MD Link

[Kirk Allen]

Link to Mobile Dimensions
http://mobilemfg.com/indexen.html

[andybuildz]

Link to Mobile Dimensions
http://mobilemfg.com/indexen.html

OK...I watched the entire video. I want one. All you need is money, right?
Drum roll please....ok, whats the price?
Model 128
Let me guess..$25-40,000?

[Kirk Allen]

Pretty nice huh?

[andybuildz]

Pretty nice huh?

Really nice!!!

[andybuildz]

Some good stuff. anyone (frank) wanna comment?
http://forestry.about.com/cs/portamills/a/portamill_inter.htm
page 3 is about the Dimension Mill

[Kirk Allen]

The mighty might mills are very similar.  I believe one of them copied the other but not sure which came first, the Chicken or the Egg

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

AS I got the story, the fella that developed the MD mill was in some sort of business agreement or something with the MIghty mite folks.  A parting of the ways occured and hence the MD mill.

I researched for three years the mills on the market at the time.  I then had to decide what the prime product was that I wanted to produce.  Since I had, at theat time a million feet of Douglas Fir timber on my place, the best procuct to make from them was dimensional lumber.  Then came the decision which of the circle mills and availability of mill supply. 
A visit to both Mighty Mite and Mobil Manuafacturing set the stage for my decision.  I have owned as many as three MD mills at one time.  I only have one, now.  I did have the only two hydraulic mills the company ever made, up until a year ago.  I sold the second hydraulic mill that was made to an acquaintance and he is absolutely thrilled with what he is able to do.  He is into building "greenie" houses and the mill fits right into his plan of selling. 

[andybuildz]

Frank...you say you're buyer is into making "greenie houses" with the mill you sold him.
A question comes to mind. I'd have to think that "most" areas of the country require graded lumber to be used. Is there any way around that and "should there be" a way around that meaning...is it a bad thing to use your own milled wood if dried properly for the proper intended usage of it?
I know for TF'd homes more times than not green timber is used. Its easier to cut/chisel than dried wood except maybe hardwoods like oak which I belive cuts fine after its dried/seasoned. I've heard softer dried woods are as much as 4x more difficult to chisel/cut when seasoned. True, false?

While checks and irregularities may be fine in TF homes because they give it character its not the case in conventional use.

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Andy, I have a couple three fellas around here that can grade the lumber.  I have sawed lumber for five homes in this county and one in Antelope Valley of California.  I have been able to get the lumber graded with no problems from the bureaucrates..   With local homes, the owners each brought in their own logs for their homes.

Any, I do not know much about the issue of chiseling differences, but would imagine that it has msore to do with density than dry or not dry, just a guess.

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Andy, I spoke with Dawn, yesterday, and she said all that you wanted sent, is on its way.

[andybuildz]

Andy, I spoke with Dawn, yesterday, and she said all that you wanted sent, is on its way.

Thanks Frank...yeh she sent me an email as well right after I aked for info$$.
Appreciate it. I have lots of novice questions about different mills now.
Seems the minute you ask questions the more you want/need to know.

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

And, the closer you come to buying a mill.  It took me three years to  finally decide.  I did so immediately upon watching a MD mill in operation by the owner of the company.  The rest is history.

[andybuildz]

And, the closer you come to buying a mill.  It took me three years to  finally decide.  I did so immediately upon watching a MD mill in operation by the owner of the company.  The rest is history.

But Frank...hasn't your family been in this business for years??
Here's one of my thoughts/questions.
I know someone that bought the WM15 with the 25Hp engine and a few accessories like the extra extention beds, shingle/beveler.

As a novice I asked him how he edges the boards. I mean I'm not that dumb to think one couldn't clamp together some of the cut planks and get a cut through the top again but that seems as though it could be a bit of  hassle depending how straight the log was.
Then of course one could buy an edger but aren't those a small fortune? One of many other tools we need to run an efficient/successful mill?
So that brings into my thought process...another good reason to buy a swing mill. I'm wondering if you weigh out all the costs between the mill and edger what does that add up to...EXCEPT...lol...with a band mill you can cut wide boards. With the swingmill from what I can tell you'd have to dbl cut but you can't do that on a verticle cut.
So put that into the equation.
Of course you do have to figure out before hand what you're primarily using the mill for but it'd be nice to have all the options there or at least the options that are reasonable $$$.
That brings to mind the new mill Carl is working on (oy..sorry..lol)with
the 12" cut. I'm wondering what the cost of that will be and you still wouldn't get the verticle cut (would you?).

Thennnnnnn...lol..whats the big differance between the MD and the Peterson mill (for a novice to consider :  )?

