My first ever cut: black walnut with an Alaskan mill

[wernerbrandes]

Relatively new to the forum, also relatively new to logging/sawing. Just thought I'd share a little video I made after attempting to capture my very first cut. Please feel free to critique me. It was 96º and humid so I didn't wear chaps. Do y'all wear chaps for milling?

Big piece of black walnut (9' long, 32" wide). Saw is a Stihl MS660 and I'm using an Alaskan MKIV 48" mill. Spent a long time (because OCD) getting the ladder perfectly level for the first cut. Camera died after I was about halfway through.

First Cut with the Alaskan MKIV Chainsaw Mill - YouTube

Best case scenario, I'd have the log higher off the ground and further away from the other logs that are behind it. But it's too heavy and all I have right now is a cant hook. But it wasn't too bad. The 660 is a monster, and with a brand new ripping chain it really moved; I was the slow one! Took me 15m to cut 9 feet.

I know I've gotta trim and coat the ends; I've got some Anchor Seal now; didn't have it when the tree was cut down.

Plan is to cut 9/4 slabs.

[Crusarius]

Looks nice. I know nothing about Alaskan mills I built a bandsaw mill so I wouldn't have to deal with all the chainsaw stuff.

Now that you've cut the first one you will crave the sawdust

[Walnut Beast]

Welcome! Very nice! Look forward to some pictures later. Good hard work pays off 💪

[hamesadam]

It's a great video 

[aigheadish]

Looks like a great log! I'm only a few Alaskan cuts ahead of you but look at your handle, you may find it better farther away, to give more leverage. I can't really tell where the handle is now, so maybe it's in a good place, but I found myself using the far side of the mill more often than the handle. 

[YellowHammer]

If you will drill a 3/8" clearance hole in each upright, then get a piece if 3/8" steel rod and bend it to form an axle and handle and you can crank the mill through the log with almost no effort.  It's known throughout the known world as the Yellowhammer Alaskan Mill Mod Easy Wind or YAMMEW for short. :D

Take a piece of parachute cord and attach it to the other end of the log with a screw or nail, and wrap the other end around the axle, thread it down across the horizontal crossbar and get cranking.  The parachute cord has just enough stretch to it to smooth out the feed, and is much better than steel cable.  The leverage of the one piece handle is tremendous.  It also costs about $5 to make.



 

 

  

[kelLOGg]

Wow! big black walnut for the opening act. That's starting at the top. Good work.

[samandothers]

Yeee Haaaa!  Good job!

[rusticretreater]

Black walnut with the first cut.  There's always a daredevil showin' off! ;D

Cool idea on the crank system, now you need to motorize it.

Keep on keepin' on.

[aigheadish]

Walking into the shop a few minutes ago I thought of possibly a good addition to yellowhammer's crank. I've got more of those old school hand drive drills than I could do anything with and I think I'll try to use one as the crank.

I guess to rusticretreater's point I could just throw an electric drill on it too.