mtngun
Addicted to ArboristSite
I've been making quite a few posts for an upcoming barn project, and a mini-mill seems to be more efficient for making posts than an Alaskan, since there is less set up required.
I had already tried the chinese lumbermaker and didn't like it, mainly because the bar clamp was unreliable.
If I were retired, I'd do like BobL and make my own mini-mill. I think I could do a better job than the factory and save money in the process. However, I'm always busy, so the Granberg mini-mill got the nod.
I also picked up a loop of ripping chain for the Oly 980. The Oly should be ideally suited for mini-mill duty, which is good, because the Oly needed a role in life.
Today I needed to make a cant, so I started out cutting a slab with the Alaskan in the conventional manner.
Then I switched to the mini-mill. At first, I set up the mill as per the instructions, which results in a face full of sawdust. Actually, the instructions show the saw mounted 3 different ways, and doesn't explain which position you should use or why. To heck with the face-full-of-sawdust position.
So then I tried the 2nd position (not shown), cutting with the top of the bar. That fixed the sawdust problem, but the cutting forces tended to push the mill up. I had to push the mill down forcefully and it was a constant tug-of-war, resulting in a wobbly cut. Scratch the top-of-bar position.
Finally, I tried the 3rd position, cutting with the bottom of the bar while I stand on the opposite side and push, like this. This position worked well.
The finished cant dimensions ranged from 12 1/8" - 12 7/8", not bad for my first attempt with the mini-mill, and the setup was definitely easier than it would have been using only an Alaskan.
I had already tried the chinese lumbermaker and didn't like it, mainly because the bar clamp was unreliable.
If I were retired, I'd do like BobL and make my own mini-mill. I think I could do a better job than the factory and save money in the process. However, I'm always busy, so the Granberg mini-mill got the nod.
I also picked up a loop of ripping chain for the Oly 980. The Oly should be ideally suited for mini-mill duty, which is good, because the Oly needed a role in life.
Today I needed to make a cant, so I started out cutting a slab with the Alaskan in the conventional manner.
Then I switched to the mini-mill. At first, I set up the mill as per the instructions, which results in a face full of sawdust. Actually, the instructions show the saw mounted 3 different ways, and doesn't explain which position you should use or why. To heck with the face-full-of-sawdust position.
So then I tried the 2nd position (not shown), cutting with the top of the bar. That fixed the sawdust problem, but the cutting forces tended to push the mill up. I had to push the mill down forcefully and it was a constant tug-of-war, resulting in a wobbly cut. Scratch the top-of-bar position.
Finally, I tried the 3rd position, cutting with the bottom of the bar while I stand on the opposite side and push, like this. This position worked well.
The finished cant dimensions ranged from 12 1/8" - 12 7/8", not bad for my first attempt with the mini-mill, and the setup was definitely easier than it would have been using only an Alaskan.
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