# Milled With The Revised Mini-Mill Today Post 1



## 820wards (Jan 7, 2011)

Finally was able to mill with my revised mini mill today and the results were satisfying. I had found a neighbor who had cut all the limbs off a tree in his front yard, but couldn't cut the trunk of the tree with his small saw. I also got a tree stump from the same neighbor who has the Doug Fir slabs. It came from some small Pacific Rim Island ten years ago. Here is the scientific name of the tree, don't know the street name. Tournefortia/Messersmittia (sp)

jerry-

Here are pictures of the tree from my neighborhood, don't have a clue as to what it is. I got tree to test the mini-mill with and it has some pretty cool colors.

Here is my friend Simon making the first side cap cut. 







BobL, the chip deflector worked great! It was so nice not having chips flying in our faces.






Here I am capping the opposite side and you can see that no chip/dust is flying up into my face.






Here the mill is cutting a 1" board. Check out this figuring in the wood.






This remote throttle worked like a champ. It made it very comfortable to operate the saw.


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## 820wards (Jan 7, 2011)

*Post 2*

Here are pictures of the quarter sawing attachment I made for the mini-mill. It's easy to adjust to the thickness of board to be milled.

View of quarter sawing attachment.






Here I am running the mill with the quarter saw attachment. Making the aluminum piece 16" long made it easier to keep it aligned with the edge of the cant.






When the cant was small enough, we suspended the rail board across my metal saw horses. Sure made it easy to mill and no problem with the bar touching the driveway. 






This picture show how nice it's cutting a 1" thick board.


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## 820wards (Jan 7, 2011)

*Tournefortia/Messersmittia (sp) Log Post 3*

Here is the second log we milled that is from one of the Pacific Rim Islands. My neighbor said it is called Tournefortia/Messersmittia (sp). The wood has the color of Black Oak and is a hard wood. Here are some pictures.

jerry-

Here is the log after the first side cap was removed.






Closer view of the wood.






Milling the log. The saw dust was very fine and dark brown.






1" board I cut. No water on the board in this picture, but when I did put water on it, it almost repelled the water. This log is minimum 10 years old. I will let it dry in the shop for a few weeks and then cut and finish a piece to see what it looks like.


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## TraditionalTool (Jan 7, 2011)

Nice!


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## BobL (Jan 7, 2011)

Looks great! 

I am amazed the saw does not climb up out of the cut when you cut with the top of the bar although I guess you are pushing down a little with the handlebars. 

With the hardwood wood I cut I run quite a bit of cutter hook so when I use the top of the bar the chain grabs the wood and the saw climbs up out of the cut. This is why I had to set up my mini as a rail mill.


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## polardoo (Jan 7, 2011)

Beautiful wood and nice job on pics, mill and milling. Nice to remember we dont need 20' of log to make nice wood!


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## betterbuilt (Jan 7, 2011)

nice work.


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## stipes (Jan 7, 2011)

Great Job!


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## 820wards (Jan 7, 2011)

BobL said:


> Looks great!
> 
> I am amazed the saw does not climb up out of the cut when you cut with the top of the bar although I guess you are pushing down a little with the handlebars.



BobL, what I found when milling the harder wood it did want to climb a bit if I really pushed the mill. If I just let the saw and chain work at their pace it didn't want to push the saw up. If I find that it want's do push up mor I can turn the saw around and fabricate another dust shield to keep the chips/dust from flying over the top of the saw.



BobL said:


> With the hardwood wood I cut I run quite a bit of cutter hook so when I use the top of the bar the chain grabs the wood and the saw climbs up out of the cut. This is why I had to set up my mini as a rail mill.



I don't think I will ever get into milling wood as hard as you have there.

I'm working on a deal right now on some 20-24" Coastal Live Oak pieces that are 8' long. I have a local winery friend who will let me store as much wood as I want in his barrel building for a slab of wood. Can't pass that deal up. 

jerry-


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## BobL (Jan 7, 2011)

820wards said:


> BobL, what I found when milling the harder wood it did want to climb a bit if I really pushed the mill. If I just let the saw and chain work at their pace it didn't want to push the saw up. If I find that it want's do push up mor I can turn the saw around and fabricate another dust shield to keep the chips/dust from flying over the top of the saw.



