First Time Milling!

[willbarryrec]

Well I finally made it out with the mill I made after finding this site and "borrowing" a few ideas.(Thanks BobL,Sachsmo)

I have a few things I need to tweak still...Mostly the height adjustment...Right now I have a few wing nuts clamping the "fence" part to the uprights,which tend to vibrate loose during the cut.....I am thinking about going to drilled holes and pins..But in the mean time I just put a welding clamp on the powerhead side after i dial in the height.:biggrinbounce2:

The wood is eastern red ceder that my milling buddy Ben dragged home off the side of the road.

We got 11 slabs at One and a Eighth inchs.
The widest ones were 16 inchs

The saw used is a 046 that I just rebuilt with a new piston,rings,bearings and seals.( I did cut a couple of tanks worth of firewood before letting her rip on the mill)

Bar: 28 inch Oregon
Chain: Woodland Pro ripping
Sprocket: 8 pin

First Slab off the shorter of the two logs

First slab off the longer

Middle slab off the shorter

The best slab IMHO

All right I will post a couple more pics in a following post

Thanks all and I hope ya'll enjoy!

 

[willbarryrec]

Here's a few action shots and about half a stack of slabs:camera:

 

[mtngun]

Does the cedar dust smell nice as you are milling it ?

Thanks for the pics. :good:

 

[cowboyvet]

nice work. Any plans for the slabs yet. The worst part is now to come as you drool over them and wait for them to dry.

 

[SDB777]

Congrats on the cedar score! That was the first log I milled too!!!!
Fun making all that great smelling pink sawdust.

Question: On the 2x4 rails your using, what's keeping them from walking apart? Or is there something I'm missing....




Scott

 

[willbarryrec]

Thanks ya'll

Does the cedar dust smell nice as you are milling it ?

Oh yeah.

Any plans for the slabs yet.

I think my buddy Ben might make the drawers for a dresser out of them.....and there was a real nice bench in one of the off cuts.

Question: On the 2x4 rails your using, what's keeping them from walking apart? Or is there something I'm missing....

If you look at the first pic of the second post you will see that I have a 3/4 strip screwed across the bottom of the two 2x4s.....I would like to get/make something better for guide rails....I was thinking about a ladder with sliding cam locking log dogs built in somehow.....but 2x4s work for now!:chainsawguy:

 

[lumberjackchef]

Very nice slabs, you gotta love cedar! Did you port your 460 or do any mods to it while you had it apart?

 

[willbarryrec]

Very nice slabs, you gotta love cedar! Did you port your 460 or do any mods to it while you had it apart?

No, no mods at this time although I would like to check the squish soon and adjust if needed.:hmm3grin2orange:

I bought the saw with not the best compression but for the price....http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/150133.htm
I ran it for a while after I got it but the compression started to drop so I vac tested again and it had a leaky seal...upon tear down it needed a crank bearing too so that project slowed down while I taught myself how to do that with this great site!

Actually I just picked up a 028 that I think I might try porting if the cyl cleans up....definitely be reading up on that over in the chainsaw section.

I haven't tested the compression since I put her back together but it is definitely making more power as it pulled a 8 pin though that ceder no prob.

Side note: Dual port mufflers like on that saw are frigging loud!! Definitely had to wear in ear plugs as well as my helmet muffs.

Oh and nice carvings by the way!

 

[SDB777]

Think the step-ladder would be the way to go. Can probably get one from the local pawn shop for next to nothing? Or Craigslist?


I see the strip of wood on the bottom side of the 2x4's you have(now that you mention it). You might be able to run some threaded-rod(1/2inch) with nuts/washers to make the platform that you have a little more solid....

At least you have those chunks off the ground....BobL will be proud of you!!!





Scott

 

[BobL]

At least you have those chunks off the ground....BobL will be proud of you!!!

Yabba-dabba-Dooooo!

Awesome work, love the colours.

I see you have a few jaggies across the slabs but it looks like you are using guide boards for every cut? You might find this post useful. They could also be related to the loosening wing nuts, it looks like they're happening near the middle and end of cuts.
Better that a wing nut or spring washers etc, and more flexible than pins are a pair of nuts, screw down one and then lock this in place with another on top

Be careful with that clamp sitting above the bar. You're OK while the bar is buried in the log but if it falls on the bar when the bar is exposed eg starting or stopping . . . . .

Keep up the good work!

 

[rarefish383]

I keep saying I'm going to make a good set of guide rails, but every time I turn around another extension ladder pops up. I had a 24 footer for use around the house, that gave me two 12 foot sections when needed. Then I took down a dead White Pine for a friend and he asked if I needed a light weight 20 footer. At first I said no because I had the 24, then I said what the heck, and took it apart and left one section on the farm and keep the other at home. Then, I had a job pruning 20+ Oak trees on a wooded lot. Each tree was 50' or more to the first limb, so I was going to rent a big ladder. The week before the job, I was at an auction, and bought a 42 foot heavy duty extension for $40. This thing is a beast, and with both sections together weighs over 100 lbs. But with one section it's not too bad. I plan on leaveing one section of that one on the farm too, that way I can cut 20' beams to use on the cabin. So for now, I guess, I'll just keep using the ladders.

Thanks for the pics and the Cedar looks great. So far all I've milled are dead fall downs of Tulip Poplar and Maple and have been lucky enough to hit some pretty spalted wood.

Keep the pics coming. Thanks again, Joe.

 

[willbarryrec]

I see you have a few jaggies across the slabs but it looks like you are using guide boards for every cut? You might find this post useful. They could also be related to the loosening wing nuts, it looks like they're happening near the middle and end of cuts.

