ripping chain

[etat]

I remember even back years ago seeing advertisments for some kind of a attachment to use with a chain saw to rip boards for use as lumber.  Now back at that time I was cuting a lot of firewood every year and when I''d see me one of those ads I'd think it was a big ole scam cause I knew my old saw didn't cut worth a 'DanG' lengthways.  Old homelite with an 18 inch bar. Cutting oak, ash, and a few hickory along.  Lots of it was follering logging trucks and cutting up tops they left. Anyways, figured all this'd  be good for is just to burn up your saw and kill yourself while you was doint it.  Now here lately here and there I've heard there's such a thing as a ripping chain for a chainsaw. I'd like to find out a little more about such things.

[Kevin]

You can buy a commercial ripping chain right out of the box, here's one Oregon example.



These chains feature a special factory grind for making dimensional boards and planks from larger timbers by "ripping" (cutting parallel to the wood grain).

    * Standard chassis and cutter parts are used; cutter grind is the only difference from standard chains
    * For use on chain-type sawmills; not recommended for hand-held use
    * LubriLink™ tie straps help keep oil where it's needed - on the chain
.

Here's a supply link ...
http://www.fosterssales.com/

[Duane_Moore]

 8) good question,  good answer, thought the forum got lost is high teck stuff,, this is for me, need the basics    thanks keep up the simple stuff,,   Duane

[etat]

Does these things work pretty good.  Saw some pictures a while ago with a guy running a BIG saw to split a BIG tree.  Something more suited to me for now would be to build up something for hobby work.  Specifically maybe square up some fair sized cedar logs enough to split on a table saw.  I just hate to think of them cedar logs going to waste, and there's not really enough to justify carring over into the next county and getting the amish to saw for me.  (translation:  I'd like to have me a new toy to play with)  

[Duane_Moore]

 8) me too,  new toys, get bored with them so easy anymore, want a  Alaska mill to see if I like it, was lookin at the, saw buddy, band saw for 1900$ but what if i don't like cuttin wood,  got too many toys to get rid of now, I like this tread, Duane

[Kevin]

The Alaskan will cut perfect lumber if you put in the effort.
You need a true slabbing rail and it must be installed properly so the first cut is perfect then all others will follow.
It's labour intensive, stinky , loads of fun and usually leads to a bigger mill. --Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--.com/album/13012199FerMiAUOtI

[Oregon_Rob]

Did someone say cedar and chainsaw mill?
I rescued a cedar log that had blown down from the burn pile and milled it with my chainsaw. 8)

[Minnesota_boy]

Kevin,
Will the purchase of a bigger mill lead one backwards towards a chainsaw mill?  

I've considered making a carriage for my Woodmizer to carry a chainsaw mill just to have the ability to mill wider slabs.  I forsee demand for tabletops that are 3 feet or wider.

[Kevin]

A guy should have a few of each.  ;D

[etat]

type of saw required, bar length, plans to build?

[Kevin]

type of saw required ?
The bigger the better, 90+cc.
bar length?
Depends on the size of mill you buy or build and the size of log to be milled.
plans to build?
Can't help you there, I bought my mill.

[fencerowphil (Phil L.)]

Hey CK,

When you consider the relatively low cost of milling frames,  you would just have to love to tinker (admittedly I do) to make it worthwhile to build your own.   The two primary candidates are the Granberg Alaskan and the GB.   They are very different in construction and the price directly reflects that difference:   The GB costs more and looks worth every penny of increased cost.

GB:  snssawshop.com, as well as Fosterssales.com
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=654f7d1afffcc2f664b46a238085bae4&threadid=11326

Granberg:
http://www.madsens1.com/granberg.htm

Masden's has best price on some models.  ToolCenter beats them on the larger models.
Phil L.

[IndyIan]

Cktate,
Depending on what kind and size of wood you're doing you can get away with a smaller saw.  I do mostly White Pine 14-18"diameter, with a 372 and it works pretty well.  I stay away from 14"+ hardwoods though, I feel they work the saw to hard.  

I only add this so you don't feel you have to buy a monster saw to try out chainsaw milling.  If you plan your cuts you can make a 12" log into 2by8's without making a cut much over 8" wide.   8)  If you want to make 4by4's out of  6" softwood trees you might get away with a 50-55cc saw if the chain is always kept very sharp.  Just be careful with your saw as its easy to burn it out milling.  Long term, the bigger saw is better but you can make boards with the smaller saw's.

Ian
  

[Gus]

Kevin,

Nice set of pictures of milling. Thanks.

[Kevin]

Thanks;
I did that for people starting out.
When I got into it there was nothing available and it was all trial and error.

