Before Buying a Sawmill - What I Wish I Knew Sooner
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- čas přidán 20. 03. 2023
- I wish I knew all these things before I bought a portable sawmill. There are so many things outside of milling wood that goes into making lumber. How much does it cost? Where do you get your wood? How do you dry lumber? Why do you want a sawmill? What equipment is necessary?
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Oh man - very good food for thoughts - and i agree on all of them - thanks for sharing. What i want to mention is: It sounded like its more or less a pain to start milling - but i can tell you - if you dont have to do it right way perfect, if you dont have a list of projects lined up already and if you dont start milling for others unless you have figured out how it works. Just enjoi the ride, the learning curve and figuring it out how to overcome certain situation. I could add additional things you have to think about but what i can recommand to everybody - just take one step after another step - dont rush, dont expect perfect results and dont expect not having challenges. If you are not sure if you like it - try it out somewhere else... AND do it by yourown - not just youtube on the couch. If you have taken a heavy slap from the log and feel how heavy it is - it gives you the right sense of what you need to do. Start simple and once you facing challenges - solve it. It doen't matter which brand of sawmill you are starting - as long as you dont know where you would like to end up. As the skill level will grow, the project will get bigger, the requirements according to equipment will change as well. I enjoi taking down my own trees, pulling them out with the tractor, hauling them back to the bandsaw, throwing it on, learning how to cut them and whats happening as they dry. Maybe another advise - dont start with the most expenive log you can find. :-) Most important is - just do it, start and get your own experiences.
Completely agree! Yeah it's been a fun adventure so far. That's the best way to learn is to just get in there and get your hands dirty. Thanks for watching!
So, now we know where Lowe's and HD get most of their lumber - branch wood 😆
Haha, that would explain it!
Such good information. and great presentation. You told me pretty much everything I needed to know. You will do brilliantly here on CZcams. Im off to check out your other videos
Wow thanks for the kind words! I appreciate it.
I have had the portable version of your sawmill for about 2 years. Your advice is all excellent and spot on. But I would add a few things.
1. If a sawmill says it can handle a 26" diameter log....don't believe it. The only way my HM126 could ever handle a 26" log was if it was a perfectly straight cylinder. And 99% of trees are not. If you need to cut 26" logs, get a 30" or larger capability saw. The maximum practical size for the HM126 is about 20-22".
2. 26" diameter logs are heavy. I have a small 50hp tractor and it can barely handle a 14' 20" diameter green pine. So not only do you need equipment you need to make sure that it is capable of handling what you need to move.
3. Small manual mills like this are a ton of hard physical work. As far as I am concerned, unless you enjoy the work, which I do, a manual sawmill is not going to be worth it. And as you mentioned, a lot of that work occurs before you ever get the log to the mill. You need to enjoy felling, bucking and skidding too.
4. As far as dirty logs go, a simple solution is a nice sharp draw knife and just debark along the path of the blade, not the whole log. Quick and easy.
5. As you said, the process looks simple but the learning curve is steep. But it is doable and you figure things out and it becomes second nature.
I agree with all those points. You are spot on with the diameter and size of cut. It's one of the reasons I find myself maxing the mill out more often than I would have expected. I have a smaller tractor yet and without the logging trailer I built, I wouldn't be able to get most of the logs to the mill. Great advice and thanks for watching!
I've been looking at getting a mill for personal use for the last few months and have been close to pulling the trigger, but after watching this video I think I'll just get a buddy who has a mill to process my wood for me, even if it means waiting a bit. This is the best sawmill video I've watched on CZcams ever. Thanks!
That's great to hear you got some value from the video. Thanks for the kind words and for checking out my channel. Getting a sawmill is a huge endeavour and investment so making the choice not to get one, at least for now, isn't a bad idea. It's easy to get hyped up and sold on these things but looking bigger picture is smart.
Wise move IMO.
The video helped me the same way-I have 5-7 logs and am having a difficult time finding someone with a mill, so I started looking at the least expensive ones available. This video helped me to understand that purchasing a sawmill has a much greater learning curve, and set up for its use, than general power tools.
Excellent all-inclusive video for pre- or first time home sawmill owners. You hit every topic I ran into or had to deal with getting my HM130 up to production. All the other many videos I have seen focus on the sawmill or immediate things around it but you stepped back & talked about the total picture. Great video!
