chuckwood
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- Jan 26, 2008
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- near the Great Smoky Mtns. Tennessee
I chainsaw milled a pecan log this afternoon, and my rail system is a bit different. I'm attaching pics in the order of the procedures done. I take a level and establish the top of my cant and mark a line. Then I cut the line 1 1/2 inches deep with a circular saw, and then cut down from the top with a chainsaw, all the way down to the cut I made with the circular saw. The piece of wood falls out, leaving an inch and one half level notch on the top of the log. I do the same procedure at the other end. You can use a cordless circular saw for that first cut, but I usually bring a small generator and a regular saw. Then I get my drill, a torx bit driver, some 3 inch long torx head self drilling deck screws, and a couple pieces of 2x4 cut 13 inches long. I fasten these short pieces of 2x4 onto the ends of the log, they will hold up my 2x4 rails, which I'll fasten on next using my drill powered bit driver. Now my top rail has been established. I use a granberg small mill to cut that first slab off the top. Then I screw on my rail guide for the granberg mini-mill which I use for slabbing off the sides of the cant. So now I have a three sided square cant. Next I use the granberg small mill for cutting my boards. The small mill works fine for the 12 inch to 15 inch cants I usually have. My next project will be a large oak trunk that I have ready for milling. But for that, I'll be using a 36 inch Alaskan mill with a Stihl 076. For the pecan log today, I cut the boards with a Husky 288xp. For the mini-mill that cuts the slabs off the sides of the cant, using the guide rail, I use a Husky L77 or L65 with a 20 inch bar - that's enough power for doing that. I have a different saw for each mill so I don't have to go back and forth swapping mills on the same saw. I've never used one of those metal track systems for that first cut off the top of the cant, I've found 2x4's and deck screws to be all I need and less expensive. On a long log, where the 2x4's can start sagging, all you need to do is cut a few slots on the top of the log, and carefully screw in some pieces of 2x4 - fasten them onto your rail, and then you have more support. you just have to make sure that those screws don't go down deep enough to make contact with your chain when it comes through. The other option is to get some extremely long screws, six inches maybe, and run them horizontally through the side of your 2x4 rail and into the top of the log. That will help keep your rail straight and level.