how to alaska mill to get usable first and last boards?

[Rosss]

I am milling some smaller reclaimed cedar logs (9-12 inches) with a granberg alaska mill. I have been setting the first cut to take off about 2.5 inches to give me a flat surface for the second cut. I am milling 2 inch thick boards.

Once done with a log I am left with the top first slice which is round on top and 2.5 inches thick and the bottom round piece which is also about 2.5 inches thick.

How do I mill an inch or half an inch off the round side to get a flat surface on both sides?

I am thinking sound kind of jig or rails where the board sits on it's flat side and I slide the mill down some rails?

Anyone set up something like this? Pictures?
It is going to be fairly repetitive so I am willing to spend some time figuring this out.

Thanks for ideas, thoughts or experience with this

 

[devonhubb]

Don't have any pics, but I have used a set of scaffolds with adjustable screw feet. I let the Granberg mill ride on a stiff 2X12 that was on the scaffold. The log was placed under the scaffold. Worked quite well. I hope this makes sense.

 

[BobL]

If they are not too wide a standard upright Bandsaw does a good job.

As far as jig goes. Put the curved slab, curve side down into 3 shallow V notched pieces of 2 x 4 on top of 3 saw horses evenly spaced along the slab and clamp the lot together on ether side (you need 6 clamps). When you approach a saw horse, stop and move the saw horse with V notched timber and the 2 clamps behind you with suitable spacer/wedge in the kerf. This works really well

 

[andy]

Running those pieces through a planar would be the best method.
Or you could remove the bark and leave a live face which may find a purpose.
There is always "fall" when woodworking.
"Waste" material that could be usable but whose purpose may be unknown that purpose arrises.

 

[Brian72]

As Bob said, sawhorses and a ladder work good. Allows you to make very fine adjustments for your first cut.

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[andy]

Looks good Brian^^^
Any concerns of the "spring" in the ladder?
Guess the span is pretty short for the Log you have set up.
I have some longer stuff to do where this method might be useful.
Probably need to strongback the ladder after getting it flat.

This method also looks like a good solution to get better working height for operator for logs that can't easily be lifted.
At least the first cut which, may remove enough weight to then be able to lift some logs.

 

[Brian72]

Looks good Brian^^^
Any concerns of the "spring" in the ladder?
Guess the span is pretty short for the Log you have set up.
I have some longer stuff to do where this method might be useful.
Probably need to strongback the ladder after getting it flat.

This method also looks like a good solution to get better working height for operator for logs that can't easily be lifted.
At least the first cut which, may remove enough weight to then be able to lift some logs.

You could also use 4x4s, steel tubing etc. I'm still learning a lot myself. There is some spring but you can always add bracing. It's certainly a more comfortable working height and starting and finishing the cut are much easier. I'm a rookie myself but you'll find great info in these forums. Bob has tons of great info and always willing to help. After getting a good flat surface, I get one end up to mill downhill. Much less tiring. Let the weight of the saw and gravity do the work.

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[Rosss]

As Bob said, sawhorses and a ladder work good. Allows you to make very fine adjustments for your first cut.

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Thanks for the pictures I needed the visual to get it.

 

[Brian72]

Thanks for the pictures I needed the visual to get it.

Anytime. Glad to help!

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[SeMoTony]

As Bob said, sawhorses and a ladder work good. Allows you to make very fine adjustments for your first cut.

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Thanks very much for adding the views of the setup you have used. Much easier for me to get the point with the visual. Won't work at the yard waste dump where I get most of my logs to mill.The others are volunteers offered by folks who see what I can do, and want a log that is too large for the saw they have to disappear cheep/free.like this Ash about 38"x 86" long late August 2016 so all of the 1 1/2" thick should be air dried enough. The slabs around were wet so a little weight loss before loading up.
Once again Thank You very much

 

[Brian72]

Thanks very much for adding the views of the setup you have used. Much easier for me to get the point with the visual. Won't work at the yard waste dump where I get most of my logs to mill.The others are volunteers offered by folks who see what I can do, and want a log that is too large for the saw they have to disappear cheep/free.View attachment 651284like this Ash about 38"x 86" longView attachment 651285 late August 2016 so all of the 1 1/2" thick should be air dried enough. The slabs around were wet so a little weight loss before loading up.
Once again Thank You very much

Anytime Tony. Glad this helped. You got some dandy logs there! I just got a 50" bar I'm itching to put to use. Just never seems to be enough time. Our ash here in PA has been destroyed by the emerald ash borer. Been running tons of it at my buddy's mill. It's a shame.

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[BobL]

Here's a couple of photos showing milling a curved log using a saw horse as side support.
The wood is called Marri.