Thanks for that! Yeah I found out there is a lot more that goes into than just the mill itself as I'm sure you know as well.
You have made the very best video with answers to questions for anyone to analyze before they buy a mill, and even for everyone that has already purchased a mill, good solid advise. Thank you
Thank you!
Thanks a lot. This is the most useful video on tips about saw milling, I have ever come across on the internet.
Wow, I appreciate those kind words. Thanks for taking the time!
I have the same sawmill as you and have had to learn pretty much everything you said. The sawdust and offcuts are always a problem. It is amazing how much sawdust you can generate with this. I just bought my second batch of blades and decided to try Woodmizer blades this time. I am just on my first but they seem to be pretty much the same (Just a little cheaper if you by 15). Nails are also a consideration especially if you get some of your wood from peoples yards. That wood I run a metal detector over before it goes on the mill. That has saved my blades more than once. I ended up building a solar kiln to dry my wood and have the first batch in there now. It is not very warm in the pacific northwest yet so it is taking a while to dry but still way faster than air drying. This batch is a bunch of poplar that was very wet when I cut it and it is most of the way dry after 2 months. Thanks for the video!
Yeah I was surprised by how much work it is to keep the sawdust and offcuts cleaned up. I also use Woodmizer blades. I've had good luck with them so far. Keep me up to date on your solar kiln. I'm thinking of building one soon. I've also thought about attaching a little wood stove on the outside of it just to try and get the temps up near the end of a cycle but not sure how easy it would be to control. Thanks for watching and enjoy your saw!
You need to add a 3rd function and grapple to your tractor. By far the easiest way to move, transport and place logs! Thanks for posting!
Yeah that would be the way to go. A friend of mine has one on his uni and it works really well.
If your wood starts to warp and twist before you have a chance to stack and sticker. Lay them out on a flat concrete slab or a place where it's flat and lay a soaker hose on them. Let the soaker hose drizzle onto them until the next day. By then, they'll be as flat as the moment you pulled them off the mill. You'll then stack and sticker them accordingly. It's like hitting the reset button.
That's great advice! I'll keep that in my book of tricks next time I need it. Thanks!!
until it dries out again and twists, cups or warps. This has been demonstrated by multiple YT sawmill owners. Branch wood which has opposing compression & tension fibers or core wood that has twisting fibers cannot be straightened. It’s firewood, ground logs or maybe sticker wood. Can you do that to a mildly cupped thin board not previously stickered? Yes. Try that with a 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 or true 2x material and the board will win once dry again.
I bought a chainsaw mill for under $50. I mill the logs where the tree falls. Quick, easy, cheap. I wanted a bandsaw mill, but I can't justify the extra price and inconvenience for pretty much the same end results.
Yeah a chainsaw mill has its advantages. If you aren't cutting up a large volume of logs and don't mind the extra waste from the kerf it's a great option.
Great content, some concepts I haven't seen discussed elsewhere. I love the site where you have your mill, seems nice and flat as a good starting place. And the fact that you don't yet have a structure or enclosure is reassuring - I imagine you'll get to building that eventually but in the meantime you have an operational setup. Good luck!
Thanks! Yeah I really like the area where I've got the mill. I'm starting to build a cabin right now but as soon as I wrap that project up I'll be building a nice shack for the sawmill with a place for all my tools, a roof over the mill and a large area to dry wood. Thanks for swinging by!
Never even thought about the tension on branches changing the characteristics of the wood!
Yeah I didn't either. It's something carpenters are all very aware of.
Wood easy to read and how it will react.
I had a woodland mills sawmill, I loved it excellent value for the money and the company is great. I decided to build the same sawmill as Matthew Cremona and i now love that a little more :)
Wow very cool that you built a saw like Matthew's. I may have to do that someday. Just checked out your channel and I like what I see. I have to say I'm a bit jealous of your sawmill.
Lots of important ideas, thanks
Thanks for watching!
This is the perfect how-to video! Short, sharp and to the point! I have the 130-Max and, yes, getting the wood to be clean and sit alongside the mill are the hard parts! We are in Scotland and the ground is nearly always wet and muddy, so one needs a method of picking the damn log up and off the ground! I have an old IH 475 tractor with a good lift on the front and that is ideal. We have 20 acres, of which about 12 are woodland, so getting a decent mill was a no-brainer.
