Stihl Rules
ArboristSite Operative
Has any of you used these mills if so how did they work and are they worth the money. Here is an example. YouTube - Granberg Alaskan Small Log Chainsaw Mill from baileysonline.com
Chain saw mills
- Thread starter Stihl Rules
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Stihlman441
Addicted to ArboristSite
Depends on what you wont to do in the end.
With that type of mill you would only be able to mill up to about 20'' and then i can see accuracy problems.
With a 36'' Granberg allaskan type mill you have a more choices and combined mith a minni mill can allmost do anything.
http://www.arboristsite.com/milling-saw-mills/167446.htm
With that type of mill you would only be able to mill up to about 20'' and then i can see accuracy problems.
With a 36'' Granberg allaskan type mill you have a more choices and combined mith a minni mill can allmost do anything.
http://www.arboristsite.com/milling-saw-mills/167446.htm
Stihl Rules
ArboristSite Operative
20" would be fine for what I need I don't have access to much timber larger than that. Do you need a special B/C and would my MS361 be able to do the job?
northwest coast
ArboristSite Lurker
it takes a pretty powerful saw to be able to get through a log without bogging down. imo there is no overkill with csming. a 361 might almost be enough if 20" is your max but i don't like to see my saw struggle and depending on the wood, 20" is plenty. plus you generally want one saw set up for bucking and another with your mill on it.
i use .404 full house ripping chain that should be kept sharper than i ever seem to get it. (remember .404 chain requires .404 bar tip and sprocket) i've only been into it for a couple years though so lets hear some other opinions.
i think everyone will agree though that csming is addicting, satisfying and frustrating all at the same time.
i use .404 full house ripping chain that should be kept sharper than i ever seem to get it. (remember .404 chain requires .404 bar tip and sprocket) i've only been into it for a couple years though so lets hear some other opinions.
i think everyone will agree though that csming is addicting, satisfying and frustrating all at the same time.
SDB777
I find unique timber and cut it up
Gone as wide as 28" with the mill set-up you linked to with my MS390. Take it easy with your saw and she'll do just fine....of course it goes without saying. Plenty of oil on the scary sharp chain will cut great.
Big CC saws are great, if you already have one, but to buy a new one(or good used one) can be extremely bad for your checking account just for ripping a few slabs......nah.
Scott B
Big CC saws are great, if you already have one, but to buy a new one(or good used one) can be extremely bad for your checking account just for ripping a few slabs......nah.
Scott B
Stihl Rules
ArboristSite Operative
Stihl Rules
ArboristSite Operative
That is kinda my thoughts I don't think my bank account could take it. If I get one I will just go slow I would be fine with that
northwest coast
ArboristSite Lurker
yeah you know a newer ms 361 probably doesnt have that much less power than my old husky 2100.
and yeah .404 chain and tips are pretty common, get em at baileys or wherever.
i milled 26 yellow cedar slabs in the bush today though, some 30" wide, so it definitely depends on what your goals are.
and yeah .404 chain and tips are pretty common, get em at baileys or wherever.
i milled 26 yellow cedar slabs in the bush today though, some 30" wide, so it definitely depends on what your goals are.
masculator
ArboristSite Guru
Simply put your 361 would make that mill look too small, I regularly run a 25 inch bar on an 034 in australian hardwood on a mill where I regularly use the full length of the bar. a standard alaskan will lose about 4 to 5 inches of cut so theoretically you should be able to run a 28 inch bar on an alaskan in the american timbers which are SOFT in comparison (actual cut would only be about 22 to 24 inch.) Speed will be the killer and when cutting at full bar your feed will be fairly slow but on 12 to 18 inch cut you will be fine.
As for chains I run full comp semi chisel which I sharpen to 10 degrees on the top plate (normally top plate is 25 to 30 degrees.) you may find that when ripping you can run slightly lower rakers than standard but i would recommend starting with leaving this as it would be standard for a start and maybe experiment a little down the track.I started with the 034 and 25 inch bar now I run a 42 inch bar on an ms660 with a 4 post GB mill (similar to the granberg but the GB mounts better.)
Oh and stay with 3/8 chain some people I know use the 3/8 picco but i find the 3/8 63 thou stihl RSC i think it is works like a dream just change the top plate angle over a few sharpens.
Really the alaskan type mills are fairly easy to build and if you were concerned about whether it would be worth the investment you could build one quite cheaply and easily, then if you think you want to progress you could buy one or even build a better one with better materials and your gained knowledge.
Something I will say is chainsaw milling is slow, tedious, dirty, hard work but it is worth it when you get it all worked out and start to see some results for your input.
When you first start out, learn how it all works on some logs you will not mind sacrificing, you will make a few mistakes!!!
at the end of the day enjoy what you do and don't get disgruntled if it doesn't work out straight away.
As for chains I run full comp semi chisel which I sharpen to 10 degrees on the top plate (normally top plate is 25 to 30 degrees.) you may find that when ripping you can run slightly lower rakers than standard but i would recommend starting with leaving this as it would be standard for a start and maybe experiment a little down the track.I started with the 034 and 25 inch bar now I run a 42 inch bar on an ms660 with a 4 post GB mill (similar to the granberg but the GB mounts better.)
Oh and stay with 3/8 chain some people I know use the 3/8 picco but i find the 3/8 63 thou stihl RSC i think it is works like a dream just change the top plate angle over a few sharpens.
