Burning up my saw by milling?

[Bailing Wire]

I tried to post the other day, but now I cann't find my post. Long story short I burned up one of my 066s milling. I have been running saws for 20 years now and have lost 1 or 2. I rebuild them when it is time and so on. I have been a faller for major logging operations and a climber for a arborist. Just a little history I know my saw pretty well. I am looking for someone who knows them better.

I started milling last year with my single power head set up using my 066. I cut a little over 1000 board ft of oak ranging from 6" to 20". I felt something was not quiet right, but fooled my self it was ok. Thats about when I burned my saw up.

I would like to continue milling, but not at the expence of a piston every 1000 board ft. I now have ripping chain. A friend that is a race saw biulder and works at the local saw shop sugested that ripping is not pulling my saw down to proper long term run RPM like it would bucking, felling or bumping knots. He sugested turning up the fuel mix until it pulls the saw down sence your fuel is also your coolant.

Any one do a lot of "SAW milling" please let me know the tricks of the trade.

 

[betterbuilt]

I tried to post the other day, but now I cann't find my post. Long story short I burned up one of my 066s milling. I have been running saws for 20 years now and have lost 1 or 2. I rebuild them when it is time and so on. I have been a faller for major logging operations and a climber for a arborist. Just a little history I know my saw pretty well. I am looking for someone who knows them better.

I started milling last year with my single power head set up using my 066. I cut a little over 1000 board ft of oak ranging from 6" to 20". I felt something was not quiet right, but fooled my self it was ok. Thats about when I burned my saw up.

I would like to continue milling, but not at the expence of a piston every 1000 board ft. I now have ripping chain. A friend that is a race saw biulder and works at the local saw shop sugested that ripping is not pulling my saw down to proper long term run RPM like it would bucking, felling or bumping knots. He sugested turning up the fuel mix until it pulls the saw down sence your fuel is also your coolant.

Any one do a lot of "SAW milling" please let me know the tricks of the trade.

I'm no expert. What mix are you running? 50:1

What are your rakers set at?

 

[mtngun]

I started milling last year with my single power head set up using my 066. I cut a little over 1000 board ft of oak ranging from 6" to 20". Thats about when I burned my saw up.

It's not unusual to cook a saw while milling.

There was some specific reason your saw died -- air leak, tuned too lean, starving for fuel, or whatever. It's tempting to say that as long as you maintain your saw in perfect condition, it'll never die.

But in reality, stuff happens. Hoses tear, filters clog, seals spring leaks. If it happens while you are milling, the saw is toast.

Milling is harder on saws because you are running it wide open for long periods of time.

I would tune your 066 to about 12,500 and run 40:1 synthetic. Give it a good going over once a year to look for leaks and clogs.

If it starts losing power and bogging while you are milling, SHUT IT DOWN. Don't mill with it again until the problem has been identified and corrected.

Otherwise, get a bandmill. Chainsaw milling is always going to be high maintenance.

 

[betterbuilt]

It's not unusual to cook a saw while milling.

There was some specific reason your saw died -- air leak, tuned too lean, starving for fuel, or whatever. It's tempting to say that as long as you maintain your saw in perfect condition, it'll never die.

But in reality, stuff happens. Hoses tear, filters clog, seals spring leaks. If it happens while you are milling, the saw is toast.

Milling is harder on saws because you are running it wide open for long periods of time.

I would tune your 066 to about 12,500 and run 40:1 synthetic. Give it a good going over once a year to look for leaks and clogs.

If it starts losing power and bogging while you are milling, SHUT IT DOWN. Don't mill with it again until the problem has been identified and corrected.

Otherwise, get a bandmill. Chainsaw milling is always going to be high maintenance.

:agree2:
expecially the Shut It Down part.

 

[Ax-man]

I recently got into milling. This is one of my biggest fears toasting an expenive saw. It is a common for this to happen . I know of one guy who toasted two of them milling lumber.

I am not going for making boards but more slabs for benches and what not.

The few cuts I have made seem to go just as easy and just as fast at 3/4 throttle as it does going at full throttle. I also have been giving the saw a break by doing some cutting and then letting the saw take a little break by backing off and throttling down to just about a fast idle then resume cutting. In other words don't push the saw too much .

Anything wrong in doing it this way ??

I have thought about switching to 40 to 1 for milling instead of 50 to 1 which is what I using now.

