Hi guys..new to the fourm. Have been interested in making my own table or end table with my own stuff for a while now. But 2 weeks ago a huge 30" diameter oak blew down and I figured thats the time to finally try to make something. Did some google search and popped across this site ..but now im blown away what theres to it. I think with your help and reading up on posts on here i should scratch the surface and get my feet wet with cutting up some wood.I found a used Husqvarna 3120 XP chainsaw and Alaskan saw mill with a 3 ft ripping blade and a 3 ft cutting blade. The guy wants 2000 obo for it.Thats a bit steep for a casual first time guy that wants to try ...reallly wants to try making something with wood. Wondering what you think of the price.
Pointers on how to start milling own wood?..im green as the wood itself
- Thread starter koolken
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jrhannum
ArboristSite Member
better slow down -- find a mentor; $2k is not peanuts
a 3120 is a lotta saw for a beginner, will eat yer breakfast; once ya slab that oak there's a couple of years of drying before you plane it off and have the material for the table; (unless ya can access a kiln) ; read all of this forum -- lots of experience has been shared for free; I was once a young Turk; learned many expensive lessons, now am a wise old fart -- would help you but Manitoba is too far.
a 3120 is a lotta saw for a beginner, will eat yer breakfast; once ya slab that oak there's a couple of years of drying before you plane it off and have the material for the table; (unless ya can access a kiln) ; read all of this forum -- lots of experience has been shared for free; I was once a young Turk; learned many expensive lessons, now am a wise old fart -- would help you but Manitoba is too far.
It's not that complicated, we're just a part of the nerdy chainsaw milling community that make it seem so ;-)
If you just want to suck it and see a chainsaw mill can be made from two pieces of all thread and a few pieces of wood and you don't need a 3120 to mill a 30" diameter log.
The most important thing to be able to do is sharpen chains.
If you just want to suck it and see a chainsaw mill can be made from two pieces of all thread and a few pieces of wood and you don't need a 3120 to mill a 30" diameter log.
The most important thing to be able to do is sharpen chains.
What Bobl said. I bought a new 660 Stihl with 2 bars and a lot of extra stuff for $1200. But I milled for 4 or 5 years with an old Homelite Super 1050 (100CC). I had a guy give me a Homelite XL 923 (82CC). I bought a 30" bar and chain off Ebay for less than $75. You don't have to break the bank to get started. My biggest learning curve was between sharp, and milling sharp. I used my 1050 to buck up a couple Oak logs for fire wood. It was still cutting like hot butter. Put it on the mill and thought I had picked up the wrong saw, could hardly push it through the wood. Milling Oak I have to touch up the chain every 3, maybe 4 slabs. Most of my logs are in the 24" to 30" by 8'. For furniture grade wood you do need to dry it. Rule of thumb for air drying, one year for every inch of thickness. But I have used green wood for lots of out door stuff like benches and have been happy with the results. I made a work bench for my wife's garden shed out of green Fir. I milled it one day and built the bench the next. I think I used MinWax pour on Poly to cover it. Used deck screws from the bottom to screw it to the 2X4 frame, turned out pretty good. By the way, welcome to the site. Learn how to post pictures, we like to see your mill and projects, Joe.
Saturday a log.
Sunday a bench.
Saturday a log.
Sunday a bench.
Blisters
ArboristSite Operative
Welkm hannum. You can go as cheap or as expensive as u want with milling. Here's my first milling results [photo="medium"]3888[/photo] used a 42cc homelight and just took my time and a extremely sharp chain. Made the mill our of a few scrap pieces of steel I had. Paid 82 bucks for the saw. Had a mill for some time and less than $100.
