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Advice needed on chainsaw milling.

Started by diyguy, January 01, 2017, 01:53:06 PM

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Jesper Jepsen

Yes RPF2509 I had speed up some part of it. Normally this is as small as I go with exceptions if I get my hands on some very special species as thorn and fruit tree. This wood is for woodworking, cabinets and so. I prefer to mill above 22" in diameter logs and around 9' long into 2,5" boards.
One thing I have found out is to set the depth gauge a little deeper that on a normal crosscut chain especially when cutting everything else than oak and beech it speeds the milling up and the dust is coarser and don't fly around as much as the finer dust do. On the bigger logs I use the hand winch to get a uniform speed (and a better surface on the board) and to get the strain of my back.
The chain I use for milling is the Granberg ripping chain.

RPF2509

 I was wondering what the winch was for and yes it would allow a smoother cut.  Here are some pictures of my setup.
A big cedar down, bar on the Stihl just cleared the opposite side bark, there is a lot of taper in this tree.

I use a ladder to set a straight level surface for my first cut

Lots of wedges to keep it level, plumbers tape to keep it all in place - just remember to pull the nail loose before the blade gets there

Once the slab is cut I use my Husky 51 mounted on the Beam machine to edge or cut out beams.  I'm making fence posts here and one run down, flip the saw around back the other way gets you a six inch wide post. I cut the slab six inches thick so I get a 6x6 post. Need it sturdy to handle the snow.

RPF2509

Here is the complete setup.  Mill has the factory oiler but it did not last long mounted up on the post due to vibration.  A bunch of zip ties hold it in place.  Foam pad on the bar helps keep vibration off the hands.  Still a loud, dusty, physically hard job but it works and I get fenceposts from what would be firewood.  The mill paid for itself when I slabbed up a 48" x 16' redwood log - think the pig roast table.  Since then it cut 2x's and 4x's for my shed foundation and has sliced burl into boards. Here the trusty 51 edges the swell off the butt so the mill will fit.

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