I've been following their page on Facebook..

My wood supplier has been using one of these for years and I've even assisted and had him saw a few logs for me over the years... these are like the Cadilac in sawing... this is something I want to get into doing next..

Anyone have one?

 

Russell, I do not have one, but I am along with ya, this is something I have been wanting to do and chomping at the bit to do, funds are the major reason whey we don't have one.

There are quite a few mills out there that are just as good too! Check em out, just google sawmills and you'll see a ton of options. Order their videos and sales material and dream!

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker
Proud Supporter of Wounded Warrior Project and Homes For Our Troops

John,

I totally agree on the money portion of this adventure... I'm in the process of getting my new shop set up and selling the shop Building where I am now.. once I have this completed and building sold, I should have almost enough for a good used machine.. from there the sky is the limit. I own 2 1/2 acres here and have a local friend who does tree cutting service.. he's told me no one wants to give him fair market value for some of the logs he's harvested so he doesn't even bother with it any longer and blocks everything out for firewood.. said he has enough stacked firewood on his place he's almost completed a 6 ft fence around his farm. in the winter time it gets about 4 ft high.. but back up by mid summer LOL

I'd just like the challenge of taking these midwestern tree's from field to tablesaw and then out the door to my customers...

and still be able to allow the saw to pay for itself.. My idea for a Kiln set up is an old semi trailor set up where I can rig it into a nice Kiln.

 

I watched an old boy about a month ago spend $38.00 a pc on two Red Oak shelving boards at one of the local big boxes and those boards were maybe 5' long and almost 8" wide.. thought to myself... Man I am in the wrong business!!!!! LOL

 

 
John Morris said:

Russell, I do not have one, but I am along with ya, this is something I have been wanting to do and chomping at the bit to do, funds are the major reason whey we don't have one.

There are quite a few mills out there that are just as good too! Check em out, just google sawmills and you'll see a ton of options. Order their videos and sales material and dream!

---

John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker
Proud Supporter of Wounded Warrior Project and Homes For Our Troops

I thought I wanted one, but I have been carrying quite a few logs to a guy that has one. He cuts and stacks it way cheaper than I could afford to do it and pay for the saw. And I really don't want that much extra work. I would have to stay busy and never get into the shop to actually build anything.

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John Moody
Site Administrator


John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

I know a guy in Tucson that makes a fortune with a Wood Mizer. Tucson and it's county (Pima) are always clearing mesquite trees, and developers are also anxious to get rid of them. They are a noxious, ugly weed to the uninformed!

The guy I know takes almost all the logs he can get, slabs them up and sells the wood. He has a long waiting list. He's a youngster, probably mid 30s, single and a civil engineer who works for Pima county. So he is in the know when it comes time for them to clear land for a road or park. 

Although, the Mizer is on wheels, it never leaves his place. The county or the developers bring him the logs or he contracts a service to bring them. Occasionally, he gets some ironwood from private property, too. I can barely afford to look at that stuff!!!!!

HOWEVER.....he does very little woodwork. No time!  

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Ironwood ( Hop Hornbeam)

In my neck of the woods thats the ugly weed tree.

It's a pain to cut (dulls chains fast) and worse to split.

Larry

Gene Howe said:

I know a guy in Tucson that makes a fortune with a Wood Mizer. Tucson and it's county (Pima) are always clearing mesquite trees, and developers are also anxious to get rid of them. They are a noxious, ugly weed to the uninformed!

The guy I know takes almost all the logs he can get, slabs them up and sells the wood. He has a long waiting list. He's a youngster, probably mid 30s, single and a civil engineer who works for Pima county. So he is in the know when it comes time for them to clear land for a road or park. 

Although, the Mizer is on wheels, it never leaves his place. The county or the developers bring him the logs or he contracts a service to bring them. Occasionally, he gets some ironwood from private property, too. I can barely afford to look at that stuff!!!!!

HOWEVER.....he does very little woodwork. No time!  

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Is that (Ironwood) like Hedge or Thorney Locust around my parts? "Illinois"

We cut both each year for firewood and recently (last winter) had taken some Locust in for sawing.. it turned out a very pretty wood...

 

We ring the tree's and let them stand until needed for firewood.. 2-3 yrs and all the thorns are gone by then....

Russ and Larry,

The Ironwood that grows here is indigenous to the Sonoran Desert. Here's a site where you can see some of the trees and lumber. IRONWOOD And Larry, it's characteristics are similar to those you describe. The guy with the Mizer says he has to change blades twice as often as when he cuts mesquite. And mesquite is pretty hard.

Russ, I grew up in rural IL. Did a lot of hedge and locust cutting in clearing land for farming.

My dad wasn't the patient type. We would fell the locusts and immediately trim them and cut them for fire wood. Not a pleasant task. OUCH!

I've probably set 50 miles (seemed like) of hedge posts. I'm 71 YO and I'll bet those posts are still there! I know that many of the corners we set are still there after 55 years. 

In Jr. High, I turned a 36" long by about 12" dia. piece of Hedge for a lamp. It flew off the lathe numerous times. Once, it went through the shop window! 

It was a gorgeous orange color when it was finished. Now, it's an ugly tan/brown and severely cracked. Still, I like the stuff. 

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Gene and Russ,

I'm in S.E. Wisconsin, and what we refer to as Ironwood around here is Hop Hornbeam.

Most folks mistake it for Elm as it's leaves resemble Elm. 

You will actually see sparks flying when you are cutting it with a chainsaw . It is almost useless to be using a 5/32" chain on the saw as it will be dulled in one cut. I use 7/32" chisle cut chains on my saws because I run accross a lot of it in my area.

It is best to split when it is frozen, otherwise it shreds and is a pain once it has. I broke the welds loose, and bent the cast steel foot on my 25 ton splitter trying to split it when it wasn't frozen.   It burns hotter than Oak

Larry

Larry,

I looked Hop Hornbeam up and found some pictures. It looks like a pretty tree. The bark seems loose and would make it "dirty" to have in the yard, though. In one description, it is referred to as "Ironwood". 

By your description, it might be one I'd just burn where it fell.  

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Gene,

I try to do most of my heating with wood burning stoves, WE energys gets enough of my money for just the electric.

Larry

Gene Howe said:

Larry,

I looked Hop Hornbeam up and found some pictures. It looks like a pretty tree. The bark seems loose and would make it "dirty" to have in the yard, though. In one description, it is referred to as "Ironwood". 

By your description, it might be one I'd just burn where it fell.  

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton