Manjisann's Chainsaw Milling Adventures

[ManjiSann]

I get frustrated at times but in the end I'm not sure I'd have it any other way  I'm learning a lot along the way and in the end, when I remember what I really care about and not just the tangible goal of a stack of wood, experience and knowledge is what I value most  :P Just have to remember to take a step back at times, smell the roses and relax  I'm easily tunnel visioned :D

Brandon 

[doc henderson]

It will admittedly be easier to smell the roses when you no longer smell the gas!  :D .  some days we just want things to go right, and some days they do!

[ManjiSann]

It will admittedly be easier to smell the roses when you no longer smell the gas!  :D .  some days we just want things to go right, and some days they do!

Wise words my friend
Brandon 

[ManjiSann]

I'm reaching the end of my first whack of logs (it's fun to say as it makes me sound like I have a clue what I'm doing :D)

I think this one has some nice grain





This little guy crawled out to say hello



I remembered there was an eye bolt in this log and tried to take it out but only tore the eye off. I thought "I'll remember on the last cut or two that there's metal and do something about it..." then I saw something shiny and forgot about the bolt...



Fortunately it looks like the bolt got the worst end of it as the chain didn't look too bad.. I don't think... I didn't look to closely 

I'm hoping I can figure out a way to combine these logs so the curvy knot parts are together and make a cool river table out of them some day... if not I can always edge them straight



And under this tarp, it's not an amazing old car but a lot of lumber!!! I bet I'm the only one in a 20 mile radius that has a stack of lumber drying that was milled in their backyard by a chainsaw :D  Aww well, I find it humorous and my neighbors don't seem to mind. I've given a couple wheel barrow loads of sawdust to one neighbor for his raspberry bushes. 



I did swap out to the older filter and the saw ran great, just leaking gas out of the tank vent so I need to look into that but I'll admit I'm not in a hurry as I suspect tomorrow will be my last major milling day this season as I'm hoping to finish the few I have left and then let the poor mans solar kiln do it's thing

I don't know how well it works but I did wash the "new" air filter out with soap, hot water and a tooth brush



I did the same thing to the "old" filter and it works pretty well, at least I think so. If I get another whack of logs for next year I may splurge and buy a brand new air filter but I'm not sure it's really necessary as they seem to wash up pretty well.

Brandon 

[doc henderson]

sounds like you are having fun, helping out neighbors, and making stuff.  that is the goal for a hobby sawyer IMHO.  it will be fun to see your MC under the tarp.  I hope you and others are pleasantly surprised.  I feel a whack can be a whack, or mini wack, or a micro whack.  all of which can be referred to as a whack.  beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. :D :D :D.  "idle hands are the devils play toy"  or something like that.  is that a pro end coating or the color of one of your children's rooms?!  :D :D :D

[ManjiSann]

sounds like you are having fun, helping out neighbors, and making stuff.  that is the goal for a hobby sawyer IMHO.  it will be fun to see your MC under the tarp.  I hope you and others are pleasantly surprised.  I feel a whack can be a whack, or mini wack, or a micro whack.  all of which can be referred to as a whack.  beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. :D :D :D.  "idle hands are the devils play toy"  or something like that.  is that a pro end coating or the color of one of your children's rooms?!  :D :D :D

You missed the ever popular "Patty Whack"  :D :D :D :D
It's just a high end paint left over from painting a room. It's not even exterior rated but it seems to have done a darn good job for all that. Wouldn't buy it just for this but it's a great way to use a paint color I don't need anymore.
Brandon 

[Hilltop366]

I see a profile of two cats looking at each other, now if you could accentuate the cats and make a table or wall art out of it you could charge a fortune for it to a cat person. ;D

[doc henderson]

i see it hilltop!

[ManjiSann]

I think I milled more boards yesterday than at any other time. I'm getting the process down pretty good for my set up  8)



I've been trying to figure out the best way to mill the log pieces that I'd ripped smaller to move. My jig set up only has about 18" of length so I can't always take as wide a cut as I'd like. Because I have the table and log dogs I can hold things in a position they wouldn't normally stay in and I decided to take advantage of that. 

I used a chalk string and drew a straight line (it's there, I promise   )



Then I cut it so I'd have a flat-ish surface to mount the ladder on



I wasn't sure how nice the boards would be from the already ripped logs but they are probably some of the nicest I've milled so far. I'll be on the look out for larger diameter logs even though I'll have to rip them smaller to move them.

I moved the boards I'd cut in the beginning onto the same stack as the more recent ones. The plastic sheeting I'm using is not UV rated and the first stack's plastic broke down and tore and it's just easier to maintain one stack.



I didn't have the energy to mill everything I had like I'd hoped to so I'll have two logs for next season, assuming they don't break down before then. 



This more or less ends my milling for the next few months. It gets pretty hot here and I've realized it's much nicer to mill in cool weather than blistering heat. It's time to work on other projects and let this stack of wood dry and see how it all comes together. I'm hoping to pick up more logs as they become available and build a whack to mill either in the fall or next spring. 

I don't know what the MC is on the first boards I milled and put in the stacks but I will say that the boards I moved were noticeably lighter so I am hopeful that by September the MC will be below 10% in most of the boards. I pulled my MC meter out to check a few but found I didn't have a battery for it and I didn't want to make a trip for a 9V battery so I'll just have to wait. 

Brandon

[ManjiSann]

I figure I'll summarize what I feel I've learned in the year-ish I've been doing this.

1. Don't pick up free wood if you're only goal is to save money and you don't already own a chainsaw  :D
2. If you buy your first chainsaw, it'll lead to buying more and then you'll want to cut down trees with it
3. If you cut down nice trees you'll feel bad cutting them up for firewood and start to wonder if you can turn them into fine lumber
4. You'll do research and realize that nice as it is, a little 50cc homeowner saw just isn't going to handle milling very well
5. You got into this to save money so buying a brand new chainsaw doesn't fit the bill so you'll buy a used one to save money
6. You'll have to learn how to fix the new-used saw as paying someone else to do it doesn't make sense as you're trying to save money
7. Milling on the ground is really hard on your body
8. A nice bench makes milling a LOT easier on the body and gives you options you wouldn't otherwise have
9. Aluminum motorcycle ramps are perhaps not the best ramp to load heavy logs with
10. When that little voice in your head says "You should probably put the other log holder on in case the log decides to escape" you should listen to it
11. Ripping chains do not cut logs faster (at least not that I've noticed) but they leave a MUCH nicer finish
12. Parbuckling is AWESOME
13. Use a ladder or some other device so you have a flat surface to mill against and your boards will be much nicer
14. Use the ladder for every cut otherwise you risk imperfections in the entrance and exit cuts which can grow worse with each cut
15. Clean your chainsaws air filter frequently as milling creates a lot of fine dust and will plug it faster than you think
16. Wear a good face mask or respirator, you don't want that dust in your lungs
17. If your ladder hangs over the log a foot or two you can use it to hold the jig while you bolt the chainsaw bar to it
18. I don't know if I've saved any money doing this but I've learned a lot, met some neat people and had an absolute blast doing it so for me it's been a worthwhile adventure and I'm excited to see where it goes.
19. The wider the cut, the slower your forward speed will be
20. Bark, especially dirty bark, dulls chains fast so if you can remove the bark before you cut it'll extend the cutting life of your chain
21. It still surprises me the difference a sharp chain makes, seriously it's incredible 
- . I'll add to this list as I remember more

[doc henderson]

that is quite a stash.  we have enjoyed learning with you.  maybe sell a few to help with the money savings issue listed.  

[ManjiSann]

that is quite a stash.  we have enjoyed learning with you.  maybe sell a few to help with the money savings issue listed.  

That thought has crossed my mind. If I continue milling, which I hope to, I don't think I'll ever use all that wood. My major question is how do I determine value? Is Elm similar to say Oak so I can price it comparably? 
Thanks, 
Brandon 

[doc henderson]

It is worth what someone will pay for it.  I had folks that looked at a table for sale in CA in the thousands of dollars.  they were told it was an "exotic hardwood"... it was elm.  I would pick a dry slab with character and put a little finish on it to show people.  It makes quite a statement.  since it is not commercially available, people do not know what to expect.  or make a few items ect.  may sell the item, or a slab after they see it finished.

[doc henderson]

Just a safety note.  not sure you want unknown craigslist customers coming to your home with your family.  be careful.  can just sell to friends and family, but comes with other problems sometimes. :D

[ManjiSann]

Excellent points in both posts, thanks! 

We'll see how this batch turns out in a few months then go from there

Brandon 

[Nebraska]

I've had a good time watching your journey progress. I agree with you milling isn't fun when its blooming hot out. Just for fun, I just checked a local retail hardwoods shop's prices, common grade Red Oak at 3.29 bf no price for elm.  I would guess  you could ask for more. Those boards would make folks a lot of nice live edge floating shelves, my wife has hinted at some  . 

[ManjiSann]

It's this forum and all of the friends I've made on it that has made the journey the enjoyable adventure it has been!  

I don't plan to close this thread but I won't be as active on it for a few months as I have other projects I've been putting off while I've been milling (seriously, gotta get the basement done  :D :D )

Just looked up floating shelves, BRILLIANT IDEA! Maybe I can install some here and then advertise them so people see what they look like and go from there. 

I plan to pick up logs even though I'm not actively milling and you know I'll post them on the thread as I get them  The fun part is that panicky feeling I've had that I have to get all the logs I can find has worn off. I now want to be a bit more selective in what I pick up and I feel I have a smidge more of an idea of what to look for and what to pass on which is a good feeling.

Thanks,

Brandon 

[Tacotodd]

Don't forget the cant hook on your list!

[ManjiSann]

Wow it has been a bit since I've posted    A few members reached out to make sure all was well (thanks, it was very thoughtful   ) so I figured I'd log in and say hi!

I did get a chance to run the chainsaw a couple weeks back to cut down a few trees for a neighbor. Nothing big, maybe 6-8" dbh and 20 feet tall but it was a very good learning experience on paying attention to the hinges! 