When the cut reaches the sawhorse you stop and move the sawhorse behind the cut wedge the kerf and keep going = easy /

 

[Brian72]

Here's a couple of photos showing milling a curved log using a saw horse as side support.
The wood is called Marri.

When the cut reaches the sawhorse you stop and move the sawhorse behind the cut wedge the kerf and keep going = easy /
View attachment 651361
View attachment 651362

View attachment 651363

Wow. That's some neat wood Bob. Nice setup!

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[BobL]

Wow. That's some neat wood Bob. Nice setup!

Cheers Brian.
NArri was once considered 3rd rate because it is quite gummy and also suffers badly from "ring shake" .
As a result few trees were collected for lumber and so there are many large trees still standing on farms and in forests but these are rapidly going.
In the last 20 years marriage has started to befavoured by furniture especially large table makers - its a relatively soft Eucalypt so its nice to mill but it sometimes contains large pockets of blood red gum and everyone uses it to play tricks like this.
I sent this pic to my BOL who helped me make the BIL mill.
I go tired of him sending me pictures of the surgical staples he had following repeated bouts of back surgery so I think I got him back good.

 

[Brian72]

Cheers Brian.
NArri was once considered 3rd rate because it is quite gummy and also suffers badly from "ring shake" .
As a result few trees were collected for lumber and so there are many large trees still standing on farms and in forests but these are rapidly going.
In the last 20 years marriage has started to befavoured by furniture especially large table makers - its a relatively soft Eucalypt so its nice to mill but it sometimes contains large pockets of blood red gum and everyone uses it to play tricks like this.
I sent this pic to my BOL who helped me make the BIL mill.
I go tired of him sending me pictures of the surgical staples he had following repeated bouts of back surgery so I think I got him back good.
View attachment 651426

Sure looks real Bob. Lol. Hope he didn't jump too hard when he seen that.

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[ChoppyChoppy]

Running those pieces through a planar would be the best method.
Or you could remove the bark and leave a live face which may find a purpose.
There is always "fall" when woodworking.
"Waste" material that could be usable but whose purpose may be unknown that purpose arises.

Running that much bark (and grit) through a planer would be killer on the knives plus would be hard to feed. At least the 2 we have feed with rollers on the top of the board.

Op, can you just take a smaller cut for the slabs? We had a guy haul over his slabs, was hauling to the dump, so we've been heating with them. Not sure what he was making, but some of them are 6-7" thick! We normally make them as thin as possible, no sense in wasting usable wood!

 

[M.R.]

When the bottom slab is set aside as it
has too much belly/flex to mill, after a couple
cuts are made on the next log... it can be placed
secured on top (ie: toe board to push against & a
couple of screws angled in on the uphill end to
keep from shifting) then the finished cut.

 

[brianpoundingnails]

I am milling some smaller reclaimed cedar logs (9-12 inches) with a granberg alaska mill. I have been setting the first cut to take off about 2.5 inches to give me a flat surface for the second cut. I am milling 2 inch thick boards.

Once done with a log I am left with the top first slice which is round on top and 2.5 inches thick and the bottom round piece which is also about 2.5 inches thick.

How do I mill an inch or half an inch off the round side to get a flat surface on both sides?

I am thinking sound kind of jig or rails where the board sits on it's flat side and I slide the mill down some rails?

Anyone set up something like this? Pictures?
It is going to be fairly repetitive so I am willing to spend some time figuring this out.

Thanks for ideas, thoughts or experience with this

Those "scrap" cuts are worth more to me than the boards from the middle of the log. I use my diy mill to cut uniform 4" thick half rounds and make tables
out of them. The leftover cants I take to a local sawmill and have them slice it up as live edge boards.

 

[Brian72]

Those "scrap" cuts are worth more to me than the boards from the middle of the log. I use my diy mill to cut uniform 4" thick half rounds and make tables
out of them. The leftover cants I take to a local sawmill and have them slice it up as live edge boards.

Nice!

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[Marine5068]

Cheers Brian.
NArri was once considered 3rd rate because it is quite gummy and also suffers badly from "ring shake" .
As a result few trees were collected for lumber and so there are many large trees still standing on farms and in forests but these are rapidly going.
In the last 20 years marriage has started to befavoured by furniture especially large table makers - its a relatively soft Eucalypt so its nice to mill but it sometimes contains large pockets of blood red gum and everyone uses it to play tricks like this.
I sent this pic to my BOL who helped me make the BIL mill.
I go tired of him sending me pictures of the surgical staples he had following repeated bouts of back surgery so I think I got him back good.
View attachment 651426

I get queezy just looking at it....ugh