First time millimg on homemade carriage and rails

[dustytools]

I just finished milling a couple pieces of cedar 8 feet long by about 12 inches wide on my homemade rig.It seems to work real well with the exception of I still have to bend down and squeeze the trigger. Does anyone have any ideas of how to rig up a cable to do this standing up? I hate to wire it because I dont want to risk something happening unexpectedly. Its kinda slow going with my old stihl 08S wish I could afford something a little bigger. Its only in the low 60s cc. You guys are always talkin about long shavings instead of sawdust.I seem to be getting mostly sawdust. Is this a sign of the chain getting dull or is it due to the fact that the cedar has been laying for about 8 months or so and has had time to dry some? Well thanks for listening thanks for any help youll be giving. Im sure ill have plenty more questions.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Dusty, the dust you are getting is normal for regular milling. You get the curly fries when you cut with the grain, not along it. Hard to explain, but someone here knows the technical terms!!

 

[hautions11]

1st time

If you look at a lot of the milling pictures you will see a lot of very fine sawdust. I use Bailey's ripping chain and that's what I get. (see oak milling pics) don't worry about "get a bigger saw" Cedar is soft enough and if you keep your cuts narrow, you'll do fine. I quarter sawed my oak to get the stable lumber and it also created 14" wide boards. Easy to cut, easy to carry and stack when working by myself. No tractors, Bobcats etc. I ran my mill with an 044 as well as 064. Keep milling, send pics and have fun!!!!:jester:

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Hows about dem pics?

 

[woodshop]

If you look at a lot of the milling pictures you will see a lot of very fine sawdust. I use Bailey's ripping chain and that's what I get. (see oak milling pics) don't worry about "get a bigger saw" Cedar is soft enough and if you keep your cuts narrow, you'll do fine. I quarter sawed my oak to get the stable lumber and it also created 14" wide boards. Easy to cut, easy to carry and stack when working by myself. No tractors, Bobcats etc. I ran my mill with an 044 as well as 064. Keep milling, send pics and have fun!!!!:jester:

Ditto Casey and Houtions, when milling you normally get very fine sawdust, almost a powder compared to regular chainsaw crosscutting. As I have said in previous posts, milling softwood like cedar and pine with a 60cc saw is fine if you just take it easy. I have even milled 20 inch wide oak with my 365 (around 60cc) and all was OK, just took forever. I'd love to have access to a Bobcat or tractor like some of these guys, but I don't. Use a 6 ft long digging bar, a floor jack and cant hook to move logs around. With the help of my wife to insert blocks of wood at the appropriate time and place, we maneuvered a 1200 lb 24x14 9ft long ash cant this way today after work. Baby steps, keeping fingers and toes out of the way, it's possible to move large logs or cants with patience. Just takes lots more time.

 

[dustytools]

Sorry aggie, Ive gotta find the wifes digital cam and get you guys some pics.Im proud as heck of my homemade rig ,Ive got it set up so I can slip my granberg into it and use it like one of the big boys and then take it out to use away from the house too. Ive made me a set of aluminum rails outta some storefront window frames that I got off of my window man at work. They are nice for the first pass. Very lightweight too.I promise ill get some pics up as soon as I can.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Gotta love the aluminum. I was able to acquire some aluminum concrete forms I use for my starter rails. The 24' footers weigh only about 40 lbs.

 

[SmokinDodge]

OH no, not another Stihl/cedar milling guy..............

Just kidding Dusty, Welcome to AS!

 

[NWCS]

when i did milling with an alaskan mill, heres some pictures of the throttle setup i used.. also offers instant release if something goes wrong or if its end of the cut.

available at most hardware stores, most woodworkers will know this one right off the bat!

http://www.nwchainsaw.com/throttleclamp.jpg
http://www.nwchainsaw.com/clamp.jpg

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

OH no, not another Stihl/cedar milling guy..............

Just kidding Dusty, Welcome to AS!

 

[dustytools]

Nah, I just lucked into the cedar/ a buddy of mine had about nine cedars and two poplars he brought me to mill for halfsies. I like all kinds but the cedar is by far one of the nicer looking woods when freshly sawn.

 

[dustytools]

OK I have some pics now in a folder in my computer. How do I get them to this page?

 

[carvinmark]

OK I have some pics now in a folder in my computer. How do I get them to this page?

Contact Ultra,he's da man!!! He will help you.
Mark

 

[dustytools]

Ok here are a few pics aggie. Ill try to get the rest uploaded as soon as I can.





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[dustytools]

More pics

Ok here are the rest. Some are of a few logs. A couple are of my log trailer that I built out of scrap channel,riding mower wheels and a n old piece of guardrail. Then of the mill carriage and rails, the alaskan just clamps to the elevator piece and cranks up and down manually with an old bike sprocket/rear wheel gears and some chain.This raises the allthread which in turn raises or lowers the carriage rail.View attachment 36523

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[aggiewoodbutchr]

Good pics. I have some sketches here of a carriage rig I may build sometime. It's very similar to yours with angle as rails. Where did you get those wheels?

 

[trax]

How's that frame and rail mill them there logs with no saw ???

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

How's that frame and rail mill them there logs with no saw ???

Laser beams

 

[dustytools]

I got the wheels (pulleys) from some basketball goal devices that raised and lowered the goals. We removed them from a Golds Gym when we built their new facility about two years ago. I thought that they might come in handy for something one day. Glad I decided to save them now. Ill have to take some pics with the mill in the carriage tomorrow if it isnt raining here.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only job site pack rat.