Just starting

[Andrew96]

Rik, the subject of "bark on" has bugged (pun intended) me for a while.....The logs are about 10" Poplar with the bark on. This house is almopst 100 years old and the bark is still tight. They said the guys had a secret process for treating the bark.........

Joe, Of course I don't have the magic potion, but I do have an observation. 4-5 years ago I wanted to make my own lumber using small trees. My shop is in my house along with my 5HP bandsaw. I brought short Cherry limbs into my house to cut up while green. That worked but I never finished. I still have two 6' limbs inside. Not only is the bark still on..but it's on so hard it will have to be cut off. Bang it, hammer it, it won't come off.
I think it has to do with keeping the tree out of the sun and rain (hard to do when it's an open house you're in the middle of building). My test limbs never saw sun, or rain since the the day they were cut. If they were built into this house, they would still have the bark on...and on good.

 

[RikBrooks]

I'm not going to worry about the bark. I just ordered from Baily's Online. I'm gonna use the mini mill to square up the logs so the bark won't be an issue. Here's the order I made, I'm so excited waiting for it:

SOLO 694 chainsaw w/24" bar and chain (might use it for crosscutting big cedars)

32" PREMIUM SPROCKET TIP (.375 X .050) 105 DL
D.L. 375 X 050 RIPPING CHAIN
BASIC ALASKAN MILL WITH 36" RAILS
GRANBERG MINI-MILL
GRANBERG OILER ASSEMBLY (extra protection for the bar)
(2) HUSQVARNA PRO FOREST HELMET, one for my wife.
GRANBERG PRECISION FILING GUIDE
FILEMATE UNIVERSAL FILING GAUGE
PFERD 8" ROUND FILE 7/32" (EACH)
SAVE EDGE 6" RAKER FILE

And I bought a used copy of Chainsaw Lumber Milling for $17 on Amazon.

It will be Christmas in June. Oh, and I think I mentioned I brought down a 45' hickory. I finally got the limbs lopped off one side and measured it, 64' 10". That is a BIG tree.

Took my granddaughter out to the property yesterday and she rode the garden tractor around for a couple of hours. She loved it.

 

[huskyhank]

Looks like you're off to a good start.
I'd order some more chains.

 

[BobL]

great start by the look of it.

How's you PPE situation? I recommend using face protection and getting the best set of muffs around (Peltor 10H) and use ear plugs as well.

 

[huskyhank]

+1 What Bob wrote.

 

[RikBrooks]

Everything came in today

Oh my. Three giant boxes. That 94cc chainsaw is a monster! Got the mini mill and the Mark III. Only a couple of pages of instructions for each. Love the helmets with the screen on the front and the earmuffs.

Been grunting like Tim Taylor all afternoon.

Can't play with them tomorrow. Going to the farm in Jackson Tennessee and will spend the day with dad working his bee hives. Have to work my own Sunday but I may get to do a little with the chain saw then. Prolly start milling next weekend. Intend to mill me a whole bunch of stickers. Then maybe the wood for the drying shed.

 

[huskyhank]

Run a few tanks of fuel through it cross cutting before you start milling. It'll need a little break in.

 

[dustytools]

Run a few tanks of fuel through it cross cutting before you start milling. It'll need a little break in.

+1. I would also tune the saw about 1K rich when running it on the mill. Good luck and have fun with the new toys.

 

[smokinj]

That much milling ported saw mill and if you go the chainsaw route your going to want the monster saw 120cc+ good luck "wish I was you"..............Love Your Plan!!!!!!

 

[smokinj]

That much milling ported saw mill and if you go the chainsaw route your going to want the monster saw 120cc+ good luck "wish I was you"..............Love Your Plan!!!!!! Maybe I can just bring my gear and stay with You? lol

 

[RikBrooks]

That much milling ported saw mill and if you go the chainsaw route your going to want the monster saw 120cc+ good luck "wish I was you"..............Love Your Plan!!!!!! Maybe I can just bring my gear and stay with You? lol

So, it may take several years to get it all done. See, that's where I am different than most. I'm not in any all-fired rush to get it done. So I'm not going to wear myself out doing it. When I get hot or tired I rest and maybe sharpen the chains or just drink some ice water and fish for a while in the pond.