Hey if it works that's great. I still have to work on my chip shield. I have a new big project, a new home shop starting that is going to keep me tied up for a while.



> I'm working on a deal right now on some 20-24" Coastal Live Oak pieces that are 8' long. I have a local winery friend who will let me store as much wood as I want in his barrel building for a slab of wood. Can't pass that deal up.


 
That sure does sound like a good deal!


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## huskyhank (Jan 7, 2011)

Fine looking mill. 
Thanks for sharing this with us.


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## DHIBBS75 (Jan 7, 2011)

What did you use to build a mini mill...... Ive got a 10 ft and 8ft 5 1/2 ft diameter red oak Im thinking about cutting into boards.... Perfect wood... sawmills not interested because of diameter is more than 42 inches...... Ive got a solo with 36 in bar....


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## 820wards (Jan 7, 2011)

DHIBBS75 said:


> What did you use to build a mini mill...... Ive got a 10 ft and 8ft 5 1/2 ft diameter red oak Im thinking about cutting into boards.... Perfect wood... sawmills not interested because of diameter is more than 42 inches...... Ive got a solo with 36 in bar....



Here is the link that shows the build of the mill. Just remember that the rails are 16" long. Let me know if you need any other info.

jerry-

http://www.arboristsite.com/milling-saw-mills/158004.htm


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## MAD MAX (Jan 8, 2011)

I LOVE IT:sword:


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## 820wards (Jan 12, 2011)

BobL said:


> Hey if it works that's great. I still have to work on my chip shield. I have a new big project, a new home shop starting that is going to keep me tied up for a while.
> 
> That sure does sound like a good deal!



BobL, 
I forgot to tell you that I had no vibration issues at all with the dust shield bracket. With the saw running smooth through the wood I noticed no vibration in the chip/dust frame.

Hope you have fun building your new shop. I really didn't use my shop for much wood working until I retired. Now my wife can't get me out of there. 
jerry-


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## BobL (Jan 12, 2011)

820wards said:


> BobL,
> I forgot to tell you that I had no vibration issues at all with the dust shield bracket. With the saw running smooth through the wood I noticed no vibration in the chip/dust frame.


Excellent!



> Hope you have fun building your new shop. I really didn't use my shop for much wood working until I retired. Now my wife can't get me out of there.
> jerry-


I try to spend a hour a day in my current small shop on most work days, and every spare second I can on most weekends.


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## Rob D (Jan 17, 2011)

That looks excellent - great work :glasses-cool:


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## 820wards (Jan 17, 2011)

Rob D said:


> That looks excellent - great work :glasses-cool:



Thanks, I'll be milling again with it and my big mill this week. I have some oak logs I'll be milling.

jerry-


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## Hillbilly Rick (Jan 18, 2011)

I'm interested in building a mill like yours and I've read your thread on how to build it. I've also read a lot of threads to find out how to start cutting.
How do you get the first straight flat cut? Do you measure up from the center at each end?
Do you have to unscrew the rails from the log with each cut?
Is the piece of wood for the rails a 2x6 or something you made just for this?
I've never seen a CSM and to me it seems that first cut would need to be perfectly flat as it determines the rest of the cuts.
Thanks 
Rick


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## 820wards (Jan 18, 2011)

Hillbilly Rick said:


> I'm interested in building a mill like yours and I've read your thread on how to build it. I've also read a lot of threads to find out how to start cutting.
> How do you get the first straight flat cut? Do you measure up from the center at each end?



** Yes, I find the center pith and use a level at each to draw horizontal/vertical lines on the log. Once you have those lines marked you are ready to mount the rail board. 

