# Starting Chainsaw milling



## goncalo alves (Aug 28, 2019)

I can't believe I joined this forum over 10 years ago. I've been wanting to chainsaw mill for at least that long, just purchased a new 3120xp from another forum member and I'm preparing for my first cuts.

I was thinking of purchasing this but it seems awfully expensive, is the package price worth it? It looks like this comes with bar/chain and the Alaskan mill:

https://www.baileysonline.com/granberg-mkiv-complete-alaskan-chainsaw-mill-kit-46787p.html

Are there other suggestions to help direct me? We have 3 trees dropped on my grandparents land and I want to get to them in the next 2-4 weeks. 

Thanks!


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## Brent Nowell (Aug 28, 2019)

I would highly suggest starting with just the Alaskan mkiv first and go from there. 
One side of a cheap Werner extension ladder, some 5/8” shins for the ladder made of plywood, and finally some 2x3’s to hold the ladder up on the ends. Drill holes in rungs and use washers and screws to secure it to your tree. Use the 2x3’s on the ends of your cuts if the tree has a bow in it to hold it up and shim appropriately to support the mid section of the ladder. You don’t want it to bow.

Get an Oregon milling chain to start out and sharpen it getting yourself a nice gullet. Turns the oiler to max and give it a shot making sure you calculate the thickness of your ladder and depth of your screws into your cut. 

Practice and practice and you will see and learn what you need to do differently each time. The goal, imo, is to have a slab cut with the least amount of planer work required. Removing even 1/8 of material on a slab is a serious chore for even the best hand planer imo. 

I would start with a 36” bar personally as it is manageable with just yourself. Once you get the hang of it and understand better as to what you are doing you will maybe want to invest more money in things. Such as a longer bar, aux oiler, and hand helper for the end. With 36” even my 395 oils adequately.
If you find the chain is smoking it’s not a lack of oil, it’s a lack of a sharp chain.
10 degree angle is the minimum you want for milling, the lower you go the smoother the finish, also the harder the saw has to work and the more sharp it must be. I use 5 degree angle myself.
Cutter length is important for finish, you want them all the same for milling.

Your gonna find to do a good job you really need to have a very good understanding of the following things;

Chainsaw maintenance
Felling technique
Chain sharpening 

If you don’t you will learn the hard way that costs money, but sometimes that’s just the way things are and there’s no shame in it 

Good luck my friend, check out floweringelbow on YouTube


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## Leeroy (Aug 28, 2019)

Don't forget to read up on a richer gas mix and tuning it rich as well. 
Just heard yesterday of a friends relative 880 seizing twice. The friend is pretty sure he did not change tune or mix ratio.


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## csmillingnoob (Aug 29, 2019)

*Adding to what Brent said

semi-sharp wont work*. Sharpen after every tank of gas especially when milling hardwoods. Touch up rakers after every third tank or have multiple chains and change after every third cut. Skip chain cuts the sharpening time in half. Stump vise? Board and Bench vise? Best: Learn to sharpen while mounted in the mill. Fine tune to perfection at the end of the day or next morning. *Metal Detector" *Use it between cuts if you have it. Chains ain't cheap. Neither is your grinding/heavy sharpening time. Sometimes, that old nail doesn't show up until your fourth slab.

*Fight the urge*. You will be tempted to seesaw. Don't! Seesawing cuts a ragged, uneven surface.

*Easy with the wedges. *Use wedges, but don't drive them in hard. Just a tap with your hand. If you wedge to0 hard, the face of the plank splits while you are cutting thereby leaving a fuzzy cut.

*Counterweight?: *Not necessary, but a counterweight near the same weight as your powerhead can help keep the end of your bar from rising up. I use an old railroad plate (from an _abandoned _private line that can't be used). Fight the urge to exert downward pressure on the powerhead. Push it with your hip/knee.

*Gravity is your friend*. Elevate one end of the log so you are always cutting downhill. Cheap log lifter if you don't have better is a wide board and a 3 ton floor jack. I jack mine up about 18 inchs to insert a piece of log about 16 inches in diameter under the log. wedge to prevent role. Look for the video by BobL where his saw is self feeding because of his slope. Heck, look for every BobL post.

