Milling Picture Thread

[U&A]

I saw an Inst post about a guy that does tones of cookies puts them in a chest freezer first for a bit, then kiln dries them, says it helps with crack and splitting.

Iv got over 150 of them. I need a big freezer

 

[U&A]

How do you like that (I assume) Logosol unit? Pros / Cons?

Also interested in this

I can see it being a justified purchase if you do smaller diameter logs all the time. I like the concept. Seems like a nice one for making boards and reducing the larger first cut pc’s that you end up with from the Alaska style chainsaw mill.

I just cant sell the smaller stuff here. Everyone seems to want something 24” minimum width but preferably 28” and up.

I do everything myself, even loading and unloading the slabs into my truck. I can not handle anything bigger my 48” chainsaw mill can fit. They just get to heavy for me.

 

[StihlPotlicker]

They sell as is. Rough cut. Eventually ill get my own dryer and then a planer. For now I sell it all rough cut

I love it. tried uploading a pic of the biggest log i have had on it. but it wouldn't load. so i will try this one. 23" x10ft6

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

Do you sell those boards or make something for yourself out of them. I don't think they'd sell around here (big city). Everyone is into ikea, wayfair and painted white cabinets. Real wood and rustic wood is out-dated.

For a big city market and more "refined" tastes lol I've found that mixing the modern of sleek black steel for legs with live edge table tops is usually popular. I've kinda come to hate anyone calling my stuff "rustic" because it's come to mean more "half ass, unfinished" than "live edge/natural" these days. Live edge, table and legs, doesn't often go over well. I've never been much into hairpin legs, but Rockler had a clearance sale on them for so stupidly cheap I couldn't resist so I just bought like 10 sets for entry and coffee and console tables. Some are chrome, some rose gold, the cheapest yellow ones I'm going to repaint black. I just keep mixing up my variety as a woodworker and offering all kinds of leg styles to find what works for people. Fabricate a lot of my own. Most people - even myself a lot of the time - can't envision what they really like til you show it to them and then they're like, yeah, that's it. Just a slab or tabletop, they rarely have an idea what it could become.

 

[U&A]

For a big city market and more "refined" tastes lol I've found that mixing the modern of sleek black steel for legs with live edge table tops is usually popular. I've kinda come to hate anyone calling my stuff "rustic" because it's come to mean more "half ass, unfinished" than "live edge/natural" these days. Live edge, table and legs, doesn't often go over well. I've never been much into hairpin legs, but Rockler had a clearance sale on them for so stupidly cheap I couldn't resist so I just bought like 10 sets for entry and coffee and console tables. Some are chrome, some rose gold, the cheapest yellow ones I'm going to repaint black. I just keep mixing up my variety as a woodworker and offering all kinds of leg styles to find what works for people. Fabricate a lot of my own. Most people - even myself a lot of the time - can't envision what they really like til you show it to them and then they're like, yeah, that's it. Just a slab or tabletop, they rarely have an idea what it could become.

Nice!

thanks for the post. Informative.

Iv been a welder or making blue prints for most of my life until now. Eventually ill be doing this kind of stuff.

I literally had ZERO wood working tools. Iv got a long ways to go but want to get there eventually.

 

[U&A]

I love it. tried uploading a pic of the biggest log i have had on it. but it wouldn't load. so i will try this one. 23" x10ft6

So 23” was the biggest?

What is the advertised limit?

Link to the brand you have?

 

[GeneralKayoss]

Started chainsaw milling about 3-4 months ago.

A sampler:

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

Iv been a welder or makong blue prints for most of my lofe until now. Eventually ill be doing this kinf of stuff.

I literally had ZERO wood working tools. Iv got a long ways to go but want to get there eventually.

Being a welder is a great combo to go with woodworking. Allows you to get way more creative than most folks. My uncle was always fond of using random metal like car leaf springs as legs with his live edge creations. His best friend called himself an "industrial artist" and did all kinds of amazing things with wood and metal. His goldmine he lucked into was Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Miami called him in to salvage all their downed trees after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and he ended up with the most incredible array of tropical hardwood slabs. I kinda had zero welding and fabrication skills til a few years back but have been steadily developing them. One useful project I developed a lot of my skills on was being disgusted how easily the frames bend on cheap Chinese shop presses and so I started to reinforce and replace parts of mine. Eventually I rebuilt the entire thing from scratch w American steel with 5/8" flat bar from the steel recycling yard and heavy tubing and old Ford 351 automotive bolts. Got okay at welding along the way. Wanted to be able to use a bender attachment in the press to bend heavy flat bar with that I could put a lot of pressure on without the press frame giving out.

 

[StihlPotlicker]

Also interested in this

I can see it being a justified purchase if you do smaller diameter logs all the time. I like the concept. Seems like a nice one for making boards and reducing the larger first cut pc’s that you end up with from the Alaska style chainsaw mill.