Really the alaskan type mills are fairly easy to build and if you were concerned about whether it would be worth the investment you could build one quite cheaply and easily, then if you think you want to progress you could buy one or even build a better one with better materials and your gained knowledge.
Something I will say is chainsaw milling is slow, tedious, dirty, hard work but it is worth it when you get it all worked out and start to see some results for your input.
When you first start out, learn how it all works on some logs you will not mind sacrificing, you will make a few mistakes!!!
at the end of the day enjoy what you do and don't get disgruntled if it doesn't work out straight away.
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Stihl Rules
ArboristSite Operative
Thank you for all the info I really appreciate it.
I may try to build my own first.
Stihl Rules
ArboristSite Operative
It is a pretty powerful saw in its class turns fast not a 460 or 660 though. I build small country things in the basement so if I could just cut the average boards you can by at Lowes 1" x 12"s and lower it would save me alot of money. I would by from a mill but i dont have a planer so I thought one of these could come in pretty handy.
I have a 36" granberg with a hole in the center of the sprocket nose bearings to give me 31-32" of milling width ( this is with the dawgs off and the mill hits the chain brake lever at certain heights).
I power it with a ps-7900. Very strong saw for the money but ripping 30" wide hardwood for 9 feet takes a few minutes. The woodland pro ripping chain works great, but keep it sharp!!!! I think it easier to sharpen ripping chain because the angle is 0-10.
I am waiting for my stihl dealer tp get my granberg style ripping chains finished, 2 side cutters and 2 top cutters.
I have the auxilary oiler and have it drip on the chain at the very tip of the bar. DO NOT WASTE your time drilling a hole for the auxilary oiler- you will lose too much bar length.
I have been fooling with this for only 3 months and it is fun!!!
Waiting for me now is a 34" diameter white ash ( will use a mini-mill to get the sides off so my mill will fit), a 30" sycamore, and a monster 3' maple. With these trees I can easily build a nice woodshed.
You are in eastern ky.... I am near cincinnati, used to live in ashland ky. Love that area, and yes , plenty of trees!!!!
I power it with a ps-7900. Very strong saw for the money but ripping 30" wide hardwood for 9 feet takes a few minutes. The woodland pro ripping chain works great, but keep it sharp!!!! I think it easier to sharpen ripping chain because the angle is 0-10.
I am waiting for my stihl dealer tp get my granberg style ripping chains finished, 2 side cutters and 2 top cutters.
I have the auxilary oiler and have it drip on the chain at the very tip of the bar. DO NOT WASTE your time drilling a hole for the auxilary oiler- you will lose too much bar length.
I have been fooling with this for only 3 months and it is fun!!!
Waiting for me now is a 34" diameter white ash ( will use a mini-mill to get the sides off so my mill will fit), a 30" sycamore, and a monster 3' maple. With these trees I can easily build a nice woodshed.
You are in eastern ky.... I am near cincinnati, used to live in ashland ky. Love that area, and yes , plenty of trees!!!!
northwest coast
ArboristSite Lurker
hmm, the great thing about milling for me is i usually only mill yellow cedar which is amazing wood and all but unavailable at the lumber yards where i live. even red cedar, not many people can offer boards as wide as i can get with an alaska mill. that for me is why milling is great, plus i cut 2" or even 3" and 4" because i feel like less is wasted to the kerf. if i were to go and mill some spruce or pine that i could buy from the store, it wouldn't be much cheaper to mill it. thats why i mill and also why i run such a big saw, for smaller project wood you'd have no troubles with a smaller set up for sure, some of the real hard woods might slow you down a bit, but keep your chain sharp and you'll get through it.
also, i use canola oil for bar oil, easy on the environment and much cheaper than anything else around here. i get 5 gallons of it for 30 bucks. it seems to work well.
mtngun
Addicted to ArboristSite
That is an attractive price. :msp_thumbup:
Where do you find it ? It costs far more than that at the grocery store.
northwest coast
ArboristSite Lurker
yeah i get a friend to bring it to the coast from the bulkley valley wholesale when he comes my way. i ran out the other day and had to buy a couple litres for 8 bucks from overwaitea.
splitpost
Nothing but 32:1
what saw are you running and why .404 for milling?
Stihlman441
Addicted to ArboristSite
+1 for me i can see any advantage in using .404 chain.
northwest coast
ArboristSite Lurker
i use a husky 385 xp, but a friend that i've done more milling with than i have on my own uses a stihl 076. he gave me an 076 carcass that just needs a new pot and piston and i am in the middle of rebuilding it and cant wait to get it running because its nice to have the extra torque. the 385 bogs down when you put too much pressure on it but the 076 can run through 36 inches of wood and keep the revs up.
my main reason for using .404 is because thats all i've ever used since the same aforementioned friend got me into milling. does anyone have a better reason ?
masculator
ArboristSite Guru
Actually it will not stay sharp longer, theoretically it will blunt quicker than a comparative length of 3/8 as their are less teeth trying to remove more timber. You also lose a lot more timber to kerf and thus you also need more power to pull it. personally I wouldn't run 404 on anything less than an 090 for milling and realistically I would only consider it as being the go to chain for running on the likes of a lucas dedicated slabber or the like and then it would be in multiple skip setup.
