Larson Thick N Thin Sawmill Upgrades

[cjmlarson]

Last fall, the board approved our budget request to construct a roof over the mill. To do this, we needed to add more fill to the north side of the mill and also extend the area where the engines sit. This way they will sit more level while operating on the mill.

This past Saturday, we assembled a crew to get the fill hauled and placed. We want to thank Rick H, Josh (Danger Boy), Louie & Klinger for making this happen.

Josh is using the sheep's foot packing and Rick is coming with another load of fill.

Here Josh is packing with Klinger's M International.

Here Josh is packing with Lynette Briden's Case. If it would have taken us any longer, he would have tried out every tractor on the grounds!

Prior to hauling the fill, I backdrug all the rock I had placed last year and tried to save as much of it as I could. This way we could re-use it after we got done adding fill to all the areas.

Here Clayton is placing the rock back on the ramp area where the engines drive up to the sawmill.



I do not have pictures of Louie helping haul fill. Also, Klinger was using his motorgrader out at the borrow area. I think Josh got some pictures of this. If they turned out Josh, please post.

At one point, Rick and Louie were both hauling at the same time. I had to slow those guys down, because the fill was coming too fast and Josh and I couldn't get it spread and packed fast enough.

 

[DOXEY41]

The rest of the story

Here is a photo of the area with a few loads of clay.

Clayton spreading a load so that it could be packed

Thick n Thin Mill

Here is Rick H scraping the clay from the borrow hill. The borrow hill was located in the main parking lot

Klinger's motorgrader he would push it into a pile and then Louie would load up with the payloader

Louie on the 500 Case heading to the mill with a load

Here comes Louie to dump. Clayton would pull the rope to dump the clay where he wanted it!

 

[DOXEY41]

There he goes back for more

Get out of the way here comes Rick!

It sure is funny how Clayton never gives himself any of the credit. Well Clayton thank you with out your help this would have taken all day. What a great day it was started kinda slow but we finished strong. But that is just my opinion great work everyone what a fun bunch to work with. Sorry about my typing grammar was never a strong point for me.

 

[DOXEY41]

Opps forgot Jane! thanks Jane thanks thanks !

 

[DOXEY41]

Was at the hill Sunday. What a beautiful day it was so nice I just had to fire up the sawmill. I sure hope Clayton isn't mad but he will get over it! It went so good I ran 16 footers though like butter. Until I hit a log full of nails! oops looks like we have more work then a roof
The source of the power!

Toby did Clayton's job

Toby yelling at me like Clayton!

Toby Showing the great work done last weekend!

 

[DOXEY41]

All kidding aside tooks some other pictures that are really neat to me. Hope some of you get a kick out of them.
Clayton's view

Size up the logs with this handle

The sawmills golden arch

Work that was done last weekend

Earlier that day Caleb (nephew) and I where playing in the dirt at the lake. He loves anything with a engine soon to be a W.M.S.T.R

Caleb already for the 10 o clock parade

 

[cjmlarson]

Horsepower

Chevy HHR = Handle Horsepower Responsibly.

Looks like Josh did, as the dog is still alive.

I think I need to keep him busier this summer...

 

[m kerkvliet]

I was going to say something about the Chevy powered saw mill not being believable, but if it were a Dodge????

Clayton and Janes response was much more clever than anything I could have ever came up with!

I was impressed that you put a twist in the "belt" though Josh...

 

[DOXEY41]

Yes Mark I sure did put that twist in. I was wondering if anyone would have notice that! That was such a great belt I think we should donate it to that other mill. It should be plenty strong enough for what they cut!

 

[Merlyn Meyer]

Josh
I've gotten a kick out of looking at these pictures and reading the posts. As for belts, you know that we have been using Doc Knutson's Super, Super Heavy Duty belt because that is the only belt that can stand up running our high production mill!!

Merlyn

 

[DOXEY41]

Good point Merlin! Just one thing though. Think N Thin mill needs TWO count them TWO steam engines to run our operation! We tried it with just one engine it was not enough. It would hold us back from our real potential. My thought is even if we had to worn belts it still would be better then your super super belt! Now would that make us twice as better then the other Mill? I can see it now we need a SAW OFF!! To end this fair and square!

