# Milling dry wood vs fresh, watercooling or not



## FlyMats (Sep 11, 2012)

Hi, I welded my own sawmill this spring and have learned many things about milling since then. But something is still unclear, as ie if I mill the loggs same days as they fall vs waiting a period, say maybe down to 20% moist, what will be the % change in cutting/milling speed? 

And, I made a Water cooling for the bar, and tested, but noticed that the chain stops more, what is the general opinion about effect on adding water to the bar during milling?

Best Regards from Mats milling in the Norwegian woods


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## brookpederson (Sep 11, 2012)

Hi and welcome. When you say you welded your own mill i am guessing you are talking about a chain saw mill, right? But regardless what your using its always better and faster to mill green or wet. Good luck


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## brookpederson (Sep 11, 2012)

P.S. lets see some pictures of what your milling. What is the predominant milling tree in Norway ??


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## FlyMats (Sep 12, 2012)

Hi, thanks  Yes, it's a chain saw mill, will add some pictures soon. In Norway we mostly use spruce and pine, in my case spruce in pictures. If anyone have spesific info regarding my first post I will be very happy


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## FlyMats (Sep 12, 2012)

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## FlyMats (Sep 12, 2012)

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## NuggyBuggy (Sep 12, 2012)

brookpederson said:


> But regardless what your using its always better and faster to mill green or wet. Good luck



Brook - why is that ?


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## BobL (Sep 12, 2012)

FlyMats said:


> Hi, I welded my own sawmill this spring and have learned many things about milling since then. But something is still unclear, as ie if I mill the loggs same days as they fall vs waiting a period, say maybe down to 20% moist, what will be the % change in cutting/milling speed?


It is impossible to say, as even under different conditions every log and type of tree will dry at different rates. The only reason I know of delaying milling is to reduce the chances of warping and checking. Here is Australia there are some type of eucalypts that are worth waiting for 2-3 months after felling before milling otherwise it is always easier to mill as soon as a tree is felled.



> And, I made a Water cooling for the bar, and tested, but noticed that the chain stops more, what is the general opinion about effect on adding water to the bar during milling?


 I tried water cooling over a period of 3 months but found it lead to greater bar and chain wear. I looked to me as though the water washed off some of the oil.


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## FlyMats (Sep 13, 2012)

Thanks a lot for all replies, and if anyone else has comments, I will be glad to read them too


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## mikeb1079 (Sep 13, 2012)

hey flymats hope things are well in norway.



> But something is still unclear, as ie if I mill the loggs same days as they fall vs waiting a period, say maybe down to 20% moist, what will be the % change in cutting/milling speed?



if you let the logs dry out your milling speed will be slower. i suppose it's b/c the cellular structure of the wood gets harder as it loses moisture? anyways mill em as soon as possible for most wood species has been my experience



> what is the general opinion about effect on adding water to the bar during milling?



the general opinion is that it would be better to use an auxilliary oiler to your setup than to add water. there are a bunch of posts about this if you'd like to look at others' setup.

good luck!


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## brookpederson (Sep 14, 2012)

NuggyBuggy said:


> Brook - why is that ?



You can cut faster in green wood, much faster. And that equals less wear and tear on you and your equipment, especially if your using a chainsaw mill which is very labor intensive to start with. I'm not saying you can't mill dry logs, but if you have a choice wet is always the way to go.


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## FlyMats (Sep 14, 2012)

Any idea in % difference for a green spruce vs dry?


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## FlyMats (Oct 12, 2012)

brookpederson said:


> You can cut faster in green wood, much faster. And that equals less wear and tear on you and your equipment, especially if your using a chainsaw mill which is very labor intensive to start with. I'm not saying you can't mill dry logs, but if you have a choice wet is always the way to go.



After testing some logs last weeks, the difference can be a much as double speed, and as You say, less wear on You and Your equipment. 