If I'm only going to use the mini mill on a log I will trim the log with a chainsaw on the top of one end to get it flat as possible. If the log has a taper on one end that makes it easier to make a flat cut. What I will then do is place my rail-guide board on the flat surface and then drive screw it to the log. (pre-drilling the holes in the rail board makes it easier) I then will use wedges on both sides of the guide rail board to get it level.




> Do you have to unscrew the rails from the log with each cut?



** Yes, I know that my guide rail board only needs to be 1/2" from the desired cut line and that is where the saw will be cutting. It's really quick. Once the log gets to a size I can handle on my table saw or band saw I will cut it up there. With the quarter saw attachment I made I can saw the log down to a 2" thick piece of wood. 



> Is the piece of wood for the rails a 2x6 or something you made just for this?



** It's a piece of 2x6 redwood with to 3/4"x3/4" angle iron screwed down to it.



> I've never seen a CSM and to me it seems that first cut would need to be perfectly flat as it determines the rest of the cuts.



Rick, I will be milling this week with the mini mill and my Alaskan type mill. I will take detailed pictures of how I setup the mini-mill for each cut I make and post the process.

I first make each side cap cuts and then rotate the log to make the final cap cuts. Then it's just a matter of adjusting the quarter saw attachment to the desired board thickness I want. Believe me, once you get going, it's easy.

jerry-


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## 820wards (Jan 18, 2011)

Hillbilly Rick said:


> I'm interested in building a mill like yours and I've read your thread on how to build it. I've also read a lot of threads to find out how to start cutting.
> How do you get the first straight flat cut? Do you measure up from the center at each end?
> Do you have to unscrew the rails from the log with each cut?
> Is the piece of wood for the rails a 2x6 or something you made just for this?
> ...




Rick,
You should also go through BobL's Tips/Trick for milling. 

http://www.arboristsite.com/milling-saw-mills/93458.htm

It has very good information from various people as to how they setup for making cuts. When you then see the pictures I post you'll have it figured out. 

jerry-


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## Hillbilly Rick (Jan 18, 2011)

Jerry,
Thanks for the info. I've searched the other threads for hours and can't find anything on the very first set up with a CSM.
I look forward to your pics, heck, wish I could be there.
How does taper help when starting?
I've found that often people forget to include the "obvious" things when giving instruction. Like, hitting enter after a command on the computer, but if you've never used a computer before how would you know? This happened to me in a computer class. I had never even sat in front of one before.
Excellent instruction on the build, I like the details, especially for the remote throttle.
Thanks for your help,
Rick


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## 820wards (Jan 18, 2011)

Hillbilly Rick said:


> Jerry,
> Thanks for the info. I've searched the other threads for hours and can't find anything on the very first set up with a CSM.
> I look forward to your pics, heck, wish I could be there.
> How does taper help when starting?
> ...


 
Rick,

Just checking my email before heading out this morning to mill. Hopefully by the end of the day I'll enough picture for you to see how I setup my logs to mill.
jerry-


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## BobL (Jan 18, 2011)

Hillbilly Rick said:


> Jerry,
> Thanks for the info. I've searched the other threads for hours and can't find anything on the very first set up with a CSM.



Do you mean how to start a log?
The simplest way is to tek screw a 6 x 2" board to the top of a log and go for it?

There are many other set up

Eg this timber frame setup,
http://www.arboristsite.com/milling-saw-mills/93458.htm#post1454419
and this.

Ladders and Unistrut
http://www.arboristsite.com/milling-saw-mills/93458.htm#post1454512

More unistrut
http://www.arboristsite.com/milling-saw-mills/97620.htm


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## 820wards (Jan 19, 2011)

BobL said:


> Do you mean how to start a log?
> The simplest way is to tek screw a 6 x 2" board to the top of a log and go for it?



Bob, that's the part I forgot. I do tek screw the rail board to the top of the log or cant.

jerry-


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## 820wards (Jan 19, 2011)

*Mini-Mill Setup 1*



Hillbilly Rick said:


> Jerry,
> Thanks for the info. I've searched the other threads for hours and can't find anything on the very first set up with a CSM.



Rick,
Here is how I set my mini-mill up today.

