# My first day with the mini-mill



## mtngun (Jan 22, 2010)

I've been making quite a few posts for an upcoming barn project, and a mini-mill seems to be more efficient for making posts than an Alaskan, since there is less set up required.

I had already tried the chinese lumbermaker and didn't like it, mainly because the bar clamp was unreliable.

If I were retired, I'd do like BobL and make my own mini-mill. I think I could do a better job than the factory and save money in the process. However, I'm always busy, so the Granberg mini-mill got the nod. 

I also picked up a loop of ripping chain for the Oly 980. The Oly should be ideally suited for mini-mill duty, which is good, because the Oly needed a role in life.

Today I needed to make a cant, so I started out cutting a slab with the Alaskan in the conventional manner.






Then I switched to the mini-mill. At first, I set up the mill as per the instructions, which results in a face full of sawdust. Actually, the instructions show the saw mounted 3 different ways, and doesn't explain which position you should use or why. To heck with the face-full-of-sawdust position.





So then I tried the 2nd position (not shown), cutting with the top of the bar. That fixed the sawdust problem, but the cutting forces tended to push the mill up. I had to push the mill down forcefully and it was a constant tug-of-war, resulting in a wobbly cut. Scratch the top-of-bar position.

Finally, I tried the 3rd position, cutting with the bottom of the bar while I stand on the opposite side and push, like this. This position worked well.





The finished cant dimensions ranged from 12 1/8" - 12 7/8", not bad for my first attempt with the mini-mill, and the setup was definitely easier than it would have been using only an Alaskan.


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## gr8scott72 (Jan 22, 2010)

Good stuff. I actually used my mini mill for the first time yesterday too.

Didn't have as good of results as you. My top cut had a twist in it which then made the mini mill cut not square also. I think I've worked this out and hope to try it out tomorrow on a nice 6', 25" diameter yellow pine log.


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## BobL (Jan 22, 2010)

Good pics mtngun, thanks for posting.

I found using a vertical mill from the opposite side only works for small logs. The top of the bar is definitely superior but like you say you don't want to be holding it down all the time and the mill needs to be designed to be able to hold itself onto the guide board and the guide board needs to be locked to the log.

Definitely good for barn posts though.



mtngun said:


> If I were retired, I'd do like BobL and make my own mini-mill.



What make you think I'm retired?


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## mtngun (Jan 22, 2010)

BobL said:


> What make you think I'm retired?


Oh, I know you are working -- researcher, right ? But you do seem to have a reasonable amount of time for hobbies.

My main complaint about the mini mill is that the base is too narrow, only about 4" wide. They probably designed it that way so it would fit on a store-bought 2x6. Pretty tipsy, though.


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## BobL (Jan 22, 2010)

mtngun said:


> Oh, I know you are working -- researcher, right ? But you do seem to have a reasonable amount of time for hobbies.


I don't watch any TV (or go out much).



> My main complaint about the mini mill is that the base is too narrow, only about 4" wide. They probably designed it that way so it would fit on a store-bought 2x6. Pretty tipsy, though.


Agree.


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## clearance (Jan 22, 2010)

Cool truck, they are strong and simple, probably be here for a while still.


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## Kicker_92 (Jan 23, 2010)

Your third position is how we always use ours. Usually keep the bar more vetical though. I wear a pvc rainjacket with a hood, and dust mask. That takes care of the sawdust flying around.

Might want to check your mini-mill setup though, I had to file the holes out a bit on mine to get it perfectly square. Not a big deal on smaller cuts, but on a 20" deep cut it was almost 1/2" out at the bottom.


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## mtngun (Jan 23, 2010)

Kicker_92 said:


> on a 20" deep cut it was almost 1/2" out at the bottom.


Shoot, I'd be thrilled with 1/2" error on a 20" cut. The mill wobbles more than that.

The cant was squarer than the posts I've milled with the Alaskan. Some of my Alaskan 8x8's are embarrassing. Kind of a spiraling trapazoid. 



> Usually keep the bar more vertical though


The tilt is necessary to clear the plastic guard. For the time being, I'm keeping the guard because it does serve to keep fingers away from the chain. Might take it off later, we'll see.

One thing I don't like is that I can't access the Oly's front chain tensioner because it is blocked by the mill. That might call for a mod.

I think I'll get along with the mini-mill pretty well. It'll get used a lot.


