First time milling setup

[T4NGO!]

Hi everyone! I have lurked this forum many times looking for info, but this is the first time I need to actually post to ask you guys for help. I'm just a homeowner and I will benefit a lot from your opinions, as I see there are lots of pros and just people with lots of experience here.

Since we moved into our house, we have had several large oaks in our property that had to be cut down; they were killed by gypsy moth caterpillars, as we had a very serious infestation in 2017. We have more dead standing trees that will need to be taken down soon, so I have a lot of oak, white pines (a couple large ones died recently, also after being weakened by the caterpillars) and other trees. I have been harvesting plenty for firewood, but I would like to mill some for my woodworking projects.

I have been researching as much as I can, reading a lot here and watching YouTube videos, and as far as I can tell, I could get a Granberg G777 to do this job. I own a Husqvarna 450e with a 20 inch bar. It uses .325 pitch .050 gauge 80 links for its regular chain. Some of the trees I have down right now (and a couple big ones coming down soon) are more than 20 inches in diameter. Also, I have an old aluminum ladder I plan to use as guide for the first cut. My main questions are:

1. Is a Granberg G777 good enough for my situation? Or should I consider a bigger Granberg? I just want to mill wood for my projects (tables, treehouse for my kids, etc.)
2. Should I buy a ripping chain? I can't find a good answer to that in the forums. I see an archer ripping chain in Amazon that fits the specs of the regular chain I use, nothing in Baileys.
3. Is the old ladder a good idea as a rail for the first cut? Has anybody done that?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

 

[tater_51]

I can only refer to the use of the ladder. I'm new to milling as well and slabbed a large hemlock. I used an old aluminum 12 ft. ladder as my guide for getting a level first cut. It worked great. I just used screws through several of the rungs. It only took a few and it was very tight and well set. Just work on getting your first cut right. I had to block one end of the ladder up a little to level out the difference in diameter from one end to the other. It was a 8 ft. chunk of hemlock 22" wide. There's a learning curve for sure.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

You will need a larger saw soon, 450 is not up to milling.

 

[T4NGO!]

Thanks for the input, guys. Tater, what size of bar do you have? Mine is only 20 inches, so I do worry the ladder might be too wide. Duce, the 450e is what I have and I'm not planning on spending on another chainsaw right now. I just want to mill some wood precisely to save money vs. going to the mill for wood projects. I'm also not gonna be milling all the time, just a few trees in my property and that's all.

 

[buzz sawyer]

That saw is going to cut slowly - remember you are cutting the end grain, not cross-grain. I don't know what mix ration you are using. I would increase oil to at least 40:1 and remember to re-tune to the new ratio - and run on the rich side. Let the nose of the bar lead in the cut so you are cutting on a slight angle. You can use a standard chain (I do) just make sure it is sharp but a ripping chain may give you a smoother cut and less clean up. I also use a ladder and it works fine. If the log is wider than your max cut, you can always take a slice off one side and turn the log 90 deg. to reduce the cutting width. One other option - find someone locally with a bandsaw mill. You will get a LOT more lumber out of your logs.

 

[Husky Man]

The 450 is a Good Homeowner Firewood Saw, but milling will take a toll on it, much heavier Service than it was intended for

If you want to mill with it, Don’t push it hard, let the saw set the pace, have several SHARP chains on hand, and change them as needed, don’t try to get another cut out of a chain that should be swapped out

Normally I would say that a G778 series mill is a better idea, but in your case, using a 20” bar, you would give up too much cutting width with a double clamped mill, the G778 is available down to 24”, but with a 20” Bar you would be down to about 15-16” milling width at best

I would suggest getting the G555B edging mill to go with it. On your larger logs, use the G777 to mill a flat top surface, then edge one or both sides to get your Cant narrow enough that your 20” B&C can cut through it, then back to the G777 to cut your slabs with

Limited to the 450 with a 20” B&C the G777 and G555B combination is probably your Best Bet, just accept that the service life of the 450 will be shortened using it for milling

You might see if you can get some skip tooth chain for it, but will probably have to have a saw dealer “Spin” you a couple loops from a reel. With the Bigger saws, and wider milling cuts the skip tooth chain helps with clearing the chips, compared to a Full Comp chain, but in your case, fewer cutters engaged at any given time, will help lessen the load on your saw.

