# Alaskan Mill



## Splunk (Aug 16, 2006)

I have been looking at getting a 30" Alaskan mill. I am wondering if I can use the 28" bar I have now on this set up? Or do you have to go with at least 30"? 

Thanks Chad


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## hautions11 (Aug 16, 2006)

*Alaskan*

The mill is adjustable to any bar length. I have a 36" mill and run a 28" bar. I wanted to keep the mill larger in case I wanted to go up in bar size later. I just bought an 084, so I will probably go up to the 36" bar size.


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## Splunk (Aug 16, 2006)

Thanks Hautions that is what I was hoping. I might have to get the 36" instead.


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## thompson1600 (Aug 16, 2006)

Unless you are going to be slabbing really big stuff, don't get caught up in the long bar routine. Most of your milling will be edging/squaring up the sides and then cutting the cants. I mill mainly hardwood and most of my milling could be done with a 16" bar. It's not very often anymore I can get cants larger than that. Remember the longer the bar, the more power your using. The longer the bar the more teeth to sharpen.


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## Full Skip (Aug 16, 2006)

I have the 30', but run a 24' bar on it. I think that it's always good to be able to expand a bit if need be, but keep in mind that you could always just get a different set of rails and that it is more difficult the longer the bar gets.


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## oldsaw (Aug 16, 2006)

Yes, the mills are adjustable. Depending on the bar, you are going to lose a few inches due to the nose and clamping assemblies. A 36" bar will get you about a 30" or a little better cut. With my 066 leaving the dogs on, I would get 28" max with a 36" bar. I've got a 42" bar which can get me all 36". Don't be afraid to buy the 36" mill, you may find you will need it eventually.

I'm a big fan of mine. It's a lot of work, but very satisfying. My last big project was slabbing some 36" wide x 2"x 8 ft walnut "boards" for a friend of mine. First big run with my 3120. Nice to see a stack of boards that you made. The addiction will soon follow.

Mark


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## thompson1600 (Aug 16, 2006)

> My last big project was slabbing some 36" wide x 2"x 8 ft walnut "boards"



Now I am really jealous. I wish I could find Walnut of that size still around. WOW, that is a valuable stack of boards.


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## Splunk (Aug 16, 2006)

Thanks for the advice guys. I plan on using my 20" bar for most of the milling I am doing. I need to get a larger saw when I get into the big oak and pecan slabs I would use the full 36" on.


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## oldsaw (Aug 16, 2006)

thompson1600 said:


> Now I am really jealous. I wish I could find Walnut of that size still around. WOW, that is a valuable stack of boards.



I grew up 250 miles northwest of you, and can remember few walnuts that ever made it much over 18-20". Missouri is a good tree growing state, I guess. Don't find them that often, but I sure wouldn't call them "rare" down here at that size. This is the 5th one we've done in 3 years, and we don't look very hard. There is a 48" + DBH walnut covered in burls about a mile from where I sit now, unfortunately on the other side of the fence of the guy I know...and they don't like each other that much. If that fence were 5 feet the other way, it would be stacked up in my garage today. Upper branches are starting to die off, but trunk looked good 3 years ago.

Been so busy, on top of being so hot, that I haven't done much this summer. Have some small stuff waiting for me to take, but at temps over 100, I'm not that fond of going to get them. They will still be there in the fall.

Just to get you wound up a bit, here are some pictures of one we did last spring. Unfortunately, it wasn't ours, but one we did for a friend. He was pretty uptight about the kerf on the chainsaw mill, until I had him help me pull off the prettiest 6/4 x 28" x 8ft walnut board you've ever seen. All was forgiven. The owner of the tree is the guy in the white shirt in the bandmill picture. Yes, there was some wave in the log, you can see it in the sun. Milled up very nicely.

















Yeah, it was a beautiful day...in more ways than one. Perfect weather, and if you ignore the three nails I cut in half and the chain I totally wrecked, a nice day of milling too.

Mark


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## olyman (Aug 16, 2006)

oldsaw--buy another piece of equipment--a metal detector--a good one--have talked to a few other millers--they said they have found every nail before they hit it--or any other metal object--wouldnt take long to pay for one------


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## woodshop (Aug 17, 2006)

olyman said:


> oldsaw--buy another piece of equipment--a metal detector--a good one--have talked to a few other millers--they said they have found every nail before they hit it--or any other metal object--wouldnt take long to pay for one------


my cheapo $100 metal detector paid for itself several time over already, and I only mill 2-4K bd ft a year. Takes only a second to turn it on and run it down the log several passes. Only detects a few inches deep though, so you need to keep checking as you slice off slabs and square up the cant. Once you get into the habit, its painless and quick.


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Aug 17, 2006)

olyman said:


> oldsaw--buy another piece of equipment--a metal detector--a good one--have talked to a few other millers--they said they have found every nail before they hit it--or any other metal object--wouldnt take long to pay for one------



I have a handheld airport type. 50 bucks on ebay. Saved my butt a time or two.


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## oldsaw (Aug 17, 2006)

On my shopping list. Were out of stock at Woodcraft last time I was there.

Mark


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## t_andersen (Aug 17, 2006)

Guys,
I know three types of metal detectors, the small ones that are used to find cables in a wall, the ones they use in the airports, and the ones that are applied to find old coins and historical stuff in the ground and look like a mineseeker. Which one is preferable?
Tom


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## hautions11 (Aug 17, 2006)

*Walnut*

Oldsaw that is a really nice walnut. Your description of the walnut with burls on it reminded me of this one. The basic trunk is about 36". The second one is about 40". In the second picture, don't miss the cherry in the background. 60"+ with all the trunks comming out of it. Some interseting wood in there.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e165/Hautions11/walnutburl.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e165/Hautions11/walnut.jpg


It makes me want to go cut something!


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## coveredinsap (Aug 17, 2006)

t_andersen said:


> Guys,
> I know three types of metal detectors, the small ones that are used to find cables in a wall, the ones they use in the airports, and the ones that are applied to find old coins and historical stuff in the ground and look like a mineseeker. Which one is preferable?
> Tom



The handheld 'wand' type like used at airports if you fail the walk-thru unit.


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## woodshop (Aug 17, 2006)

t_andersen said:


> Guys,
> I know three types of metal detectors, the small ones that are used to find cables in a wall, the ones they use in the airports, and the ones that are applied to find old coins and historical stuff in the ground and look like a mineseeker. Which one is preferable?
> Tom


I got the standard coin/artifact type. Set it up for all metal, and tell it not to be choosy if yours has that setting, anything at all metal, beep. I shortened the length to make it easier to run down the log. I suppose the wand type would be handier in some cases, but maybe not if you have to bend down while walking down your log. I can stand with mine, walking it down the log from top to bottom. I do also have a small wand type called Little Wizard I got from Harbor Freight. It looks more like an ice scraper for your windshield. I use it on old boards that might have an embedded nail before running them through my planer. It is too weak to use on logs, doesn't penetrate deep enough.


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## woodshop (Aug 17, 2006)

hautions11 said:


> don't miss the cherry in the background. 60"+ with all the trunks comming out of it. Some interseting wood in there.
> 
> http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e165/Hautions11/walnut.jpg


Hautions that cherry looks like what we call a stump sprout tree, where a cherry was cut years ago, and several sprouts sprang from the outside of the stump they left, which eventually all grew together. You are right, that first 4 feet or so would make for some interesting rustic furniture assuming the trunks actually did grow together and wouldn't fall apart when the "pie" was dried.


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