# Freehand cut?



## AaronB (Mar 16, 2012)

I have a log that is larger than my Alaskan Mill, can I cut the log in half free hand?

My thought is to chalk a line down the middle of the log (on the side of it), then once I get the bar buired in the saw I figure it will be easy or at least manageable to follow the line and cut the log in half.

I am sure someone has done this?

BTW, we did think of canting the log so then I could use the mill to cut it in half but its just to large for us to move, so this was our second best option we could think of.

The end game is we want to quarter saw the log (white oak) so we were going to half it first so we could move the halves then half the halves (get quarters) once its back at the house.


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## BobL (Mar 16, 2012)

AaronB said:


> I have a log that is larger than my Alaskan Mill, can I cut the log in half free hand? .



Of course you can - but don't be like that joker who was doing this and when he finally cut it in half =, one half rolled onto his foot and trapped him there until he could get help.
Luckily he had steelcap boots or that it did not roll any further and crush his legs.


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## AaronB (Mar 16, 2012)

BobL said:


> Of course you can - but don't be like that joker who was doing this and when he finally cut it in half =, one half rolled onto his foot and trapped him there until he could get help.
> Luckily he had steelcap boots or that it did not roll any further and crush his legs.



thanks for the heads up, I will use some boards and screws to anchor the top half to the bottom half as I go down the log after I put wedges in.


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## Talltom (Mar 16, 2012)

Very difficult to get a straight cut through a big log without some sort of guide - even more so if sawing horizontally. The buried end will wander a lot. If you saw vertically, at least gravity isn't working against you. You may get just as good results by cutting a groove across the diameter on one end and using wedges to split the log. Oak splits quite easily. Cutting a shallow kerf along the length would help control the split. Results will depend on how straight the grain is. I did this on an oak butt that had already started to split & only had to trim 1/2 inch off each split face, but the log was only 5 ft long.


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## rarefish383 (Mar 16, 2012)

BobL was talking about sawing vertically so there was a right and left side, not a top and a bottom. When the guy got to the end the two sides just rolled over. I think that would be the best way to make the cut, and just put some big wedges in the sides so they can't roll, and of course, beware that they will try to move, even before you are finnished the cut. If you can get us some pics. I've made some benches free hand and the cuts were straight enough to sit on. Good luck, Joe.


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## AaronB (Mar 16, 2012)

rarefish383 said:


> BobL was talking about sawing vertically so there was a right and left side, not a top and a bottom. When the guy got to the end the two sides just rolled over. I think that would be the best way to make the cut, and just put some big wedges in the sides so they can't roll, and of course, beware that they will try to move, even before you are finnished the cut. If you can get us some pics. I've made some benches free hand and the cuts were straight enough to sit on. Good luck, Joe.



Oh, I was planning on doing the cut horizontal. I can see how veritcal might be a tad easier but the nose of the bar would dig into the ground so that's why I didn't consider it.


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## markvanzee (Mar 16, 2012)

this is how to do it! 

MY LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES VOL.14 LUMBER CUT BY CHAIN SAW - YouTube


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## 820wards (Mar 16, 2012)

markvanzee said:


> this is how to do it!
> 
> MY LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES VOL.14 LUMBER CUT BY CHAIN SAW - YouTube



This guy is good!

jerry-


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## Talltom (Mar 16, 2012)

I can't believe I wasted all that money on a mill! I like this guy's technique, but his log is quite a bit smaller than Aaron's 30"+ one & I'll bet he's had some practice. I've tried it making a deep cut starting from the far end and it didn't work well at all, but then I can't get a cut that straight when I'm bucking a log! 

Aaron - Try to get as close to plumb as you can without having the tip hit the ground. It will be much easier on your arms. OR, you can cut the log almost through and split it for the last couple inches. From the video, it looks like the guy's using gravity to keep plumb, & that wouldn't work at any angle other than plumb.


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## Groundcover (Mar 16, 2012)

Good to see he had all his PPE in place !