Good Luck, Enjoy and Stay Safe

Doug

 

[andy]

Hi everyone! I have lurked this forum many times looking for info, but this is the first time I need to actually post to ask you guys for help. I'm just a homeowner and I will benefit a lot from your opinions, as I see there are lots of pros and just people with lots of experience here.

Since we moved into our house, we have had several large oaks in our property that had to be cut down; they were killed by gypsy moth caterpillars, as we had a very serious infestation in 2017. We have more dead standing trees that will need to be taken down soon, so I have a lot of oak, white pines (a couple large ones died recently, also after being weakened by the caterpillars) and other trees. I have been harvesting plenty for firewood, but I would like to mill some for my woodworking projects.

I have been researching as much as I can, reading a lot here and watching YouTube videos, and as far as I can tell, I could get a Granberg G777 to do this job. I own a Husqvarna 450e with a 20 inch bar. It uses .325 pitch .050 gauge 80 links for its regular chain. Some of the trees I have down right now (and a couple big ones coming down soon) are more than 20 inches in diameter. Also, I have an old aluminum ladder I plan to use as guide for the first cut. My main questions are:

1. Is a Granberg G777 good enough for my situation? Or should I consider a bigger Granberg? I just want to mill wood for my projects (tables, treehouse for my kids, etc.)
2. Should I buy a ripping chain? I can't find a good answer to that in the forums. I see an archer ripping chain in Amazon that fits the specs of the regular chain I use, nothing in Baileys.
3. Is the old ladder a good idea as a rail for the first cut? Has anybody done that?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

Hi Tango

I would suggest you get all your “normal”chainsaw work done first.
Milling may very well be the end of your saw.
That saw is not designed to make those long mill runs..
Also, keep a close eye on the oiling of the bar and sharpness of cutters.
If the chain runs smoothly with as little resistance as possible, it will dramatically extend the saws life (actually it’s more like the reverse is true... dull cutters and high friction bar/chain will shorten life).
Milling is really tough on saws and can be tough on sawyer as well.

If your read about putting the log on an incline.... believe it!
Having gravity on your side makes a big difference milling.
Safe cutting !

 

[djones]

This is my milling set up. I start with a ladder attached to the log but I use a piece of 1" angle iron cut to 3" longer than the width of the ladder. The angle iron is attached to the ladder with some small flat stock drilled and tapped for 1/4" bolts. This allows me to slide the angle iron on the bottom lip of the ladder rails where I want them. The angle irons have some holes drilled into them that then accept screws that are then screwed into the ends of the logs. This avoids catching the saw chain on any screws that are screwed into the log through the ladder rungs. This also prevents me from screwing the screws too far into the log through a rung, causing a bend in the ladder. If there is too much of a gap under the ladder, I just need to add a small shim to keep it level. My first cut with the ladder is always 4 1/4", or the thickness of the ladder + the 1" angle iron + 1/4" of security space. I use a couple 70cc saws and a 81cc saw as my milling saws. I have a 30" Granberg mill but my bar is only 28". I plan on getting a 32" bar and chain to take care of some of the bigger pine trees that I have. The winch I installed is a boat winch from NAPA and the anchor bar is my own adaption of the Granberg anchor.

I hope this gives you some helpful tips to enjoy your milling experiences.

 

[T4NGO!]

OK, so what would be a good chainsaw for milling? Again, talking about a homeowner, not a pro, just for some milling now and then, nothing super serious. I might check craigslist, at least, see if there's anything I can buy on the cheapo. Whatever I use, I will do my best to keep it super oiled and sharp; I got that Stihl tool for sharpening and I'm planning to buy a couple of ripping chains. Thanks for all the tips!
And Djones, that is a super awesome setup. Thank you for sharing it!

 

[Husky Man]

OK, so what would be a good chainsaw for milling? Again, talking about a homeowner, not a pro, just for some milling now and then, nothing super serious. I might check craigslist, at least, see if there's anything I can buy on the cheapo. Whatever I use, I will do my best to keep it super oiled and sharp; I got that Stihl tool for sharpening and I'm planning to buy a couple of ripping chains. Thanks for all the tips!
And Djones, that is a super awesome setup. Thank you for sharing it!

