What size CSM do you guys run?

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what size mill do you have?


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300zx_tt

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I’m in the process of getting my chainsaw milling equipment where I want it. I’ve got an 880 with the 41” bar and I’m looking into longer bars now. Just curious what size mills y’all run.


Ps I’m debating between a 60” and 72” bar
 
I have a 32", 48", and 84" , living in the Pacific NW I do deal in larger pieces and its nice to have the ability to cut over 6' but that is only once in awhile that it gets a workout. The 32" is a Alum. Granburg and its nice but a tad on the small size. Of coarse the 48" is cobbled together from some ready rod and a 2x14 but I have to say its the most used of all. Just depends on what your going for... Its easy enough to whack a decent mill together but you have to have the powerhead(s) / Bars to make it go.. If you do go with over 60" consider a dual powerhead set up..(of course that eats up more of your bar)
 
Most of us have heard of CAD, well, there is another not so well known affliction, CSMAD, that can be even more Dangerous (to the BUDGET;)) You get all the symptoms of CAD, and then add a whole nother List of symptoms.

Why limit yourself to just ONE or TWO Mills?

Yes, I have a full blown incurable case of CSMAD, I have (all Granberg) a Mini mill for edging, a Small log mill ( the thrust end clamped only 24") a 36" , a 48" and then SeMoTony told me about using one of my 2, 5' Ez Rails sets to be able to assemble a 60" Mill, which I have acquired all the parts to do, but have not yet assembled. When I decided to try CSMing, I decided it was all or nothing, no just sticking a toe in the water, I did a Swan Dive, off the High Board at the deep end of the pool. Now my Knowledge and Skills need to play catch up with my tools.

Bear in mind that the "Rated Size" of a Mill, is NOT the size of log that you can mill with it, it is the overall length of the mill itself, not it's "Capacity"

Figure taking 4-6" OFF the size of the mill for it's Capacity, and ADDING about 6" of bar length longer than your Mill to GET that capacity, those are just rough guestimates, I haven't made measurements yet, to see how things work out, having 36", 48" and 60" Mills, being inexperienced as I was, and am still learning, I bought 36", 44" and 60" Bars.

Oregon lists my "36" bar as 36", but not counting the dogs, I measure IIRC 34.5" Nose to face of the saw, and I think with the dogs in place, my 36" mill has a Capacity of 26-27", which ended up biting me last Saturday, I sold 5 Cedar slabs, and the last one was 28.5" at the wide end, so I had to rebar and chain the 3120, and mount it into the 48' Mill with the 44" B&C for that last slab:(, it was my first sale to order, and Damned if I didn't forget to get any pics:(:(:(, we loaded the slabs up, they left, I went in to tell my Wife about the $250, that I made in less than an hour and a half, she said let's see the pics, I didn't think that you would be done that fast:confused::angry::dumb2:

Any how, the "36 inch" bar will go to firewood use, the 44" bar will go to the 36" Mill, I need to get a 50" bar for the 48" mill, which still won't quite max that mill, but I still have the 60" Bar and Mill, which again wont max that Mill either, but it should handle anything that I am likely to mill, my eventual goal, is to try building some Dining room and Coffee Tables, as an income hobby, but I am still learning a lot about the whole milling process yet myself.

CSM can be Fun and Addicting, be careful and I Hope that you Enjoy it as much as I have so far,


Doug :cheers:
 
My homebrew CSM is permanently fixed to run an Oregon 32" bar which gives me right around 28" of cut width.
 
I’ve milled a good bit with my old 660, I have a panther 48” mill currently. The panther mill clamp plus the dogs minus the end clamp and the loss of length because I can’t clamp on the sprocket tip I loose about 9” so my 41” bar will mill 32”.

I just bought a 72” Cannon SuperBar so I’ll be able to mill roughly 63”. Very rarely will I come close to maxing it out.

I was trying to debate the 60 vs 72. The 60 would only handle a 51” log, which I have a cherry and ash that are very close to that width. The 72 is a bear to handle and it’s a pain in the ass but it’s worth it for the extra cut width
 
300zx_tt wrote:

The 72 is a bear to handle and it’s a pain in the ass but it’s worth it for the extra cut width




I can only imagine what a 72" bar would be like to handle, for firewooding my 3120 balances very nicely with the 36" bar, and isn't too bad with the 44" bar, but I never would have guessed just how much difference the 60" bar makes, Dayum, that is one Nose heavy Bugger, much more so than I expected.

[photo=large]5402[/photo]


I had considered getting a 72" bar, but it was almost double the price:surprised3::eek: of the 60" bar, and I really don't expect to need more than the 60" bar any way.


Doug :cheers:
 
I had considered getting a 72" bar, but it was almost double the price:surprised3::eek: of the 60" bar, and I really don't expect to need more than the 60" bar any way.


Doug :cheers:


I've mounted up my 72" bar on the 880 once to see the balance, and yeah it's just ridiculous. I got the GB 72" on clearance from Left Coast for less than $300 with shipping with a Husky mount and die ground the mount out to a 14mm big Stihl mount. Still waiting for a tree worthy of it, may have to head out to visit the Pacific NW to find one. I figured if I want to max out my 60" Granberg mill then I could leave dogs on the saw, clamp well back from the tip, and the fact the actual cutting of the GB is length is 70-71", and still get a full 60" cut, so that's why I went with that combo. Just switched to a 41" Rollomatic for the 880 after using the 36" Duromatic hardnose it came with and not being happy with that setup (was getting 28" width at best and way too much friction from the hardnose). Have a 36" Granberg mill to go with the 41" bar, which I can utilize most of if I take the dogs off. I'd say that the best combos generally are going to be a 42 bar with a 36" mill, a 60" bar with a 56" mill, and a 72" bar with a 60" mill. (You could do a 60" bar with a 48" mill, but you'd be missing out on chances to do 52-54" wide slabs by taking the dogs off.)
bigsaw.jpg
 
George, you got a Smokin' deal on that 72" bar for under $300, I paid $300 shipped for my 60" bar through Alamia, in Denver, I never saw a price for Big bars through Left Coast, and I didn't try cold calling looking for one.

AOK Power Equipment, on ebay had the 60" for $329.05, and the 72" for $541.85, I forget who else had a 72" listed some where for like $572, IIRC, and the 60" should cover any of my needs, so the Extra price would just be wasted money for me.

At under $300 shipped I would have been tempted by a 72", still could be;):surprised3::):), but after seeing the imbalance of the 60", a 72" just isn't quite as tempting any more:)


Doug :cheers:
 
I use the 36" granberg mill on my 8000. works for what I cut here. Granted if you have access to big logs then you would need a much bigger/more powerful saw! thanks; sonny580
 
394xp with 36"bar mounted to a 36"huztl (farmertec) mill. Chains sharpened to the Malloff grind. Would like to build something a little bigger down the road but this handles almost everything just fine.
 
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