Also tested water cooling vs oil, oil is way better, as commented before


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## discounthunter (Oct 14, 2012)

nice set-up. most of what i mill,i do green or fresh cut. ive got some sitting waiting for them to "spalt" i would like to see more pictures of your rig looks very nice.


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## FlyMats (Oct 15, 2012)

discounthunter said:


> nice set-up. most of what i mill,i do green or fresh cut. ive got some sitting waiting for them to "spalt" i would like to see more pictures of your rig looks very nice.



Fresh is very fast, like a dream. I'm new to welding, sawing, logging and all this from the spring, so I'm happy with what I managed by now, it's a evening/weekend hobby, will build a log cabin next year 

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## discounthunter (Oct 15, 2012)

FlyMats said:


> Fresh is very fast, like a dream. I'm new to welding, sawing, logging and all this from the spring, so I'm happy with what I managed by now, it's a evening/weekend hobby, will build a log cabin next year



awesome! that place looks like a dream! great set-up.


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## FlyMats (Dec 18, 2012)

How will a log handle snow and wintertime if I leave some not covered for the spring?


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## Dave Boyt (Dec 20, 2012)

Try this experiment: soak a sponge, squeeze the water out of it, then cut it with a sharp knife or razor. Now let the sponge dry out completely, and try cutting it again. That's the difference between green and dry wood. The moist fibers are softer and cut more easily, whether it is wood or sponge. There are a lot of experiments you can do with sponges that help explain what wood does with moisture. I've never tried water on a chain saw mill, but use a second oiler at the tip of the bar. When I mill green wood with my portable band saw mill, I don't use water at all, unless pitch build-up is a problem. Good luck. Nice sawmill, by the way. I'm going to put mine on a track one of these days.


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## FlyMats (Dec 20, 2012)

Very good points there Dave! Nice mill! I need to make an better second oiler for the bar, also tested water without luck, oil is only option as I see.


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## rarefish383 (Dec 22, 2012)

Flymats, I am of Norwegian descent, and my wife and kids want to visit Norway one day. The picture of your house in the background really got their interest. My son said your roof would be the only green spot around, in the middle of winter. Very nice, I like it. I plan on building a log cabin on my farm in West Virginia and thought about a sod roof, but I think it gets too dry in the summer. My first pick for the roof is White Oak shingles. 

Anyway, welcome to the site, and we look forward to more pics, Joe.


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## Dave Boyt (Dec 22, 2012)

By the way, the thread CSM Sawmilling 101 (at the top of this forum) has a lot of advice. I was in Stryn, Norway in 1976. Beautiful country and wonderful people. Welcome to the forum, and please add your observations and experience to it as you learn.


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## FlyMats (Dec 28, 2012)

rarefish383 said:


> Flymats, I am of Norwegian descent, and my wife and kids want to visit Norway one day. The picture of your house in the background really got their interest. My son said your roof would be the only green spot around, in the middle of winter. Very nice, I like it. I plan on building a log cabin on my farm in West Virginia and thought about a sod roof, but I think it gets too dry in the summer. My first pick for the roof is White Oak shingles.
> 
> Anyway, welcome to the site, and we look forward to more pics, Joe.



Hi there! Thanks for your post, there are some descent from here over there  We have lots of fine nature and tradition, but things/people are also changing because of oil. Many of my friends actually plan moving over to You with time. In Norway You find lots of the old logcabins, many with gras on the roof, I ageee they are very nice. The cabin I live in is actually only ten years. View attachment 270068


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## FlyMats (Dec 28, 2012)

Dave Boyt said:


> By the way, the thread CSM Sawmilling 101 (at the top of this forum) has a lot of advice. I was in Stryn, Norway in 1976. Beautiful country and wonderful people. Welcome to the forum, and please add your observations and experience to it as you learn.



Thanks Dave! Stryn is nice, most of Western Norway with the fjords is beautifull. I will check out that thread too


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## G sawyer (Jan 2, 2013)

You live in paradise.


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