*Vibration is your enemy. *Wear gloves. Buy styrofoam insulation tubes of appropriate interior diameter to install on the round top rail. You will be grabbing/pushing on it. Make sure all mill bolts are tight. They will rattle off if not.

*Run the saw a minute or five when you finish your cut*. Cool that baby down before you shut it down!

*Have a Moving and drying plan. *Okay, you have cut your first usable slab. What'cha gonna do with it? Dump it to the side and keep cutting?
You gonna stack it there beside the log to air dry or are you gonna haul it elsewhere? If drying in place, build a level, well supported drying frame before you make your first cut. I usually build mine about six feet parallel to the log on the off-cutting side. Green slabs are heavy. Do you have a helper? If not, maybe cut that distance to six feet if wide heavy slabs. You can rotate the slab on the top of the log then push the slab onto the drying platform. If hauling off, slide the slab onto your truck up after each cut. Either way, clear your workspace. *Your Drying Plan is as important as your cutting plan. *Why cut a bunch of beautiful slabs only to have them bow, split, cup or mold? Get them stickered, weighted, shaded and drying by the end of the cutting day. One day in our South Georgia summer sun can cause a quarter inch cup! A few days does awful things as I learned on my first log. Buy a moisture meter.

*Fine dust: *Even with a sharp chain, you will produce some fine dust mixed in with the chunks. Check your filter more frequently than you would when crosscutting. Why not do it every tank? keep a soft brush

*REST: You and your saw. *It's hard work. Most mistakes and accidents happen when you are tired. Take rest breaks. Sharpen in the shade. Drink fluids. De-hydration makes you stupid. Don't say "just one more cut" when you are dog tired. Your saw may need the rest too.

*Brent is Right: Don't start with a huge bar. *36 will cut a 30 inch log (barely). That's a pretty big log. Also, your 3120 should oil it adequately without needing to add an auxilliary oiler immediately _(Somebody correct me if I'm wrong here). _There is a big difference in the "feel" between a 36 and a 42 inch bar. Sure, you want a huge bar so you can cut a 48" log on your mill - but how many logs do you see that are that big?

*Leeroy is right too: *Run it rich (for cooling) and tune it to the mixture. It's a big, tough saw but milling is a tough job.

*Have fun: *It's hard work. Planning is more fun than cutting. If the fun doesn't outweigh the difficulty, I'm interested in a lightly used 3120.
*

*


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## BobL (Aug 29, 2019)

csmillingnoob said:


> Run it rich (for cooling) and tune it to the mixture. It's a big, tough saw but milling is a tough job.



"Tuning to the mixture" and "running rich" are not mutually exclusive.
The correct way to approach this is to say, " tuning should be on the rich side"
Ie Whatever mix is used, start out by tuning the saw correctly, and then adjust the H screw on the carry so as to drop the MAX rpm by several hundred. This makes the mix/air ratio on the rich side.
The problem with the 3120s is they have no H screw on the carry to be able to do this. For milling this is not a problem as these saws have a governor to liming max RPM and come stock with as slightly rich carby setting.
One issue with these saws is minor muffler mods cannot be accommodated for by any H screw adjustment and may require replacement of the main carby jet.


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## goncalo alves (Aug 30, 2019)

Thanks for all input. I don't know much about "tuning to a mixture" so I'll just start out running it rich.

I was considering building my own mill following an instructables guide (made of 8020 extrusion). Has anyone done this? 

https://www.instructables.com/id/Chainsaw-Mill-Build-Use-Tips-n-Tricks/


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## csmillingnoob (Aug 30, 2019)

Buy a mill. Learn it. Learn what you like and don't like. Then, build a mill with knowledge.

The Chin ersatz Granberg mills aren't as expensive ( or as durable). Use it to figure out how to make a nose oiler, if you want rollers, bar clamps or bolts, winch, counterweight, etc etc.


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## goncalo alves (Aug 30, 2019)

If everyone suggests purchasing the Alaskan MKIV to start, along with bar/chains...do we have suggested vendors?


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## BobL (Aug 30, 2019)

goncalo alves said:


> Thanks for all input. I don't know much about "tuning to a mixture" so I'll just start out running it rich.