Thanks Andrew. I had no idea anyone in Scotland would find this video. Very cool. The mud is always a challenge here too in the winter and spring. How do you like your 130-Max?
@@MacJackal I bought it before the prices went far higher and I got it with the extension (of course!) as we use a lot of 3.6m and 5m beams for building sheds and barns and the extra width is handy. But I know two guys, (one neighbour and a guy in S.England) who do run commercial mills and they use the 130-Max for one-off pieces. No bandsaw mill is going to compete even with a small circular that can cut 500 6" planks in an afternoon - which is what my neighbour has!
But yes, I am very happy with it - particularly when She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed starts hinting about all the work I should be doing - I can quickly flee to the shed and start cutting up logs, which is waaay more fun!
Haha, some men have man caves, we have sawmills! That is very true that the Woodland Mills saws aren't built to compete with high production machines. Sounds like you are have a good thing going. Thanks for checking out my channel and good luck with your "She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed". Haha, that cracked me up.
Thank you sir. Great info, advice...ALOT of real considerations for sure. Even more now. 👍
Thanks for watching!
These are excellent thoughts.
Thanks for watching!
Great information thanks
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I have 25 acres Omaha Arkansas area that I want to build a butt and pass cabin on. I will need to make my own track extensions to cut as long as I'm hoping. Taking in all the info I can before buying a mill. Had a harbor freight backhoe in the past and liked it. I will buy another when they are back in stock. There mill is cheap but I think just to small. Looking at Frontier OS31 and 35 but that woodland mills has my interest now also
That sounds like an awesome project. Both Frontier and Woodland Mills sells track extensions that you can put as many on to make the mill cut as long as you want. I really like my Woodland Mills but from what I can tell Frontier makes a great sawmill as well.
Thanks for sharing. We have a spot in Page County IA we're clearing at the moment
Ah a fellow Iowan. I had to look up Page County. Looks like you are straight across the state from me.
excellent video!
should be required before every mill purchase lol
Thanks for the kind words!!
I used my reciprocating saw more for thining.I drag the blades across the dirt but for bigger stuff I dig out and wire brush before applying the chainsaw. The hillsides I anchor down a electric winch rig to pull things out logs to avoid wear on my truck.
A reciprocating saw is a great idea. I'll have to try that. Yeah hillsides are always a challenge to get logs up and out of for me.
Learning as you go really the only way when buying and having a mill
That's what I have found for sure.
@@MacJackal same! Haha
Excellent
Thanks
Awesome Video
Thank you!
You are right on all counts. I have the 126 Woodlander XL. It is a hobby mill for me. I have lots of dead Ash I have been building a greenhouse with. I have been cutting what I need as I go. Yes It shrinks but that is ok. Haven't got to stickering yet. Honey Locust fence this summer. Several dead standing.
Yeah we have tons of ash here as well. I'm also trying to mill it up before it rots away. Honey Locus will make a great rot proof fence! Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Woodlander!
You communicate well. Excellent video.
Thank you!
Nice video!
Thank you!
You can mill limbs, yes, it will curve, what you do is cut it for other than boards. It's a highly specialized skill, and since we don't build wood ships by hand anymore, it is not as important, but that curve can be used to create stronger boards, where a curve is needed.
That's a great point. I've seen that curved wood was often used in timber frame homes in Europe as well.
Good video
Appreciate that!
Just picked up a used HM126 XL on trailer. I'm in North Carolina (USA). Here we can use *ungraded* self harvested lumber off our own property if we have the county come out and confirm the tree we're harvesting from. I have a lot of pines that are in a terrible spot for steel building I want to put up. I'm really tempted to use them to build a new deck & 3 season room where our deck currently is.
Whatever you decide to do with the pine trees, you will love that saw. Having it on the trailer is nice because it is ready to go. It will feel great to build something from trees you harvested from your own land! Enjoy the saw and feel free to reach out on here if you have any questions you think I might be able to answer for you. Thanks for watching!
Good points for those getting a saw. For me I just do not have time to saw my own so I get it from the Amish. Just got (4) 2x8x12, (4) 2x6x12, and (14) 1x4x12 boards which were real nice for $95. Cant beat that.
