Base for Sawmill

[s219]

So I have a Woodland Mills HM122 on the way, should be here next week. It comes with leveling feet but will be down on the ground if I don't build a base. The only other mills I have used a lot were trailer-mounted and the deck was up near knee height. I am thinking I should build a base to elevate this new mill to minimize back strain.

Has anybody build a base for a mill before and care to offer suggestions or photos? I think my options are concrete blocks or pressure-treated timbers. Blocks are cheap, about $1.60 each for an 8x8x16. And concrete is still around $3.50-$4 a bag. Lumber, on the other hand -- I'd be paying $21 for an 8' 4x6 pressure-treated timber, which is a ripoff. I'd need about 10 of them, to the tune of $210. That is too darn expensive/ironic considering I bought the mill to avoid overpaying for lumber.

I could do the same thing with concrete block by building up piers. It would be slower to build. But I'd only need about $50 worth of blocks then another $20 for mortar etc.

Any other ideas?

thanks,
219

 

[/pine]

So I have a Woodland Mills HM122 on the way, should be here next week. It comes with leveling feet but will be down on the ground if I don't build a base. The only other mills I have used a lot were trailer-mounted and the deck was up near knee height. I am thinking I should build a base to elevate this new mill to minimize back strain.

Has anybody build a base for a mill before and care to offer suggestions or photos? I think my options are concrete blocks or pressure-treated timbers. Blocks are cheap, about $1.60 each for an 8x8x16. And concrete is still around $3.50-$4 a bag. Lumber, on the other hand -- I'd be paying $21 for an 8' 4x6 pressure-treated timber, which is a ripoff. I'd need about 10 of them, to the tune of $210. That is too darn expensive/ironic considering I bought the mill to avoid overpaying for lumber.

I could do the same thing with concrete block by building up piers. It would be slower to build. But I'd only need about $50 worth of blocks then another $20 for mortar etc.

Any other ideas?

thanks,
219

How much do used railroad ties run in your location ?

 

[Jstpssng]

Buy some rebar, a truckload of of sandy gravel, a few bags of Portland cement and pour a Concrete slab. Saw out some beams to rest the mill on. When you get done with that, you can start sawing out the walls and roof.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

My sawmill has been sitting on concrete blocks with a 2x lumber between the mill and the block, for years and years! It's easy to do yearly leveling too, and it works just fine!

I have no problem milling out accurate lumber, or even veneer if I want...

SR

 

[Diggin It]

I could do the same thing with concrete block by building up piers. It would be slower to build. But I'd only need about $50 worth of blocks then another $20 for mortar etc.

Any other ideas?

If you have a place that makes blocks, ask them about seconds/rejects/culls. Firsts at retail stores run $1.75 or so, while culls at the block house run me a buck each. Stack them however you need to, then fill the voids with concrete. Add rebar if you wish. The result will be a solid concrete mass with no waiting for mortar to set before you can add the mill weight.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

My friend bought some quality cement blocks from a box store about a month ago, a buck a piece...

I helped him fix his porch, and we needed some blocks, they were good quality too...

All the OP has to do is, sit them right on the ground, and put what ever lumber he wants over them, to get the height he wants...

SR

 

[Oldpath05]

Saw out your own beam to put the mill on, I recommend a building with floor....

 

[s219]

I'm in a chicken and egg situation, since I need a base to set the mill on for deck/track assembly before I can cut any wood. So I can't really cut beams for the base unless I whip out my Alaskan chainsaw beam jig, and that's a slow process. To be honest I am a little wary of using green wood for the mill base anyway. I don't want to have to level/true the deck every time I use the mill while the beams dry out over 6-8 months.

Here's what I am thinking -- piers that are 1-2 blocks high, with a beam or timber on the top. I think I can get away with 4 piers per side and let the timber support the other feet on the deck frame. The piers would spaced about 6'4" (on center).

