Chainsaw Mill Setup? (I know, I know - not the first to ask, won't be the last)

[Yellowbeard]

So, I got the saw in today. HOLY COW. It's like holding a motorcycle engine while it's running.

It definitely needs some work, but it started up after only 10-12 pulls. After that, it would start right up.

So, how do you get a chain on this thing? I am guessing you drop it over the (clutch?) first, then put it on the bar. I think I'll have my local shop go through it (assuming it doesn't cost me an arm and a leg - then again, I get the feeling that if I were to let this thing get away from me, or that if it were unsafe during operation that I could EASILY lose both, so....)

Anyway, any advice is welcome. A Carlton speed tip (made in Germany) 33" bar is on it's way. I guess I will make sure the saw is in running order and then buy a mill. Think I'll go ahead and do a panther for now, although I am unsure how I will lift that saw plus a bar PLUS an entirely steel mill. Guess I'll just have to get some muscle on.

 

[mad murdock]

I have never seen a panther mill in person, I have used extensively the Granberg Alaskan III, and I just got the Timberjig, but have not milled with that yet. I have milled with my 075/Alaskan, and it works well. If the panther does not have dimensions on the uprights, I would lean toward an Alaskan, it is a pain to try and measure and adjust all at the same time. Plus the Alaskan has the advantage in not weighing as much with the aluminum components, it is plenty strong too!

 

[excess650]

Yellowbeard,
Don't get all wrapped up in the initial price of the mill. The Granberg Alaskan can be changed from size to size by swapping rails. Mine was initially 24", but I later bought 36" rails for it, and have left those rails in place. I've had fleeting thoughts of longer rails, but the reality of the weight of the slabs reminds me that 34" maximum cutting width is more than enough.

I have no experience with the Panthers, but it sounds like the lack of markings is a detriment. Engraving your own markings or drilling for locating pins sound like logical modifications IF you have the means to do it accurately. My advice would be to buy a 36" Granberg and be done with it.

 

[BobL]

. . . . ., although I am unsure how I will lift that saw plus a bar PLUS an entirely steel mill. Guess I'll just have to get some muscle on.

It's a pity you are not closer as you could really build up some muscle using my "Latest project" (see my sig line). I started building that mainly steel CSM in 2010. It weighs 87 lbs and it has ally mill rails. It's meant to be a prototype mill for testing ideas out on, - once I had it where I wanted it I was going to get an all ally version made. . . . . Some day, . . . . one day, . . . . . maybe.

 

[Yellowbeard]

So, I ended up picking up an Alaskan III 24" NIB on ebay for a best offer of $145. The offer was taken so quickly that I really wish I had offered less, but I'm not going to complain. Going to do exactly what excess650 suggested and just buy a second set of rails (48's). A buddy already has the size in-between (30 or 36 - can't remember) so we can trade around a bit.

Planning to take the saw into my dealer today and see what they think about it. My bar should be in early next week, and I expect the Alaskan in next week as well. Guess I'll have to get a 24" bar as well so I can try out the mill before buying the bigger rails.

So far, all in, I am only at about $550 (but that doesn't include 48" rails, chains, a second bar, or any potentially necessary saw repair). However, I feel pretty good about it thus far, especially when the 076 Super I was looking at on ebay ended up going for $1145 (but it looked like it was in almost new condition, to be fair).

I am really thankful for all the help, and as soon as I actually mill something (likely not for a few weeks), I'll post pictures.

 

[mtngun]

Guess I'll have to get a 24" bar as well so I can try out the mill before buying the bigger rails.

Your 24" Alaskan needs a 30" - 32" bar. The clamps take up a good 6 inches of the bar.

 

[Yellowbeard]

Your 24" Alaskan needs a 30" - 32" bar. The clamps take up a good 6 inches of the bar.

Wow. That's very worth knowing. That must mean that my buddy has the 24" Alaskan (he has a 30" bar on it). For some reason I thought he had the 36. That actually makes a lot more sense now. So I'll need a 50-something inch bar to run a 48? I probably won't need that much mill right away. You just saved me a bunch of money. Thanks!

W.C.

 

[Yellowbeard]

It's a pity you are not closer as you could really build up some muscle using my "Latest project" (see my sig line). I started building that mainly steel CSM in 2010. It weighs 87 lbs and it has ally mill rails. It's meant to be a prototype mill for testing ideas out on, - once I had it where I wanted it I was going to get an all ally version made. . . . . Some day, . . . . one day, . . . . . maybe.

