Hey Guys love your channel! I live in Alaska also. I was watching your video on building the sawmill base and stand. I do have a suggestion. So the frost this winter might, not saying it will but probably will twist, and push your base totally out of plum. I wouldn't bolt the saw mill to the base because it will bend and pretty much destroy the rails of the sawmill. I would if I were you do a concrete pad and mount the base to the concrete. I hope you don't mind me making the suggestion, it's just that I have a sawmill also, and this advice comes from my experience in Alaska with sawmill base. Please keep the videos coming, I absolutely love the channel.
Agreed! As they dug deep for the posts to sit on solid ground , it still doesn’t eliminate that the heaving will push the post sideways overtime and whatever sits on top of them need to have the opportunity to slide.
Hello 👋 glad to hear you love the channel! Do you happen to live in a permafrost area to have those issues? I can agree a concrete floor would be great other than the cost and it's not practical to heat a curing slab this time of year with freezing temps at night. We are on a limited budget because we are allocating our savings to build a home out of pocket, it is our priority. I am curious about the posts moving as you explain. Many pole barns are built in this same manner and they hold steady when concreted into the ground below the frost line for 20-plus years. If we were living in Fairbanks we probably would have built a floating stand on top of the ground. We will give an update after winter on how the stand works out for us.
@@northtoalaska2022 The post foundation you used is the one commonly used in Alaska. Don't get caught up in our comments; we suggest that it may compromise the precision of your machine. For a house that is acceptable. I'm sure you'll be fine. Concrete slabs are not ideal either; depending on the soil drainage heaving can occur, and slab can shit. You're doing right for the budget you want to put. Look at the USDA soil report for your region of Alaska to get data for soil drainage, type, and frost line. It is a good info.
Thank you for a series of videos that are actually true, not just some video blogger, "building a cabin in the bush" just for youtube advertising revenue. Keep the videos coming, all the best to both of you, and the dog
You are welcome! Glad that you are enjoying our videos 🙂 This is our new life out here, it is not all glorious but we will share the highlights! We are building up our property with a long-term mindset. Thanks for the well wishes!
I found your channel last night and watched multiple episodes. I look forward to keeping up on your homestead progress and life in Alaska. Your channel reminds me of ‘Simple Living’. This is an Alaskan couple that are amazing! God bless you and keep you safe as you continue your journey. I will look forward to new adventures that you share.
I think your loyal pooch deserves an award for enthusiastic tail wagging, sonic nose grubbing and digging, and gleefull on-back-roll-in-it maneuvers. What a hoot. Hank The Cowdog from Texas and a brother somewhere on the Kenai. Go well, and best wishes for an instructive winter season.
The best part about the change we made is having more time to spend together! It may look like play but it is a lot of hard work too. The hard work does help us save money and get to where we want to be in life, so it is worth it for sure. Thank you for watching!
After I retired from my profession I attended college and qualified as a carpenter and joiner - I enjoy outdoor projects of the type you both have done. Admire your care for precision. Thoroughly enjoyed the real project video, thank you. Phil, suffolk, U.K.🇬🇧
Glad we can share with you! We have a video coming out in a few hours that has beautiful snow scenery! What area are you from with no snow? Thank you 🙂
What a great asset to your homestead and I like the way you put it up off the ground, making it easy to work on. Most I've seen have them on a concrete slab. I think every homestead needs a skid steer, it just makes life easier. Thanks for sharing ❤✌🙏
With back problems being a real issue, the sawmill at this height should help give some relief 🙂 building a homestead would be very difficult without some type of equipment. It is back-breaking labor to attempt by hand. The original homesteaders who came to Alaska many years ago had a near-impossible task on hand to build up the untouched lands by hand. They must have been incredibly strong-willed people. Thanks for watching 🙂
@10:06 He was already planning on sawing that first log. I know the look. I've had my WM sawmill since March of 2019. Absolutely love it. Actually, I think that was a blessing to have it a bit too tall at initial setup. By bringing in extra dirt you are getting further away from the frost depth. Happy milling!
😅 that was true! It is good to hear your happy testimony about your woodland mills, we are hopeful it will last us many years. We purchased this machine based on good reviews from "Sawing with Sandy" I'm sure you have seen his channel. He has a lot of good info on milling.
The cement mixer is so nice , I have never seen before , you save a lot of money to mill your own wood and build the house , there is a bright path to success, great work 👍
Good morning you guys hope you guys are having a great day and great afternoon where are you guys at you keep up the good work and I'm proud of you guys God bless you guys and be safe ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I like how you’re taking the time to do it right to last you longer. A lot of the other Alaskan’s builds are simply hacked up to cut cost and time but not yours.
Thank you! We do try to keep costs low but also build keeping in mind that we want everything to last as long as possible. We plan to be here a long time, if not indefinitely. Thanks for watching 🙂
Just remember young man a day with out learning is a day of loss. Looking good guys we are really looking forward to going through your build with you . Happy Trails
You are not alone, we dreamed of moving to an area like this for many years. There are thousands of people out here building up their lives and dreams the same as us. Glad you like the quality of our videos, we put in a lot of effort to make them worth watching it is nice to hear they are good 🙂 thank you!
