Red oak slab

[gr8scott72]

I can't see how you get anywhere close to 400 lbs for that size.
If its 53" at one eld and 40 at the other that's an average of 46.5" wide
Volume is then 46.5"/12 x 6' x 2"/12 = 3.875 cuft
The density of green red oak is at most about 50 lbs/cuft.
So that makes it about 200 lbs

Even if it was lemon scented gum (density of 71.8 lb/cuft) it would still only weigh 279 lbs


It sounds like either the wood is dirty or the chain is not set up right?
With a freshly sharpened chain I get about 36 sqft of cut (eg 9 x 4 ft) with one tank of fuel on the 880 in wood that will be as hard or harder than than red oak.
If I do not have a freshly sharpened chain for every cut I will need 1.5 - 2 tanks to cut the same area. Cutting with a less than freshly sharpened chain also places a significantly greater load on the engine, I can see the temperature increase significantly 20 up to 40F over my usual milling temp

I guess you're right but this sure seems like more than 200 lbs. It was all I could do to pick up one end of it.

The chain was freshly sharpened and was cutting just fine. It didn't take any extra pressure and was still throwing sawdust and small curly chips out by the boat loads. (OK, not quite boatloads but it was a big mound.)

The wood isn't dirty and I don't think I hit anything in it. I'll put a good edge back on it tomorrow and try another one.

You will appreciate these pictures Bob:

 

[gr8scott72]

Here's a few more from today:
Oh, just for reference, I'm 6'4"

This piece broke off when I laid the slab back down. OK, I actually dropped it a few inches darn it.

 

[pastryguyhawaii]

That is some beautiful wood!

 

[huskyhank]

Oak is just tough. I think around here it sucks up grit or minerals from the soil.

The last I milled a couple of weeks ago I had to touch up the chain every cut. This on 9' logs 24-30" diameter. Cutting the maple this past weekend I sharpened only at the end of the day on Friday and then on Saturday after hitting the metal. Same chain, same saw.

There was a huge difference in cutting speed and the weight of the logs is dramatically different.

 

[BobL]

I guess you're right but this sure seems like more than 200 lbs. It was all I could do to pick up one end of it.

The chain was freshly sharpened and was cutting just fine. It didn't take any extra pressure and was still throwing sawdust and small curly chips out by the boat loads. (OK, not quite boatloads but it was a big mound.)
The wood isn't dirty and I don't think I hit anything in it. I'll put a good edge back on it tomorrow and try another one.
You will appreciate these pictures Bob:

I certainly do - thanks heaps for posting - that wood is sensational. When I'm stuck in the office and paper pushing (actually it's all email these days) gets me down, those sort of pics keep me going for the rest of the day.

Were you really milling at 24º? At that sort of angle a saw/mill with wheels should be able to cut by itself?

RE: milling speed.
Two tanks of gas still seems like a lot. 6 ft in 30 minutes is 5 minutes per ft or about 2.5" per minute which seems very slow even in big wood. When my cutting speed drops below 5" per minute on big hard wood with a freshly sharpened chain that tells me it's time to look at my rakers. What raker depth do you have? You say it's been sharpened about a dozen times but are your rakers being progressively dropped? I often wonder about using skip chain on really long bars like that. I tried skip chain on my 42" bars and found it just went blunt quicker.

Looking at this picture I see the finish that is consistent with milling speed that is greater than 2.5'/min , my guess is around 6"/min?

It could be that there was a lot of fine gritty dust in that branch union further down the log? I know the log is wider further down the log but did is seem to cut the second half a lot slower? A good check is where you had to stop and refuel.

One more thing were you using your 84" bar? It could be that you have an increased fuel consumption from the extra chain length adding more load to the saw.

Anyway - love your work!

 

[gr8scott72]

I certainly do - thanks heaps for posting - that wood is sensational. When I'm stuck in the office and paper pushing (actually it's all email these days) gets me down, those sort of pics keep me going for the rest of the day.