Wow. I am... envious. So, you're using that extra nose at the outboard end as a tensioner in order to get more out of each bar - where did you come up with that? Is it something you saw somewhere else or were you just thinking "you know, the tension doesn't have to come from the power-head side - it could come from the opposite end just as easily" and then came up with it? It also eliminates wear on the actual nose of the bar, which is awesome.

Your saw is in a bit better shape than mine - envious.

I am also really impressed by how you use found parts for all of this. I was at a neighborhood cleanup the other day and saw a bunch of stuff being thrown away that just killed me, but my wife would have killed me had I hauled any of it home. I did manage to strip a few parts off an old Webber gas grill that would work on the one I have at home, though.

 

[BobL]

Wow. I am... envious. So, you're using that extra nose at the outboard end as a tensioner in order to get more out of each bar - where did you come up with that?

Commercially available outboard sprockets, sometimes with Helper Handles have been available for many years - Baileys has these. They are normally used on double ended bars but I managed to pick up a new 44" bar for half RRP regular price so I thought I would just use that instead.

Your saw is in a bit better shape than mine - envious.

Except for some corrosion on the outside of the oil tank that saw was in very good condition when I bought it - its milled about 100 logs so well and truly earned it's keep.

I am also really impressed by how you use found parts for all of this. I was at a neighborhood cleanup the other day and saw a bunch of stuff being thrown away that just killed me, but my wife would have killed me had I hauled any of it home. I did manage to strip a few parts off an old Webber gas grill that would work on the one I have at home, though.

I admit I am a bit of a hoarder, but have a very patient wife, who is also not averse to picking up junk just in case it might come in useful. Living on an 1/8th of an acre in an inner city suburb limits me severely as to what I can accumulate - maybe that's a good thing. Most of the stuff, like bits of ally and steel etc I collect are from biannual road side hard garbage collections. I have a Toyota diesel van equipped with tools and can pull over and dismantle pretty much anything on the spot - at the moment I am making a gas forge from fork lift gas tank which I found by the side of the road.

 

[Yellowbeard]

Commercially available outboard sprockets, sometimes with Helper Handles have been available for many years - Baileys has these. They are normally used on double ended bars but I managed to pick up a new 44" bar for half RRP regular price so I thought I would just use that instead.

[QUOTE[ Your saw is in a bit better shape than mine - envious.

Except for some corrosion on the outside of the oil tank that saw was in very good condition when I bought it - its milled about 100 logs so well and truly earned it's keep.



I admit I am a bit of a hoarder, but have a very patient wife, who is also not averse to picking up junk just in case it might come in useful. Living on an 1/8th of an acre in an inner city suburb limits me severely as to what I can accumulate - maybe that's a good thing. Most of the stuff, like bits of ally and steel etc I collect are from biannual road side hard garbage collections. I have a Toyota diesel van equipped with tools and can pull over and dismantle pretty much anything on the spot - at the moment I am making a gas forge from fork lift gas tank which I found by the side of the road.

I've been closer, but it was 8 years ago for my honeymoon (we were in Sydney and then in NZ). Actually, my wife will be down under later this year studying with Glenn Mercutt for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I don't get to go. I guess that's still a ways from Perth, anyway though, as your distances are like ours here in the states.

 

[BobL]

Commercially available outboard sprockets, sometimes with Helper Handles have been available for many years - Baileys has these. They are normally used on double ended bars but I managed to pick up a new 44" bar for half RRP regular price so I thought I would just use that instead.

[QUOTE[ Your saw is in a bit better shape than mine - envious.

I've been closer, but it was 8 years ago for my honeymoon (we were in Sydney and then in NZ). Actually, my wife will be down under later this year studying with Glenn Mercutt for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I don't get to go. I guess that's still a ways from Perth, anyway though, as your distances are like ours here in the states.

Yeah most folks north American folks don't realise that Sydney to Perth is not that different to the separation of NY from LA

 

[Caghrlos]

hard in winter wood.

 

[flashhole]

Great thread, I hope you can post pics or a video when you get it set up and running. Good luck.

 

[flashhole]

Not trying to hijack this thread but I have a question and the voice of experience is clearly here.