GREAT VIDEO! learned so much. Completely forgot that the milled wood needs to dry out… you two are doing a great job. Can’t wait to see what’s next. Love the clips of your very happy pup. He is hilarious. 👍🏻🥰
Thank you glad to hear you enjoyed it 🙂 Benelli is always having such a grand time in the woods, he searches for the small voles that are borrowing in the moss.
Good idea on placing the saw at that height. You don't see too many people doing it that way. Great that you have the cement machine and the skid steer too! Nice job for the long term per usual. Love your Lab...such a goofball.
Thank you! We wanted it high enough to reduce strain on the back from bending over to work. Without a machine to put logs on the deck, this would not be practical. Benelli is always a goof outside. He has been trying to find the small voles that are burrowed in the moss!
Guy’s if they only had this stuff back when I was younger 60ts 70ts LoL WOW what we could have accomplished y’all but that was then and this is now::::::)
We do wish we had an option to rent the mixer instead of purchasing it, but it has been a great tool to have! Many future projects will be a lot less daunting with the mixer to get them done! We are glad to hear you love our videos ❤️
I just found your channel yesterday and binged watched all of your videos. Your videos are the way they all should be, informative, straight forward and no extra BS or drama. I would like to see a video where you tell us about your background, why you decided to leave Pa., and if your move is what you thought it would be? Keep up the Great work.
Glad you found us 😀 it is great to hear you are enjoying our channel! We never thought we would have so many people interested in what we are doing but it has grown very fast. We do have plans to make a video, explaining who we are and why we are here over the winter for everyone who enjoys watching us build our new life here. Thanks for watching!
Great saw. I have 1 just like it. No issues at all. I've cut a lot of wood with it. Currently cutting 1/2" slabs for ship lap. Make sure you have lots of blades. In 3 years I've gone thru 8 cutting only pine.
I have a 126 also. When I got it the guy said their are two types of people who have sawmills. Those who have cut their log stops (and trashed blades), and those who are going to cut their log stops. I'm firmly in the second camp. Just something else I've learned, when you have two sides slabbed and go to take the third side, rotate the log so the wider side (deeper cut) is against the log stops. It provides a better hold.
Thank you for the tip! I can believe damaged blades are inevitable, I worry about steel in trees too we found trees grown into metal fences from the original homesteaders. It is a shame the blade safety bar is worthless to protect the blade on these. I had to rotate it out of the way on the first log because it caught on tree knots.
Good Video, Put a Star above the Door and a 1/4 MOON on the Door, Then Every one Knows Where The OUT House is , Great job, Keep the Videos Coming, From Ocala Florida USA
Awesome job‼️. Just a suggestion, add a beam in front of the second bunk low enough to get a bottle jack under the log. Basically a poor man’s toe board, then make sure you put the small end close to the mill head. ALWAYS be aware of your log stop height, ask me how I know 😂. You could build a narrow deck to walk on as long as you can still get the skid steer close enough to load logs. Keep up the great work and stay safe
Thanks! I did contemplate building a small deck to get out of the mud. Going to try road cloth and gravel out first. I do like having the sawmill up high so I don't have to bend over as much to work but filling the lube tank is a chore i think i need to relocate it. It's funny they have a safety bar to keep from cutting your bunks on this but it seems worthless because the first cut it became caught on a bump in the log and had to be adjusted out of the way to continue cutting. I'm sure the day will come when we accidentally ruin a blade haha. I found that it also seems to need another log clamp, I could watch the log move at some point in the cut. Ended up ordering another log clamp and the factory toe board a few weeks ago to make it easier to use. Shipping up here is ridiculous on bulky or heavy items, I had it shipped on a barge to bring shipping costs down but it may be slow to arrive.
a car port style shed with 1 side large enough to accomodate longer logs when driving with the skid steer which covers you and the machine head from rain or snow.... next year project maybe.
The more you cut the more you will find store lumber is higher and sucks. I cut 25” pine and those 1x18x16’ incredible. Happy sawing. And remember sawdust is man’s glitter
also to make your blade last longer, after you do the first cut, rotate the log so the clean cut edge is facing your right, (if the blade cuts right to left and you're behind the power head) the less cutting into the bark and the more cutting out of it, or not cutting it at all the better. rocks, dirt, mud in the bark wear the blade down faster.
Just remember when you put that log on your mill be sure and put something underneath the small end to get it taller to even out with the big end that way when you make your first cut it's even all the way across that way you don't waste any wood that's valuable. It also gives you a Level Playing Field for your log when you flip it over
Simple living Alaska put out a video not long ago about milling logs that are not same size on each end, might help you. Love your videos and seeing all your progress.
