• Frank's Lesson's Contest

    We want to see your skills! Post a video between now and November 1st showing what you've learned from Frank's lessons and 3 people will be selected to win a free shirt. Good luck everyone!

    Create a channel Learn more
  • Having trouble using the site?

    Contact support

Maggie’s The Woodchuck and Firewood Hoarders Thread

Any of you guys knowledgeable about sawmills? I've thought off and on about some sort of mill for a few years. First I thought I'd try one of those chainsaw saw mills, but then after looking into them more I knew I wouldn't be happy with one. Now I've been looking at wood-mizer and similar.

I have 10 acres that was pretty heavily treed with ponderosa pine. I took down a bunch of them over the last year and a half and I'm sitting on a fair amount of logs. In talking to an old local boy I know that has done a fair bit of milling in his what 80 years (?), he was telling me ponderosa pine was garbage wood. I'm a tree guy to completely non-tree guys, but I'm no tree guy, so as the saying goes, I don't know what I don't know. Seems like Ponderosa is not a sought after wood for anything but maybe decorative type stuff. Seen some mention of it being used for structural lumber, but not a ton.

All I'd really like to do with it is build some out buildings and covered deck. Wood seems to have come way down in price. Let me help you help me. Should I keep looking into this and try to plan a way down this path?

So the things I know I want to build are:

Greenhouse around 10x15' - 15x30'
Covered deck in the say 1100sf range
Covered parking 25x35'
New pump house 10x15'
Storage shed/s
Roof between my (2) 40' shipping containers
And various other things

Again I don't know what I don't know, but it seems obvious I'd be saving some coin if I went this route. I'm also retired so I have time on my hands.

Lastly say I do forge ahead with a plan to get one, how do I properly size it? I have a problem where I want to buy 'the best' if I can swing it. But I also look at the lowest tier and think, "that would be just fine and would get my by for some time until I know better what I'm after, then I can upgrade." But I have that part of me that says, "that's a waste of time money and effort, go big or go home dumbass."
 
IMG_20240111_095345299_HDR.jpg

Getting warmed up. Approximately 150yds of trail to go.
 
Any of you guys knowledgeable about sawmills? I've thought off and on about some sort of mill for a few years. First I thought I'd try one of those chainsaw saw mills, but then after looking into them more I knew I wouldn't be happy with one. Now I've been looking at wood-mizer and similar.

I have 10 acres that was pretty heavily treed with ponderosa pine. I took down a bunch of them over the last year and a half and I'm sitting on a fair amount of logs. In talking to an old local boy I know that has done a fair bit of milling in his what 80 years (?), he was telling me ponderosa pine was garbage wood. I'm a tree guy to completely non-tree guys, but I'm no tree guy, so as the saying goes, I don't know what I don't know. Seems like Ponderosa is not a sought after wood for anything but maybe decorative type stuff. Seen some mention of it being used for structural lumber, but not a ton.

All I'd really like to do with it is build some out buildings and covered deck. Wood seems to have come way down in price. Let me help you help me. Should I keep looking into this and try to plan a way down this path?

So the things I know I want to build are:

Greenhouse around 10x15' - 15x30'
Covered deck in the say 1100sf range
Covered parking 25x35'
New pump house 10x15'
Storage shed/s
Roof between my (2) 40' shipping containers
And various other things

Again I don't know what I don't know, but it seems obvious I'd be saving some coin if I went this route. I'm also retired so I have time on my hands.

Lastly say I do forge ahead with a plan to get one, how do I properly size it? I have a problem where I want to buy 'the best' if I can swing it. But I also look at the lowest tier and think, "that would be just fine and would get my by for some time until I know better what I'm after, then I can upgrade." But I have that part of me that says, "that's a waste of time money and effort, go big or go home dumbass."
Ponderosa pine is nice wood for interior projects, not for anything exposed to the elements as it will rot fast. It machines nicely and is pretty soft. The problem loggers around my neck of the woods have with it is that it needs to get to the mill within a few days of felling otherwise it gets "Blue Stain", where the interior of the wood takes on a blue tint in certain areas. It makes the lumber unsaleable but for personal use I've seen people make nice furniture items with blue stain lumber and its nice looking stuff. You cant go wrong with a wood mizer band mill.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AmmoFort
@tnichols Looks like you'll need it for a few days. Same weather here west of you. Thinking back it was the mid 80's when it was this cold for this long.

ETA: just heard the Saturday forecast. Widespread blowing snow. Partly sunny and cold, with a high near -3. Wind chill values as low as -42. Windy, with a northwest wind 31 to 34 mph, with gusts as high as 49 mph. Saturday night Widespread blowing snow, mainly before 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around -20. Windy, with a northwest wind 24 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Total snow since Tuesday 12".
Could be worse except for the wife's Shih Tzu, it hit the ground this morning and was high centered
 
Last edited:
Had to climb up on my roof this morning.

Last couple nights, the house was filling up with smoke every time I opened the door to the stove to load more wood into it, just enough to give me a sore throat and make the house smell like a camp fire.

Found the spark arrestor in the chimney cap clogged with cresol. Been in the mid-20's last few days, and snowing constantly. I don't like the house too warm, so the wood burner has been dampened down quite a bit, especially at night when I go to bed. Think the combination of that, and the snow created the perfect storm.

It was a challenge getting on the roof, but luckily there was a thin glaze of ice on the steel panels that actually provided a little bit of traction, but the last eight feet it was bare steel and slick, and the anchor that I installed on the roof was just out of reach, but after several attempts, I was able to grab it and pull my self up on the ridge. Another good thing, the seven feet of snow piled up at the bottom of the roof allowed me to transition to the roof without needing a ladder.