Does ripping chain help for saving a saw from becoming toast ?? I have tried it in the past a long time ago but not for milling, only for ripping down big rounds to make them easier to handle for making firewwod. I didn't see much difference between rip chain verses the regular chain and just quit using it..

 

[jimdad07]

I recently got into milling. This is one of my biggest fears toasting an expenive saw. It is a common for this to happen . I know of one guy who toasted two of them milling lumber.

I am not going for making boards but more slabs for benches and what not.

The few cuts I have made seem to go just as easy and just as fast at 3/4 throttle as it does going at full throttle. I also have been giving the saw a break by doing some cutting and then letting the saw take a little break by backing off and throttling down to just about a fast idle then resume cutting. In other words don't push the saw too much .

Anything wrong in doing it this way ??

I have thought about switching to 40 to 1 for milling instead of 50 to 1 which is what I using now.

Does ripping chain help for saving a saw from becoming toast ?? I have tried it in the past a long time ago but not for milling, only for ripping down big rounds to make them easier to handle for making firewwod. I didn't see much difference between rip chain verses the regular chain and just quit using it..

Backing off on the throttle now and then is a good thing to do. I richen my carb up when I go to mill, milling is a lot harder on saws as was said before. The same thing goes for milling as bucking when it comes to clean air filters and sharp chains. I do the same when I mill as you do, back off on the throttle a little and I often slow the saw to idle to let it cool down, I like to do it halfway through on say an 8' cut in softwood and every couple of feet in good hardwoods. Can't be too safe with your saws.

 

[mikeb1079]

this reminds me of a thread i recently read elsewhere. a fellow whose opinions i respect posted this:

Two Stroke engines get their cooling from the gasoline, lubrication comes from the oil. If the manufacture calls for 50:1 ratio then that is what you should run it. If you change the ratio to 40:1 mixture you are lowering the cooling by 10%. When you put more oil in the gas you run the risk of melting the piston.

i had never thought of it this way. i too thought that more oil is better but perhaps not. i guess i have some questions about proper gas/oil mix too!

 

[mtngun]

When you put more oil in the gas you run the risk of melting the piston.

BS. This has been discussed to death.

The gas/air ratio is determined by how you tune the carb, not by the oil mix.

 

[820wards]

BS. This has been discussed to death.

The gas/air ratio is determined by how you tune the carb, not by the oil mix.

Mtbgun is correct, the mixture screws allow you to richen or lean the air-fuel ratio. I run my gas/oil at 40:1, I also adjust the 'hi' mixture screw richer vs hi rpm lean. Altitude will also dictate the air-fuel adjustment you may need to make for your particular saw.

jerry-

 

[rarefish383]

I have two old Homelite 1050's my Dad bought new in 1972. He ran the 2 stroke oil that Amaco sold at 16:1, and Amaco White Gas, that was their high test no lead. He used the saws commercially for 20 years. I still use one of them for side work and milling, and run it at 40:1. That's 40 years of running heavier than factory recommended oil ratio. I did melt down the piston on the other one doing a side job. It started to race real fast and I was sure it had an air leak. Only problem, at the time, I didn't know an air leak would kill a saw. So, I kept cutting, I only had 2 more 30 inch blocks of firewood to cut off and the log would be finished. Instead I finished off my saw half way through the last cut. Running it rich will not melt down a saw. For an idea of how much I use this saw, I run about 20 gallons of fuel a year through it. Here are a few pics of a 40 year old 100CC Homelite having fun, Joe.

 

[smokinj]

I tried to post the other day, but now I cann't find my post. Long story short I burned up one of my 066s milling. I have been running saws for 20 years now and have lost 1 or 2. I rebuild them when it is time and so on. I have been a faller for major logging operations and a climber for a arborist. Just a little history I know my saw pretty well. I am looking for someone who knows them better.

I started milling last year with my single power head set up using my 066. I cut a little over 1000 board ft of oak ranging from 6" to 20". I felt something was not quiet right, but fooled my self it was ok. Thats about when I burned my saw up.

I would like to continue milling, but not at the expence of a piston every 1000 board ft. I now have ripping chain. A friend that is a race saw biulder and works at the local saw shop sugested that ripping is not pulling my saw down to proper long term run RPM like it would bucking, felling or bumping knots. He sugested turning up the fuel mix until it pulls the saw down sence your fuel is also your coolant.

Any one do a lot of "SAW milling" please let me know the tricks of the trade.

Aux-oiler and idle half way through the long runs. Also I like to let it warm up for around 5 min's before my first run. I also run at 40:1

 

[Ax-man]

I think those older saws are better suited for milling because they have more torque and are not turning those high rpm's for speed like a 066.

