Hurricane Isabel came through Fredericksburg, VA and left trees strewn about our 5 acre property and many neighbors. My wife who had always wanted wood floors said, :God hath provided..." get to work... OK long story short I invited a couple of weekend "Wood Mizer" warriors down to my property. We set up an operation for close to 15 months and ultimately had a yield of over 8K board ft in multiple wood species. The number one goal was my wife's floor request. Red Oak-Quarter sawn is my whole first floor. I also made several pieces of furniture. The process was a once in a lifetime event but for the rest of the time we own the house and on the sale of... we can say this wood floor is product from the land. Seeing you guys operate the Wood Mizer brought back memories. I truly enjoyed it. Great show by the way. I grew up in Pittsburgh in South Hills and enjoy your Pittsburgeze… haha
You asked on an episode what to do with your saw dust? Two things come to mind right off, 1. Horse borders need bedding they use sawdust they pay for it. How ever they are picky at times what types of saw dust they get WALNUT is always a NO no as you should just burn that it is toxic to other plant life. Now then that brings up number two, 2. Add fine ground Feed CORN (lots of that available) to any saw dust and pelletize it, corn has a nice high BTU rating, burns well, Lots of people burn Pellets in their Pellet stoves. Just a thought. I live in Eastern Nebraska (PLattsmouth Flood central on the Mighty MO. Snowing and COLD here this past week Your nice weather is going south Quickly. Have a fun day you two.
You never get rich by working hard. All the work chopping moving sawing stacking drying Takes time and labor. Plus add int he cost of the mill, gas, and BLADES to the cost. You can make some income and pay for the mill and make a decent profit for the work you do but, making a full time business and raising a family is like doing any other job. Do this for enjoyment and just like a hobby you can break even or enjoy a small profit. I like you do this as a hobby. Best part is you and your wife? are outside working together and spending time with each other. Great videos. Keep up the good work.
I've gotten soooo far behind on your videos you probably won't see this, but, very glad you had the Ariat sponsor! I farm full time and truck part time here in West Central Ohio. I got talked into pulling a propane transport (8-10,000 gal.) in December before the winter became to warm and propane virtually stopped moving and I went back to pulling flat bed for now. Anyway, I had trouble finding FR clothing besides coveralls and didn't really know where to turn. Now with Ariat I have a quality source for all the FR clothing I need once propane starts flowing again. Thank you Mike, as usual I learned something valuable from your video! Keep up the great videos as I try to catch up during this Corona virus home time. May your entire family stay safe and healthy!
Hi there. I come from Australia and I really like your show. I was born in Adelaide and lived in both Melbourne and Sydney. But right now I am living in Nicosia, Cyprus. I have always loved beautiful hardwood timber of almost any type. Each has its own unique properties and appearance. And each log is different. Melissa your hard work supporting your husband I think is a great inspiration to us all. You have such a lovely smile. You both have a beautiful property and an enviable lifestyle and, like you, I would be inspired to work on the property every day.
Hi Mike & Mellissa - great video, you are spot on with your feelings on the pricing of all species of wood. You may know this however, I have spoken with numerous sawyers one being a friend who has a friend that has been sawing wood for numerous years with a circular sawmill. To make this short he notes to ensure when drying & stacking all species, ensure that all sawdust is swept or blown off before stacking. (Causes stains and premature rot. There is a channel that is also been a great mentor along with yours on mills his channel is Josaljo Won. He is also in Pennsylvania. keep the videoes coming. Great work to you both.
Watching Melissa take those boards off the saw mill reminded me of when I was 18. I helped my shop teacher get some logs milled for our class at school. I'm 61 now. ( Yes, I can still remember somethings). I remember saying to myself these boards are heavy, but I wouldn't admit it to my teacher. Some of the boards were 12 and some 16 footers. As I piled them on my teachers old 60's something Ford dully flat bed, the load went higher and stuck out over the back of the truck. When it came time to move the truck, my teacher jumped in and let the clutch out (he had just rebuilt) and the front end of the truck stood up two feet in the air as he pulled away from the saw mill. Wow I said, that trucks got power. The clutch engaged at a different spot and it took him by surprise. Then I remember the old guy running the saw mill chewed tobacco (but I didn't know it) and it was dripping out the corners of his mouth and because of this I was worried there was really something wrong with him. I found out later it was just the tobacco.- Thought you would like this little story about milling lumber back in 1977 ish.
Love your story reminds me when I first move to vancity 30 years ago I went down the beach in kitsilano watching bunch of olde dude Flying kites I heard this song with a little twang chew tobacco chew tobacco. it turn out to be old rockabilly music mix an oddities I ask the old man playing the tape,what is that song" Tobacco" all four olde dudes bein Flyin kites since growing UP, over 40 years ago. I was wearing a RED BARON BEER TSHIRT all four war veterans he ask"you wanna trade t shirt for tape . 32 years later I still have that tape "Chew tobacco Rag" chew dont spit on the floor twang 💦twang. let roll of your CHIN.🤗🤗🤗your story brought back memories of the olde dudes flying kites at KITS BEACH
Well that's a good memories. You make me think back to 1972 when I got my first job at the sawmill working in the pit. Stacking what came off the saw. Can recall how much the 8quater. Weight didn't need a gym after a days work.
Mike your reporting on the jacket and jeans is honest. It is fully up to the high standards of the Morgans. However, I believe it was Melissa's working in them which stole the show. Her natural grace while working was clear. She is model beautiful, but also completely natural on camera.. I am glad you both have quality protective clothing. I suggest you both use hearing protection around the mill. Safety First!!! Ears do not grow on Trees. God bless you all.
I've been wearing ariat for over 25 years, I've got at least 10 lariat jackets all over place two old ones in my truck took box one behind back seat one I wear every day three in the closet all different colors my two favorite are camel color and caramel color, Also the best many colors also so Yes Ariat are nice
Wow! Thank you for this vlog and for sharing! Birch, red or white oak, white pine, walnut, all are beautiful woods. And Melissa, you too, are a beautiful person, inside and out. Me thinks you hate being couped inside, you make your hubby a great companion and co worker. You guys are a pleasure to watch and I thank you many times over for showing your vlogs.
Hi M & M! I just recently found you guys channel and have enjoyed watching all the interesting, fun things you all do and post, thank you! Mike, I'm pretty sure watching what all you 2 do and seem to know, eventually you'll get around to cribbing up/raising the Woodmizer higher off the ground. Doing this is so beneficial in so many ways. It most importantly will save on ones back of not having to bend over so much and risking a lower back strain. It also makes it so much easier to clean around and under the saw and thus reducing the acidic levels in the saw dust from prematurely rusting the metal of the saw. Mike, I have hired sawyers for a few decades off and on to board out my trees and by experience I have found that if the saw operator either just pushes the last board cut towards the end of the log or adds an attachment to the saw so that once saw returns from making a cut, the attachment near the blade is used to push that last board sawn, still sitting on the log a bit forward, this makes it so much easier for the off loader to get a hold of each board cut and simply continue pulling the board parallel to the log off the end of the log and having a trailer or the forks/bucket on the tractor there to receive each board being cut and it makes it so much easier to slide the outer edge boards back onto the saw to edge them as well. This off load process and raising the saws bed height off the ground really helps in reducing possible lower back strain and the off loader never has to step into and back out of the saws steel framing. I realize using this approach may not allow you 2 to get as close up videos and you may have to go to a wider view for us out here to see as much of the operation going on but it will certainly make the sawing much easier and safer on the back of the off loader assisting you as you saw. Hope my suggestive input is received in all good intent : )!!! Mike, maybe take a look at a simple railroad style of cribbing up the saw by viewing one of "Josaljo Won" videos as a simple, possible base guide for cribbing up saw. Keep the great Vids. rolling!, and have a safe, prosperous and fun filled 2020 New Year! Tim in central N.C.