A lot of folks confuse the gas/oil ratio in the mix with saw tuning, which determines the gas/air ratio in use by the saw.

A saw is ideally tuned using a tacho by adjusting the H screw on a carby to a manufacturers recommended max RPM. At this H-screw setting the saw has the optimum gas/air ratio under load. If the max RPMs are increased using the H-screw saw will run lean and overheat - a real danger for milling. If the RPMs are reduced the saw will run rich - this is fine for milling.

Now let's say you change your mix (gas/oil) and instead of 50:1 you mix a 25:1. What this means is the saw now sucks less gas and more oil relative to air. If the same H-screw setting is used for the 25:1 as the 50:1 the saw will now run lean (same air but less gas) and so the saw should be retuned to the new mix. The confusion comes in that some folks thing that making the mix more oil rich makes the gas/air ratio rich whereas it makes the saw run lean.

This matters very little on a 3120 as the carby has no H-screw and is set permanently sightly rich to start with.


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## Brent Nowell (Aug 31, 2019)

BobL said:


> A lot of folks confuse the gas/oil ratio in the mix with saw tuning, which determines the gas/air ratio in use by the saw.
> 
> A saw is ideally tuned using a tacho by adjusting the H screw on a carby to a manufacturers recommended max RPM. At this H-screw setting the saw has the optimum gas/air ratio under load. If the max RPMs are increased using the H-screw saw will run lean and overheat - a real danger for milling. If the RPMs are reduced the saw will run rich - this is fine for milling.
> 
> ...


Bob

Do you mean to set it at max engine speed under load or not under load? 

And you do mean max rpm and not max power rpm?

This might sound tedious but I have a tach on my saw and I would love to know exactly what you mean


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## BobL (Aug 31, 2019)

Brent Nowell said:


> Bob
> Do you mean to set it at max engine speed under load or not under load?


The only load should be with the B&C on that you are going to use.



> And you do mean max rpm and not max power rpm?


Yes - It's the manufacturers recommended MAX rpm ie wide open throttle.


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## Brent Nowell (Aug 31, 2019)

BobL said:


> The only load should be with the B&C on that you are going to use.
> 
> 
> Yes - It;s the manufacturers recommended MAX rpm ie wide open throttle.



Believe it or not but I have been looking for clarification on tuning by rpm for quite some time. Thank you very much!!!


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## goncalo alves (Sep 3, 2019)

Great info, thanks! I'll post some pics as I test/get everything assembled. Expect to slice a few trees up at the end of the month.


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## Lutty440 (Sep 4, 2019)

goncalo alves said:


> I can't believe I joined this forum over 10 years ago. I've been wanting to chainsaw mill for at least that long, just purchased a new 3120xp from another forum member and I'm preparing for my first cuts.
> 
> I was thinking of purchasing this but it seems awfully expensive, is the package price worth it? It looks like this comes with bar/chain and the Alaskan mill:
> 
> ...


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## goncalo alves (Sep 5, 2019)

Thanks for the vid Lutty, I've seen that vid before but I was impatient and kept skipping sections. It was fun watching him with the set-up, makes sense how he went about it. 

Do we have preferred vendors for bars/chains/Alaskan MKIV purchases? 

I see NorthernTool and ChainsawsDirect when I do a search for the Granberg mill. Anyone had experience with them? Going to try and purchase bar, chain and mill from the same retailer. Need to place the order soon so I receive it at least a week before I drive over to the family farm.


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## goncalo alves (Sep 5, 2019)

Alright, I'm changing it up. I'll order the Alaskan MKIV from a separate retailer. Because I'm new to this world, anyone have a link or suggestion for a good 42" or 48" bar and chain? I've seen people suggest rip chain, chisel skip, Stihl 63PMX ripping chain, etc. 

I received the 3120xp with a .404 on it. I'm completely new to this so any help is greatly appreciated


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## buttercup (Sep 5, 2019)

goncalo alves said:


> ...I've seen people suggest rip chain...



That's a good idea 
That's about 10* degree cutting surface instead of 30* like a cut/fell chain 

You know an interesting fact is that when cutting Aramid (kevlar fiber) with a scissor if it's sharpened with an angle (like scissors usually are) it wont cut, but if you grind your scissors cutting edge at 0* (plain flat) it cuts like butter...


