Winter Milling Fun Has Begun!

[max2cam]

Was out yesterday for the first time this winter (fall actually) with my Solo 690 with lumber maker attachment. Fun! I have so many more big trees than back....

Milled one 8-footer cut from dying red pine along my road and got six 1 x 10s, one 3 x 10, and four slabs. Three more 8-footers from that tree to go.

A few days ago I also brought down a much bigger red pine that was casting shadows on my solar panels. Wouldn't have cut it otherwise as I like the "old growth" look of this land. That one measures 24" diameter on the stump and about as big as I can handle. Built a tripod to lift one end of the log at a ttime so I can get sleepers underneath. Hope it's strong enough!

Anyone one else out hobby milling?

 

[WRW]

Can't get to my hobby milling till I get the paying customers done. Was working on 7" flitches for a log cabin on Saturday. Next couple of jobs are fencing boards. I hope to get a shed built by spring.

 

[rb_in_va]

Pics man, we want pics!

 

[max2cam]

I should take pix, but all I have is an old fashioned film camera. But I do have a scanner. Maybe when I get to the bigger pine. I will doing this all winter.

Yesterday milled up a second 8-footer. This was the butt end of the tree. Got five 1 x 11s; three 1 x 4s; two 2 x 4s; one 3 x 4; and four slabs. Very nice clean lumber.

Stopped to sharpen the chain once. Boy, that made a difference! Am using the Cutter's Choice milling chain. No complaints. 24" bar is long enough.

690 running okay. Maybe too rich as I am getting a puff of orange flame out of the exhaust when I shut it off (no spark arrester). If I let it idle way down first there's no puff of flame but I notice a little black vapor coming out of the exhaust which I assume is rich fuel mix.

Not the fancy rig that some guys have, but it makes pretty nice boards. Slow but sure. Nice to smell and see that fresh sawdust on the snow again.

 

[max2cam]

I've been lusting after those Lucas mills that Baileys sells. I hear the Peterson may be even better.

I want a small mill.

Dan

I have the WoodMizer video and that looks like a nice unit too. But I'm keeping it simple. Lumber Maker and guidebar simple. Just a few boards and planks for my own use. Speed is not important. Moving the logs by hand is the hardest part. That tripod is a big improvement over last winter when I was rolling the logs up on sleepers.

90cc seems big enough. Can't imagine what that 120cc Husky must be like!

 

[max2cam]

Can't get to my hobby milling till I get the paying customers done. Was working on 7" flitches for a log cabin on Saturday. Next couple of jobs are fencing boards. I hope to get a shed built by spring.

What type of wood for that cabin?

What kind of mill?

"Fencing boards" that's what I make too. I sure like that wide one-inch stuff. I am paneling the inside of my house with this pine. Plus one-inch boards just come in handy. For rafters and 2 x 4s I use round poles instead. Maybe slab them on one side.

 

[geofore]

I've been lusting after those Lucas mills that Baileys sells. I hear the Peterson may be even better.

I want a small mill.

Dan

There are a lot out there to choose from, The hand helds like the Alaskan from www.granberg.com or the Ripsaw from www.ripsaw.com or the Timberjig from www.logosol.com So many to choose from. Not one of those would fit my wife's idea of a stocking stuffer. Hey, I'll hang the stocking in the garage. She can't get the car in there now, it's full of saws and lumber. I know you were talking bigger mills Dan but no way I'm going to be able to sneak a Lucas Mill past the wife.

 

[rb_in_va]

I've been lusting after those Lucas mills that Baileys sells.

Did you get the video? It's sweet.

Max, how long do you mill on an average day?

 

[WRW]

What type of wood for that cabin?

What kind of mill?

"Fencing boards" that's what I make too. I sure like that wide one-inch stuff. I am paneling the inside of my house with this pine. Plus one-inch boards just come in handy. For rafters and 2 x 4s I use round poles instead. Maybe slab them on one side.

White oak...blowdowns from Isabel last year. Shoulda milled it green.Good idea about the round poles. I'll mention that to the builder.

I've got the norwood mill...easier on an old man's back and knees.

I used to carry around a 1"x25" x 4' to show off. A neighbor asked for it for his son to make a sign, so I gave it to him. Couple of months later, I noticed another neighbor had a familiar looking sign in front of his house. Makes a body feel good.

 

[geofore]

mills

If you don't post a pic of the norwood you could post the site so we could get a look at it. www.norwoodindustries.com the timberking is www.timberking.com the woodmizer is www.woodmizer.com and the cook saw is www.cooksaw.com I post this for those that want to look at and compare toys.. er.. a tools for milling. And of course you can see the Lucas by clicking on the sponsor's add at the top or [email protected]. There is an article in the January 05 issue of American Woodworker magazine "backyard sawmills". I have a buddy that runs a 54" circular with replaceable insert cutters and the last time he was cutting a walnut (residential tree) for me we hit a 1/4" lag bolt. It cost me about $125 to replace 4 inserts. I got them from www.sawpaw.com you'll have that with residential trees. We used a metal detector and knew it was in there but we tried to get close to it before cutting it out and loosing the whole log (40" dia.). Had to split the log to get it through the mill any way. I got some real nice lumber out of it. Residential trees are more likely to have metal and I strongly suggest you invest in a good metal detector if you're going to saw them.

 

[max2cam]

Max, how long do you mill on an average day?

