Alot of fun today,,my first cut...

[stipes]

I'm sorry there is just 2 pics,,but will post more tomorrow...Kinda ran short on time,,and had a few probs...
Spent the most of the day tryin to get my mini mill rail setup going...So hard to find a decent 2x8x10 board that is flat and straight it seems like around here...Mounting the rails,,and making sure they are perfectly straight is a pain to,but took my time and turned out good....
Finally got to hit the woods late in the afternoon and got to cut a slab off this 8' sycamore...Used a alum ladder and angle iron..Having a 10' alum ladder helped too cause the over hang made the first cut easy...Screwed the angle iron in and them I used mini c clamps to hole it all together,,cause I dont wanna ruin the ladder drillin holes in it,,and the clamps worked out decent...Didnt have any flex up and down,,but sideways,,next time will use drywall srews and hold the insdie to keep the flex down,,wasnt bad,,but was feeling it...
First mistake I made was,,and you can see it the pic..the line where I shoved a wedge in too far and made a stripe,,it wasnt bad,,maybe 1/32 deeper than the rest of the cuts,,but could feel it...
I was really suprised how fast it went,,I took my time and this being a new saw,,and I cut awhiles with it before milling,,but wanna make sure it gets broke in good before I go full bore with her...I cut about 4 ' and let it set for a min and cut again...Hope I'm doing ok with that.....
The slab,,,I was amazed how smooth it was....Just that one line,,but the rest...I made sure I pushed even,,and let the saw do the work and not dog her....I was so pleased..
Now,,,the big prob....I noticed alittle slack in my chain,,and tighten it up and wanted to get a cut off the slab,,to make a board from,,so measured,,and could get a 1 1/2 by 9 out of it,,so I started to cut tru it and the farther I got the more the saw started feeling funny...The power head was moving alot,,and I thought damn,,this saw getting loose with the anti vibe,,but when I went tru the cut,,my chain went so limp....I swear,,I dont know how I made it tru the cut,,both of my clutch cover nuts was missing...End of my day,,and spent over hour looking for the nuts,,never did find them...Got me some new ones tonight,,but will make sure I crank down on my bar nuts for sure..
All and all it was fun,,and enjoyed the time I got to mill...I know I'm gonna enjoy this cause it just is suprised me how good a cut looks when ya take your time,,and I'm kinda slow with my setup,but am learning..
Thank you all for all your all post..I searched,,asked alot,and am learing,,and this is something I do enjoy.....Special thanks to Dustytools...

 

[BobL]

Now,,,the big prob....I noticed alittle slack in my chain,,and tighten it up and wanted to get a cut off the slab,,to make a board from,,so measured,,and could get a 1 1/2 by 9 out of it,,so I started to cut tru it and the farther I got the more the saw started feeling funny...The power head was moving alot,,and I thought damn,,this saw getting loose with the anti vibe,,but when I went tru the cut,,my chain went so limp....I swear,,I dont know how I made it tru the cut,,both of my clutch cover nuts was missing...End of my day,,and spent over hour looking for the nuts,,never did find them...Got me some new ones tonight,,but will make sure I crank down on my bar nuts for sure.]

Good first up story stipe.
RE: Losing things in the sawdust (I lost my clutch once!).
Get yourself a big magnet, it doesn't always work but it's worth having around.

 

[Brmorgan]

I couldn't tell by the pictures how you had the "rails" attached exactly. If they're screwed straight into the ends of the log, the easiest way to make sure they're both straight in relation to each other (coplanar) is to keep a small level handy and level the rails when you screw them on. I keep a 12" torpedo level in my toolbox that has a magnetic strip on one side. Someone else here on AS built a special jig to put on the ends to support a ladder that had two parts and jack screws so you could set the level with precision. I can't remember who it was but it looked like a pretty good (and relatively simple) setup that I've considered copying.