I think it may have been my comment that prompted you to do the fatwood video. I thank you for that video. I see that you mill a lot of red oak and cherry. The sawdust from these can be of value for craft projects. If you capture the dust while milling, it can be air dried and packaged in one gallon zip lock bags for resale. I think you are teaching a lot of folks how forestry management on a small scale can be fun, profitable and beneficial to the environment.
Hi Mike, thanks for the video and the intro to Ariat, will be ordering some boots after Christmas, I’m sure the jeans are great but I only ware Kuhl Free Rydr trousers now, I just love them, anyway take care
I was in architectural millwork for over 50 years. We had to rip any hardwood over six inches in width and reverse or flip the grain direction, then glue it back together to minimize warping.
Hi Melissa, just watched your video where you were thowing axes and got to say you were great. You stuck it every time. The only thing that was missing was your ball cap. I hope you don't mind me saying but you rock a hat. And don't ever lose that smile it's beautiful.
I agree Mike a 4/4 color sorted and kiln dried red oak board is $2.57 per bf from my supplier right now and a $1.93 per bf for prime I live just a couple hours from your area great video
Suggestion...find a supplier of bedding for stalls, pens, etc. suppliers. I believe it is sold by pet stores, farm co-ops, etc for use around the riding academys, maybe zoos, petting zoos , etc. You could sell it by the large bushel paper bag, cubic yard , whatever. It definitely should have value. Good luck. JoeB
Mike, saw to the first knot or deficit , then flip to the other side & do the same . Don't go below 6" or the board is 1 common . So the last boards you sawed are all 1 common , no matter if there clear or not . Last time I herd green Red Oak fas is selling for 90 cents a board foot . FAS is a clear board 6" wide & 8' long . So in clear lumber don't go below 6" wide / 8' . Now if you dry the lumber it's a different story . I hope this helped .
I've never really made any comments on your channel before, I really should. You guys are entertaing and a pleasure to watch. Thank you for providing this channel. I'm interested in this video because I have questions. First of all, I am not a professional woodworker or anything of the sort. I've done a few things, made some cabinets and furniture for my home and for some friends. I most certainly haven't milled any trees or produced and lumber. You mentioned the Doyle Log Scale because you're curious to know what your products are worth in your area. I did a little research, looked at the log scale and remembered what the nominal to actual sizes are for milled lumber. My first question is, when you're milling a tree/log, do you size it up to get the most lumber you can? I completely understand that you are cutting slabs into rough cut sizes so that later on they can be milled to finish lumber sizes or used as is. If you're looking to sell the rough cut slabs and hopefully get as much money as you can, it's best to get as much lumber out of the log as you can. In this video you mentioned that your first set of bigger slabs is 13 1/2" by 8 ft long. Nominal lumber sizes puts those slabs at being milled down from 1"x13 1/2"x8' to 3/4" x 11 1/4" x 8' [1x12's] (the most money for the bigger boards.) However, your finished size is 13 1/2". That extra 1 1/2" is too small to make 1x2's. But, If you had gotten another 5/8" in width than you could've ended up with slab sets of 1x12's and 1x2's. I think my math is right. That log was perfect, the grain looks perfect. But, was there no way you could've gotten the extra 5/8"?
You would go nuts at the 600 acre farm i hunt on in Michigan, TONS of blow downs, White and Red oak, cherry, Maple and a few Shag Bark Hickory...very little gets used for firewood most just rots away....
Morning Mike. Just checked Craigslist in the Harrisburg, York, Mechanicsburg area. One year air dried stock is going for $3.50 to $5.00 a board foot. If you saw even half way regular.....Air drying is a huge space commitment. Quarter sawn Red brings a bit more. If you can find a cabinet shop that needs custom cutting (turning stock or custom thicknesses) you might get a bit more. Hobby sawing will make a few bucks and get you free lumber for your home projects.
Hello Mike and Melissa, nice boards for sure, not much white or red oak in Quebec, on my lot: mapple white birch and yellow birch and a lot of soft wood, some guys around find a treasure when they find cherry trees. Put these boards away before the rain friends. Tyrrs.
Hi Mike - I currently use sawdust as Oil Dry in my 40X60 Hobby Shop - it works great and is much cheaper than the clay based Oil Dry since it is basically free. I generate sawdust from woodworking and a neighbor saves his for me as well. We used to clean the shop bays in California when I lived there with sawdust that had been treated with a bit of diesel fuel, Kerosene, or light oil. It cleaned and shined the floors every night at the end of the day's shop appointments. I'd spread it, broom it around, and collect it for disposal. I burn mine here in Indiana after I use it in the shop! Great for soaking up grease, oil, and antifreeze - good stuff!
I've never heard of Ariat before. I plan to check out the links after I finish watching the video. Well I checked the website but the only thing I could afford is socks and I NEVER EVER wear socks. I am a barefoot gal year round. If it requires footwear, I wear my flip flops...even in winter. I only trade them in for my winter boots when the snow is deeper than 4-5". So I guess it's back to Good Will for my jeans.
Awesome, I agree with Fixed Bayonets, Your a truly blessed man, doing what you love to do and a beautiful supportive wife and loving family, glad that Nathan at OutOfWoods mentioned your channel or I would have never found you guys, So glad I did, thank you for your Godly comments and keeping tis such a rich lightening experience. Truly mean it with my heart. Brian-Texas
Around here the big boxes get about $70 for a 1"x12"x8' kiln dried S4S red oak board. That's the reason I got an Alaskan Chainsaw Mill... I grab free logs when the opportunities present themselves. I'm only trying to fill my own woodworking needs...
Hello Mike, believe it or not the center of the log is the most stable if the pith is cut out. That's where the quarter sawn lumber will come from. Above and bellow the center is rift sawn which is almost as stable as quarter sawn. Both are excellent furniture wood!
I am glad you mentioned the center of a log isn't strong or worth much. before that, I thought why would you waste a nice 4x4, cutting it up to stack lumber on. I laughed at Melissa's comment about jeans that fall that you constantly have to pull up. I have a pair of those I call my "tugs" because when I am working with those on, all I get done is tugging at my jeans.
where i live is some nice stuff,but i cant get more than 1.25 green off the mill for red oak.i can some times squeeze 3.00 a bd ft. if there is something special like those 12-14 inch wide stuff.the thing you also need to convey to folks is there is waste,as some of those boards will check warp,or split to be unusable while drying.it is addictive though cutting lumber,i like you just do it to see what is inside the log.
The worth of a log depends on many different things. If you are just cutting 2x4’s for construction a log is only going to yield a board foot price. However, if you are cutting boards for live edge tables, furniture, or art project it takes on a greater value. If you live in a state that is primarily known for pine then a hardwood log will take on a more expensive value and vice versa. There is a lot to determine what a log is worth in your particular erea. Great video guys. It’s always a great thing to see families taking pride in their land and working to get the most out of it. God Bless. Have a wonderful day.