Wow you really can’t beat that! Yeah once you figure in your time and up front costs, it wouldn’t be wise to get a mill just for cheap lumber. You better enjoy running a mill and the lifestyle around it. If you want to make money then you have to treat it as a business.
Thanks for checking out the video!
I got that mill because it was the most weight for the dollar, I divided dollar by weight or the other way around. It is very heavy thick plate steel and I can not imagine using the harbor fright, it seems too light.
Im looking to get into the lumber business, haven't started yet but i have a wood mizer L35 and a bunch of tools for making all kinds of molds, t & g boards, flooring its all from my dads wood shop, i got a job at a commercial sawmill for now just trying to learn what i can before i start
It sounds like you are off to a great start!
Well made. Greetings from Germany
Thank you!
@@MacJackal np, I found it really good.
I appreciate that! Also, the guy I work for has the same sawmill as you do, so I have a little experience running the Woodmizer LT40. Thanks for the comment and I'll be following your channel. Greetings from the USA.
@@MacJackal if U are here in Germany, come around for a few beers. Greetings Wolfgang
@@WolfgangR75 You got it! Same to you if you happen to be in Iowa for some reason one day.
Great vid!! Thanks for sharing man!!!
Thank you and thanks for watching!
Awesome Video, thanks for sharing. Do you have the 9.5hp or the 14hp on your HM126?
Thanks! I have the 14hp and it’s been a great motor.
Great Video. Question about drying: Any videos on making a simple off grid kiln?
Thanks Greg. I am planning on making a solar kiln at some point and I will definitely make a video when I do.
Cool!, I'll watch it for sure! If I was near you I would come and help! Saw on brother! @@MacJackal
All I have is an Alaskan mill, I would love to have land with trees and a bigger mill like this. Probably never happen but I sthil love using my chainsaw mill.
Hey you can't go wrong with an Alaskan mill. One nice thing is to be able to take the mill to the log. "sthil" love... haha, I like what you did there.
Great tips, but I'd like to add one more. I have the norwood lm30 so I can mill 30" logs. However, since I have to turn them manually, it's hard to imagine turning a 10 or 12' log with a diameter of 30" Also, I don't think my tractor would pick up a 12 ft 30" oak log. The largest I ever try to cut is about 24" The point is, unless you're going to be in a hurry, the smaller mill may be just as good for you. No point in buying a big mill if all you ever will really cut is small/medium logs.
That's a great point. Turning a 16' long 24" diameter piece of Oak by hand makes for a real interesting show. I usually have to wrap a chain around it and lift it with the tractor to roll it as the chain unwinds. It's a lot of extra effort just to cut a larger log. When I run the mill for the guy I work for it's just the flip of a lever and the log is rolled.
so helpful, thank you. I want to mill and build a house or small cabins off of raw land. what type of mill you recommend?
I really like the Woodland Mills HM126 but it really depends on your budget and needs. You could always buy a mill, build your house and then sell the mill, but there is a good chance you will fall in love with it. If you are looking at woodland mills, I think the HM126 and HM122 are close enough in price that it makes sense to go with the HM126. The HM130 is a good option if you think you will be cutting larger logs, but at some point a mill with hydraulics makes more sense like a woodmizer LT35 or LT40. Of course the price tag goes way up. Good luck shopping and building!
I'm building a homestead in South Eastern Idaho at about 7000 elevation. It will consist of about 6 smaller A frames (700 sq feet), a poll barn and a covering for the saw mill. I will be harvesting some lumber from the property but most will be debarked logs coming from a mill about 5 miles from the property. Do you think the largest Woodland Mills will work for this size of a project? Would I need to get into a hydraulic model at this point? I don't mind the labor but also don't want to regret going too small.
That sounds like an amazing project! Woodland Mills now makes a mill that can cut up to a 36" diameter log. The only issue I see is trying to turn a log that size with a cant hook by yourself. That wouldn't be much fun. How big are the logs you are trying to mill? If you are milling Logs that are manageable to handle manually then a manual mill wouldn't be a problem. For example I can easily move around a pine log that's 25" in diameter, but once it gets bigger, or isn't perfectly straight or is hardwood, things get much more difficult. I've seen people make different ways to turn logs using cable crank systems or their tractor, but it's way slower than a hydraulic mill. If you can afford a good hydraulic mill you won't regret it. It's just going to cost a lot more money up front. If you could find a good used hydraulic mill at a fair price that would be a great option. But just depends on what kind of logs you are milling up and how much time you are willing to spend on these projects.