Victim Log before trimming







Log trimmed on top to create a flat surface to mount rail board






Rail board mounted with tek screws to top of log. I used shims to keep the board level. I buy the package of door shims because they are real thin and allow me to fine adjust the rail board. I use 4" square head tek screws and pre-drill holes in the rail board prior to mounting. I used my big mill later in the day for the larger logs.






I used a small stump, blocks and wedges to steady the log so that it wouldn't move while milling. Worked great!






Here is my neighbor Simon starting the first side cap cut.


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## 820wards (Jan 19, 2011)

*Mini-Mill Setup 2*

Simon making the first cut and the dust deflector working good!






First side cap cut finished.






Grain looks good and cut is smooth.






Making second side cap cut.






Log was unscrewed and replaced on flat side of log to make the 3rd & 4th cuts.


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## 820wards (Jan 19, 2011)

*Mini-Mill Setup 3*

All four sides have been cut and are square.






Square cant is positioned on scrap wood at a 45* angle for milling with quarter saw attachment. The 45* angle keeps the saw and guide plate positioned so the plate rides on the surface of the wood and to keep the nose of the bar from hitting the ground or in my case the driveway.






Here the quarter saw plate is attached to the mini-mill and adjusted to 3-1/8" thickness.






Somewhere in these milling threads I saw someone who had built a log lifting rig similar to the one I made yesterday. I used 1-1/2" 1/4" wall tubing, some 1/2" thick x 2" wide x 3" long flat bar stock and a cement stake that is approximately 7/8" diameter. I cut the bar stock about 4" long and on one end cut them at a 45* angle. I was running low on argon so I stick welded it all together with some stainless steel arc welding rod.


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## 820wards (Jan 19, 2011)

*Mini-Mill Setup 4*

Side view of log lifter in use. Sure beats trying to move the logs with bars.






Looking down the boards you can see the mini-mill can make very straight cuts when you set everything up correctly.






Stack of Wood
Top boards were cut entirely with the mini mill. The bottom boards were capped with the big mill, then side caped on one side and then milled into slabs with the big mill. Middle boards were cut entirely with my big mill. All boards were cut to 3-1/8" thick. Over all, another fun/tiring day in the CA sun milling oak logs with my friends.






Rick, hope this helps. I've adapted this method from what others have posted here on this site. I seem to learn something every time I login.

jerry-


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## BobL (Jan 19, 2011)

Nice set of pics - Thanks for posting Jerry.


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## Hillbilly Rick (Jan 19, 2011)

BobL said:


> Nice set of pics - Thanks for posting Jerry.


+1 Great pics and info. I had the impression the cut for the top was like a type of guide where every cut after that would be only as good as the first. I assumed(yeah I know)the first cut for the rail board would have to be perfectly straight and flat, and that would have to be done freehand which would be difficult at best.
Are you cutting 3 1/8" to resaw on a band saw or did you just need that size?
Thanks for all your help, I look forward to making my own soon.
Rick
PS I also learn every time I log on.


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## 820wards (Jan 19, 2011)

Hillbilly Rick said:


> +1 Great pics and info. I had the impression the cut for the top was like a type of guide where every cut after that would be only as good as the first. I assumed(yeah I know)the first cut for the rail board would have to be perfectly straight and flat, and that would have to be done freehand which would be difficult at best.



Rick I forgot to mention that before I mount the rail board on the log, I look at the growth rings and rotate the log to see where I will get the best pieces of wood. I then mark the center pith with a sharpie and use a level to mark the log horizontally across the log. Then I will use the level and make a vertical line from top to bottom. I do this on both ends working off the center pith and once this is done you can then measure from the center line up where you want to make your first cut. Really what you are doing is marking cross-hairs on each end of the log you use to layout your cuts. Bluerider taught me that using the center pith to layout cuts will illuminate your wood from looking like you just cut plywood.




> Are you cutting 3 1/8" to resaw on a band saw or did you just need that size?