I just cant sell the smaller stuff here. Everyone seems to want something 24” minimum width but preferably 28” and up.

I do everything myself, even loading and unloading the slabs into my truck. I can not handle anything bigger my 48” chainsaw mill can fit. They just get to heavy for me.

So 23” was the biggest?

What is the advertised limit?

Link to the brand you have?

Mine is the Logosol F2 plus
27-9/16" Dia. log with the nose steering, they say can take larger if needed. I have heard of guys with the older mills (M8) of mounting the mill upside down on the log.
I am capable of milling 22'5-1/2" log as of now. Logosol holds the Guinness world record of longest 2x4 milled at 114 ft on M7.
Pros: light weight. standard mill 4meter (13ft long) weights under 150 lbs. so easily take it to the log. they changed the design so you can leave the mill rail assembled and take the log lifters off. for transport. mill smaller logs easily. leaves a smooth finish, compared to a BM. with the 2 log lifts, can lift a log over 1 ton. can break it down to mill shorter logs, 3.5 ft between log lifts. can mill tapered boards by having log lifts at different heights. comfortable standing height for milling. uses a chainsaw, so if you are like most people on this site, you have a plethora to mount on lol. can easily sharpen the chain, don't need extra tools like BM. you can buy the option to have a remote feed crank, so you can feed the saw thru log by standing on one end. can disassemble and store on the side of your barn, if you don't want it permanently setup. if in Europe, you have the electric option.

Cons: cost, for $530 (unless you need to buy a saw) more you could be into a BM (granted you lose 2ft of milling length). exhaust in your face, if the wind changes (but I have seen guys put a battery fan to blow exhaust fumes away, and you can add the remote crank). slower than BM. larger logs are a nuisance to move if you don't have equipment or working by yourself (I have a vidja on YouTube). go thru more gas. for that big log a used 5 liters of gas but got over 200 bdft. assembly and set up and leveling can be a pain, I need to relevel the mill again.

so over all I am happy with it, and glad I didn't buy a BM.

 

[U&A]

Mine is the Logosol F2 plus
27-9/16" Dia. log with the nose steering, they say can take larger if needed. I have heard of guys with the older mills (M8) of mounting the mill upside down on the log.
I am capable of milling 22'5-1/2" log as of now. Logosol holds the Guinness world record of longest 2x4 milled at 114 ft on M7.
Pros: light weight. standard mill 4meter (13ft long) weights under 150 lbs. so easily take it to the log. they changed the design so you can leave the mill rail assembled and take the log lifters off. for transport. mill smaller logs easily. leaves a smooth finish, compared to a BM. with the 2 log lifts, can lift a log over 1 ton. can break it down to mill shorter logs, 3.5 ft between log lifts. can mill tapered boards by having log lifts at different heights. comfortable standing height for milling. uses a chainsaw, so if you are like most people on this site, you have a plethora to mount on lol. can easily sharpen the chain, don't need extra tools like BM. you can buy the option to have a remote feed crank, so you can feed the saw thru log by standing on one end. can disassemble and store on the side of your barn, if you don't want it permanently setup. if in Europe, you have the electric option.

Cons: cost, for $530 (unless you need to buy a saw) more you could be into a BM (granted you lose 2ft of milling length). exhaust in your face, if the wind changes (but I have seen guys put a battery fan to blow exhaust fumes away, and you can add the remote crank). slower than BM. larger logs are a nuisance to move if you don't have equipment or working by yourself (I have a vidja on YouTube). go thru more gas. for that big log a used 5 liters of gas but got over 200 bdft. assembly and set up and leveling can be a pain, I need to relevel the mill again.

so over all I am happy with it, and glad I didn't buy a BM.

Cool.

yah I hear ya on gas. Mine is not awful. I can do an 8foot long 30”-35” diameter with 1 gallon of gas (maybe slightly less) with an Alaskan mill on my 3120XS

 

[StihlPotlicker]

Cool.

yah I hear ya on gas. Mine is not awful. I can do an 8foot long 30”-35” diameter with 1 gallon of gas (maybe slightly less) with an Alaskan mill on my 3120XS

now I was using a dull chain and should have taken the time to sharpen it, but I was lazy, so I would have used less gas if I would have sharpened it.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Mine is the Logosol F2 plus
27-9/16" Dia. log with the nose steering, they say can take larger if needed. I have heard of guys with the older mills (M8) of mounting the mill upside down on the log.
I am capable of milling 22'5-1/2" log as of now. Logosol holds the Guinness world record of longest 2x4 milled at 114 ft on M7.

