Too hot to mill.....

[mtngun]

.....but I need the wood, so I went milling anyway.

A small and extremely knotty doug blowdown blocking the skid trail (yes, that's a skid trail ). Since I have to cut it up anyway, I might as well mill it.

On to the next blowdown, this one 18" - 20" diameter, and few limbs on the trunk. But ....... it's up a hill.

By the time the log was bucked and I'd packed the gear up to the log, the shade had moved and I had to mill in full sun. I milled in the sun all day long, wah wah .

I usually forget to pack something when I go milling, and today was no different. I forgot to bring the aux oiler, and the mini-mill. Arrgh !

While cutting the widest slab on this tree, with no aux oiler, the 066 began to overheat and lose power. I let it idle for a couple of minutes, then it ran like new again -- for about 30 seconds. So I let it idle a couple more minutes. Repeat until that pass was done.

After that pass, I installed a fresh chain, and richened the "H" screw just a hair, to 12,400 RPM WOT. It was never lean, just working too hard on this hot day without an aux oiler.

It cut easier with the fresh chain, plus I pampered the saw for the rest of the day.

Ended up with 12 boards and 2 incomplete 8x8's. I'll finish the 8x8's at home -- since that's where I left the mini-mill.

I was too drained from the heat to bother with firewood or slabs like I usually do.

 

[betterbuilt]

That's a nice haul no matter how you look at it. Your and animal putting those cants in the truck alone. I can just see you throwing one over each shoulder and carrying them down the hill.

 

[mtngun]

After I was done milling -- or too tired too mill anymore -- I drove down to the creek looking for more blowdowns.

This is only 300 yards from where I was milling, yet here it was cool and shady, almost like a different climate. Engelmann spruce is the predominant species in this shady draw.

Ferns and moss. Even though it was broad daylight, the camera insisted on using flash. The sun never shines down here.

3 seedlings. From left to right, mountain maple, engelemann spruce, and doug fir.

The neighborhood champion doug fir. I haven't measured it, but I'd guess it to be 36" and perhaps 200 years old.

Ya, I know that's puny compared to coastal dougs, or even compared to old growth Idaho dougs (the state champion was 75" before it died), but they aren't allowed to grow that big on state land these days.

This tree has escaped the axe because it straddles a property line.

Anyway, my new rule is no more milling without an aux oiler. It's too hard on the saw.

When I first took up milling, I milled for several months without an aux -- but that was in the fall, not in the summer. This heat is hard on both saw and sawyer.

 

[PineFever]

As usual great pics and informative post. Bummer about the heat.
Looks like even with all the inconveniences you still had very productive day by the looks of your truck.

 

[BIG JAKE]

Not a bad take MtnGun. Are you keeping a tab on total amount of lumber milled? Would be interesting to quantify how much money you are saving milling your own lumber along with the fun.

 

[stipes]

Nice haul!!!

It's been too hot here to do alot of anything. After workin 12 hours a night in a factory thats like being in a oven I'm just too tired to do much of anything...I'm so glad fall is about here...I'm ready to hit the woods and get some stress relief..
Look like you had a good day of it,,and with the heat,,you did good...Pretty nice haul..

 

[discounthunter]

nice job. stay safe in this heat,no wood is worth heat exhaustion/heat stroke!

 

[guitarborist]

I have stopped all milling in the summer month for the last couple of years. The heat gets to me and the 075. I work out in the heat and cold all year so I am fairly used to it but the 075 gets a little dangerous in the heat. When the saw gets hot the gas starts to boil in the tank. If you open the cap the gas will vaporize and spew everywhere, not very safe. So I now only mill in the fall, winter and spring or below 70 degrees but in Montana that is about 10 months.

 

[smokinj]

Anymore done on your building?

 

[mtngun]

Anymore done on your building?

Worked on it yesterday but didn't get much done. The weather is supposed to cool off this week so I may take a few days off work and hit the construction project hard. Pics later, gotta go milling.