School me

[chunky]

Im needing some advise/info help. I'm still learning the milling more and more everyday. I've just tackled my biggest cut so far. It's a 31" cottonwood that I had to debark to get my mill on at 29 inches.
Ik it's a slow go and all but it seems like I find myself pushing more than I think should.
I even even swapped out my fresh sharpened chain after 2 cuts and put on a new Bailey's ripping chain and it seemed dull. It acts just like I've made several cuts in my oaks w/o sharpening.

So my question is, is it because of the size of the log or the water content in a cottonwood or is just me thinking I need to push harder??

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[BobL]

Post a close up, side on photo of some of your cutters and I will take a look.

 

[chunky]

Post a close up, side on photo of some of your cutters and I will take a look.

It'll be this evening when I get back in the shop and I'll get some pictures.

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[Mad Professor]

Take a slab off one side first, then make remaining cuts 90 degrees to that. For bigger logs, take two slabs off on opposite sides, then cut 90 degrees to those.

You'll be able to tackle logs wider than your bar that way.

Concerning slow cuts, is log dirty/have crap in the bark?

 

[chunky]

Take a slab off one side first, then make remaining cuts 90 degrees to that. For bigger logs, take two slabs off on opposite sides, then cut 90 degrees to those.

You'll be able to tackle logs wider than your bar that way.

Concerning slow cuts, is log dirty/have crap in the bark?

It was dirty but I`m debarking it as I go.
I have thought about trying to rotate for the bigger logs but I have no equipment, just pry bars and mostly always with no help.

 

[thenne1713]

Mad Prof has good advice, and suspicion of dirty/ sandy bark will be proven w/ cutter inspection. Once you get those opposing slabs off, goto a new sharp chain, and suspect pace will pickup? What is powerhead? What does cut look like, get those pics, too?

 

[chunky]

Post a close up, side on photo of some of your cutters and I will take a look.

New Bailey's chain after only 2 11' cuts

After 2 cuts on my resharpened chains


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[chunky]

Mad Prof has good advice, and suspicion of dirty/ sandy bark will be proven w/ cutter inspection. Once you get those opposing slabs off, goto a new sharp chain, and suspect pace will pickup? What is powerhead? What does cut look like, get those pics, too?

Its a clone 070. I don't have any close up of the cuts but with me pushing they look rough. The left picture was one of the first 2, pretty smooth. the right is the last cut I`ve made.
The first 2 slabs off this wasn't that hard to deal with, which is why I'm thinking I'm just pushing to hard on these widest slabs [emoji2369]
I mentioned to a guy I work with yesterday that if I take on any more this big, I'd rig up a winch system.

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[Benwa]

Debarking and/or pressure washing if available is a game changer in chain longevity. Are you pushing hard enough to drag the rpm of the saw down more than normal? How thick are the slabs you're milling? Are you placing wedges in the kerf behind the bar as you move down the log? Another thing that will change effort greatly is to simply raise the log up about 6" to a foot on the end you're starting from, that way gravity can help some in getting the saw down the log. I understand the chain could be at play, but there are other factors that can contribute to slow rough cuts.

 

[chunky]

Debarking and/or pressure washing if available is a game changer in chain longevity. Are you pushing hard enough to drag the rpm of the saw down more than normal? How thick are the slabs you're milling? Are you placing wedges in the kerf behind the bar as you move down the log? Another thing that will change effort greatly is to simply raise the log up about 6" to a foot on the end you're starting from, that way gravity can help some in getting the saw down the log. I understand the chain could be at play, but there are other factors that can contribute to slow rough cuts.

With this thickness of this bark I`ve been debarking it as I go from slab to slab as this. On occasion I notice that I may push to much and load the the saw up but not often. That was a bad habit at first but you learn quick what your doing wrong. I`m cutting these @ 2-1/4" thick, last cut was 28" wide, 11' long and always use wedges in the kerf.
I`ve been trying to figure a way to raise this log but I don`t have anything on hand to lift its size.

 

[Benwa]

Not sure how long you've been milling. Video is a little long winded, but here's a video that hits on a few topics/points of interest we've come across over the years if you're interested.

 

[Benwa]

Missed your reply, before I made mine It sounds like you're doing everything correctly to me, so maybe disregard the video link. I know that keeping the bar groove cleaned out is even more of a common task when milling. Doesn't take much for it to pack up, possibly not oil properly, & the chain will actually start to ride up out of the bar groove a bit, making the chain less stable in the groove and the cut rougher. Some woods, like wet cottonwood, makes sawdust that's like glue in there. At any rate, keep up the good work! It's a job that never gets old to me. Every new slab turned over is like Christmas morning!

 

[thenne1713]

Its a clone 070. I don't have any close up of the cuts but with me pushing they look rough. The left picture was one of the first 2, pretty smooth. the right is the last cut I`ve made.
The first 2 slabs off this wasn't that hard to deal with, which is why I'm thinking I'm just pushing to hard on these widest slabs [emoji2369]
I mentioned to a guy I work with yesterday that if I take on any more this big, I'd rig up a winch system.

Aside from the bark/dirt issue previously discussed, photo appears to be w/ the 15-deg tilt (75) vs the recommended 50-60-deg, which will give you a sharper cutter (more acute angle). Play with the 60, try the 50, then YOU decide which works better for you? The WINCH will give amazing RELIEF to back strain= LESS tired at end of day, but will also gretaly HELP REDUCE the rocking/ wash-boarding. Getting all cutters/ all depth gages =same will also help give smoothest cut. Good Luck and let us know how it goes and what you decide on?

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[BobL]

Sorry they photos of cutters must be side on like this otherwise I cant measure them.

 

[thenne1713]

re: 50 vs 60 tilt: The 50 setting will be sharper/ (more acute an angle) and maybe seem sharper when starting cut, where 60 will seem to go farther/ smoother without sharpening? Other factors can come into play, making it harder to decide what is affecting what?

 

[Fatherwheels]

New Bailey's chain after only 2 11' cuts

After 2 cuts on my resharpened chains


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What flattened the depth gauges to this height, they look too low.

 

[chunky]

re: 50 vs 60 tilt: The 50 setting will be sharper/ (more acute an angle) and maybe seem sharper when starting cut, where 60 will seem to go farther/ smoother without sharpening? Other factors can come into play, making it harder to decide what is affecting what?

I run the tilt at 60*... was actually thinking of trying out 65*.
Will that be to much?

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[chunky]

What flattened the depth gauges to this height, they look too low.

I hit them with the bench grinder flat.
Then just touch the backside with a file.


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[Big_Eddy]

They look way too low to me. Were they measured or just lowered?
Usually 1 to 2 passes with a flat file every few sharpening is all it takes.


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[thenne1713]

It was dirty but I`m debarking it as I go.
I have thought about trying to rotate for the bigger logs but I have no equipment, just pry bars and mostly always with no help.

In some cases, larger logs, dirty logs, hand moving, sometimes easier to just sacrifice chains/ speed until down to manageable size? I like to goto field w/ 3-6 chains and if alone, sometimes a break to sharpen is good for the body?