Got my sawmill up and running!!! TIME TO MILL!!!

[HawkinsHollow]

I bought this sawmill March of last year. Got it reasonably set up but then got extremely busy on my 850 sqft. addition/reno of our house, so the mill went on the back burner.
Well we are back in the house and while it is not done, it is almost there. TIME TO GET ON THE MILL!!! My goal is to at least mill all our big fat floating shelves for kitchen/baths/bedrooms, all of our window/door/base trim, and wall treatment/shiplap ceiling in our screen porch. Feels really good to be moving in the right direction towards making this dream a reality. To do this in a reasonable time frame I will have to take this wood to a kiln to get dried. Which I am fine with, considering I need it sterilized anyways for interior use. Here is the setup. Any tips, warnings, or well wishes are greatly appreciated.

Before you comment about my stack in the foreground. That is just some hemlock we used to practice. It will be used green in the next couple of weeks for a shed project. I promise my good wood will stickered and stacked better.

 

[CalG]

Can you swing by my place in S. Vt?
I've got a pile of hemlock logs that just keeps growing! ;-)

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Can you swing by my place in S. Vt?
I've got a pile of hemlock logs that just keeps growing! ;-)

I wish!

 

[ponytug]

Can you swing by my place in S. Vt?
I've got a pile of hemlock logs that just keeps growing! ;-)

Sounds like an excuse to load 'em up and have party cutting 'em up!

 

[Jstpssng]

I was wondering what became of your mill. You stopped posting about it so I (mistakenly) assumed you were sawing lumber full bore.

 

[sandman2234]

Can you swing by my place in S. Vt?
I've got a pile of hemlock logs that just keeps growing! ;-)

Yeah that is only about 900 miles...each way! That would have to affect the cost of milling those logs!
David from jax

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I was wondering what became of your mill. You stopped posting about it so I (mistakenly) assumed you were sawing lumber full bore.

Nope. But now it's on like Donkey Kong!!

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I bought this sawmill March of last year. Got it reasonably set up but then got extremely busy on my 850 sqft. addition/reno of our house, so the mill went on the back burner.
Well we are back in the house and while it is not done, it is almost there. TIME TO GET ON THE MILL!!! My goal is to at least mill all our big fat floating shelves for kitchen/baths/bedrooms, all of our window/door/base trim, and wall treatment/shiplap ceiling in our screen porch. Feels really good to be moving in the right direction towards making this dream a reality. To do this in a reasonable time frame I will have to take this wood to a kiln to get dried. Which I am fine with, considering I need it sterilized anyways for interior use. Here is the setup. Any tips, warnings, or well wishes are greatly appreciated.

Before you comment about my stack in the foreground. That is just some hemlock we used to practice. It will be used green in the next couple of weeks for a shed project. I promise my good wood will stickered and stacked better.

View attachment 2123900

 

[Gale Hawkins]

That is nice to have your own mill set up. That's something I always wanted and saw some good deals on name brand portable sawmills. But over the years running a mill would just be beyond my physical limitations due to the arthritis. Especially now since my son has moved to Iowa with an engineering position because he was always my strong back and the one that figured out things like that. It'll be nice when you can cut your logs to the dimensions so that your lumber comes out and ready to use more or less. Hopefully 2025 will be the year that you get a lot of custom projects building done.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

That is nice to have your own mill set up. That's something I always wanted and saw some good deals on name brand portable sawmills. But over the years running a mill would just be beyond my physical limitations due to the arthritis. Especially now since my son has moved to Iowa with an engineering position because he was always my strong back and the one that figured out things like that. It'll be nice when you can cut your logs to the dimensions so that your lumber comes out and ready to use more or less. Hopefully 2025 will be the year that you get a lot of custom projects building done.

Yessir! I tell you what, it ain't easy. I am only 50 and in decent shape, but a couple of logs and I knew I was doing work. The cuts come out amazingly smooth, 1 or 2 quick planer runs and it is ready to go. Can't wait to see what this thing can do.

 

[JPRambo]

HH - I got my small bandsaw mill a year and a half ago. Set it up the next day in my garage.
I still love to go out and cut a log into boards. I made a small solar kiln and dryed some of the boards. I have used a bunch of the lumber making things for in the house.

 

[JPRambo]

More

 

[HawkinsHollow]

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BEAUTIFUL WORK! @JPRambo Try to buy oak to build something like your coat rack area. A mill like this will pay for itself very quickly. I have never ending projects, it will be nice to have wood to use for them.

I hope to make a solar kiln very soon. I am not looking forward to hauling to a kiln and paying for it. But that is the only way I feel comfortable putting it in my house

 

[EddieWalker]

I've always wanted a sawmill, but doubt it will ever happen. Just too many other things to do. But it's still a dream fueled by watching video's on YouTube of people turning trees into lumber.

 

[JPRambo]

Daughter-in-law wanted this for Christmas. To put in the house when they finally get to move in after the rebuild from hurricane Ian 2 years ago.

 

[ponytug]

Daughter-in-law wanted this for Christmas. To put in the house when they finally get to move in after the rebuild from hurricane Ian 2 years ago.

I think that is a gorgeous coat rack! What a great idea, and nicely done.

All the best,

Peter

 

[tacticalturnip]

I have to admit, I never considered all the useful things you could construct for your home with a sawmill.

That's very cool, and @JPRambo posted some real idea churning stuff.

 

[JPRambo]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. They may not be perfect , but they are from my trees. A lot of time. A few extra toys ( I mean tools). And a happy wife. I'm working on this one. Disassembly some more sanding and some urethane......

 

[Tinhack]

That is talent!

About all I have here is Mesquite and Live Oak. Probably couldn't get 24" of straight board out of any of it. Might slice it and make flooring out of it but that's so common down here you couldn't get a buck a square yard for it. Shade comes at a higher premium down here, so I let it all stand.

 

[jyoutz]

BEAUTIFUL WORK! @JPRambo Try to buy oak to build something like your coat rack area. A mill like this will pay for itself very quickly. I have never ending projects, it will be nice to have wood to use for them.

I hope to make a solar kiln very soon. I am not looking forward to hauling to a kiln and paying for it. But that is the only way I feel comfortable putting it in my house

Air dried lumber is perfectly suitable for use providing it’s correctly dried. It does take awhile.