As a heads up with sawmills, if you are cutting lots of pine, use that cheapo dollar store style pinesol with water. it works the best for the money because pine is too damn sappy and will gunk up the blade. if you are cutting hard wood, the water a dish soap will work fine. also, if you start seeing the blade dive up and down thats the #1 sign your blade is dull. happy sawmilling!
You guys are killing it. You can run diesel for lube on the bandmill as well. We have 3 6" wide bandmills at work that run it for lube. Consider a debarker attachment for the chainsaw. Bark hides so much crap that chew up band blades. We debark every log and still only get a few hours of use per blade.
Don't look now...your dog is about to steal your show. I think it likes being in Alaska. Love that concrete mixer, just did 1600 lbs and thought about it with every 80 lbs bag. I had to do more than hold onto the handle (10:16)😄 that thing is a dream.
Haha, the dog loves to hunt voles in the forest and dig. He's always enjoying the outdoors when we work on projects. The cement mixer is great, I understand the struggle with a barrel mixer. The price of the mud mixer is hard to eat but we have so much work to do it is a necessary cost. Some areas do offer them for rent maybe you have that option nearby! Thanks for watching 🙂
Hi nice couple, I discovered your channel and am now binge watching to catch up. Very nice! Small feedback point: I see Chris having difficulty with the auger. That's bad for your back. Pulling up that drill much more often to get rid of the soil is much more convenient, better for your back and hardly slower. Greetings from the Netherlands, Mark
Hello 👋 glad you are enjoying our videos! We quickly learned exactly what you mentioned. Small bites are easy to pull out! We hit clay in some holes and it is so sticky to pull out.
Cool video ! Sawmill will save you so much money building your house and barns outbuildings and other structures on your property. Here’s an idea.... Reach out by phone to all the tree companies in your area maybe within 50 miles and ask them when they’re cutting trees on peoples properties if they’ll let U know any logs that’s big enough for your sawmill that you’ll take or come get if they have a way to load them on your trailer & you haul em home. The tree companies doing jobs close enough to your house may even bring them to your house rather than taking them further or having to pay to dump them somewhere. Some people who get trees cut wanna keep the wood for firewood. But not all many want them hauled off their property. Hey it could be Beneficial for your Saw mill and your lumber needs to reach out to these tree cutting companies in your area. Of course I’m not talking about loggers they’ll definitely not give you the logs, but the tree service guys certainly will or charge you a bare minimum for them. That way you can save many of your own trees around there on your own property. 😉👍🏼
Great content. I have a sawmill too. It's very satisfying but you're right to buy your dimensional lumber. Probably less expensive when factoring your time. I was surprised how quickly blades dull and it's my biggest expense after labour. Hopefully you can find someone close to sharpen/set your blades.
Thank you! I am excited to get more into sawmill work it seems like a productive hobby! I did order 10 blades with the machine. Wondering if owning a blade sharpener could be cost-effective if we can offer local blade sharpening for other folks in need of sharpening. As of right now, I don't know of any businesses that sharpen nearby.
@@northtoalaska2022 If you can find customers and you have the time, I suppose. Milling is a hobby for me so I don't have a professional sharpening setup but I use a chainsaw disc sharpener which is good for only about 1 sharpening and I have to keep the disc smooth or it will eventually groove at the top of the teeth and cut the tops off. I don't have a tooth setter. I'm lucky to have local sharping services which costs about half a new blade.
Just found your channel ! So far , I love it ! Also, just love how you both work together so perfectly ! I've watched some other channels and the women just walk around with their heads in the sky . Keep us the great work !! Best wishes !!!
Not sure if you know this or if it'll even work in the Alaskan cold, but we use a mix of dish soap and water for our lubricant. It's cheaper, works great, and adds a great smell to the milling process.
@@northtoalaska2022 No problem. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask, as I'm sure many people are as engrossed in this venture as I am; however, you know what they say about opinions.
Great start ! I love my Woodland HM122 :) I have just over 80hrs on it & it cut all the wood for it's new home & over 600 1+8 for all my siding jobs for next summer, Happy New Year ! stay warm :)
I'm impressed with you setting your post down below frost. In a few other videos I've seen ,some have put their build on post set only a couple of feet down which is way above the area's frost lines guides, and some have even poured concrete footings on top of the ground In deep frost affected ares. I not sure what they were thinking. You won't be seeing any problems with your posts heaving due to frost issues come winter. Good luck.
Thank you! With Alaska being so vast the terrain can change a lot by location. Our stone layer is below the frost line in most spots of our property so it is fairly easy to dig into the ground. We do try to make most of our projects permanent or last a long time because we plan to stay here indefinitely. The only place where It would be acceptable imo to build a footing on the surface for a permanent structure would be in a permafrost area above the Arctic Circle because the ground is too unstable and may be impossible to get below the frost line. That type of footing will need a lot of maintenance and adjustment over the life of a structure. Proper footings and posts below frost are money well spent in the long run for sure.
