# Single Slab



## sdt7618 (Mar 4, 2009)

Normally hang around the firewood forum, but one for you guys I think.

My wife wants a fire mantle, nice slab of hardwood. Haven't decided what yet, but here is the question. is there a simple way to do this with a small saw, MS 260 and simple equipment. As this would be a one off there is no pooint in me buying gear.

the mantle would be circa 6-7 foot long and would only be max of 6" deep. of course the log would have to be deeper to get something decent from.

Any thoughts and advice?

Thanks

Edit, I might be able to get access to a husky 288 if need be byt would rather use my own gear.


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## the westspartan (Mar 4, 2009)

Harbor freight sells a device called "The Lumber Maker" it is a cheap knock-off of a similar device sold by Bailey's. It is only $15. It is not super accurate, but if you are careful you can get a pretty straight slab. You use a 2x4 or 2x6 nailed to the top of the log as your guide. It would work fine with your ms260. You will probably need to rip through a 10" diameter, or so, log to get your straight 6" wide slab.

Be careful. Once you do this, you will want to do more of this, and before you know it, you will have a big Alaskan mill set up and be looking for a used ms880! seriously!


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## BobL (Mar 4, 2009)

The lumbermaker is very cheap but even cheaper would be the following very basic alaskan.






Two pieces of all thread, a piece of 4x2 and eight nuts for the all thread. YOu will need to drill holes in your bar so you may have to buy a new drill bit.

RE: Be careful. Once you do this, you will want to do more of this, and before you know it, you will have a big Alaskan mill set up and be looking for a used ms880! seriously!
+1 , I started out milling about 3 years ago with a 30 year old 50cc Mac and now have 8 saws, 3 over 100 cc!!!!


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## sdt7618 (Mar 5, 2009)

BobL said:


> The lumbermaker is very cheap but even cheaper would be the following very basic alaskan.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Bob, that is exactly what I was after, I work in the construction industry so getting some threaded rod and nuts is not a problem.

Little bit of exitement is creeping in to this little task....

now I just have a to find a suitable peice of wood to make the wife happy, and before you say it..... thats gonna be the hard bit! 

one little point. I take it after I drill a bar it will have no effect on the bar etc other than two holes?


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## BobL (Mar 5, 2009)

sdt7618 said:


> Bob, that is exactly what I was after, I work in the construction industry so getting some threaded rod and nuts is not a problem.


Because threaded rod can be a bit flexible, if you want a more stable mill, make a bunch of 4 x4 x 1" offcuts and drill a hole through the 4 x 4 face. Then thread these onto the threaded rod to the desired thickness and tighten up the nut so the whole assembly becomes more rigid. If you don't understand this I can draw up a picture for you



> Little bit of exitement is creeping in to this little task....


Oh dear , its just how I started. The mill i described to you is very limiting and before you know it you will be building a BIL mill mark 3 (have a look in my sig below)



> now I just have a to find a suitable peice of wood to make the wife happy, and before you say it..... thats gonna be the hard bit!
> 
> one little point. I take it after I drill a bar it will have no effect on the bar etc other than two holes?



yep a couple of holes in the bar are no problem. Several of my big (60") bars come with these holes predrilled!


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## sdt7618 (Mar 5, 2009)

The 4x4x1 I take it are like packers on the rod. Will have to get to looking over the weekend foe a nice log, most I get is drift wood down the estuary in front of my house. some nice peices and some not so nice.

once again thanks for the simple solution.

Steven


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## BobL (Mar 5, 2009)

sdt7618 said:


> The 4x4x1 I take it are like packers on the rod.


Exactly

When you finish the job post a few pics.


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## peterrum (Mar 5, 2009)

sdt7618 said:


> Little bit of exitement is creeping in to this little task.



I love it when someone says that they only want to do it once. Another one bites the dust and will get hooked.


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## excess650 (Mar 5, 2009)

here is a link to Granberg's site for pictures, descriptions, and video of the Alaskan and Mini Mill:

http://www.granberg.com/index.html

here is a link to the Haddon Tools site with info on the "lumbermaker":

http://www.haddontools.com/

The Alaskan Mill is the way to go if you're wanting to mill uniform slabs, and have a powerful saw.

The Mini Mill and Lumbermaker will work fine on smaller saws, although the results aren't as uniform as an Alaskan with both ends of the bar captive.


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## the westspartan (Mar 5, 2009)

excess650 said:


> here is a link to Granberg's site for pictures, descriptions, and video of the Alaskan and Mini Mill:
> 
> http://www.granberg.com/index.html
> 
> ...



agreed. but for cheep, and the fact that he is using a 50cc saw the lumbermaker is not bad.


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## sdt7618 (Mar 5, 2009)

excess650, thanks for the link, but for now I really was looking for a simple, very cheap idea to help me with a problem. no doubt mills might come along sometime down the line, but for now. the mantle peice is a one off.....


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## excess650 (Mar 5, 2009)

sdt7618 said:


> excess650, thanks for the link, but for now I really was looking for a simple, very cheap idea to help me with a problem. no doubt mills might come along sometime down the line, but for now. the mantle peice is a one off.....



....and the links were to give you photos and videos so you might gain more insight. The Haddon Lumbermaker and its clones are inexpensive, simple, and you might be able to fab it from a piece of channel and a few more bits.


