CS Milling 101, Hints tips and tricks

[abbott295]

The pictures disappeared when the Arboristsite was hacked, late last year, wasn't it? Yes. a lot of great information disappeared.

 

[TractorEnvy]

Just started milling and have found a wealth of info here. I do have a question and cant seem to find the answer. When milling do you adjust the carb to highest RPMs or max torque or somewhere in between or no carb adjustment from normal use??

 

[PES+]

What happened to all the photo's towards the begin of this topic?

I suspect an evil conspiracy of a company wanting to copy Bob's designs.......




Scott (a lot of great info disappeared) B

No the site got attacked and held for ransom so the pic files were all stolen

 

[BobL]

I'm pretty sure I have reinserted all of my pics back into this thread. If anyone finds a post of mine with a missing pic please let me know.

Yeah I know "please put the pics back into the BIL Mill thread" - it will happen, one day.

 

[Rob D]

Thought I'd add to this thread and reiterate - keep increasing your knowledge of chain sharpening - it is everything.


Also now there are lots more people using winching kits. I'd stopped chainsaw milling in bulk a coupe of years ago - this winching kit takes a huge 80% strain off the operator and once used you would never go back again to pushing a mill. It's not a problem now to be milling most of the day.


Pull start cord stretches and evens the pull. Easy to control feed speed.


One of my customers demonstrating as below.

 

[BobL]

Thought I'd add to this thread and reiterate - keep increasing your knowledge of chain sharpening - it is everything.
Also now there are lots more people using winching kits. I'd stopped chainsaw milling in bulk a coupe of years ago - this winching kit takes a huge 80% strain off the operator and once used you would never go back again to pushing a mill. It's not a problem now to be milling most of the day.

If the chains is truly sharp even at shallow log angles there should be no need for even a winch.

 

[MrWho3006]

If the chains is truly sharp even at shallow log angles there should be no need for even a winch.
View attachment 348218

Now THAT'S my kind if milling! That's impressive. Work smarter, not harder. Man I have a lot to learn. Lol

 

[pete_86]

How about engine tuning? I have mine set slightly rich. Will a slight drop of rpm slow mill speed much? I plane my lumber after drying, so have been thinking of a semi skip chain maybe semi chisel. Hoping semi chisel won't dull as quick as full chisel? If someone is looking for speed would you still file to 10 degrees?

 

[BobL]

How about engine tuning? I have mine set slightly rich. Will a slight drop of rpm slow mill speed much?

CSMs don't cut at max RPM anyway so knocking a few hundred RPM off the top makes little difference to cutting speed.The tacho on my mill showst the typical RPMs for the 880 while cutting are around 8k for bigger/harder wood and 9-10 k for smaller softer wood.

I plane my lumber after drying, so have been thinking of a semi skip chain maybe semi chisel. Hoping semi chisel won't dull as quick as full chisel? If someone is looking for speed would you still file to 10 degrees?

Top platte filing angle (TPFA) makes little difference to cutting speed. The higher the TPFA the easier it is for the chain to cut end grain but this is negated by the cutters taking slightly more of a sideways dive into the wood and making a slightly bigger kerf.

 

[pete_86]

Thank you for your reply, it's greatly appreciated!

 

[SAWsquatch]

Great thread with great pictures thanks

 

[Blaisey]

I wondered where all the extra views on my video were coming from Rob! Glad you enjoyed it.

Blaisey

 

[thenne1713]

How about engine tuning? I have mine set slightly rich. Will a slight drop of rpm slow mill speed much? I plane my lumber after drying, so have been thinking of a semi skip chain maybe semi chisel. Hoping semi chisel won't dull as quick as full chisel? If someone is looking for speed would you still file to 10 degrees?

15, 10, 5 or zero, I do not recall which, but know the Woodwright shows the different cants on a hand-plane/ molding plane, some square, some angled, and explains why/ which works better with different types of wood. I believe the wood type determines whether 0 or 15-degree is better. Now (0-15) versus (25-30) is a different story and I believe the (0-15) will be smoother, which is easier on chain & saw (I.e. less-washboard= less future planing).

 

[BobL]

15, 10, 5 or zero, I do not recall which, but know the Woodwright shows the different cants on a hand-plane/ molding plane, some square, some angled, and explains why/ which works better with different types of wood. I believe the wood type determines whether 0 or 15-degree is better. Now (0-15) versus (25-30) is a different story and I believe the (0-15) will be smoother, which is easier on chain & saw (I.e. less-washboard= less future planing).

I don't believe washboarding is related to the top plate filing angle. More info and pics in this post.
http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...nts-tips-and-tricks.93458/page-6#post-4507792

Washboarding is more of a synchronisation issue between the chains speed and sharpness, forward or applied pressure, and the width of the cut.
Finish is mostly operator dependent with some effect from how the mill set up..
With care I can generate just as smooth a cut with 30º TPFA as I can with 10º TPFA
Mills that are not parallel or loosely put together will also tend to generate a poorer finish

 

[Lumber Jack Jason]

A range of setups

Basic setup - sorry if I keep posting this one but it's the clearest picture I have.

Unistrut log rails
View attachment 325837

Another basic setup using a ladder as log rails.
View attachment 325838

Boomerang shaped log
View attachment 325839
View attachment 325840

Another tricky to start log
View attachment 325841

Small mill with Mac 10-10
View attachment 325842

Serious sloped milling - mill went down by itself!
View attachment 325843

16ft cedar
View attachment 325844

Enough?