I was out there about 3-4 hours each day. Worked until it was getting dark. Managed to finish a log each time. The bigger tree will take longer.

Yesterday I took my 024 out and limbed the big red pine. Very large canopy on it. Didn't finish. Worked maybe an hour. Stopped once and retuned the saw idle and low speed. It has a new eBay cylinder and piston on it.

May try to burn the green tops today while finishing the limbing. Get a little firewood that way too.

 

[max2cam]

White oak...blowdowns from Isabel last year. Shoulda milled it green.Good idea about the round poles. I'll mention that to the builder.

I've got the norwood mill...easier on an old man's back and knees.

I used to carry around a 1"x25" x 4' to show off. A neighbor asked for it for his son to make a sign, so I gave it to him. Couple of months later, I noticed another neighbor had a familiar looking sign in front of his house. Makes a body feel good.

That 1x25 is some board! The biggest I milled last year were about 14" wide and that looked impressive. I wonder what I'll get out of this 24" red pine?

The rounds work well for lots of things. I have a good stand of balsam fir which are very straight and easy to peel and limb. For floor joists I also split the rounds in half. That works well too. I've been putting metal roof directly on round balsam rafters and it makes a good cheap easy durable roof.

 

[WRW]

I was out there about 3-4 hours each day. Worked until it was getting dark. Managed to finish a log each time. QUOTE]

Must be nice..the last few days I've been getting home after dark...can't even get the trees down to start the milling (shed).

 

[max2cam]

I was out there about 3-4 hours each day. Worked until it was getting dark. Managed to finish a log each time. QUOTE]

Must be nice..the last few days I've been getting home after dark...can't even get the trees down to start the milling (shed).

It is nice. My afternoons are free so I go out in the woods quite a bit. It used to be always for firewood, but this milling is addictive. Yesterday all I did was pile up the cut tops and toss firewood sticks into a pile. Too wet and green to burn the tops, but burning is fun too and I like to watch green smoke.

 

[scottr]

lifting the log

Max , you mentioned a tripod for lifting your logs , do you use a come along , winch , chain fall , or a jack with it ? Scott

 

[max2cam]

Max , you mentioned a tripod for lifting your logs , do you use a come along , winch , chain fall , or a jack with it ? Scott

I use my old, beatup come-along. Drilled tops of tripod poles (balsam) and ran a threaded rod thru them and bolted up a short piece of chain to hang the come-along from.

Rolled the log over a logging chain and then hook it up. Worked perfectly. It lifted a whole 8-foot log at once on the smaller pine, but with this 24" pine I'll lift one end at a time.

 

[scottr]

Milling Chain

Max , what chain,top plate angle,and depth guage setting are you using for the red pine ? Scott

 

[max2cam]

Max , what chain,top plate angle,and depth guage setting are you using for the red pine ? Scott

I'm using Cutters Choice special 3/8" ripping chain. It has two grooving cutters (20 degrees) followed by two cutters (0 degrees). Looks like a special made chain just for milling and not simply a refiled regular chain. It cost $25 for 2-foot bar loop.

Says: "The grooving cutters cut a goove down each side of the kerf. The following two cutters remove the center ridge left by (grooving) cutters. By this method, each tooth takes only 1/4 of the kerf, takes less feeding pressure than conventional chain, cuts better, and takes less power."

Works well, esp. if you sharpen it once in awhile.

Sectioned the big red pine yesterday with Echo CS-510. Broken in now and runs sweet. Got five 8-foot logs, two sleepers, and some firewood.

Used the tripod on the biggest 24-inch log. Didn't think the smaller chain on top of the tripod could take it, so I wrapped a heavier piece of chain around the top of the tripod and hooked the come-along to that. Rolled the log over another chain, positioned the tripod, hooked everything up, and cranked the log end off the ground and got sleeper beneath it. Repeated at other end.

The tripod worked perfectly!

All set to mill...

 

[weimedog]

I have been using the Granberg 36inch mill. (I posted a few pic before in that post "Mange wanted a few pictures..) Got to the point where I can get a 12ft long by 28-30inch wide cut every fifteen minutes including refeuling & putting in bar oil. I have enough milled for five horse stalls (11X12ft stalls) Works amazingly well....slab with the Grandberg/McCulloch mill and just use a circular saw & guide board to make the 2X8s...Four more logs to go and this project is done!

 

[max2cam]

I have been using the Granberg 36inch mill. (I posted a few pic before in that post "Mange wanted a few pictures..) Got to the point where I can get a 12ft long by 28-30inch wide cut every fifteen minutes including refeuling & putting in bar oil. I have enough milled for five horse stalls (11X12ft stalls) Works amazingly well....slab with the Grandberg/McCulloch mill and just use a circular saw & guide board to make the 2X8s...Four more logs to go and this project is done!

What kind of surface finish does the Granberg mill leave on the milled boards? Ain't it a great feeling getting out your own lumber like that? Trees off your own land?

You are making me jealous with those long wide cuts! I measured my rig yesterday and with the 24" bar I can cut 19" deep, so the 24" diameter log I'm working on is about the maximum I can mill. In fact I squared it yesterday and the first slab had a small hinge i had to break off.

For bigger logs I would need a longer bar. I have bigger trees so that could happen should a bigger pine die of natural causes. Otherwise I leave them for that "old growth" look. But just taking culls is giving me more lumber than I will need.