Let’s Talk 404

[Lightning Performance]

The mill jumped up and down so I tossed on a hollow firewood round cut to a roman candle on the far stalk of the mill. It was better but needs more weight. Pushing down helped more with controling the feed rate. A slight power head lead angle to the wood grain ran smoother.

I was trying to cut most of that defect out next to the heart wood. The end Y fell off when I moved it lol. Got close. The other piece will be ok. This slab is 4.5" thick and still sitting with the deck boards screwed on. Not sure what to do with it yet

 

[Lightning Performance]

Next is the next lower slab/flitch. It has nice color and decent grain. A bit feathered and off center.

This will more than likely be broken down to better use the mixed wood here. Spalted edge and some worm holes. More pics

 

[Lightning Performance]

Worm face. They get under the bark and sometimes get into the pith. Looks cool on some live edges. The spalt in the Y has a few pin holes. I slabbed those to. The big half of this tree is sitting under the large center slab and it still has most of the Y end. It will need a 40" bar or cut from both ends. It could be done with a 32" bar and a long straight edge.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Bottom flitch

More small 9/4 slab/flitch pics

I moved it to a dry spot for tonight.


More Y slab pics

They look cool and will make nice table tops or prodject wood. It will all be for sale. I might keep one.

 

[Lightning Performance]

The larger stuff. This wood is wet and drying on the surface.

Moving on to chain texture next.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Hope this gives you a good glance at the smooth surface. Money don't lie or cheat.

It can be better imo but this is my best yet. Square 3/8 chain is not smoother in my experience but I will try 404 square soon.

I did try running the powerhead on the bottom of the rig, it sucked. It will be nice for working at chest height or above with large logs. Tried milling from the top edge but it sucks with a short bar, poor balance moving forward imo. It might be better with a 40" on the mill.

Should I split that 9/4 slab or put it on the market first?

The real big stuff is waiting till I slab this up and do some different species. I'm ready for a white oak and mullbury shake down at the farm up north. Twenty inch logs. Nice and clear then I'll try some more Y's when these cutters wear down some. One and one half tank cut all that and the chain laughed at it. Still razor sharp. All bark was removed and any sand was wire brushed off.

Need more practice setting up a quick straight edge mount.

 

[Lightning Performance]

 

[Lightning Performance]

@J. Loe
Sorry J, I posted most of this in the wrong thread. The chain info is in my milling thread. I'll move them around

 

[J. Loe]

HaHaHa!
awesome!

After all that milling you were probably in outer space!
I know when I spend a whole day sawing I am.
It’s why I do it.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Thanks. The mill was my zen time after cut two and smooth passes. The whole week was a loaded coil spring waiting to bust me up. I got off easy with the brake line failure on the pu. Hope to get one saw done for fun to run in TN.

 

[ferris]

@Wilhelm
Do you made some more test cutting with the 20“ 404 setup?
I like to try this on my 462

 

[ferris]

@Wilhelm
No informations for us?

 

[Wilhelm]

@Wilhelm
Do you made some more test cutting with the 20“ 404 setup?
I like to try this on my 462

@Wilhelm
No informations for us?

Hmm, I don't think I got the first notification of You mentioning me - or I missed it.
My apologies if I missed the first notification!

Last Monday I noodled red beech rounds into blocks utilizing my .404" 20" B&C setup and my Dolmar PS-7310 - it sliced through the rounds like a hot knife through butter.
The .404" loop I have is round tooth, not very grabby/aggressive, actually quite smooth for such a large tooth.



I used the same loop on Saturday for bucking oak logs up to 20-22" in diameter.
The loop got noticeably dull throughout the first tank of fuel, but it kept cutting straight for another full tank just pulling the saws in cut rpm's a bit more down. I didn't have to utilize the saws bucking spikes, front handle pressure was sufficient to make the loop bite.
I made no videos nor pictures on Saturday, but I will the next time I grant myself some fun time in my log pile.

A sharp .404" is really hauling ass, my Dolmar PS-7310 has no issues whatsoever to pull a 20" B&C fully buried in turkey oak.

The .404" with round tooth I have is really well mannered bore cutting, I was very surprised.

That is all I can comment for now.
I made a commitment to buck 20 cubic meters of logs for a acquaintance of mine - I am certain I will be utilizing the .404" setup.

For measure, this is 10 cubic meters of firewood logs.

 

[morewood]

I forgot too add 27ax

View attachment 140249

This is what I just ordered from Madsens. Cutting through 3-4' knotty, dirty oak hoping this will do the job with my new to me 084.

Mr Awesome

 

[Al Smith]

I might mention before Baileys was sold and Gregg Grande still worked for them he found a cache of Carton .404 chisel skip in .058 which is rather rare .I bought a roll of one of the last of it they had in stock as my 48" hard nose bar uses that size ..058 and .050 in .404 must have been a west coast thing because you never saw in around here .
I had two loops of chain for that bar .one in chipper ,one chisel full comp .It so seldom gets used that it's likely I'd never need another chain .I think it's 156 drive lengths so filing that thing is a little bit of a chore .

 

[Homemade]

All the more reason to switch to 3/8. I do have one bar in .404, .058 in D009. Thinking I’ll just throw a new tip on it and sell the old one. It’s brand new.

 

[RI Chevy]

I think it just depends on the type of cutting and condition of wood you are cutting.

 

[Homemade]

Usually it’s fairly clean. Nothing that gets skidded. I run 3/8 full chisel round ground on all my others loops and don’t seem to have any durability issues. And NOBODY around me stocks .404 chain. I walked into one of the local stihlership’s and found the only pro grade saw there was a 261. It’s pathetic.

 

[RI Chevy]

I hear you. Very different today.
I primarily use 3/8 full comp as well. I cut the same type of stuff you do.
I do keep a couple of semi chisel loops in case I get some dirty wood.

 

[Willard]

For some of you who haven't seen this .404 yet.
I've hoarded this 40 year old roll of Oregon 50AL .404 chisel bit in .050
Only started to use it over the last 5 years.
Got about 30 feet still left on the roll and about 20 feet used in various loop sizes.
Milled quite a bit with it and found it's quicker, smoother and holds a better edge over round filed if the bark is clean.

066 handles it nicely with 8 pin rim doing general treework.

Anyone have pics of Stihl .404 high tooth chain??