This is a great idea easy and readily available materials

 

[Lumber Jack Jason]

A range of setups

Basic setup - sorry if I keep posting this one but it's the clearest picture I have.

Unistrut log rails
View attachment 325837

Another basic setup using a ladder as log rails.
View attachment 325838

Boomerang shaped log
View attachment 325839
View attachment 325840

Another tricky to start log
View attachment 325841

Small mill with Mac 10-10
View attachment 325842

Serious sloped milling - mill went down by itself!
View attachment 325843

16ft cedar
View attachment 325844

Enough?

A range of setups

Basic setup - sorry if I keep posting this one but it's the clearest picture I have.

Unistrut log rails
View attachment 325837

Another basic setup using a ladder as log rails.
View attachment 325838

Boomerang shaped log
View attachment 325839
View attachment 325840

Another tricky to start log
View attachment 325841

Small mill with Mac 10-10
View attachment 325842

Serious sloped milling - mill went down by itself!
View attachment 325843

16ft cedar
View attachment 325844

Enough?

thanks for the ideas how do you have your end stands attached to the uni struts

 

[BobL]

thanks for the ideas how do you have your end stands attached to the uni struts

Check out the first page of this thread - towards the bottom of the page.

 

[Ironbark084]

My tips for Alaskan style milling
1) Clean the log of as much grit and bark as you can and clear sufficient working space around the log.

2) if at all possible, get the log up off the ground onto gluts or sawhorses so you are milling in as standing a position as possible. You should not have to bend over significantly or mill on your knees.

3) place the log on a slope so that you are milling downhill and gravity aids the cutting process

4) start with a freshly sharpened chain with rakers set correctly and don't let the chain go blunt. Stop and sharpen or change chains often.

5) add extra handles to the mill or wrap handle on the saw so your arms are not spread apart. This allows you to comfortably lean on the mill with straighten arms. The more handles you have, The more variations in arm and standing position you can use which helps relieve fatigue. Add anti vibe grips to handles.

6) If you are milling over about 24" in width consider adding an auxiliary oiler to the outboard end of the bar to protect the bar and chain.

7) add rollers or wheels to the inboard side of the mill that makes contact with the log so the mill does not constantly jam up against the side of the log

8) use log rails that are longer than the log so that the mill can perch on the end of the log while the saw is being started

9) on really hard wood, if the log is partially dry, remove the first 6" or so of the starting end of the log, so you are not cutting into dead dry wood where you lose 90% of the chain sharpness.

10) when finishing a cut, before stopping the engine let it idle for 30 seconds or so, so it can cool down a bit .

11) orient the milling so the saw is downwind of the operator to reduce exposure to exhaust and sawdust.

12) stop to admire and chimp the wood grain often - remember you will never see it looking so vivid and natural again, EVER!


Things to watch out for
a) the CS bar and the CS milling rails not being parallel to each other across the mill. This will cause the mill to rise or more likely dive making it harder and harder to cut. This can be cause by poor construction or dropping or damaging a mill.

b) loose nuts/bolts/bits on the saw and mill. If they fall they are dangerous if they hit the chain and you may never see them again amongst the piles of sawdust generated by milling. Check all fasteners and use Loctite where appropriate.

c) loose mill/bar bolts. If you forget, the chain could be toast in fractions of a second.

d) PPE. High quality hearing protection is even more essential than regular sawing because of the prolonged exposure. Consider using 30dB+ muffs.

e) pushing too hard. If you have to push hard, something is not right usually its just 4) especially the rakers not set properly but occasionally its a)

That will do for now!

Cheers

That was a great read. Very good advice.
I just joined today.
Could you please steer me where I can get some milling help.
I'm not sure why my 6 metre logs, cut with a Granberg/42 inch bar set up, slightly bows up in the middle.
Cheers
Andy

 

[skindaddy]

Thought I'd add to this thread and reiterate - keep increasing your knowledge of chain sharpening - it is everything.


Also now there are lots more people using winching kits. I'd stopped chainsaw milling in bulk a coupe of years ago - this winching kit takes a huge 80% strain off the operator and once used you would never go back again to pushing a mill. It's not a problem now to be milling most of the day.


Pull start cord stretches and evens the pull. Easy to control feed speed.

i'm just starting to get into research on the granberg mkIII (I think) can this winch be added to that mill? are you guys building your own winch or buy accessory/

anyone know of some good how to get started videos on youtube or such?

 

[joel logger]

Just wanted to say that the information in this thread is pure gold! For a newbie like me this forum is invaluable. I've been lurking here for a while and I'm particularly interested in the different ways of sharpening the rip chain. This is the most confusing part for a beginner like me. I've done some milling on and off now for about a year and I bought a grinder from Logosol to sharpen my chains, and as mentioned earlier theres a huge difference between a brand new stihl ripping chain and one thats been sharpened a few times.. It just won't bite like it did brand new! I see BobL talking about RA being the main culprit and I've been trying to figure this one out. Can anyone help me out by explaining how I would go about finding the RA on the chain, and how to actually set the right depth/angle, tools & techniques used etc.. All I got right now is the standard flat file and a guide plate for doing the rakers.