Overworking Yourself
Woodlanders' Words:
Pushing Myself Too Hard and Making Mistakes
Greg from Our Dream in the Woods talks about slowing down and having a safe, healthy work environment
I am currently in the midst of a huge project and am milling all of the timber for a 42 x 60’ traditional monitor-style barn that will become our home. The cut list has over 130 posts, beams, rafters and other supports to mill.
To do this I have a Woodlands Mills HM130Max Portable Sawmill with two extensions that is doing an excellent job milling mostly Douglas Fir from our property.
But I have caught myself pushing for production, and in doing so, making mistakes. This comes from long hours and pushing myself physically.
When there are self-imposed deadlines that you set, it is easy to get caught up in the do do do, now now now mindset.
This has led to making the wrong cut and wasting flitches or pushing the sawblade into the log support and ruining a sawblade. So far (knock on wood) I have not injured myself or damaged a more serious piece of equipment.
"I need to slow down and enjoy the process and not be solely focused on the target."
Remember that physics is your friend. Leverage and pulleys can make a huge difference with moving and maneuvering heavy logs. Of course motors can also make your job a lot easier as well.
Proper lighting helps a ton and helps you not be in a rush to complete your task as the sun is going down. When you need to lift something heavy – “lifting with your legs and not your back” can reduce the chances of an injury.
Keeping your work area clean and organized helps reduce the chances of falling (and cussing for that matter).
The last tip I have is to put a new sawblade on when it gets dull – the guy who sharpens my blades charges thirteen bucks, well worth the price for a fresh blade.
In the end I need to remind myself that I am doing something that is super cool and making something that should last for a couple hundred years. These Woodland Mills are a lot of fun to run and oddly satisfying to break a log down into a timber. I need to slow down and enjoy the process and not be solely focused on the target.
If you are interested in checking out our project – we have a YouTube channel called “Our Dream in the Woods.” And as always – hit like and subscribe!
Greg