Hi From Willow Guys, I purchased my mill with a trailer, it will make it a little easier to keep level and also portable, your going to have a blast making your own lumber and there’s some nice trees in your area
@@northtoalaska2022 I have the same mill although I have the HM130, I love it, it’s just as a caregiver I don’t get a lot if time right now, when I was on the peninsula I sold lumber and cleared the roadways of the beetle dead, I so miss it down there, soon I’ll be hopefully in the caribou hills area off grid, I love your progress, your property looks awesome, God Bless You Guys
You commented that we might be bored watching some things you do. This video was very entertaining even though it was "just setting up a sawmill". jack
This was an entertaining one for us too! Some viewers in our older comments were asking for more weekly blogs of everyday type stuff and that is mainly what we are trying to avoid. We enjoy making videos about projects like this and new fun experiences.
Hey Guys love your channel! I live in Alaska also. I was watching your video on building the sawmill base and stand. I do have a suggestion. So the frost this winter might, not saying it will but probably will twist, and push your base totally out of plum. I wouldn't bolt the saw mill to the base because it will bend and pretty much destroy the rails of the sawmill. I would if I were you do a concrete pad and mount the base to the concrete. I hope you don't mind me making the suggestion, it's just that I have a sawmill also, and this advice comes from my experience in Alaska with sawmill base. Please keep the videos coming, I absolutely love the channel.
Agreed! As they dug deep for the posts to sit on solid ground
, it still doesn’t eliminate that the heaving will push the post sideways overtime and whatever sits on top of them need to have the opportunity to slide.
Hello 👋 glad to hear you love the channel! Do you happen to live in a permafrost area to have those issues? I can agree a concrete floor would be great other than the cost and it's not practical to heat a curing slab this time of year with freezing temps at night. We are on a limited budget because we are allocating our savings to build a home out of pocket, it is our priority. I am curious about the posts moving as you explain. Many pole barns are built in this same manner and they hold steady when concreted into the ground below the frost line for 20-plus years. If we were living in Fairbanks we probably would have built a floating stand on top of the ground. We will give an update after winter on how the stand works out for us.
Nice! I'm looking forward to seeing the house getting built! Keep those videos coming❤❤❤
❤️
@@northtoalaska2022 The post foundation you used is the one commonly used in Alaska. Don't get caught up in our comments; we suggest that it may compromise the precision of your machine. For a house that is acceptable. I'm sure you'll be fine. Concrete slabs are not ideal either; depending on the soil drainage heaving can occur, and slab can shit. You're doing right for the budget you want to put. Look at the USDA soil report for your region of Alaska to get data for soil drainage, type, and frost line. It is a good info.
Beautiful dog
🥰
Thank you for a series of videos that are actually true, not just some video blogger, "building a cabin in the bush" just for youtube advertising revenue.
Keep the videos coming, all the best to both of you, and the dog
You are welcome! Glad that you are enjoying our videos 🙂 This is our new life out here, it is not all glorious but we will share the highlights! We are building up our property with a long-term mindset. Thanks for the well wishes!
I found your channel last night and watched multiple episodes. I look forward to keeping up on your homestead progress and life in Alaska. Your channel reminds me of ‘Simple Living’. This is an Alaskan couple that are amazing! God bless you and keep you safe as you continue your journey. I will look forward to new adventures that you share.
Thank you, and God bless 🙏
I think that company has a different definition of portable than most people! Great build. It's nice to see a couple who know what they are doing.
I think your loyal pooch deserves an award for enthusiastic tail wagging, sonic nose grubbing and digging, and gleefull on-back-roll-in-it maneuvers. What a hoot. Hank The Cowdog from Texas and a brother somewhere on the Kenai. Go well, and best wishes for an instructive winter season.
Benelli is always trying to steal the show 😅 thank you!
You guys have a great life, you get to play all day and build great things and spend time with each other
The best part about the change we made is having more time to spend together! It may look like play but it is a lot of hard work too. The hard work does help us save money and get to where we want to be in life, so it is worth it for sure. Thank you for watching!
@@northtoalaska2022 it definitely is hard work
@@northtoalaska2022 I very much love your videos and your channel and I’m looking forward to watching you build your house
Thank you! It is great to hear you love our videos 😃 we are doing our best to keep everyone updated on our progress.
After I retired from my profession I attended college and qualified as a carpenter and joiner - I enjoy outdoor projects of the type you both have done. Admire your care for precision. Thoroughly enjoyed the real project video, thank you. Phil, suffolk, U.K.🇬🇧
Glad we could share the project with you here! Thank you for your kind words.
I have not seen anybody on these Alaska channels build as well as you do. Love your videos.