Yes I am getting a few gouges in the slabs but I'm not really too worried about them as any thing I might build out of the wood will get planed to 3/4 at the thickest....and the gouges are maybe 3/32s at the most.

Thanks for the post link...I read that a few days back but I think I might just need to tension the chain more.....and figure out wedging the kerf as the worst gouges near the end of the cut are from the chain getting pinched at the top of the bar as the bottom of the bar breaks through the end of the log..... the pinch pulls the chain out of the bar groove and tears things up.......

I guess I need to put a couple of wedges in the kerf right before I get to the end of the cut but then I would need to stop,wedge and start cutting again and stopping and starting seems to gouge everything worse then just blasting on through.......I guess I need to keep on milling and trying new things!:msp_biggrin:

Thanks for your concern about that clamp but it's a beastly clamp..I can tighten it down and pick up the mill and powerhead just holding it and it doesn't move.

Thanks for the kind words!

P:S How is your van coming along? and your fingers? Are we going to be treated to some more BobL milling threads soon?:biggrinbounce2:

 

[willbarryrec]

Rarefish383

Keep the pics coming. Thanks again, Joe.

You betcha!
If it wasn't raining here today I would be out milling right now....I have another ceder log lined up and some popler,oak and maple...I got more logs then time!

How are you attaching your ladders to the log?

We were just leaving the two 3/4 strips between the 2x4s screwed on and laying that across the log before and after each cut but it wanted to vibrate off the side during each cut,,,,What I would like is to have a flat,straight and rigid frame that would have some kind of end clamp that I could just lay on the flat of the log maybe throw some cam locks with some kind of spikes that would grip the slab that I am about to cut......I don't really want to have to screw the frame down every cut in the interest of speed of setting up........... I don't know just thinking out loud....

Any ideas anyone?

 

[rarefish383]

In the plumbing section of the hardware store they have what I guess are pipe hangers. They are a metal strap with a hole at each end. I got a bunch that just firt over my rungs and use decking screws to hold them down. I take the Dewalt screw gun and zip them in, in a few seconds. They hold the ladder quite rigid. If you have to you can shim low spots, Joe.

 

[sachsmo]

Very nice slabs there.

Looks like you are cutting pretty smooth and straight too. Keeping the bar at 90 degrees to the log seems to leave the best finish. If your cutters get dull you will find yourself "seesawing" more and will leave a much rougher finish.

I don't see any traces of seesaw so you seem to have a good handle on it.
Look out, now that the bug has bitten, you will be looking for a 6 or 7 cube saw to tackle some of those big Oaks, Maples and Hickory.

Have fun, and good lookin' mill attachment there.

 

[willbarryrec]

Imitation is the highest form of flattery!

Look out, now that the bug has bitten, you will be looking for a 6 or 7 cube saw to tackle some of those big Oaks, Maples and Hickory.

Have fun, and good lookin' mill attachment there.

I think you all can see where I got the plan for my mill!:hmm3grin2orange:

Heh.. It's funny you mention getting a bigger saw.....Take a look at my
afternoon's project. Husky 2100 pre chain brake model.

And there's the problem right there...Need's a new crank bearing and seal.:msp_sad:

But when it's back together here's the first log for it and my new 42 inch bar!:msp_thumbup:
Sorta hard to see but it's 30 inch's on the butt,straight for 6 feet and then splits out in a crotch about 45-50 inch's wide! Suger maple I believe.

 

[BobL]

.....and figure out wedging the kerf as the worst gouges near the end of the cut are from the chain getting pinched at the top of the bar as the bottom of the bar breaks through the end of the log..... the pinch pulls the chain out of the bar groove and tears things up.......

That will do it.

Thanks for your concern about that clamp but it's a beastly clamp..I can tighten it down and pick up the mill and powerhead just holding it and it doesn't move.

Good to hear

P:S How is your van coming along? and your fingers? Are we going to be treated to some more BobL milling threads soon?:biggrinbounce2:

Van is done, fingers are OK. Milling is waiting for weather to cool down and for humidity to drop. Today would have been OK for milling (max 85 and 30% humidity) but my new home shop project has priority for the time being.

 

[masculator]

Beautiful colour in those slabs, well done!! Hope you find some more to cut up.

 

[willbarryrec]

Van is done, fingers are OK. Milling is waiting for weather to cool down and for humidity to drop. Today would have been OK for milling (max 85 and 30% humidity) but my new home shop project has priority for the time being.

Excellent! I forget you all are in summer down there. We've been waiting for things to warm up and thaw out.:bang:

masculator

Beautiful colour in those slabs, well done!! Hope you find some more to cut up.

Thanks! I do have another ceder lined up.....and of course everything I look at now I see as mill-able.:msp_biggrin:

 

[sachsmo]

I think you all can see where I got the plan for my mill!:hmm3grin2orange:

Heh.. It's funny you mention getting a bigger saw.....Take a look at my
afternoon's project. Husky 2100 pre chain brake model.

And there's the problem right there...Need's a new crank bearing and seal.:msp_sad:

But when it's back together here's the first log for it and my new 42 inch bar!:msp_thumbup:
Sorta hard to see but it's 30 inch's on the butt,straight for 6 feet and then splits out in a crotch about 45-50 inch's wide! Suger maple I believe.

Nice saw,

The big brown truck brought me one yesterday.

That will make it six, 6 cubers fer me stable.

(I need to get a 41 inch bar for my Huskys)