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## goncalo alves (Sep 5, 2019)

thanks for that buttercup, so I guess I need kevlar pants ground at 10 degrees, so at least one of the meeting surfaces is at a steep enough angle to prevent an accident 

But seriously, we have three logs on the ground, the widest is about 32.5" in diameter. Should I go ahead and make the jump to the 48" Alaskan and get a 42" bar to accommodate? Or should I stick with the 36" Alaskan with 36" bar? It looks incredibly close from the specs that I see on that mill.

Does this work with my saw? I'm uncomfortably uninformed. so I need some guidance:

https://www.baileysonline.com/orego...35-drive-links-423rndd009-orf-423rndd009.html

https://www.baileysonline.com/woodlandpro-63rp-chainsaw-chain-per-drive-link-wp365-63rp.html

Order 135 drive links for the bar/chain above? What are the critical measurements when buying a separate bar and chain. Again, i've only used hobby saws owned by others.


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## Mad Professor (Sep 5, 2019)

You might also connsider a water drip system for the bar. Keeping bar and chain cool will make them last longer.


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## rarefish383 (Sep 6, 2019)

Seems to me that newer guys say go with ripping chain and older guys say stick with standard chain, there is not much difference in cut or speed. I've seen guys post pics they made with ripping chain and my cuts with out of the box Stihl chain are better. A smooth cut has more to do with style and skill, as what chain. I like to be able to walk up to a tree with my 36" bar on the saw, drop it, put the mill on the saw, and start milling, with out changing chains. Just me. I also like to cut firewood with out having to change chains. If I had it to do over I would have gotten my 660 with .404. My 36 and 45" Homelites have .404 and they seem to take more abuse than 3/8's. If I hit a piece of fence wire with the 404 it clips the wire off with one tooth and you can't tell the difference. If I hit the same piece of wire with the 3/8's it seems to wipe out the whole chain. The way I first found that out is I wiped out the 660 chain and didn't want to sharpen it, or have an extra chain. So, I put one of the Homelites on the mill and hit the same piece of fence on the next cut, didn't faze it. Did my standard touch up after 3 slabs, all was good. The 660 also spins up almost twice as fast as the Super 1050, so that might be a factor in wiping out the whole chain versus just a tooth or two.

If it sounds strange that I didn't want to sharpen the 660 after I hit wire, but did do my regular touch up on the Super 1050 after hitting the same wire, there is a big difference. The 3/8's chain had missing edges and the top plate was rounded and buggered. The .404 chain was basically sharp and only need a couple strokes to return to milling condition. The few teeth that actually hit the wire needed a little more doctoring. Big difference in the damage done to the two chains.


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## csmillingnoob (Sep 6, 2019)

As to bar and mill size. Get the 48" mill. 

As a general rule of thumb, you need a bar that is 6" longer than the log you are milling. This six inches is eaten up under the clutch cover and at the tip. You want to mill 32.5 inch logs. Not saying you absolutely can't to it with a 36" bar but this eliminates use of the chainbreak and gets you to close to your sprocket. Also, that 32.5" tree at the base may have swells, or you may want to cut through limb extrusions or crotches that make it much wider. Why risk it? Get the 42" bar that you know will work and not worry about it.

With that said, you should also get a 36". Having too much bar raises other issues like bar bowing and encouraging you to seesaw your cut. The smaller the bar/chain the greater the power though that 3120 will give you sufficient power for a 42" chain.

If you are serious about milling, you will end up with many bars. When you nail out part of a chain, you can cut it down to a lower size. 

Have fun but remember: " the spice must flow" oops. I mean " the OIL must flow."

Skip chain? Well, it is much less cutters to sharpen and throws prettier ribbons and. Less dust too.


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## goncalo alves (Sep 8, 2019)

thanks for the replies, placing the order today. Will post pics once I get everything set-up. 

I've read a few people that said I should run a couple tanks through the saw before taking it out milling. I don't have my bar/chain yet but I could fire it up and just let it run if a "breakin" period is needed. Any thoughts?


