Free Style Milling Fun in the Woods!

[max2cam]

On another thread I mentioned taking down a dying 96 year old red pine in the woods along my river at a spot I call "Pine Island." Downed log is 75 feet long and about 22 inches diameter on the big end -- nice and straight.

Two days ago I cut off 3 eight foot milling logs and yesterday began milling with my 90cc Solo and a straight 2 x 6" guide board and simple lumber maker attachment that clamps to saw's 24" bar. Yesterday I squared 3 sides of the butt end log and today sawed off four beautiful 14" wide 3/4" thick boards.

What fun! With that big 90cc saw and Lazer milling chain cutting off those wide boards was as easy as slicing off pieces of cheese. Don't know if I have the oiler set right yet. Chain not tight but dry looking and when I quit there was more oil in the tank than gas, so tomorrow I may open up the oiler some more (I had it half way open today). That Solo has good strong milling power and I don't think I will be needing anything bigger. The 24" bar seems to be a good size too.

The only trouble I had was the muffler came loose. But I had it off once and maybe didn't tighten it adequately. Other than getting the stretch out of that new chain it was smooth sailing and lots of fun and those nice wide boards sure look pretty. I will use them for paneling inside my house. When I'm done with this pine I have a decent sized white spruce and another red pine blocking my solar panels that must come down. With fuelwood cutting that should keep me busy until spring!

Anyone else doing any hobby milling this winter? Any tips?

Guns, legends, baby Harley-Davidson!
http://www.atthecreation.com/

 

[SilverBlue]

I have a new 36"Granberg mill coming from Jeff Sikkema, my boys have been working solid on a 450 acres full of some really nice wood. Some veneer logs are being sold but the owner wants furniture and paneling made from on site cherry oak, and maple. I have access to a dry kiln and some of my own milled wood is going to a local upscale furniture maker this spring.


Max, I would recommend getting an auxiliary oiler if you are going to do lots of milling.

 

[max2cam]

Having 450 acres of good timber to work over would be a dream come true. I have a mere 30 acres of timber and that keeps me occupied. It's a nicely timbered 30 with a very diverse mixure of 2nd growth pine, spruce, balsam, and hardwoods.

Where can you buy an auxliary oiler for a saw? I know I saw one once somewhere, but can't remember where....

Fantasy Mil-Surp Gunshop: Great Selection, Great Prices!
http://www.atthecreation.com/

 

[max2cam]

One tip I have for myself is this: While the guide board type lumber maker slices off really nice clean wide (14") boards and is quick too with a big saw and ripping chain, don't rely on the set screws to clamp it to the bar.

The set screws worked okay for me on smaller 50cc saws, but with this 90cc job with a 24" bar there is too much leverage or pressure or something and the set screws have a hard time holding. Too much risk of the unit moving and the chain biting into the metal, so drilling the bar and bolting the lumber maker securely to it.

A large saw and ripping chain makes a HUGE difference in sawing lumber. Makes it a pleasure.

Old guns, Wis. Legends, young Harley-Davidson
http://www.atthecreation.com/

 

[SilverBlue]

Max,
Talk to Jeff Sikkema at S&S Saw shop

Click here

Jeff has everything you need including safety equipment

If you want to do more milling I would suggest that you have your saw modified for better reliability and cooler running or even pick up a dedicated powerhead if you use that saw for other cutting.
I am also getting plans for a homebuilt drying kiln if you are interested.

 

[tony marks]

sounds like u fellas having a good time.. have at it..

 

[Oregon_Rob]

Milling Fun

I have been doing some milling, although not much since the fall. As far as your oiler, why wouldn’t you turn it all the way up? When milling, you want a lot of oil and as SB alluded to, many folks use an auxiliary oiler, although I don’t think it would work well for your set up. On a 36” Alaskan type, it is almost mandatory. When you are milling, the bar is continuously berried for up to several minuets at a time, unlike normal saw work when the saw is spending less time in the cut, but still oiling. I keep the oiler on my saws wide open.

I get a lot of satisfaction out of making my own lumber. Here is a shot of the front of my garage, which I milled the cedar for from a cedar windfall a neighbor gave me.

 

[max2cam]

That's some very nice looking cedar. I wish I could post pix of those 14" wide pine boards I'm cutting. They look real good too.

What I like about this milling is that I can utilize trees that otherwise would otherwise rot and become woodpecker highrises. Trees down in the swamp not good firewood and difficult to get out let alone haul to a mill (which I did a couple times in the past). But with my 90cc, guide, and straight board, I'm in the lumber making business. Plus it's a fun winter activity.

Yes, I have turned the oiler on my saw up. I'm still tinkering with the entire set-up trying to work things in as this is a new chainsaw.

I don't run the saw continuously wide open thru the entire cutting off of a board but stop the saw a few times momentarily. I don't know if it helps cool the saw much, but it is more like cutting firewood that way and it gives my shoulders and arms a bit of a rest.

Drilled the bar yesterday for the lumber maker attachment. In order to run my Chinese drillpress I have to start my 12 volt generator and hook up the inverter, but the drill press did a nice job. I wondered if the bar would be hard to drill through, but it wasn't bad. Now I can really crank.

I'll be back out there today and finish that first log.

Classic guns, Harleys, Wis. Lore
http://www.atthecreation.com/

 

[Newfie]

maybe I'm missing something, but you should be able to mill up an eight foot log a lot faster. Even if it was the 22" butt log, it shouldn't take more than a couple or three hours, even with the learning curve. Not criticizing, just curious.

I used an Alaskan for several years, but gave it up for a woodmizer. Keeping the Alskan setup for real big logs or inaccesible stuff and break the logs down into cants for the big mill.

 

[max2cam]

I'm on Indian Time and in no rush. I go into the swamp late in the day for a little after I quit work on the computer. Some days I don't get out there at all. Right now I'm translating an account of a canoe voyage along the south shore of Lake Superior and through the wilderness of northern Wisconsin to St. Paul in 1852 and some days I work until dark. Some days I'm just too lazy.

The first log would have been finished by now except that one day my muffler came loose right after I started so I quit. When I went out the next time I concluded that the bar should be drilled. One day I went to town. It's a new saw and setup and I'm dialing things in plus I have all winter to play around. I hardly have to cut any firewood this year as I already have such a stockpile.

Guns, lore, Harley
http://www.atthecreation.com/

 

[Oregon_Rob]

Sound very familuar. It takes a while till you get the equipment set up and you realize what you really need to take with you, especialy when your saws are as old as mine.
Alan Wrenches
extra nuts and bolts
starter rope
.....

 

[max2cam]

Yeah, and it's a long walk back up to the house to get anything I need. But now I'm pretty well set up and rolling -- in my own sweet time.

Day before last I finished that first log. Nice stack of wide 1 inch boards and one thick plank plus the slabs.

Yesterday I got the 2nd eight footer up on sleepers and squared off 3 sides. By then it was too dark to see. It was 8-degrees F. when I came up from the swamp. We are in something of a cold snap here. But it's been a few years since we've seen any minus 40-50 F. stuff. Nice sun though...

I have noticed on this 90cc Solo that there is no spark screen in the muffler. I wonder if it was hot rodded before I got it and somebody removed it. Any harm to run without the screen? Besides catching your beard on fire when flame shoots out when shutting the saw off?

Guns, Legends, Harleys
http://www.atthecreation.com/