My first milling

[quietfly]

Slab out in the biggest pieces you can, ie thicker, and then as the wood dries re-saw . you loose some wood to kerf, and you have to cut multiple times, but so far, for me i've gotten way less twist and warp on my 4-6 inch thick slabs than on my 2 1/2 inch ones.....
JMO YMMV

 

[MustangMike]

What kind of wood? This stuff seem relatively dry, it is the Oak I'm planning to mill that scares me.

 

[quietfly]

Cherry and Maple. I want to grab another Cherry barked Oak from the tree service, but the wife is due any day and i've been forbidden from starting any type of "big Project"

 

[MustangMike]

Too late, your "big project" is in motion, best of luck with it! That is the important stuff, the rest can wait!

 

[MustangMike]

Was hot as H*** today, but I milled one 7' Shag Hickory in the am, took a long break (had to do several things at home), then went back and milled a second one. Got 4 nice 2" boards from each log. Clothes got so sweat soaked had to change shirts & paints after each log, but I ended up with 8 nice boards.

I've got the routine down for this size log, but that 40" Red Oak still intimidates me. Looked it over again today and don't see any easy way to attack it!

If anyone has advice on milling the large diameter stuff, please share.

Although my ported 77 cc saws seem to pull through this stuff fairly fast, the chain usually stops about 3 or 4 times per board, making me wish I had a 90 cc saw!

 

[quietfly]

Looking good!!!! Get it stacked and stickered before it curls in this humidity!!!!!!

 

[MustangMike]

Done!

 

[quietfly]

Nice , looked like way too much work to do..... I'm kind of glad I'm sitting at home on baby alert. The due date is technically today (8/13) but so far nothing has happened...... My father in law has 3 12 foot sections of 30 inch hemlock waiting for me... I told him after the baby comes....

 

[Shawn Curry]

If anyone has advice on milling the large diameter stuff, please share.

Well Mike, my earlier offer still stands... Bring it over to my place!

I think the guide rails for the logosol normally sit outboard from the log. You could set your guides up the same way. Cut a couple rectangles out of plywood to rest the guide on. These would get screwed to the ends of the log, aligned to reference marks at each end.

Its a matter of planning from there. I like to use a level to draw H and V reference marks through the heart center of the log. If you're working on the one you already flattened, you could also measure from the flat side on down with a tape. Decide on your slab thickness, and continue drawing the rest of your reference marks from there.

You'll need to allow for the saw kerf between each slab; to measure it accurately, make a kerf in a "test log" first and measure that. For the logosol type setup, you also need to measure where it's actually going to cut, as that point will be some distance above where the plywood ends need to be positioned.

By the way, these aren't my ideas. These techniques are discussed in "Chainsaw Lumbermaking" by Will Malloff - considered by many to be "the Bible" of CSM.

 

[RI Chevy]

Hey Mike. Thinking outloud for a moment. maybe slice the tree in half and then try milling it. or better yet, thirds. It will be easier to work with.

Boy, we really Hijacked Doc's thread here. lol

 

[MustangMike]

Shawn, thanks for the great advice, I have already made a guide, and was thinking of setting it up "outside" instead of inside to accommodate the tree diameter. I would need to start the cut freehand enough to bury the bar before installing the guide (so the supports don't get cut).

The problem is, it would rapidly get into some very wide cuts, which is what I am trying to avoid.

Jeff, I have thought of Halfing or Quartering before I start milling, but I think that does not result in the best use of the lumber, which is why I'm asking these questions. There likely is no easy way to handle this darn thing, but I dread starting a Hardwood cut that will exceed 20".

 

[RI Chevy]

I hear ya Mike. Sometimes you have to give a little to get a little.

 

[Shawn Curry]

Shawn, thanks for the great advice, I have already made a guide,

I'm not sure if I communicated my idea well enough. I meant to suggest another way of using the guide you already made (1st pic in your second batch of pics). But, I suppose if you're attaching it to the other flat face, that will work too.

If it was more a concern about power, didnt Al say he had a ported 066? In 40" oak, even that would still be less than I'd like. Filing the teeth back and keeping the rakers high could help, but cutting speed will of course be sacrificed.

I know my Tree Monkey 880 could do the trick - Ive made some 52" wide cuts in Black Walnut. I'd want some cooler weather for that though - it was grueling even in 50 degree weather.

 

[junkman]

Shawn, thanks for the great advice, I have already made a guide, and was thinking of setting it up "outside" instead of inside to accommodate the tree diameter. I would need to start the cut freehand enough to bury the bar before installing the guide (so the supports don't get cut).

The problem is, it would rapidly get into some very wide cuts, which is what I am trying to avoid.

Jeff, I have thought of Halfing or Quartering before I start milling, but I think that does not result in the best use of the lumber, which is why I'm asking these questions. There likely is no easy way to handle this darn thing, but I dread starting a Hardwood cut that will exceed 20".

I had a cedar but cut i had to quarter ,it loses a lot of material if do not get the cuts pretty strait ,was close to 4 foot thick .still got a lot of nice boards from it .

 

[Shawn Curry]

You could also square the 3rd (and 4th) side. Take a thick slab to reduce the remaining width of the cant, and mill that piece separately.

 

[mdavlee]

I have milled 27" wide with my 046 and a stock 7900. Set the chain up and it will pull itself through the wood at about 9500 rpm. Any lower and the chain will stop and higher it seems to chatter.

On the 40" stuff I would want a 395 with the 50" and a 48" mill. If you quarter saw it then you have more options for not moving the huge slabs.

 

[junkman]

If could slab out to the middle section ,would make a nice table top .

 

[quietfly]

Honestly it really depends what you have planned for the wood. IMO quarter sawn oak looks better anyway. Sometimes it's better to sacrifice some quantity for quality.

 

[MustangMike]

I like using the 24" bar cause it is a wide nose bar in .063 ga. Also have a 28" light in .063, but that will not add much length. My 36" light bar is .050, and has RSLH on it. I think full comp is better for milling, and I'd like to stick with .063 ga, but may get a full comp 36" chain & switch.

 

[MustangMike]

With the Timberjig installed, the 24" bar only provides a 21" cut max, 20" if I use the wooden guide.