chainsawmill husky which one?

[wooddawg]

Hi
Going to make a chainsaw mill,have ideas for 4or 5 ways to make one.
Going to get a husky mainly for the warranty just wondered what would work ok
don't plan on using it daily
have afew large 4 ft diameter red oaks would like to slab up and would like to cut a bit of cedar,persimmon sassifras odd stuff just for own use for cabinet table odds and ends
always used poulans,stihl 028's and bought 029's (big difference)guy nearby who sells stihl his attitude sucks and he stocks no parts even had to order rims last time.but every thing is getting that way
bought a string mower troybilt belt broke called factory and they couldn't tell me the belt size only had a part #.
never used a husky or worked on one but know some folks who love them.
like to tinker , fix own stuff and when i wore a younger mans clothes wife was managing resturant next to a small engine repair I used to bs with the guy and check out his can't fixums ,fixed some and ended up working for him.I know i can get parts in tulsa for huskys if necessary or online.
plan on buying online and getting what? 385? will try husky out and if its ok will get a spare of same saw.
thank you

 

[user 2993]

Hi Wooddawg, If I was slabbing 4' red oak, I would want nothing less than the 3120. I did some 12" sycamore and ash recently with my 046 stihl and it was a long tiresome process. I used the 046 because the bar on my 090 is worn to where it doesnt cut straight, but the extra horsepower makes a huge difference in the cutting speed. Milling is a very different cutting process than crosscutting and requires much much more power due to the way the wood fibers are being cut. I know a 3120 seems like a big purchase for something you won't use every day, but for what you are doing, it is really worth it. Besides.. it's a 3120
I built my own Alaskan type rig myself, be happy to talk about it if you'd like to know what not to do
Good luck,
George

 

[Newfie]

Woodbeard is on the money. Besides, cutting red oak that big into boards you may very well be using that 3120 everyday!

 

[wooddawg]

are you ripping straight across or angling the bar some ??
guess its mainly hp
I have tried ripping some with a o28 just playing around and noticed its slower if straight across.
did this with ash,oak didn't try hickory but did try some old hedge (bodark)dried about two years that was rough
all i was doing was slabbing one side so i could recut on a little bandsaw.
3120 is that the biggest? can you use 3/8 chain?I have 100 ft rolls of it full chisel.
logosol comes with a 385xp
thought I would make something like it and something along the lines of a procut and maybe another like a woodbug start out just bolting them and a few tack welds
I rigged an alaskan deal up didn't like it much
been collecting aluminum and steel
when time permits plan on making a bandsaw horizontal maybe a big vertical
wife thinks i am abit crazy..............
offered to buy me a logosol about a month ago so i could have a new toy
convinced he i could make several different things plus for the money and get more satisfaction making it.

 

[Oregon_Rob]

Woodbeard

Woodbeard,
Don’t know if you are aware or not, but these guys can recondition your bar http://www.chainbar.com/ to basically new condition and it is really cheap. I took in two bars, a 24” & 32”, the 32 was in really bad condition, very warn down near the nose, and they welded metal back in, reground the slot and ground both sides and it was only $23 for both. I don’t have anything to gain here, but I like to promote people who do good work and service.

Rob

 

[user 2993]

Rob, thanks for the link. I may check them out. It's an old 33" Oregon roller nose bar, worth restoring, especially at that price.

Wooddawg, I've just been cutting straight across as its kind of a hassle to keep it angled. Yes, the 3120 is the biggest Husky makes, about 120cc. If you're familiar with Procut, he also has what seems to be good deals on them with full warranty, but check around your area first and see if you can find a Husky dealer. The 3120 is offered with your choice of 3/8 or .404 pitch.
I really like .325 for ripping but since you've got the roll of 3/8, that may be your best bet. There's some good info on ripping chains in this thread: http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8095

As far as what not to do, well my mill really didn't turn out all that bad. I used 1" x 2" extruded aluminum tubing for the rails and they are clamped to a couple 2" x 3" hardwood blocks about 18" long, with a 3/4" hole in the center of each. Two 3/4" threaded rods go thru the holes and have 1" square steel tubing welded onto the ends that clamp onto the bar. To adjust the depth of cut, I have to loosen the nuts on the rods and thread them up or down and tighten them up again. Kinda tedious but its what I came up with.

 

[Grateful11]

Here's a page on constructing a mill yourself. Anyone else know of any other sites for building one?
Grateful
Make your own mill

 

[Tony Snyder]

Other alternatives: The Jonsered 2095 has prooven itself in milling work. The 694 Solo should also be good.

 

[Bill G]

I do not claim to know anything about chainsaw milling and I hopefully never will. What I do is dollars and "sense". To me it makes no sense to spend dollars on a 385 when a 3120 can be bought for less in many cases. If you are going to buy the saw from a local servicing dealer that will be there when you need repairs (and you will) then the 385 will be cheaper than the 3120. If you are looking to get the most for your money and do not care about supporting your local dealer than a new 3120 can be bought online for about $800 and I think 385 will not be much less. I would not advise this for milling because it is my opinion(only opinion because I have not milled with a chainsaw) that if you are going to use a saw for milling then the local dealer will be a big help when you need parts.

Bill

 

[wooddawg]

Hi,
what about john deere? some around here use them.
I guess it doesn't make any difference what saw or saws I get,I repair my own stuff and can get parts online probably quicker than having the hardware store dealers around here order parts and its cheaper to,or could get parts for i assume most any saw in tulsa if i was going there anyway.
Big saws and making some form of mills will really be new toys more than anything*smile*wife told me a hundred times i don't have to justify my purchases but I kind of think i do in a way.
She says before a month or two i will be sick of them anyway just like every thing else example..got to have this new rifle 300 mag,or I have a cross bow permit for bowhunting (have adult stills disease eats joints and ligaments and organs )so gotta have cross bows to collect dust.
this is different always liked cutting trees and wood working and hit a wood mode several times each year.
i could just get what i want from a sawmill but that takes the fun away.
thanks

 

[Tony Snyder]

I would not recommend the John Deere CS 71 or 81 for milling applications.