alaskan mill

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Guys -

Thanks for posting this. I'd like to see more here about milling.

I'm planning to bump my Makita 6401 to 7900 to get powered up to be able to mill ocasional beams for repairing barns.

ATB,
Mike
 
I want to mill some wood. It sounds like fun. I got the chain picked out over at Baileys and I'm looking at one of those 24" alaskan mill dealies. I thought about squaring off the cuts with the mini mill (or rotate the log and use the mill), but then I started to wonder if it's worth the extra wear on chain and saw. After I've slabbed it all up with the mill wouldn't it be just as easy to clamp a 2x4 or something as a straight edge and just cut the boards to proper width with a circular saw and possibly a table saw after you get one good edge?


(P.S. Yes, this does mean that I've got my eye on a 361/362.....don't tell my wife)
 
Danno77 said:
I want to mill some wood. It sounds like fun. I got the chain picked out over at Baileys and I'm looking at one of those 24" alaskan mill dealies. I thought about squaring off the cuts with the mini mill (or rotate the log and use the mill), but then I started to wonder if it's worth the extra wear on chain and saw. After I've slabbed it all up with the mill wouldn't it be just as easy to clamp a 2x4 or something as a straight edge and just cut the boards to proper width with a circular saw and possibly a table saw after you get one good edge?


(P.S. Yes, this does mean that I've got my eye on a 361/362.....don't tell my wife)

all depends on the log I have a 25 in walnut 30 in hickory and 35 in tulip will mill them into slabs first and let them dry out....been thinking this lumbar could be a great time to redo my trailer hickory floor and poplar sides would be a sweet trailer!
 
Oh and you dont need a ripping chain just change your angle to 10 degrees I will be using a 32in stihl es bar and full skip rs chain
 
smokinjay said:
Oh and you dont need a ripping chain just change your angle to 10 degrees

Isn't that kinda like having a ripping chain anyway?
 
Flatbedford said:
smokinjay said:
Oh and you dont need a ripping chain just change your angle to 10 degrees

Isn't that kinda like having a ripping chain anyway?

yea it would do the job but would be pretty ruff slabs change the cutter angle to 10 degrees and it will be much smoother.It will not cut any faster just smoother.
 
What I meant is that if you say a ripping chain is not needed, but recommend changing the angle on a standard chain, haven't you made yourself a ripping chain? Will a chain filed to 10 degrees still be an OK cross cut chain?
 
Flatbedford said:
What I meant is that if you say a ripping chain is not needed, but recommend changing the angle on a standard chain, haven't you made yourself a ripping chain? Will a chain filed to 10 degrees still be an OK cross cut chain?

yes
 
I understand now. :-)
 


Here is what I will be milling

hickory,The one in the 2nd pic on the right is tulip and the 3rd is a walnut far left
 

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I believe those mills are slower than nailing a hardwood floor with a hammer.
Watch some of the clips on Youtube.
They'll make a saw "old" real fast.
That's where they're hardest, on the saw.

There are lots of guys who have nice portable sawmill machines that work real cheap.
You have to ask around to find them because they don't advertise.

Kenny Chaos- The Dream Crusher
 
kenny chaos said:
I believe those mills are slower than nailing a hardwood floor with a hammer.
Watch some of the clips on Youtube.
They'll make a saw "old" real fast.
That's where they're hardest, on the saw.

There are lots of guys who have nice portable sawmill machines that work real cheap.
You have to ask around to find them because they don't advertise.

Kenny Chaos- The Dream Crusher

heat is the issue on the saws I can do one slab at a time and let it cool. Its a 3/4 in ported muff. and keep the air filter clean and a very sharp chain no more than I will be doing its not going to be much of an issue for the saws to handle it. oh and I love the diy stuff.
 
kenny chaos said:
I believe those mills are slower than nailing a hardwood floor with a hammer.
Watch some of the clips on Youtube.
They'll make a saw "old" real fast.
That's where they're hardest, on the saw.

There are lots of guys who have nice portable sawmill machines that work real cheap.
You have to ask around to find them because they don't advertise.

Kenny Chaos- The Dream Crusher
KC, you are right. I read some reviews, I think i heard people saying it takes about 15-20 minutes just to get through 10 feet of wood. This is certainly not for someone who thinks they'll be milling all the wood they could want for a cabin or something.

for the occasional woodworker I'd see it as a nice addition to the hobby, and that's the point of a DIYer. To say that you ALONE, took a tree and made it into a coffee table or whatever, that's a good feeling.
 
Danno77 said:
kenny chaos said:
I believe those mills are slower than nailing a hardwood floor with a hammer.
Watch some of the clips on Youtube.
They'll make a saw "old" real fast.
That's where they're hardest, on the saw.

There are lots of guys who have nice portable sawmill machines that work real cheap.
You have to ask around to find them because they don't advertise.

Kenny Chaos- The Dream Crusher
KC, you are right. I read some reviews, I think i heard people saying it takes about 15-20 minutes just to get through 10 feet of wood. This is certainly not for someone who thinks they'll be milling all the wood they could want for a cabin or something.

for the occasional woodworker I'd see it as a nice addition to the hobby, and that's the point of a DIYer. To say that you ALONE, took a tree and made it into a coffee table or whatever, that's a good feeling.

Bingo Pride!
 


To days stock walnut
 

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Those are awful round slabs. I don't think that milling made much difference!
 
wendell said:
Those are awful round slabs. I don't think that milling made much difference!


Those are dowel pins what you think? (got to get the logs home before I start milling) lol
 
I was interested in these mills and even bandsaw mills untill I found a website about them. They recommended finding one to observe before buying. I ended up finding a guy that had a bandmill that he would bring to my house. I helped and we sawed alot of wood in one day, way cheaper than I could any other way. An experienced operator is worth alot when sawing. I think he only charged me $35/hr and we sawed around a 1000 bf in about 7hrs.
Doug
 
djblech said:
I was interested in these mills and even bandsaw mills untill I found a website about them. They recommended finding one to observe before buying. I ended up finding a guy that had a bandmill that he would bring to my house. I helped and we sawed alot of wood in one day, way cheaper than I could any other way. An experienced operator is worth alot when sawing. I think he only charged me $35/hr and we sawed around a 1000 bf in about 7hrs.
Doug

after all said and done I should have in the ball park of 2500 board feet...I have look into it a lot just another tool to have. imo I love doing this kinda of work and will save A lot of dough and be able to do more when it come up. It would cost me about 750.00 to mill all of it and if I had to pay that it would become firewood!
 


17 ft of ash today! 17 ft on a 8 ft trailer figure that one out?
 

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smokinjay said:


17 ft of ash today! 17 ft on a 8 ft trailer figure that one out?
4.5 feet on the tonge and 4.5 hanging off the tail
 
webie said:
smokinjay said:


17 ft of ash today! 17 ft on a 8 ft trailer figure that one out?
4.5 feet on the tonge and 4.5 hanging off the tail

no its box in I could only use 8 ft of trailer.
 
I bet that trailer was straining at the weight.
 
MMaul said:
I bet that trailer was straining at the weight.

Pretty good on weight I would guess it at 3000lb's its 20-24 in.er
 
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