In the Right Corner we have EARLS MILL​

They come from the south side of the grounds ​

Weighing in at heavy weight division​

slight advantages's ​

They have 2 board members working with in the mill, tons of knowledge and wisdom and a planer. ​

In the Left Corner we have Thick N Thin Mill
They come from the bottom of a hill over by the west gate
Weighing in at the light weight division
advantages's
No board members working with in our mill
Fresh crew ready to prove something, Just retored Mill and the best looking crew on the grounds aswell as some knowledge and wisdom​

We want a good fight no below the belt hits or racing and NO Cutting Safty any takers ????​

 

[m kerkvliet]

Late last fall, Earls mill got a "Special Order" to cut some lumber for a building project on the hill this summer.

Let's see... if I could only remember who that "Special Order" was being cut for? I am drawing a blank! I do remember Jane (and later after most of the work was done, Clayton) showing up to help with this "Special Order" though...

I wish I could remember who that "Special Order" was being cut for! Must be an important job to get Earls Mill to fire up so late in the fall!

Can anyone help me out with who that "Special Order" was for????

 

[s.d. jon]

lumber

Hey Mark, just thinking you're a lot younger than Jerry C. Are you drinking from the same well?
Looking forward to the battle of youth and exuberance vs. wisdom and experience.
Also wondering since Danger Boy put a twist in that belt, does he run the chevy in forward or reverse?

 

[Merlyn Meyer]

Josh-
What would be the rules? We would have to go for quality, not quantity. All THICK or THIN boards could not be counted. Like a prize fight, its not the number of punches thrown, its the number that connect that makes a WINNER!
Merlyn

 

[m kerkvliet]

Hey Mark, just thinking you're a lot younger than Jerry C. Are you drinking from the same well?

Let's just say that I am NOT retired!

 

[wifyan]

OH MY GOD!!! It's getting REALLY deep in this thread! Glad my feet are not on the floor or I would be standing in poo. I can see a saw off coming tho. Should be fun.

We'll hit you with a one two punch of knowledge and wisdom.

 

[DOXEY41]

Merlyn
The rules are not yet planed. I was thinking that six of the best guys on the crew. Six 12 footers good size logs equal in size. There would be a time limit set? No use of the plainer just ruff cut lumber. There should be three judges to give the sawmill the win or loss. P.S Yancy would have to deliver both mills with the logs so he doesn’t feel left out!
Jon I believe I but the lever in plowing motion!

 

[cjmlarson]

Upgrades

I will try to get this thread back on track. My Master Edger (Danger Boy) and Earl's Mill's Master of Everything Wood (Merlyn), have had fun bantering back and forth.

Some of the rafters for the roof came from a neighbor, a small distance from me. When I went to pick them up, Roger, his 2 brother-in-laws, Dale & Bruce, and Roger's boys, Andy & Adam, helped me get them out of the shed they were in and load them on the donahue.

When you have enough help, things like this go real smoothly. After loading the 14 rafters, I hauled them out to the showgrounds. Then Bob (Santa Claus) and Phil, helped me pull all the nails out and get them ready for installation.

 

[cjmlarson]

Work Weekend

This weekend we'll be having a work weekend at the Larson Thick 'N Thin Sawmill. We will be building rafters and beams for the roof, and also stacking and banding the 2x4s that were planed last weekend. Looking at the weather forecast, hopefully we can have a good day on Saturday and complete this work without any rain issues.

If you can help, it would be greatly appreciated. We will be starting bright and early on Saturday morning. Please bring any tools that you may need, such as hammers, tape measures, skill saw etc...

Thanks!

 

[cjmlarson]

Planing Rafter Boards

Last fall we had all of the 2x4s cut and stacked under the roof at Earl's Sawmill. One rainy, wet spring day (early summer), we planed all of the 2x4s so we could get them out of the way of the Earl's crew.

Here Klinger and Josh are sliding the boards into Earl's so Roger and Merlyn can run them through the planer.

Here is Merlyn feeding the planer.

Here's Louie and Bob (Santa Claus) stacking the planed lumber.


Thanks to Earl's Mill for all of their help.