# Free-hand milling



## jimdad07 (Jan 15, 2010)

Hey guys, I still have not gotten a 28" bar for my dolmar 6400 yet, so I have not been able to start my mill yet. I have just been gathering materials as I can find them. I am, however, going to be getting 35 cord load of logs tomorrow morning that will be mostly cherry, red and sugar maple with a little smoothbark hickory thrown in. I happen to know that most of the logs will be in the 12" to 14" diameter range and arrow strait. I am chomping at the bit to make some boards, I have been since I started reading here in the milling forum. My question to you guys is are there any of you here that have done any free-hand milling, is it safe and do you have any pointers? Any help would be great.

Thanks, Jim


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## jimdad07 (Jan 15, 2010)

Sorry guys, I just used that handy search feature and found what I was looking for. Need to do that before I post from now on.


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## mtngun (Jan 15, 2010)

jimdad07 said:


> My question to you guys is are there any of you here that have done any free-hand milling, is it safe and do you have any pointers?


I did quite a bit of free hand milling and it eventually led to the CSM disease.

There was a guy who built a 2 story house out of free-hand milled lumber. He wrote it up in Mother Earth News and eventually published a book, though I can't remember the title. Something along the lines of "How to Build a House for $10,000." He even made his flooring and decking out of hand milled lumber and it looked pretty good. AND his leg was in a cast while he was milling the wood and erecting the house, including the roof. Tuff old dude.

Anyway, he inspired me to try free hand milling.

His technique was to prop the log off the ground, snap a chalkline, then mill away.

I found that the chalkline is quickly obliterated by sawdust, so I would start out by quickly following the chalkline with the nose of the bar, just cutting a groove 1/2" or so deep. The groove served as a marker for subsequent cuts.

Mr. Freehander would cut the board in one pass, similar to a mini-mill technique except all by hand. 

I found that I got better results if I used multiple passes. 1st pass shallow groove, 2nd passes a few inches deep, 3rd pass a few inches deeper, and so on.

The freehand method worked OK for making rustic beams. For a more precise finish, I planed the slabs. I made the window frames in my house like that -- freehand mill 4" thick, then plane the exposed wide side, and then edge the exposed narrow side. 

Of course, if I had to do it over again, I would use a chainsaw mill and skip the planing and edging.


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## isaaccarlson (Jan 15, 2010)

*I have tried freehand milling....not too pretty....*

It tends to be kinda wavy and might taper on the far side....just my $.02


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## BobL (Jan 15, 2010)

jimdad07 said:


> Hey guys, I still have not gotten a 28" bar for my dolmar 6400 yet, so I have not been able to start my mill yet. I have just been gathering materials as I can find them. I am, however, going to be getting 35 cord load of logs tomorrow morning that will be mostly cherry, red and sugar maple with a little smoothbark hickory thrown in. I happen to know that most of the logs will be in the 12" to 14" diameter range and arrow strait. I am chomping at the bit to make some boards, I have been since I started reading here in the milling forum. My question to you guys is are there any of you here that have done any free-hand milling, is it safe and do you have any pointers? Any help would be great.
> 
> Thanks, Jim



I hope you are pretty fit - it give you a really good workout.


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## mtngun (Jan 15, 2010)

Here's one of the articles I was referring to. It's worth reading for personal inspiration if nothing else. Dude builds 2-story house by milling lumber with handheld chainsaw

Besides having a broken leg, he was an old geezer, too ! ! ! 






And look at his boards -- they are pretty decent. I could never do it nearly as well as he did.


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## jimdad07 (Jan 15, 2010)

BobL said:


> I hope you are pretty fit - it give you a really good workout.



I am in decent shape at 27, I have to be to defend against the mother-in-law, she's tough. Pretty sure she wrestled steers and grizzly bears at some point in her life.


