Part 2, Secrets of Flat Sawmill Lumber

[@allenvinson]

Always enjoy your videos great info, content and splash of sarcasm

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks, but some people might say I have a little more than a splash! You ought to see the stuff I edit out! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@SeansWoodBarn]

Robert, I can't thank you enough for these 2 videos! I know a lot of your drying techniques are closely guarded secrets. It speaks volumes that you were willing to share this information with us! The drying process is such an important part, and probably where most of us ruin a lot of material. Are the nails just regular galvanized ring shank? Is there a risk of rusting and staining the first layer of the stack? Keep the sawdust flowing professor, and thanks again!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I use regular cement coated framing nails, although I have used galvanized, I just use the least expensive at the time. I adjust the nail gun to drive the nail well under the surface, simply because if the nails aren't well countersunk, they will scratch the surface of the dead stacked lumber which really a bad day. So since the nails don't touch anything, they can be made of pretty much anything.

[@kevincasey7931]

These past two videos have me rethinking my pallet making. Loved them. Ty much

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I'm glad if they helped!

[@johnemberson8292]

What size stickers do you use and how far apart do they need to be on kiln dried lumber. Thanks for another lesson about lumber

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I use 16" spacing and 3/4" tall

[@Mccalebsanding]

Another great video Robert.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks!

[@337sawmill]

I don't have the wonderful machine that you have with all the hydraulics..... I am I guess what you call a journeyman Sawyer.... I've had it for about 2 years but I first place I set it up wasn't level now I've got it pretty much level and able to cut decent wood.... Any tips I get from you is greatly appreciated..... A lot of my stuff is hands on and struggle struggle struggle.... One track right here did with my property had a blown engine and the one that I purchased from somebody that told me it was a good tractor through the clutch out after about 3 months.... So right now I drag my logs and I'm using can't hooks and ramps to get them up on the sawmill.... I have an OS 23 Frontier sawmill with a 10 horsepower Briggs & Stratton..... Base model 14 ft plus two extensions making it 28 ft long.... Some people called me stupid for making it so long.... But I can cut 3 logs at one time that are 8 ft long

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Actually, stacking logs is a very smart thing to do! That's exactly what the guys who competed in a sawmill shootout for Woodmizer with an LT15, much like your mill, did. They were able to cut a record breaking 1,100 bdft per hour to crush the competition, simply by using the technique you are using! I talked to one of the guys who did it, and he said he was exhausted when the speed sawing competion was over, but it proved the point. So good job using your brain and taking steps to save steps! As I've said many times "It's not the sawmill that cuts straight wood, it's the Sawyer!

[@A..n..d..y]

Thanks for sharing!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks for watching!

[@MakerBoyOldBoy]

Always somthun to see when I visit. Great demo on smart pallets. For awhile I managed a pallet crew and a Sawyer for two partners. We used the same nail guns with 16p nails for the 2x6 pallets and coated Screw Shanks for the size you use. The screw shanks are impossible to remove or work their way out of lumber. Had one guy screw shank his hand to a pallet, another lost his concentration and put a 16p nail into his thigh at 90 degrees. He went to the hospital. I cut the head off the screw shank and pulled the fellow's hand off the pallet Other stories nail guns being used as machine guns are best left untold. I did notice the shiny floor of your wood sales area. The floor was discussed in an earlier video. I can't imagine the concrete crew didn't advise you on a durable protective coating. The floor gloss indicates a catalytic coating. One issue is that Blue's tires pick up pebbles and gritty sand and grinds on the protective finish. This wears badly on the finish over time. As picky as you are to maintain quality, perhaps a protective sacrificial matt might be useful in the traffic lanes. Just thinkin'. Enjoyed watching you actually do some work this visit.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

They put three coats of something on it, but I don't know what it was. It seems to be very wear resistant, it's been seven years and it's still glossy, and we drive on it everyday. Big blue isn't allowed in the the building, only the Cat forklift. I like the idea of the mats, I may get some.

