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catdog

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So sure this question has been asked before but any tips for this before I pour the pork on some trees I got around here? Got a few white mulberry trees I wanna make into plank boards. So any tips would be appreciated. I know I am gonna tear something up regardless but I always try to get some advice first lol
 
If using an aluminum ladder make sure it’s straight by eye. If using a wood board make sure it’s straight by eye also especially after nailing or screwing it in place. I’ve only ever used boards myself. Seen a lot of tweaked ladders tho. Sometimes I get a hip lip at the end of the cut and u should take it down with a sharp axe, planner or you’re smaller saw. Lot of tricks
 
Thank yall for the replies! I know I could easily look up a guide but nothing beats hearing actual first hand knowledge from people from beginners to experts i believe everyone has something I could learn from. I was going to use boards and i bought a zozen chainsaw mill and one of those holzforma gs 660 it was cheap as s**t and big as s**t i was told milling is hard on a saw and for the price point and the fact you can put oem stihl parts on it i figured it was a pretty good middle of the road saw to use since I want be doing it every single day and not on a huge scale. What do yall think?
 
Let us know what sort of setup/mill you are using. Hard to give advice without that.

Have a place to stack, stick and cover the boards. Cut up or get some stickers.
So i have access to a good bit of white mulberry. Pretty decent wood? I googled it of course but google ain't actually done it so I don't immediately just go with what it says.
 
If using an aluminum ladder make sure it’s straight by eye. If using a wood board make sure it’s straight by eye also especially after nailing or screwing it in place. I’ve only ever used boards myself. Seen a lot of tweaked ladders tho. Sometimes I get a hip lip at the end of the cut and u should take it down with a sharp axe, planner or you’re smaller saw. Lot of tricks
Would a ladder or boards be better? Pros cons for both?
 
I personally use a ladder, screwed to the log in a few places. Make sure the screws don't reach inro the depth to be sawn. After the first cut, I use the surface from the previous cut. Lead the cut with the tip of the bar so you are cutting on a slight skew, makes it a little easier on the saw. Don't rock the bar in the cut, it will give you uneven cut surface.
 
Would a ladder or boards be better? Pros cons for both?
Weight and size are the main things. A board can be had in just about any dimension you please, a ladder is light, stiff, and easy to deal with.

As far as the chinese saw goes, they might be a cool deal if youre handy and have the time to get/keep it running right. But no shop will take it - maybe a shadetree man if youre lucky.

But I say use whatever you've got on hand, you'll figure out if you need to make a change.
 
So i have access to a good bit of white mulberry. Pretty decent wood? I googled it of course but google ain't actually done it so I don't immediately just go with what it says.
Never worked with it - if it's similar to red mulberry it's extremely hard, getting up toward pecan. Very low water content and doesn't shrink much, so should dry well if stacked properly.

Whatever you use for rails (ladder, wood, etc) just get it level and let it rip. Show the results and people can tell if you're doing anything wrong. Basic milling info is on this site in endless detail as well as on youtube, so best just to have at it and see what results you get.
 
Never worked with it - if it's similar to red mulberry it's extremely hard, getting up toward pecan. Very low water content and doesn't shrink much, so should dry well if stacked properly.

Whatever you use for rails (ladder, wood, etc) just get it level and let it rip. Show the results and people can tell if you're doing anything wrong. Basic milling info is on this site in endless detail as well as on youtube, so best just to have at it and see what results you get.
Appreciate the response! I will put up the pics after this disaster i mean very well done project gets going lol
 
Appreciate the response! I will put up the pics after this disaster i mean very well done project gets going lol
The trick is after the chain starts dulling after the first couple slabs, knowing when to resharpen. Each slab is getting wider as you go further down from the first cut so they're going to get slower and slower to mill, and it can be hard to gauge if you're slowing down because your chain is too dull or the slabs are getting bigger. At the end of the day, good sharpening skills are 9/10 of chainsaw milling. I tried every device under the sun trying to get the hang of sharpening my first few years, wasted ungodly amounts of time pushing dull or unevenly sharpened chains, and finally have settled on the Pferd/Stihl 2 in 1 hand files for chains worn evenly in good condition, and electric grinder sharpening for messed up chains.
 
@catdog, you've come to the right place to get started.
I got into milling about 3years ago and found a ton of help here. I have a clone saw just because I couldn't justify a $2000 saw a for a couple of trees. There's a ton of youtube videos on those Hulzformas milling.
Like has been said, sharpening can be be key to good success. I started with a grinder and finally after plenty of practice can get by between grindings with filing. Ive kept my setup simple for a hobby using boards. As someone said make sure your screws clear the depth of your saw.
Milling will reward you once you finish your first project
 

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Milling will reward you once you finish your first project
How's that 070 worked out for you? Saw in an old post after the first four months you were pretty happy with it, aside from the expected issues like the clutch, which was a problem Stihl OEM or clone. I like that it has the option of upgrading it to an 090, though that apparently is kinda costly between the need for the $100 six shoe clutch, the $160 P&C kit, and a few other things. Still, if one was to toast the 070 cylinder that's what I'd probably do. Did you upgrade the clutch? I gather the governor design that limited it at 8000 rpm made a lot of people hate the stock form of the saw. Did you do anything about that? But people hate the 880's for the same reason and curse the stock ones, because the modern speed demon lover hates any torque-heavy, low rpm, rev limited saw. It's exactly what makes them good milling saws though, they're slow and steady, never overheat, and can pull through anything. Doesn't hurt to bump the speed some with an 8 pin sprocket, though. Horses for courses. Never have done a thing to alter my 880, and has been trouble-free to this day.
 

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