Actually both. the live oak I milled wants check when it is milled too thin. By milling at 3" it reduced the the checking/cracking. You still get some, but not as much. The extra 1/8" allows for shrinkage. This wood I milled will be stored in a friends wine barrel room and will dry slow like I want. In about three years I hope to have figured out what I will be doing with it. 




> Thanks for all your help, I look forward to making my own soon.



The basic mini-mill I built took maybe an hour to cut the pieces out. The only piece that you really need to pay attention on making is the 1/2" thick piece of steel for bolting the chainsaw bar to, it must be welded on straight and parallel to the bottom of your rails. A good square is all you need. As for handles, use you imagination. The kids in my neighbor hood bring me their old bikes that I pilfer parts from.

jerry-


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## 820wards (Jan 19, 2011)

BobL said:


> Nice set of pics - Thanks for posting Jerry.




Thanks, my neighbor has become my star model/operator. He's retired to so his wife lets us goof off together. The only time she got mad was when he pinched his finger in my log splitter. Fingers between wood and a 1" thick steel plate don't get along to well.

Hey, that cement mixer seems to be working out better for you. I've done the, mix cement in a bucket deal before and it's not fun. Hope you are keeping hydrated at the end of each day? 

jerry-


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## Hillbilly Rick (Jan 20, 2011)

820ward,
Thanks again, I can think of only 1 more question, have you had any problems with the throttle assy slipping on the handle?


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## BobL (Jan 20, 2011)

820wards said:


> .
> .
> .
> This wood I milled will be stored in a friends wine barrel room and will dry slow like I want. In about three years I hope to have figured out what I will be doing with it.
> ...



Jerry, I hope the wine barrel room has enough ventilation. Unless there is some sort of dehumidifier in that room, if there is not enough ventilation green wood could go mouldy. 

Now the real question is, does the room just have barrels, or do the barrels have something drinkable in them?


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## 820wards (Jan 20, 2011)

Hillbilly Rick said:


> 820ward,
> Thanks again, I can think of only 1 more question, have you had any problems with the throttle assy slipping on the handle?


 

Rick,

When I made the throttle assembly, I allowed space for some adhesive backed rubber foam on the inside of the bracket so there is no plastic to metal contact. Having the foam rubber on the inside, I have found that the bracket does not slip at all once I tighten the thumb screws. 

My neighbor just bought a used Husky 365 Special like mine, so I'll be building another throttle unit. If I make any changes to how I make that throttle assembly, I'll post those changes.

I'm gone until Monday. 

jerry-


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## 820wards (Jan 20, 2011)

BobL said:


> Jerry, I hope the wine barrel room has enough ventilation. Unless there is some sort of dehumidifier in that room, if there is not enough ventilation green wood could go moldy.



BobL, My brothers AC company set the building up just for his empty wine barrels to keep the humidity at a constant temperature and it moves the air in the building constantly. Here where I live it does get up to 108* in the summer time and it is very dry. All of the local winery's have humidifiers in their barrel storage buildings. If I remember correctly, my brother said they keep the building a 68* year round, but I don't remember what they have the humidity set at to keep the barrels from shrinking. 



> Now the real question is, does the room just have barrels, or do the barrels have something drinkable in them?



Empty barrels.... Darn! I know he is going to give me some wine for giving him some slabs as tasting tables. 

jerry-


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## Hillbilly Rick (Jan 20, 2011)

820wards said:


> BobL, My brothers AC company set the building up just for his empty wine barrels to keep the humidity at a constant temperature and it moves the air in the building constantly. Here where I live it does get up to 108* in the summer time and it is very dry. All of the local winery's have humidifiers in their barrel storage buildings. If I remember correctly, my brother said they keep the building a 68* year round, but I don't remember what they have the humidity set at to keep the barrels from shrinking.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Jerry, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but 68* and high humidity pretty much mean mold, mildew and fungi. The barrels are most likely made of white oak which is very stable and not likely to shrink much anyway. White oak also has a natural waxy substance in its sap that helps prevent moisture damage. Air circulation may help but I would hate to see those nice slabs turned into a punky mess or a mushroom farm.
Seal your ends with Anchor seal, Green wood sealer or paraffin wax.
I have my own kiln but store my fresh cut lumber out side under a lot of weight, all sticker stacked, until it's time to load the kiln. The splits I have are normally where the pith is.I've dried green and air dried wood to 6% mc from 1" thick to 4 1/2" thick. 
If the pith is included in your slabs they will most often split along it.
Best of luck,
Rick