[@ronnielloyd4514]

You make it look like fun.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Because it is!

[@delprice3007]

Awesome, better than skool!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yup I done learnt something to you!

[@customsawyer2526]

Great video. I cheat a little more. I just lay down one of my other pallets and line my stringers up above the stringers on the bottom pallet. This also keeps me from having to bend over as far and saves on the back. I can then just keep building them one on top of another. Don't really matter how you build them as long as they are consistent.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Hey, Jake, good to hear from you! You must have had trouble getting to sleep!

[@stacyharmon5865]

Great info,glad to see chip pitch in on this one. As a former framing carpenter i have seen my share of appendages nailed with the nail gun. Best one still makes me laugh and cringe. Guy was bump nailing (running with the trigger pulled)nailed his big toe right thru the center to the sub floor, luckily the head of the nail was just at the surface of his boot and we used a framing hammer to pull it.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

That would have been a sight.

[@perry9492]

Are these pallets for drying wet wood or storing dry wood? What if you don't have a nice flat concrete floor?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Both, that’s why they are so valuable.

[@scottfrederick8299]

Great information again! I wanted to ask, what is the length of the majority of the logs you saw? Also do you make pallets for each length as in 8', 10', etc?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I will mill to 8, 10 and rarely 12' long but 8' is the most popular furniture lumber length. Shelves and some stuff sells better at 10'. I make pallets for those sizes.

[@CathyDickersonFireflyMill]

I definitely want to use pallets as you do, but I need to get some machine with forks. My tractor doesn’t have loader arms. What I wouldn’t do for a skid steer.

[@SKFarm666]

Does it have 3 pt hitch? Find a cheap old pin on front end loader fork frame and weld on a top link bracket, then put it on your 3 pt arms. You won’t lift as high as a forklift obviously, but for minimal investment you can move a lot of weight around with even a small tractor. Before you know it, everything on your property will find its way onto a pallet and you won’t be lifting much of anything by hand ever again 😊

[@SKFarm666]

Also you can lift much more then a front end loader on the same size machine, and the tractor will be much happier and safer with the counterweight of the engine and whole front end of the tractor

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Oh no! Yes, with a sawmill, getting something with forks is a game changer! Most machines come with quick detach from plates, a bucket or forks can be changed or swapped in seconds or minutes.

[@CathyDickersonFireflyMill]

@@SKFarm666 I’ve thought about a 3 point hitch fork. Thanks.

[@gregm312]

thank you . great info

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks for watching!

[@deniscarter6613]

Great way to use up off cuts

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks! Yes, no reason to waste wood, and these are great for the purpose.

[@kencross25]

Robert, I guess now you want to be known as "Have Nailer will Travel". Thank you for another educational and jovial video. It looked as if you are working good ol' Chip to hard, I think he deserves a treat. Greetings from Mobile, AL.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks, that dog works me to the bone!

[@kevinm7499]

Do you plane your stickers? Do you use softwood stickers in hardwood stacks? Thanks.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I used to, and changing up the stickers would be a good idea. I just use hardwood stickers.

[@vincentd4273]

Thanks for your videos. A couple of questions: when sawing hardwood off the mill, do you use kiln dried hardwood stickers that are 3/4 inch thick and use them repeatedly? And for the 8 foot boards that you nailed to the softwood “ 2 by 4’s” - are they also kiln dried and planed to exact thickness? And finally, if you’re sawing softwood off the mill, are the pallets and stickers reversed? ( i.e., are the 2 x 4’s hardwood, and the 8 foot boards and stickers softwood?)

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, the stickers can be reused until they start to wear thin, many dozens of times. Everything in the construction of the pallets is kiln dried, and planed to dimension to insure a flat and consistent surface. When I saw up softwood, I generally have enough scrap hardwood to make the 2x4 runners out of the hardwood.

