Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Be Stihl]

Yeah there all pretty bad but that one is just awful with the two opposing angles.

I usually use carbide endmills or indexable carbide inserts. For roughing I usually use around 300 SFM to figure RPM use following formula.
SFM×3.82 ÷ Cutter diameter so if we had a 2" shell mill that would come out to 573 RPM. This is for basic parameters that will cut regardless of what your using. So what changes is when we do finishing if you have Quality inserts like Millstar or Dapra or Dijet like backdraft cutters like a 1" bullnose .0625 .125 or .03125 or a ballnose. I'm running those 3000 RPM plus on Z level toolpaths or 3d finishing even on stainless. For those specialty inserts the books from the manufacturer have allot of good speeds and feeds inside the books. They are designed for mold finishing and work well for getting a good finish. Allot of production shops that have high volume hole drilling in stainless high Rockwell materials like inconel and Hastoloy they get carbide tipped insertable drills with through spindle cooling that they still run high speeds and feeds even in heavy materials.

I work as a machinist in a small fab shop with machines that probably aren’t half as rigid as yours. I fix/repair bearing fits, make brackets and some general machining. The cheap Chinese cnc lathe we have seems to give me better results with SFM around 150. But that being said I also cheat a little and calculate rpm by multiplying (SFM x 4) / diameter, so that actually puts my rpm a little higher than if I calculated correctly. I am also using indexable carbide from random suppliers nothing fancy. In the mill, it’s all carbide end mills and cobalt drill bits. Stainless is about all we mess with due to working in the food industry, 303, 304, 316, some 400 series. I tell most guys that come into the shop with limited skills to slow down the rpms regularly, they melt drill bits and snap end mills by the bucket load daily. We are not a production shop by any means so the equipment gets mishandled and coolant is something that goes in their radiator, if you feel me. I said all that to say, I get the fact that high speeds/feeds are obtainable but to most home shop guys, slower is better IMHO. Sounds like you have an interesting job, thanks for sharing your experiences. Keep on making chips of some kind.

 

[H-Ranch]

This evening's bounty all from just a few rounds from the windfall oak down the road. Made a full load in the 6 wheel wheelbarrow.

 

[Vtrombly]

I work as a machinist in a small fab shop with machines that probably aren’t half as rigid as yours. I fix/repair bearing fits, make brackets and some general machining. The cheap Chinese cnc lathe we have seems to give me better results with SFM around 150. But that being said I also cheat a little and calculate rpm by multiplying (SFM x 4) / diameter, so that actually puts my rpm a little higher than if I calculated correctly. I am also using indexable carbide from random suppliers nothing fancy. In the mill, it’s all carbide end mills and cobalt drill bits. Stainless is about all we mess with due to working in the food industry, 303, 304, 316, some 400 series. I tell most guys that come into the shop with limited skills to slow down the rpms regularly, they melt drill bits and snap end mills by the bucket load daily. We are not a production shop by any means so the equipment gets mishandled and coolant is something that goes in their radiator, if you feel me. I said all that to say, I get the fact that high speeds/feeds are obtainable but to most home shop guys, slower is better IMHO. Sounds like you have an interesting job, thanks for sharing your experiences. Keep on making chips of some kind.

We do research and development allot of parts for rocket components. Allot of it is super hard exotic stuff. Inconel 625 JBK and Aremet that one is fun they made it for bunker busters so its wear resistant so as you can imagine it likes to eat cutters. We dont do a ton of lathe stuff here or there for lathes I've had to do the same and slow it down. We have 2 OKKs Vertical mills one is a VM 5 the other is a VM7 2 but they must have been custom ordered because they have higher spindles in them then what the paperwork says. Both are CAT 50 tapers with heat shrink tooling.

 

[JimR]

Hi guys. Picked up this sporterized Nagant today for 200 clams. We had a bunch of ammo for this caliber laying around so the gun will literally pay for itself as we use it. Boy, I can remember back in the day when these guns were listed for $69 new in box

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Nice spotter Nagant. In 1998 you could buy 3 Finnish M91/30 from Century Arms for $100. They were new. I had 3 of them. M39 Finns were 3/100 in good condition. Had I been just a wee bit smarter I would have bought 100 M91/30 Finns. You can get $300 - 400 for them now. A $3,300 investment back then would be worth $30,000 - 40,000 today. I screwed up.

 

[Cowboy254]

This evening's bounty all from just a few rounds from the windfall oak down the road. Made a full load in the 6 wheel wheelbarrow. View attachment 1022672

Great to see you're up and about. How long is it since the TKR now?

 

[H-Ranch]

Great to see you're up and about. How long is it since the TKR now?

I'm about 18 weeks post surgery.

 

[Cowboy254]

Not really firewood related, but had the day off, so I did a little bit of bike riding. I found a grove of some big Jeffery pines...we have bigger trees than this down lower in elevation, but these were especially big for high-sierra trees:

Fall colors are starting to come in on the Aspens:

Weird rock formations:

The lake:

Thanks. I live in a pretty good place for mtb'ing. Tahoe is about an hour's drive from me with unlimited riding, but the pics above are some the local trails for me. We've got some good single track locally, it's not nearly as ridden as the Tahoe stuff...you also have to search for some of it or know where it's at...not all of it is on a trail map.

