Frustrated Newbie Needs Help

[dreid]

I've been lurking for awhile and have posted a few times in the last year. Thanks for all the feedback. I love wood and am frustrated at my attempts to mill as I'm not getting the success I think I should be getting.

I've attempted to mill using an Alaskan Mill with a Husky 372x (24" bar) a couple of times and each time it takes 10-15 minutes to get through a 10' log (1st attempt pine and second attempt birch). I did buy the saw off of ebay a year ago and had it tuned up at my local outdoor power equipment store.

The saw seems to "bog" down and stop as I'm cutting. I have to back it off and get er going again and then push it forward into the wood in a rocking fashion (left right left right, etc) Repeat. Stop. Repeat, etc... I've used a brand new rip chain from Baileys each time. It almost seem like the chain is slipping off the sprocket and "not catching"?

Am I doing something wrong? Why is it seem so hard to mill? Any advice or recommendations would be great as I want to get this right and won't give up until I figure it out. Thanks.


Dave in NH

 

[computeruser]

What are you milling? How's the compression on that saw? How's your clutch?

372-class machines are a bit on the small side for milling 15"-20" hardwood, so if you're into bigger stuff then that might be part of your problem. The other problem is you have a rev-happy, low-torque saw trying to do the job of a low-rpm torquey saw. Can it be done with a 372? Sure, it's been done. That said, while it may not be the wrong tool for the job, it sure ain't the right one.

 

[woodshop]

What are you milling? How's the compression on that saw? How's your clutch?

372-class machines are a bit on the small side for milling 15"-20" hardwood, so if you're into bigger stuff then that might be part of your problem. The other problem is you have a rev-happy, low-torque saw trying to do the job of a low-rpm torquey saw. Can it be done with a 372? Sure, it's been done. That said, while it may not be the wrong tool for the job, it sure ain't the right one.

ditto... before I got my 395 I actually milled 28 inch wide oak with a 365. Sure it eventually got down the log, but it was agonizingly slow. Plus... too much more of that and I would have burned up that saw. It just wasn't designed for that kind of abuse. On smaller stuff around 12 inches or so it did OK if I kept the chain sharp and the revs up ( fed it only fast enough to where it didn't bog down).

 

[IndyIan]

Is the bar new? Or very used? My neighbors saw acts the same sometimes in the cut. The chain is still turning but somehow is not cutting, like its tilted over or something. Once you lift slightly the chain "resets" and starts cutting again. I think this is caused by a very worn bar but I don't really know. I guess also make sure the sprocket is the right pitch for the chain and is not too worn, actually just get a new one, they are cheap enough.

With a 24" bar a 372 should mill anything you can fit in the mill better than you describe. Do you know if a saw is running lean or not? You should have a nice 4 stroke burble until you really push on the saw.
I have a 372 and have milled, and it worked pretty good in softwood, like 2 min for a 9' long 8" wide cut. I found cutting a cant then the boards worked best.
Good luck,
Ian

 

[Sprig]

Have to agree with those saying the saw is a bit less than optimal for larger stuff, also small thought if you are slabbing from the top down is are you wedging the cut open as you're moving along? If you aren't it'd probably help to keep a pile of wood wedges near-by so you're not pinching your bar.
Just my 0.02$ fer the morning (already 24C and its only 7:30AM iyiyiyi)



Serge

 

[Rodney Sinclair]

The saw might be a little small, but that doesn't seem to be the problem here. I can tell you I had this problem with the 385 husky on the logosol M7 a couple of times. I still don't know what the problem was, but can tell you that when I put on a new bar, new chain and a new sprocket, the problem went away.

Rodney

 

[woodshop]

The saw might be a little small, but that doesn't seem to be the problem here. I can tell you I had this problem with the 385 husky on the logosol M7 a couple of times. I still don't know what the problem was, but can tell you that when I put on a new bar, new chain and a new sprocket, the problem went away.

Rodney

That does point to too much play in that bar... I sometimes get to where it isn't cutting right and simply taking up the slack in the chain helps a lot. If the bar itself is worn and that chain can "flop around" so to speak, as other have said, that too will cause that problem.

