Which Mill?

[MacLaren]

Hey fellers, which mill would yall recommend to a beginner? I would like to have one to be able to make some racing cants and just play around with too.
Should I get an Alaskan mill or .....just what should I do? Thanks in advance!

 

[cowboyvet]

I'm fairly new to milling but have an Alaskan and love it. Tried a mini and didn't like it at all if you want any consistency. Only thing about any of them is you need a big saw to rip a log. If your handy and can weld, look through the posts here and make one. Not very hard to do. I should've built mine but didn't because I hadn't seen one first hand and needed one fast for a project. I will make my next one though...

 

[MacLaren]

I'm fairly new to milling but have an Alaskan and love it. Tried a mini and didn't like it at all if you want any consistency. Only thing about any of them is you need a big saw to rip a log. If your handy and can weld, look through the posts here and make one. Not very hard to do. I should've built mine but didn't because I hadn't seen one first hand and needed one fast for a project. I will make my next one though...

Thanks man, thats some good info.

 

[gemniii]

Hey fellers, which mill would yall recommend to a beginner? I would like to have one to be able to make some racing cants and just play around with too.
Should I get an Alaskan mill or .....just what should I do? Thanks in advance!
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With those saws you could do either. If your initial purpose is cants a mini-mill or equivalent would probably suffice.
Granberg Mini-Mill #G555B
https://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=46555&catID=

Of course you could get slightly more complex

kudos to BobL

Just make sure you add in the optional flat panel monitor and refrigerator.

 

[BobL]

Just be careful, I wouldn't use a racing saw to mill anything. The continuous load on a milling saw is higher than cross cutting. Remember milling is equivalent to planing end grain whereas cross cutting is like planing across the grain, noodling like planing a along the grain

If you just want to make a few cants then it depends what you are going to make them from.

If you are going to make them from small diameter logs then something like a mini mill should do the trick.
http://onlinestore.forestindustry.com/scripts/granbergint/G555B.html

If you are going to be making them from really big logs then you will need an alaskan - and the size of the mill depends on the size of the logs.

If you have plenty of cash, or metalwork skill and time, then I'd get both.

 

[MacLaren]

With those saws you could do either. If your initial purpose is cants a mini-mill or equivalent would probably suffice.
Granberg Mini-Mill #G555B
https://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=46555&catID=

Of course you could get slightly more complex

kudos to BobL

Just make sure you add in the optional flat panel monitor and refrigerator.

Thats awesome! That really is. Thats about what Im lookin for. I think LOL

 

[MacLaren]

Just be careful, I wouldn't use a racing saw to mill anything. The continuous load on a milling saw is higher than cross cutting. Remember milling is equivalent to planing end grain whereas cross cutting is like planing across the grain, noodling like planing a along the grain

If you just want to make a few cants then it depends what you are going to make them from.

If you are going to make them from small diameter logs then something like a mini mill should do the trick.
http://onlinestore.forestindustry.com/scripts/granbergint/G555B.html

If you are going to be making them from really big logs then you will need an alaskan - and the size of the mill depends on the size of the logs.

If you have plenty of cash, or metalwork skill and time, then I'd get both.

Yes sir. I would be careful. I think I would prolly have a ms660 or the equivelant to do that with. Very good advice. Thank you.

 

[BobL]

This is only the Hummer version

It looks a bit racier with the 880 on it;

This is the all bells and whistles version

This is the sports car version

 

[mikeb1079]

Hey fellers, which mill would yall recommend to a beginner? I would like to have one to be able to make some racing cants and just play around with too.
Should I get an Alaskan mill or .....just what should I do? Thanks in advance!

if you have or have access to a welder you can make one fairly easily and cheaply. if not then i'd spring for a used alaskan off craigs/ebay. here's a pic of the first one i made. very simple but i bet i've cut close to a 1000bf of lumber with it, and i bet the materials were under 30 bucks.

oh, and this is the ghetto blaster:

 

[MacLaren]

if you have or have access to a welder you can make one fairly easily and cheaply. if not then i'd spring for a used alaskan off craigs/ebay. here's a pic of the first one i made. very simple but i bet i've cut close to a 1000bf of lumber with it, and i bet the materials were under 30 bucks.

oh, and this is the ghetto blaster:

Good deal mang! That looks good. What model Stihl is that? Looks pretty big..........

 

[mikeb1079]

That looks good. What model Stihl is that? Looks pretty big..........

it's an 075 i picked up off craigslist. a great milling saw if for nothing else other than that the exhaust blows the heat and dust away from the operator. i really like using the telespar (tubing with pre drilled holes), it really quickens the height adjustment and it cant slip up or down. the downside is that it only adjusts in specific increments because of the pre punched holes, so i can only mill at 4/4 or 8/4 etc. you can get it at sign or pavement marking supply places (they use it often for barricades).

 

[jimdad07]

This is the welfare wagon:

 

[Stihlman441]

You can do a lot of things with a Minni Mill as in this post.

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=155164

 

[MacLaren]

it's an 075 i picked up off craigslist. a great milling saw if for nothing else other than that the exhaust blows the heat and dust away from the operator. i really like using the telespar (tubing with pre drilled holes), it really quickens the height adjustment and it cant slip up or down. the downside is that it only adjusts in specific increments because of the pre punched holes, so i can only mill at 4/4 or 8/4 etc. you can get it at sign or pavement marking supply places (they use it often for barricades).

Cool. Thats very nice.

 

[MacLaren]

This is the welfare wagon:

Thanks for the pic. Thats very nice! Looks good.

 

[gemniii]

This is the all bells and whistles version

Bob - When are you going to add Computer Numerical Control?
CAD-->CSM-->CNC

 

[BobL]

Bob - When are you going to add Computer Numerical Control?
CAD-->CSM-->CNC

Nah - I've spent far too much of my time for teh last 30 years futzing around with computers at work and at home. Come to think of it, one of the reasons I started to play with CSMs to get away from computers.

 

[jimdad07]

Nah - I've spent far too much of my time for teh last 30 years futzing around with computers at work and at home. Come to think of it, one of the reasons I started to play with CSMs to get away from computers.

How's that working out for you Bob?

 

[BobL]

How's that working out for you Bob?

What is this - on-line therapy reassurance? :hmm3grin2orange:

Well - as I have posted before - I could try sorting out my work hassles by paying hundreds of bucks a week for therapy - or take up some cheaper distraction (eg CSM) - so far CSM seems to be a cheaper and healthier alternative.

 

[820wards]

Bob - When are you going to add Computer Numerical Control?
CAD-->CSM-->CNC

That baby has F1 suspension control.

jerry-