New Old Homelite for Mini Mill

[rarefish383]

A UPS buddy of mine picked up a couple saws for me. One is a Homelite 924 with a 20" bar. I got it running the other day and the only half sharp chain I could find was on a 16" XL12. So, I swapped the little 16" bar onto the 924. WOW what 82cc's can do with a little bar! My Mini-Mill is one of the cheap ones that afix to the bar with 3 hex screws, and it's worn enough that when you tighten it down the whole thing torques and twists a little. When I was cutting 6X6 beams they would come out 6X6 1/4.

Now my plan is to take one of my 20" bars and drill it. Either make a new Mini-mill, or alter the one I have to bolt on, and dedicate this saw for cutting beams. I bought a 20" chain last night and a friend and I are going firewood cutting this morning. He is a UPS guy too and he delivers to a private school that is located on a big wooded farm. They let him cut any dead wood he wants. I'm taking the 36" mill just in case I have time to slab out some Poplar that was on the ground last year.

Anyway, I'm really happy with this 924 and I'm sure it will be a great big improvement over my farm Boss 290 that I've been using for cutting beams. I'll try for some pics today, Joe.

 

[olyman]

A UPS buddy of mine picked up a couple saws for me. One is a Homelite 924 with a 20" bar. I got it running the other day and the only half sharp chain I could find was on a 16" XL12. So, I swapped the little 16" bar onto the 924. WOW what 82cc's can do with a little bar! My Mini-Mill is one of the cheap ones that afix to the bar with 3 hex screws, and it's worn enough that when you tighten it down the whole thing torques and twists a little. When I was cutting 6X6 beams they would come out 6X6 1/4.

Now my plan is to take one of my 20" bars and drill it. Either make a new Mini-mill, or alter the one I have to bolt on, and dedicate this saw for cutting beams. I bought a 20" chain last night and a friend and I are going firewood cutting this morning. He is a UPS guy too and he delivers to a private school that is located on a big wooded farm. They let him cut any dead wood he wants. I'm taking the 36" mill just in case I have time to slab out some Poplar that was on the ground last year.

Anyway, I'm really happy with this 924 and I'm sure it will be a great big improvement over my farm Boss 290 that I've been using for cutting beams. I'll try for some pics today, Joe.

if yah use ppe,,cool....but def use earmuffs with that gorilla!!!!

 

[rarefish383]

Had my ears on, that's about it for PPE. Was very bummed out. I think it was in the chainsaw forum someone was asking about out of the box chains that were not sharp. I have never had that problem before today. Yesterday, with a used chain that came on a gift saw, the thing cut like a striped a$$ ape. Today with a new chain I had to push on the saw to cut. It was throughing nice sawdust, but there is no way I should of had to push a saw that heavy and powerful. The tree was a dead White Oak with five or six big limbs growing pretty much straight up. I used the MS290 to buck up the limbs for firewood, we got a generous cord and a half from the limbs. I hope to go back tomorrow and mill up a couple slabs. I'd like to do live edges, but my 36" bar is not going to make it. I started to count the rings and I'm sure it's well over 100 years old. I'm gonna count them tomorrow before we cut any more.

Now I have a question. The first 20' of this log looks like a veneer log, straight as an arrow and no cat faces. It grew in the woods. The next 20' is where it started to grow branches, and is quite knotty and a little twisted. I'm gonna have to cut some of it into firewood for my buddy, it's his find. Should I try to mill the knotty section where the limbs came off and try and get some figure? I'm sure I'll be able to mill at least 8' of the straight part. Or, should I just concentrate on the figured wood? Tomorrow may be the last chance to get what we want of it before the wood scroungers get to it. It's on the property of a private school that's closed for new years. Once the parrents start picking up kids on Monday it will be fair game.

Oh, sorry, forgot my camera. I'm gonna put it in the truck with a tripod tonight so I won't forget again, Joe.

 

[BobL]

Had my ears on, that's about it for PPE. Was very bummed out. I think it was in the chainsaw forum someone was asking about out of the box chains that were not sharp. I have never had that problem before today. Yesterday, with a used chain that came on a gift saw, the thing cut like a striped a$$ ape. Today with a new chain I had to push on the saw to cut. It was throughing nice sawdust, but there is no way I should of had to push a saw that heavy and powerful.

Yeah - something is not right there. Sometimes new chain needs a touchup before cutting.

I'm gonna have to cut some of it into firewood for my buddy, it's his find. Should I try to mill the knotty section where the limbs came off and try and get some figure? I'm sure I'll be able to mill at least 8' of the straight part. Or, should I just concentrate on the figured wood? .

I would mill the lot and keep the best pieces and cut up the rest for firewood.