Where I live there is no snow. So I really like watching snow. Where you live is wonderful. The way you build is amazing. I love you guys
Glad we can share with you! We have a video coming out in a few hours that has beautiful snow scenery! What area are you from with no snow? Thank you 🙂
@@northtoalaska2022 I will watch your video
I come from Vietnam
Wish you have many good videos
Thank you
What a great asset to your homestead and I like the way you put it up off the ground, making it easy to work on. Most I've seen have them on a concrete slab. I think every homestead needs a skid steer, it just makes life easier. Thanks for sharing ❤✌🙏
With back problems being a real issue, the sawmill at this height should help give some relief 🙂 building a homestead would be very difficult without some type of equipment. It is back-breaking labor to attempt by hand. The original homesteaders who came to Alaska many years ago had a near-impossible task on hand to build up the untouched lands by hand. They must have been incredibly strong-willed people. Thanks for watching 🙂
Or a backhoe! A clamshell bucket can bite most logs and it's a heavy lifter.
@10:06 He was already planning on sawing that first log. I know the look. I've had my WM sawmill since March of 2019. Absolutely love it. Actually, I think that was a blessing to have it a bit too tall at initial setup. By bringing in extra dirt you are getting further away from the frost depth. Happy milling!
😅 that was true! It is good to hear your happy testimony about your woodland mills, we are hopeful it will last us many years. We purchased this machine based on good reviews from "Sawing with Sandy" I'm sure you have seen his channel. He has a lot of good info on milling.
The cement mixer is so nice , I have never seen before , you save a lot of money to mill your own wood and build the house , there is a bright path to success, great work 👍
Thank you 😃
Good luck building your sawmill stand
👍👍
Good morning you guys hope you guys are having a great day and great afternoon where are you guys at you keep up the good work and I'm proud of you guys God bless you guys and be safe ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Good morning and thank you! We hope you are doing well and have a great day too 🙂 ❤️🙏
I like how you’re taking the time to do it right to last you longer. A lot of the other Alaskan’s builds are simply hacked up to cut cost and time but not yours.
Thank you! We do try to keep costs low but also build keeping in mind that we want everything to last as long as possible. We plan to be here a long time, if not indefinitely. Thanks for watching 🙂
Just remember young man a day with out learning is a day of loss. Looking good guys we are really looking forward to going through your build with you . Happy Trails
Very true, Thank you!
You are doing exactly what I dream of doing. A true inspiration, and the content-quality is very good! Love it!
You are not alone, we dreamed of moving to an area like this for many years. There are thousands of people out here building up their lives and dreams the same as us. Glad you like the quality of our videos, we put in a lot of effort to make them worth watching it is nice to hear they are good 🙂 thank you!
Enfin , je vous retrouve . Ma journée sera meilleure . Merci👍
We are glad you found us! Thank you for watching! 😀
GREAT VIDEO! learned so much. Completely forgot that the milled wood needs to dry out… you two are doing a great job. Can’t wait to see what’s next. Love the clips of your very happy pup. He is hilarious. 👍🏻🥰
Thank you glad to hear you enjoyed it 🙂 Benelli is always having such a grand time in the woods, he searches for the small voles that are borrowing in the moss.
Great video
Thank you 😃
Great job building your sawmill stand
Thank you!
Good idea on placing the saw at that height. You don't see too many people doing it that way. Great that you have the cement machine and the skid steer too! Nice job for the long term per usual. Love your Lab...such a goofball.
Thank you! We wanted it high enough to reduce strain on the back from bending over to work. Without a machine to put logs on the deck, this would not be practical. Benelli is always a goof outside. He has been trying to find the small voles that are burrowed in the moss!
I don’t know the economics of milling your own wood but it’s got to be so satisfying! I see snow on the horizon though…real snow….
Haha, we have been blessed with a second fall this week! Looks like winter will be setting in soon, more snow Is in the weekly forecast.
Guy’s if they only had this stuff back when I was younger 60ts 70ts
LoL WOW what we could have accomplished y’all but that was then and this is now::::::)
Technology advancements have made life a lot easier in areas like Alaska that is for sure.
That's a neat little contraption for pouring concrete!! Never saw one like that before. 🙂
Outstanding job on the sawmill, and cutting the trim. Your hard work will definitely pay off in the future. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you 😃
The cement mixer was well worth the money. Looks easy to use and looks much easier to use than a barrel mixer. Loving your videos.
We do wish we had an option to rent the mixer instead of purchasing it, but it has been a great tool to have! Many future projects will be a lot less daunting with the mixer to get them done! We are glad to hear you love our videos ❤️
Wish you all the success you two can stand. 🙏
Thank you! 😀
Greetings from Pakistan, beautiful morning with first snow fall.Good job done by you guys by building sawmill.Keep working and Smiling.
Hello 👋 the snow does make for beautiful scenery 😍 thank you!
I just found your channel yesterday and binged watched all of your videos. Your videos are the way they all should be, informative, straight forward and no extra BS or drama. I would like to see a video where you tell us about your background, why you decided to leave Pa., and if your move is what you thought it would be?
Keep up the Great work.