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## Freehand (Mar 6, 2009)

*slabbing*

The lumber maker is all well and good-I fool with several versions at first.Now I head into the woods with my 268,a chalkbox,and a bucket of wedges.If it is a sizeable tree,say 30"+,I first pop it in half-reading the predominant check in the end grain-then flip up the halves flat side up.Take that chalk box and snap that line-bear in mind this method requires you hold your mouth just right.It takes alot of practice but one thing I found about the beam mills is they don`t allow for "drift"-that subtle twist that that must be compensated on even the most finely tuned chain and bar.This phenomena is more easily seen on band saws. Bottom line,nothing more simple and rewarding,not to mention easy to do in remote locations such as the O.P. is dealing with.

P.S. I cut 2X + with this method-no luck with the thinner stuff.


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## BobL (Mar 6, 2009)

freehandslabber said:


> The lumber maker is all well and good-I fool with several versions at first.Now I head into the woods with my 268,a chalkbox,and a bucket of wedges.If it is a sizeable tree,say 30"+,I first pop it in half-reading the predominant check in the end grain-then flip up the halves flat side up.Take that chalk box and snap that line-bear in mind this method requires you hold your mouth just right.It takes alot of practice but one thing I found about the beam mills is they don`t allow for "drift"-that subtle twist that that must be compensated on even the most finely tuned chain and bar.This phenomena is more easily seen on band saws. Bottom line,nothing more simple and rewarding,not to mention easy to do in remote locations such as the O.P. is dealing with.



sdt7618 only wants to make one slab (ROFL) so he doesn't want to practice 

I'd like to see Pics of what you cut.


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## Freehand (Mar 7, 2009)

*quick slabbing*

I usually only mess with very interesting,rare woods.Mostly storm damage/salvage type situations.

Bobl-I recently milled up a 30" dia. black walnut tree that blew down in a city park here.I'm afraid I don't have any pics handy,but I'll try to get some soon.

The walnut will become gunstocks and mantlepeices in 2-3 years.


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## BobL (Mar 7, 2009)

freehandslabber said:


> I usually only mess with very interesting,rare woods.Mostly storm damage/salvage type situations.
> 
> Bobl-I recently milled up a 30" dia. black walnut tree that blew down in a city park here.I'm afraid I don't have any pics handy,but I'll try to get some soon.
> 
> The walnut will become gunstocks and mantlepeices in 2-3 years.



Sounds good!


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## Freehand (Mar 14, 2009)

*recent milling activity*

Bobl-here's those pics....

the first is two 7x18 post oak beams on the stump-storm damage.

the others are 10/4 walnut ,sasafrass,and quartersawn white oak.


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## duffontap (Mar 14, 2009)

I've posted this picture before but it shows that the cheap lumber maker (mine came in a box labeled 'Lumber Marker') does work ok, but you spend a lot of your time doing what I'm seen doing here--tightening the three set screws that slowly drift around your bar as you cut. The advantage of the L.M. is that you can really rock your saw back and forth through the cut which will take some of the load off your saw.

If it were me, I think I would free-hand the mantle and then clean it up on my jointer. On the other hand, the home-made Alaskan Mill will give you a good feel for how the milling process works. 

After cutting two logs with my lumber maker (I bought it to cut some canoe timbers) I bought the Alaskan MK 3 Mill, the Grandberg Mini-Mill, aux. oiler, another powerhead...the canoe still isn't finished but milling is a riot.

J. D.


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## Freehand (Mar 14, 2009)

duffontap said:


> I've posted this picture before but it shows that the cheap lumber maker (mine came in a box labeled 'Lumber Marker') does work ok, but you spend a lot of your time doing what I'm seen doing here--tightening the three set screws that slowly drift around your bar as you cut. The advantage of the L.M. is that you can really rock your saw back and forth through the cut which will take some of the load off your saw.
> 
> If it were me, I think I would free-hand the mantle and then clean it up on my jointer. On the other hand, the home-made Alaskan Mill will give you a good feel for how the milling process works.
> 
> ...



Nice pic J.D.;I used that very lumbermaker in the picture,then I fell out of love with it....Went to the chalkbox freehand;with as little as I mill (less than 1000 ft. a year),it works real good for me.

having a big planer helps alot too!


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## BobL (Mar 14, 2009)

freehandslabber said:


> Bobl-here's those pics....
> 
> the first is two 7x18 post oak beams on the stump-storm damage.
> 
> the others are 10/4 walnut ,sasafrass,and quartersawn white oak.



Thanks for posting FHS (photos are a bit small and hard to see) otherwise a good timber score!


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## Freehand (Mar 14, 2009)

BobL said:


> Thanks for posting FHS (photos are a bit small and hard to see) otherwise a good timber score!



I had to compress the files awful small before they would let me upload them...

is there something I'm missing?


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## BobL (Mar 14, 2009)

freehandslabber said:


> I had to compress the files awful small before they would let me upload them...
> 
> is there something I'm missing?



It looks like the photos have come direct from your (DSC S500 Sony) camera since it still contains the camera info. You need to open the picture up in some sort of graphics application and make them 800 pixels wide and then use "file - save as - " and adjust the Quality of the image to low. This reduces the quality without changing the size. If you can find a "save for web" function, that will be even better. This stripps out all unnecessary info.


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