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## Kicker_92 (Jan 23, 2010)

mtngun said:


> Shoot, I'd be thrilled with 1/2" error on a 20" cut. The mill wobbles more than that. I think I'll get along with the mini-mill pretty well. It'll get used a lot.



You'll get used to where you need to put the pressure. I tend to push downwards towards the support more than the rail. This seems to keep the sawdust from riding up underneath. I agree if there was a good way to limit the wobbling (perhaps extend the bolts & tube sleeves?) it would make for a better cut.

I would much sooner take the chainbrake off the saw than take that guard off the mill. Your hand could easily slip while pushing the mill.


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## gemniii (Jan 23, 2010)

mtngun said:


> One thing I don't like is that I can't access the Oly's front chain tensioner because it is blocked by the mill. That might call for a mod.


I had the same problem with my JD CS62, I upgraded to a side chain tensioner (Stihl Ms660).


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## AaronB (Jan 23, 2010)

Great to see that in action. I have one of those as well, just haven't used it yet. I did buy a guide board to screw the guide rails to (similar to what you show) but I am not sure the board is twist/warp free enough to use.

I was trying to think of something more solid that would stay straight to screw those guide rails to that I could use over and over and weather wouldn't bother to much, but just haven't came up with anything yet.

Good looking log though.


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## MR4WD (Jan 23, 2010)

AaronB said:


> Great to see that in action. I have one of those as well, just haven't used it yet. I did buy a guide board to screw the guide rails to (similar to what you show) but I am not sure the board is twist/warp free enough to use.
> 
> I was trying to think of something more solid that would stay straight to screw those guide rails to that I could use over and over and weather wouldn't bother to much, but just haven't came up with anything yet.
> 
> Good looking log though.



Aluminum channel would work well! But expensive.

I just screw my 2x6 to the cant, removing any warping or twisting. That may not work at all, if they require hole free wood.


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## BobL (Jan 24, 2010)

mtngun said:


> One thing I don't like is that I can't access the Oly's front chain tensioner because it is blocked by the mill. That might call for a mod.



This is what I did so Hud could get access to the chain adjuster on his 3120.




Cheers


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## Coalsmoke (Jan 24, 2010)

Great pictures.

That mini mill is exactly what I need to split or quarter the large logs so I can stick them on the mill. It looks simple enough, any reason why a person couldn't make one themselves out of a piece of channel iron and a C clamp for the bar?


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## Kicker_92 (Jan 24, 2010)

Coalsmoke said:


> That mini mill is exactly what I need to split or quarter the large logs so I can stick them on the mill. It looks simple enough, any reason why a person couldn't make one themselves out of a piece of channel iron and a C clamp for the bar?




It'd be simple enough to make, but it's also only about $100 including 12ft of track.

If your just looking to roughly quarter up logs for your bandsaw, you might even want to buy / copy one of the Haddon Lumbermaker, even simpler.


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## ticat928 (Jan 24, 2010)

The instructions that came with mine showed the saw facing away from the push handle (your last config) and clamped 10-degrees from vertical.

This configuration aliows pressure on the push bar to tranlate into pressure keeping saw in cut.

Your first config is dangerous (redundant point since you already know) since the chain rotation is pushing the saw out of the cut (a knot or nail in the wood can send it flying)


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## AaronB (Jan 24, 2010)

MR4WD said:


> Aluminum channel would work well! But expensive.
> 
> I just screw my 2x6 to the cant, removing any warping or twisting. That may not work at all, if they require hole free wood.



That the problem I was trying to avoid was the holes in the top of the board, plus you need something wide to so the mill has something to travel on, or you need to pieces of parallel channel.


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## Coalsmoke (Jan 24, 2010)

Kicker_92 said:


> It'd be simple enough to make, but it's also only about $100 including 12ft of track.
> 
> If your just looking to roughly quarter up logs for your bandsaw, you might even want to buy / copy one of the Haddon Lumbermaker, even simpler.



That is essentially what I had in mind. Ripping a large log in half by hand makes a fair bit of waste because over a 48" cut, the inaccuracies in keeping the blade straight and at the right angle are magnified.


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## MR4WD (Jan 24, 2010)

Shameless post:

Today I ran my min-mill with my 372. This is how I set it up:






I turned the oiler all the way up and even with an 8 pin rim, it still over-oiled. That's what I like to see!


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## lumberjackchef (Jan 24, 2010)

BobL said:


> This is what I did so Hud could get access to the chain adjuster on his 3120.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Great little mod but either my eyes are playing tricks on me, or that chain has some major skip to it!


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