mcor
ArboristSite Lurker
Does anyone have any experience milling with big vintage saws. I'm thinking like an big 100+ cc late 50's early 60's Pioneer. Lots of torque but would slow rev be an issue. Would anything else be of concern?
Milling with 100+cc vintage saw?
- Thread starter mcor
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If you have to run a monster chain it will make a lot of sawdust and fewer boards.
My dad had a 96" bar 4 stroke saw that needed 2 people to operate it. In an 8 hour day they would spend 4 hours a day sharpening and fiddling with the saw and 4 hours felling. I remember the cutters being huge and made out of relatively soft steel - this explains why they spent all that time sharpening.
96" bar 496" bar 496" bar 496" bar 496" bar 4
k it's way after 11pm here in CA ...can I OMG
oh well we'll just call it practicing for my new "on call DJ job" out here in the desert
oh well, gotta ask, does it have a handles on both ends? Im stihl learnin:monkey:
The manual oiler would be a pain in the @ss, and you'd be up a creek on finding parts when you need them. Could it be done? Sure. Is it a good idea? I don't think so.
Catnap
ArboristSite Lurker
I mill with a Pro Mac 1000 (Partner P-100). The saw is likely over 20 years old but does have anti vibe and automatic oiler. The saw is 100cc but may have slower rpms compared with the newer models. They guy I bought it from chose the saw because it was supposed to be a torque monster and he wanted to mill. When I use it I feel the chain speed is plenty fast and like the unstoppable torque. Less torquey saws might require the operator to be careful not to bog the saw down. Milling is very hard on a saw and I think older slower saws might be suited well to the demands of milling. I think if you can find an old monster that is reliable it should work fine. If the unit only has manual oiler you could probably rig something up or by an auxiliary oiler from Granberg. Happy milling!
Ivan H.
ArboristSite Member
Cool saw collection. That most of been something to be seen back then.
woodshop
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Very interesting vid Bobl, is that you on the camera?
No, It's just something I found on U-toob. I like to see the collection for real.
Brmorgan
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I have an old IEL Pioneer RA (100.5cc) that was kindly given to me by another member here this past summer. Hopefully I'll have the time to get 'er going over the winter, and if so I'm definitely going to throw it on the mill just to see how she does. It sure looks up to the task when I sit it next to my 090 - it's pretty much just as big and brutish. It appears to be in good shape, albeit very dirty. I haven't pulled the muffler or carb yet though, so I can't speak for the condition of the cylinder. But it seems to turn over OK (read: with much effort). I have no plans of using it for milling very much at all, simply because if I happen to break or wear out a part such as the clutch or sprocket it's going to be a real adventure trying to find replacement parts. Also the saw didn't come with a bar or chain, nor do I know what bar mount profile or chain pitch it takes. I haven't tried fitting the bars from the other Pioneers I have to it yet, so maybe that'll work. If that's the case, I already have 24 and 36" hardnose bars for it! And then there's the whole manual oiler problem, although as previously stated one could buy or build an auxiliary oiler system and just crank the flow up more. Oh, and vibration...:chainsawguy:
So I can't really recommend milling with these really old saws, just like I wouldn't recommend drag-racing an old Studebaker or something that you can't get parts for. On the other hand, other older saws such as the Stihl Lightning/Contra/090 family, while expensive, are EXTREMELY reliable, deliver superior milling performance in bigger wood, and are still fairly easy to find parts for if you're willing to pay.
So I can't really recommend milling with these really old saws, just like I wouldn't recommend drag-racing an old Studebaker or something that you can't get parts for. On the other hand, other older saws such as the Stihl Lightning/Contra/090 family, while expensive, are EXTREMELY reliable, deliver superior milling performance in bigger wood, and are still fairly easy to find parts for if you're willing to pay.
mcor
ArboristSite Lurker
I don't plan on doing a great amount of milling with it, but it would be nice to have the option if a larger log came my way. The oiler would have to be addressed and parts may be a challenge but that may be half the fun. As for the bar, I recently posted a similar question in the "Pioneer Saws" thread and was told that Oregon at one time made 3/8 sprocket drum and roller tip bars for the IEL model RA. Again this may be a challenge to hunt down. Your right that it certainly looks like it would be up to task for milling. They are solid.