That's a beautiful part of the world you live in. I went there once, stayed at a house/lodge with a couple of mates that was used by one of the colleges on weekends just out of Truckee. Was there for several weeks skiing and drinking and having fun. I was 18, just finished high school but hadn't found out yet what university I would be going to or studying what so I couldn't make any near-term plans, I was just living the life. The weather was great, the skiing was great, and there was this blonde girl called Laura....

Good times, good times.

 

[sean donato]

Perhaps Brett , I have some projects on the homestead, and a 600 ft gravel driveway needs some work , and I buy log truck loads of firewood so the grapple with be a blessing for sure wanted to go bigger Hp but didn’t what to deal with the emissions crap and 25 hp doesn’t require it so I’m happy with that .

I shouldn't be saying this, but it's the same engine as the next hp level tractor. Seen lots of guys turn them up, and a few turbo them as well. That aside my old man has a L245DT and that measly 25hp has always worked just fine for us. Loader work isn't really hp intensive, either is grading the drive really. Pto power is another thing, my B series has 22hp and I frequently take it over to his place to brush mow the field. (Stupid L series of his doesn't have a live pto.) Won't lie, think they both could use a few more hp for the brush hog. Good tractors, they just work and work good.

 

[svk]

Well the Nagant is easy to shoot but not real accurate. The front blade sight actually wiggles on the barrel with a little bit of pressure applied. Obviously I don’t want to spend a lot for aftermarket sites but I was hoping it would be a little more accurate. Nonetheless a good purchase IMO.

 

[sean donato]

Only thing wood oriented I got accomplished today was actually mounting my chain sharpener. I've had it for many years now and always just clamped it to the bench. Had to clean up for my boys birthday party tomorrow and thought to myself, ok it's just time.
I'll be sending the 026 back home with my dad tomorrow as well, he's getting the last warning about used engine oil in the bar oil tank. Heck I even gave him a gallon of oil not that long ago. Just Hate that, saws a giant black nasty mess on the clutch side. Just oozes out everywhere. It's still technically my saw.....

 

[sean donato]

Well the Nagant is easy to shoot but not real accurate. The front blade sight actually wiggles on the barrel with a little bit of pressure applied. Obviously I don’t want to spend a lot for aftermarket sites but I was hoping it would be a little more accurate. Nonetheless a good purchase IMO.

Some pretty decent scope mount kits out there now a days for them. Just gotta make sure you get one that still allows you to load it.

 

[tfp]

Scrounging through a neighbours burn pile. This usually would have been my last pick but I wanted to run my saw.

Spring has sprung

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[jolj]

Unexpected scrounge...that's why it's in the back of my little girly-man pickup lol. I still managed to fit all of it in there, seasoned valley oak.
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I also scored a free reel full of electrical cord. IDK, but I'm guessing it's $100-200 of cord if I were to buy it new. I'll use it to put a long cord on one of my welders. It still has the stock 4' cord that came on it.
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I would bet it is more than $200.00, maybe $400.00 after tax.

 

[fishercat]

We want pictures, lots of pictures

 

[Vtrombly]

Only thing wood oriented I got accomplished today was actually mounting my chain sharpener. I've had it for many years now and always just clamped it to the bench. Had to clean up for my boys birthday party tomorrow and thought to myself, ok it's just time.
I'll be sending the 026 back home with my dad tomorrow as well, he's getting the last warning about used engine oil in the bar oil tank. Heck I even gave him a gallon of oil not that long ago. Just Hate that, saws a giant black nasty mess on the clutch side. Just oozes out everywhere. It's still technically my saw.....

B and C oil is so cheap at farm stores. I thought about running used in a complete POS Poulan but even then I decided against it. It's not even the mess it's going to burn your bar and not take care of your sprocket correctly because the viscosity and the tackiness is not there.

 

[jolj]

View attachment 1022750View attachment 1022751View attachment 1022752

Looks like good soil, maybe a deer plot or two or a dove field.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I wish I could find ethanol free gas in Mass. I had my 395xp stored for 5 - 6 years and it fired right up last Fall on the old gas.

AV Gas! Just go to your nearest municipal airport and ask where you can buy some. They will probably sell you some right there, or point you in the right direction on were to find it. Aviation Fuel is 100 octane and ethanol free. High Octane gas is much better for your saw than regular pump gas. There is no power gain from it, contrary to what most people think. The biggest advantage is that high octane gas burns slower because of a lower combustion rate than pump gas. Therefore your engine runs cooler. You won't notice the temp difference your self, but your piston and cylinder will. Also, av gas is very very stable and has a long shelf life! I've run it in my saws for a long time and I run them hard at 50:1. Believe me. There is a difference. The only con to running av gas is it is a bit pricier than pump gas. I want to say around $7.00-$8.00 a gallon. Hope this info helps.

 

[Squareground3691]

I wish I could find ethanol free gas in Mass. I had my 395xp stored for 5 - 6 years and it fired right up last Fall on the old gas.

We’re in Mass I’m in Ct we have Sunoco Race Fuel distributors can get it there that’s were I get mine

 

[svk]

Some pretty decent scope mount kits out there now a days for them. Just gotta make sure you get one that still allows you to load it.

One of those long eye relief scopes might work nice.

 

[MustangMike]

I believe you mean the "Scout" scopes (promoted by Jeff Cooper).

Long eye relief is 4"!!!