PCTREE
Treehouser
Ok so I have a lot of HUGE logs, 60"+ so have always wanted to buy a swing blade mill.... Been looking at the peterson and mobile dimensions..
Any input appreciated
Any input appreciated
What swing blade mill would you buy???
- Thread starter PCTREE
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SkwerI
Treehouser
Other than pointing you toward the Forestry Forum, I can't offer much. Lots of folks with mills over there.
http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php
http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php
rskybiz
TreeHouser
I liked the peterson when I saw it in action at the forestry trade show. Limiting in what you can do as far as width but a board each direction is a nice thing. I also think I liked the Lucas, it may be worth checking out
Dave Shepard
Square peg, round world.
I'd go for a Peterson. There are a lot of different models to choose from, with bells, whistles, and priced accordingly. I don't think an MD mill is really what you want. The Lucas is cool, but the Peterson is more refined, and has easier adjustments. I'd get the biggest blade you can afford, swingers aren't great for really wide boards, like a bandmill, but can really crank out dimensional lumber. And later, you can get a big slabber attachment to really take advantage of those big logs.
tntree
Just slice it
Now I want one.
thattreeguy
TreeHouser
mobile dimension makes a good mill as well
but it is a band saw,and those are expensive to replace
lucas mills are cool, but ive seen people doing more where i live with the mobile dimension
i always see the lucas mills set up with a pile of logs, and thats it
like it was to hard to get the logs on , but the blades got to be cheaper to replace than the bandsaw
a gal here has several different kinds of mills
gia, at true custom milling, fieldbrooke ca
i tell ya this gall knows whats up, she has a md and several others at her shop
she also sets up the milling demos at the logging convention here
she might have some good input as well
but it is a band saw,and those are expensive to replace
lucas mills are cool, but ive seen people doing more where i live with the mobile dimension
i always see the lucas mills set up with a pile of logs, and thats it
like it was to hard to get the logs on , but the blades got to be cheaper to replace than the bandsaw
a gal here has several different kinds of mills
gia, at true custom milling, fieldbrooke ca
i tell ya this gall knows whats up, she has a md and several others at her shop
she also sets up the milling demos at the logging convention here
she might have some good input as well
sotc
Dormant hero!!
Other than a permanant setup, lucas is the only one i've used and it was sweet. A friends brother ran one there in Fortuna, he would set it up over old growth redwood logs that had been on the ground for decades and pull the nicest boards!
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
The only one I've ever seen in operation was the Peterson .It seemed to do a good job,pricey though .
It's certainly an option to ripping down a big fat log so it could fit in a band mill .In addition you get a nice board trimmed all four sides .
Fact is I've got to boogey to my shop in the morning to first help Tom load up that chip box finally and then load up some bandsawn ash .The danged stuff has to be squared on a table saw ,free hand which is a pain in the butt to say the least .
It's certainly an option to ripping down a big fat log so it could fit in a band mill .In addition you get a nice board trimmed all four sides .
Fact is I've got to boogey to my shop in the morning to first help Tom load up that chip box finally and then load up some bandsawn ash .The danged stuff has to be squared on a table saw ,free hand which is a pain in the butt to say the least .
lumberjack
Young man on the go
The only advice I can think of is don't cheap out, get more than you need with options to make life easier. Business expense for sure.
Dave Shepard
Square peg, round world.
I've always wanted one to reduce the size of big logs so they would fit on the Wood-Mizer. You can take all the nice lumber off the outside, and leave the middle for wide plank floors. I've used an Alaskan before to reduce, works, but time consuming.
Reddog
TreeHouser
Reddog
TreeHouser
They where itching to get one in the states. May pay to talk with them.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
Every so often you might come across a big fat oak,I mean a big one ,that for some reason never got hauled out when it was dropped .Could have been falled in the 40's .They might be punky in as far as 6 inchs but inside of that could be the nicest wood you ever saw .Something like that is where a swing saw would be the cats meow .
I imagine the losses would run as high as 50 percent of the log but the lumber quality would nearly equal that of submerged timber .---might be an idea ---
I imagine the losses would run as high as 50 percent of the log but the lumber quality would nearly equal that of submerged timber .---might be an idea ---
Dave Shepard
Square peg, round world.
Paul, you didn't say what type of product you wanted to make with the swinger. Don't you already have a bandmill? Peterson makes a very basic swinger called the SkillMill. Maybe $3k. I like that it is set up to run a Granberg on it. If you are just trying to recover some dimension lumber from huge logs, this might do it.
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MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
That's pretty danged cool.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
The problem with many of those little logs they show in that vid is they warp . I've had them milled like I thought I had something only to end up with sled runners .