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## csmillingnoob (Sep 8, 2019)

Not enough. It needs a few tanks in wood where it has some load. Find a log and cut a bunch of cookies. That will give you some practice in sharpening too.

It really should be run in cutting. Then check your tuneup. You might mill some softwood while breaking it in.

Will you tear up the saw if you don't do that? Probably not but you want your saw running good when you stick it in the side of a 32 inch hardwood.


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## ML12 (Sep 10, 2019)

goncalo alves said:


> Alright, I'm changing it up. I'll order the Alaskan MKIV from a separate retailer. Because I'm new to this world, anyone have a link or suggestion for a good 42" or 48" bar and chain? I've seen people suggest rip chain, chisel skip, Stihl 63PMX ripping chain, etc.
> 
> I received the 3120xp with a .404 on it. I'm completely new to this so any help is greatly appreciated



I would suggest buying a cannon brand 48" bar. Yes, they are pricey, but they are very well made bars and they hold up well to milling. Check cannon's website for distributers in your area. Don't bother with a "double ended" mill bar, just get one of the regular sprocket tipped "super bars".

As far as chain goes, I personally like .404, but I know some prefer 3/8". Call around to local saw shops, see if any of them have .404 in stock, I know its getting harder to come by, but I can still get it everywhere. If no one stocks .404, then change the rim sprocket to 3/8" and run 0.063 gauge 3/8" chain.

Chain brand again comes down to personal preference and what is available locally. I've run Oregon and stihl, and I can say that I like the stihl better. It seems to hold an edge longer and produces nice cuts. I would recommend a full comp chain (no need for skip for 4ft on a 3120). I'd recommend buying regular full chisel and then filing it back to 10 degrees gradually each sharpening. Make sure you read Bob's raker height/angle bible, it definitely makes a difference.


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## goncalo alves (Sep 10, 2019)

ML12 said:


> I would suggest buying a cannon brand 48" bar. Yes, they are pricey, but they are very well made bars and they hold up well to milling. Check cannon's website for distributers in your area. Don't bother with a "double ended" mill bar, just get one of the regular sprocket tipped "super bars".
> 
> As far as chain goes, I personally like .404, but I know some prefer 3/8". Call around to local saw shops, see if any of them have .404 in stock, I know its getting harder to come by, but I can still get it everywhere. If no one stocks .404, then change the rim sprocket to 3/8" and run 0.063 gauge 3/8" chain.
> 
> Chain brand again comes down to personal preference and what is available locally. I've run Oregon and stihl, and I can say that I like the stihl better. It seems to hold an edge longer and produces nice cuts. I would recommend a full comp chain (no need for skip for 4ft on a 3120). I'd recommend buying regular full chisel and then filing it back to 10 degrees gradually each sharpening. Make sure you read Bob's raker height/angle bible, it definitely makes a difference.


Just a little late. I purchased a 42" and 36" Oregon bars. I'll go Cannon next time, probably when I need to reach for something bigger than my 42". I also already purchased Oregon ripping chain .404, along with the 48" Alaskan MKIV. So begins my education, I'm a diligent notetaker with my hobbies (woodworking) so I'll be doing the same here. It usually takes a while to see some patterns/preferences emerge so I won't have much to begin to offer for a while.


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## ML12 (Sep 10, 2019)

goncalo alves said:


> Just a little late. I purchased a 42" and 36" Oregon bars. I'll go Cannon next time, probably when I need to reach for something bigger than my 42". I also already purchased Oregon ripping chain .404, along with the 48" Alaskan MKIV. So begins my education, I'm a diligent notetaker with my hobbies (woodworking) so I'll be doing the same here. It usually takes a while to see some patterns/preferences emerge so I won't have much to begin to offer for a while.


What you purchased is more than enough to get you started! I am running the .404 Oregon ripping chain on my 60" now and its all right, but I prefer the stihl full chisel. I'd recommend picking up a loop when you want to try something different.


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## buttercup (Sep 10, 2019)

ML12 said:


> ...but I prefer the stihl full chisel. ...



So you don't consider the 10* side cutters on a rip chain to help blow out the wood to be worth it? I would question that.

30* means the chain is forced up and down in the cut all the time...