Wayne from Central Maine here , I have watched all of your videos and I really like them. I think you could save a lot of work, and your backs by putting your slab piles perpendicular to the saw. The camera end of the saw would be best and close to the balancing point of the board. You both work too hard turning the boards around.P.S. Thanks for all the great videos and please tell Hunter good luck with his firewood sales
Mike - Question about the Woodmizer LX 150. There is a small piece (I'm going to call it equipment) that rides ahead of the blade on the right side of the log. I only see it working when there is bark on the wood being cut, and it swings back out of the way when you reach the end of the log. Can you tell us what that does, and why is it only engaged some of the time? Thanks from the retired Lutheran Pastor in Davenport, Iowa.
SOUTHERN INDIANA HERE-Getting ready to fly back to Mt Vernon Indiana…33 degrees at home….62 and sunny here in San Diego (in the middle of winter). Nice videos Mike. I think you’re on your way to picking up more sponsors.. The red oak lumber and your cherry are so pretty.
Now that is some great looking lumber! Right now we have a base of snow around 6", gets very cold Thursday 17º and then 53º possibly on Saturday! It has been a mild winter so far this year and I am okay with that!
Nice work Mike. My Ariats have outlasted both Levis and Wranglers. Think the denim is thicker and better quality. Finally learned that the way to extend the life of any jeans is to wash them in cold water and air-dry. The dryer eat 'em up. Look at the lint filter after washing your jeans, and you can quickly determine that heated drying (and tumbling) reduces the weight of the denim with every cycle. Nice video, as usual. Beautiful oak!
Those jeans are $50+ a pair. I use to wear Levi's but they turned anti gun so we don't wear them. I like straight leg Jean. Car Hart's are my favorite. Nice lumber Mike.
I'm like you on Ariat oots and clothes. I've been wearing the boots for 24- 25 years. Now with the FR clothes they make, I'm buying them left and right. They look great and feel good. If I was still welding, I don't believe I'd wear them. Due to getting burned. But now that I work as a welding inspector, and I go to meetings and supervise the project. I enjoy not having to wear just universal clothing. I like that I can dress for success. Now the boots I have are the most comfortable I've ever had. They flex like a tennis shoe but have a safety tie. I really can't say enough about Ariat. Keep up the great videos
Ariat fan here too. Have a pair of boots that I wore for 19 years that were repaired multiple times. Last time I took them in the guy at the shoe shop looked me dead in the eye and said, “boy, you need to just buy another pair of these boots. I’ve done all I can do but after that long you’ve gotten your money’s worth out of them.” Bought another pair just like them and wearing them all the time.
wholesale for red oak dried is about 3.20 bdft s&b Can you get a hold of cherry? plus do you have a kilned? let me know im a furniture maker in Chicago that is looking for a good source
clear oak lumber 1x12 is was $100 not 50 for me 15 years ago . i guess it all depends where you are at!! glad you started milling instead or burning that good lumber. i put some in a house on the floor you might consider that?square cut hardened nails let me know if you want more info on the procedure!
Nice jacket. It is very sharp looking on you on. I noticed it right away and was wondering what it was . . . then you introduce the sponsorship. Good for you. Good for them.
Oak. 4.25 per bdft for kiln here in canada. Leave your flitches at least 6/4 on wide boards to avoid cupping/checking/etc and sticker and strap the wood.
Good morning. Thanks for showing me Ariat. Hauling Propane and Butane I've spent a small fortune on Carhartt. I'll give them a shot and let ya know. Hi Hunter and girls.
Beautiful looking wood! Nice little fashion show as well. I'm thinking it would be good to be able to sell some of that 'wooden gold' to finance some of your projects and Melissa's pool!!
Mike I can see your next piece of equipment if you keep running that sawmill... an edger!! About 20 years ago I sold a single Red Oak log for $900 from my woodlot... It was better than 30 inches in diameter and was destined for the veneer mill. I currently have two of the largest Ash trees in the state of Maine on my property with one of them over 8 feet in diameter and would guess they are from the late 1850's era. I do enjoy watching your videos.
Suprise when cut down 100 Fir,cedar,maple,Hemlock the price was shocking Big bucks.. Karsten the German His place,most beautiful naturel..he made all the furniture inside some times I wish I documented his work 80 years old. when he first came on E H boat in his 20's the original haus of Raw lumber still sit on wall street Vancouver.. 100 logs taken out from almost the BOTTOM of a cliff before the water..who do I see grey hair deep piercing eyes.....peeta peeta we have a problam MASSIVE cedar is 2/3 on his side..did not matter if we are neighbors for 20 years he had after adjuster came from sunshine coast to estimate how much it's worth the line is more on his side, than ours. COST us a few hundred dollars.i watch him work with Red Oak karsten piercing blue eyes stare at you "peeta this is German Resin LaqaR".50 years on gambler isle God rest his soul I miss that grey hair and blue eyes coming thru the BUSH peetah
Red oak is the less priced hardwood lumber at a yard we frequent. White oak is double the price. All the oak we get we quarter saw it, just seems to look better and is more stable. And I get it 2''. Thanks for posting
That Red Oak looks like it would make some beautiful flooring ! That tree over your left shoulder Mike did some crazy growing didn't it ? Looks like a giant bow. Thumbs up.
Mike on your bark slabs you gotta have a couple of saw horse off to the side so melissa can cut in 18 inch pieces with the electric chainsaw and put in totes
Good morning from No. Vermont. We finally have a good freeze here, about 15 degrees overnight. Great video to help people understand the value of a length of timber. Beautiful wood, once dried can be miled to make some great flooring or ornamental applications. Thanks
About the saw dust- we live near a port where wood chips are shipped to China. Then we buy back the particle board after its pressed into plywood. Is there a way to press the sawdust into plywood?
Love your channel. Like you said in this one, " your learning along the way." Since you are filming it all, while you learn we learn. My wife and I are looking to retire in a couple of years and hope to have a property like yours. All that wood has too much potential for small craft type business that will keep me busy. Keep these coming.
Let me see if I got this right: Melissa lifts, carries and stacks the slabs. Mike uses is fingers on the hydraulic levers and paces back and forth. Did I miss anything? P.S. Really liked the lumber analysis! Thanks.
Melissa likes the exercise. She's a gym freak and works out a lot so this is just a part of that. Mike's a workaholic as well so they make a great team.
Have you figured out a use for all of the saw dust yet ? Tuff Skins man that brings back memories ! Ariat does make quality goods,been wearing work boots for many years,they hold up !
When the video started I thought you two were looking extra sharp. I bought a pair of Ariat Cowboy boots like 10 years ago and I still wear them. They look brand new. I was telling someone I spent more upfront, but they lasted so long it was cheaper in the long run.
Things like lumber prices can vary a lot from one region to another. Here in the Ozarks, red oak, white oak, and walnut are so abundant, that cutting logs and getting them milled is the cheap portion of the process. Kiln drying and planing is where the value jumps up so much. Plus, the number of times the wood is handled from milling to the planing process adds a lot of cost or value to a board. Since I don't have a fork lift for my tractor, by the time a board is stripped for air drying, hauled to kiln drier, hauled to the planer, and finally unloaded into the storage rack, it has been handled four to six times. And that does not count the time of loading the logs on a trailer and hauling to the sawmill. Enjoy watching your videos while eating breakfast. Going to cut up and split a black oak today for firewood while the weather is so nice. I love wood and anything to do with it, even the work. It is my body that is really doing the griping about all the work envolved with it. I plan to enjoy it as long as my health allows, so with that in mind, be careful and work safely.
