# Extending a Granberg Alaskan Chainsaw Mill



## jrmywstr (Sep 27, 2016)

I searched around the forums and haven't seen exactly this sort of thing discussed. Please point me to the appropriate thread if I missed it... if not, please offer up some advice. Here's my situation

As many of you chainsaw millers have run into before, I have a beautiful log which is larger than my current milling rig. I have the 32" mill with a 36" bar on an 084, I now have a day old Red Oak log pushing 50" diameter... i really don't want to split this thing and hope to mill slabs live on both edges. So I am looking for a DIY sort of way to extend my mill and then find a larger bar (side note: at what width do guys start using a second powerhead?).

I hope to beat this price: http://www.baileysonline.com/Forest...Granberg-72-Alaskan-Mill-Rail-Set-G781-72.axd 160 not considering shipping. It seems like all I need to do is find the appropriate aluminum channel, I would guess they come in 10' lengths. Any idea where a fellow shops for this sort of thing? Hardware store?

Measuring the "rails" (not what the mill rides on but the width of the mill itself), I get 1 1/8th inch square on the outside, a slot opening of 5/16" and a depth of about 1/8". The closest thing I find from googling is this: https://www.zoro.com/8020-framing-e...Nd2wn4heZWVVidpzhVCh8aAoHE8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds Not the exact dimensions but I am tempted to order it and try. I can always return it if things don't bolt up correctly. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.


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## IyaMan (Sep 28, 2016)

They also sell a 56" rail set for $99, though if the tree is over 52" then it won't fit.
http://www.baileysonline.com/Forest...Granberg-56-Alaskan-Mill-Rail-Set-G781-56.axd

The slotted rails you found at Zoro there look pretty good. They are an inch wide (25.4mm) and the Granberg rails are about 1 1/8" (28mm). If you notice on the mill, the cross-member on each end (the thick piece which has the height locking u-bolt) has a bit of an indented space for the rail to sit into which lines up with the bolt hole, such that the bolt will fit in the center of the rail. If you have a narrower rail then it won't line up perfectly, but it'll fit. Just square it all up before tightening everything, maybe put in an additional inner cross-member or two for some more support. 

Also, the slot width is a bit more narrow than the Granberg rails (about 6.5mm instead of 9mm), so the bolts may not fit (I don't know offhand the bolt size, is it 5/16?). So you may need to file/grind out the slot opening a couple mm. 

Also, it seems like if you get them in silver, you'll save $6 or 7. https://www.zoro.com/8020-t-slotted-extrusion-10s-72-lx1-in-h-1010-72/i/G2108382/

And don't forget the crossbar pipe as well.

Be sure to post pics !!


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## IyaMan (Sep 28, 2016)

Also, another place I sometimes get stuff from is Sheldon Hill. They sell a 60" set for $108, and with them the 72" set goes for only $121. Free shipping too, and no tax if outside of NY.

http://www.shforestrysupplies.com/a...aightCategory=Chainsaw Accessories&SBCatPage=


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## rarefish383 (Sep 28, 2016)

80/20 sells a lot of their left over stuff on ebay much cheaper than their retail outlets. On an old thread, someone said that Granberg sold their channel in 8 foot lengths cheaper than the precut pieces. That was several years ago, Joe.


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## chads (Sep 29, 2016)

I bought 2 sections of 1" 80/20 one side has bolt slot.
I just added one or two washers to make it flush where needed.
I also needed to grind down carriage bolt heads so the would fit slot.
Very easy I think I bought them off eBay cheaply.
If nothing else just get a couple of straight 2x4 s and bolt them up would work easy enough for one log.
I and have heard of welding 2 old bars together to make a longer bar.once again one log so it doesn't need to be pretty.
Chad


jrmywstr said:


> I searched around the forums and haven't seen exactly this sort of thing discussed. Please point me to the appropriate thread if I missed it... if not, please offer up some advice. Here's my situation
> 
> As many of you chainsaw millers have run into before, I have a beautiful log which is larger than my current milling rig. I have the 32" mill with a 36" bar on an 084, I now have a day old Red Oak log pushing 50" diameter... i really don't want to split this thing and hope to mill slabs live on both edges. So I am looking for a DIY sort of way to extend my mill and then find a larger bar (side note: at what width do guys start using a second powerhead?).
> 
> ...


