There's a little garage, a shed really, out at the front of the property that looks to be falling down. But it is too close to the property line to just knock down and start over due to set back regulations. So Scott is going to rebuild it from the inside out while it is still standing. He's on a budget (disability and fixed income, I assume) so he's doing it old school like his father would have developed a building lot. Got his neighbor to fell some trees and skid the trunks up to the front of the lot. Hired a sawyer to come to the site and rip up the rough lumber. The mill is a Wood Mizer. $30k machine, $65/hr for 7.5 hrs + the cost of a blade that ran into a nail ($65).
BUTTTTTT, he got enough cherry 2x planks to make a lovely counter top, maple, 6x6 timbers, 2x6, 8, 10, 12's, 5/4 stock, lots of burnable scrap and stickers, and enough saw dust to simulate a small tropical beach!
They cut up between 16 and 20 tree trunks.
Here are too many pic's for your consideration.
Scott's buddy rolling a log into the hydraulic arms using a log Peavey (that spiked pole thing with a hinged hook used to roll logs).
Karl was scrounging fire wood from the waste, standing w/ Scott in the background.
Hydraulic arms lift the log onto the saw frame where other hydraulic rams position and dog it down effortlessly.
The business end of the tool. I'm guessing 2 tpi. Everything seemed to be adjustable from the operator's position, including the guide roller spread.
Tried to get a shot of the blade running in to skim off the top side of the log. The 1/2 HP (or so) motor in the foreground runs a rotary saw that chips out the bark ahead of the band saw. Again, operator controlled, only engaged while rough slabbing.
Look at that pile of sawdust coming out of the black hose/chute after a days work! looks like a small beach full of sand!
Firewood.
Some of the yield (cherry and maple were spirited away before I arrived).
Scott is also a die hard Dodge and Mazda rotary SCCA race car fan. He has raced grass roots at the infamous Lime Rock, CT circuit.
On the ground next to the sawyers TV is a Stihl backpack leaf blower that he uses to clear sawdust. Said he also uses it to clean out his truck!
Look at the sawdust coming out of that chute! This thing could rip a 12 foot log quicker than you could count to 10.
Barking saw out front.
For the second cut he just sort of eyeballs 90 deg, using the hydraulics to flip the log "like budd-er". The third cut.
You've heard of planking? This is planking. 5/4 rough cut.
2x rough.
As the boards are ripped the helper flips them back onto the hydraulic arms until they can be flipped back up to trim the edges in one or two operations, depending on the width of the cuts and the edge condition of the log. For the larger posts, he would flip them back to the second side and make a skim cut to true the angle that was eyeballed earlier. The small diesel engine that powers the saw (on top) has what must be the world's smallest turbocharger. The outside of the impeller and compressor housings couldn't have been more than 3 inches diameter. Tiny.
You can see a corner of the garage/shed in the background.
Here is a detail shot of the bed of the saw. In the center you can see the cross ram and telescoping cleat that is used to lift, shove, rotate, position, and dog the logs against the stops on the curb side; as well as a better look at the lifting arms and stabilizer feet on the left.
Drum roll please.....the money shot....lots of saw dust!
Thanks for looking. Hope you enjoyed!