PheasantHunter
ArboristSite Member
Do you want to mill your own wood or just build some tables from this oak tree? If it is the latter look for someone in the area with a bandsaw mill and hire them to cut the oak up. If you want to do both, your probably at the right site, you might even save some money in the long run over buying furniture at the fancy furniture store, maybe : ))
I've been wanting to do this for a while now but really didn't know where to start. This site will help me alot
Well, with that giant crack, I think I might make some big wooden wedges, we call them gluts, and finish splitting the log in half. Then chock and block the log up so the crack is vertical, and mill it as two separate logs. If you get a straight 2X6 longer than the log, leave enough board hanging over the log to set your mill on. Screw a 1X1X6" to the bottom of the 2X6. Butt it up as tight as you can to the log and then screw a couple 3 inch screws straight into the log. Straight in through the 1X1, not down. Go to the other end and do the same thing, that should be rigid enough to make your first cut. As the surface gets wider you will only need to screw one end. You might put 1 or 2 shorter screws down through the top of the 2X6 to keep it from sliding sideways, but it shouldn't. If you do put screws down, make sure they are short enough not to get into your cut. If you cut 5/4 or 6/4 boards, you would get quite a few. After planing them you would be right at 1" boards. If that sounds confusing, just say so, and I will take pics of the way I use a 2X6 on small logs, and odd shaped logs like that one split in half. I have one small Hemlock log to mill and my court will be cleaned up, and my wife will be happy, Joe.
Here's my quicky cheapo guide board. Started by getting the little Hemlock log up off the ground, it may be close to 12" diameter.
I used a 2X6X8 that was laying around from another project. Found a 1X1 to attatch guide board to log.
Screwed 1X1 to guide board with short screws.
I used a 2X6X8 that was laying around from another project. Found a 1X1 to attatch guide board to log.
Screwed 1X1 to guide board with short screws.
Then I try to find the flattest side of the log and attatch guide board.
Because of the curve in the log you may have to get your first screws in close under the guide.
Because of the curve in the log you may have to get your first screws in close under the guide.
Here's 660 with 36" bar ready to knock the cap off.
My yellow wedge is sitting on the end of the first cut. It makes it look like the cut is crooked, but it's just an optical confusion.
Now, on the next cut the flat spot is wider and you can move your screws out some where they are easier to get to.
My yellow wedge is sitting on the end of the first cut. It makes it look like the cut is crooked, but it's just an optical confusion.
Now, on the next cut the flat spot is wider and you can move your screws out some where they are easier to get to.
From this point it was taking about one minute per cut. I just put the chain brake on and set the saw aside to idle. Unscrew the 1X1 just enough to pull the guide off the log, don't pull the screws far enough out to drop them. Take the milled board off and put the guide board back on.
Got 4 good 6/4 boards, and one half of a usable board, from one of the caps. From the first picture to the last was way less than an hour, maybe 30-40 minutes. Oak would have taken a good bit longer. I haven't sharpened this chain yet. Milled 15 redwood boards, 12 Blue Spruce, and two small hemlock logs. These soft woods are so much fun I may never mill another Oak or Hickory. Mill on brother, Joe.
Got 4 good 6/4 boards, and one half of a usable board, from one of the caps. From the first picture to the last was way less than an hour, maybe 30-40 minutes. Oak would have taken a good bit longer. I haven't sharpened this chain yet. Milled 15 redwood boards, 12 Blue Spruce, and two small hemlock logs. These soft woods are so much fun I may never mill another Oak or Hickory. Mill on brother, Joe.
I might not have been clear, never take the 1X1 off of the guide board, just back the screws out of the log end to remove guide, Joe.
Pauls_Workshop
ArboristSite Operative
Hi Koolken and welcome here. I'm fairly newer to milling myself, but am on year 3 of it and have learned a ton the first few years. I recommend you read the "smallest cc saws used for milling thread". I would not buy a big expensive saw or setup to start with. You can mill with something much smaller. A 60 cc saw could easily handle your oak logs with a simple vertical mill on it. Perhaps you could rent one - not sure what is available where you live. Even a 50 cc saw could do it, just slower. You may find milling isn't really for you! Or you may find you really enjoy it like I do and others here. I find it relaxing and fun, but it is a slow, physical, and time consuming hobby for sure! - Paul