I have to dig down about 8" to get through loam/roots in this soil, before hitting clay/sand. So I either need to set the first block down low into the ground and turn it flat side down (so it won't sink into the dirt), or pour concrete to make a little base there. Based on past experience, it's about an equal amount of work to level a block down in a hole or pour concrete into the hole.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

There's going to be a lot LESS leveling than you think! I check mine about once a year and it's sitting on blocks like I stated above.

Don't you have a trailer you can build it on??

I noticed new/future owners really over think this...

SR

 

[Rustyiron]

18 solid 8" block stood vertically at the single feet with the 2 sets of double stacked like you're drawing.
Mostly PHD work, at least for the 5 pair of single feet. Over dig the depth and backfill with stone dust to grade (a transit would be handy) and you would be "beam less" unless they have a prescribed installation using wood. That would at least get you running, you could add your own sawn timbers later. The solid 8's may have to be sourced from a real block supply yard.
Have fun, I'm a couple of months into finally having a bsm. It's very satisfying cutting and using your own lumber.:thumbsup:

 

[caver]

My Baker HD18 is towable and I just throw some scrap blocks down under the legs when I move it. If you do all kinds of prep work for a base you will end up moving it.
Things like
*It's not close enough to the shop/power/tools when something breaks.
* It's too close to the shop and blowing sawdust towards it.
*Prevailing winds blowing sawdust in your face.
I agree in that you are overthinking it. The Baker has a real stout frame but the only time I check level is if I drop a big log on it I might eyeball down the rail.
One mistake I made is buying a farm store can't hook and it wasn't cheap. Later I spent the $$ on a Logrite peavey and quickly understood why people liked them.

 

[s219]

Chatted with my neighbor, who set his mill down on 6x6 timbers on the ground (timbers crosswise under the rails about every 4', looks like a railroad track). When I asked him how it has worked out, he got a crazy look and said he needed to re-do it better. He said in the winter, whenever we get freeze-thaw cycles, the timbers move a little, enough to make the mill frame rock and require shimming. And he said if he bumps it with a log when loading, it will move around a teeny bit.

Based on that, if I do timbers or blocks on the ground, I either need to set them on a healthy bed of gravel that won't be affected by frost, or set them down on footings below the frost line (about 12" here). I think if I set them on a bed of gravel, I could probably hammer re-bar spikes through the timbers to anchor them into the ground below, so they would have a little bit of resistance to moving sideways.

I took a look in my lumber scrap piles, and I have a bunch of cutoffs of 4x6, 6x6, and round posts, 16-32" length. And I have a bunch of marine lumber 24-72" long, it's rough sawn 2" thick and 8" wide. If I could use up all those scraps and avoid paying for new wood at the store, that would kill two birds with one stone.

He had his mill deck about 12" off the ground and I felt like I would want mine more like 24".

 

[Barry 1]

I used a doubled up house trailer frame when I built my mill.Sits on 2 2x4's and never needs leveling .Load it with my log hauler.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Mines sitting on sand I put into place with my tractor, I don't have any leveling problems...

and I drove over it to compact it,

Like I said, too much over thinking going on here...

SR

 

[Egon]

The sawmill base required will vary with local soil conditions. What works here will. Not work there.

 

[forgeblast]

Check our the forestry forum https://forestryforum.com/ you will see a ton of examples!!

 

[s219]

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



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").







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.

 

[forgeblast]

Nice!!!

 

[Rebeldad1]

Bought my HM122 same time as you but I went and picked it up.
Really didnt have a plan as to where I am going to set it up. Read about having it up in the air a ways so I wouldnt have to bend over so much. Thought about a couple rows of RR ties but would want it about 24 inches off the ground. Lots of options and opinions here to choose from. I also am one who keeps what I can inside.
Opted for the optional trailer that comes with the saw. Offers a good solid base for the rails. Can move it anywhere an set it up in minutes. And can put it inside when done. for me Win-Win.

 

[s219]

I came close to ordering with the trailer base. I like their trailer better than other brands, because it's geared towards moving around on a property instead of towing on the road. Better tires, better size, etc.