Sawmill Stand in

Yesterday, I stopped and talked to my Amish neighbor, who operates a sawmill across the road and south about 1/5 mile from us. Getting my answer about a future lumber purchase, he asked if I wanted a job. I laughed it off and we talked some more about stuff. As I was leaving, he said again “about that job…”.

It turns out, their loader operator tweaked his back and can’t work for a spell. They had someone else filling in there yesterday and I told him I would be willing for a few days/week if needed. That fill in yesterday wasn’t welcomed back because as I was feeding the chickens this morning, the regular loader operator (with the bad back) came down the driveway (very gingerly) on a 4-wheeler to inquire if I was ready to go to work. I was somewhat startled it was so soon but nonetheless told him I’d be right there.

Despite 30 years in IT, I’ve operated plenty of forklifts, skid-steers and the like over the years but never a big loader. But the concept is the same. The loader has big forks and you move a load just like a forklift would so no worries.

Within 20 minutes, I was in the seat and moving logs. It’ll take some time getting used to the controls and the weird steering but I figure by the end of the day, I’ll get a handle on it. Until then, I am just going slow.

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Now home reflecting on the day, I was pretty happy how it turned out. Yes, I wasn’t anticipating “working” today so it messed up some plans I had and I really had to scramble to get all the critters fed and tended to. We have 1 hen with a broken femer (thigh bone) with her full leg in a splint plus another catatonic hen near death, not to mention 15 other healthy chickens, 9 feral cats, 2 domestic cats and the 2 dogs – all on “exotic” diets but I got it done.

The loader (above) is straightforward – just bigger than anything I’ve operated before (except for semi tractor/trailers). Yes, this was my first time operating them so I just took my time and was careful not to knock anything over or drop a log on anyone.

Issues (with the loader) I am working through:

• Controls are opposite what I am used to. Typically, in similar equipment I’ve used, the lever to the left is to lift up and down and the one on the right is for tilting the forks forward or back. On this old Cat, they are opposite so that’s going to mess me up until I can retrain myself.
• Invisible forks. You really can’t see the tips of your forks so need to rely on the boys (and their hand signals) to properly/securely lift the load. With the raw logs, it’s not a big deal but for the finished product (all securely strapped to blocks/pallets), you surely don’t want to dump one (and I never did but came close once before I recovered).
• Articulated steering. Instead of a set of wheels (front or back) turning, the loader pivots in the middle to steer. This causes issues whenever you turn the wheel. Even standing still, if you turn the wheel, the entire front end (including what is on your forks) shifts side to side so you need to be mindful of that. As the day went on, I got pretty used to it and actually used that behavior to shift uneven loads side to side to my advantage.
• Visibility is terrible! Adding to that is that it is an “Amish” sawmill and safety protocols are nonexistent with stray logs laying around at odd angles making maneuverability difficult. Moving logs with a much larger machine than I am used to (forklift) through that minefield made it challenging but I simply took it slow and steady with my head on a swivel. As the day went on, I cleaned up all those hazards and made it much easier to operate.
• Let’s just say this Cat has seen better days.
  • No parking brake – when you stop to get down you need to drive the forks into the mud to keep it from rolling.
  • It has AC but I doubt it works since there is no glass in the front windows. The biggest problem with that is the deafening roar from the mill. Next time, I’ll be bringing ear protection. My ears are still ringing now.
  • Need to frequently add oil to the transmission to be able to shift it.
  • Likely low on hydraulic fluid as well, as the fork “tilt” would sag forward considerably so you need to constantly reapply the tilt (back) to keep your load on there.

Other than that, I have the luxury of running back home whenever needed to tend to things there. As long as I have the “head” of the mill supplied with the right logs to keep them busy and haul away the slabs (the outside pieces w/bark from the first cuts) to the burn pile and any finished stacks/pallets moved to their proper place, I am free to come and go.

It’s actually ideal and is exactly what I was looking for down here. The mill only operates 3 days/week (usually Mon-Wed) so the rest of the week is free for me for “farm stuff” and the commute there and back can be done in the golf cart.

I think I am going to like it. A major drawback is the unexpected timing. I’ll likely only get tapped when the regular guy can’t make it – which will always be last minute. However, they are extremely accommodating of my schedule. Today, I had to run into Summersville to meet a delivery truck for some produce we ordered (a monthly thing) but it coincided mostly with the morning break. In the afternoon, I had an installer coming out for a new internet provider and he came soon after we broke for lunch. Tomorrow, I have to run to Houston for my prescription and a few other things and Herman (the Amish owner) just said “we’ll work around whatever you have to do”.

And being Amish, they have l-o-n-g breaks. A half hour in the morning, 90 minutes for lunch and 20 minutes in the afternoon. Why so long? They are Amish so none of them drive – they walk everywhere, and only recently have they started to wear shoes/boots after going barefoot most of the year.

But, I really enjoy these guys. A good portion of them are Herman’s sons. He has (I believe) 16 kids, and we’ve always gotten along with them quite well – always a wave whenever you drive by. They tried to buy the farm we bought but it was out of their reach so they talked the seller into lopping off the “back 40” that they purchased, leaving the 20 acres we bought. I look forward to getting to know them better (as much as that is possible).

Hard workers? You wouldn’t believe how hard these “kids” work wrestling these logs around. It’s also sort of fascinating seeing how they “process” the logs.

See for yourself:

The pay is nothing close to what I was accustomed to but that wasn’t my goal. It’ll be more cash available for our needs but I wouldn’t make a career out of it. One thing I stated when Herman asked me was that I didn’t want to take anyone’s job away. They need it more than I do.

Thankfully, I am retired but this will keep me busy when I need to feel useful.