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## 820wards (Jan 25, 2011)

Hillbilly Rick said:


> Jerry, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but 68* and high humidity pretty much mean mold, mildew and fungi. The barrels are most likely made of white oak which is very stable and not likely to shrink much anyway. White oak also has a natural waxy substance in its sap that helps prevent moisture damage. Air circulation may help but I would hate to see those nice slabs turned into a punky mess or a mushroom farm.



Rick, good information. I have just stored wood in the past in ventilated sheds or along side my shop. I will check with this guy to find exactly what he keeps his barrel room moisture level at. The Live Oak I milled is very wet and noticed when I got home yesterday from being gone for four days has already started cracking at the pith.



> Seal your ends with Anchor seal, Green wood sealer or paraffin wax.
> I have my own kiln but store my fresh cut lumber out side under a lot of weight, all sticker stacked, until it's time to load the kiln. The splits I have are normally where the pith is.I've dried green and air dried wood to 6% mc from 1" thick to 4 1/2" thick.



I have sealed the wood with two coats of sealer so I hope that milling the slabs at 3-1/8", stacking and putting the weight I put on them will slow the cracking. It gets very warm and dry here where I live in the summer time




> If the pith is included in your slabs they will most often split along it.



That is the place were they have cracked. The area of the slabs where the crotch is seems to be good.

Thanks for the info Rick.

jerry-


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## Hillbilly Rick (Jan 25, 2011)

Jerry,
Always good to save a crotch:devil:. I think the reason they don't split as much is the grain going so many different ways.
Hot and dry should only affect the speed in which they dry, my kiln is 100- 120*F until the wood's dry and 140 to kill bugs.
Splitting seems to get me most when the slabs are thicker than 8/4", to me, split and planer snipe seem to be enough of a reality that I cut everything long in order to not ruin some choice grain figure.
I would think a full barrel would be a good trade for those crotch slab tables.


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## 820wards (Jan 25, 2011)

Hillbilly Rick said:


> Jerry,
> Always good to save a crotch:devil:. I think the reason they don't split as much is the grain going so many different ways.
> Hot and dry should only affect the speed in which they dry, my kiln is 100- 120*F until the wood's dry and 140 to kill bugs.
> Splitting seems to get me most when the slabs are thicker than 8/4", to me, split and planer snipe seem to be enough of a reality that I cut everything long in order to not ruin some choice grain figure.



This is the first time I've tried milling live oak. Most of the oak I mill in Black Oak, and usually don't have a problem with it splitting. Since I don't have a tractor to move milled wood I keep everything to 8' long max.




> I would think a full barrel would be a good trade for those crotch slab tables.



I'm calling him tonight about taking the wood over. I just got a call from a friend who knows someone who has walnut trees cut down/up and found out I have a mill. It never ends...

jerry-


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## Hillbilly Rick (Jan 26, 2011)

Walnut I just came across some nice walnut in the woods but I'm having trouble heaving them up on my shoulder and putting them in the truck. I'll have help in a few days, too muddy now.


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## john taliaferro (Jan 26, 2011)

Well i thought you were a hillbilly , yes the snow melted now drying out here . you loading the logs or the lumber? I just got it , Jerry puts a few old boards in the wine cellar then goes to check on um every day, he may be smarter than we think .


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## 820wards (Jan 26, 2011)

Hillbilly Rick said:


> Walnut I just came across some nice walnut in the woods but I'm having trouble heaving them up on my shoulder and putting them in the truck. I'll have help in a few days, too muddy now.



