Base for Sawmill

Rustyiron · Jun 16, 2023

caver said:
Interesting this topic came up. Just the other day a guy delivered some rock to my place and wanted to pay good money for my mill, that has sat idle for over a year. I checked on used/new prices and wow the price of these things has gone up.

I think that many of the mills with hydraulic log handling are months out. Not long ago it was a year or more.

HP942 · Jun 29, 2023

s219 said:
So here is what I came up with for a 26" wide, 20' long base:

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All made with 4x6 timbers. I used scraps for the leg posts and just had to buy timbers for the tops. Cross-braces are also scrap lumber. All the gusset plates are scrap diamond plate steel, and it's all held together with galvanized 5/16" lag bolts. So I spent $100 on timbers, $35 on bolts and washers, and the rest I already had. Some people think it's stupid to keep 2-3' scraps of lumber but I always hang on to those pieces and it came in handy here.

I pre-fabbed each of the three sections in my barn on the concrete floor, to get everything nice and square, then carried each section to the site and blocked it up over the post holes to level it prior to pouring concrete around the posts. The posts go down 17-20" (below the frost line of 12").

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Takes about 120# of concrete for each post hole. I'll finish pouring the concrete tomorrow, then give it a couple days to cure before I begin assembling the sawmill track on top.

I also drilled 4 post holes to support the roof that will be built over the top. That will be 10' wide and 26' long when done. Other than treated lumber for the posts, all that lumber will be felled and sawn on the fly. I am sure it will be interesting to build a roof frame with green lumber but I am looking forward to the process.

I'd prefer OSB and asphalt shingles on the roof, to match my barn and house, but if the price of OSB is still insane in a couple weeks (as I expect) then I'll just order some metal roof panels. Right now OSB+Asphalt will run me about $1.75 per square foot, and metal will cost $1.00 to 1.10 per square foot.

Nice looking base. I just sold my old Baker Wood Buddy and took delivery of a new HM122. Haven‘t even opened the box yet. I’m trying to decide if I want to try my hand a welding and build a trailer.

nisaacs · Oct 31, 2023

HP942 said:
Nice looking base. I just sold my old Baker Wood Buddy and took delivery of a new HM122. Haven‘t even opened the box yet. I’m trying to decide if I want to try my hand a welding and build a trailer.

Could I get an update on this mill? Maybe some pointers?

I just helped my neighbor fire up his new HM122. The log clamps wont fit a large log (20") won't go wide enough. Then they are pointed and make a hole in the wood when you do get the log small enough to fit. Even when you get the log smaller, the saw head won't clear the clamp. What the heck?

compulsive tinkerer · Oct 31, 2023

I dug down past the top soil. Packed the clay with a tamp. Then put down 16 x 16 x 4 concrete blocks at each foot. Its been there a year. Only issue i have had was after a month straight of rain. I had to relevel it. You could do that to start. Cut yourself some heavy beams to go on top the base of blocks to raise as needed.

compulsive tinkerer · Oct 31, 2023

nisaacs said:
Could I get an update on this mill? Maybe some pointers?

I just helped my neighbor fire up his new HM122. The log clamps wont fit a large log (20") won't go wide enough. Then they are pointed and make a hole in the wood when you do get the log small enough to fit. Even when you get the log smaller, the saw head won't clear the clamp. What the heck?

The clamp head may be on bar upside down/backwards. Check its orientation. Its easy to do.

nisaacs · Oct 31, 2023

compulsive tinkerer said:
The clamp head may be on bar upside down/backwards. Check its orientation. Its easy to do.

Thanks, I did look at that and if we flip it, it will go a little bit wider but still not enough for a large log. Then the wider the setting the more it interferes with the saw carriage. It won't clear until you get down to about a 14" cant.

We moved the front one to get past it, then reinstalled it then removed the rear one but that lets the log/saw vibrate.

Not sure what I am missing here. I looked at some videos and it appears that this is a problem on big logs.

HP942 · Oct 31, 2023

nisaacs said:
Could I get an update on this mill? Maybe some pointers?

I just helped my neighbor fire up his new HM122. The log clamps wont fit a large log (20") won't go wide enough. Then they are pointed and make a hole in the wood when you do get the log small enough to fit. Even when you get the log smaller, the saw head won't clear the clamp. What the heck?

Mine is still crated and stored in my shed…too many other projects and family stuff going on. Plus the fall fishing hasn’t been too bad. Now we have deer season coming up. Looks like springtime before I assemble mine. I have been accumulating parts for a trailer build though.