Thread: "Upgrades" people, "upgrades"

Kicking things off with a simple one (until I work out how to load a pic).
Inevitably friends will find out you have a mill and ask you to cut pailings for them. I've done 120m+ of 6' fencing 100x15mm and I recon it would be cheaper to buy them from the hardware, (esp at mates rates) but you do things that are not always rational. When you get down into the meat of the log and doing 100mm vert cuts and 15mm side shift, cut your full depth horizontally (for me its 8") then come back out and work your way through in the vert. I feel it saves your arm and wearing out a couple of components on the mill not having to flip for 10-12 times. I find its faster/ benifical up to 30mm side shifts then bigger than that its business as usual. The negative that may be related, is that with some logs it will bow up and bind when you go to do the next horiz cut. This may be because when your cutting normally, it keeps trimming the log each horiz cut??. Whatever, I find it simple enough, if it happens, to trim and carry on.
End of essay

Wanted to stop the chocks working their way out at the same time as keeping metal (even nails) away from this area as I'll inevitable end up hitting it trying to get 1 more board out of the log. Not complete sucess as I've got that bit of chain that allows me to adjust the tension for different size logs. Could replace the chain with a bit of rope with a series of loops tied into it but for now I put the chock, with chain and bunge screwed into it, on the right hand side of log (unlike in photo) so as alot less likely to hit it (or can stop cutting when we get over near it.) cost 'bout $10 each and 10 min to "make" (cut chain in half and screw each half to a chock). Worked a treat on the last 5 logs we cut. Real happy with out come.

iv done a few things to the mill, some of witch i am willing to put on the public forum.

you may have seen my bolsters

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f132/w...olsters-99579/

iv got a couple of bolsters (logs actually) with deep V cut in them. i sit short logs in (1.8m - 2.1m long) to split into split posts. the vee cut allows the log to be rolled wile staying in one place. so i can make a horizontal cut in the middle of teh side of the log to withing 2" of the center , roll teh log 6" make another cut, roll 6" etc, i then pick the log up with teh loader and drop it from a great height and they back them selves out. ofcorse if you dont have a loader you can bust em out with a crowbar and axe.

next is to put solid ends in my top rails on the end frames to stop teh holes wearing, teh holes (where the pins go) on my mill have worn to over 1/2" long.

i have made u shaped pegs that fit snugly over the bottom rail of the end frame. to hold down the end frames. this still alowes teh frames to be slid to align the mill to the log.

i have also welded pins to the bottom of the stay arm so i can just knock them in and they dont work lose.

Thanks Carl, Got a lump of pine that I keep moving from place to place in the container, think it'll be a lot happier as a bolster.
With your welding the pins to the end of your braces, what happens if you cant drive it all the way into the soil? Does it still brace ok if they were hanging out say 4"?

yes they brace fine.

i have put them on the same angle as the stay arm.

normally i can get it in they are 6" long.

for my log wedges (ex 100X75) I drive two 3.05mm nails in about 20mm on the bottom face, cutting them off leaving about 3mm protruding, when you tap them tight in against the log they dig in to the bearer & don't move.
regards inter

I like that one inter.My chocks will be modified tomorrow.

My only concerns with the nail idea is after a week or two of rolling logs in, I'd think the bolsters would be worn to the point of the nail not diggin in...

I recently went to the Lucas log chocks and have found them great to use, sliced 'em up a couple of times but also a bit fiddly at the moment as my bolsters are too thin for them and I have a 'spacer' block I have to put in every time I use them.

Originally Posted by Sigidi

My only concerns with the nail idea is after a week or two of rolling logs in, I'd think the bolsters would be worn to the point of the nail not diggin in...

I recently went to the Lucas log chocks and have found them great to use, sliced 'em up a couple of times but also a bit fiddly at the moment as my bolsters are too thin for them and I have a 'spacer' block I have to put in every time I use them.

I use 6x6 bolsters on top of 8x2s. if all the faces got worn out, I'd stick it in the mill and take a shave off each one.

I haven't really had problems with chocks. I sometimes drive a nail or two in behind the chock if a log is especially hard to hold,but that's not very often required. I: just use a piece of offcut edge, usually 50 thick. set up this way, I can cut to the top of the chock, leaving a 50mm flitch if all works out right.

im maken up a set of peterson style log dogs. i got the aluminium scraps yesterday and will knock some up over teh weekend.

It doesnt seem to do much to the bearers, I have had the same ones now for a year. The best thing about using wedges & a little oil is you can rotate the log to get end cracks / limbs / defects better positioned for more recovery. Also I angle the nails so they are pointing backwards a little & cut them to a point with a fine cutting disc in the 100mm grinder, you dont need much sticking out to get a grip & too much will bend over the nail. They are really cheap & easy to make.
regards inter

In PNG we take the "gauges" off each night and whenever we're shifting any distance, so we made up these clips out of spring steel to increase the tension and stop slipage. Work well. Does the zip tie "fix" work?

tehy all come with removable zip tyes on them as standard now.

teh ones with teh little lever so u can undo tehm.

Dad made me this neat fitting, light wieght canopy. Has thumb screws that lock it onto the rail. Tarp would be easier but I can throw this on even with a hot engine. I like it and could take an underside photo if your interested in what the frame looks like. Probably took him 1/2 a day out of scrap tubing and alsinite to make. Has anyone managed to hang a tarp off the 4 mill posts successfully for weather protection for the operator?