A mill has been on my want list for.... a looonngg time. I actually responded to a few of them on c/l in the past few months and after a few days of pondering each mill, missed both of them until this one. Again I had to rationalize the purchase (I can't) but when my darling wife said the other morning out on the property "you could put your sawmill over there" I said to myself that I'll call later on after I haul some hay for a buddy mid morning, if he's still has it...... Full hyd log handling, 20 each new and used bands and a sharpener plus a tooth setter. There also is a lap siding jig too. It was his Dads mill and he passed a year ago. He replaced all the hyd lines and did a little painting, I could tell he was still attached to the mill and all the memories. From what I've seen here in the used market, I'm pretty happy at $15k and as long as I don't boogger it up I'll be able to come out of it even and that's being conservative. Got lots to learn and now I'm looking at trees and logs with another use beyond firewood.
Haven't met her, but I like your wife already. Nice mill, hopin you get as many good years with it as the previous owner (more actually). $15K is a bit large for my wallet, but ya can't take it with ya
One of the things I questioned is ME . If for some crazy reason I find this to be the "fountain of youth" and really get into it I could sell this one and upgrade. If I'm still "piddlin" around for my occasional projects I darn sure shouldn't hurt it and just sell it and have my investment back and just go back to buying what I need from a great guy that only charges .50 per bd/ft. That's the reason I'll not ever justify my purchase. That .50 cents includes his logs! The little bit I sawed today was incredibly satisfying, that too has value to me.
I detect just a little ''buyers remorse'' but, don't worry, give yourself a couple of units of lumber that you sawed up yourself you'll get over it. lol. Great looking mill.
Na, no regrets. I was trying to explain my hesitation(s) on purchasing a mill. I realized that knowing myself, a manual mill's physical labor would not see much use after the "new" wears off and sit in the shed, and a mill with log handeling was in a much higher cost level. That further increases my hesitation from a practical (cost) standpoint. This deal is the one I was waiting for.
If I get my act together I'll try to do a picture story from the tree cut down in the woods, and the whole process to the mill. Then the sawing and the finished lumber pictures. I'll post it to this thread. Tomorrow's supposed to be cooler and I might get to it then. Got a nice hemlock that's pulled the stump up and is leaning on another hemlock and close to the driveway. It's been bugging me for a few years now, but because it's hemlock and I don't burn it for firewood..... Now it's going to be (part of) a building.
Nice mill you will really like the hydraulic handling once you get up and running first project is usually sawing out the shed to put it under by the time you get that sawn you have pretty much made most of the mistakes and are used to it Good luck JB
My first project for the mill. It's a 9x10 building for a 20kw diesel generator. I found a contractor that was replacing the deck at a ferry terminal pier. 4x10x10' decking and real pressure treatment suitable for marine construction, oh they were free. Those used timbers make up the base and I sawed the 2 1/2" "floor" . This is the generator, and with that fuel tank (base) full of fuel, it's going to need a sturdy platform. I've got 3 walls standing now and today will get the front wall and hopefully cut the roof rafters. All cut out of hemlock and
Just cutting framing lumber leaves little opportunity for anything picture worthy. I have a thread over in "DIY" continuing the generator building. Here's a shot of where I'm at now. And one of the mill. See, not much to show. This is just for compliance
Last week I scored a great deal on materials for a sawmill building. I ran into a guy that needed to clean out a big pile of timbers, all it cost was my labor to help him load it. We used his truck and trailer, but that's another story but involved a blown turbocharger. This is most of it and everything is at least 20'. Those bar joists I scrounged 4-5 years ago. 11pc. 37' long for the roof support. I should have a 37 x 40 roof for the mill and hopefully have some space for working up firewood also, out of the rain and summer sun. Too late in the season to start now with footers and concrete involved. Hopefully next spring.
I missed this thread before, but you'll totally out this mill to great use given what resources you've got.
