Removing Large Cants From The Mill

[The WoodButcher]

Hi All, I have a customer that ordered 14 12"x12"x20' posts for a barn he's building. Here's a video of how we get these cants off the mill when complete. We have to do it this way because the roof doesnt allow for the mast of the forklift In the front of the mill building.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbvPi5qiJ6U

 

[Canuck]

WOW Randy!!!:elvis:

Now that is really impressive. Just how much do one of those weigh??

Do you pretty much use the same method to load the log onto mill?

Facinating!

Thanks for the video!:wsmile::wsmile::wsmile:

Wayne

 

[The WoodButcher]

No Wayne, we load the logs using the ramps. Just cant get the forklift close enough to unload because the roof doesn't allow for the mast of the forklift. Not sure of the weight somewhere around HEAVY. LOL

 

[Gotcha6]

Ever think about makin' a short boom pole to go on your forks? I know it decreases your vertical lift capacity, but you should be able to get one made that would reach in far enough without being too tipsy.

 

[DaveO]

Well now that's what I call some good ol boy engineerin' :eusa_clap:eusa_clap I was wonderin' how you were going to get it out from under the pole barn once you had it loaded on the forks.
Another method you might consider is moving the cant off the mill with the chain hoist like you do. But then lowering it down onto several small tree sections to act as rollers. Then it the cant can be rolled out to where the forklift can pick it up and drive out without obstruction.
I would guess that those cants weight between 900-1200 lbs. each depending on species and how dry they might be.

Dave

 

[The WoodButcher]

Hey Dennis, I have a boom pole for the forklift but it's not quite strong enough because I have to have it boomed down to get under the building and at that angle it wont handle it. DaveO I think I'm gonna weld a roller at the end of the mill just for things like this. Thanks for the ideas guys.

 

[McRabbet]

After watching the video and seeing how you had to maneuver the forklift several times to clear the end of the building's last post, I thought you might consider staging the forklift about 3/8's of the length of the cant from the building. That added distance would allow you to maintain the balance of the cant on your saw frame before it gets to the forks (keep them just below the height of the saw frame rollers). You should be able to push the cant out onto the forks before it tips and then continue to the balance point before releasing the chain fault. Should reduce the chain lift to a single point and the forklift maneuvering. My .02 -- let me know if that helps.

 

[Gotcha6]

I looked at the video again & couldn't tell, but is your trolley beam supported by your gable tie beam? Could it be repositioned under it & extended beyond the shed 8-10 feet?

 

[jeff...]

12x12-20 are a beast to handle looks like you doing a good job.

 

[Mike Davis]

Good job! I bet you don't get a job like that every week, might be worth some improvements if you did. But for something you might do once a year or once in ten years what you have does fine!

I would love to see the barn those beams are going into.

 

[The WoodButcher]

Hey Gotcha6, I wanted to put the trolly beam under the gable tie beam. However, when I was building the mill building I only had 14' posts and that didn't give the height I wanted, so I had to put the beam on the top of the gable beams. If I had to do this all the time I would make some changes. Hey McRabbet you caught that huh? Your right, I did put the forklift too close for the video, Most of the time it only takes one maybe two shots and I'm outa there. I have been putting it further away and it works great like that. Recon I better pay more attention when filming.:rotflm: Hey Mike I wanna see this barn as well. I think these are going to be the post for the barn.