Good video! Everyone thinks they’re trees are worth a fortune, yet their unaware of all the work that goes into getting it to the mill let alone to finish product form
Nuts. Youhit the head on the nail. , my thoughts as well. Dont tell people with out total expenses cuz. They will think there stumpage fees should be a million dollars a tree.
That is Beautiful lumber Mike My great uncle had sawmills all his working life Owned lots of land too Great man Melissa ya never cease to amaze me! What a lady you are! Happy to see your walking better! God Bless 🙏❤️🇱🇷👍
I’ve been watching your channel since before you received the mill. In fact, I’ve started at the beginning videos and I’m catching up on everything I’ve missed. Congratulations on your success. As a former machinist and toolmaker, you may find it beneficial to use your framing square to layout the end of your log. This could optimize the board feet out of each log. I’m retired in FL and belong to a hunt club in MI. The club is 2100 acres so the forest fun, trail riding, hunting, chain saws, blind building etc. that you enjoy daily I get to do a couple of times a year. Thanks for all the great information you and Melissa have provided.
Mike: I am going to pick up 2 similar red oak logs (free) in about a week. And, I will be milling both with an Alaskan mill. Every time I see that Wood Mizer in action, the gears start turnin'! Great video!
You hit the nail on the head with log value . Every step of the process makes the board worth more . You may want to consider making a few 4x8 pallets to sticker and stack your lumber directly off the mill , you have the equipment to move them around later . I use the center cuts to make the pallets and less quality boards . I know production is not your thing but stacking and moving lumber gets old fast . Keep up the great videos .
A lot of times you'll take an edge off the log, then you'll do a live edge both sides slab or two, then roll. Eventually you'll end up cutting some dimensional lumber. Was wondering if you could elaborate on your decision making process?
Great Job MORGANS! Hearing a load SQUEAK after each cut. You may need to grease some joints or maybe use some lithium here and there. Anyway, loving the videos!
Best thing about a sawmill is you can cut the size, species and lengths that you just can’t find at the lumberyard. Plus, you get to decide how to open up a log into lumber and be the first to see what the log is hiding inside! Makes the work that’s involved in harvesting worth every bit of it 😀
If always been told to cut green oak small, it will move less as it dries. I'd love to do wide plank oak floors but dont want to deal with dimensional changes after it dries.
Great video, as usual... As follow-up to your question/comment on sawdust you made a couple of videos ago, I couldn't help but think if you could attach a bucket to your sawdust chute, it would make collection a lot easier. Probably just have to drill a hole in the chute and attach a plastic bucket with a carabiner and a short wire loop. Michael from Canada
Good evening Mike and Melissa and the rest of the gang! Loved the sponsored video and the great review of Ariat products. You both wear them well. The mill turned out some great wood for you to use. AWESOME STUFF. Great start up of 2020 👍👍👏🏼👏🏼 Thanks for sharing with us, so glad your foot is healing!
Good job Mike, great video. How thick are those boards? One thing to think about is shrinkage because 4/4 boards need to be 4/4 after they are dry. Does your woodmizer have the hardwood and softwood scales on it? The hardwood scale is made to anticipate shrinkage of the average hardwood and when you use it, the boards come off the mill around 1 1/8" thick, maybe a little more. When I go to a commercial lumber yard selling high quality kiln dried hardwood for furniture making, the hardwood "4/4" is always a whisker more than 4/4. I was told that is considered "industry standard" for rough hardwood.
Another great video! For grins, I just watched your first couple of videos. I think I originally subscribed after watching video #6 since it was the first one that I had “liked”, and I ALWAYS press like after watching your videos! Biggest difference was there was no talking in the early videos, very strange compared to now. It has been great watching your channel grow and being an early subscriber. Keep up the good work!
I got red oak logs and white oak logs measure 28" base and 25" little 20ft long thinking about making firewood no one wants them because of the drought so im looking for options
yes Penn Is lumber call ls fruits until you go north for lumber and building pine,oak and maple mostly west coast You ever seen what "OAKLAND" WAS before. all the olde WESTERN movies, those low hangin trees with extended Lower arms(oak) so beautiful.. miles of OAK TREES
Hi, I'm a smaller size person, found body mechanics useful. From the very tail end of the board, try reaching over the mill and pivot the board on the log like a see-saw. Twist it up vertical , tucked against your body, and walk your hands down until the board balances, then carry itt away. Mostly you don't have to step inside the frame of the mill this way. No lifting with your back bent. If you bend over to lift, you see the ground, remember to squat, straighten your back, then lift. Even for a 5 pound object. I love these videos, all the wood processing, the smells and sounds. Wish I could be there with you.
Commenting from Phenix City, Alabama. I know just how lucky you are to have a great helper like Mellissa. I have one here in Al., her name is Peggy. Don't know how I would get a lot of the things accomplished with out her. Love your videos, keep up the good work. P.S. not sure if I spelled her name right, forgive me if it's wrong.
Hurricane Isabel came through Fredericksburg, VA and left trees strewn about our 5 acre property and many neighbors. My wife who had always wanted wood floors said, :God hath provided..." get to work... OK long story short I invited a couple of weekend "Wood Mizer" warriors down to my property. We set up an operation for close to 15 months and ultimately had a yield of over 8K board ft in multiple wood species. The number one goal was my wife's floor request. Red Oak-Quarter sawn is my whole first floor. I also made several pieces of furniture. The process was a once in a lifetime event but for the rest of the time we own the house and on the sale of... we can say this wood floor is product from the land. Seeing you guys operate the Wood Mizer brought back memories. I truly enjoyed it. Great show by the way. I grew up in Pittsburgh in South Hills and enjoy your Pittsburgeze… haha
You asked on an episode what to do with your saw dust? Two things come to mind right off, 1. Horse borders need bedding they use sawdust they pay for it. How ever they are picky at times what types of saw dust they get WALNUT is always a NO no as you should just burn that it is toxic to other plant life. Now then that brings up number two, 2. Add fine ground Feed CORN (lots of that available) to any saw dust and pelletize it, corn has a nice high BTU rating, burns well, Lots of people burn Pellets in their Pellet stoves. Just a thought. I live in Eastern Nebraska (PLattsmouth Flood central on the Mighty MO. Snowing and COLD here this past week Your nice weather is going south Quickly. Have a fun day you two.
You never get rich by working hard. All the work chopping moving sawing stacking drying Takes time and labor. Plus add int he cost of the mill, gas, and BLADES to the cost. You can make some income and pay for the mill and make a decent profit for the work you do but, making a full time business and raising a family is like doing any other job. Do this for enjoyment and just like a hobby you can break even or enjoy a small profit. I like you do this as a hobby. Best part is you and your wife? are outside working together and spending time with each other. Great videos. Keep up the good work.