Glad you found us 😀 it is great to hear you are enjoying our channel! We never thought we would have so many people interested in what we are doing but it has grown very fast. We do have plans to make a video, explaining who we are and why we are here over the winter for everyone who enjoys watching us build our new life here. Thanks for watching!
Good to see a lot of helpful comments coming your way! Keep the videos coming guys 🙌
Glad you are enjoying our videos 😀
I am still watching so keep up the good work I realize it’s time are you can’t do a lot outdoors but I am looking forward to watching you God bless
Thank you ❤️ the weather has turned snowy at the moment but we are warm and happy! God bless 🙏
Take the saw dust and spread it where you are going to be walking it will harden the mud and make it like concrete.
No dirt around posts
Just landscape/road base mat and gravel to working height.
Great. Job, now I want to watch you build your cabin.
We are on the same page, gravel would be best for working on top of 🙂
Congratulations on getting that Mill up it looks great. It does a great job. Keep it up you two are doing great
Thank you!
Great saw. I have 1 just like it. No issues at all. I've cut a lot of wood with it. Currently cutting 1/2" slabs for ship lap. Make sure you have lots of blades. In 3 years I've gone thru 8 cutting only pine.
Very nice! Glad to hear this. We purchased a ten-pack with it. Hopefully, they go a long way.
You two made my day! So glad you purchased a sawmill. You have all the equipment you need to make it a money savings equipment.👍👀✌️👌
You have created a great channel. It is amazing to see you work together so well.
Thank you! We do make a great team 🙂
Very cool! Can’t wait to see all the wood projects/house improvements you will build with the wood from your beautiful land!
Thank you, we are excited about so many ideas and possibilities! 😃
Always a joy to see another episode of your hard work. Cheers!
Thank you! 😀
That is a great addition to your homestead. You will be able to save many dollars and enjoy the mill for many days to come.
Agreed 🙂
I have a 126 also. When I got it the guy said their are two types of people who have sawmills. Those who have cut their log stops (and trashed blades), and those who are going to cut their log stops. I'm firmly in the second camp. Just something else I've learned, when you have two sides slabbed and go to take the third side, rotate the log so the wider side (deeper cut) is against the log stops. It provides a better hold.
Thank you for the tip! I can believe damaged blades are inevitable, I worry about steel in trees too we found trees grown into metal fences from the original homesteaders. It is a shame the blade safety bar is worthless to protect the blade on these. I had to rotate it out of the way on the first log because it caught on tree knots.
Awesome looking sawmill
Glad to see you two, love watching you build your homestead!❤️❤️✌️
Thank you 😃 ❤️👍👍
Good Video, Put a Star above the Door and a 1/4 MOON on the Door, Then Every one Knows Where The OUT House is , Great job, Keep the Videos Coming, From Ocala Florida USA
We were thinking about that! Not sure if it would be too drafty when the wind kicks up or not. Thank you!
Livin' my dream...build a solar lumber drier ! AWESOME GUYS !! KUDOS !
Thank you 🙂
Awesome job‼️. Just a suggestion, add a beam in front of the second bunk low enough to get a bottle jack under the log. Basically a poor man’s toe board, then make sure you put the small end close to the mill head. ALWAYS be aware of your log stop height, ask me how I know 😂. You could build a narrow deck to walk on as long as you can still get the skid steer close enough to load logs. Keep up the great work and stay safe
Thanks! I did contemplate building a small deck to get out of the mud. Going to try road cloth and gravel out first. I do like having the sawmill up high so I don't have to bend over as much to work but filling the lube tank is a chore i think i need to relocate it. It's funny they have a safety bar to keep from cutting your bunks on this but it seems worthless because the first cut it became caught on a bump in the log and had to be adjusted out of the way to continue cutting. I'm sure the day will come when we accidentally ruin a blade haha. I found that it also seems to need another log clamp, I could watch the log move at some point in the cut. Ended up ordering another log clamp and the factory toe board a few weeks ago to make it easier to use. Shipping up here is ridiculous on bulky or heavy items, I had it shipped on a barge to bring shipping costs down but it may be slow to arrive.
a car port style shed with 1 side large enough to accomodate longer logs when driving with the skid steer which covers you and the machine head from rain or snow.... next year project maybe.
Definitely in the future plans 🙂
The more you cut the more you will find store lumber is higher and sucks. I cut 25” pine and those 1x18x16’ incredible. Happy sawing. And remember sawdust is man’s glitter
This is true!
I have no idea what you paid for that old bobcat,but it has been a big asset.
Отличная лесопилка! Вы молодцы! Хорошая работа! Классное видео получилось! Мне понравилось! Круто Круто!!!
Thank you glad you enjoyed 🙂
also to make your blade last longer, after you do the first cut, rotate the log so the clean cut edge is facing your right, (if the blade cuts right to left and you're behind the power head) the less cutting into the bark and the more cutting out of it, or not cutting it at all the better. rocks, dirt, mud in the bark wear the blade down faster.
Thank you for the tip, will keep this in mind as well!
