Thread: Which Lucas Mill - 6, 7, or 8"?

Originally Posted by asheddie

I can't comment on any other size than the 10". I can move it and set it up on my own, but it's pretty big and heavy. The part that I find hard is not the set up of the mill it's self but the handling of the timber. Rolling logs is a bugger on your own and moving each cut piece of timber once it's milled. If you're on your own you have to lock the trolley, lower the revs, walk around the mill, grab the timber and stack it, then walk back and start the process again. With two people the time spent milling drops dramatically.

I figured I'd go the biggest saw I could get at the time because I don't want to have to upgrade in the future. I understand not wanting to go into debt to fund the purchase also. I think a decent quality second hand unit would be a very good option, it's just a matter of deciding on a size that will suit your needs. It really sounds like the 10" is what you need as that's the biggest saw and you want to cut to its maximum capacity. I believe the 10-30 has a bigger gearbox to suit the blade so I don't think you could put a bigger blade on a smaller saw.

Thank you. There's certainly something to be said for the 'one and done' approach. Do it once, do it right, etc. Some time ago, I put a stop watch on the various tasks around a mill and while I can recall the exact numbers it was an eye-opener how little time is actually spent making chips. It certainly makes sense to have an off bearer, but I'm a stubborn so-and-so and also stress too much about somebody getting hurt on my job site. There are a few people I can work with and trust around machinery, but not many. In fact, I've often ordered myself off jobs when too tired to keep the brain engaged and safe.

I think I need to see the models side by side and get a feel for each one. I've been around an 8-30 but never actually compared them in the flesh.

Originally Posted by rustynail

All the Lucas mills are "wheelbarrows", so when it comes to moving them you just lift one end and off you go. Now when it comes to rough terrain, that's where things become a little more difficult and mill weight becomes an issue. There is no doubt about it a 10-30 makes short work of cutting, but when you are working alone the large sizes this mill is capable of are going to take a lot of effort to move about. Most 10-30 operators have a tractor, bobcat or forklift to fetch and carry. A similar problem applies to a slabbing mill as the cut slabs are going to be heavy for the sole operator. To make life easier a few lengths of water pipe slipped under before the wedges are removed and a slab can be rolled off with one hand.
My next job is to come up with a winder system to overcome the endless walking as the old knees aint what they used to be.
Remember, you will buy a six inch way cheaper than the larger mills as the demand is low. But I wouldn't bother trying to run a slabber on a six inch, it would be way too slow.
The question was asked earlier, how to transport multiple mills. I have a twelve x eight foot heavy duty trailer which will take a log worth of timber and the two mills. The rails go on the roof of the cruiser.

Thanks for this. Great reading from those who have been there and done it. Essentially, I think I'm trying to cover too many bases and just have to figure out which compromises I can live with. The 18HP of the 6" model is considerably more than, say, a 3120 or 880 on an alaskan chainsaw mill, so the slabbing attachment at least has to be faster than an alaskan mill, which is about the only other method available to slab those widths? Would still need a wider cut than the 6" slabbing attachment seems to have, on paper though.

Yes, on the more substantial jobs, I'll have my tractor there for lift and log/lumber handling. But not all the time, especially on some of the single-tree or tight jobs.

Will have to check the local rules here about overhangs because I'm wondering if I could get two 6" mill trolleys sideways across the back of the ute without them sticking out too far either side.

Thanks again everyone. I'm getting there, slowly.

Originally Posted by asheddie

I can't comment on any other size than the 10". I can move it and set it up on my own, but it's pretty big and heavy. The part that I find hard is not the set up of the mill it's self but the handling of the timber. Rolling logs is a bugger on your own and moving each cut piece of timber once it's milled. If you're on your own you have to lock the trolley, lower the revs, walk around the mill, grab the timber and stack it, then walk back and start the process again. With two people the time spent milling drops dramatically.
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You're doing it the hard way bloke.

Except for when you're right down in the bottom of a log trying to sneak out a board that's not really even there, you want to cut the opposite of what you're doing. Vertical first and finish on the horizontal, or if you need two horizontals go horizontal, vertical, horizontal.

