First use of Mini Mill.......yes pictures

Finished some honey do's and the farm chores. Thought I would try
out the mini mill for the first time. Got a late start, only milled into
a cant. I'm pleased with it. Last pic, just because I thought it was neat.

Nice pics. Gary! I love my mini-mill. My only regret is not getting one sooner than I did.

very nice grain in that!

Great pics... looks like you have it down pat. Yeah I do like that last pic with your silhouette milling. Cool lookin' pic.

Is that white oak? Bark kinda looks like it could be, but then that wood is a bit on the dark side for white oak, which is usually more of a light tan. But then, colors on digital pics aren't always right on.

Thanks

dustytools said:

Nice pics. Gary! I love my mini-mill. My only regret is not getting one sooner than I did.

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Yes I should have bought one sooner. Today was first time I used
my new cant hook, first time I have ever used one.

woodshop said:

Great pics... looks like you have it down pat. Yeah I do like that last pic with your silhouette milling. Cool lookin' pic.

Is that white oak? Bark kinda looks like it could be, but then that wood is a bit on the dark side for white oak, which is usually more of a light tan. But then, colors on digital pics aren't always right on.

Thanks

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I agree, wood is very dark for White Oak but bark sure looks like
White Oak. I even said to the wife I'm not sure what kind of tree this is.
This wood has very little smell.

Wife was big help.....she piled wood while I played

kewl pics

I think i need me one of dem der contraptoids.
I have been looking at setups reciently for csm, your pics are very encouraging!

undercut said:

I think i need me one of dem der contraptoids.
I have been looking at setups reciently for csm, your pics are very encouraging!

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You need to get you'r feet wet, if money is tight IMO a mini mill
is a good start. I bought it for edging, after only one day and
just a few cuts I would recommend one.

Link to Bailey's, where I bought mine.........so jump in and get you'r feet WET!

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=46555&catID=

Looks like a fun day out there Gary...........








.

I was to lazy to take bale spike off tractor and put the jib (boom) on.
Made a little ramp, loaded cant up headed to the house. Sure did
make me appreciate my tractor more.



White Oaks that will be milled one day.



Dad needed a few pieces of 8/4 lumber. Cant on trailer was nice, very windy
today but was able to turn it to have wind to my back. Didn't eat any dust,
saw air filter stayed very clean. I replaced the crank shaft, bearings,
OEM piston kit and a few other things on this 066, this is the first milling
it has done after the overhaul. It was kind of holding my breath but it
seems to run good and holding together (knock on wood).




(Woodshop) Wood is getting lighter but has alot of pink color to it.

Trigger-Time said:

...(Woodshop) Wood is getting lighter but has alot of pink color to it.

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Oh yeah... that looks like a dead ringer for white oak there. Nice lookin wood. Most oak is pinkish when wet and first cut, but some of the red oaks (pin oak, northern red, scarlet oak) have more of a reddish color. Once they are dry and run through the planer though, you can really see the diff between the red and white. White oak will have more of a light tan cast, while the red oaks can still have a bit of pinkish tinge to them. White oak in general has larger rays (rays grow from the center of the tree out towards the bark, 90 degrees from the majority of fibers running vertically up and down the trunk), thus when quartersawn, the white oak shows more of those large irregular rays on the surface, beautiful.

I just love wood... can't get enough of it.

The mini-mill looks like a neat unit. I've only seen it in pictures and videos. The thing that spooks me off is that unprotected bar and chain coming out the bottom of the log. It looks like it gets fairly close to the operator's legs. Or is that just camera angle?

BTW, got my 30" Granberg Mill. The last time I saw instructions this good to put something together, it was 20-some years ago putting some toy together on Christmas Eve! (Sarcasm Font) We'll get it. Is there any particular thing that should get Red Loctite?

rayvil01 said:

The mini-mill looks like a neat unit. I've only seen it in pictures and videos. The thing that spooks me off is that unprotected bar and chain coming out the bottom of the log. It looks like it gets fairly close to the operator's legs. Or is that just camera angle?

BTW, got my 30" Granberg Mill. The last time I saw instructions this good to put something together, it was 20-some years ago putting some toy together on Christmas Eve! (Sarcasm Font) We'll get it. Is there any particular thing that should get Red Loctite?

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I have only made 4, 7' cuts with it so take my advice as such.

If needed you can adjust the amount of bar length that sticks
below the log

While pushing the saw you will behind it enough, as to be hard
to hit you'r legs (anything is possible though), reason for being
behind it so much is for leverage to push mill. Also I never let
my right leg go in ahead of my left leg. Right leg was leg next
to log for all cuts, used right leg to push off of. I doubt if this
makes much sense........but it's all I got.

Wife shot video of milling one cut. I just watched it again, looks as
if it would be very awkward to ever lead with the right leg (right handed
person anyway). I should of had my chaps on no matter.

tidbit.....log was 7'4" long, took 90 seconds to rip slab off.
Works out to just over 1 sec per in.



.

nice! I love my mini mill.

I find the mini mill very safe. If I didn't feel safe with it, I wouldn't use it.

It appears that the mini mill is a handy and useful tool, for straight out slabbing it eliminates theneed to turn a log.

A fine accompaniment to a ripsaw.

In pics 3 & 4 the log past where you're making the cant really looks like black oak to me, but I'm just going by the bark---it really looks like white oak by the bark, anyway, in the other pics though. Some of the cut pieces (firewood pieces) also have the deep ruffled black oak type bark, almost like chestnut oak bark looks. Either way, it is good looking wood.

That is a very cool little mill, me like, me like a whole lot, could just be the thing I need to start with and at less than 100$ US (Bailey's 74$), man, how could ya go wrong?
Thanks for the great pics TT (nice roostrer tail!), da pups look like they enjoy their time in the woods too A fine time no doubt :rockn:



Serge

aquan8tor said:

In pics 3 & 4 the log past where you're making the cant really looks like black oak to me, but I'm just going by the bark---it really looks like white oak by the bark, anyway, in the other pics though. Some of the cut pieces (firewood pieces) also have the deep ruffled black oak type bark, almost like chestnut oak bark looks. Either way, it is good looking wood.

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Me thinks Aquan8tor is right...the deep ruffled bark AND the blood-red layer just inside the bark look like black oak.

I only know this because my buddy gave me a tree for my birthday last year...black oak, topped by Katrina, but still alive. I haven't gotten to it yet, but it has that dark red/purple layer under the bark.

Anyway, that's a real pretty cant. I can't wait to try my mini-mill.