Just remember when you put that log on your mill be sure and put something underneath the small end to get it taller to even out with the big end that way when you make your first cut it's even all the way across that way you don't waste any wood that's valuable. It also gives you a Level Playing Field for your log when you flip it over
Simple living Alaska put out a video not long ago about milling logs that are not same size on each end, might help you. Love your videos and seeing all your progress.
Interesting, thank you for sharing! Really good to hear you are enjoying our videos 😀
Another professionally built project.
Thank you! 😀
As a heads up with sawmills, if you are cutting lots of pine, use that cheapo dollar store style pinesol with water. it works the best for the money because pine is too damn sappy and will gunk up the blade. if you are cutting hard wood, the water a dish soap will work fine. also, if you start seeing the blade dive up and down thats the #1 sign your blade is dull. happy sawmilling!
Interesting idea with the Pine-sol, will give it a try! Thanks for sharing 👍
You guys are killing it. You can run diesel for lube on the bandmill as well. We have 3 6" wide bandmills at work that run it for lube. Consider a debarker attachment for the chainsaw. Bark hides so much crap that chew up band blades. We debark every log and still only get a few hours of use per blade.
Thank you for the tips! We will look into a debarking tool 🙂
Don't look now...your dog is about to steal your show. I think it likes being in Alaska. Love that concrete mixer, just did 1600 lbs and thought about it with every 80 lbs bag. I had to do more than hold onto the handle (10:16)😄 that thing is a dream.
Haha, the dog loves to hunt voles in the forest and dig. He's always enjoying the outdoors when we work on projects. The cement mixer is great, I understand the struggle with a barrel mixer. The price of the mud mixer is hard to eat but we have so much work to do it is a necessary cost. Some areas do offer them for rent maybe you have that option nearby! Thanks for watching 🙂
Молодцы, трудяги!
Thank you!
Well done James, keep it going everyday is a learning curve the main thing is you have listened and corrected any little mistakes 🇬🇧
Awesome job working together as a team,, that's how thing get done,, another great video thanks for posting be safe.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Hi from the UK England 🇬🇧 been watching you
Make progress on your future home and homestead keep up with the great work from Dickie
Hello 👋 glad you are enjoying the progress! Thank you 😃
Hi -- so enjoy watching your videos!! Keep up your positive energy!! Your new house will be coming real soon! Good luck--
Glad you are enjoying them! Thank you 😃
27:32 well, well, well!..☺☺☺ watta hell? the Push!!! stron' old-fashion Push at the fresh air!!!☺☺☺
🙂
Hi nice couple,
I discovered your channel and am now binge watching to catch up. Very nice!
Small feedback point: I see Chris having difficulty with the auger. That's bad for your back. Pulling up that drill much more often to get rid of the soil is much more convenient, better for your back and hardly slower.
Greetings from the Netherlands,
Mark
Hello 👋 glad you are enjoying our videos! We quickly learned exactly what you mentioned. Small bites are easy to pull out! We hit clay in some holes and it is so sticky to pull out.
Mack yourself a good strong deck and attach it to the base.
GREAT JOB LOOKS LIKE ARE GOING TO BE ON THE MONEY ON WHAT YOUR GOING TO ACHIEVE BE SAFE AND BLESS U BOTH AND THE DOG IS GREAT AS WELL
Thank you! 🙏
You two are getting it done! Congrats on knocking out another project.
Thank you 🙂
All lookin' good - You'll sure get a lot of use out of the sawmill - Thanks again for sharing....
Thank you, we sure hope to make a lot of lumber in the future 😊
Love your channel. I have been watching for a video. Did not disappoint. Keep them coming
It is very nice to hear this, thank you 😊
If you don't already have one, I would invest in a thickness planer.
Thank you for the suggestion, we could use one in the future for sure.
Wow building one of these is no easy job. Thanks for sharing
You are most welcome!
throw some gravel down make it more dry instead of so much mud look awsome guys
Great vids watching from UK all the best with the future!
It’s a good feeling to make your own lumber. Excellent video
Thank you!
What a game changer for the homestead, congratulations guys!
For sure ! Thank you 🙂
This is definitely a chicken or egg situation! You had to buy lumber to build a sawmill. Just found your channel and loving it. 😊
Very true! 😅
Good afternoon from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I just started watching your TH-cam videos. 🇺🇸
Hello and welcome!
5:39 In the 70s they used to put that stuff on scraped knees and such at the school nurse.
Interesting! That copper Sealer has a terrible smell!
Look forward to watching you both here in the UK all best wishes
Thank you! 😀
Morning my friend
Good morning!
From down under here thanks enjoying your project and looking forward to journey, living the dream.
