# My first mill work (with my own equipment that is).



## WoodChuck'r (Sep 20, 2009)

I'm new to milling overall. Even though I have milled a bit in the past I'm still a greenhorn at the whole deal. 

I recently picked up a Granberg Small Log Mill, got it through Baileys.

I dropped an ash and I'm cutting up some beams for my boss. He builds muzzleloaders - he says that ash wood makes great gun stock. I'm mainly just toying around - there's obviously a lot to learn. In any case I'm having a blast... 

Here are some pics of the mill with my Dolmar 7900. I'm currently using a full chisel 3/8 chain with a 24" bar - I know I know, I'll be getting a semi-chisel or a ripping chain very soon. Milling ash is obviously slow goin. I was getting about 3ft per minute or so at the thickest part of the log. 

I'm overall very impressed with the 7900. It's not fully broken in yet and it's got a lot of balls. Shortly this saw is gonna wake right up and pull through anything I throw at it. 

:greenchainsaw:


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## WoodChuck'r (Sep 20, 2009)




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## BIG JAKE (Sep 20, 2009)

:yourock: Fun ain't it. My garage is filling up with stickered stacks of lumber dryin'. Thanks for posting.


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## the westspartan (Sep 20, 2009)

Yo Jason,

It's look'n good man. Rep!

Dan


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## mtngun (Sep 21, 2009)

Thanks for the pics. Rep sent.

I see you are using the fancy fuel jug -- do you like it ?

I have a similar jug that I got from Baileys. A little spendy, but the push button pour system works well in the field.


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## Brmorgan (Sep 21, 2009)

Aw, isn't that cute - a milling saw with no scratches or missing paint, even on the bar!

Just kidding, looking good there. Nice smooth and (by all appearances) straight cuts. I don't think 3'/min is a bad cut speed at all for a 7900 in Ash. But then again I've never cut Ash myself, so other opinions may differ.


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## WoodChuck'r (Sep 21, 2009)

Brmorgan said:


> Aw, isn't that cute - a milling saw with no scratches or missing paint, even on the bar!
> 
> Just kidding, looking good there. Nice smooth and (by all appearances) straight cuts. I don't think 3'/min is a bad cut speed at all for a 7900 in Ash. But then again I've never cut Ash myself, so other opinions may differ.





I've milled quite a bit so far, you should see the bar now!! 


The 3ft per minute is just a guess. I sharpened my chain today til it was razor sharp, and I'm guessing that it doubled the speed. The numbers are just random guesses though. I'm not actually timing it....

:greenchainsaw:


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## WoodChuck'r (Sep 21, 2009)

mtngun said:


> Thanks for the pics. Rep sent.
> 
> I see you are using the fancy fuel jug -- do you like it ?
> 
> I have a similar jug that I got from Baileys. A little spendy, but the push button pour system works well in the field.



Yeah it's great. I've used NoSpill jugs for a long time. I use a (solid red) 2.5 gallon for my mixed fuel and a (transparent (multiuse) 2.5 gallon for the bar oil. It's so much easier.


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## WoodChuck'r (Sep 21, 2009)

A few more pics.


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## rmh3481 (Sep 21, 2009)

Looks like your doing real well. Maybe add a little extra oil to your mix for those long cuts. 

Best wishes,
Bob


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## discounthunter (Sep 21, 2009)

looks good. i like your log holders! i asume your bucking with this same saw, since you have your dogs on, you may try putting your mill right up against them so the wood is closer to the power head, it would be the same as bucking closer to the head tends to cut a little faster and easier. but im still a newbie to milling so this may be incorrect. all that aside nice setup, finnally another dolmar miller!


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## WoodChuck'r (Sep 21, 2009)

discounthunter said:


> looks good. i like your log holders! i asume your bucking with this same saw, since you have your dogs on, you may try putting your mill right up against them so the wood is closer to the power head, it would be the same as bucking closer to the head tends to cut a little faster and easier. but im still a newbie to milling so this may be incorrect. all that aside nice setup, finnally another dolmar miller!