With milling, there really is "No Replacement for Displacement" the Bigger the Better, most use at least a 70cc saw, with the Husqvarna 395XP and Stihl 660 being the most Common entry level milling saws, with the 3120XP and 880 being the most common heavier milling saws. There are many other saws used for milling, but I would say that those four are by far the most common. You can use your 450, it will "Do It", just accept it's limitations, and shortened life.

It is a matter of Balancing Price, Power, and saw Longevity, only You can determine where that Balance Point IS for YOU.

IIRC correctly, you mentioned some 19"+ Birch, Personally I would look for a 70cc or larger, but I don't know your budget, or mechanical ability, some enjoy working on tired saws and rebuilding them, maybe you're better at that, than I am? if so buy a Straight Gassed saw and put a new top end on it, you can save a bunch of money, and have a Great saw, if you can do that.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, there are many knowledgeable members here, and most of us remember being new, and are willing to help.


Enjoy, Stay Safe, and HEALTHY,

Doug

 

[tug]

Not sure what stihl sharpener you have but it might not work on ripping chain. Normal stihl chain has a top angle of 30 to 35 degrees.
Ripping chain is like 10. Ripping chain cuts smoother and leaves a smoother surface. So you may stick with regular chain.

Your cheaper options for a bigger saw may be to look at some older iron like Mcculloch, Homlite, poulan or pioneer. These saws are generally cheaper for the power they have. Older Stihls and huskys are great too, they just have the name recognition, and that generally affects price.
Just an example there is a Mcculloch 610 on craiglist near me for $30 it probably needs a carb kit. It is far from the ideal milling saw but it would likely do better than the one you have. And you are not out much if it does not work out.
Plus older saws seemed to have more torque which is better for milling. Newer saws seem to be more about chain speed. The 445 is in the middle of the lower end of the homeowner saws and never intended to be used as a miller. You can try it with your saw and then upgrade also.

 

[Ripturner]

Hi everyone! I have lurked this forum many times looking for info, but this is the first time I need to actually post to ask you guys for help. I'm just a homeowner and I will benefit a lot from your opinions, as I see there are lots of pros and just people with lots of experience here.

Since we moved into our house, we have had several large oaks in our property that had to be cut down; they were killed by gypsy moth caterpillars, as we had a very serious infestation in 2017. We have more dead standing trees that will need to be taken down soon, so I have a lot of oak, white pines (a couple large ones died recently, also after being weakened by the caterpillars) and other trees. I have been harvesting plenty for firewood, but I would like to mill some for my woodworking projects.

I have been researching as much as I can, reading a lot here and watching YouTube videos, and as far as I can tell, I could get a Granberg G777 to do this job. I own a Husqvarna 450e with a 20 inch bar. It uses .325 pitch .050 gauge 80 links for its regular chain. Some of the trees I have down right now (and a couple big ones coming down soon) are more than 20 inches in diameter. Also, I have an old aluminum ladder I plan to use as guide for the first cut. My main questions are:

1. Is a Granberg G777 good enough for my situation? Or should I consider a bigger Granberg? I just want to mill wood for my projects (tables, treehouse for my kids, etc.)
2. Should I buy a ripping chain? I can't find a good answer to that in the forums. I see an archer ripping chain in Amazon that fits the specs of the regular chain I use, nothing in Baileys.
3. Is the old ladder a good idea as a rail for the first cut? Has anybody done that?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

I used a g777 mill with a Stihl 064 and 20 inch bar. I also used ripping chain. It did fine but the saw seemed to be working hard in a wide cut. I like the fact that it is light and easily portable. That being said the 090 is a pig of a saw but easily cuts slabs that the smaller saw struggles with. You will find that larger displacement saws will make the process easier.
My first cut is made with a ladder I made from 2x4 set in leveled brackets with notches to hold the ladder. It works so I continue to use it. Happy milling!

 

[T4NGO!]

I really don't want to mess up my Husky, it's done great for my firewood processing and taking down smaller trees. I am handy, I fix my own cars and do all sorts of repairs around the house... I think I might try getting a chainsaw to fix from eBay before I do any milling. I read about some Holzfforma kits out there, but I'm afraid they might just be Chinese junk. I'll keep you all posted. Again, a million thanks for all your inputs. You guys are awesome.