Glad you are enjoying the videos! It is hard work but rewarding 🙂
I just want to wish you guys good luck and God bless
Thank you! 😀
Cool video ! Sawmill will save you so much money building your house and barns outbuildings and other structures on your property. Here’s an idea.... Reach out by phone to all the tree companies in your area maybe within 50 miles and ask them when they’re cutting trees on peoples properties if they’ll let U know any logs that’s big enough for your sawmill that you’ll take or come get if they have a way to load them on your trailer & you haul em home. The tree companies doing jobs close enough to your house may even bring them to your house rather than taking them further or having to pay to dump them somewhere. Some people who get trees cut wanna keep the wood for firewood. But not all many want them hauled off their property. Hey it could be Beneficial for your Saw mill and your lumber needs to reach out to these tree cutting companies in your area. Of course I’m not talking about loggers they’ll definitely not give you the logs, but the tree service guys certainly will or charge you a bare minimum for them. That way you can save many of your own trees around there on your own property. 😉👍🏼
Thank you! We are excited to learn to use it and put it to work. Thank you for the great tips!
Man that's a nice sawmill.
Great content. I have a sawmill too. It's very satisfying but you're right to buy your dimensional lumber. Probably less expensive when factoring your time. I was surprised how quickly blades dull and it's my biggest expense after labour. Hopefully you can find someone close to sharpen/set your blades.
Thank you! I am excited to get more into sawmill work it seems like a productive hobby! I did order 10 blades with the machine. Wondering if owning a blade sharpener could be cost-effective if we can offer local blade sharpening for other folks in need of sharpening. As of right now, I don't know of any businesses that sharpen nearby.
@@northtoalaska2022 If you can find customers and you have the time, I suppose. Milling is a hobby for me so I don't have a professional sharpening setup but I use a chainsaw disc sharpener which is good for only about 1 sharpening and I have to keep the disc smooth or it will eventually groove at the top of the teeth and cut the tops off. I don't have a tooth setter. I'm lucky to have local sharping services which costs about half a new blade.
Love the mill. That sure will come in handy. Good luck. Take care from cape Cod✌️🇺🇸❤️❤️
It will, thank you 😃
Just found your channel ! So far , I love it ! Also, just love how you both work together so perfectly ! I've watched some other channels and the women just walk around with their heads in the sky .
Keep us the great work !! Best wishes !!!
Thank you! It is great to hear you are enjoying our videos 🙂, we do work well together. Teamwork goes a long way!
Not sure if you know this or if it'll even work in the Alaskan cold, but we use a mix of dish soap and water for our lubricant. It's cheaper, works great, and adds a great smell to the milling process.
Thank you for the tip, that should work well for the warm part of the year!
@@northtoalaska2022 No problem. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask, as I'm sure many people are as engrossed in this venture as I am; however, you know what they say about opinions.
Great job hang in there st least good weather amen keep up 👍🙏
Thank you 🙂🙏
ANOTHER great video guys!
Thanks! 🙂
Great start ! I love my Woodland HM122 :) I have just over 80hrs on it & it cut all the wood for it's new home & over 600 1+8 for all my siding jobs for next summer, Happy New Year ! stay warm :)
Glad to hear your great testimony! Hopefully we get many good years of service from the WM! Happy New Year! 🎇🎆🎉
Nice!
❤️
I'm impressed with you setting your post down below frost. In a few other videos I've seen ,some have put their build on post set only a couple of feet down which is way above the area's frost lines guides, and some have even poured concrete footings on top of the ground In deep frost affected ares. I not sure what they were thinking. You won't be seeing any problems with your posts heaving due to frost issues come winter. Good luck.
Thank you! With Alaska being so vast the terrain can change a lot by location. Our stone layer is below the frost line in most spots of our property so it is fairly easy to dig into the ground. We do try to make most of our projects permanent or last a long time because we plan to stay here indefinitely. The only place where It would be acceptable imo to build a footing on the surface for a permanent structure would be in a permafrost area above the Arctic Circle because the ground is too unstable and may be impossible to get below the frost line. That type of footing will need a lot of maintenance and adjustment over the life of a structure. Proper footings and posts below frost are money well spent in the long run for sure.
Certainly helps to have all the equipment you need!
You guys are amazing!
Hi From Willow Guys, I purchased my mill with a trailer, it will make it a little easier to keep level and also portable, your going to have a blast making your own lumber and there’s some nice trees in your area
Ahh trailer mounted is great! We are looking forward to learning and making nice lumber 🙂
@@northtoalaska2022 I have the same mill although I have the HM130, I love it, it’s just as a caregiver I don’t get a lot if time right now, when I was on the peninsula I sold lumber and cleared the roadways of the beetle dead, I so miss it down there, soon I’ll be hopefully in the caribou hills area off grid, I love your progress, your property looks awesome, God Bless You Guys
Good looking stand. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you!
A learning curve but you will get there.
You commented that we might be bored watching some things you do. This video was very entertaining even though it was "just setting up a sawmill".
jack
This was an entertaining one for us too! Some viewers in our older comments were asking for more weekly blogs of everyday type stuff and that is mainly what we are trying to avoid. We enjoy making videos about projects like this and new fun experiences.