The only reason I don't have the mill butted up against the dogs is because the bar will stick out beyond the plexiglass guard. That's a wee bit dangerous if you ask me....

I'm running a 24" bar. Granberg reccomends a bar that is no larger than 20", I'm guessing that is why - so it's butted up against the dogs and the bar is behind the guard with no overhang.

Good suggestion though. Thanks for posting!!


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## mtngun (Sep 21, 2009)

WoodChucker81 said:


> I use a (solid red) 2.5 gallon for my mixed fuel and a (transparent (multiuse) 2.5 gallon for the bar oil. It's so much easier.



For bar oil ? I never thought of that, but you're right, that would work great.

It's hard to pour bar oil directly out of a standard oil jug when a saw is mounted to an Alaskan. I ALWAYS spill a bunch.  I'll add a no-spill oil jug to my wish list.


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## WoodChuck'r (Sep 21, 2009)

mtngun said:


> For bar oil ? I never thought of that, but you're right, that would work great.
> 
> It's hard to pour bar oil directly out of a standard oil jug when a saw is mounted to an Alaskan. I ALWAYS spill a bunch.  I'll add a no-spill oil jug to my wish list.




Yeah it's awesome. Not only does it keep your saw cleaner but think of how much money gets wasted as it spills out of the container and NOT into your saw. The cost aspect is a good argument for me, I use Stihl Bio-Plus bar oil. At $20 a gallon those little spills add up quick!!


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## WoodChuck'r (Sep 21, 2009)

rmh3481 said:


> Looks like your doing real well. Maybe add a little extra oil to your mix for those long cuts.
> 
> Best wishes,
> Bob



Yeah for sure. I always run'er rich. I'm using 93 octane but it's mixed with SuperTechniplate oil at (probably) 60:1. I'd rather foul up a plug than garr up a piston....


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## Brmorgan (Sep 21, 2009)

I don't know the specs of that oil you're using, but 60:1 is worryingly lean IMO as far as milling is concerned. I run 40:1 with Stihl Ultra, and I know that even some folks run AMSoil at 50:1 instead of its advertised 100:1. Just my 2¢ - milling is a lot harder on a saw than falling/bucking.


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## WoodChuck'r (Sep 22, 2009)

What the crap. I'm sorry....

I meant to type 40:1, not 60:1. Good lord I would never run 60:1 in any kind of saw in any conditions of cutting. 50:1 is the leanest I'll ever go.

Sorry about that. You were probably thinking for a minute that I was an idiot; which is okay, you wouldn't be the first to think so!! 

:greenchainsaw:


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## Brmorgan (Sep 22, 2009)

Nope, didn't think any less of you! I know there are a few oils which call for a leaner mix than 50:1 which is probably fine under most conditions, but I wouldn't trust it for milling.


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## the westspartan (Sep 22, 2009)

Hey Jason,

That Stihl/Husky shop down in Dansville, has the bio-plus now and they are only charging $16 a bottle! I just picked up a jug the other day.

Dan


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## WoodChuck'r (Sep 22, 2009)

the westspartan said:


> Hey Jason,
> 
> That Stihl/Husky shop down in Dansville, has the bio-plus now and they are only charging $16 a bottle! I just picked up a jug the other day.
> 
> Dan



Yeah I saw that. They had a sale going on last Saturday, there was another rep there with a big trailer FULL of Stihl equipment. I talked to him for about 20 minutes.... He's the one who brought the Bio-Plus. He only brought 2 cases with him. I asked the guys at the store if they're gonna carry it from now on and they said that the demand for it isn't there so they weren't sure.

I oughta pick up a gallon or two before it's gone. That's a great price!


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## Kicker_92 (Sep 22, 2009)

mtngun said:


> It's hard to pour bar oil directly out of a standard oil jug when a saw is mounted to an Alaskan. I ALWAYS spill a bunch.  I'll add a no-spill oil jug to my wish list.



