First time milling

[00juice]

Last week I used my alaskan for the first time. We cut some butternut into slabs, 8' long. We did some 16/4 and some 8/4 slabs. Used my 066 with a standard chain. The bar that I had my ripping chain for, was at a friends getting drilled for an auxillary oiler, so I figured i'd just use the regular chain that fit my extra bar. I made a slabbing starter bracket from some uni-strut. The process went pretty easily and quickly. Next weekend, I hope to cut up some more of the butternut and some cherry as well. Here are some pics, sorry none show off the cut lumber very well. The grain is absolutely beautiful, maybe next week i'll post some more pics.
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[Trigger-Time]

Good job! Looks like you jumped in hole hog. What are you
going to use those big slabs for? And yes more pics please.

 

[00juice]

The guy in the pic with me is a retired art teacher, I'm a shop teacher, and we figured we might try doing some rustic/artistic furniture sculptures. We'll start collecting some lumber and materials, and start once its dry. Can't wait to start doing some more.
Brian

 

[woodshop]

Good job. Butternut is nice to work with in the shop. I used to mill logs on the ground like that till I started tearing up my knees and back too much. Still do when running out of daylight or I just get lazy. Usually I use a floor jack to get the thing up on little sawhorses.

Keep us posted (no pun intended)opcorn:

 

[Trigger-Time]

The guy in the pic with me is a retired art teacher, I'm a shop teacher, and we figured we might try doing some rustic/artistic furniture sculptures. We'll start collecting some lumber and materials, and start once its dry. Can't wait to start doing some more.
Brian

I have just started milling myself, every time I make a cut I can't wait
to see what the grain of the wood looks like. If you have some way
to get the logs up a little higher it will make a big big difference on
your back and a lot easier to push the mill. And keep your chain sharp.
Also keep a eye on the air filter, milling they get dirty very fast. There
is a lot of good info here on AS.

 

[dustytools]

Awesome action shots OOjuice. Looks like you took right off. Good luck with the projects.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Way to go!! WS is right, your body will thank you if you get those off the ground a little!!!

 

[aquan8tor]

That last piece of info is one of the best things I (should have) listened to here. I just got a 60" cant hook with log jack that helps with just that. Also, do a search on Woodshop's milling tutorials. Lots of good info on getting big cants up to make milling easy. Welcome to the site, BTW.

 

[tribalwind]

really nice shots'
was there someone else besides you and paul? or'd ya set the camera's timer and then try to look busy real quick before it went off

regarding artistic/rustic furniture, i love that stuff too'
theres a group of artisans i met 2 years ago at an annual gathering in Warwick NY, you guys would like it i'm sure. i taught a bamboo flute-making workshop last gathering,lots of fun

http://www.woodlanders.com/

 

[woodbug]

Is there much Butternut up in PA? We have it in KY but it's on it's way out, a canker caused by a fungus is killing them. 50 years ago it made up 10% of the bottom land and now where I work we only have 100 out of 53,000 acres. Just wondering?

 

[woodshop]

Is there much Butternut up in PA? We have it in KY but it's on it's way out, a canker caused by a fungus is killing them. 50 years ago it made up 10% of the bottom land and now where I work we only have 100 out of 53,000 acres. Just wondering?

The butternut canker has reached PA also, maybe not as extensively as down there, but then there might not be as much butternut natural here than down there, don't know.

 

[amdburner]

I am seeing a lot of dead butternuts here in VT also.

 

[00juice]

TribalWind,
There was only two of us milling. Paul's brother stopped by during the job, and he took the pictures for us. Still havent' done anymore yet, but maybe tomorrow. We have alot of trees available that were left behind by a logger, and then by the sewage authority when putting in new sewers. We're gonna have to get moving though, as the property owner is going to start burning everything we don't get to in the next few weeks. I don't know if there is any problems with the butternut in this area. This tree did not have any disease.
Brian

 

[00juice]

Butternut Part II

Here's some pics of our last attempt at milling. There are some nice 2INCH slabs, some short sections slabbed to 4 inches, Some branched sections to 4 inches, and a trunk breaking 3ways in a 7 inch slab for a table top. More pics to come.

 

[00juice]

Butternut Part II

Here's some more pics from our 2nd day of milling. Used a ripping chain, and an auxillary oiler this time. Much faster, smoother, and held a much better edge. Never needed to sharpen the chain after doing all of this. It cut as good at the end, as it did in the beginning. More later. Steeler game is on now. Gotta go.
Brian

 

[woodshop]

More later. Steeler game is on now. Gotta go.
Brian

Well we all have our priorities now don't we

Nice job juice. Good looking butternut. Looks like some nice crotch pieces that would make very good looking drawer fronts, especially if you bookmatched them. Are you a woodworker juice? Curious about that aux oiler, I see your helper holding it. Do you have it set up so you squeeze that bottle to get the oil flowing to your bar?

 

[00juice]

I teach some woodshop classes in high school. So, i do like to play around in the woodshop. The oiler is set up to just squeeze the bottle, and it'll flow down into the bar as needed. The bar is drilled, and a bolt going through like the granberg oiler.
Brian

 

[oldsaw]

Keep it up. Nice shots, nice wood. I'm suffering from withdrawl until Lester comes up with some logs. He has two guys who have offered, has to check out one, and wait for the weather to dry up on the other one.

mark

 

[VT-Woodchuck]

Beautiful!!!!!!!

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Nice lookin' wood. Good job.