i am having problems milling

[stinkmonkey]

hi there, new to the site.

i have a walkerized 394 husky with a 24" bar, ripping chain, granberg mill. i am having problems milling and this surprises me. what is happening is that the saw tends to dive downward. if i am milling on rails, it does not cause a huge problem, as the rails bow and let it keep going. but when i try to mill on a flat surface left after slabbing, the bar dives quickly to where it is bent and binding up and i can no longer mill forward. i cannot figure out how this could happen, have checked and rechecked dozens of times, just thought someone may know what is going on?

thanks, matt

ps it is ponderosa pine i am milling, nothing too hard.

 

[oakman]

first thing check the bar rails. chances are they need grinding. i do mine freehand with a 6''x 3/4'' fine grit wheel mounted in my table saw. a couple very light passes is all you need. second make sure cutters are all sharpened to equal lengths and angles. also check that the bar groove is not wore excessively. should solve the problem. good luck

 

[FJH]

first thing check the bar rails. chances are they need grinding. i do mine freehand with a 6''x 3/4'' fine grit wheel mounted in my table saw. a couple very light passes is all you need. second make sure cutters are all sharpened to equal lengths and angles. also check that the bar groove is not wore excessively. should solve the problem. good luck

>>>equal lengths <<<<Very important! Angle is important also But keep them teeth the same size!Makes a world of diffrence.

 

[flht01]

Install a new chain and see if it still dives. If it does, flip the bar over and give it another try. My vote is is like oakman said, bar rails.

How are you sharpening your chains? If you hand filing, how long has it been since they were trued up with a grinder? Just a few things to think about ...

 

[stinkmonkey]

this weekend, i was trying with a brand new powermatch bar and a brand new ripping chain. still dove, probably 3/8" or more in about 16 inches of ripping.

 

[flht01]

this weekend, i was trying with a brand new powermatch bar and a brand new ripping chain. still dove, probably 3/8" or more in about 16 inches of ripping.

I don't what kind of mill your using but the only other thing I can think of is the bar not being parallel with the mill/guide.

 

[TedChristiansen]

Bar not parallel to the mill would be my vote as well. I had this problem with my Logosol TimberJig. Turned out that the chainsaw clutch cover was not machined well (outer surface of cover not parallel with inner). This forced the extender nuts out of parallel.

Take two straight 4 foot long 2" wide sticks. Put one on the bar and one on the mill. If the sticks are not parallel, shim until they are. Should fix the problem.

Ted

 

[woodshop]

I don't what kind of mill your using but the only other thing I can think of is the bar not being parallel with the mill/guide.

This is the first thing I thought of also when I read your post. If that bar is only slightly off the same plane as the mill, it will do just what you are describing, try and dive into the log. It doesn't take much off parallel to do that.

 

[stinkmonkey]

that may be the case, the bar and mill (it is a granberg alaskan mill by the way) not being parallel is something i did not think of. guess i just assumed that it would be nearly impossible with the clamps for the bar the way they are.

anyone think that it could have anything to do with the weight of the saw bowing the bar slightly in between the clamps? it is a heavy unit, the 394... this was something else i thought of and dismissed, but now am thinking it might be involved.

thanks so much for the good ideas.
matt

 

[aquan8tor]

No, the clamps are right at the felling dogs, and at the nose of the bar; I use a 394. Big bars bow when I DONT use the mill; I end up cutting twice sometimes when bucking with my 32" bar if the bar bends ever so slightly when repositioning the dogs.



Sidenote; I had some problems milling a hickory today; I found a couple of ROCKS in the crotch and ruined a chain!!!!!!! I didn't have my camera, but I'll take some pics & put them up next week. Had to stop as I only brought one chain with me. Didn't even get one full slab cut!!!!!!!!!!! I finished bucking it & started first cut; 8" in!!!! BAM. sparks. DAM*(T.


I know how frustrated you must feel......

 

[aquan8tor]

Is there any way that the clamps are offsized on one side from the other?? If there is any difference, even just a little, it will dive. Is your bar new, and does it dive or track right or left in a crosscut? Have you tried flipping the bar over, and if it then rises or not? I think most likely it has to do with chain sharpening, but if this is a new chain, maybe not.

 

[stinkmonkey]

i will try measuring the clamps to see if they are different.

originally was having this prob with a 36" bar that i bought with the saw. figured i would start fresh, so the 24" bar and granberg ripping chain are new. i am not sure if the bar cuts off in crosscut, as i just put it in the mill right away and spent the weekend working on figuring this out.

 

[aquan8tor]

I just realized I wasn't clear in talking about mismatched clamps. Granberg includes instructions on making one side higher than the other to make lap siding; by one side or the other I meant the clamp pieces themselves; is the weld higher on one side that attatches each clamp to the bracket above?? IF they are off from parallel from the bracket square tube, then you have a problem. Off from parallel with the rails is ok by granberg; thats how you get a slanted face; but off from parallel with the entire plane of the rails--as if the entire thing were a flat board, and the bar were another board, it wont cut right. perhaps a bit of flux gave a bad weld on the clamp. I dont know. putting a ruler or straightedge on the clamp piece itself would allow you to easily see if it is off from parallel with the bracket the clamp (I mean the thick piece of aluminum) is welded to. Hope this helps a little.

Nate