I've gotten soooo far behind on your videos you probably won't see this, but, very glad you had the Ariat sponsor! I farm full time and truck part time here in West Central Ohio. I got talked into pulling a propane transport (8-10,000 gal.) in December before the winter became to warm and propane virtually stopped moving and I went back to pulling flat bed for now. Anyway, I had trouble finding FR clothing besides coveralls and didn't really know where to turn. Now with Ariat I have a quality source for all the FR clothing I need once propane starts flowing again. Thank you Mike, as usual I learned something valuable from your video! Keep up the great videos as I try to catch up during this Corona virus home time. May your entire family stay safe and healthy!
Hi there. I come from Australia and I really like your show. I was born in Adelaide and lived in both Melbourne and Sydney. But right now I am living in Nicosia, Cyprus.
I have always loved beautiful hardwood timber of almost any type. Each has its own unique properties and appearance. And each log is different.
Melissa your hard work supporting your husband I think is a great inspiration to us all. You have such a lovely smile.
You both have a beautiful property and an enviable lifestyle and, like you, I would be inspired to work on the property every day.
Hi Mike & Mellissa - great video, you are spot on with your feelings on the pricing of all species of wood. You may know this however, I have spoken with numerous sawyers one being a friend who has a friend that has been sawing wood for numerous years with a circular sawmill. To make this short he notes to ensure when drying & stacking all species, ensure that all sawdust is swept or blown off before stacking. (Causes stains and premature rot. There is a channel that is also been a great mentor along with yours on mills his channel is Josaljo Won. He is also in Pennsylvania. keep the videoes coming. Great work to you both.
Watching Melissa take those boards off the saw mill reminded me of when I was 18. I helped my shop teacher get some logs milled for our class at school. I'm 61 now. ( Yes, I can still remember somethings). I remember saying to myself these boards are heavy, but I wouldn't admit it to my teacher. Some of the boards were 12 and some 16 footers. As I piled them on my teachers old 60's something Ford dully flat bed, the load went higher and stuck out over the back of the truck. When it came time to move the truck, my teacher jumped in and let the clutch out (he had just rebuilt) and the front end of the truck stood up two feet in the air as he pulled away from the saw mill. Wow I said, that trucks got power. The clutch engaged at a different spot and it took him by surprise. Then I remember the old guy running the saw mill chewed tobacco (but I didn't know it) and it was dripping out the corners of his mouth and because of this I was worried there was really something wrong with him. I found out later it was just the tobacco.- Thought you would like this little story about milling lumber back in 1977 ish.
Contact a publisher
Nice story Chris..
@@DanielAtkinsFirewood Thanks
Love your story
reminds me
when I first move to vancity 30 years ago
I went down the beach in kitsilano watching bunch of olde dude Flying kites
I heard this song
with a little twang
chew tobacco chew tobacco. it turn out to be old rockabilly music
mix an oddities
I ask the old man playing the tape,what is that song" Tobacco"
all four olde dudes
bein Flyin kites since growing UP, over 40 years ago. I was wearing a RED BARON BEER TSHIRT
all four war veterans
he ask"you wanna trade
t shirt for tape .
32 years later
I still have that tape
"Chew tobacco Rag"
chew dont spit on the floor twang 💦twang.
let roll of your CHIN.🤗🤗🤗your story brought back memories of the olde dudes flying kites
at KITS BEACH
Well that's a good memories. You make me think back to 1972 when I got my first job at the sawmill working in the pit. Stacking what came off the saw. Can recall how much the 8quater. Weight didn't need a gym after a days work.
Ok Mike thank you for the full explanation on wood value. That was much more realistic than what the locals are saying here in north west Arkansas.
Mike your reporting on the jacket and jeans is honest. It is fully up to the high standards of the Morgans. However, I believe it was Melissa's working in them which stole the show. Her natural grace while working was clear. She is model beautiful, but also completely natural on camera.. I am glad you both have quality protective clothing. I suggest you both use hearing protection around the mill. Safety First!!! Ears do not grow on Trees. God bless you all.
I've been wearing ariat for over 25 years, I've got at least 10 lariat jackets all over place two old ones in my truck took box one behind back seat one I wear every day three in the closet all different colors my two favorite are camel color and caramel color, Also the best many colors also so Yes Ariat are nice
Wow! Thank you for this vlog and for sharing! Birch, red or white oak, white pine, walnut, all are beautiful woods. And Melissa, you too, are a beautiful person, inside and out. Me thinks you hate being couped inside, you make your hubby a great companion and co worker. You guys are a pleasure to watch and I thank you many times over for showing your vlogs.
Hi M & M!
I just recently found you guys channel and have enjoyed watching all the interesting, fun things you all do and post, thank you! Mike, I'm pretty sure watching what all you 2 do and seem to know, eventually you'll get around to cribbing up/raising the Woodmizer higher off the ground. Doing this is so beneficial in so many ways. It most importantly will save on ones back of not having to bend over so much and risking a lower back strain. It also makes it so much easier to clean around and under the saw and thus reducing the acidic levels in the saw dust from prematurely rusting the metal of the saw. Mike, I have hired sawyers for a few decades off and on to board out my trees and by experience I have found that if the saw operator either just pushes the last board cut towards the end of the log or adds an attachment to the saw so that once saw returns from making a cut, the attachment near the blade is used to push that last board sawn, still sitting on the log a bit forward, this makes it so much easier for the off loader to get a hold of each board cut and simply continue pulling the board parallel to the log off the end of the log and having a trailer or the forks/bucket on the tractor there to receive each board being cut and it makes it so much easier to slide the outer edge boards back onto the saw to edge them as well. This off load process and raising the saws bed height off the ground really helps in reducing possible lower back strain and the off loader never has to step into and back out of the saws steel framing. I realize using this approach may not allow you 2 to get as close up videos and you may have to go to a wider view for us out here to see as much of the operation going on but it will certainly make the sawing much easier and safer on the back of the off loader assisting you as you saw. Hope my suggestive input is received in all good intent : )!!!
Mike, maybe take a look at a simple railroad style of cribbing up the saw by viewing one of "Josaljo Won" videos as a simple, possible base guide for cribbing up saw.
Keep the great Vids. rolling!, and have a safe, prosperous and fun filled 2020 New Year!
Tim in central N.C.
I think it may have been my comment that prompted you to do the fatwood video. I thank you for that video. I see that you mill a lot of red oak and cherry. The sawdust from these can be of value for craft projects. If you capture the dust while milling, it can be air dried and packaged in one gallon zip lock bags for resale. I think you are teaching a lot of folks how forestry management on a small scale can be fun, profitable and beneficial to the environment.
Hi Mike, thanks for the video and the intro to Ariat, will be ordering some boots after Christmas, I’m sure the jeans are great but I only ware Kuhl Free Rydr trousers now, I just love them, anyway take care
I was in architectural millwork for over 50 years. We had to rip any hardwood over six inches in width and reverse or flip the grain direction, then glue it back together to minimize warping.
Hi Melissa, just watched your video where you were thowing axes and got to say you were great. You stuck it every time. The only thing that was missing was your ball cap. I hope you don't mind me saying but you rock a hat. And don't ever lose that smile it's beautiful.
I agree Mike a 4/4 color sorted and kiln dried red oak board is $2.57 per bf from my supplier right now and a $1.93 per bf for prime I live just a couple hours from your area great video
I know for New England.... The most Valuable logs are veneer... In of course furniture grade.. Is quarter saw logs more available in your area ??