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## jimdad07 (Jan 15, 2010)

mtngun said:


> Here's one of the articles I was referring to. It's worth reading for personal inspiration if nothing else. Dude builds 2-story house by milling lumber with handheld chainsaw
> 
> Besides having a broken leg, he was an old geezer, too ! ! !
> 
> ...



That is plain amazing!!!


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## mtngun (Jan 15, 2010)

Another article about the same project. Geezer free hand milling


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## irishcountry (Jan 16, 2010)

I love these kind of stories!!! That is amazing!! If you are interested check out #### Pronekke's story someone shined me onto him on a thread on here I asked for the DVD for christmas which I got he was no spring chicken when he moved to alaska and built his cabin with hand tools only shows him ripping boards with a handsaw to built his own shelves, tables ect. another awesome story!!! check it out Ok must have been automatically edited because of his first name so I guess I will say his first name is short for Richard HA HA HA Ha


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## mtngun (Jan 16, 2010)

irishcountry said:


> check out #### Pronekke's story someone shined me onto him on a thread on here I asked for the DVD for christmas which I got he was no spring chicken when he moved to alaska and built his cabin with hand tools only shows him ripping boards with a handsaw to built his own shelves, tables ect. another awesome story!!!


D. Pronekke was an artist with an axe.  

Seems like he was 56 when his adventure began.

One of the later DVD's shows D. when he was about 80, still frolicking in the bush with a packframe like there's nothing to it.


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## irishcountry (Jan 16, 2010)

I know one talented patient man broke the mold on that guy!!!


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## jimdad07 (Jan 16, 2010)

It really is something to see how people used to do things that we shun today because it is harder or takes more time. I love seeing and reading those stories myself.


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## Coalsmoke (Jan 16, 2010)

mtngun said:


> D. Pronekke was an artist with an axe.
> 
> Seems like he was 56 when his adventure began.
> 
> One of the later DVD's shows D. when he was about 80, still frolicking in the bush with a packframe like there's nothing to it.



I agree, he must have been a heck of a man. His book is quite an interesting read.


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## irishcountry (Jan 17, 2010)

I find the older I get the more I appreciate stories like this. I sometimes feel like thats the way man was suppose to exist and if everyone did it it would be a better world very easy to overlook the simple things in life and waste alot of time stressing about things that really don't matter or keeping up with the Jone's (which I personally care nothing about) These type of people that take the time and effort to do this kind of stuff are a rare/dying breed but all the more reason to respect and appreciate them!! I think we have alot of people like this right on this forum talented and capable types that know if I can't buy it they will make thats why I love this forum more than most stuff on the internet!!!


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## Biketrax (Jan 17, 2010)

*Well said!*



irishcountry said:


> I find the older I get the more I appreciate stories like this. I sometimes feel like thats the way man was suppose to exist and if everyone did it it would be a better world very easy to overlook the simple things in life and waste alot of time stressing about things that really don't matter or keeping up with the Jone's (which I personally care nothing about) These type of people that take the time and effort to do this kind of stuff are a rare/dying breed but all the more reason to respect and appreciate them!! I think we have alot of people like this right on this forum talented and capable types that know if I can't buy it they will make thats why I love this forum more than most stuff on the internet!!!



couldn't of said it better Irish Country


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## woodshop (Jan 17, 2010)

irishcountry said:


> ... These type of people that take the time and effort to do this kind of stuff are a rare/dying breed but all the more reason to respect and appreciate them!! I think we have alot of people like this right on this forum talented and capable types that know if I can't buy it they will make...



Agreed... if you're anywhere near an Amish community, that's pretty much how they still live their lives, extremely practical, making things instead of buying them. Myself I with I more time to do things the older, careful, take your time, often slower way, but I don't right now... so that's that. Example... in my woodshop I just don't have the time to spend hours with a large (expensive) hand plane getting a board to S4S (surfaced four sides), I run it through the jointer and planer instead, which takes maybe 5 minutes from rough right off the stickered pile.