Well the walnut fell through today.... :-( 

I called the fireman guy this morning to get directions and he tells me his friend changed his mind about the walnut and decided he wanted it. So I was bummed. So I spent the day using my mini-mill to trim some of the slabs I had milled last week and a 3" thing black walnut slab Bluerider gave me. 

So, about noon my two friends who work where I retired from came by to see my milling in person. One of them tells me he know a friend who is cutting down two ash trees in a couple of week and that I can have the trees to mill if I like. Not as good as getting the walnut, but at least it's wood I would like to get. 

jerry-


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## 820wards (Jan 26, 2011)

john taliaferro said:


> Well i thought you were a hillbilly , yes the snow melted now drying out here.



I was born in Berkeley,CA so I don't think I would qualify as a hillbilly, but I do like the hills and the only trees I hug are the ones I'm cutting down or milling. I have a second home in the CA gold country and love every minute I'm there. 



> you loading the logs or the lumber?



Didn't get the walnut today. The guys friend who didn't want it decided he wanted it after all. :-(



> I just got it , Jerry puts a few old boards in the wine cellar then goes to check on um every day, he may be smarter than we think .



Being diabetic I can't drink much alcohol, but I do have a glass of wine or a beer now and then. I'm taking the oak I trimmed today over to his winery Saturday. Another friend asked me to go Dungeonus Crab fishing Friday in trade for my scrap cutoff stuff I made today. What a trade... Maybe I'll see if I can get some wine on Saturday from the winery, some sourdough french bread to go with the crab and have a party Saturday night. I have a big crab pot I can cook the crab in and I'll drive my neighbors nuts with that smell. 

jerry-


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## jimdad07 (Jan 27, 2011)

Hey great work Jerry. Looks like Bob has a little competition in the design build area. Very smart idea with the saw horses.


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## 820wards (Jan 28, 2011)

jimdad07 said:


> Hey great work Jerry. Looks like Bob has a little competition in the design build area. Very smart idea with the saw horses.


 
Jim,

I actually remembered seeing something that Bob built awhile back that gave me the idea to suspend the smaller logs between saw horses. Bob had used a set of low saw horses for his mini-mill version. The ones I have are a set of Sears metal saw horses my son found at a garage sale for $5 ea.

What I've found using a rail setup is that once I have my first cut I can then tek screw the rail board to the flat first cut and proceeding second/third/fourth cuts. I set my rail board up 1/2" off my cut line I mark and the saw is right in line with the marked line. Yesterday I was even cutting pieces that were only 18" long and was able to make a nice square block using this setup. I made them 6" thick so that I can run them through the joiner and then later through my tables saw and plainer.

I think I will be looking at making a log riser using a couple of screw jacks that come out of Hummers, they are real tall. The jacks are really to support the heaver logs when tek screwed to my rail board and keep the rail board from bowing when heavy logs attach.

jerry-


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## Hillbilly Rick (Jan 28, 2011)

john taliaferro said:


> Well i thought you were a hillbilly , yes the snow melted now drying out here . you loading the logs or the lumber? I just got it , Jerry puts a few old boards in the wine cellar then goes to check on um every day, he may be smarter than we think .


John, I'm haulin' logs, I don't have a winch yet so it takes a second vehicle to get 'em on the truck.

Jerry, crabs, wine and french bread, now that's teasin' the neighbors.


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## 820wards (Jan 28, 2011)

Hillbilly Rick said:


> John, I'm haulin' logs, I don't have a winch yet so it takes a second vehicle to get 'em on the truck.
> 
> Jerry, crabs, wine and french bread, now that's teasin' the neighbors.


 
I'm crying... :crying::crying: We didn't get to go crab fishing today because the skipper couldn't find a deck hand. 

I use my neighbors low tandem axle trailer when I need to get big logs. I use a chain connected to the large D-loops at the front of the trailer and use a come-along to pull them into the trailer. I think my next toy going to be a portable electric wench. I have a 12V auxiliary connection on the back of my truck I can operate the wench with. I'm getting too old to be using a come-along that much. Last time I had my son to pull the logs into the trailer with the come-along.

jerry-


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