Pointers on how to start milling own wood?..im green as the wood itself
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IyaMan
Addicted to ArboristSite
If you want to mill that 30" oak, realize that with a Grandberg mill you will lose about 4" of bar width due to the mill clamps on the bar, so a 30" bar will only give about 26" width max.
Also, a 50cc class saw will have a heck of a time pulling a chain long enough to get through a 30" oak in a mill. You will really run the risk of wrecking the saw, and it will take a long time for each cut even if the saw survives. Also, a 30"+ bar/chain combo will be a $100+ investment, not to mention a mill that big will be $200-300 more.
What you may want to consider is splitting the log in two pieces by cutting it halfway through down the center by making two passes (one on either side) with the tip embedded and using a shorter blade (20" maybe) and either a mini-mill or small log mill (neither of these attach at the tip, so you can sink the bar all the way in). Then, once its cut in two, you can mill out narrower boards in the other direction.
(This is using whats called a Logosol style mill and only cutting off the edge, but you can see what I mean by cutting on either side with two passes and embedded tip)
However, realize that on this initial cut this will still be a lot of load on your saw, so you should take it easy, let it cool down every minute (just let it idle a minute or two and let its own fan cool it, don't just immediately turn off the saw), and therefore don't run out of gas while the engine is hot (milling can suck up the gas, so you may need to refuel mid-way depending on how long the log is). A very hot saw just after cutting will continue to increase in temperature for at least the first minute if you turn it off. Many a saw has seized while off due to this.
Also, with the bar tip embedded like this, its hard to get enough oil on the chain. This will also add friction/heat, and so will a dull chain, so keep it sharp!
Again, if you go this route, take it easy, but to be honest, I think that a 290 will still be a bit on the small side for such a big tree.
Also, a 50cc class saw will have a heck of a time pulling a chain long enough to get through a 30" oak in a mill. You will really run the risk of wrecking the saw, and it will take a long time for each cut even if the saw survives. Also, a 30"+ bar/chain combo will be a $100+ investment, not to mention a mill that big will be $200-300 more.
What you may want to consider is splitting the log in two pieces by cutting it halfway through down the center by making two passes (one on either side) with the tip embedded and using a shorter blade (20" maybe) and either a mini-mill or small log mill (neither of these attach at the tip, so you can sink the bar all the way in). Then, once its cut in two, you can mill out narrower boards in the other direction.
(This is using whats called a Logosol style mill and only cutting off the edge, but you can see what I mean by cutting on either side with two passes and embedded tip)
However, realize that on this initial cut this will still be a lot of load on your saw, so you should take it easy, let it cool down every minute (just let it idle a minute or two and let its own fan cool it, don't just immediately turn off the saw), and therefore don't run out of gas while the engine is hot (milling can suck up the gas, so you may need to refuel mid-way depending on how long the log is). A very hot saw just after cutting will continue to increase in temperature for at least the first minute if you turn it off. Many a saw has seized while off due to this.
Also, with the bar tip embedded like this, its hard to get enough oil on the chain. This will also add friction/heat, and so will a dull chain, so keep it sharp!
Again, if you go this route, take it easy, but to be honest, I think that a 290 will still be a bit on the small side for such a big tree.
Pauls_Workshop
ArboristSite Operative
I see the 290 as a 56cc saw. I run a 28" bar for milling on my Echo cs-590 at 60cc, but use only full skip and milling chain teeth for that. 30 inch bar would certainly be pushing it for the 290. I think you could, but you wouldn't want to do it very long that way. It would just be slow to cut it. You could also tackle it with quartersawing it in 4 chunks instead of 2 with a 18 or 20" bar. That would not be with an Alaskan Mill of course, but a top down "beam machine" or similar mini mill. - Paul
EDIT: Just read the post just above by Iyaman that showed up after mine was written. Similar thoughts here as above, quartersawing it or 1/2 way on each side to get to the full slice. I was thinking vertical cutting, but the horizontal shown works fine too if you have that setup. Also, however you do it, be sure to cut out the center of it where the rings start, which is the pith. That will lead to checking/cracking on the ends, so best to cut it out, 2-3" section right through it. Turn that section into two boards with the pith removed from both. Use that central pith beam in your garden for a post or for rough utility use only, as it will crack all along it and through it. I always do this as a best practice to reduce checking/cracking.
Pauls_Workshop
ArboristSite Operative
Yes, super instructions Rarefish!!!! Easy low cost method to get going milling! - Paul
I use an MS290 with 18" bar to mill 6X6's. It works well for that, using a Haddon Lumber Maker. It was the first stihl I ever owned, so I wasn't, still not, up on Stihl interchangability. I asked if I could get a 30" bar, not to use that much bar, bit, to get it to fit the Alaskan better, and was told NO, they don't make a bar that big for that mount. He might have thought I was nuts, I never followed up. These are milled on 3 sides and were used for the floor beams in an addition to my hunting trailer in WV, Joe.
wombler
ArboristSite Member
That sounds like a porky-pie. I'm pretty sure the MS290 is a 3003 mount, which is what everything up to and including the 066/MS660 use, and you can definitely get a 30" (or even 42") for an 066. From another thread:
So, while whoever told you that you can't *get* a bar that big for your saw was being economical with the truth, is it necessarily a good idea to whack on a giant bar? I'm not so sure.
A longer bar isn't *only* going to put more load on the clutch/drivetrain when it's buried to the tip in hardwood. The extra drag of more drive links in the groove, and the added inertia of having to make more metal move, is all going to be putting more pressure on parts of the saw than they were intended to take. It's entirely possible that it'll be fine, but I just wanted to mention that it's not *just* about how much of the bar you're actually cutting with.
