Can I mill this with a 660

[Wood.Neely]

I've got a red oak - 12' long and roughly 40" on one end and 46" on the other.

I have a 660 about a year old in great shape that has been milling 32" red oak like a champ -- using a 36" bar but i obviously can't do this 12'er with a 36" bar.

I just got my hands on a Cannon SuperBar - 50" with plans to mill the beast this weekend.

I've read mixed reviews about using a bar this big on a 660 but they were all from 2005-2007. I'm hoping the newer MS660 will handle it (just slow and steady)

Can anyone give me some advice on whether i will blow the 660 up halfway through this thing, or can i just take it slowly and patience my way through it?

Would the DP muffler be a good idea here to get the added power?

I'm a newbie on the site and to milling, but got my hands on this log and i can't let it get burned...

Thanks to all. if someone can give me a link to instrucitons, i can post a couple of pictures.

 

[firebrick43]

Use your 32" bar to quarter the tree and then mill the quarters. Much less stress on the saw and quarter sawn lumber in oak is much more stable and valuable.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

660 won't oil a bar that long, even with the HO oiler upgrade (stock on AU saws). Mine does fine with a 42" but even then, in certain woods like Eucalyptus and Tan oak, I have to pull out of cuts every now and then to get the chain a little more oil.

 

[SDB777]

Do you have a way of installing an auxiliary oiler for the big bar?

I'd figure out a way to get more oil flowing over quartering. Slabs that big, that are solid, with live edges are much more desirable to furniture(tables and such) makers. Big slabs can always be cut later, but it's hard to put the wood back on.


Got any photo's of the monster oak?




Scott (BTW, milling photos will be mandatory when you get started ) B

 

[mdavlee]

A good aux oiler and light pressure might do it. I've never milled anything that wide yet but I've got an 084 and 088 waiting.

 

[Wood.Neely]

My auxiliary oiler will be standing on the other side of the log, helping. My thoughts are to use a spray oil, similar to what guys use during competion, but i have no idea what that is exactly...

If i could figure out how to put a picture on here i would do it. All of the instruction threads seem like they are based on old interface.

 

[Wood.Neely]

Here she is. The "upload file" button is very useful

 

[mdavlee]

You can make a cheap oiler with hose and a 1 liter bottle dripping on the nose.

 

[mdavlee]

That log would be a good excuse to buy a 088/880 size saw.

 

[Trx250r180]

I use the winter grade stihl oil in the blue bottle for the aux oiler ,it is thinner but still sticky ,flows through the hose much nicer

 

[Wood.Neely]

Could I just use a water bottle with a very small hole in the top to squirt some on as needed? I know if would be best to get it in the grooves, but i hope keeping it lubed up very well will work. I may end up wasting some bar oil, but i guess thats much better than burning it up.

mdavlee - i have seen one for sale on craigslist that is fairly close by (5 hour drive) ... looks in good shape and he has 36" and 47" bars with 2 chains each. I'm tempted, but i really need to recoupe some investment first. i never thought i would find anything too big for the 660 when i bought it last year.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

will the saw 'pull' a 50" bar? yes but keep rakers to no more than .020...(maybe less?), figure out an aux oiler setup for the bar end, use a 7t sprocket and take it slow...don't force it! I would also suggest a muffler mod and re-tune as well as a little heavier mix ratio and synthetic 'race' oil suggested in several threads on the subject . (I go 32:1 on my saws) premium gas might help as well.

make a few $$s and then get a bigger saw

 

[Mike Van]

Nice log!

 

[rarefish383]

I keep a quart bottle of 5W30 on my rails just behind the saw. Every now and then I pour a puddle one the bar. I like the puddle to be about 6 inches long and a quarter to a third of the width of the bar. When the puddle gets down to about a quarter inch wide I pour some more on, Joe.

 

[Wood.Neely]

ran into someone this wekeend an 880. it was bought in 2004 and the guys says is has less than 10 hours on it...

Also found one for sale with the new deisgn (post 2009 i believe)

the one from 2004 is the better deal, but should i have any concerns buying one this old vs the newer model? i know i can spend more and get a newer one, but from what i am reading, i can easily get a 10 year old saw with just as much everything as the new ones.

Thoughts?

I obviously fell that this large red oak is gonna need more saw than a 660 running at 50" bar.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

ran into someone this wekeend an 880. it was bought in 2004 and the guys says is has less than 10 hours on it...

Also found one for sale with the new deisgn (post 2009 i believe)

the one from 2004 is the better deal, but should i have any concerns buying one this old vs the newer model? i know i can spend more and get a newer one, but from what i am reading, i can easily get a 10 year old saw with just as much everything as the new ones.

Thoughts?

I obviously fell that this large red oak is gonna need more saw than a 660 running at 50" bar.

you would also have a hard time finding a 50" bar that fits a 660.
sounds like you have some good finds there. personally, I'd go with the '04

 

[mdavlee]

I would go with the newer one if the price is the same. There's been some updates to them for the better as far as cylinder port timing and power.

 

[showrguy]

I would go with the newer one if the price is the same. There's been some updates to them for the better as far as cylinder port timing and power.

on the newer one with the stainless muffler vs. the older 880 with the cast muffler...
was'nt there some issues about fitting an unlimited coil on the newer one ??
or did that get resolved for the better ??

 

[mdavlee]

on the newer one with the stainless muffler vs. the older 880 with the cast muffler...
was'nt there some issues about fitting an unlimited coil on the newer one ??
or did that get resolved for the better ??

I think a 441 or 361 coil fixed that.