Especially to top up while the saw is running mid cut. We allways end up spilling some onto the exhaust. The big problem with running Canola oil is the craving for french fries everytime you spill... opcorn:


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## Brmorgan (Sep 23, 2009)

$16-$20 USD/gal is a tad spendy for me... I buy my bar oil bulk in 5 gallon buckets for ~$40-$50 CDN depending on where I get it from. Since I've been running the Alaskan on the side the last three summers, I've been averaging about a pail and a half per year. Before that I could get by on less than two gallons for just cutting firewood, so I never had the need to buy bulk.

Kicker, do you really use Canola for bar oil? I'd think it would be a bit on the thin side, more like Winter bar oil.


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## BobL (Sep 23, 2009)

Brmorgan said:


> Kicker, do you really use Canola for bar oil? I'd think it would be a bit on the thin side, more like Winter bar oil.



I use canola in the aux oiler and premium stihl bar oil in the powerhead.


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## Kicker_92 (Sep 23, 2009)

Actually, I've been mixing about 1/3rd Stihl Medium bar oil with 2/3rds Canola. Has been working well for the summer, we'll see how it goes in the winter.

With it being thinner, the oiler pumps out more but it's still so much cheaper. With having to fill the 880 three to four times per cut on the longer logs, I've been going through a lot of oil!

Haven't noticed much extra wear, just replaced my 30" Oregon with a new 30" Cannon bar, so those hardenned rails should hold up well even with a bit less lubrication.


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## BobL (Sep 23, 2009)

One thing I've noticed is the further I go up the chain sharpening curve and the more often I sharpened the less bar wear I get.


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## WoodChuck'r (Sep 23, 2009)

I do a little mixin' with the canola....

I don't see any difference at all. She stays good-n-lubed just as she should!!


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## the westspartan (Sep 24, 2009)

I have been using bailey's motion lotion biodegradable oil and mixing it 1:1 with canola oil. I have seen no extra wear, the bar stays cool, the saw stays cleaner, and when I quit working I am in the mood for fried food. Best of all I am not spraying dino oil all over my woods.


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## Brmorgan (Sep 24, 2009)

Where exactly do you guys get Canola in sufficient quantities and at competitive prices? Not that I've ever really gone looking for it, but I've NEVER heard of bulk Canola being available for industrial/commercial use other than for deep-frying at restaurants. To buy the stuff at the grocery store I'd be looking at ~$4/L or more. And I know for a fact that it's not available from industrial & automotive supply stores that I usually get chain oil from.

By all means though, please keep on using the Canola, guys! Every gallon sold means more money for Canada. CANOLA = Canadian Oil with Low Acidity, more commonly known as Rapeseed oil worldwide, but that product title is a bit harder to market! About 40 years ago our government began a program to breed a high-food-grade Rapeseed variety (through selection, not genetic engineering), which has since turned into one of our most valuable commercial crops.


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## Kicker_92 (Sep 24, 2009)

Brmorgan said:


> Where exactly do you guys get Canola in sufficient quantities and at competitive prices? To buy the stuff at the grocery store I'd be looking at ~$4/L or more.



My wife's been buying ours at Superstore / Extra Foods. It's I think a 20L container in a cardboard box. Goes for I think about $19. so ~$1/L.

Didn't mean to sidetrack this thread, sorry.


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## Brmorgan (Sep 24, 2009)

Kicker_92 said:


> My wife's been buying ours at Superstore / Extra Foods. It's I think a 20L container in a cardboard box. Goes for I think about $19. so ~$1/L.
> 
> Didn't mean to sidetrack this thread, sorry.



Thanks. And threads fray from time to time anyway, LOL. They aren't called Rails! At least we're all learning something.


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## WoodChuck'r (Sep 25, 2009)

the westspartan said:


> Best of all I am not spraying dino oil all over my woods.




 :greenchainsaw:


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