Stepping back to a chainsaw mill.

Weekend_Sawyer · August 28, 2017, 08:52:59 PM

My first mill was a chainsaw mill. I decided it was alot of work, sold it and bought a bandsaw mill. that was 15 years ago. No regrets BUT I keep thinking I want to be able to mill live edge slabs that are bigger than the 24" my Norwood will make.

Sooo I bought a 48" alaskan.

I have a gnarly 10' section of chestnut oak I cut down in the spring. It's' about 25" across but flares out to 34" at the crotches.

Here I have mounted my slabbing rails, a couple of straight 10' 2x4s

After the slabbing cut and cutting the first slab.

3" thick and just under 10' long

It's some pretty wood.

It took 15 minutes and most of a tank of gas and oil per cut.
I let it and me cool down between cuts.
I'm using my old faithful 066 with a 42" bar and ripping chain.
After the 2nd cut I pulled the spark plug and it looked just right, about the color of a cardboard box.

I don't see me using this a lot but I'm glad I have it.
Just like I remembered, It's very labor intensive.
For the next cut I'm going to try to elevate the butt of the log so I'm cutting downhill.

I'm tired. :D
Jon

caveman · August 28, 2017, 09:03:24 PM

That looks good- has the potential to become some nice table material.

We bought a powerhead a few years ago for that purpose but have yet to find the log that would justify buying the ancillary equipment to produce wide slabs (bar, chain, guide, etc).

Peter Drouin · August 28, 2017, 09:12:27 PM

Nice oak, 8)

YellowHammer · August 28, 2017, 10:41:00 PM

If you drill two holes in the upright posts and bend a piece of 3/8 rod into a shaft and crank handle shape then you can run some paracord from the hand crank winch down under the cross tube and then to the end of the log. Then all you have to do is turn the handle and the saw will more through the log much like the Logosol. It's works great and removes about 75% of the effort

Weekend_Sawyer · August 29, 2017, 08:19:28 AM

I like that, have to give it a try.

Ga Mtn Man · August 29, 2017, 08:28:05 AM

YellowHammer, you are a clever fellow.

Kbeitz · August 29, 2017, 09:37:37 AM

Saw off the crank and hook on your battery drill...

Weekend_Sawyer · August 31, 2017, 07:44:11 AM

Yellowhammer, I made your mod and it works great! I cut 2 more slabs out of the log and it was much easier. There is a bit of flex in the 3/8 rod with the long span I have but it doesn't seem to be a problem. If the rod gets bent I'll move up to a thicker one.

Kebitz, I don't think the drill idea will work. For me in this big log I was making one rotation with the crank handle in about 5 seconds. It is a slow way to mill but the big slabs are worth it.

Here's a couple of pictures.

Kbeitz · August 31, 2017, 07:54:06 AM

Sounds like you need a rotisserie motor.

drobertson · August 31, 2017, 08:20:45 AM

Nice week end! Nice! I like it and that feed crank too!

YellowHammer · August 31, 2017, 08:55:25 AM

I'm glad it worked, I was thinking of naming it the YAMC (Yellowhammer Alaskan Mill Crank) as opposed to the (YHRRQT) Yellowhammer Reverse Roll Quartersawing Technique or Poston's IGAIOY (I Got An I On Y'all) :D :D I'm trying to come up with something that rolls of the tongue as easy as "Bibbying" or "Pineywoods Clamp".

It's amazing how much force that little crank handle will put on the mill, and it will allow you to get away from some of the noise and sawdust and not have to lean over the log. I also used a plastic wire tie and made a loose loop around the trigger handle so when I got the saw rolling, I'd slip the loop over the trigger like a trigger lock, and was then able to get a more comfortable grip on the mill. At the end of the cut, I'd slide the loop off the trigger to come back to idle. If the rod is flexing but not breaking, that's a good thing, as long as it doesn't buckle, although a 1\2 inch would work also with the big span. Spring and flex in the feed system is important as it gives the mill a constant feeding force and smooths out the loads on the saw, so I'd avoid going too stiff. I tried steel cable and other less flexible and stretchy systems and they didn't work as well.