Cons: cost, for $530 (unless you need to buy a saw) more you could be into a BM (granted you lose 2ft of milling length). exhaust in your face, if the wind changes (but I have seen guys put a battery fan to blow exhaust fumes away, and you can add the remote crank). slower than BM. larger logs are a nuisance to move if you don't have equipment or working by yourself (I have a vidja on YouTube). go thru more gas. for that big log a used 5 liters of gas but got over 200 bdft. assembly and set up and leveling can be a pain, I need to relevel the mill again.

so over all I am happy with it, and glad I didn't buy a BM.

You left out some important comparisons between a BSM and a CSM...

You get MUCH MORE lumber out of a log with a BSM, every 5th board is FREE, instead of being turned into sawdust.
A BSM is waaaay less work compared to a CSM
A CSM cost a LOT more to own, just in fuel and expensive oil used, alone.
A CSM is slooooow and makes waaaay more noise.
A powerhead on a CSM doesn't last near as long as the motor on a BSM.

There are more, but these are important advantages of a BSM and as I get older, I'm even more glad, I moved up from a CSM to a BSM.

SR

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

now I was using a dull chain and should have taken the time to sharpen it, but I was lazy, so I would have used less gas if I would have sharpened it.

Given my username, it's obviously a drum I beat a lot, but Logosols in Europe are all generally run using lo pro chain and bars now cause the stuff is readily available there and Logosol sells it unlike Logosol USA which doesn't. Those who dismiss CSM's as wood wasteful and way too slow have never run lo pro chain on a CSM. World of difference to speed and wood waste and smoothness of cuts. May not be comparable to a BM still, but portability favors the Logosol whether you have a BM on a trailer or not (and then you're usually talking 4-5x cost of a Logosol). You can get a CSM places you can't get a BM. There is no best for everyone, it all depends on your situation and use. Land-rich/rural people the BM makes most sense. Land-poor/urban people the CSM often makes more sense. Waay off the grid rural the CSM often makes more sense too or is the only option. Chainsaw mills don't dip and bend when they hit knots and super hard wood like BM's do, don't have to throw away a $40 blade when you hit a nail like you do with a BM. There's a right solution for everyone depending on the types of wood they mill, the size, and their personal situation. I'd like to get a BM someday when I want to make more dimensional lumber and have the land for it and equipment to move big logs to it, but for my present situation and needs a CSM w lo pro works best for me. May never get a BM and just get a Logosol if never doing more milling than personal needs for my woodworking and I need to make only the occasional dimensional lumber. Doing urban wood salvaging, benefits of a CSM are I can set up in someone's back yard only accessed thru a narrow gate and get wood milled to manageable transport size fairly quickly.

 

[StihlPotlicker]

You left out some important comparisons between a BSM and a CSM...

You get MUCH MORE lumber out of a log with a BSM, every 5th board is FREE, instead of being turned into sawdust.
A BSM is waaaay less work compared to a CSM
A CSM cost a LOT more to own, just in fuel and expensive oil used, alone.
A CSM is slooooow and makes waaaay more noise.
A powerhead on a CSM doesn't last near as long as the motor on a BSM.

There are more, but these are important advantages of a BSM and as I get older, I'm even more glad, I moved up from a CSM to a BSM.

SR

that first one about 5th board is free ain't always true, I run Low pro chains, plus I don't need to leave extra material on for planing to thickness as it leaves a smoother finish than BSM
only if you have a hydraulic lift and log turner
3rd one ain't true if they have a mortgage on the mill.
4th one I wood () say Slooower lol.
5th I have had my G660 China saw on my Logosol for 4 yrs now, I lost track of how many bdft we have milled and have over 200 gal of gas through it.

I would get a Swing blade mill over a BSM I think TBH.

 

[StihlPotlicker]

Given my username, it's obviously a drum I beat a lot, but Logosols in Europe are all generally run using lo pro chain and bars now cause the stuff is readily available there and Logosol sells it unlike Logosol USA which doesn't. Those who dismiss CSM's as wood wasteful and way too slow have never run lo pro chain on a CSM. World of difference to speed and wood waste and smoothness of cuts. May not be comparable to a BM still, but portability favors the Logosol whether you have a BM on a trailer or not (and then you're usually talking 4-5x cost of a Logosol). You can get a CSM places you can't get a BM. There is no best for everyone, it all depends on your situation and use. Land-rich/rural people the BM makes most sense. Land-poor/urban people the CSM often makes more sense. Waay off the grid rural the CSM often makes more sense too or is the only option. Chainsaw mills don't dip and bend when they hit knots and super hard wood like BM's do, don't have to throw away a $40 blade when you hit a nail like you do with a BM. There's a right solution for everyone depending on the types of wood they mill, the size, and their personal situation. I'd like to get a BM someday when I want to make more dimensional lumber and have the land for it and equipment to move big logs to it, but for my present situation and needs a CSM w lo pro works best for me. May never get a BM and just get a Logosol if never doing more milling than personal needs for my woodworking and I need to make only the occasional dimensional lumber. Doing urban wood salvaging, benefits of a CSM are I can set up in someone's back yard only accessed thru a narrow gate and get wood milled to manageable transport size fairly quickly.

yes I have hit my log dogs lol and kept milling same with nails or bullets lol

 

[StihlPotlicker]

In the 4 yrs I have had my Logosol, I only broke one chain

 

[StihlPotlicker]

@Coralillo Lo Pro what is the kerf width of a lo Pro? .157 or .197"?

