Skidding Logs

[DM]

I fell a couple white pine and cut the logs out of them a couple days ago... Now it's time to skid the logs out. The first one went fairly easy, other than the fact they are up on a big hill in a hard to get to spot...

http://www.fototime.com/655E8D3D50BBAC3/standard.jpg

Once out of the woodlot, i started down the hill and into a sandy valley...

http://www.fototime.com/3A22066EEB9F4F3/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/9C205F8BD9F0F31/standard.jpg

Going down the hill, takes you into a sand pit... I have no idea how you'd ever get these logs out of that sugar sand without MFWD!!

http://www.fototime.com/99F051E217A0C68/standard.jpg

I left my log trailor on the valley floor, and loaded the logs there...

http://www.fototime.com/04481BDFBCD9C4A/standard.jpg

Now, it's time to get the 16 footer out, and it's further in, and in a tough spot! This is as close as i could get, and not only am i at a poor angle, the log has a stump in front of it!!

http://www.fototime.com/8C1FF08338F6200/standard.jpg

You can see way i handle a problem like this one, i use a pully to change the direction of pull. You can see how it works in these picts... I guess i could cut everything out of my way, but that's NOT the way i do my logging.

http://www.fototime.com/C0E9AD73475D58B/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/8B232770D35A149/standard.jpg

After some "jockeying around", i managed to get the log out where i could get ahold of it with my 3 point hitch and started skidding it out.

http://www.fototime.com/5B2F5292386225E/standard.jpg

Once i had it out, i loaded it beside the 20 footer...

http://www.fototime.com/E4914A6E8425784/standard.jpg

And headed down the trail for the road home...

http://www.fototime.com/F787A600A368732/standard.jpg

FINALLY, i'm out on the road and headed for the sawmill!!

http://www.fototime.com/217D7E1A3C6FE74/standard.jpg

Next job will be to mill these logs into lumber!!

Hope you enjoyed the picts!!

DM

[Deberosa]

More great pics, thank you! You put alot of effort into getting good pics of your process, they are great. You should write a book!

When you skid logs with your three point hitch do you lift the end of the log with the hitch or just drag it along the ground?

[BIGGKIDD]

DM

Great job!!! Local saw mill or personal & can you get pics of the milling?

Thanks
Larry

[DM]

Deb,

Because my tractor is "set up" the way it is, and because it's as "big" as it is, i do pick up the logs on one end with the 3 point to skid them. You have to learn how to do it "right", or you can break the 3 point, or worse yet, tip your tractor over!

AND, here's the milling picts...

*Now it's time to mill the logs into lumber! *After rolling the 16 footer onto the mill, i took the first cut...

http://www.fototime.com/446FD44AC97D99C/standard.jpg

*After taking a couple 5/4 boards off, i turned the log using my mills "cable winch log turner"...

http://www.fototime.com/6BBBD33C8B4915B/standard.jpg

*After sawing, takeing more 5/4 boards and more turning i worked my way around and got the log down to where i could get some 3x8's. *These will be rafters on a large porch i'm sawing out...

http://www.fototime.com/AC6D5B5C90115EA/standard.jpg

*I also edged all of the 5/4 boards at this time...

http://www.fototime.com/A2D3B62CE3E961D/standard.jpg

*Here's the lumber from the 16 foot log...

http://www.fototime.com/73043B73A86A101/standard.jpg

*Now to mill the 20 footer!

http://www.fototime.com/19DC47ABEF2B816/standard.jpg

*Man... a 20 foot log is a loooooong log, and a LOT of extra work handleing it and the lumber... *Here it is, turned and ready for another cut...

http://www.fototime.com/92617332CAFFB7C/standard.jpg

*All the side lumber was sawn out into 5/4 boards, but this is what i was after! *It's a 6"x10" beam, 20 feet long that will be one of the "headers" for the porch!!

http://www.fototime.com/DB4E4A9F35809EA/standard.jpg

*Here's all the lumber back on the trailor, ready to be delivered!

http://www.fototime.com/4ACD7326B03D061/standard.jpg

*So, off i go to deliver all of the lumber to my customer/friends warehouse! *I unload it there, and he takes care of stickering it under the roof in the back ground!

http://www.fototime.com/6B011660B23194A/standard.jpg

*That's it for this time... and i hope you enjoyed the picts!!

*DM

[BIGGKIDD]

DM

Great photos and job. ;D What kind of mill is that? I have been looking at some thinking of the future. How long did it take to mill those into lumber?

Thanks
Larry

[DM]

*My mill is a Norwood Lumbermate 2000 and it's made by Norwood industries... *It's a good mill and does a great job...

*As for how fast can you saw? *That depends on if you have help and how hard you want to work. *The mill saws pretty fast but where you loose time is in log and lumber handleing... *Haveing a helper really speeds things up though...

*I mostly work alone and just work at my own speed, i'm not trying to set any world records!

*DM

[BIGGKIDD]

Thanks Rob,

I have been looking at their lumberlite I think its called. If you don't mind telling me why you picked that one. Which eng. it has and any other particulars for some one who has never used a mill. As you have guessed by now I do just about everything myself. Thanks for the help.

Larry

[DM]

Larry,

In 1996 i bought a new Lumbermate because it looked like it was well designed and the best bang for the buck. In 2000 they redesigned the mill to make it stiffer and stronger. So, a few years ago i sold my old LM and bought the new LM2000. I still think the LM is the best full size sawmill for the least amount of $$.

My old mill had a 13 Honda on it, the new one has a 23hp Vanguard, and both saw very good, the added hp just makes things go a bit faster. Really the 13 does a good job and is probably Honda's best small gas engine they have ever made...

The std mill will saw 13' logs, and you can buy 4' extensions any time later and add them. I had one extension on the old mill, i have 2 on this one.

Norwood offers several options for the LM and you can buy them any time later and add them, and i have...

I've sawn on a lot of mills, and the best of the small mills in the Lumberlite. It's cheaper than a LM because you don't get any track with it, it is lighter made, less stiff and designed for small logs. It also comes with a cheapo motor and you have to pay more for a Honda. (much better motor) It "does" saw good, and you can do a lot with it, but for anything but ocadional use with smaller logs, i'd buy the std LM and add to it instead.

There's a good deal on a used LM2000 right now on the Norwood forums... That's really the way to save $$ on a mill, and get something that will really saw well!

DM

[BIGGKIDD]

Thanks Rob,

It great to talk to someone who has been there and done it. I will check out that used mill later today.

Larry

[Mac_Muz]

Get a old japanese car hood to drag the rear end of the log off the ground. Your sawer will thank you. Pass chain thru the hood around the log and use a binder.. Use 2 if you skid around trees in the way till you can lift the close end. Bend that hood as need be to fit the log and pass the good trees better.

Big logs will just slide so much more easy...