Accurate crosscuts with an Alaskan mill

[flying pig]

anyone else doing this? I've been asked to make a spruce tabletop by cross cutting a slab off a spruce tree. Wondering if anyone else is doing this or can give me advice on drying cookies so they don't split etc.

 

[Wolverine]

@millerenterprise cut a few like this one time we were millin maple. It was a double barrel if I recall right. Never heard if it dried without splitting though.

 

[flying pig]

So I did this job. Things I learned:

Mill chain with 0* top plate will not crosscut. Like at all. Ha ha.

There are BIG spruce trees south of Grande Prairie. Sound like anywhere up to 60". I couldn't digest the one piece with my 34" c entered mill and he said it was a smaller piece from there.

So ya you can do it with a mill and it will turn out well. But if you have mill chain on expect a 34" crosscut to take about 5 min to complete.

 

[Deets066]

I've done some big table tops with the 090 and 84" bar. A brand new chain is nice when doin these. Paint both sides of it, put it in the corner of the shop on stickers with weight on it, flip it once a month.

Next year you'll have a nice top

 

[jb-chainsaws]

I've done it before with paraffin wax, melt it in a metal can with a torch and paint it on nice and thick. the brush is for the trash, but you can add to the can whenever you need more. give it a year then scrape the excess off and get to work. it is a little messy and time consuming but I found it works a little better than paint, depending on what you use. plus it's cheap!

 

[Deets066]

Good tip, might have to try that.

The walnut crotch that I sliced a table out of held together with no cracks. The 5' ponderosa pine didn't fair so well

 

[Iron.and.bark]

http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com/wax-emulsion.html

A good bit of info here.

Also tried cutting at a 45 for an oval top? Good compromise if the customer accepts it.