I have a Husky 394XP with a 32" bar. If I buy an Alaskan Mark III 30" system, how much bar length is sacrificed to the mill attachment? What is the ideal length bar for a 30" mill?

Thanks.

 

[Yellowbeard]

Not trying to hijack this thread but I have a question and the voice of experience is clearly here.

I have a Husky 394XP with a 32" bar. If I buy an Alaskan Mark III 30" system, how much bar length is sacrificed to the mill attachment? What is the ideal length bar for a 30" mill?

Thanks.

This will not be exact (because I don't have it in front of me to measure), but you lose like 4-6 inches of bar when you attach the Alaskan. There's a kind of a metal strap (like the toe of a boot) that goes around the tip of the bar, then a pair of steel clamping bars that clamp down on the actual bar itself right behind the "boot." If memory serves, this eats up 3-4 inches by itself. Then there's a steel clamp bar on the power head side of the bar as well. It eats up another inch or so. Then there's the bar that gets used up if you have your dawgs on, as the power head-side clamp cant go closer to the power head than the end of the dawgs.

This is what I remember from 3-4 weeks ago the last time I was using a borrowed mill. I haven't put mine together yet and anyway I don't have it in front of me so I can't give you exact measurements, but that's roughly what I remember.

 

[Yellowbeard]

In other news: Got a clean bill of health from my local Stihl dealer on my 075, so it looks like the $300 I spent on it (total - that includes shipping and the checkup with some filter changes at the shop) was money well spent. Given what other running 075/076s have been going for on ebay lately, I am, as a Brit would put it, well-chuffed with that result.

I now have 4 bars - 2 36(?)" Oregon hard noses that I got on this site for a steal. The (?) is because I am not sure if that's cutting length or actual length and I haven't put a tape on them yet to find out. A 33" Carlton sprocket nose (same problem as the Oregons - I haven't actually measured, except this: one of those must be wrong, because the Carlton is only about 1.5" shorter than the Oregon bars). A 25" Tsumura hard nose. Not sure what I'll end up using the Tsumura for as that's really too small for milling and the damn saw is so heavy that I doubt I'll end up crosscutting with it much.

I bought a 24" Alaskan for $145 on e-bay and am eyeing some 48" rails for it, but I think I'll wait until I have a tree big enough to justify them (not to mention the bar I would have to buy) before purchasing. Speaking of, though, if anyone has a 48+" 3002 bar lying around that they want to get rid of....

Anyone know where I can get the aluminum channel stock that Alaskan uses for the end-cap pieces to attach top rails to? They sure want a lot for them and I can't help thinking that if I could just buy some of that stock (same stock they use for their big rails, actually) then I could just make my own. Advice welcome.

Someone told me they had seen a windfall cherry down in a draw that looked like it could be salvaged but they couldn't figure out how to get the log out. Sounds like a good first project. I'll post pics/video if/when that happens.

Thanks for all the great advice. I feel like I got a mill set up for a very reasonable price mostly because of research and help I got on this site.

W.C.

 

[Yellowbeard]

Oh, one other thing: I am planning to have my chains made as is recommended here: Chainsaw Chain, Sawchain information for Chainsaw Mills from Procut Sawmills under the heading "Smooth Lumber at a Slower Speed."

Opinions?

 

[mtngun]

Oh, one other thing: I am planning to have my chains made as is recommended here: Chainsaw Chain, Sawchain information for Chainsaw Mills from Procut Sawmills under the heading "Smooth Lumber at a Slower Speed."

Opinions?

Ignore everything on that site and get your milling chain info here. We are the milling chain experts.

 

[mtngun]

I now have 4 bars - 2 36(?)" Oregon hard noses that I got on this site for a steal. The (?) is because I am not sure if that's cutting length or actual length and I haven't put a tape on them yet to find out. A 33" Carlton sprocket nose

You'll have to run your chain very loose with a hard nose bar. Sprocket nose is the way to go. 3/8"

 

[Yellowbeard]

Ignore everything on that site and get your milling chain info here. We are the milling chain experts.

Ok, then, how should I have my milling chain made then? I am happy to hear advice - that's why I asked.

Also, would love to know more about sprocket nose versus hard nose and how loose to make the chain - also how to tell when I have it at the right tension.

Thanks!