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Given my username, it's obviously a drum I beat a lot, but Logosols in Europe are all generally run using lo pro chain and bars now cause the stuff is readily available there and Logosol sells it unlike Logosol USA which doesn't. Those who dismiss CSM's as wood wasteful and way too slow have never run lo pro chain on a CSM. World of difference to speed and wood waste and smoothness of cuts. May not be comparable to a BM still, but portability favors the Logosol whether you have a BM on a trailer or not (and then you're usually talking 4-5x cost of a Logosol). You can get a CSM places you can't get a BM. There is no best for everyone, it all depends on your situation and use. Land-rich/rural people the BM makes most sense. Land-poor/urban people the CSM often makes more sense. Waay off the grid rural the CSM often makes more sense too or is the only option. Chainsaw mills don't dip and bend when they hit knots and super hard wood like BM's do, don't have to throw away a $40 blade when you hit a nail like you do with a BM. There's a right solution for everyone depending on the types of wood they mill, the size, and their personal situation. I'd like to get a BM someday when I want to make more dimensional lumber and have the land for it and equipment to move big logs to it, but for my present situation and needs a CSM w lo pro works best for me. May never get a BM and just get a Logosol if never doing more milling than personal needs for my woodworking and I need to make only the occasional dimensional lumber. Doing urban wood salvaging, benefits of a CSM are I can set up in someone's back yard only accessed thru a narrow gate and get wood milled to manageable transport size fairly quickly.

I'm not arguing with you, but let's keep it real... You can buy a decent band saw band for around 30 bucks and it doesn't need to be sharpened every other cut like a chainsaw chain either. Many times, I go through several logs before the band needs sharpening, at the cost of 7 dollars to get it reset and sharpened.

Over the years I've hit more than a few nails, and it's just not true that hitting a nail guarantees that you will end up with a ruined band. I have seen a nail knock several teeth right off a chainsaw chain though, so you never know what you will get.

AND a sharp band does NOT dip in knots in hardwoods either, although a dull one will, but that's something else chainsaw people keep repeating that isn't true.

SR

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

that first one about 5th board is free ain't always true, I run Low pro chains, plus I don't need to leave extra material on for planing to thickness as it leaves a smoother finish than BSM

Ah you are of the enlightened, the lo pro savvy lol. Logosol plus lo pro is a mighty fine combination. And a 660 w lo pro? Hell that should go thru serious hardwood like I mill easily as fast as anything but a serious big bad BM. I have mine on my 87cc saw now, but even w 64cc I could buzz through 15" mesquite crazy fast. People talk about how hard milling is on saws, but LP on a 660 w sharp chain doesn't even make the saw blink, you're done before you know it. Don't know the exact kerf of 3/8LP, there have been naysayers before dismissing the chain kerf as not notably smaller than .404 or regular 3/8", but the ACTUAL cut kerf is what matters because the higher profile of 3/8 and .404 creates way more chain oscillation particularly in bars with any slop. BobL whose contributions to AS speak for themselves did do some tests where he concluded the actual kerf wasn't that different either but I think he maintains his .404 and 3/8" gear to far tighter tolerances than most do. It makes no sense to me that an LP cut is only 13 percent narrower than regular 3/8 when the effort is so much easier and speed so much faster. These were BobL's results. He did note that maybe semi-chisel LP would have been a narrower kerf.

a) 404, semi-chisel, near new chain, kerf width was 0.337"
b) 3/8 new semi chisel, new, 30º top plate angle, kerf width 0.327"
c) 3/8 LP, new, chisel, 30º top plate angle kerf width 289"
d) 3/8 LP, new, chisel, 10º top plate, kerf width 0.280"

My impression is that actual kerf of 3/8LP tends between .25-.290 and actual kerf of full height chain tends toward .350-.40 for the average person.

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

@Coralillo Lo Pro what is the kerf width of a lo Pro? .157 or .197"?

I get about .21-.22 with my micrometer sandwiching the chain between two metal plates to get accurate kerf. That's on my Archer 3/8LP .043, I don't think it's a whole lot different than my 3/8LP .050 though. There are some LP chains maybe a bit narrower kerf than others. LP chains get most of their narrowed actual cut kerf through their lower height and lack of oscillation so probably create a narrower actual cut kerf than a normal height "narrow kerf" chain would like .325NK or what have you.