Good video thanks for the input. We run a timber frame company and our next step is buying a mill. We live in the northwest. I’ve gone back and forth on mill brands.. have any suggestions? We need to be able to cut 32” x 30’ log
Wow that's awesome. I'm hoping to build my future home as a timber frame. So with logs that big, it's a little out of my wheelhouse. But I would say you have a couple options. You could find a sawmill like the Woodmizer LT15Wide and get enough track extensions to get the length you need. Of course there are lots of brands out there, just go with one that has good customer reviews. Or you could find any sawmill brand that you like that can cut the diameter you need, and then have a large track extension custom built for it. With the length of logs you are cutting, a custom track extension might be the cheaper option. It's hard for me to even imagine milling a log that long. That's so cool!
Woodmizer hydraulic. Or keep your eyes peeled for an old circular mill. I cut a ridge beam 28'8" x 14" x 28" on a non hydraulic LT40 that took all day because the mill doesn't have extensions.
My only complaint about this saw is the belt. Blades are not supposed to ride on the belt. blades jump off for me and many other people on CZcams they think it is just normal and that is not supposed to happen at all ever.
here in north fl. we use tin sheds they get really hot
I bet they do. I'm not sure how you guys deal with the humidity all the time. We are 90 degrees today here in Iowa with 75% humidity and it looks like I've been wading in the river!
My first thought when i saw the thumbnail was "why does Linus from LTT review bandsaws?"
Hahahaha that’s a first for me!
I see people in all of these sawmill videos cutting 2x4s, 2x6, 4x4s, etc. Are they cutting them right to those dimensions? Assuming wood shrinks as it dries. Do you take those final dimensions into consideration when cutting boards on a mill?
That's a very good question. If you are cutting for someone then what they want they get. But let's take a 2x4 as an example. If you are going to build a structure while the wood is green and use hangers from the hardware store. It would have to be cut at 1.5" wide in order to work. Of course the wood will end up shrinking anywhere from 1/8" to 1/2" depending on the wood species. This may cause problems depending on how the structure is put together. If you are going to let the wood sit and season, then you would want to account for shrinkage. A lot of people will mill 1/8" - 1/2" over their final desired size to account for this. It's tough because wood all dries at different rates and it depends on what it is going to be used for as well. Maybe I'll make a video about this because it's something I have thought about a lot and I'm actually getting ready to cut my own dimensional lumber for a project. Hopefully that helps. It's a very tough question because everyone will have a different answer.
Like you say. Milling lumber is the easy part
That's for sure!
I thought you painted the ends just for aesthetics! 🤯 Things to think about!! 🤣
Yeah well mostly we do it for aesthetics. I learned that from Mr. Jones! HAHAHA!!!
Very helpful and spot on...thanks. Sharp blades and plenty of them is my advice too. Find a sub-contractor who can sharpen for you at a fair price if possible as it does take a lot of time to sharpen your own.
Yeah, it's amazing how many blades you go through. Great advice.
Buy a decent sharpener and setter a must!
What do you think about cutting rail ties with one of these?
It would cut rail ties no problem. Again the biggest drawback of a saw like this is the fact that you have to physically handle all of the logs/ timbers/ boards by hand. Hydraulic saws like the woodmizer LT40 for example do most of the log handling for you. But if you don't mind using a cant hook and wrestling them around, it will cut rail ties or most anything just fine. This mill cuts up to a 26" diameter log and has plenty of power for it. I have the 14hp engine on this one.
I have wooded acreage and I own one of these saw mills, IMHO if you don't have some type of heavy equipment and a pretty large staging area... don't even bother.
Yeah moving logs around is the hardest part for sure.
ever tried a diamond blade for stone cutting?
No but that's a very interesting idea. I wonder if all the stone dust would wear out the belts and wheels on the mill faster? I honestly don't know anything about stone cutting but would be a very interesting material to work with.