[@briannapier8337]

How does the air circulate between the boards? I was under the impression you needed a sticker between every layer

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, you are correct. The packs with no stickers are already kiln dried and restocked with the stickers removed. The lumber off the mill with stickers between every layer is called "stickered" lumber and the dry lumber stacked with the stickers removed are called "dead stacked." Good question, I should have addressed that in the video.

[@briannapier8337]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama thanks for clearing that up for me. Thanks for the great videos

[@gregglowienka8762]

What length do you cut the 2X4 runners to?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

42"

[@patwright6317]

Could you attach stickers to skid for first row ?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, but they get in the way when you use the skids for dead stacking the lumber. Thanks for watching.

[@dpsolomon56]

What length of lumber is most popular and most profitable?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

For furniture lumber, typically 8 and 10 foot is most popular. It also yields higher NHLA grades, so I stood for a couple reasons.

[@bradyjames2786]

Great video, I'm guessing the next most important thing to have would be a flat concrete surface to put your good flat pallet on...

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, 100% correct.

[@BigJBizz]

I love these videos. You are a born teacher sir. Thank you

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Glad you like them!

[@KathyAndrew]

/What size do you rip the boards you put on the bottom of your pallets? I am careful with a nail gun, once saw a guy slip and nail his foot to the floor.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I use random width, whatever I have in my lumber bin.

[@KathyAndrew]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama

[@jollywingo4271]

Thanks. I’ve been wondering when I’ll have a good excuse for an outstanding nail gun

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

They are fun!

[@doc3356]

We're all just big kids when you give us a nail gun!!!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Dang right!

[@fredcory2686]

Those Paslode guns will take out a seagull at 20 paces. It scares newbies when you nail properly

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes it does. I love them.

[@Sawbucs]

As vetern nailer myself, I'd like to see the underside, how many missed the runner's 😂

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Hah! I never, never, never miss....well, sometimes I do. The key is if I lift the pallet up and the runners stay on the floor, I need to go back and nail them again. The other key is to never look to see how many missed. Good one, this made me smile!

[@Sawbucs]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama well, I worked for house manufacturer, we used to race nailing down underlayment, coil nailer with 10 penny nails. 24 by 48 floor in less then 5 minutes. Then the inspector would show up and point out all the misses. Didn't miss too many.

[@KarlBunker]

The guy on The Essential Craftsman had a story about a framing contractor who power-nailed his "unit" to his leg. 😬😬😬

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

That would have been funny. I bet there weren't many volunteers to pull that one out.

[@throngcleaver]

​@HobbyHardwoodAlabama 🤣🤣🤣

[@GibClark]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks!

[@leonsmith1185]

I go ahead and add permanent stickers to my pallets.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

That's a good idea, but I don't like to dead stack lumber on the permanent stickers nailed to my pallets, I like to dead stack that on a flat pallet.

[@leonsmith1185]

I use screws and counter sink them on my stickers.

[@thekiltedsawyer]

Great video sir, always great to see what your going to cover. That fan looks to be a must, keep hydrated sir, do you go more than 42" on widths?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

It's been brutally hot here lately, and I'm having 3 shirt days. One in the morning, change at lunch, and then another at dinner. Typically, 42" wide is the best simply because semi trucks really struggle getting two 48" pallets of lumber on their flat beds side by side unless the boards are stacked perfectly. The 42" wide pallets will stack easily of 18 wheeler with no trouble. I should have mentioned that in the video, good question.

[@thekiltedsawyer]

@HobbyHardwoodAlabama we have a more dry heat out west, humidity is a hard one. I use a wet bandana in summer around my neck.

[@GaryAbernathy-jt4yr]

Why dont you make them on a table and save your back.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I build the others on top of these, so the more I build, the higher they get. Also I don't want a 5 x 10 foot table in the middle of my workspace.

[@GaryAbernathy-jt4yr]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama it's your back Go for it