Clear the end of the log, turn, the boards behind you and you've got a four way draft... Scrap over the rail to the discharge side, anything that needs resawing onto the ground at your feet, and that leaves the off side of the log and backwards down the log for sawn timber, and you can be coming back cutting vertical and pushing a board down the log with you.

You never need to get more then about 5 steps from the carriage, it never idles down, and unless you're on a hill there's no need to use the brake. There's really no call to ever go to the front of the carriage except to sharpen the saw.

As far as the bottom of the log is concerned, I prefer to leave it as a wing split as I have a good market for them here and the old back appreciates the consideration.

I had wondered about trying it this way. I only have 3.2 engine hours on the saw so im still very new to it all! I've had an off sider with me for the limited milling I've done so far so I've just cut the other way so it was open for them to grab it from the other side. I'll do it the other way when I'm on my own next week.
I just scored several large stringy barks from my neighbor that blew down last year. Some serious timber amongst it. I'll be trying out the slabbing attachment for the first time also.

Originally Posted by John.G

You're doing it the hard way bloke.

Except for when you're right down in the bottom of a log trying to sneak out a board that's not really even there, you want to cut the opposite of what you're doing. Vertical first and finish on the horizontal, or if you need two horizontals go horizontal, vertical, horizontal.

Clear the end of the log, turn, the boards behind you and you've got a four way draft... Scrap over the rail to the discharge side, anything that needs resawing onto the ground at your feet, and that leaves the off side of the log and backwards down the log for sawn timber, and you can be coming back cutting vertical and pushing a board down the log with you.

You never need to get more then about 5 steps from the carriage, it never idles down, and unless you're on a hill there's no need to use the brake. There's really no call to ever go to the front of the carriage all day.

Originally Posted by asheddie

I had wondered about trying it this way. I only have 3.2 engine hours on the saw so im still very new to it all! I've had an off sider with me for the limited milling I've done so far so I've just cut the other way so it was open for them to grab it from the other side. I'll do it the other way when I'm on my own next week.
I just scored several large stringy barks from my neighbor that blew down last year. Some serious timber amongst it. I'll be trying out the slabbing attachment for the first time also.

Even with an offsider you're better off to take the board backwards.
You're in the right place to help him if its big and heavy.
If he's occupied elsewhere just go like you were be yourself, clear the board and resume cutting: material flow doesn't change.
He's not down the far end getting showered with sawdust.
The day she throws a tooth he's nowhere near it.... Regard the far end of the log and the discharge side as a no go zone while the saw is cutting and bad things will never happen.

That last paragraph would be the best advice for any operator.

Great advice, I'll definitely take this onboard. Thank you

Just a quick update. Have decided, after comparing two different models last weekend, the 10-30 is for me. That is one very capable model. Not as bad to move around as I first thought. Typical scenario of champaign taste on a beer budget though, so I have some gear selling and $ saving to get done before it can happen. Thanks all for your input.

All that saw and you still can't cut a slab over twenty inches wide. Quite a bit of business in wide slabs.

Originally Posted by rustynail

All that saw and you still can't cut a slab over twenty inches wide. Quite a bit of business in wide slabs.

There are so many logs already I want to slab, so there will most definitely be a slabbing option, just not sure which one. The slabber attachment might waste too much time getting on and off when also chasing lumber from the log/s. Not sure it will be worth lifting logs in and out to slab everything that needs it in one go to minimise the downtime. So then there is the dedicated slabber but boy oh boy is that not cheap and it's one more thing to try and fit in the back of the ute. I'm currently thinking of getting the slabber attachment so at least have the capacity to slab and then when, if ever, I have the time and money, have a crack at building a dedicated slabber myself. There is also the option of just sorting out a rolling alaskan CS mill that rolls on the Lucas rails, and powered by my 395. Slow, yes. But might be all I can afford for a while. I did try the 6-18 model also and I do really like it. Certainly a breeze to move around and mill with. But the 10" cut capacity of the 10-30 is certainly a big factor in my decision making process.