My first project using lumber I personally milled!

homestead090 · January 19, 2019, 11:05:07 PM

I've had plenty of logs milled into lumber for furniture projects and I've helped the sawyer mill most of it. One of my longtime dreams and the reason I got into milling myself was to be able to start with a tree and end up with furniture all by my own doing. A while back I got a Granberg mill, 60 inch. The first tree I milled was a downed walnut 3 - 4 feet diameter. The second was a huge white oak, same size but taller. I later got my hands on some Eastern White Pine, which oh boy is it a dream to mill compared to the white oak.....faster, smells like Christmas and the slabs way a fraction of the oak. I milled some of the pine into 5/4 slabs and stacked on a covered porch in the heat of the summer, I let them go for about 3 months as is then popped them into the back of my truck with its camper shell. Due to being black, the truck gets HOT. I placed a few slabs in, popped in a fan and had me a little solar kiln. After about a week of baking, I got the boards pretty dry and made my first table top using lumber from my mill. I make a lot of farm tables for a customer, it's my thing so I made another one, this time having a little more fun with the top. My normal tables are "production" work, I'm moving like something is chasing me, all power tools, belt sanding tops, fast drying water-based finishes, etc. I can start a table one day and have it done and delivered the next if things go right. With this table, I took my time with the top, planing it all by hand and experiencing the wood. White pine does not get a lot of credit but believe me, it is a pleasure to work. The table is by no means a masterpiece, it is what it is, another farm table along with the countless others I have made and sold, but it stood for something different for me, I had gone full circle with a dream and it is only the start of something I look forward to continuing. A lot of inspiration has been pulled from this site and I thank you all for that. I make Youtube videos of my projects and now milling. Here is the milling video of the pine and also the table. I also have videos of milling the walnut and oak on my channel for those that are interested. I talk a lot, so feel free to skip ahead in the videos.

Table Build
Making a Table from a Tree - Woodworking - YouTube

Milling Logs
Making Boards from Logs - Chainsaw Milling White Pine for chair seats and table tops - YouTube

Old Greenhorn · January 20, 2019, 06:21:31 AM

That's gotta be a good feeling! 8) Congratulations on the nice work, looks very pretty! My first project was not so pretty but it functional as a mill shed. Just got it closed in last weekend. No stopping you now.

kelLOGg · January 20, 2019, 07:33:54 AM

Congrats! I also know the pleasure of that.

samandothers · January 20, 2019, 07:38:19 AM

Very pretty! I like the wood finish contrast to the apron and legs.

69bronco · January 20, 2019, 08:08:31 AM

Good job! You must of spent some time sharpening the way you planed over those knots. Curious about long term with those EWP knots. I see a lot of bleeding on those that haven't had the pitch set, sometimes years later.

WDH · January 20, 2019, 08:35:30 AM

Fantastic! Love the videos. I have the same feeling when I mill and dry the lumber and make a nice piece.

Florida boy · January 20, 2019, 08:35:55 AM

If it were around here the inside of a car on a hot day( 90+) the inside is around 150 depending on color. So I think the pitch is probably set for a house that has conditioned air. I wouldn't worry myself.
Nice work for sure .

Rhodemont · January 20, 2019, 08:42:16 AM

Nice

terrifictimbersllc · January 20, 2019, 08:48:28 AM

Very nice work & results. 8) 8) 8) I used to be able to plane like that. :

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thecfarm · January 20, 2019, 09:56:53 AM

That looks nice. Looks like you have done that a few times. ;D
A nice video. Like the the mismatched chairs. That table looks like it has been there for years.

homestead090 · January 20, 2019, 11:20:00 AM

Quote from: Florida boy on January 20, 2019, 08:35:55 AM
If it were around here the inside of a car on a hot day( 90+) the inside is around 150 depending on color. So I think the pitch is probably set for a house that has conditioned air. I wouldn't worry myself.
Nice work for sure .

The hottest it got (that I saw) was about 140. I'm not too worried, it will definitely be in an air-conditioned house. It was 85-90 on the week that I had it in the truck.

Crossroads · January 20, 2019, 12:54:31 PM

Nice work, that will be a conversation piece for years to come

Dad2FourWI · January 20, 2019, 01:03:19 PM

Great Job!!!

We watched the vids too.... looking very nice!

We love that feeling of using our own lumber.... now, we feel totally "wrong" if we ever have to run to the box store and buy any lumber! Last time I was going to buy some boards, my wife would not let me!

!

Keep up the great work!

-Dad2FourWI

mtoo747 · January 20, 2019, 09:03:21 PM

Nice table and a well done video. I like it. I need to put some pix up of the benches and coat racks that i have been making from my milled lumber. Thanks for posting that.
mike

cdwooldridge · January 25, 2019, 01:06:46 AM

Inspirational. Quality in all you've done here. Just getting into the milling side of things myself and excited to get into some 150 yr old Ash trees that have fallen from wind on a neighboring farm that's seen the American Revolution here in Northern Virginia. Was out limbing and about to start bucking them for firewood but after seeing the grain patterns in these I stopped and started my research on the chainsaw mills. Having recently been given a family heirloom saw (1980 Homelite 550) if I can get it running and a bigger bar, it may be the perfect tool and even more satisfying having used it to create whatever it is I decide to build with the lumber.
Thanks for the motivation to push on. Your end products look stunning.

homestead090 · January 25, 2019, 01:43:09 PM

Quote from: cdwooldridge on January 25, 2019, 01:06:46 AM
Inspirational. Quality in all you've done here. Just getting into the milling side of things myself and excited to get into some 150 yr old Ash trees that have fallen from wind on a neighboring farm that's seen the American Revolution here in Northern Virginia. Was out limbing and about to start bucking them for firewood but after seeing the grain patterns in these I stopped and started my research on the chainsaw mills. Having recently been given a family heirloom saw (1980 Homelite 550) if I can get it running and a bigger bar, it may be the perfect tool and even more satisfying having used it to create whatever it is I decide to build with the lumber.
Thanks for the motivation to push on. Your end products look stunning.

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the videos. Milling is fun, otherwise, few would be willing to do the work. Looks like your saw is 84cc which isn't small but for milling big hardwood it may be a little slow. Most of your milling saws are over 100cc. The big Stihls and Huskys are in the 120's. My 090 is 137cc with lower chain speed and a good amount of torque. Not hating on your saw, just good to know what to expect. In the video I'm milling white pine as well, so if you put that much power and a sharp ripping chain into it, it's going to look a little "easy". Have a look at other chainsaw milling videos on Youtube and you will see real quick how slow milling can be. I've seen people take 30 minutes per cut on 8 foot long logs 2 feet in diameter. I cut some big white oak, 3-4 foot diameter, 100 inch long sections. The longest cut was 13 minutes, the chain just sharpened I could do it in about 5 minutes if it went flawlessly but the second cut gets slower, and so on. Sorry to ramble, just enthusiastic about the topic! Give the saw a try and see what happens. If it really appeals to you but the saw is not up to it, you'll end up with a bigger saw. I am rebuilding a second 090 now. I bought it off ebay for about $600. Once done it will be about $1000 for a fresh saw. I'll probably post some stuff about it here as I do the work.