Large Log guide rails

[BlackCoffin]

 

[RI Chevy]

Whew! Natures beauty...

 

[Lnk]

Finally started on it! Got just over halfway. Some very nice slabs coming out of this beast of a log. 179” long makes for some long pulls for the ol 880. The widest slabs I’m refueling right before the end. It’s slow going but she chugs right along. Could use an auxiliary oiler but it’s whatever, one of these slabs would buy me 2 new bars. Going to haul away and stack the first half of slabs tomorrow then come back next weekend and try and finish it. Got some smaller logs to mill up tomorrow anyway. View attachment 324934View attachment 324935 View attachment 324936View attachment 324937 View attachment 324938

How thick are you milling them?

 

[Lnk]

I’ve got a large log to mill up soon and have always wanted a larger setup dedicated to milling the larger specimens in life. For all my milling needs 2x4’s have served me well with angle steel on the ends of the log. I used the same setup for this one except 2x6’s were used to try and prevent flex since this would be a 14’ log if be milling.

I trimmed down the 2x6-20’ down to 17’ to get me a little on each end of the log to support the saw in and out of the cut. I then took some 1.5” stainless square tubing and welded 2” square ends made of flat bar on the ends of the tubing. I welded a blind nut on the end plates so I could bolt the boards together in the center to support them from flopping around too much. I countersunk the 3/8” bolts on the boards as well connecting these so if the upright on my mill went across them it would glide by without having to bump the saw over them.
In the center 2 crossmembers I welded 1” square tubing which will serve its purpose as a guide for 3/4” threaded rod that will be able to apply some pressure downward and support the center of the rail from dipping or flexing in the middle of the cut.

Lastly 2” stainless angle was cut with 3/8” holes to lag onto the ends of the log and 1/4” to lag into the 2x6 to tie it all together.

The whole setup is 17’ long and 49” wide. Dedicated just to using my 72” bar on large logs. I’ll most likely build interchangeable crossmembers and end pieces for smaller widths as well down the road.View attachment 320547View attachment 320548 View attachment 320549View attachment 320550 View attachment 320551

Nice shop too.

 

[BlackCoffin]

How thick are you milling them?

doing the middle slabs 3.5”, did the 2 largest at 4” for a conference table for a local company. The smaller slabs on the outsides of the log will be 3”

 

[Dustin4185]

Nice wood!!!

 

[BlackCoffin]

Thanks! Hoping to finish it up next weekend. Going to go stack what I have cut while I have the forklift from work.

 

[JIMG]

Very nice. I like that telehandler.