Thennnnn..you hear one company talking bad about another companies design which in my opinion is bad business to do ..its a big turn off to me as a consumer. I've heard one band mill company talk about how bad the canteliever design is on "some" (yeh right, some..lol) mills. That when the carriage gets to the end it wobbles and makes for a wavy board. This I seriously doubt other wise some (WoodMizer.cough cough)
of these cantelievered designed mills'd be out of business rather than thriving.
From a novice.

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Andy, the cantaleviered issue is all but nill.  The MD mill has two devices to help eleviate that problem.  One is a stabelizing bar at the site of the bottome edger blade is located.  You put the arm against the flat cut made by the larger blade and it keeps the whole carrage from bouncing up and down and sideways.  If you have a set up that will produce lumber over 20' you can also use a vertical stabelizer that is attatched to the main saw shroud.  I very rarely use that device.  Usually I will use the second only when sawing 10 or 12" wide material that is at the 18' length.

Most of the time I do not even need to use the stabelizing arm for material that is less in size than I mentioned, above.

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Well, one of the differences is that the MD brings the lumber right back to the operator without any additional handling.  There is no framework in the way and you are ready for the next full cut of lumber, with only making one pass.  Again, the whole thing for me, was, what did I want to produce from the primary product I had to produce that product; dimensional lumber with a very good accuracy.

As I mentioned earlier, I did purchase a small band mill to cut special things, like mantles, up to 32" table slabs and benches; as well as the slicing of burl material. 

[Kirk Allen]

So your useing a band mill to cut 32" slabs

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Yes.  The Oscar 36 does a preddddy good job for what I am wanting to make for folks.

[andybuildz]

Frank (or anyone that cares to answer)...In the literature MD sent me I think I read somewhere in it that you can cut a 24" slab on it?
Is that so or should I go back and re-read that?
also can you do a dbl cut on the MD as easily as you can on the Peterson? A dbl cut I thought would still only give you a 16 1/2" slab?

Also...concerning cutting wider planks say for the occasional table tops or whatever...does it really pay for someone to go out and buy a bandmill just for that? There must be a less expensive way to do it if it's not an everyday affair.
Chainsaw mill perhaps? Those are pretty cheap, no?

I hear a lot of people say that swingmills are used more for the sawyer thats cutting wider logs. Why would that be? Whats the theory behind that? Wouldn't it still be "more" advantageous to use a swingmill for smaller logs if thats mainly what you're cutting?
Thanks

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

I have had a 24' slab left over when I am finished with the lumber and the material is left on the bunks.  You can also roll a log 180 degrees and have a slab sawed on two sides.  However, to simply saw a slab 24" wide in a pass or two I have never been able to such, unless I have not learned very well over the last 15 years.  That is probably the case, I suspect.

As to double cutting, I can cut two 2 x 6s at once, two or three 2 x 4s at once ( here you must put on an additional edger blade, which is a special split blade to produce 3 2 x 4s at one time)  you can also cut a 2 x 4 and a 2 x 6 at one time.  About any combination that would make up to 12" wide.

In regards to the band mill.  I purchased mmy band mill for about $6,000 and had my money back in about 3 months, do to the demand for slabs and burl.   This is not to say that eveyone can do that kind of business, so quickly.


Sorry, I canot really comment on the swing mills, due to lack of experience and knowledge.

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Well, I am putting it to Ron, the owner, to make some of the double 19" edger blade mills.  I know of at least 5 of us now, that want such a mill.   I hope to keep pushing until he decides to make them. Hopefully, then they would become the standard mill they manufactured.

With such a mill, you would be able to produce up to an 8 x 12 without having to remove the bottom edger blade as it is now.  You could still make your other standard cuts just like normal.

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

I found another owner, yesterday, that would purchase such a mill.  The numbers are growing, slowly.


March 9, yesterday, from Eastern Washington state that has a MD mill, who wants an updated larger edger blade mill.  Here is hoping we can convince them to make the 10 or so mills that are wanted,

[LeFranck]

Well, I am putting it to Ron, the owner, to make some of the double 19" edger blade mills.  I know of at least 5 of us now, that want such a mill.   I hope to keep pushing until he decides to make them. Hopefully, then they would become the standard mill they manufactured.

With such a mill, you would be able to produce up to an 8 x 12 without having to remove the bottom edger blade as it is now.  You could still make your other standard cuts just like normal.

I have the additional edger blade but it would be nice to have double 19" edger blades. Would it be possible to modify the standard sawmill that we have or will we have to purchase a new sawmill?

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

the new mill is all electric, three phase.  One has been sent to Alaska to a fella that needed one real quick.  They wanted me to have it, but I said send it North, as he needed it worse than myself.  I am still trying to market my Logosol 260 and some other items, before I get my new mill.  Cash flow issues, you know.  

I also want to sell my Morbark chipper, cabinet shop package and the big head rig.  This stinking heart operation has not helped the whole of the situation, at all.