a set of swamp dogs and regular tongs for tree work that are great as well
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I think if I borrow a bigger saw, and set the trunks on the ground, I could work the sides like you say. It might not be worth it though. I certainly have a lot of other wood to mill first.
Everything takes too much time for setting up.
What about squaring it with a saw and broad ax? The little cuts I could make with my electric saw. I have to be very careful how long I hold a gas saw or even the handle on the mill. Too much vibration and I can’t feel my finger tips.
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Is it height or width that is the problem? You can make kerfs down the length of the log and then chip them off with an axe. I’ve seen timbers squared up like that for barns.
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Yes it’s too tall and too wide. I will set it aside for now…I have too many logs that fit.
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I have been making saw dust , boards and motor fuel today . Also had a coupe visitors down from Nashville to ride in the trucks .
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How do you deal with the pine pitch when it piles up on the bandsaw? Or is your species of pine down there not loaded full of pitch pockets like mine up here?
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Usually run water drip on the blade when doing pines to keep it off of the blade to start with.
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We do that to, but it’s short lived. The pine we have milled is like cutting through chewing gum in some spots
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Kerosene drip MarcusN.
The K-1 fuel grade works OK.
The coarser bulk cleaning solvents types are cheaper.
S.U.
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We have talked about trying kerosene after seeing that on a few forums
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Can’t speak from experience since I have only cut hardwood and use a water drip, more to cool the blade than lubricate it but kerosene isn’t cheap. I’d think about trans fluid. It would keep the blade from rusting as well. I don’t know from pine tar but it seems to me that you are just trying to keep anything from sticking to the blade.
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Well. Whatever. Kerosene did work on my mill sawing pitch pocket D.F.
I think the ability to dissolve the pitch is what is important.
Be very, very careful with good-pitch removers like acetone/lacquer thinner/gasoline having flash-point volatiles. Hard knots makes blade-tooth strike sparks.
And residue staining of the cut wood might be a problem.
S.U.
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I’ve seen some people add dish detergent to the water
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I have wondered about windshield washer fluid. It is 50-50 methanol and water. Methanol aka wood alky should dissolve pitch.
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Would that be better than straight water in a charcoal gasifier drip?
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Went out and picked up some seed trees, thought of making planed boards for the hall in Sjöändan, and thought about making a small boat this winter.
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I buy my blades from Cooks in Alabama, they recommend water with a few drops of dawn dish soap. Too much of an oil based product will cause blade slippage, and deteriorate some types of rubber. I would think a little pine sol in water would be okay.
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I use diesel fuel with a good shoot of used oil mixed ln a bucket with a drip tube set up. I can saw all day and use very little fuel in the drip. Never any build up even when sawing pine with a lot of pitch.
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Does it leave any staining?
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Hi Marcus
I saw lumber for a furniture builder and he has never said any thing about stain even after its dried.
I can turn the drip on to where it runs a stream and the wood will look wet just where the blade goes ln the wood and in a little bit the wetness just disappears.
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