It may take five years to finish but hey, those years are going to pass anyway, might as well spend them playing in wood chips and enjoying myself outdoors - don'cha think?

 

[grover]

It will take 5 years.......with age comes wisdom. Like you say it will be 5 years from now one way or another, blink your eyes....might as well be there to enjoy it!

Let us know how that Solo 694 works! I am looking at that setup also.....have you started it up yet......wondering about the lack of the decompression valve for starting.

 

[smokinj]

So, it may take several years to get it all done. See, that's where I am different than most. I'm not in any all-fired rush to get it done. So I'm not going to wear myself out doing it. When I get hot or tired I rest and maybe sharpen the chains or just drink some ice water and fish for a while in the pond.

It may take five years to finish but hey, those years are going to pass anyway, might as well spend them playing in wood chips and enjoying myself outdoors - don'cha think?

Yep Iam the same way had my 880 now about a month and will just be getting started this week.....5 years this is a life style if you will you should do fine! :greenchainsaw:

 

[RikBrooks]

It will take 5 years.......with age comes wisdom. Like you say it will be 5 years from now one way or another, blink your eyes....might as well be there to enjoy it!

Let us know how that Solo 694 works! I am looking at that setup also.....have you started it up yet......wondering about the lack of the decompression valve for starting.

Gonna fire that Solo up today after work. Come home, take off the suit and tie, put on some coveralls and it's out to the farm! A half hour after getting there I'll be covered in sweat and dirt. My co-workers wouldn't recognize me.

I'm writing a book on this process, the whole thing. It's tentatively titled "A Place Of Our Own: The story of Rik and Marylynn Brooks and Dogpatch Mississippi" That's just my title - my publisher usually makes me change it but this time I think I'll self publish, the royalties are better. I'll be taking pictures tonight for the book. I'll share them.

 

[RikBrooks]

Well, the solo didn't fire up. I was oh so carefull. I mixed the gas just right. I put some stabilizer in it cuz it's 10% ethanol. I put bar oil in. I put on the cross cut bar to run a few tanks of gas through to break it in. I adjusted the chain "just right".

The instructions said that I should pull it out just until I felt resistance (bringing the piston to the top), then give it a sharp tug.

I pulled it out until I felt resistance. Then I slacked it off and YANKED.

My arm almost came out of the socket! Nothing! It didn't pull and sputter - it didn't pull at all. It was like the cord was LOCKED.

I did this several times for several minutes. The heat index was 105. So I gave up.

This morning when it was cooler I thought I'd try again. The sun was rising and I was out in the front yard with the new SOLO. I realized I might wake everyone up. Then I thought that I'd just fire it up and turn it quickly off.

But I didn't know where the stop switch was. I finally found it - the stop switch was in the STOP position all this time.

I just put it back in the garage. I suspect I know the problem now and will have more luck tonight. This is all a learning experience.

 

[mtngun]

But I didn't know where the stop switch was. I finally found it - the stop switch was in the STOP position all this time.

That's a good story. :hmm3grin2orange:

I wish all problems were that simple.

 

[huskyhank]

I think it does not have a compression release?

Pull the cord through slowly and feel the piston coming up to the top and then down - do this a couple of times to get the feel. You want the piston to be at or near the top still under compression when you pull it for real.

Now, turn the switch on and set the choke if its cold. Pull the cord and feel the piston come up and the compression build. Let the cord back in and pull it like you mean it. Do this --every single time-- you pull and you won't get ******.

If you choked it, as soon as it "pops" push the choke in before pulling again.

Find compression every time - then pull.

 

[grover]

Hey RikBrooks did you ever get it started? Hope your not nursing a messed up shoulder. That can do it ...I think I have a torn rotator cuff from years ago. It's fine untill I try something like that. Maybe that big Solo is not for me!

 

[RikBrooks]

Yup got it started. I called Bailey's and said "What the.....??"

They said to lose the bar and chain and try just the powerhead. I was taking off the bar when I noticed that the sproket is sort of two tierd. I had the chain on the top one. I moved it to the larger one, put everything back together and it started on the first pull.

It still requires a manly tug. A 10 year old would never be able to start it. But it's not too awful hard.