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## rarefish383 (Mar 17, 2012)

This guy and I shop at the same PPE store. Only thing is I wear a pair of crocks in case a stone gets mixed in my saw dust, I have tender feet, Joe.


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## abbott295 (Mar 17, 2012)

But if you went barefoot all the time, your feet wouldn't be tender. Just like him. 

"Only thing I wear is a pair of crocks..." Out of sight of neighbors? I'm always concerned they will want to come over and talk, since from the sound of the chainsaw, they'll know you're home.

Hearing protection at least is required. 

What's that you say?


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## AaronB (Mar 17, 2012)

Talltom said:


> Aaron - Try to get as close to plumb as you can without having the tip hit the ground. It will be much easier on your arms. OR, you can cut the log almost through and split it for the last couple inches. From the video, it looks like the guy's using gravity to keep plumb, & that wouldn't work at any angle other than plumb.



After watching the video I see what you mean by doing it vertical, if I angle the saw the tip wont hit the ground. Keeping the cut straighter might be easier doing it vertical similar to what the video shows, like you said it will be easier on me to control.


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## BobL (Mar 18, 2012)

AaronB said:


> Oh, I was planning on doing the cut horizontal. I can see how veritcal might be a tad easier but the nose of the bar would dig into the ground so that's why I didn't consider it.



Unless you have had a lot of practice and have been seriously working out in the gym or similar then a horizontal cut will wear you out big time.


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## n8ghz (Mar 18, 2012)

BobL said:


> Unless you have had a lot of practice and have been seriously working out in the gym or similar then a horizontal cut will wear you out big time.




The Phillipino guy.....wow....barefoot in shorts, with a big saw....and what looks to be at least a 36" bar......wow.
Barefoot and it looks like he still has feet?

I wouldn't want to arm wrestle him.


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## AaronB (Mar 18, 2012)

BobL said:


> Unless you have had a lot of practice and have been seriously working out in the gym or similar then a horizontal cut will wear you out big time.



Any suggestions on method for the cut? Should I make a scoring cut then just go gradually deeper each time or go a 1/4 each time and do it in 4 passes?
Here's a couple of pics of part of the tree.

View attachment 229548


View attachment 229549


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## hamish (Mar 18, 2012)

Ever think about making it smaller first then going from there? Even a large cant with wane will be much smaller and easier to work with.


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## billstuewe (Mar 21, 2012)

Here is how I do it--










Here is where you get the guide I am using--
Bailey's - The Beam Machine
It works good if you have a way to get the log up on something so the bare doesn't eat rocks and dirt and I like someone to keep an eye on the tip for me and tell me when I am close to the ground.


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## gemniii (Mar 22, 2012)

billstuewe said:


> Here is how I do it--
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Is that just a 2x4 you are using for support?


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## billstuewe (Mar 22, 2012)

It is, sorta, I made it myself from milled wood. It is a bit wider to eliminate the slop (be sure to camfer the edges so they fit into the co0rners of the beam machine. The tool is designed to be used with a 2x4. It has cleats on the bottom and swivels so you can pull it towards you, step on it and then lever up on the saw handle to assist in cutting-but be careful when the log splits in two with your saw mounted on it. I stop just before it breaks through and remove the saw and 2x4 and freehand the last little bit and watch the big boys go kaboom. I also prop 2x4s against the log to help support it just in case---


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## PheasantHunter (Mar 23, 2012)

*Panama*



markvanzee said:


> this is how to do it!
> 
> MY LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES VOL.14 LUMBER CUT BY CHAIN SAW - YouTube





I was just in Panama, never saw an Alaska mill but saw tons of lumber that had been free hand milled with a chainsaw. I saw two bandmill and one circular mill during the entire trip. I will post some photos when I get time.