I might be wrong, help me enlighten that.


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## goncalo alves (Sep 11, 2019)

ML12 said:


> I would suggest buying a cannon brand 48" bar. Yes, they are pricey, but they are very well made bars and they hold up well to milling. Check cannon's website for distributers in your area. Don't bother with a "double ended" mill bar, just get one of the regular sprocket tipped "super bars".
> 
> As far as chain goes, I personally like .404, but I know some prefer 3/8". Call around to local saw shops, see if any of them have .404 in stock, I know its getting harder to come by, but I can still get it everywhere. If no one stocks .404, then change the rim sprocket to 3/8" and run 0.063 gauge 3/8" chain.
> 
> Chain brand again comes down to personal preference and what is available locally. I've run Oregon and stihl, and I can say that I like the stihl better. It seems to hold an edge longer and produces nice cuts. I would recommend a full comp chain (no need for skip for 4ft on a 3120). I'd recommend buying regular full chisel and then filing it back to 10 degrees gradually each sharpening. Make sure you read Bob's raker height/angle bible, it definitely makes a difference.



Going back and reading this, I'm intrigued. Most people I've seen suggest ripping chain. You're saying just go for full chisel, full comp? And then slowly grind? I saw the Stihl RCX ripping chain but I couldn't find anywhere besides Ebay and I don't think that's what you're suggesting. Apologies for the follow-up questions, I'm still learning the various chain types.

I haven't seen Bob's raker bible, I'll do some searches.


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## ML12 (Sep 11, 2019)

buttercup said:


> So you don't consider the 10* side cutters on a rip chain to help blow out the wood to be worth it? I would question that.
> 
> 30* means the chain is forced up and down in the cut all the time...
> 
> I might be wrong, help me enlighten that.


The 10* cutters can leave a nicer surface finish, than the 30 degree ones, but I guess what I am saying is that there are other factors that also greatly influence surface finish, so its not just cutter tooth angle. I've done quite a bit of milling (softwoods) with 30 degree chain and its turned out good, not as good as 10* or 0* chain, but pretty good.

You are correct that the cutter will want to go up/down, but tight bar rails and properly tensioned chains tend to moderate this effect. When I do get a wavy surface finish its usually due to a chain not being tight enough, or uneven pressure applied to the mill while cutting.

My suggestion was to get some full chisel, full comp chain, and gradually sharpen it back to 10* over the first few sharpenings, that way you get the most use out of the chain, and you get to experience various angles and see what works. I've run 30*, 15*, 10* and 0*. I like 10*, seems to give a nice finish and good chip clearance. 

The Oregon 0* milling chain we get here isn't full chisel and I just don't think it holds an edge as well as the stihl full chisel does.


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## ML12 (Sep 11, 2019)

goncalo alves said:


> Going back and reading this, I'm intrigued. Most people I've seen suggest ripping chain. You're saying just go for full chisel, full comp? And then slowly grind? I saw the Stihl RCX ripping chain but I couldn't find anywhere besides Ebay and I don't think that's what you're suggesting. Apologies for the follow-up questions, I'm still learning the various chain types.
> 
> I haven't seen Bob's raker bible, I'll do some searches.



I've had good results running 30* full chisel chain, I'd suggest running it for a couple slabs, see if you get the surface finish and speed you want and then sharpen back to 20*, then 10* etc. with successive sharpenings. Then you'll know how the chain angle reacts to the wood you are cutting. I cut primarily softwood, and the occasional hardwood (birch, maple, walnut).

I also suggest full comp, as opposed to skip sequence, because your power head is more than adequate for a 42" bar and chip clearance won't be an issue. I have a skip chain on my 60" and even that probably isn't really necessary. (I have a 090, so power isn't a problem)

The chain I'd suggest starting with is regular "RS" stihl chain in .404 x .063. The RCX is just RS chain ground to 10* instead of 30* from factory, I had a couple loops of RCX but they're old now, not sure if Stihl still makes it. Last I checked the only mill chains available to me in .404x.063 were Oregon and the weird granberg.

Learning to file, and set rakers is very important in milling. Getting consistent top plate angles while also getting the "gullet" and maintaining consistent raker angles is key to a smooth cutting, self feeding chain.

