Stepping back to a chainsaw mill.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

My first mill was a chainsaw mill. I decided it was alot of work, sold it and bought a bandsaw mill. that was 15 years ago. No regrets BUT I keep thinking I want to be able to mill live edge slabs that are bigger than the 24" my Norwood will make.

Sooo I bought a 48" alaskan.


I have a gnarly 10' section of chestnut oak I cut down in the spring. It's' about 25" across but flares out to 34" at the crotches.


Here I have mounted my slabbing rails, a couple of straight 10' 2x4s


After the slabbing cut and cutting the first slab.


3" thick and just under 10' long


It's some pretty wood.


It took 15 minutes and most of a tank of gas and oil per cut.
I let it and me cool down between cuts.
I'm using my old faithful 066 with a 42" bar and ripping chain.
After the 2nd cut I pulled the spark plug and it looked just right, about the color of a cardboard box.

I don't see me using this a lot but I'm glad I have it.
Just like I remembered, It's very labor intensive.
For the next cut I'm going to try to elevate the butt of the log so I'm cutting downhill.

I'm tired. :D
Jon

[caveman]

That looks good- has the potential to become some nice table material.

We bought a powerhead a few years ago for that purpose but have yet to find the log that would justify buying the ancillary equipment to produce wide slabs (bar, chain, guide, etc).

[Peter Drouin]

Nice oak, 8)

[YellowHammer]

If you drill two holes in the upright posts and bend a piece of 3/8 rod into a shaft and crank handle shape then you can run some paracord from the hand crank winch down under the cross tube and then to the end of the log.  Then all you have to do is turn the handle and the saw will more through the log much like the Logosol.  It's works great and removes about 75% of the effort

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I like that, have to give it a try.

[Ga Mtn Man]

YellowHammer, you are a clever fellow.

[Kbeitz]

Saw off the crank and hook on your battery drill...

[Weekend_Sawyer]

Yellowhammer, I made your mod and it works great! I cut 2 more slabs out of the log and it was much easier. There is a bit of flex in the 3/8 rod with the long span I have but it doesn't seem to be a problem. If the rod gets bent I'll move up to a thicker one.

Kebitz, I don't think the drill idea will work. For me in this big log I was making one rotation with the crank handle in about 5 seconds. It is a slow way to mill but the big slabs are worth it.

Here's a couple of pictures.


 



 

[Kbeitz]

Sounds like you need a rotisserie motor.

[drobertson]

Nice week end! Nice! I like it and that feed crank too!

[YellowHammer]

I'm glad it worked, I was thinking of naming it the YAMC (Yellowhammer Alaskan Mill Crank) as opposed to the (YHRRQT) Yellowhammer Reverse Roll Quartersawing Technique or Poston's IGAIOY  (I Got An I On Y'all)  :D :D I'm trying to come up with something that rolls of the tongue as easy as "Bibbying" or "Pineywoods Clamp".

It's amazing how much force that little crank handle will put on the mill, and it will allow you to get away from some of the noise and sawdust and not have to lean over the log.  I also used a plastic wire tie and made a loose loop around the trigger handle so when I got the saw rolling, I'd slip the loop over the trigger like a trigger lock, and was then able to get a more comfortable grip on the mill.  At the end of the cut, I'd slide the loop off the trigger to come back to idle.  If the rod is flexing but not breaking, that's a good thing, as long as it doesn't buckle, although a 1\2 inch would work also with the big span.  Spring and flex in the feed system is important as it gives the mill a constant feeding force and smooths out the loads on the saw, so I'd avoid going too stiff.  I tried steel cable and other less flexible and stretchy systems and they didn't work as well.

[Banjo picker]

Looks like the 088 that has been in retirement may have to go back to work.  Banjo

[WV Sawmiller]

Weekend,

   I think you should be banned from the forum for showing pictures like that and giving so many of us ideas like that. I am now sorely tempted to spend more money to get and set up such a rig. Man, that is some pretty slabs.

YH,

   Great adaption from what I see. I think if you do go into production and market such rigs they should sell readily as a WEPS system. Easy to remember and just flows off the tongue doesn't it. Yep, the War Eagle Portable Slabber sounds like the way to go.

[YellowHammer]

What??? WEPS?!  Flows off the tongue?? It flows off something! I just had to clean my computer screen!

I'll call it the Yellowhammer RTR modification!

[WV Sawmiller]

   Okay folks, while we wait for Yellowhammer to come around to the WEPS system I have a (reasonably) serious related question.

