Milling Beetle kill in Northern Alberta

[flying pig]

We had a bit of a get together with a few of my friends and our kids out in the hills today. Kids had a blast playing in the snow and building forts in the sticks. We had a bit of fun with our saws. On hand we had my 2100 husky and Dolmar 114, a buddies 075 and ms170, md another friends 455 husky.

Friend #2 went out this morning and scouted a nice bushy dead pine with heavy branches. He dropped it right into a willow and then stuck an axe in his leg. Rough start!

Went better after that. We got the pine down and limbed, set it up, stopped for smokies then set up to mill. Turned out to be some beautiful stabbing. The dye from the beetles went in very deep and the tree had tons of figure.

Tried a new set up on my saw today, 36" 404 skip chisel chain ground to 10* with a pile of hook in the tooth, rakers set at 0.025. Worked perfectly. Slight push on it and cut butter smooth. Bar temps were very low. Money and time I've been dumping into my saw is paying off big time.

 

[flying pig]

Some more

 

[Iron.and.bark]

Thanks for posting, enjoyed looking at such a "different" milling environment.

 

[quietfly]

wow, besides the axe to the leg, that looks like a blast!!!

 

[flying pig]

We are headed out again today. It's rainy and wet here still. Usually it's about -20 here by now and it would be a lot nicer to work in. But any day in the bush is better than a day at work!

I've had tons of saw trouble in the last month, both my Dolmar and main 2100 went down this month. I bought a second 2100 and am resorting to blasphemy and running a Poulan 4218 for the back up/little saw.

 

[flying pig]

 

[flying pig]

Decided to do a blown down spruce today. 32" at the butt so we couldn't do the first 10ft. Wound up being a good day, rain stayed away for the most part. No injuries! Ha ha. Had to run my other 2100 today and it ran very well.

 

[flying pig]

 

[flying pig]

Went out and tried the new mill today on Dad's bar counter for his cabin. This was a 30" pine crotch. Went well despite the extreme temperatures, it was at least -35*C in the wind and around -20 inside the coverall building. Learned a few things about the mill and found a few things to change. The pads in the T bars need a way to be fixed in location. I think we are going to drill the centre of the sprocket and a spot at the powerhead and run a locating bolt in each. We are also going to take the lower leg of the powerhead T bar off and secure the pad via the locating bolt through the bar so that I can gain access to the chain tensioner with the mill mounted. We are also going to put an additional set of roller skate wheels above the ones that are on it now as the rollers lose contact with the wood after the centre of the tree. Then install the final handles and I think this mill will be good to go.

This 2100 is an awesome mill saw and I'm really liking the 404 chain set up on it. It takes a huge kerf but it runs much much cooler bar and nose temps than the 3/8 stuff did. The saw needs some more repairs though, the tank is split and the AV mounts are shot. I also need to point the exhaust down and back but away from the cylinder. I'll try to figure out a different deflector for it.

Dad was pretty happy to have the bar cut. Should season up in time for his 60th next summer, as it was standing dead for a few years.

Thank God my wife got me a new pair of winter saw pants and a set of husky light 28s for my birthday. I would have froze without them.

 

[Iron.and.bark]

Nice! Character pieces that you can not buy is what make this such a great hobby.

404 is far preferably for me aswell over 3/8. faster chain speed, longer between sharpening and old saws love it! Also surprisingly the kerf difference to 3/8 is very minimal.

If you are going to drill the bar, make it 3 or 2 bolts for powerhead end, stops twisting .

 

[flying pig]

Good idea on the bolts for the powerhead end, simple and makes perfect sense. Thanks!

 

[Iron.and.bark]

Good idea on the bolts for the powerhead end, simple and makes perfect sense. Thanks!

Can't take credit for the idea, originally read it in malloff's chainsaw lumber making. Still helpful tips should be spread around

 

[295 tramp]

Does your friend in the blue jump suit work for trans canada?

 

[flying pig]

Nope none of us do. One is a water pipeliner, myself and the fella in the blue coveralls both work for a big construction outfit.

 

[flying pig]

Another fun day yesterday. Got some nice slabs out of the butt of that spruce that the old mill couldn't handle. Wound up going past dark. Was kind of neat.

Anyone come up with any kind of anti vibe set up for their mill? I've been thinking of ways to do this the last couple days...

 

[quietfly]

looking good.

 

[rocketnorton]

you right in gp? got friends in sexsmith. get back out there someday...

 

[flying pig]

Out in Beaverlodge actually. Born and raised.

 

[rocketnorton]

been thru there few x. mighta asked ya before, another site, maybe. used to supply northern metalic, dc, gp, fsj, fn. Texaco.
old friends from st albert, now around sexsmith.

 

[flying pig]

Maybe, I'm on a lot of gun sites too.