Bob's milling 101 sticky has a lot of information about raker angle. Because I cut softwoods, I tend to run a larger angle, usually 8*+.


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## andy at clover (Sep 12, 2019)

When ordering a bar....Keep in mind with the 3120xp, the outer felling Dog is integrated into the clutch cover/bars nut "pad".
You can't just simply remove it to gain a couple more inches of mill width.


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## goncalo alves (Sep 12, 2019)

andy at clover said:


> When ordering a bar....Keep in mind with the 3120xp, the outer felling Dog is integrated into the clutch cover/bars nut "pad".
> You can't just simply remove it to gain a couple more inches of mill width.



I'm really glad you said that. I was working to remove it and kept getting confused thinking I was doing something wrong. So add an extra 2-3" of lost space. Since this is a purely milling saw, wonder if I should grind them down? THat's probably a terrible idea for a number of reasons.


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## andy at clover (Sep 12, 2019)

goncalo alves said:


> I'm really glad you said that. I was working to remove it and kept getting confused thinking I was doing something wrong. So add an extra 2-3" of lost space. Since this is a purely milling saw, wonder if I should grind them down? THat's probably a terrible idea for a number of reasons.


You could replace the dog with a plate that takes it’s place but does not protrude into bar area.


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## kimosawboy (Sep 12, 2019)

I picked up a new 3120 the other day and am setting it up today.. the dogs on the outer cover come off lickedy split.. pull the plastic part off inside (screwdriver) grab on to that aluminium nut ( no idea why AL) the remove the hex on the exterior.. I replaced all screws with a lock washer as well to make up the space .


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## buttercup (Sep 13, 2019)

ML12 said:


> The 10* cutters can leave a nicer surface finish, than the 30 degree ones, but I guess what I am saying is that there are other factors that also greatly influence surface finish, so its not just cutter tooth angle. I've done quite a bit of milling (softwoods) with 30 degree chain and its turned out good, not as good as 10* or 0* chain, but pretty good.
> 
> You are correct that the cutter will want to go up/down, but tight bar rails and properly tensioned chains tend to moderate this effect. When I do get a wavy surface finish its usually due to a chain not being tight enough, or uneven pressure applied to the mill while cutting.
> 
> ...



Thanks for your reply sir, that is enlightening.


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## Timberline logger (Sep 14, 2019)

I got into milling a couple yrs ago . I wanted to build a rustic wall for my cabin and a bunch of trees came down after a big storm so I figured now was the time . Since I am a Stihl saw addict I had plenty of saws and bought the Alaskan mill then made one of my own .

With 2 mills I would put a saw in each then make one cut let that saw idle and cool while making a cut with the other one this seemed to make the saws live comfortably . Liked my old 084 with the auxiliary oiler Stihl took that off my 880 I guess for the environment but both worked good .

Used a 660 and 661 in tandum and they may have been a bit faster then the big saws in softer wood . Also used my 045 super and 056 Magll as a pair . The old 045 super out cuts every thing I have seems to use double the gas of a 660 but it is leader of my pack 

I have many bars so I didnt use one any bigger than necessary kept the chains razor sharp and focused on not destroying 10 grand in saws to make some boards . I use non ethanol gas and Stihl synthetic oil at 40:1 the more you mill the better and more efficient you get .

Bought a Dewalt Planer and it did a beautiful job on the black walnut I milled for some smaller projects .

Bottom line in my world Milling wood is hard on a saw even when using the best products . If I was going to get into it any deeper than the hobby it is I would buy a bandsaw type mill but the saws I have are fine for my occasional projects that dont require a dump truck load of wood


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## rarefish383 (Sep 16, 2019)

I use out of the box Stihl 33RS. Here's a couple pics of the finish I get, and the saws I use. The Black Walnut slab is one of the first I milled years ago with my Super 1050. It turned out pretty good. The two Oak slabs are the ones I made the two mantles out of. I have a 13" Ridgid planer. It took 3 passes through the planer and was ready for finish. The last pic of the Oak log was a month or so ago. If your chain is not too loose, you don't stop and start, and you don't see-saw the bar forward and back, you can get a darn nice finish cut, and you can use the saw for all purpose duty. I have enough saws that I usually just leave the mill on the 660, but sometimes I like to use the 660 cutting firewood with the 25" bar. Anyway, I use the same chain for everything, because I'm too lazy to switch to different chains for different use. Just me.