 

[Rodney Sinclair]

That does point to too much play in that bar... I sometimes get to where it isn't cutting right and simply taking up the slack in the chain helps a lot. If the bar itself is worn and that chain can "flop around" so to speak, as other have said, that too will cause that problem.

Woodshop, when you lay a saw on the side like we do milling, the sprocket also gets worn on one side and can cause a lot of problems. I've got to where I just change it all and start over new ever year. Thats on the 16" bar I use the most. I've also got a 20", 24" and a 36" and got a sprocket for each one so they all wear together.

Rodney

 

[TedChristiansen]

What kind of ripping chain are you using? Switch to low profile chain from Baileys (Woodsman) or Logosol (Stihl pico) - it will make a difference.

Regards,

Ted

 

[woodshop]

Woodshop, when you lay a saw on the side like we do milling, the sprocket also gets worn on one side and can cause a lot of problems. I've got to where I just change it all and start over new ever year.

I agree, sprockets are relatively cheap. I buy 4-6 at a time from Baileys (couple spares of each size I need) and keep them in my toolbox along with the other spare parts for my Ripsaw and Alaskan. I change out sprockets every couple chains if not sooner, usually before I really need to. Often it's when I'm putting on a chain and notice the wear and try and remember when I last changed it. If in doubt I err on replacing sooner than later, take the extra 30 seconds to pop a new one on. For whatever reason, it just gives me piece of mind to do so. Almost a warm fuzzy feeling On the other hand, I usually run my bars longer than I should, only changing them out when they really start to get pretty beat up and sloppy. I stick them in a vice and take a flat file to them and true them up, even try and hammer them closed again when they start to spread a bit... when in reality by that time I should toss them. I know that doesn't make sense, as worn bars will do a lot more damage to a good milling sesson than a worn sprocket will.

 

[dreid]

Thanks everyone for the info, thoughts and feedback. Where do I start? Here's some answers to the questions asked:

What are you milling? Wind blow Pine and white birch so far that's 12-15 wide

How's the compression on that saw? No clue, how do you know what it should be?

How's your clutch? No clue Where's that and what condition should it be in?

Bar: Brand new 24" Oregon

Chain: Ripping chain from Bailey's (also brand new)

Wedges: Have them but didn't us ethem as the saw was not binding

Sprocket: Was replaced by my local outdoor equipment dealer last year before I started milling. What should it look like and how do I know if it's worn?

Saw Powehead: Husky 372x. Seems like it is smaller (less powerful) than ideal, but I should not take 15 minutes to slice thru a 10' pine or birch log???

Could it be that the sprocket is the wrong one or worn and the Husky powerhead is not tuned for ripping??

Thanks.

Dave in NH

 

[IndyIan]

You can visually check if the sprocket is the right pitch for the chain, just take the side cover off and wrap the chain around the sprocket, it should be tight.
Also how does the saw crosscut? It should zip though pine like butter. If not maybe its sick.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I think in the softwoods you are milling and the size its not the saw. Did someone richen up the high side before you started milling?

I think you may need to work on your chains. Even new out of the box chains wont have an ideal cutting edge untill after the second or third sharpening.

 

[Mad Professor]

A few things.

What Ted said. Use chain for milling takes less HP and gives a cleaner cut.

A 70-80cc saw is marginal for milling. It is possible but will be slow, be patient..................your saw will thank you.

Be sure you chain is sharp as can be and well tuned (angles all the same, rakers too). Some times you may need to sharpen every other cut, you will know when you cannot feed your saw into the wood as fast as you did on a sharp chain.

 

[Esbjug]

From my experience, proper chain care is vital for the best result when milling using a chain based equipment. Even small traces of dirt, soil etc can dramatically reduce chain sharpness and reduce both speed and finish of the cutting. As mentioned before in other treads, 80-90 ccm is what should be the minimum for a saw used for this purpose. A smaller saw could do, but with reduced output. A key issue is having a constant chain speed. Another key issue is a sharp chain. I would recommend a twin file working on both tooth and glider. Also change chain at once if output is reduced.

Take a look at this document explaining proper chain care:


http://www.logosol.info/media/_pdf/US/the_handbook_for_your_cutting_equipment_2006-02-17_72dpi.pdf