Freehand Milling

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Marshy

285 Killa
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
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Location
Mexico NY
This should be interesting. My wife found this hard maple log in town and told me I should go asked if I could have the wood. They people were nice and said I could. They said they had it taken down and assumed the company was taking the trunk too. It is a yard tree so I run the risk of hitting some garbage but so far so good.

I took a block off the small end and thought the wood was too nice to make into firewood. The trunk is about 12' long and about 36" at the small end. Here is my 298 with a 36" bar for comparison.
Small end:
IMG_20161112_113349555.jpg

Large end:
IMG_20161112_113418788.jpg

Unfortunately I don't have and milling equipment but I wanted to cut a slab from this beast. I bucked the log into two 6' lengths. The only thing I can do is try to free hand it and maybe get it cut later with a band saw or router the top flat. I noodled the length of my bar from the cut end then ripped the rest of the log. It's far from flat but it will work.
IMG_20161112_141729794.jpg
IMG_20161112_155237775.jpg
IMG_20161112_141838726.jpg

So that was just removing the top live edge. I made my second cut about 10-12 inches thick. This is going to be a big slab! I'll need to bring my tractor with trailer to move this beast. The problem I'm having now is getting all the way through the slab on the second cut. My bar is just too short. I'm going to have to trim the live edge off both sides in an effort to get all the way through.
More pics to come. I want to take some slabs from the lower trunk too but will have to quarter it as it's 40"+. This is tough work!
 
Here is what I ended up with. She's straight as a politician. Damn thing is heavy!

Any advice of how I should let this dry?

IMG_20161113_161218132.jpg
IMG_20161113_161236461.jpg
IMG_20161113_163502831_HDR.jpg
IMG_20161113_165258862.jpg IMG_20161113_165248183.jpg
IMG_20161113_171333517.jpg
 
Yes, it was not ideal but it's plenty thick enough to easily get two 3" full width/length slabs out of the mess. My uncle said I can borrow his Alaskan mill but 36" is the max. I will likely see if I can borrow it to mill this into something that resembles a planks. It was a spur of the moment thing.
 
nail a 2x4 to it and get or make a mini mill to rip it
11874_2000x2000.jpg
 
Yeah, might be worth a gamble. Craigslist can be shady some times but I've had good luck buying and selling but it's always been face to face. I could call the guy and feel it out. I have family out that way so I could have an alibi if necessary. lol, J/K... or am I?
 
Marshy, I'm pretty sure I bought that mini mill on Friday. The guy probably didn't know to take down the ad.


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