   From what I see it looks like one of the hard parts is to get the first flat/square edge as a starting point. I have seen 2X4s and ladders and such nailed or clamped to the log and used to do this. Are any of you with a band mill simply putting the log on your band mill (Obviously this won't work with those monster 4-5 foot diameter logs that are too big for your mill head to pass over but might work for the 30-34 inch logs) and taking off the first slab as wide as you can get between the blade guides then using that as your starting point for your Alaska mills?

   If so please advise how that works for you. Thanks.

[MP_Wall]

There was a guy on youtube that built a little mill out of roadside junk and built a pulley system with a weight on it that pulled the mill through the cut. Wouldn't it be possible to use a counterweight system to pull the saw through instead of winding it? The pressure would only allow the saw to move as fast as it can cut.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

There was a guy on youtube that built a little mill out of roadside junk and built a pulley system with a weight on it that pulled the mill through the cut. Wouldn't it be possible to use a counterweight system to pull the saw through instead of winding it? The pressure would only allow the saw to move as fast as it can cut.

Maybe but it seems to me that it would be hard to keep from stalling out the blade or over revving the engine due to not moving forward fast enough. The crank works great. I'm sticking with it.

My latest addition is an auxiliary oiler. Before when I would stop to put in some wedges I'd give it a squirt of 30 wt.
This little bugger here is an adjustable drip oiler. Can't wait to try it out, hopefully tomorrow.


 

For now I'll just let it drip on the tip. I didn't want to drill a hole in the bar.


 

[Weekend_Sawyer]

The drip oiler works ok but It doesn't quite drip enough.
I think i'll take it apart and file off the needle a little.

I upgraded my slabbing rails with some dex angle. now they don't flex and are nice and strait and 10 feet long and probably only weigh 10 lbs each.


 

I took a couple of slices off of another Chestnut oak that had the oak wilt pretty bad.
Made some very nice lumber.


 

That's all for now.
Jon

[richhiway]

I think on you tube a fellow mounted a boat winch on his to pull it along.

[Dan_Shade]

I just did an Amazon search and saw that Will Malloff's chainsaw book has been published again. ISBN 978-1626548442

That's a bargain, I had to pay well over $100 for my tattered copy.

He has several ingenious ideas for chainsaw lumber making.

Fine woodworking's "wood and how to dry it"  has good excerpts in it too ISBN 978-0918804549

[ToddsPoint]

My Logosol M7 has the little crank to pull the saw through the wood.  It works well.  I also set my mill up on a slight grade so gravity helps pull the saw through the wood.  Gary

[WV Sawmiller]

   I'm still hoping for an answer to my question in reply #14.

[FalconFan]

   I'm still hoping for an answer to my question in reply #14.

I have not done this but I dont see why it wouldnt work and be a whole lot easier than setting the guide rails up .  I might be trying this soon.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

The auxiliary oiler snapped off at the sight glass under the needle valve. So here's the new one I made out of PVC.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I tested the new oiler this evening and it worked just fine. I only had to turn it on the smallest amount to get a steady drip on the bar.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

This gnarly white oak is making some beautiful slabs. I ran out of steam this evening but can't wait to see what the next slab looks like through those knots.

[mad murdock]

Wow WS, you are "cranking" now!  Turning out a lot of real nice pieces!  8)

[cbla]

Nice Work!

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I took a couple of more cuts off of that big gnarly white oak. I sure am glad I did.

[Crossroads]

That's some pretty wood!

[tlbrooks]

do you think that oiler would work on a saw with a manual oiler or no oiler? would you need two for the bar one each end. 

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I would not use mine as a replacement for the saws oiler.
My auxiliary oiler drips on the bottom edge of the tip of the bar.

[RPF2509]

 I like how your oiler setup is vertical on the bar.  The Granberg bracket for their horizontal oiler will break at the weld over time.  I just let it drip enough oil to form a puddle at the tip and the chain takes what it needs.  No reason to drill a hole in the bar, it would just clog.  I'll have to try the crank setup too - looks like a real back saver.  15 minutes and a tank of gas is about right for hardwoods. Beautiful wood. Glad to see you have help for the slabs - they are heavy.

[richhiway]

Nice slabs.

[davetown12]

I've done a LOT of milling with the Alaskan mills and they are great for making those wide slabs. I like the crank idea! If you feel you are getting too much flex in the 3/8" rod try using 4140, it's a very durable tough alloy and wont flex nearly as much as mild steel. 
As for the oiler, try upgrading the saws oil pump to the high volume versions, makes a big difference.

