Milling Some Maple: 575XP,Granberg MKIII, 30RP

[j_franich]

I was talking to one of my neighbors a while back and he mentioned that he had a large maple log that had been dropped a couple of years ago and wondered if I could skid it for him with my tractor. I had to ask what his plans were for it, as I've only milled some poplar with my chainsaw mill and was itching to try it out on a larger log. It turned out that he just wanted a few cookies cut off of it to make end tables out of. Perfect! I mentioned my interest in milling the remainder of it into slabs and he was ecstatic about the idea.

It became a community event as I enlisted the help of another neighbor, he was the one that had dropped the tree and I was certain he'd like to have a look inside. He is the one pictured with the log. When felling the tree he had encountered some metal in the tree, but I decided it was worth the risk......and in the end it was. Some beautiful 4" and 2" slabs were had, and no metal was found. All-in-all it was an enjoyable afternoon.

 

[mdavlee]

Very nice

 

[j_franich]

I should add that the log was 27" in diameter at the largest point, with my 32" bar and 30" MKIII it was the absolute max size that I could mill.

 

[discounthunter]

nice. good looking color plus some spalting.

 

[j_franich]

I have an 288XP project that will replace the 575XP on the mill, but for all the grief the 575 gets I found this setup exceeded my expectations. I didn't set out to own the 575, it was a pile of parts in a box hiding in a dark corner of a garage owned by a logger acquaintance of mine. It had been used commercially daily for 2 years when he had a tree spin and pull the chain tight. The crank bearing were toast, and it was the dirtiest saw that I've ever laid eyes on, but with a little work and a lot of cleaning it has been working great for a year. It has even been my loaner saw since its rebuild, as I wanted the hours on it to make sure it was broke in before I milled with it. What I'm trying to say is if you are really interested in trying out milling, but don't have the budget for a large displacement saw just for that purpose, you can get started with what you have. I started with a beat 266SE and still had fun.

 

[Timberwerks]

Very nice! I'd like to get some Maple soon, got to much Oak.

 

[Beefie]

Thanks J franich for posting the pictures. Nice grain in the wood. I am having a hard time waiting for my mill to get shipped to me. Loooking forward to opening up some logs and having a peak inside.

Beefie

 

[mdavlee]

I sanded on this piece of maple yesterday. It's 2 foot long for reference. I think I'm going to seal it clear or just poly and try to make an end table out of it.

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[Beefie]

I sanded on this piece of maple yesterday. It's 2 foot long for reference. I think I'm going to seal it clear or just poly and try to make an end table out of it.

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That has some pretty neat grain and spaulting to it. Besides sealing it, what do you plan to do with it? End table, book matched doors?

Beefie

 

[mdavlee]

End table I think. I have 2 slabs and I can cut a few more off the piece those came from. That's the biggest one out of that short log.

 

[Beefie]

That will look very nice.

Beefie

 

[j_franich]

How long has the piece had to dry, and did you seal the end grain? I'm not sure what to expect as I've never attempted to dry a piece of wood this thick, and it is quite humid here in Marquette.

I sanded on this piece of maple yesterday. It's 2 foot long for reference. I think I'm going to seal it clear or just poly and try to make an end table out of it.

. View attachment 323479

 

[mdavlee]

Seal the ends with stain or whatever is handy. I'm going to poly the tops of them.

 

[Jim Timber]

Does stain seal anything for drying purposes?

 

[mdavlee]

Does stain seal anything for drying purposes?

It seems to slow some checking. I've found a kiln pretty close to me so I'm going to see what they charge for drying some pieces for me.

 

[Jim Timber]

Interesting. I've just always heard wax/specialty sealer/paint - all of which are less than water permeable. Stain and oil finishes are certainly permeable, since gun stocks don't fare weather well.

That's some beautiful wood. I'll be looking forward to seeing what you make from it.