 

[CaptainRuss]

Like you I have been a lurker here but have been cutting and milling for some years now. I'll concur with the other guys, get a bigger saw. I started milling with my Husky 455 on small stuff with a Granberg 778 and it was good, tried it on some larger stuff with a larger bar but I could sense I was going to kill an otherwise great little saw. I was patient and scoured Craigslist and eventually found a nice Stihl 046 and those extra cc's went a long way on a 28" bar with ripping chain. Got plenty of life and cuts out of that saw but just last week I chanced upon another Craigslist deal for a used Stihl 661along with four 36" bars and a big bag full of chain. I won't say how little I paid for it, there were other 660s and 661s around, but just powerbeads and for much more. Again, those extra cc's upped my milling game significantly, I am getting better cuts, faster cuts, and the 661 is just humming along without a care with the same 28" bar. Just ordered a 32" bar and ripping chain and some 36" ripping chain as well for some bigger stuff I've been avoiding.

I eased into the milling hobby knowing I'd be upgrading saws along the way. I did a ton of research here and other places and realized it's hard to to try to get away with just using homeowner grade stuff. Get the right tool for the right job. I suggest getting things done right early like a 36" Granberg which should easily handle most tasks. If you get the smaller mill and the 558 you're spending in the same neighborhood. I have a knock-off 558 and have never used it.

I almost caved in on a Holzfforma but thankfully the 661 came up. Those blue saws are fine in the right hands I think, but if you aren't good with fixing small things that might go wrong you may set yourself up for some frustration. Be patient, search around, try your local saw shop, sometimes they get used stuff in but it's rare. Have cash ready to go and make bold offers on Craigslist.

Good luck

 

[Trever]

Pro saws over 80cc are a must IMO. Also run a little more oil in the fuel. I use a Stihl 076 Super with around 32:1 mix. I use 100LL AVGAS also in all my 2 strokes.

 

[Trever]

Another one showing the rails, thanks to Lure of the North on YouTube.

 

[rarefish383]

I really don't want to mess up my Husky, it's done great for my firewood processing and taking down smaller trees. I am handy, I fix my own cars and do all sorts of repairs around the house... I think I might try getting a chainsaw to fix from eBay before I do any milling. I read about some Holzfforma kits out there, but I'm afraid they might just be Chinese junk. I'll keep you all posted. Again, a million thanks for all your inputs. You guys are awesome.

I'm retired and love going to farm auctions. Every year I buy several saws in the 100CC range, most under $25 dollars. Don't know where you live, but in the Mid Atlantic Area, most big old saws are in pretty good condition. My family was/is in the tree business for 4 generations. Our saws with 36" bars got quite a bit of use, but the ones with 4' bars only came out of the truck now and then, to flush off big stumps. So, they had very little use. I bought a Homelite, 80CC, C72 for $5, a Poulan Super 68 with 31" bar, 82CC's for $40, and 3 Lombards for $27.50, for all 3. Two were 95CC's and one was in the 70CC range. I stay away from the ebay saws, others use it a lot, but, I bought a beautiful Homelite XL700 that the guy said ran well. When I got it, it wouldn't start. When I contacted him he said he was spraying ether in it, and as long as he sprayed, it ran. He melted the rings into the piston. If you have the time and patience to go to farm and estate sales, you can find some crazy good deals on saws. I check the spark, if it sparks I shoot a little mix in the carb, seldom do I get one that won't run. Only downer is this Covid stuff, I'm 2 months into the auction season and haven't been to one yet.

 

[rarefish383]

Another thing, set Acreschainsawcollectors in your favorite bar on your computer and cell. Many pro companies built saws for other outlets and rebadged them under other names. I bought a nice running Skil 1631, 69CC's, for $15. It's the same as a Canadian PM340. When I go to auctions, I have Acres on my cell, to double check any saw ever made.

Don't forget to tell friends that you are collecting chainsaws, because they are cool, and cheap. I asked my UPS guy if any of his customers had saws. He came back with an XL924 and an XL12, both runners, from the local Agriculture center. They were getting ready to throw them away. The XL924 will pull the 30" bar I put on it.

 

[T4NGO!]

That site is super informative, that'll help also with bars and chains, compatibility, etc. whenever I have questions. Thanks so much!