[Savannahdan]

I picked up a small boat winch for my CSM and it installed just fine.  I pulled it off since I don't saw long logs and I wasn't using the winch.  Besides, it just adds too much weight.  I like the bent rod crank idea better.  Granberg has just released a cranker.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I was wondering when they were going to come out with one.
It makes milling much easier.

I'm happy with the Yellowhammer solution. ;D

[sawwood]

Weekend_sawyer I am too going to have a chainsaw mill in the 48 size. Tell me more about your oiler and what did you use to make it.
I will need one too and want to make ours.

Sawwood

[mike_belben]

It took a few tries but i got my winch located at the balance point so its a one handed carry handle for the entire rig.  I also much prefer the rope pulling from the sprocket end much more than from the center.  Its my silent partner always pushing exactly the right amount to keep cutting square to the grain.  I put a roller bearing on the handle and it turns nice and smooth, very convenient.  So much easier than pushing the whole rig.

[ToddsPoint]

Heavy duty crank looks good.  If you put a little pulley instead of the circle bolt at the end of your jig I'd bet it would pull even easier.  Gary

[Don P]

One more way to do feed, If your Dang/Deadheader trailer is at the end of the log and you have a long cable on the winch remote you can hook a rubber bungee from the winch cable to the crossbar and toggle the remote to keep rubber tension on the mill.

One other product that the CSM shines on is long timbers. We've been using my walkboard to ride on. That upside down U bracket is squared up and screwed to the log, indexing on the chalk line. When we get to it we just tick it on each side with the chain, unscrew, swing up one leg and feed it back around behind the bar, line up the tick mark with the kerf, rescrew and keep going. We have been shimming the center of the plank to the log to keep from bowing the plank down as we lean on it moving forward. On a long beam it can take several sets of the plank as you move down the timber.

[mike_belben]

Thats brilliant don.

Todd, i believe youre right, It would crank easier and help the rope, but then it unwinds easier too and kinda birds nests at the winch.  I actually rotated the eye bolt to make it bind the rope a little extra so when i take my hand off the winch for a second to push my glasses up or whatever, it doesnt freewheel out and let the saw back out of the cut.  It is a little tough on the rope but thats throwaway stuff.  It winds very easy, 2 fingers.


Biggest change i need is to make the tower posts triangular so that there are more screws at the base.  Its already loose from being torqued over so hard.  I didnt realize just how much force that thing would be generating, it does almost all the work.  I just keep the handle square to the grain with my trigger hand.

If you dont have a winch on your alaskan, build one right away.

[Ironmower]

Nice Jon! Can't wait til you get up this way. I have bin rounding up some really nice crotch pieces, of box elder, ambrosia maple, hickory and ash, to slab down. They're in the 50" range on the crotch end. Working on my home-brewed slabber now, 56" bar with a 16 hp twin cylinder briggs.

[123maxbars]

Good looking slabs you have there, enjoyed this post,

[Weekend_Sawyer]

Weekend_sawyer I am too going to have a chainsaw mill in the 48 size. Tell me more about your oiler and what did you use to make it.
I will need one too and want to make ours.

Sawwood

I made it out of 2" PVC with a cap on the bottom and a cleanout on the top. I put a 1/4 npt to barbed fitting in the bottom then a short pice of clear hose and then a 1/4 shutoff. I need to change that. The 1/4 npt to barbed fitting on the bottom is going to become a tee with the npt in the middle and barbed at either end. That will be moved to the lower side of the oil bottle, then I'll put a 1/4 90 at the top side directly above it with a clear hose between them. This way I can see how much oil is left in the bottle. Then move the output hose with shutoff over to the bottom of the tee and plug the hole in the bottom. The reason is that when I set the mill at 7 1/2" for my first slab it has to push the shutoff out of the way. It's just a little too close causing a pinch in the line restricting oiling.
Clear a mud right? I'll post pix when I get it done.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

We milled a triple crotch red oak yesterday. We were only able to get 4 slabs milled before it started raining.



 

I made an oil bottle with a clear sight tubi down it.

 

It works well and I get 4 cuts out of it before I have to refill.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I milled some nice walnut crotch last Sunday.
They are 2 1/2" thick, 40" wide and 36" long.
After the 3rd cut I had to sharpen my chain. Man that takes a while!
I think the 3rd pic looks like an elephant.
Jon



 

 

 

[caveman]

Juglans nigra var. pacadermis