Wood Beetle to Woodbug...

[MotorSeven]

It hit 70 degrees yesterday & it wasn’t raining for a change, so I had to try my hand at cutting some dimensional lumber. I have a lot of beetle munched blown down white pine, so I loads 2 logs up and got them down to the mill. Y’all are right, I need to add a winch & arch onto the trailer, because my back is still a little sore . Anyway, I fiddled with the dimension stops & once I figured out everything, it went pretty fast. It took the 066 a little over a min to make each cut. I got 12 2x6x10’s & burned 3 tanks of gas, so, that’s 60 board feet for about $2 fuel/oil….not bad. I also learned that I will have to raise the mill up on bunks to keep the chain from running thru a pile of sawdust.
I got another 10’ section of Woodbug mill on ebay. Now I just have to do a road trip from TN to LA to pick the darn thing up. With 30’ of ‘bug I can cut my rafters as long as 27’….whoohoo!

RD

 

[irishcountry]

I have never seen a woodbug I know a few people have talked about them lately , neat setup looks like it gets the job done. Nice work.

 

[MotorSeven]

More...and yes i am digitally challenged, still can't get 'em to show up. Thanks for y'all's help, but i give up(rather be cutting wood!)

 

[TNMIKE]

Nice job Rick

Thats some nice looking lumber. I would have thought youd been to Louisianna by now.

 

[TNMIKE]

Btw

How did you get the log onto the trailer without a winch?

 

[MotorSeven]

The longer i wait, the bigger the crawfish will be in Breaux Bridge ! That and the wife wanted to go, but she's got too much work piled up. I put a hitch on the Diesel Jetta, did the bearings on that little trailer i use for logs, so i tlooks like i will make the 10hr run each way w/out a co-pilot.
RD

 

[MotorSeven]

How did you get the log onto the trailer without a winch?

"Not so" brute force......lifted up one end & set it on a short cant, then backed the trailer under it. Next time it will have the winch/arch on it!

 

[TNMIKE]

Jetta

What kinda mileage you gettin on the Jetta...ten hours is quicker than I would have thought

 

[MotorSeven]

41 around town, 50+ highway.

 

[user 19670]

Nice pics

Thanks for the look at your setup. I too am interested in the Woodbug. Pictures are always appreciated.

:camera:

 

[TNMIKE]

Its hard to understand

Why more car companies dont make small diesel engine cars. They would sell a ton of them. 50 plus mpg is better than just about anything out there with the exception of the hybrids. Think of what a three cylinder hybrid diesel would get.

I guess we are going to have the economy cave in on itself before the US government develops an energy policy.

 

[VT-Woodchuck]

Good to see another Woodbug! I am so jealous! I looked at mine today but it is just a lump under 30" of snow. Everything is sharpened and adjust - just waiting!

 

[TedChristiansen]

Why more car companies dont make small diesel engine cars. They would sell a ton of them. 50 plus mpg is better than just about anything out there with the exception of the hybrids. Think of what a three cylinder hybrid diesel would get.

I guess we are going to have the economy cave in on itself before the US government develops an energy policy.

Yes diesels are great and the fuel economy is better than the same power & torque gas engine. The problem is the cost. A diesel engine is more costly to manufacture than an equivalent (torque) gas engine. This cost cannot be passed on to the customers because they won't pay more than about $2000 for the diesel option.

Ted

 

[dustytools]

Nice set-up! Its been so wet here for what seems like forever, I wish that it would either dry up or freeze so that I could get out and do a little milling. Thanks for posting the pics.

 

[MotorSeven]

Europe is covered up with small diesels, even the big tree make them over there. Mike your right, it will take something big to change the way us americans think about fuel economy. The Jetta has a ton of torque, climbs mtns in 5th gear with the cruise on and passes all the gassers like they are sitting still. Hybrids are great, but there performance is at the low end of the scale, and i get better fuel economy then they do. I hate(HATE) driving a car, but it is ofset by getting over 700 miles to the tank. Rumors about gas hitting $4 this summer keep floating around. VW is comming out with a new diesel late this year that will have an mpg rating in the mid 50's, and it conforms to all epa standards even califiornia. Ahhh, don't get me started on the "we must wean ourselves off of fossil fuel" soapbox...heck mandatory compact fluroescent ligh bulbs would save this counry millions of barrels of oil a year. The gov should start a grid tied solar home program for all single family homes,,,,it would have a major impact. Ok, i'll stop now
Gordie, i found my 'bug pic's, & i am going to add some better one's to it before i drop it in the mail. I think i gave my only cd copy of the video away to my bud's dad, so i will get them to make me a copy.
Had a frustrating day, dropped a big cedar & one little vine at the top kept from falling. Ended up reaching as high as i could to meake a cut, then running like hell when it came down. Had to do that twice & still left a fence pole sized log hanging in thin air..........

RD

 

[user 19670]

Gordie, i found my 'bug pic's, & i am going to add some better one's to it before i drop it in the mail. I think i gave my only cd copy of the video away to my bud's dad, so i will get them to make me a copy.
Had a frustrating day, dropped a big cedar & one little vine at the top kept from falling. Ended up reaching as high as i could to meake a cut, then running like hell when it came down. Had to do that twice & still left a fence pole sized log hanging in thin air..........

RD

Thanks MotorSeven,

Sorry your day was frustrating. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

 

[TNMIKE]

We think a lot alike Rick

Solar should be an option with every new home built. The technology is available and the costs are coming down. Unfortunately a lot of states still do not have net metering and tax credits are few. Our political "leaders" are so swayed by lobbyists and their money its gonna take a disaster to change direction.

I recently read about a car company in Germany that is getting ready to market a small diesel car that gets over 100 mpg. I will post the link to this if I can find it.

 

[user 19670]

Solar should be an option with every new home built. The technology is available and the costs are coming down. Unfortunately a lot of states still do not have net metering and tax credits are few. Our political "leaders" are so swayed by lobbyists and their money its gonna take a disaster to change direction.

I recently read about a car company in Germany that is getting ready to market a small diesel car that gets over 100 mpg. I will post the link to this if I can find it.

Unfortuately solar will keep people in this climate (here) up on the roof all winter removing snow and ice. The battery packs are also cost prohibitive as well as hard on the environment and the fat copper wire you need for solar at low voltage is now very costly since China has boosted world prices not to mention them being a draw for home invasion and theft.

Also, in our climate (here) diesels are off the road when the temps are way down. They can fire with glow plugs but they won't stay running. The pitiful amount of heat they make if they do get running is hardly enough to defrost the windshield.
Gotta admit that I am not in favour of diesel since the exhaust from them irritates my breathing problems enormously.

Anyway, back to Milling opcorn:

 

[TNMIKE]

Hey Gordie

You can ground mount those panels and you wont have to climb. Home invasion never crosses my mind. Seriously, a man would have to have a death wish to do that here.

I know I got away from the thread topic. But my point was we are going to have to move away from the carbon based economy to survive.

Back to milling..Im done preaching.

got any more pics Rick...How big was that cedar you had hung up? I hate those vines. I am going on a killing spree this spring.

 

[MotorSeven]

It was a 50 footer or so. I have the 10' stump cut laying next to the mill. The cedar here tapers quick, this one is 15" at the stump end & 9" at the other, so i get one house log per tree, the rest is fence posts/log furniture & firewood. I am going to cut, skid & stack for awhile, then have a milling orgy........ More pic's enroute.
RD