Had a rope on the tree and my friend was pulling hard but the tree wasn't moving so I kept cutting and started to panic when it sat back and pinched the bar. I wanted it to go one way but because I cut the hinge completely on the one side the tree went 90 degrees to where I wanted it to go. Because of how small the tree was I was careless, rookie mistake  :( Fortunately the only thing injured or damaged was my pride. It took all of a second of looking at the stump for me to figure out what I'd done wrong (thanks to this forum I have learned a few things even if I don't always remember them ;D) It was a good learning lesson and I've taken it to heart. When I cut the tree that was closest to the house which was leaning a bit toward it I moved the rope up higher for better leverage and when my first face cut didn't look right I made a few corrections to it until I felt it was correct then did my back cut and it fell right where I wanted it. As with so many things, success is in the prep work! 

Went camping in June and took the husky with and was going to free hand mill a few logs for giggles to try to make a simple bench or two but instead learned the importance of having a super sharp chain when milling. My chain wasn't dull but it had hit a nail a while back and the angle on the top plate (I think that's the term) was off just a bit so it worked fine for cross cutting but wasn't biting when ripping. Rather than be smart and change out the chain I applied more pressure... and got the nose sprocket hot enough to make the bar peel away from it and destroy the nose sprocket. Bought a new bar and if/when I mill again I'll have to drill the bar to mount the milling jig to it. I'll use the old bar in a vise for sharpening the chain so not a total loss (I could replace the nose sprocket as well but at this time don't think I will.)

We've decided to sell our house and find one that suits our wants/needs a bit more so I've been focused on working and finishing the basement so haven't had time to run the chainsaw otherwise. It's also about 96F here daily and I'm a wimp and think that's just too hot for working outside if I can avoid it. The stack of boards seems to be drying great and I'm thinking it'll be ok in a storage unit for a month or two while we get the house ready to sell. If I have time I'll cut one of the thicker boards and get a reading on moisture and post the results for those wondering how the simple solar kiln is working and want something more than "eh it looks good to me  :D" Or would it work if I drove a couple finishing nails about half way into the board and took a reading off those?

Not milling related but I'll say it's been a great learning experience finishing my own basement. I've done all of it myself from drafting up the plans to framing, electrical, etc with the help of a few friends. I was a bit worried the city inspectors would be hard to work with ( having no prior experience with this and always hearing unpleasant things from contractors) but I've been amazed at how nice, helpful and awesome they've been to work with. 

So not sure what the future holds for my milling adventures. I'm hoping we can find a house with a yard that will allow me to continue but if not I still have a real nice stack of boards and a skill that I'll always value. Even if I don't get to mill much I at least know how and have some small experience dropping trees. 

Hope all is well with everyone else in these crazy times!

Brandon 

[doc henderson]

great to hear from you!  in your blood now.  keep in touch.

[Nebraska]

Good to hear from you, I hope you can find a spot that suits your needs. I imagine a place with a bigger yard and a chicken coop. ;) Check in and let US know how it's going.

[ManjiSann]

So a quick update on this thread, we ultimately decided not to move and just refinance the house. It's a mixed blessing but mostly a good thing so hooray for that. 

I'm still very busy putting the finishing touches on the basement and trying to shift gears from "Oh crap gotta get stuff done so we can move" to "Oh crap, gotta get stuff done so we can stay!"  :D :D :D

I haven't really done much in the way of milling or sawing but I did have a neighbor reach out and ask me to help cut the remains of a tree down for him. It was nice to get the saw out and get a Man Glitter fix  ;)  By the time I thought to take a pic I'd already done most of the work.



There wasn't enough height left to get it to fall on it's own. I had to do a bit of fancy sawing on the hinge to get it to fall but when we finally pushed it over it fell exactly where I wanted and even seemed to give a bit of a leap forward which would have been dang impressive on a full length tree  ;D  I took my time making my face and back cuts and paid attention to my hinge, good practice if perhaps not 100% critical on this particular log.

They wanted cookies so I cut the stump into 4" thick cookies so he could hopefully make tables for his kids when they dry out.

About 2/3 of the way through my pull cord decided to snap and wind up in the magneto which made a horrid noise and an abrupt stop to the engine.  I briefly was worried I'd blown a hole in the piston but quickly found that wasn't the case *phew*  I had spare pull cord as it'd been getting frayed for a while and also someone mentioned it makes a decent emergency tournquet in case you get into a fight with your chainsaw so got to make one of my first field repairs  8) 

It was a pleasant way to spend a few hours and made a new friend and also got some fresh honey in exchange for my services as the fellow is a 2nd or 3rd generation bee keeper 

That's all for now, sorry for the spotty posting and disjointed reporting, I'm a bit more distracted than usual but miss my friends on this forum so had to stop in and say howdie. I'll be spending the next little bit getting caught up on all your posts!

Brandon 

[DocGP]

Sweeeet!!!

Literally!!

Doc

[Nebraska]

Glad you checked in, wondered what you'd been up to.

[Old Greenhorn]

Keep on truckin' man! Good to hear from ya!