[Oregon_Rob]

I would like to second that.
Thanks very much to Kevin. You have helped many people, including myself, get started in milling. Also, thanks for moderating a bunch of unruly, wood tick, wanta-bees like us. Guys like you are to few and far between.
A couple of other guys who deserve honorable mention for sharing their knowledge of chainsaw milling are Ralph Foster and a guy who goes buy the name of Lumber Dennis on the Yahoo forum. Thanks guys.

[IndyIan]

I'll second Oregon_Rob's second
Reading what Kevin and the guys at the yahoo group have wrote convinced me that you can make boards with a chainsaw!  
Good work guys!

[Kevin]

Thanks;
I appreciate that.

[aothmer]

This site has some good info about chainsaw milling.

http://home.nc.rr.com/cquade/milling.htm

[Kevin]

That's good I can add that one to my site, thanks.
I wonder if he took out the fence when he dropped that elm tree?

[Toolboy]

Hi Kevin,

The fence didn't take a direct hit but it did get sprayed with debris!  

What looks like it could be a crunched fence is actually the gate swung open to the tree.  (The gate is driveway width.)  If you look carefully behind my friend in the upper left corner you can see that he's standing in front of a post and that the fence extends to the left out of the picture.  The gate swings across the driveway to the post in the middle of the photo with the red flag near the top.  My friend had removed the fencing from the 3 posts just behind the tree before I arrived, thinking that I'd fell the tree in that direction.  The tree looked to me like it wanted to go more to the left so that's how I dropped it. My friend said that either way was fine with him so long as it fell away from his garage (shadow in the photo).

The elm I milled from that tree is pretty but so dense that I can hardly get it to take a stain!

Christopher

[Stephen_Wiley]

Christopher,

Welcome to the forum, interesting web site  - how long have ya been a woodbug?

[etat]

For those of us green horns that haven't ever tried ripping I've got a couple of questions.  How do you get the first cut straight, is there anything important we ought to know about that.  Is kickback a concern or problem when running one of these type outfits.  What are the danger factors of doing this, is there anything specific we can learn other than normal chainsaw safety that we should be aware of.  How many board feet can you expect to cut before the chain needs sharpening. For those of you that have done this, can you tell us of any problems you had starting out?  

[Kevin]

 Christopher , thanks for documenting your work, it's a big help to anyone just starting out.
I have only milled one large elm with the chainsaw and it wanted to twist every which way when drying.
I have it stickered on the bottom of a pile of lumber here but haven't looked at it lately.

[fencerowphil (Phil L.)]

A few questions, eh? :P ;D

How do you get the first cut straight, is there anything important we ought to know about that?

As Christophers' and Kevin's pictures show,  a guide rail or plank system is a must.   If  "eye-balling" it doesn't cut it for you, pulling a string end-to-end down your rails/plank, can show any sag.  Levelling each end with a bubble level will get rid of "wind" or twist in your guide. If the slab is being intentionally set out of level,  You can lay a straight item 3' to 4' long across each end and sight down the log to eliminate twist.

Is kickback a concern or problem when running one of these type outfits?

If you don't use kerf wedges behind a really wide cut you can waste power, but  it is rare to get truly dangerous kickback.

What are the danger factors of doing this, is there anything specific we can learn other than normal chainsaw safety that we should be aware of?

Chainsaws are dangerous, period.  (Just ask my left knee.)  Actually, once a saw is in a ripping frame based upon a rail guide system, it is safer than a bare chain saw.  The rig Kevin shows for edging has a lot of exposed chain, so you can see that this type procedure is more dangerous that the actual ripping.  If you don't like edging, just plan to cut a three-sided cant, so that all your edging is done as you rip the cant.

How many board feet can you expect to cut before the chain needs sharpening?

That varies greatly.   Taking a stab, I would say 120' on the tough hombres, such as Live Oak, Pecan, or dried hardwood logs in general, to 300-400 plus for "nicer" woods such as Yellow Poplar or Eastern White Pine.

For those of you that have done this, can you tell us of any problems you had starting out?

You kiddin'?   EVERYTHINK was a problem!  Hey, that's part of the fun. :D
         Not setting up for a good straight first cut.
         Not understanding how fast the chain would dull.
         Not understanding how much difference in "stay
              sharp" thick fibrous, dirty bark would cause.
         Not tightening the mill onto the bark enough and
               cutting half way thru the bolts because of it.
         Not understanding how long set-up and log/cant
               manipulation would take in proportion to the
               actual cutting time.
         Not realizing that hitting a nail can't be overcome
               by just a few strokes of the file.  You must
               swap chains or have a grinder to cut away
               that level of damage to the cutters.
Here is the process in smilies:
            :( :P
                       >:( :P
                                    : :P
                                                :-/   :P      
P.S.   Study the photos, and get "the book".

Phil L.