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## jrmywstr (Oct 4, 2016)

Ok thanks all for the advice. I'm tempted to go with the Granberg extension: http://granberg.com/product/mkiii-chain-saw-mill-handle-and-rail-set-72. It's not too much more expensive than getting generic channel and I know it will all work together smoothly. 

Any ideas of where to source a quality 72" bar with the 14mm mount?


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## IyaMan (Oct 5, 2016)

http://foresterchainsawparts.com/Forester-72-Chainsaw-Bar-for-Stihl-p246.html


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## Yellowbeard (Oct 6, 2016)

I replaced mine with 80/20 long ago and it has worked fine. Check out this thread for examples: http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...-tree-to-tackle-yet-monster-white-oak.297610/

I think I bought a 14 foot stick of it (about?) for something like 50 bucks from fastenal.

You have to use a bit smaller carriage bolts. Otherwise it works fine. I'm milling white oak (you can see the size for yourself - 60" bar) and am not yet using a second power head though I have certainly been considering it (but for the price of a dual-ended 6 foot bar would go I).


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## Yellowbeard (Oct 6, 2016)

Also, for what it's worth, I love my GB Titanium that I got from left coast. Here's a double ender in that same series:

http://leftcoastsupplies.com/product/72-gb-double-ended-guide-bar/


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## kimosawboy (Oct 6, 2016)

To run two power heads you do not necessarily need a double ended bar. Buy a spare tip and modify the other. That way you can always flip flop between bars..
G Vavra


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## jrmywstr (Oct 9, 2016)

Ok great advice all. I found a Cannon bar on ebay, just waiting on shipping...

I milled up the smallest of the three red oak logs this weekend; it's the only one small enough for the 32" granberg  You can see the huge trunk and second log in the background. I'll tackle the second log next, I'm toying with try to quartersaw it. That would be a new process for me, any advice? The Will Malloff method seems quite labor intensive... anyone tried it?

[photo="medium"]4034[/photo]

Here's me in front of the finished log with some pitchy spruce in the background. Oh and a fun cedar stump waiting the saw...
[photo="medium"]4035[/photo]


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## Yellowbeard (Oct 9, 2016)

If you can (and I know it's not always easy) try to get the log up a bit higher on both ends, and even higher pitched than it is now. The more downhill it is, the more work the saw will do. The higher it is, the less work your knees will do. 

I use a 4' high lift jack I got at Harbor Freight for 50 bucks (if you go this route, just drill out the pin that holds the foot on and replace it with a hardened bolt before you even start). BobL has a great design to make such a jack much more stable and into a great log lifter.


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## BobL (Oct 9, 2016)

Yellowbeard said:


> If you can (and I know it's not always easy) try to get the log up a bit higher on both ends, and even higher pitched than it is now. The more downhill it is, the more work the saw will do. The higher it is, the less work your knees will do.



I agree and given you have tractor with forks that makes it even easier.
I rarely push with my shoulders/arms but stand unto the mill like this and lean on the power head wrap handle with my knee/hip/thigh.
The other thing that really helps is a remote throttle



The other thing that really helps is a remote throttle
This one is an old MC throttle mounted on an ally bicycle handle bar stem and is attached to the wrap handle - this brings the operators arm up and closer together.
Much easier on the shoulders.


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## jrmywstr (Oct 10, 2016)

Cool. Bob can you share a pic of how the remote throttle works on the saw trigger?

I will work on getting the log higher next time, I suppose it's me being impatient during setup and not wanting to make supports and raise the logs. I look back and realize how tired my arms were during milling... all due to laziness.


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## BobL (Oct 11, 2016)

jrmywstr said:


> Cool. Bob can you share a pic of how the remote throttle works on the saw trigger?


A few years back AS lost all the pics to date but lucky for you this is one section of a thread I bothered to put the pics back
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/modding-the-bil-mill-to-take-the-880.87987/
Post 17 onwards shows what I did.

I have to say it works a treat.
A a MC rider I thought that working opposite to an MC throttle would be counter intuitive but the difference is you hang onto an MC throttle as the bike throw you backwards.
With a CSM you push forwards so I found rolling the throttle forward at the top with the left hand is completely natural.
Not only that but the Kill switch is wired up and I added throttle lock 




> I will work on getting the log higher next time, I suppose it's me being impatient during setup and not wanting to make supports and raise the logs. I look back and realize how tired my arms were during milling... all due to laziness.


For me it was my shoulders that were the worst but arms also get very tired.


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## rarefish383 (Oct 11, 2016)

I pulled the trigger throttle off an old weed whacker and it worked well, Joe.


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