Once the cap thaws out, that damn spark arrestor screen is getting removed permanently.

KIMG0242.JPG


KIMG0241.JPG
KIMG0240.JPG

KIMG0243.JPG
 
Last edited:
Had to climb up on my roof this morning.

Last couple nights, the house was filling up with smoke every time I opened the door to the stove to load more wood into it, just enough to give me a sore throat and make the house smell like a camp fire.

Found the spark arrestor in the chimney cap clogged with cresol. Been in the mid-20's last few days, and snowing constantly. I don't like the house too warm, so the wood burner has been dampened down quite a bit, especially at night when I go to bed. Think the combination of that, and the snow created the perfect storm.

It was a challenge getting on the roof, but luckily there was a thin glaze of ice on the steel panels that actually provided a little bit of traction, but the last eight feet it was bare steel and slick, and the anchor that I installed on the roof was just out of reach, but after several attempts, I was able to grab it and pull my self up on the ridge. Another good thing, the seven feet of snow piled up at the bottom of the roof allowed me to transition to the roof without needing a ladder.

Once the cap thaws out, that damn spark arrestor screen is getting removed permanently.

View attachment 8350449

View attachment 8350442View attachment 8350443
View attachment 8350455
That's at least twice every winter for me. I live in Louisiana and the humidity here seems to increase the creosote buildup. I removed the screen one year and started finding dead birds in the heater, so I put it back in. I use a bristle brush to clean the pipe while the cap's off. I have a shingle roof and very seldom see snow here.
 
The cresol built up inside the cap was like spray in bed liner, and tough to remove, lucky there wasn't much to speak of in the pipe. Screen now removed.

Rope is staying put, I've got an antenna I need to put up this Summer so I can reliably hit repeaters, as the metal roof prevents me from transmitting from inside without an outside antenna.

KIMG0245.JPG
KIMG0246.JPG
KIMG0247.JPG
 
The cresol built up inside the cap was like spray in bed liner, and tough to remove, lucky there wasn't much to speak of in the pipe. Screen now removed.

Rope is staying put, I've got an antenna I need to put up this Summer so I can reliably hit repeaters, as the metal roof prevents me from transmitting from inside without an outside antenna.

View attachment 8351521View attachment 8351523View attachment 8351524
Your cap looks like it would still keep birds out without the screen. Mine's wide open.
 
Meh, I use some good ole oak and get the flames jumping up the chimney. cleans it out fine as long as you don't let the creosote get too thick. Usually 2 to 3 times a year. Probably shit for the pipe in the cabin as it's single wall, but the bottom 4 feet usually glow when I clean it out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SONIC SAAMI
The cresol built up inside the cap was like spray in bed liner, and tough to remove, lucky there wasn't much to speak of in the pipe. Screen now removed.

Rope is staying put, I've got an antenna I need to put up this Summer so I can reliably hit repeaters, as the metal roof prevents me from transmitting from inside without an outside antenna.

View attachment 8351521View attachment 8351523View attachment 8351524

Looks like you need to add a DEF tank and a regen mode... 😁
 
A pair of cherry trees blew the tops off back a couple of years ago. On the neighbors property. Visiting with him over the weekend and asked if he would mind if I harvested the burls. Found a half dozen over all. These were the biggest.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3843.jpeg
    IMG_3843.jpeg
    1.1 MB · Views: 62
  • IMG_3825.jpeg
    IMG_3825.jpeg
    1.3 MB · Views: 64
I’d take them off of your hands if they’ll fit in a flat rate box. They can be used for many things and I’m sure the guys you work with would be happy! I’d likely slab them into 1 inch thick slabs unless they had truly exceptional figure, and in that case I’d cut 1/8” veneers out of it.
 
Nice.

If you harvested the wood it fits here. It also fits over in Wood Shop.

Maybe also metalworking if you made the legs.
 
I need a chainsaw recommendation to gather firewood for when I go hunting and can be secured to an atv. So no 42in bars :ROFLMAO:
The smallest Stihl pro saw is the MS 261, 4hp and just over 10lbs, it can run a 16” bar pretty good.

If that’s too big the arborist saws are lighter with a smaller bar. The ms 201 or the ms 194.

Or if cheapest option is the goal the Stihl ms162 is under $200. It only has 1.6hp but still weighs 10 lbs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: slowagon
can you still get an ms241 in the states ? Never owned one but I hear they're quite the ripper foe a small saw.
An echo 2511T might fit the bill if you want something light.
I have a 241C with a 16” bar and it is phenomenal. They do not import them into the US anymore and used ones are always $500 plus.


I also have a 261C, 362C and a 440. The 241 and 261 sort of overlap but the 241 is so fun to run. Absolutely a screamer stock.
 
Husky 550
Made me think of the husky 350. Not a top of the line saw but they were fairly cheap on the used market and ran pretty good.

A friend of mine gave me one that fell victim to the famous husky air leak that kills a lot of those saws. I was able to save the cylinder so I put a new piston in it. I massaged it a little while I had it apart and it ran pretty good.

I ended up trading it to a guy up in Michigan for a spare top end for my 462c. He said it ran as strong or stronger that a stock 261c that he had.
 
I need a chainsaw recommendation to gather firewood for when I go hunting and can be secured to an atv. So no 42in bars :ROFLMAO:
Another vote for the MS261. In my opinion one off the best saws Stihl has made. 18” bar on mine. It does the lions share of our firewood cutting.