As for the flex, yeah, I think you might just want to break down and drill a 1/4" hole through each rung. A lag bolt here and there will really help keep things more solid and accurate, and would probably cut down on vibration too. At least you're recognizing your mistakes - I had a hard time in the beginning using regular wedges to keep the cut open. Switching to strips cut the same width as the chain's kerf and tapering them on one end helped immensely. They're easy to insert, I can easily put half a dozen or more in my pocket or pouch, and I don't have to worry about shifting the top slab by going too far. I have different ones made to match up with the kerfs of the different chains I use, and mark them accordingly with a Sharpie. Oh, and if you don't want that ridge to transfer to subsequent cuts, you'll need to put your guide back on for the next cut too. But that'll be a lot easier now that you already have a flat surface to work with.

I had the same slack chain problem happen to me a few weeks ago. No matter how tight you think you have those bar nuts, every once in a while they just happen to come loose. Or maybe every once in a while I just forget to torque them down really hard. Either way, stuff like that happens to everyone once in a while. It just sucked on my 395 because the chain tensioner is in the front of the saw, so I had to take the mill back out of the cut to fix it.

 

[carvinmark]

You got some experience and had fun. Sounds like you are hooked

 

[stephen44]

This looks very cool - thank you for posting and I look forward to more pics

Can anyone point me to more info on the setup of this please - I would love to give this a go !

Thanks

 

[excess650]

This looks very cool - thank you for posting and I look forward to more pics

Can anyone point me to more info on the setup of this please - I would love to give this a go !

Thanks

Go to the Granberg International site and spend some time....

http://www.granberg.com/

When you come to the realization that you could be making some great lumber instead of just firewood, it becomes a no brainer. The Alaskan mill is pretty inexpensive in the grand scheme of things, but it does take a pretty powerful saw. The mini mill is a neat rig as well, and far better than any of the "lumbermaker" or "beam machines".

 

[dustytools]

Wat to go Stipes! It looks like you're off to a good start. As Mark said you are more than likely hooked now. Milling is a lot harder on the saw than regular firewood cutting is so keep an eye on the filter and check all connections every now and then. You will learn something new everytime that you mill a log, and feel free to ask a lot of questions, the guys on here are great and are always ready to help out. Congratulations!

 

[woodshop]

..., the guys on here are great and are always ready to help out...

Understatement... addicts here love to get other guys addicted

 

[BobL]

Go to the Granberg International site and spend some time....

http://www.granberg.com/

When you come to the realization that you could be making some great lumber instead of just firewood, it becomes a no brainer. The Alaskan mill is pretty inexpensive in the grand scheme of things, but it does take a pretty powerful saw. The mini mill is a neat rig as well, and far better than any of the "lumbermaker" or "beam machines".

I agree the grandberg site is a very good one to get ideas but disagree that a powerful saw is needed, especially just to try it out, and to mill small logs. Small saws work fine with low profile or micro chains. Rather than powerful I would use the word rugged. There are plenty of small saws that can do the deed they will just take a lot longer to cut big logs - amateur miller either wear the extra time it takes to cut or upgrade to a bigger saw.

 

[glennschumann]

Congrats on your first cut... much nicer than mine!
Just a word to the wise: Tighten, but don't over tighten those bar cover nuts... I over tightened one once... pulled the stud right out. (It was questionable already) A few $1 nuts are cheaper than a single $30 helicoil repair.

Just a thought... see if you can put you ladder back on for the next cuts, or use a 2x10. I've found that "lines" like you have at that one spot on your log can be broadcast into the next cut (and board) you make. Having the straight edge on each cut keeps all the rest smooth.

 

[slabmaster]

Nice Job snipes! It gets easier the more you do it as you learn along the way.I did some milling myself today on some ash beams.I just use a 2x6 nailed to the log and it works great for me.Much easier to lug around also.Keep posting the great pictures we all like to see them. Mark

 

[MotorSeven]

Stipes, nice job! Make sure that you sticker that Sickee-more, then put about a million pounds of weight on top evenly distrubted, because that stuff twists like crazy as it dries.

RD

 

[zopi]

Stipes, nice job! Make sure that you sticker that Sickee-more, then put about a million pounds of weight on top evenly distrubted, because that stuff twists like crazy as it dries.

RD

but it does make nice knee braces...