Suggestion...find a supplier of bedding for stalls, pens, etc. suppliers. I believe it is sold by pet stores, farm co-ops, etc for use around the riding academys, maybe zoos, petting zoos , etc. You could sell it by the large bushel paper bag, cubic yard , whatever. It definitely should have value.
Good luck.
JoeB
Mike, saw to the first knot or deficit , then flip to the other side & do the same . Don't go below 6" or the board is 1 common . So the last boards you sawed are all 1 common , no matter if there clear or not . Last time I herd green Red Oak fas is selling for 90 cents a board foot . FAS is a clear board 6" wide & 8' long . So in clear lumber don't go below 6" wide / 8' . Now if you dry the lumber it's a different story . I hope this helped .
People in my area want up to $.70 here for their logs and it costs about $.30 to mill them . Your price is similar to ours
I've never really made any comments on your channel before, I really should. You guys are entertaing and a pleasure to watch. Thank you for providing this channel.
I'm interested in this video because I have questions. First of all, I am not a professional woodworker or anything of the sort. I've done a few things, made some cabinets and furniture for my home and for some friends. I most certainly haven't milled any trees or produced and lumber. You mentioned the Doyle Log Scale because you're curious to know what your products are worth in your area.
I did a little research, looked at the log scale and remembered what the nominal to actual sizes are for milled lumber. My first question is, when you're milling a tree/log, do you size it up to get the most lumber you can? I completely understand that you are cutting slabs into rough cut sizes so that later on they can be milled to finish lumber sizes or used as is. If you're looking to sell the rough cut slabs and hopefully get as much money as you can, it's best to get as much lumber out of the log as you can. In this video you mentioned that your first set of bigger slabs is 13 1/2" by 8 ft long. Nominal lumber sizes puts those slabs at being milled down from 1"x13 1/2"x8' to 3/4" x 11 1/4" x 8' [1x12's] (the most money for the bigger boards.) However, your finished size is 13 1/2". That extra 1 1/2" is too small to make 1x2's. But, If you had gotten another 5/8" in width than you could've ended up with slab sets of 1x12's and 1x2's.
I think my math is right. That log was perfect, the grain looks perfect. But, was there no way you could've gotten the extra 5/8"?
You would go nuts at the 600 acre farm i hunt on in Michigan, TONS of blow downs, White and Red oak, cherry, Maple and a few Shag Bark Hickory...very little gets used for firewood most just rots away....
Morning Mike. Just checked Craigslist in the Harrisburg, York, Mechanicsburg area. One year air dried stock is going for $3.50 to $5.00 a board foot. If you saw even half way regular.....Air drying is a huge space commitment. Quarter sawn Red brings a bit more. If you can find a cabinet shop that needs custom cutting (turning stock or custom thicknesses) you might get a bit more. Hobby sawing will make a few bucks and get you free lumber for your home projects.
Steve B crazy how area depend it is. Down here in SC sawyers are having a hard time selling dried red oak for more than $0.80-$1 bdft
@@scav54 What's really crazy. I found Walnut, Cherry and Hickory for the same price. Usually a buck or buck and a half more.
@@SwimCoach8 Gotta love cheap lumber
All right I'm going to have to check them out. Well they look good on you guys.. and I'm really liking the boots Melissa those are cool.
Hello Mike and Melissa, nice boards for sure, not much white or red oak in Quebec, on my lot: mapple white birch and yellow birch and a lot of soft wood, some guys around find a treasure when they find cherry trees. Put these boards away before the rain friends. Tyrrs.
Nice log to cut. Beautiful straight grain and the color is spectacular. Thanks for sharing your video. Hello Hunter. Ed
Great Demonstration and that was some Awesome looking lumber !!👍👊
Hi Mike - I currently use sawdust as Oil Dry in my 40X60 Hobby Shop - it works great and is much cheaper than the clay based Oil Dry since it is basically free. I generate sawdust from woodworking and a neighbor saves his for me as well. We used to clean the shop bays in California when I lived there with sawdust that had been treated with a bit of diesel fuel, Kerosene, or light oil. It cleaned and shined the floors every night at the end of the day's shop appointments. I'd spread it, broom it around, and collect it for disposal. I burn mine here in Indiana after I use it in the shop! Great for soaking up grease, oil, and antifreeze - good stuff!
I've never heard of Ariat before. I plan to check out the links after I finish watching the video. Well I checked the website but the only thing I could afford is socks and I NEVER EVER wear socks. I am a barefoot gal year round. If it requires footwear, I wear my flip flops...even in winter. I only trade them in for my winter boots when the snow is deeper than 4-5". So I guess it's back to Good Will for my jeans.
Awesome, I agree with Fixed Bayonets, Your a truly blessed man, doing what you love to do and a beautiful supportive wife and loving family, glad that Nathan at OutOfWoods mentioned your channel or I would have never found you guys, So glad I did, thank you for your Godly comments and keeping tis such a rich lightening experience. Truly mean it with my heart. Brian-Texas
Around here the big boxes get about $70 for a 1"x12"x8' kiln dried S4S red oak board. That's the reason I got an Alaskan Chainsaw Mill... I grab free logs when the opportunities present themselves. I'm only trying to fill my own woodworking needs...
Hello Mike, believe it or not the center of the log is the most stable if the pith is cut out. That's where the quarter sawn lumber will come from. Above and bellow the center is rift sawn which is almost as stable as quarter sawn. Both are excellent furniture wood!
I am glad you mentioned the center of a log isn't strong or worth much. before that, I thought why would you waste a nice 4x4, cutting it up to stack lumber on. I laughed at Melissa's comment about jeans that fall that you constantly have to pull up. I have a pair of those I call my "tugs" because when I am working with those on, all I get done is tugging at my jeans.
Hi Mike and Melssa i have seen people pouring water on new cut to bring the grain out its beautiful wood
where i live is some nice stuff,but i cant get more than 1.25 green off the mill for red oak.i can some times squeeze 3.00 a bd ft. if there is something special like those 12-14 inch wide stuff.the thing you also need to convey to folks is there is waste,as some of those boards will check warp,or split to be unusable while drying.it is addictive though cutting lumber,i like you just do it to see what is inside the log.
The worth of a log depends on many different things. If you are just cutting 2x4’s for construction a log is only going to yield a board foot price. However, if you are cutting boards for live edge tables, furniture, or art project it takes on a greater value. If you live in a state that is primarily known for pine then a hardwood log will take on a more expensive value and vice versa. There is a lot to determine what a log is worth in your particular erea. Great video guys. It’s always a great thing to see families taking pride in their land and working to get the most out of it. God Bless. Have a wonderful day.
Wayne from Central Maine here , I have watched all of your videos and I really like them. I think you could save a lot of work, and your backs by putting your slab piles perpendicular to the saw. The camera end of the saw would be best and close to the balancing point of the board. You both work too hard turning the boards around.P.S. Thanks for all the great videos and please tell Hunter good luck with his firewood sales
Mike - Question about the Woodmizer LX 150. There is a small piece (I'm going to call it equipment) that rides ahead of the blade on the right side of the log. I only see it working when there is bark on the wood being cut, and it swings back out of the way when you reach the end of the log. Can you tell us what that does, and why is it only engaged some of the time? Thanks from the retired Lutheran Pastor in Davenport, Iowa.