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## AaronB (Mar 25, 2012)

billstuewe said:


> It is, sorta, I made it myself from milled wood. It is a bit wider to eliminate the slop (be sure to camfer the edges so they fit into the co0rners of the beam machine. The tool is designed to be used with a 2x4. It has cleats on the bottom and swivels so you can pull it towards you, step on it and then lever up on the saw handle to assist in cutting-but be careful when the log splits in two with your saw mounted on it. I stop just before it breaks through and remove the saw and 2x4 and freehand the last little bit and watch the big boys go kaboom. I also prop 2x4s against the log to help support it just in case---



hmmm, I might have to look into that. I do have one of these: http://granberg.com/product/mini-mill-ii but I have never used it. Guess it would work the same way but the one you showed might be more versatile, this one you can't adjust the angle of the saw unless you un-clamp it.

What do you do if the bar doesn't go all the way through the log? If I used a setup like yours that would be the case since the guide is above the top of the log a few inches, my 42" bar wouldn't make it all the way through.


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## betterbuilt (Mar 25, 2012)

AaronB said:


> hmmm, I might have to look into that. I do have one of these: Mini Mill II | Granberg International but I have never used it. Guess it would work the same way but the one you showed might be more versatile, this one you can't adjust the angle of the saw unless you un-clamp it.
> 
> What do you do if the bar doesn't go all the way through the log? If I used a setup like yours that would be the case since the guide is above the top of the log a few inches, my 42" bar wouldn't make it all the way through.



I guess that's a good excuse to get a bigger bar. You could away's free hand some off the top of the log, and attach the 2x right to the top of the log.


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## Talltom (Mar 25, 2012)

If you can't get the log up of the ground, you don't want the bar to go all the way through. If you get it to within a couple inches, the rest will split easily. 

Your mini mill could be used the same way as Bill uses the beam machine. By attaching the guide to the end of the log, Bill's set-up has the advantage of making it easier to cut through the middle of the log while keeping the bar plumb to let gravity help keep the cut straight.


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## AaronB (Mar 25, 2012)

betterbuilt said:


> I guess that's a good excuse to get a bigger bar. You could away's free hand some off the top of the log, and attach the 2x right to the top of the log.



1.) So how many passes do you make? I am assuming that you just change the angle of the bar to cut more vertical each pass? 

2.) Do you use a ripping chain or just a regular one?

Thanks for the info and help.


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## Cody Colston (Mar 25, 2012)

There's a thread current on the Forestry Forum with pics of a guy quartering a 42" Southern Red Oak freehand with a Stihl 660 and 48" bar. He didn't even use a chalk line and did a perfect job in about an hour of sawing. He explains a bit about how to keep the saw on line.


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## AaronB (Mar 26, 2012)

Cody Colston said:


> There's a thread current on the Forestry Forum with pics of a guy quartering a 42" Southern Red Oak freehand with a Stihl 660 and 48" bar. He didn't even use a chalk line and did a perfect job in about an hour of sawing. He explains a bit about how to keep the saw on line.



Man, that looks like it took some practice, only way I would be able to do that was if I had a longer bar with a helper handle on the end of it for someone to pull along.

I think for the next section of log I will try to use the Mini-mill II i have and make some sort of guide that 'betterbuilt' used, my only issue is after cutting in half like that I will have to find some way to get it to move so I can quarter it. thats the good thing about the way that guy on the Forestry Forum did his, made the horizontal first then vertical. Wish I could do that.


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## Woodsrover (Mar 26, 2012)

I halved a 30" truck of oak yesterday. It had a natural crack in it so I rolled the log with the crack vertical and went at it. Used a Stihl 460 with a 28" bar and dug as deep as I could from the top and the rolled the log over and split the rest from the other side. Funny how much pressure was in that log and how it started to pop at each end. Like an earlier post mentioned, I probably would have been better off cutting it shallow and splitting it with wedges. Anyway,I didn't and I wish I had drawn a line on it as I wandered a bit and had to make a correction half-way through. The log was a little crooked so it won't make that much of a difference but all the same, I'm not too proud of my cut. :frown:

Take your time, make a guide and make some marks. It'll be slow-going. Bring a bottle of water!

P.S. My wife sent me a note a little bit ago that UPS delivered my hardwood blades today. Should be slabbing it up in a day or two!


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## Stihlman441 (Mar 27, 2012)

Good reason to get a Granberg Minni Mill.
I run a 25'' on a 460 no probs.


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