Getting to show them off is half the fun.

Were you really milling at 24º? At that sort of angle a saw/mill with wheels should be able to cut by itself?

It almost cut by itself. I actually had to hold the saw head up and apply slight pressure to the middle of the mill to keep the saw side from cutting too fast.

RE: milling speed.
Two tanks of gas still seems like a lot. 6 ft in 30 minutes is 5 minutes per ft or about 2.5" per minute which seems very slow even in big wood. When my cutting speed drops below 5" per minute on big hard wood with a freshly sharpened chain that tells me it's time to look at my rakers. What raker depth do you have? You say it's been sharpened about a dozen times but are your rakers being progressively dropped?

I just adjusted the rakers about 3 or 4 sharpenings ago so they should still be fine. I use the Husky file guide to do the rakers. It is a progressive style guide. My experience is that when I have to start pushing on the saw AND the chain is sharp that it is the rakers that need to be dropped. I wasn't pushing on the saw and it would load up just fine and throw chips just fine.

I often wonder about using skip chain on really long bars like that. I tried skip chain on my 42" bars and found it just went blunt quicker.

Looking at this picture I see the finish that is consistent with milling speed that is greater than 2.5'/min , my guess is around 6"/min?

That was at the very first of the slab where it is not only just 36" or so but it seems to be very soft compared to the rest of that log.

It could be that there was a lot of fine gritty dust in that branch union further down the log? I know the log is wider further down the log but did is seem to cut the second half a lot slower? A good check is where you had to stop and refuel.

There might have been some grit in that branch union, idk. It did seem to get slower at the end but it also was the full 53" from about midway to almost the end of the slab.

One more thing were you using your 84" bar? It could be that you have an increased fuel consumption from the extra chain length adding more load to the saw.

It's a 60" bar. I don't have a 84" and don't think I'd want one. lol

Anyway - love your work!

Thanks! Help from you is part of how I got started.

 

[BobL]

Getting to show them off is half the fun.
It almost cut by itself. I actually had to hold the saw head up and apply slight pressure to the middle of the mill to keep the saw side from cutting too fast.

If the saw side is cutting too fast during auto cutting, I tip the log over slightly to outboard side like this.

Even with wheels on the mill this angle increases the friction against the log on the saw side enough to slow it down so that it cuts evenly.

I use the Husky file guide to do the rakers. It is a progressive style guide.

Cuttin buddy Hud has a Husky file guide, I must grab a hold of it and see just how progressive they are. The Carlton file-o-plate is supposed to be progressive but it's only semi progressive and by the time the cutters are half worn the cutting angle is around 4.5º. I'm currently running at between 6 and 7º and it generates beautiful big chips in 50" wood.

In case y'all missed it on the FOP sticky in the CS forum,
Here's a vid showing how I set the rakers on my milling chains with a DAF.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSr9j2EDoqk
and here's a vid of me sharpening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWwLEuY5Iao

 

[Andrew96]

Scott...I know you are working out cutting speeds...angles....checking out how cool the boards are.....I'm jealous of your weather. Light coat on...dry ground...already out milling. Geez...I wish spring would come here. I've got logs in the woods all sealed up ready to go. Fresh chains....just waiting on the weather. Glad your having fun....oh...and nice job on the huge monster. The photos help us in the snow get through another week.

 

[gr8scott72]

Scott...I know you are working out cutting speeds...angles....checking out how cool the boards are.....I'm jealous of your weather. Light coat on...dry ground...already out milling. Geez...I wish spring would come here. I've got logs in the woods all sealed up ready to go. Fresh chains....just waiting on the weather. Glad your having fun....oh...and nice job on the huge monster. The photos help us in the snow get through another week.

Actually, we just had the 2nd largest Feb. snow ever for the state of Mississippi. Got about 4" here and it lasted about 2 days. lol