@@MacJackal don't worry about the belt, dust will fly off by itself or may never reach the belt.
stone need way more water than wood. directly on the stone, not on the blade. it makes a very fine(clay like) dust that can be hard to clean if you let it dry.
@@user-ox6nc6ly7f That's cool to know. If I come across a nice stone at some point you know what I'll be doing!
1 good thing about those mill's is that they won't let you run a blade too long. The mill I have now has roller guides and you can fatigue a blade if you're not careful. Those sandwich guides will allow you to cut wavy lumber before you go too many board feet. It makes you keep a fresh blade on.
That's good to know. I never thought of that aspect. Thanks for the comment.
As far as im aware all mills have roller guides. And yes fatigue is very real, even if the blade is razor sharp, it should only be ran for about 2 hours. It creates micro stress cracks and it will stretch/break the blade. So again even if its razor sharp it should be ground to cut out fractures to reduce stretching/breaking.
@@Yettiattack all the woodland mills and Norwood's I've seen have ceramic sandwich guides. Cooks , woodmizer and timber king have rollers. I've had both
@@willcoe8419 never noticed. Thats kinda crazy. I have a lt15w myself and been around 40/70 and the wm1000 all with roller guides. Watched videos but maybe just assumed lol
price pleas
Don't need equipment a truck and a log chain will do just fine!
That would definitely work in some scenarios. A lot of our paths are to narrow to fit a truck through and our hills are a bit steep for a truck. But a truck and a log sled will do the trick most times.
Your saw is still new and shiny. The belt trouble is not you, it will happen again even with proper tension and the blade aligned perfectly on the BELT, it will never ride on a belt well, it is a bad design.
Would you buy a woodland mills again?
Absolutely! I Love my Mill.
You didn't mention quarter sawing
Remember every sawmill equipment is different
You are correct.
Gravel & mills don't go together. 1½"-2" stone won't get impregnated into the bark & destroy the blade..
That's a great point. One I learned the hard way. Not long ago at my day job milling for a guy, a customer brought us a pile of large cottonwood logs. We didn't know they had been skidded across a gravel road. The bark was riddled with gravel. We didn't notice until we hit the first one smoking the blade. After that we spent a ridiculous amount of time clearing the bark of gravel.
I never thought about using larger size stone near the mill. Thanks for the advice.
Looks cool….but also super cheap plastic!!! Wonder how long it will last in all honesty?
Plastic? It's not as heavy duty metal as the mills that cost twice as much but so far I've been very happy with mine.
I wonder what percentage of people with portable mills and homemade mills have CZcams channels. 🤣
It's a requirement
480 acres of nothing but black wallnut, hickory, cottonwood, and osage orange.. getting hit with imonant domain because they are exoanding the highway.. they will take down about 900 trees. Worth it to mill what they bulldose down?
Or ket it burn.
That really sucks to hear. I personally would mill what I could, but that's up to you. Milling is a ton of work but it would be a shame to let walnut and hickory burn. If you aren't going to mill them maybe a small local mill would be interested in coming and getting some of the trees ahead of time.
What was I thinking getting a sawmill.
Haha
I disagree, it is easier to get it on the saw than it is to turn it when it is on the saw.
that's a 7 year old tree???
The white oak I was talking about was 70 years old. It was in a tight canopy so it grew slow and straight. I figured it was a lot younger until we counted the rings.
@@MacJackal oh, damn. I was about to say.
I'll give you 200 bucks for it
Very generous of you 😂
It does matter. An American made mill like timberking is so much betrer its not funny!
That's true although Timberking starts with saws that are 4x the money and their entry level saw isn't an apples to apples comparison with a budget saw like Woodland Mills. So far I've been super happy with Woodland Mills. If I wanted to upgrade, I would be saving my pennies and looking at a saw with hydraulics that could do production sawing like the Woodmizer LT40. The price goes way up but I would be running it as a business instead of for personal use. Saws like the one in this video are great to get your hands dirty in the sawmill world. But like you said, there are some really amazing saws out there made in America. If you've got the money, I say go for it. Thanks for watching.
@MacJackal I run a timberking 1220 diesel powered. I'd never buy Chinese. I know a guy with the Chinese saw and its a piece of junk compared to a TK.
Gotcha. Sounds like you've got a good saw you enjoy.@@leonidas7281