Banjo picker · August 31, 2017, 10:21:20 AM

Looks like the 088 that has been in retirement may have to go back to work. Banjo

WV Sawmiller · August 31, 2017, 03:04:27 PM

Weekend,

I think you should be banned from the forum for showing pictures like that and giving so many of us ideas like that. I am now sorely tempted to spend more money to get and set up such a rig. Man, that is some pretty slabs.

YH,

Great adaption from what I see. I think if you do go into production and market such rigs they should sell readily as a WEPS system. Easy to remember and just flows off the tongue doesn't it. Yep, the War Eagle Portable Slabber sounds like the way to go.

YellowHammer · August 31, 2017, 03:31:01 PM

What??? WEPS?! Flows off the tongue?? It flows off something! I just had to clean my computer screen!

I'll call it the Yellowhammer RTR modification!

WV Sawmiller · August 31, 2017, 07:44:47 PM

Okay folks, while we wait for Yellowhammer to come around to the WEPS system I have a (reasonably) serious related question.

From what I see it looks like one of the hard parts is to get the first flat/square edge as a starting point. I have seen 2X4s and ladders and such nailed or clamped to the log and used to do this. Are any of you with a band mill simply putting the log on your band mill (Obviously this won't work with those monster 4-5 foot diameter logs that are too big for your mill head to pass over but might work for the 30-34 inch logs) and taking off the first slab as wide as you can get between the blade guides then using that as your starting point for your Alaska mills?

If so please advise how that works for you. Thanks.

MP_Wall · September 01, 2017, 07:13:27 AM

There was a guy on youtube that built a little mill out of roadside junk and built a pulley system with a weight on it that pulled the mill through the cut. Wouldn't it be possible to use a counterweight system to pull the saw through instead of winding it? The pressure would only allow the saw to move as fast as it can cut.

Weekend_Sawyer · September 08, 2017, 03:52:05 PM

Quote from: MP_Wall on September 01, 2017, 07:13:27 AM
There was a guy on youtube that built a little mill out of roadside junk and built a pulley system with a weight on it that pulled the mill through the cut. Wouldn't it be possible to use a counterweight system to pull the saw through instead of winding it? The pressure would only allow the saw to move as fast as it can cut.

Maybe but it seems to me that it would be hard to keep from stalling out the blade or over revving the engine due to not moving forward fast enough. The crank works great. I'm sticking with it.

My latest addition is an auxiliary oiler. Before when I would stop to put in some wedges I'd give it a squirt of 30 wt.
This little bugger here is an adjustable drip oiler. Can't wait to try it out, hopefully tomorrow.

For now I'll just let it drip on the tip. I didn't want to drill a hole in the bar.

Weekend_Sawyer · September 11, 2017, 09:47:25 PM

The drip oiler works ok but It doesn't quite drip enough.
I think i'll take it apart and file off the needle a little.

I upgraded my slabbing rails with some dex angle. now they don't flex and are nice and strait and 10 feet long and probably only weigh 10 lbs each.

I took a couple of slices off of another Chestnut oak that had the oak wilt pretty bad.
Made some very nice lumber.

That's all for now.
Jon

richhiway · September 12, 2017, 09:08:25 PM

I think on you tube a fellow mounted a boat winch on his to pull it along.

Dan_Shade · September 12, 2017, 09:38:19 PM

I just did an Amazon search and saw that Will Malloff's chainsaw book has been published again. ISBN 978-1626548442

That's a bargain, I had to pay well over $100 for my tattered copy.

He has several ingenious ideas for chainsaw lumber making.

Fine woodworking's "wood and how to dry it" has good excerpts in it too ISBN 978-0918804549

ToddsPoint · September 13, 2017, 04:41:57 AM

My Logosol M7 has the little crank to pull the saw through the wood. It works well. I also set my mill up on a slight grade so gravity helps pull the saw through the wood. Gary