The Milling Kid (14 yrs. old) update

[swanny]

We bought the Mizer Lt-15 in late winter of this year...has been a good purchase...my son really enjoys it in between his book work.

We got smart and pulled a couple tall I-beams out of the weeds to get the mill up since we are loading with a machine...works great...Zach was a little short to work the height adj. crank, but once a pile of sawdust was on the ground he was just fine spinning it.

His milling buddy fought this coon not too far away from the Mizer

Zach's first shed (his paw helped a total of a couple of hours...laying out trusses on the concrete, some trim work and showed him how to start the shingles) he built and sold it to his big sis who runs her own business (www.ambervalleykennels.com).

Moving the shed.

 

[deeker]

Great pics and story. Keep 'em coming!

 

[swanny]

Not a great pic of the finished product, but you can see the shed in place in the upper right corner. We get some nice logs like this 35" tulip poplar that are too big for the lt15, but we quarter them on the trailer with the c-saw.

He's thinking ahead and wants to save up for an Lt-40 with hydraulics, but for now is learning a good work-ethic and building his muscles at the same time.

The only thing we really don't like about this mill is the cam that holds the clamp up can get bent very easily by the weight of a log coming down on it when in an upright position...we've had to fix this three separate times so far...have to be very careful. Overall - Woodmizer makes a very good product.

 

[woodsrunner]

Teaching young folks how to do things at an early age is key to raising a succesful member of our society. They really do respond to this kind of nurturing. It gives them a sense of self worth, valuable self confidence, a strong work ethic and a sense of fair play and ethics. Kudos to Dad and Mom for allowing this young man to grow in a common sense, value based way. We tried to do the same thing with our kids. Raised on the farm and had to work at an early age. We spent some extra money on some things that they were involved in (4-H and FFA beef cattle projects, etc) and the pay off is enormous. Our son is a captain in the Marine Corps (on his way to Iraq next month) and our daughter is starting graduate school in the fall in Animal Science. Keep providing him with those important life lessons and he will be a successful human being. Again, good job Mom and Dad.

Scott

 

[swanny]

We've also got a local tree guy who's a half-mile down the road...Zach drives the skid and I take the trailer.

He's learning the ropes of how to load and handle some nice size logs (he's smashed his finger pretty good, but so far so good). He cut up a bunch of 24" white pine logs for the shed framing and siding....he loves cutting pine.

 

[Brmorgan]

Good post, Woodsrunner. The one thing I'm most thankful for in life is that my dad always got me involved in whatever he was doing (usually much to my disdain at the time) and took the time to teach me what he knew about it. He by no means made me an expert at anything, more like your classic "Jack of all trades, Master of none" cliche, but there are very few household problems I can't fix if I put my mind to it. Many of my friends don't even know how to do many basic things like change the oil in their car or replace a circuit breaker, which I think is unfortunate. Maybe it's a personality thing, but I would much rather do most things myself than pay someone else to do it, time permitting.

The shed looks pretty solid. I need to build something of similar size this summer for my yard tools etc. but I really want do do a timber-framed one if I can find the time. Has your son ever thought about trying that out? I think it looks like a ton of fun, not to mention being a real marketable skill if one were to get accomplished at it. I hope to somewhat teach myself the basics - I figure a 10X10 garden shed should be pretty idiot-proof as far as structural integrity goes to start out with.

 

[swanny]

Thanks for the kind words. Being a parent is the toughest thing my wife and I have encountered...we constantly ask for the Lord's mercies to intervene because we lack greatly in so many ways.

We haven't tried a timber frame yet...been watching some youtube vids on it and really are facinated by it. Seems it would be extra heavy to build here at our place and then move to a customer's place via the trailer.

None of the pine was dried, yet it didn't shrink, crack or twist badly at all. Guess you'd really need dry wood for the timber framing?

 

[Backwoods]

Hound dog chasing coon, working a sawmill and building with your own wood what more could one ask for? Having parents that teach you these kinds of basic things in life is price less. Good job to all including sis for buying the well built shed.

 

[lumberjackchef]

None of the pine was dried, yet it didn't shrink, crack or twist badly at all. Guess you'd really need dry wood for the timber framing?

There's a couple of schools of thought about this. Here was interesting thread I came across about green vs. dried, shrinkage and such concerning timber frames. I have also been very interested in building something using the timber-framed method.

http://www.tfguild.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=11408

 

[irishcountry]

Raising them right, Kudos on your parenting skills too little value of hard work and a little sweat nowadays. Keep it up your kids will have those memories and values till they are old and gray, I commend you!!!

 

[stipes]

Couldnt said it better...

Teaching young folks how to do things at an early age is key to raising a succesful member of our society. They really do respond to this kind of nurturing. It gives them a sense of self worth, valuable self confidence, a strong work ethic and a sense of fair play and ethics. Kudos to Dad and Mom for allowing this young man to grow in a common sense, value based way. We tried to do the same thing with our kids. Raised on the farm and had to work at an early age. We spent some extra money on some things that they were involved in (4-H and FFA beef cattle projects, etc) and the pay off is enormous. Our son is a captain in the Marine Corps (on his way to Iraq next month) and our daughter is starting graduate school in the fall in Animal Science. Keep providing him with those important life lessons and he will be a successful human being. Again, good job Mom and Dad.

Scott

He's doin a good job for that age,,wow....Your teaching him more than he can ever learn from any collage or school...Years down the road he can hold his head high and say,my dad tought me that......Great work.........

 

[smokinj]

Great picks! Dog must me awsome not many would win that fight!:yourock:

 

[beaveradict]

Is that a woodmizer been making their gas tanks and oil tank since 1997 well im the guy out in the blow mold shop producing them if you need a spare let me know we run them about three times a year
:greenchainsaw:
Beaveradict