Freehand cut?

[PheasantHunter]

Panama

this is how to do it!

MY LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES VOL.14 LUMBER CUT BY CHAIN SAW - YouTube

I was just in Panama, never saw an Alaska mill but saw tons of lumber that had been free hand milled with a chainsaw. I saw two bandmill and one circular mill during the entire trip. I will post some photos when I get time.

 

[AaronB]

It is, sorta, I made it myself from milled wood. It is a bit wider to eliminate the slop (be sure to camfer the edges so they fit into the co0rners of the beam machine. The tool is designed to be used with a 2x4. It has cleats on the bottom and swivels so you can pull it towards you, step on it and then lever up on the saw handle to assist in cutting-but be careful when the log splits in two with your saw mounted on it. I stop just before it breaks through and remove the saw and 2x4 and freehand the last little bit and watch the big boys go kaboom. I also prop 2x4s against the log to help support it just in case---

hmmm, I might have to look into that. I do have one of these: http://granberg.com/product/mini-mill-ii but I have never used it. Guess it would work the same way but the one you showed might be more versatile, this one you can't adjust the angle of the saw unless you un-clamp it.

What do you do if the bar doesn't go all the way through the log? If I used a setup like yours that would be the case since the guide is above the top of the log a few inches, my 42" bar wouldn't make it all the way through.

 

[betterbuilt]

hmmm, I might have to look into that. I do have one of these: Mini Mill II | Granberg International but I have never used it. Guess it would work the same way but the one you showed might be more versatile, this one you can't adjust the angle of the saw unless you un-clamp it.

What do you do if the bar doesn't go all the way through the log? If I used a setup like yours that would be the case since the guide is above the top of the log a few inches, my 42" bar wouldn't make it all the way through.

I guess that's a good excuse to get a bigger bar. You could away's free hand some off the top of the log, and attach the 2x right to the top of the log.

 

[Talltom]

If you can't get the log up of the ground, you don't want the bar to go all the way through. If you get it to within a couple inches, the rest will split easily.

Your mini mill could be used the same way as Bill uses the beam machine. By attaching the guide to the end of the log, Bill's set-up has the advantage of making it easier to cut through the middle of the log while keeping the bar plumb to let gravity help keep the cut straight.

 

[AaronB]

I guess that's a good excuse to get a bigger bar. You could away's free hand some off the top of the log, and attach the 2x right to the top of the log.

1.) So how many passes do you make? I am assuming that you just change the angle of the bar to cut more vertical each pass?

2.) Do you use a ripping chain or just a regular one?

Thanks for the info and help.

 

[Cody Colston]

There's a thread current on the Forestry Forum with pics of a guy quartering a 42" Southern Red Oak freehand with a Stihl 660 and 48" bar. He didn't even use a chalk line and did a perfect job in about an hour of sawing. He explains a bit about how to keep the saw on line.

 

[AaronB]

There's a thread current on the Forestry Forum with pics of a guy quartering a 42" Southern Red Oak freehand with a Stihl 660 and 48" bar. He didn't even use a chalk line and did a perfect job in about an hour of sawing. He explains a bit about how to keep the saw on line.

Man, that looks like it took some practice, only way I would be able to do that was if I had a longer bar with a helper handle on the end of it for someone to pull along.

I think for the next section of log I will try to use the Mini-mill II i have and make some sort of guide that 'betterbuilt' used, my only issue is after cutting in half like that I will have to find some way to get it to move so I can quarter it. thats the good thing about the way that guy on the Forestry Forum did his, made the horizontal first then vertical. Wish I could do that.

 

[Woodsrover]

I halved a 30" truck of oak yesterday. It had a natural crack in it so I rolled the log with the crack vertical and went at it. Used a Stihl 460 with a 28" bar and dug as deep as I could from the top and the rolled the log over and split the rest from the other side. Funny how much pressure was in that log and how it started to pop at each end. Like an earlier post mentioned, I probably would have been better off cutting it shallow and splitting it with wedges. Anyway,I didn't and I wish I had drawn a line on it as I wandered a bit and had to make a correction half-way through. The log was a little crooked so it won't make that much of a difference but all the same, I'm not too proud of my cut. :frown:

Take your time, make a guide and make some marks. It'll be slow-going. Bring a bottle of water!

P.S. My wife sent me a note a little bit ago that UPS delivered my hardwood blades today. Should be slabbing it up in a day or two!

 

[Stihlman441]

Good reason to get a Granberg Minni Mill.
I run a 25'' on a 460 no probs.