This is the Super 1050 I started milling with, and a couple projects from it.


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## rarefish383 (Sep 16, 2019)

This is the 660 and a couple projects.


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## BobL (Sep 29, 2019)

Great Finish RF!


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## MarkInCentralTx (Nov 22, 2019)

New member here, and this is the first thread I read ... Kudos to Goncalo for asking the initial question, and to everyone for your insightful comments !! Incredible amount of knowledge and experience!! I’ve not yet acquired my sawmill, but have lots of raw materials to cut ... I’m hoping to get started in the next few months, so again thanks to everyone on this thread.


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## Lutty440 (Nov 23, 2019)

MarkInCentralTx said:


> New member here, and this is the first thread I read ... Kudos to Goncalo for asking the initial question, and to everyone for your insightful comments !! Incredible amount of knowledge and experience!! I’ve not yet acquired my sawmill, but have lots of raw materials to cut ... I’m hoping to get started in the next few months, so again thanks to everyone on this thread.


Some Pics of my cabin milled with alaskan and timberjig. Got the timberjig first then a friend gave me a homemade alskan mill which I like better because it's mostly easier to make parallel cuts. However using two saws and two mills can be benefcial. One for chunking big slabs off big trees in the woods and taking them home, one mill stationary at home to make final cuts from the big slabs. Or two set ups so that one saw can cool between cuts while you cut on the other set up. I actually got to the point where I was tilting my logs and balancing the weight of the powerhead with a small tire, and starting the cut then stopping the saw, clamping the throttle, start the saw and let it go hands free so i could oil manually, then stop the saw just before the end, take the tire off and finish the cut normally. better than pushing. The fun part is when you see how much you can get done in a day then, see if you can beat yourself the next time, gotta start somewhere, then gain knowledge through failures, then get fed up with wasting time to get efficient. nice when you know you can make your own wood too. Anyway, if you have any questions shoot. I'll try to get some more pictures if my phone camera starts to cooperate again.


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## MarkInCentralTx (Nov 23, 2019)

Thanks Lutty440... Right now, I’m looking at only occasional milling... I suppose like any/every thing else, it won’t stop there ... more toys ya know ... I’ve seen videos on YouTube and do like the Alaskan (and a few other homemade versions), for the portability, and recently heard of/saw the Norwood PortaMill 14..... Nice piece of equipment, but the initial costs a bit more... and may have to wait till after the holidays ...


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## Lutty440 (Nov 25, 2019)

MarkInCentralTx said:


> Thanks Lutty440... Right now, I’m looking at only occasional milling... I suppose like any/every thing else, it won’t stop there ... more toys ya know ... I’ve seen videos on YouTube and do like the Alaskan (and a few other homemade versions), for the portability, and recently heard of/saw the Norwood PortaMill 14..... Nice piece of equipment, but the initial costs a bit more... and may have to wait till after the holidays ...


Just buy an old used 066, or 85cc plus saw, get a small engine guy to get it running good, tune it a few hundred RPM rich, file your chains down to 10 or 15 degrees, get a used alaskan mill and get in some wood. you won't regret it


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## Lutty440 (Nov 25, 2019)

MarkInCentralTx said:


> Thanks Lutty440... Right now, I’m looking at only occasional milling... I suppose like any/every thing else, it won’t stop there ... more toys ya know ... I’ve seen videos on YouTube and do like the Alaskan (and a few other homemade versions), for the portability, and recently heard of/saw the Norwood PortaMill 14..... Nice piece of equipment, but the initial costs a bit more... and may have to wait till after the holidays ...


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## Lutty440 (Nov 25, 2019)

Here ya go...


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## csmillingnoob (Dec 4, 2019)

Mad Professor said:


> You might also connsider a water drip system for the bar. Keeping bar and chain cool will make them last longer.



Hmmm. Might start packing my auxiliary oiler with crushed ice and canola oil in the Summer.

Throw in some flavoring and have slushies while I work!.


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