Presently I am using a 650 which I am not fond of for doing milling type work but for what I have been doing lately it was the only running saw with the right size bar. I finally got my 076 fixed and will see how that one works out.

 

[Timberframed]

One of my saws was designed to run WOT all day long and it has. A couple years back for 3-9 hr. days. I don't know what the difference is. Manufacturer insists 25:1. Maybe bore/stroke ratios? I see some makes are near 50-50 and some others are near 35-65 favoring the bore.

 

[Talltom]

Milling also creates much finer sawdust than regular crosscutting. I have an 066 and it I've noticed small amounts on the filter housing between the filter and choke. My mechanic told me that this is not good - will score the cylinders and reduce power. Any comments on how this affects the saw or ways to reduce it?

 

[gemniii]

I tried to post the other day, but now I cann't find my post. Long story short I burned up one of my 066s milling. I have been running saws for 20 years now and have lost 1 or 2. I rebuild them when it is time and so on. I have been a faller for major logging operations and a climber for a arborist. Just a little history I know my saw pretty well. I am looking for someone who knows them better.

I started milling last year with my single power head set up using my 066. I cut a little over 1000 board ft of oak ranging from 6" to 20". I felt something was not quiet right, but fooled my self it was ok. Thats about when I burned my saw up.

I would like to continue milling, but not at the expence of a piston every 1000 board ft. I now have ripping chain. A friend that is a race saw biulder and works at the local saw shop sugested that ripping is not pulling my saw down to proper long term run RPM like it would bucking, felling or bumping knots. He sugested turning up the fuel mix until it pulls the saw down sence your fuel is also your coolant.

Any one do a lot of "SAW milling" please let me know the tricks of the trade.

How many "1000 board feet" do you plan on doing?
That's 500' of boards 1' wide and 2" thick
Why are you using a CSM?
A CSM is better when:
You require utmost portability
or
Milling wide slabs
or
Your addicted to two-stroke fumes while going deaf due to decibels (that's my addiction)
or
You don't have $$ for a BSM or don't want to pay for a BSM custom cut.

Ultra low end BSM's can be got for about $3K new, plus shipping.
Milling prices run around $0.35 to $0.50 /board foot.
And right now lumber prices at the stump are just coming of hysterical lows.

I've been reading here for about two years now, I can't remember anyone suggesting a "rich" 40:1 mix burning up a saw. And the 066 is a tractor of a saw. If you want to rebuild and continue running check out some of the threads on the main forum, lot's of hints there.

If you are more addicted to the fresh smell of cut lumber and plan on cutting many 1000's of board feet, a BSM may be better.

 

[Timberframed]

I don't claim to know a lot about this and there are guys here on this site that do hands down. What I do know is some filtering systems on several good makes aren't suited for milling without periodic cleaning. Maybe the manufacturers will address this in the near future. Can anyone here tell us if the Oly Mac 999 has a 2 component filter? My 633 GC won't let water in let alone dust.

 

[betterbuilt]

I think those older saws are better suited for milling because they have more torque and are not turning those high rpm's for speed like a 066.

Presently I am using a 650 which I am not fond of for doing milling type work but for what I have been doing lately it was the only running saw with the right size bar. I finally got my 076 fixed and will see how that one works out.

You'll love the 076 for wider logs. I like the concrete saw filters. they work really well. You can find a used one for 10-20 on the bay and you wont even have me bidding against you. If you don't go the concrete filter way be sure to treat your saw to a new filter because the few saws I've bought, the filters were junk.

This saw is at WOT and loving it.

 

[olyman]

I don't claim to know a lot about this and there are guys here on this site that do hands down. What I do know is some filtering systems on several good makes aren't suited for milling without periodic cleaning. Maybe the manufacturers will address this in the near future. Can anyone here tell us if the Oly Mac 999 has a 2 component filter? My 633 GC won't let water in let alone dust.

early ones with the flat filter,,,no..the later ones with the wayyy higher filter sticking up,yes.....

 

[Timberframed]

Betterbuilt, Looking at your 076. Is that filter housing stock or what? Looks like a 633 GC hood turned around.

 

[betterbuilt]

Betterbuilt, Looking at your 076. Is that filter housing stock or what? Looks like a 633 GC hood turned around.

It's the filter housing off a TS760 concrete saw. The only way to go. It's a 3 three part filter. It works a lot better than the stock flock filter.