Called a debarker, It cuts a small groove in the bark before the blade hits it and extends blade life
Mike Mike Mike, It was so kind of you to tell Melissa at 5:34 " I'll spin it for ya". You are helping more and more every day LOL (just teasing)
SOUTHERN INDIANA HERE-Getting ready to fly back to Mt Vernon Indiana…33 degrees at home….62 and sunny here in San Diego (in the middle of winter). Nice videos Mike. I think you’re on your way to picking up more sponsors.. The red oak lumber and your cherry are so pretty.
I really enjoy watch this video. I could watch all day long. Thanks a lot for your great videos on cutting log.
Now that is some great looking lumber! Right now we have a base of snow around 6", gets very cold Thursday 17º and then 53º possibly on Saturday! It has been a mild winter so far this year and I am okay with that!
Nice work Mike. My Ariats have outlasted both Levis and Wranglers. Think the denim is thicker and better quality. Finally learned that the way to extend the life of any jeans is to wash them in cold water and air-dry. The dryer eat 'em up. Look at the lint filter after washing your jeans, and you can quickly determine that heated drying (and tumbling) reduces the weight of the denim with every cycle. Nice video, as usual. Beautiful oak!
Did you do this video in January?
No snow? The weather is beautiful.
Those jeans are $50+ a pair. I use to wear Levi's but they turned anti gun so we don't wear them. I like straight leg Jean. Car Hart's are my favorite. Nice lumber Mike.
I'm like you on Ariat oots and clothes. I've been wearing the boots for 24- 25 years. Now with the FR clothes they make, I'm buying them left and right. They look great and feel good. If I was still welding, I don't believe I'd wear them. Due to getting burned. But now that I work as a welding inspector, and I go to meetings and supervise the project. I enjoy not having to wear just universal clothing. I like that I can dress for success. Now the boots I have are the most comfortable I've ever had. They flex like a tennis shoe but have a safety tie. I really can't say enough about Ariat. Keep up the great videos
Ariat fan here too. Have a pair of boots that I wore for 19 years that were repaired multiple times. Last time I took them in the guy at the shoe shop looked me dead in the eye and said, “boy, you need to just buy another pair of these boots. I’ve done all I can do but after that long you’ve gotten your money’s worth out of them.” Bought another pair just like them and wearing them all the time.
lol that is awesome
wholesale for red oak dried is about 3.20 bdft s&b Can you get a hold of cherry? plus do you have a kilned? let me know im a furniture maker in Chicago that is looking for a good source
Beautiful red oak lumber!
clear oak lumber 1x12 is was $100 not 50 for me 15 years ago . i guess it all depends where you are at!! glad you started milling instead or burning that good lumber. i put some in a house on the floor you might consider that?square cut hardened nails let me know if you want more info on the procedure!
Just to compare, Hudson, NY price on red oak rough cut-$1.65 bf. 1x12x8 $13.20 so your price is not far off. Beautiful lumber you have there.
Thanks M & M.. Always nice to visit. All that exercise shows.
Central California watching
Nice jacket. It is very sharp looking on you on. I noticed it right away and was wondering what it was . . . then you introduce the sponsorship. Good for you. Good for them.
Oak. 4.25 per bdft for kiln here in canada. Leave your flitches at least 6/4 on wide boards to avoid cupping/checking/etc and sticker and strap the wood.
Good morning. Thanks for showing me Ariat. Hauling Propane and Butane I've spent a small fortune on Carhartt. I'll give them a shot and let ya know. Hi Hunter and girls.
Beautiful looking wood! Nice little fashion show as well. I'm thinking it would be good to be able to sell some of that 'wooden gold' to finance some of your projects and Melissa's pool!!
Very interesting! Love all the camera angles. Mike you do a lot of things very well. Melissa you are perfect at everything!
We Love you Melissa!
Mike I can see your next piece of equipment if you keep running that sawmill... an edger!! About 20 years ago I sold a single Red Oak log for $900 from my woodlot... It was better than 30 inches in diameter and was destined for the veneer mill. I currently have two of the largest Ash trees in the state of Maine on my property with one of them over 8 feet in diameter and would guess they are from the late 1850's era. I do enjoy watching your videos.
Suprise when cut down
100 Fir,cedar,maple,Hemlock
the price was shocking
Big bucks.. Karsten the German
His place,most beautiful naturel..he made all the furniture inside
some times I wish I documented his work
80 years old.
when he first came on E H boat in his 20's
the original haus of Raw lumber still sit on wall street Vancouver..
100 logs taken out
from almost the BOTTOM of a cliff before the water..who do I see
grey hair deep piercing eyes.....peeta peeta
we have a problam
MASSIVE cedar is 2/3 on his side..did not matter if we are neighbors for 20 years
he had after adjuster came from sunshine coast to estimate how much it's worth
the line is more on his side, than ours.
COST us a few hundred dollars.i watch him work with Red Oak
karsten piercing blue eyes stare at you
"peeta this is German Resin LaqaR".50 years on gambler isle
God rest his soul
I miss that grey hair
and blue eyes coming thru the BUSH peetah
ash is so nice
Red Oak of tasmania
it bleed Red and massive
Red oak is the less priced hardwood lumber at a yard we frequent. White oak is double the price. All the oak we get we quarter saw it, just seems to look better and is more stable. And I get it 2''. Thanks for posting
That Red Oak looks like it would make some beautiful flooring ! That tree over your left shoulder Mike did some crazy growing didn't it ? Looks like a giant bow. Thumbs up.
Mike on your bark slabs you gotta have a couple of saw horse off to the side so melissa can cut in 18 inch pieces with the electric chainsaw and put in totes
Well didn't expect all of that, a fashion show, beautiful wood being milled, and pricing information. You guys ROCK thank you
Good morning from No. Vermont. We finally have a good freeze here, about 15 degrees overnight. Great video to help people understand the value of a length of timber. Beautiful wood, once dried can be miled to make some great flooring or ornamental applications. Thanks
@Michael Nix- Charlotte,Vermont native here....hello neighbor!!
About the saw dust- we live near a port where wood chips are shipped to China. Then we buy back the particle board after its pressed into plywood. Is there a way to press the sawdust into plywood?
Do you plant any new trees on your property?
Love your channel. Like you said in this one, " your learning along the way." Since you are filming it all, while you learn we learn. My wife and I are looking to retire in a couple of years and hope to have a property like yours. All that wood has too much potential for small craft type business that will keep me busy. Keep these coming.
Melissa it really looks like your foot is feeling better and you’re walking normal again, that’s very nice.
Let me see if I got this right:
Melissa lifts, carries and stacks the slabs.
Mike uses is fingers on the hydraulic levers and paces back and forth.
Did I miss anything?
P.S. Really liked the lumber analysis! Thanks.
Give the man a break, I'd say he does a lot by himself a lot of times.Always some that are ready to criticize.
Melissa likes the exercise. She's a gym freak and works out a lot so this is just a part of that. Mike's a workaholic as well so they make a great team.
Yes you did! You missed the LOVE.
Remember Mike's the boss!
Mike bought the stuff to do it with, she is just the helper.
Have you figured out a use for all of the saw dust yet ?
Tuff Skins man that brings back memories !
Ariat does make quality goods,been wearing work boots for many years,they hold up !
When the video started I thought you two were looking extra sharp. I bought a pair of Ariat Cowboy boots like 10 years ago and I still wear them. They look brand new. I was telling someone I spent more upfront, but they lasted so long it was cheaper in the long run.
