Stick&string
ArboristSite Lurker
I have gotten may hands on some rather large pecan logs that I am going to be milling up for table & counter tops. The problem is that my current set up does not have the capacity to handle to two largest logs that I have. The two logs that are too big have some very cool crotches & knots that are the whole point in slabbing the logs. If I cut these sections off to fit my current set up, I would be losing some extremely unique grain in the slabs.
I currently have a 36" Alaskan that I put on a stock 660 Magnum. I run an aux oiler, run the saw a touch rich with 40:1 mix w/premium gas when milling. I keep the chain sharp through out the day of cutting. I have drilled my bar so that I bolt the mill to it through the nose of the bar & have the aux oiler installed with a banjo bolt so the aux oil goes directly into the bar groove. I have milled pecan, cedar, walnut & red oak with this set up. The red oak pretty well maxed out the cutting capacity of this set up but the saw handled it fine. I let the saw control the speed of the cut so the saw doesn't get overloaded & always let the saw idle before & after the cut to allow it to cool.
I feel pretty comfortable with upsizing the mill & putting a 42" bar on the 660 & milling with that based on what I have read here. If I were to do this, I would still have to cut off some of the areas of the logs that I am looking to keep in the slabs. If I could run a 52" bar on the 660, I could minimize the trimming to an amount that I could live with. If I were to do this, I would mount the tach to the saw so that I could keep track of the tune real time to make sure I don't get to a point that I am running the saw lean (don't fully trust my ears to pick up on this yet & it would be nice all around regardless of going back to the smaller set up) & I may even get a temp. probe to mount to the saw to keep track of the temp as well. I'm also thinking about increasing the ratio to 32:1, although I've been reading some stuff here that makes me think that may not be as big of an advantage as I was initially thinking it would be.
I don't have the ability to go any bigger on the saw end of the equation at this time. The band saw mills that I know of in my area do not have the capacity to get these logs milled the way I would want either. I'm wanting to get the logs milled up soon so they can start drying (no access to a kiln) & as they are green now & I'm figuring that if I mill them green, it would be easier to cut & easier on the saw than if they sat long enough for me to upgrade on my saw and dried some.
Am I just asking to burn up the 660 trying this or would I be able to get this done & still have an operable saw after?
I currently have a 36" Alaskan that I put on a stock 660 Magnum. I run an aux oiler, run the saw a touch rich with 40:1 mix w/premium gas when milling. I keep the chain sharp through out the day of cutting. I have drilled my bar so that I bolt the mill to it through the nose of the bar & have the aux oiler installed with a banjo bolt so the aux oil goes directly into the bar groove. I have milled pecan, cedar, walnut & red oak with this set up. The red oak pretty well maxed out the cutting capacity of this set up but the saw handled it fine. I let the saw control the speed of the cut so the saw doesn't get overloaded & always let the saw idle before & after the cut to allow it to cool.
I feel pretty comfortable with upsizing the mill & putting a 42" bar on the 660 & milling with that based on what I have read here. If I were to do this, I would still have to cut off some of the areas of the logs that I am looking to keep in the slabs. If I could run a 52" bar on the 660, I could minimize the trimming to an amount that I could live with. If I were to do this, I would mount the tach to the saw so that I could keep track of the tune real time to make sure I don't get to a point that I am running the saw lean (don't fully trust my ears to pick up on this yet & it would be nice all around regardless of going back to the smaller set up) & I may even get a temp. probe to mount to the saw to keep track of the temp as well. I'm also thinking about increasing the ratio to 32:1, although I've been reading some stuff here that makes me think that may not be as big of an advantage as I was initially thinking it would be.
I don't have the ability to go any bigger on the saw end of the equation at this time. The band saw mills that I know of in my area do not have the capacity to get these logs milled the way I would want either. I'm wanting to get the logs milled up soon so they can start drying (no access to a kiln) & as they are green now & I'm figuring that if I mill them green, it would be easier to cut & easier on the saw than if they sat long enough for me to upgrade on my saw and dried some.
Am I just asking to burn up the 660 trying this or would I be able to get this done & still have an operable saw after?