Walnut milling last month

[Yellowbeard]

I finally got to the biggest log the mailman gave me last summer. It's been sitting in the back yard of a friend's house for a year (they were ready to get rid of it, though, to be honest, they never use their back yard).

Thought I would share some images. I'll also link to some videos below. Some pictures of the Yellowbeard Auto-Oiler Mark-I in there plus the obligatory nail that was in the dead center of the tree. The Oiler has since been painted Stihl Orange. One of the videos shows the drip speed I have the auto-oiler set at and another shows the chain tension (it's damn hard to get the chain tensioned on 5 feet of bar). Would love advice about both (drip speed and tension). I think the tension was too low but things worked ok.

Video Links:










Pictures:

 

[Yellowbeard]

Couple more videos.

 

[ncpete]

Nice looking walnut!

 

[SDB777]

What happened at 0:26seconds on video #IMG 3879?

While I appreciate a good video of milling as much as the next guy, sure would like to see a 'start to finish' video, the short ones you have done are ok, just too short to get involved in them, just as they 'grab' your attention....they end. Try to find a tripod, set it up somewhere away from the 'downwind dust', and let it roll. There are also 'freeware' programs like Window Live Movie Maker, you could even edit short video into one longer video.....

That's a lot of bar, and I don't believe you will ever get the chain as tight as you are "use to seeing", as compared to the shorter bar lengths.... Get it too tight and you put a lot of stress on the saw.




Scott (cut some more stuff) B

 

[IanB22]

Dude...nice work and that looks like some really interesting stuff. Keep it up!

 

[BigOakAdot]

Looks like the aux oiler fell off sdb. What kind of saw is that an 084 or something? And what did you use to jack up a log that big? Thanks.

BOA

 

[chuckwood]

And what did you use to jack up a log that big? Thanks.

I've got a method of jacking up very heavy logs that works well for me. I have a serious heavy duty piece of angle iron with 3/4" holes drilled in one side around 8" apart. I drill big pilot holes, and using 3/4" lag screws, fasten the angle iron onto the end of the log, using a big monster drill with a socket driver. Needless to say, I've got a portable generator for power on my milling trailer. Then I place some 3 ton automotive type jacks under the ends of the angle iron (that stick out past the sides of the log on each end). These jacks have long pump handles on them so if something goes wrong, I'm around four feet away from the log. As the log goes up, I place slabs of wood under it and/or under the jacks until I get the height I want. Sounds time consuming, but it goes quick enough using power tools. The only other option I can think of to raise a huge log is diesel powered heavy equipment (that I don't have.)

 

[Yellowbeard]

Wow. Didn't notice all these replies. I've been busy every weekend (in part milling the giant white oak I've posted elsewhere).

Let me see if I can sum up:

Scott, at 0:26. the aux oiler Mark I just up and jumped out of the top of the upright I had jammed it in. That's a round piece of pipe stuck in the box tube upright of an Alaskan Mk. II (you know us Arkansawyers - we're stupid enough to try and put a round peg in a square hole). So I pulled it and got a hammer and made that round tube square for a couple of inches - it hasn't fallen out again since.

Also for Scott: You're right - I need to do a start to finish and I keep meaning to. Someone else is always shooting and they get bored I guess. I will try and set up a tripod and shoot a whole run. I would like some critiques. I also sort of figured out that the chain was never going to be as tight as on a smaller bar - totally makes sense but it sure does tend to move around a lot when it's running. In one of those videos I was trying to get the cameraman to point the camera at the chain/bar. I could see a gap between the chain and the bar when it was running. Haven't had a lot of problems with it jumping off though, so I guess it's ok.

BigOakAdot - yes, that's an 084 hooked up to a 60" GB bar. To lift the log I first used some big lag bolts to screw a 2X4 flush to the end grain. I then used a 4' ratcheting farm jack to lift it. I got that idea from Bobl, somewhere on another thread. In a way it's sort of similar to what chuckwood described above.

I'll post some pictures of the big white oak I am working on soon. It's a beautiful piece of wood (too bad it's not mine). But milling it is paying for the bar, chains, and other setup you see above. Maybe I'll end up with a slab as part of the payment.

 

[mdavlee]

The chain will get some slack when cutting. It goes like a wave when actually cutting. That tension is about right on the longer bar. You won't be able to get much more with the tensioner on the saw. Is the drive links staying lubed good down in the bar? If they are that's plenty of oil.