Things like lumber prices can vary a lot from one region to another. Here in the Ozarks, red oak, white oak, and walnut are so abundant, that cutting logs and getting them milled is the cheap portion of the process. Kiln drying and planing is where the value jumps up so much. Plus, the number of times the wood is handled from milling to the planing process adds a lot of cost or value to a board. Since I don't have a fork lift for my tractor, by the time a board is stripped for air drying, hauled to kiln drier, hauled to the planer, and finally unloaded into the storage rack, it has been handled four to six times. And that does not count the time of loading the logs on a trailer and hauling to the sawmill.
Enjoy watching your videos while eating breakfast. Going to cut up and split a black oak today for firewood while the weather is so nice.
I love wood and anything to do with it, even the work. It is my body that is really doing the griping about all the work envolved with it. I plan to enjoy it as long as my health allows, so with that in mind, be careful and work safely.
Good video! Everyone thinks they’re trees are worth a fortune, yet their unaware of all the work that goes into getting it to the mill let alone to finish product form
Nuts. Youhit the head on the nail. , my thoughts as well. Dont tell people with out total expenses cuz. They will think there stumpage fees should be a million dollars a tree.
Good start to my morning here as I get ready to go play with some firewood! Good looking red oak!
That is Beautiful lumber Mike My great uncle had sawmills all his working life Owned lots of land too Great man Melissa ya never cease to amaze me! What a lady you are! Happy to see your walking better! God Bless 🙏❤️🇱🇷👍
I’ve been watching your channel since before you received the mill. In fact, I’ve started at the beginning videos and I’m catching up on everything I’ve missed. Congratulations on your success. As a former machinist and toolmaker, you may find it beneficial to use your framing square to layout the end of your log. This could optimize the board feet out of each log.
I’m retired in FL and belong to a hunt club in MI. The club is 2100 acres so the forest fun, trail riding, hunting, chain saws, blind building etc. that you enjoy daily I get to do a couple of times a year. Thanks for all the great information you and Melissa have provided.
Mike: I am going to pick up 2 similar red oak logs (free) in about a week. And, I will be milling both with an Alaskan mill. Every time I see that Wood Mizer in action, the gears start turnin'! Great video!
You hit the nail on the head with log value . Every step of the process makes the board worth more .
You may want to consider making a few 4x8 pallets to sticker and stack your lumber directly off the mill , you have the equipment to move them around later . I use the center cuts to make the pallets and less quality boards . I know production is not your thing but stacking and moving lumber gets old fast . Keep up the great videos .
Out here in the west cowboys wear Wranglers, but Kmart sells some called Rustlers that are cheap and they feel almost as good as wranglers
A lot of times you'll take an edge off the log, then you'll do a live edge both sides slab or two, then roll. Eventually you'll end up cutting some dimensional lumber. Was wondering if you could elaborate on your decision making process?
Running the little Harbor Freight cheapo mill out here in Oregon on some Western Red Cedar.
PS, Hi to Hunter. Does he avoid the sawmill because of the noise, or is that your choice?
Is this just a total plug for Arriat or sawing logs?
I have bought boards cut half way straight on one side and bark on the other . I straighten it on the table saw and then the plainer !!!
Can the blades be sharpened or must you replace with new all the time. Are they expensive?
What kind of blower was Melissa using?
Great Job MORGANS! Hearing a load SQUEAK after each cut. You may need to grease some joints or maybe use some lithium here and there. Anyway, loving the videos!
What could be better than having breakfast while watching the Morgans saw logs into lumber?
Please keep the videos coming. Have a productive day.
Best thing about a sawmill is you can cut the size, species and lengths that you just can’t find at the lumberyard. Plus, you get to decide how to open up a log into lumber and be the first to see what the log is hiding inside! Makes the work that’s involved in harvesting worth every bit of it 😀
Had my last pair of Ariat boots 10+ years not every day wear but impressive. Might have to try the jeans. Thanks Morgan’s. Awesome as always
That is some really good looking lumber. You're doing a good job taking your time on it.
If always been told to cut green oak small, it will move less as it dries. I'd love to do wide plank oak floors but dont want to deal with dimensional changes after it dries.
How thick are those planks
Great video, as usual... As follow-up to your question/comment on sawdust you made a couple of videos ago, I couldn't help but think if you could attach a bucket to your sawdust chute, it would make collection a lot easier. Probably just have to drill a hole in the chute and attach a plastic bucket with a carabiner and a short wire loop.
Michael from Canada
Well I was about to go outside to get some chores done, guess I'll wait until I finish the video.
Good evening Mike and Melissa and the rest of the gang!
Loved the sponsored video and the great review of Ariat products. You both wear them well. The mill turned out some great wood for you to use. AWESOME STUFF. Great start up of 2020 👍👍👏🏼👏🏼 Thanks for sharing with us, so glad your foot is healing!
Thanks OLD DAWG!
Good job Mike, great video. How thick are those boards? One thing to think about is shrinkage because 4/4 boards need to be 4/4 after they are dry. Does your woodmizer have the hardwood and softwood scales on it? The hardwood scale is made to anticipate shrinkage of the average hardwood and when you use it, the boards come off the mill around 1 1/8" thick, maybe a little more. When I go to a commercial lumber yard selling high quality kiln dried hardwood for furniture making, the hardwood "4/4" is always a whisker more than 4/4. I was told that is considered "industry standard" for rough hardwood.
Another great video! For grins, I just watched your first couple of videos. I think I originally subscribed after watching video #6 since it was the first one that I had “liked”, and I ALWAYS press like after watching your videos! Biggest difference was there was no talking in the early videos, very strange compared to now. It has been great watching your channel grow and being an early subscriber. Keep up the good work!
I got red oak logs and white oak logs measure 28" base and 25" little 20ft long thinking about making firewood no one wants them because of the drought so im looking for options
Good video, thank you for sharing. Lumber seems to be a bit less expensive in Western Pennsylvania than it is in Southern California.
yes
Penn Is lumber
call ls fruits
until you go north
for lumber and building
pine,oak and maple
mostly west coast
You ever seen what
"OAKLAND" WAS before.
all the olde WESTERN movies, those low hangin trees with extended Lower arms(oak)
so beautiful..
miles of OAK TREES
Hi, I'm a smaller size person, found body mechanics useful. From the very tail end of the board, try reaching over the mill and pivot the board on the log like a see-saw. Twist it up vertical , tucked against your body, and walk your hands down until the board balances, then carry itt away. Mostly you don't have to step inside the frame of the mill this way. No lifting with your back bent. If you bend over to lift, you see the ground, remember to squat, straighten your back, then lift. Even for a 5 pound object. I love these videos, all the wood processing, the smells and sounds. Wish I could be there with you.
Commenting from Phenix City, Alabama. I know just how lucky you are to have a great helper like Mellissa. I have one here in Al., her name is Peggy. Don't know how I would get a lot of the things accomplished with out her. Love your videos, keep up the good work. P.S. not sure if I spelled her name right, forgive me if it's wrong.
James
If your sweetheart is anything like Melissa you are a fortunate man indeed!
Our local sawmill. , just bught 2x10. Oak for trailer deck. Pretty clean. Lumber. , obviously not cabinet grade. 85cents bdf