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## Coalsmoke (Jan 18, 2010)

woodshop said:


> Agreed... if you're anywhere near an Amish community, that's pretty much how they still live their lives, extremely practical, making things instead of buying them. Myself I with I more time to do things the older, careful, take your time, often slower way, but I don't right now... so that's that. Example... in my woodshop I just don't have the time to spend hours with a large (expensive) hand plane getting a board to S4S (surfaced four sides), I run it through the jointer and planer instead, which takes maybe 5 minutes from rough right off the stickered pile.



Yeah, but doing it by hand has another pay off, it sure cuts back on your shop heating bills


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## irishcountry (Jan 18, 2010)

Yep I totally understand power tools for sure and appreciate them!!! I guess what I take away from guys like that is it "can" be done by hand and I admire that but good for us power tools exsit!! HA HA


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## jimdad07 (Jan 18, 2010)

Tried my hand at it some while cutting firewood, the milling chain is on order.


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## jimdad07 (Mar 26, 2010)

I have been very busy with work and spring projects, siding the house, new deck and the beat goes on. I have been cutting on the load of logs and practicing my freehand milling. I have found that the easiest way to do it for me is to hold the saw as if it is riding in a mini-mill. I am loving it, the boards are getting straighter and more uniform every time (good thing I own a planer). Came across some nice sugar maple logs and red oak logs I have been working on today (got cut lose early from work today, not much going on). Sorry guys, still working on trying to post pictures.


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## mikeb1079 (Mar 27, 2010)

jimdad: how did you come across a load of saw logs like that? i've tried looking into buying a load of raw logs like that and didn't have much luck.

on a personal note (since the man was brought up), mr proenecke is one of my heroes. if you haven't seen it, do check out his dvd, it's called "alone in the wilderness." i bet i've watched it 30 times. it's inspiring to watch a 50 year old dude rip boards from a spruce log like it's nothing. and quick too!
:greenchainsaw:


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## jimdad07 (Mar 28, 2010)

I live in an area where there is quite a bit of logging about twenty miles away. I called one of the loggers I know who sells firewood logs and asked if he could throw in some decent saw logs that weren't huge. He said no problem. So as I have been cutting my firewood, I have also been cutting a few boards here and there to get a stockpile going for my woodworking.
If you don't mind, could you let me know where you found the DVD. 
Thanks, Jim


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## mtngun (Mar 28, 2010)

jimdad07 said:


> let me know where you found the DVD.


Check ebay first. There is also an official website that sells them but you'll pay top dollar there.


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## Coalsmoke (Mar 28, 2010)

Alone in the wilderness, try calling 1-800-737-0239 (Bob Swerer Productions).


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## Gypo Logger (Aug 22, 2010)

Good thread and lots of good info. Funnily enough a small bar on a 60cc saw cuts faster and straighter than a 85cc saw with a long bar. After cutter aloong the initial chalk lines, I place a string line along the cut and saw, blade and sand off the high spots. When cutting off a face of a log I find it best to seesaw the bar though the cut, as knots will tend to make the bar climb. Crank up the oiler too!
John


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## jimdad07 (Aug 22, 2010)

Yukonsawman said:


> Good thread and lots of good info. Funnily enough a small bar on a 60cc saw cuts faster and straighter than a 85cc saw with a long bar. After cutter aloong the initial chalk lines, I place a string line along the cut and saw, blade and sand off the high spots. When cutting off a face of a log I find it best to seesaw the bar though the cut, as knots will tend to make the bar climb. Crank up the oiler too!
> John



I agree with the smaller saw and the shorter bar. Makes for much better control. I have to say, though, that I am happy that I built the Alaskan and the mini-mill. Makes it a lot easier. At the time I posted the original post in the thread, I was going crazy waiting for a 28" bar for the Dolmar and just wanted to be cutting. It is still a good idea to know how to free hand, you never know when you will be in the woods cutting firewood and find a good log to turn into lumber.


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