mill a standing spar?

[TheKid]

This is a crazy question. Is it possible to mill a standing spar? Perhaps working from a scaffold or ladder? I'm only talking about maybe 4-8' or so. just a thought on trying to remove good wood when there isn't room to fall or the landscape is delicate. Ok, bring on the reality.

 

[zopi]

Won't say it's impossible...it'd be a cold day in hell before i tried it...
if the landcape is delicate, i would rig a gin pole and let the log down easy
when I cut it...hell 4'-8' I'd let that down on a thick hinge with my truck winch...
then mill it in place and sweep up the dust...

This is a crazy question. Is it possible to mill a standing spar? Perhaps working from a scaffold or ladder? I'm only talking about maybe 4-8' or so. just a thought on trying to remove good wood when there isn't room to fall or the landscape is delicate. Ok, bring on the reality.

 

[BobL]

The specific setup you would need could cost as much or more that the value of the wood you get out of it and the thought of hauling any sort of mill 8ft into the air doesn't really appeal on a number of fronts. Like zopi says you be better off spend effort and $ on a setup to lower it gently, maybe direct onto a couple of beefy sawhorses.

 

[woodshop]

The specific setup you would need could cost as much or more that the value of the wood you get out of it and the thought of hauling any sort of mill 8ft into the air doesn't really appeal on a number of fronts. Like zopi says you be better off spend effort and $ on a setup to lower it gently, maybe direct onto a couple of beefy sawhorses.

I agree... doing this safely would be a huge hurdle I would think.

 

[stonykill]

I enjoy keeping my limbs intact. I like my arms, legs and fingers, even my head. I wouldn't even consider it. You will never mill again if you fall and the saw takes your head clean off.

 

[TheKid]

thanks for the reality check everyone. i assumed this was a bad idea, but i just can't stop thinking about milling! no joke! it's even in my dreams!

 

[Railomatic]

Hi Edward

I have done this using my Rail-O-Matic milling system, I got the idea from reading an old book on Native American Indians, they used to take timber from trees without killing or felling them, they had a worked with nature policy not against it.
My system is easy to errect in around ten minutes, what you do is shimmy up the tree with a set of irons, cut out a gob at the height required and another at the bottom, lift the rail up against the tree and strap in in place a conversion plate which has a curved surfce and a ratchet strap, which wraps around the trunk, with the supplied winch, haul the saw and cradle to the top of the rail, swing the bar into the ready made gog or cut out, lock it in place and let gravity do the rest, I do not have any pictures of this but it worked very well.

you can see the ground version here below,

http://www.chainsawmills.co.uk/railomatic.htm

I love this forum

Davy.