Is 272xp enough saw for milling

[Nealm66]

It’s definitely not the easy button to chainsaw up decent lumber. There’s a ton of small sawmills around here and I’ve used them. Especially if the market is crap for raw logs or if I have some huge rough logs the aren’t worth much. I have a self loading log truck take them in and then just sell the lumber . That being said, longer/wider length lumber or not enough worth paying for the haul or whatever, makes the chainsaw mill worth the effort. It’s a huge help having some expertise and tools( like a tractor and a dump bed) but there’s no amount of YouTube videos going to replace what you actually learn and figure out. Once you get it dialed in it’s really not too bad. Live edge slabs are the worst but hold the most value. I’ve got a couple pretty good size stacks of it and eventually plan on doing something with it ha ha!!

 

[EbS-P]

That is 3” off.
what do I do now?

This may not be helpful but I should have cut and stickered all my slabs and the rented a big circular saw and hauled my generator to the slabs. Would have saved a lot of time and everything would have been square and straight.

 

[Diabel]

This may not be helpful but I should have cut and stickered all my slabs and the rented a big circular saw and hauled my generator to the slabs. Would have saved a lot of time and everything would have been square and straight.

I thought about it. I decided to just slab that log into 1 3/4” and cut the diff. on a table saw. The next log I will measure 12x12 square at one end and do same at the other end. Hopefully that way I will get 4 6x6s.

 

[SpaceBus]

You won't get four perfect 6x6's if the cant is exactly 12x12 since the saw kerf will take at least 3/8" of material each pass with standard sized 3/8 pitch chain.

 

[Nealm66]

The only time you measure anything is when you’re dropping down to make your cants and your desired beams/boards

 

[Nealm66]

If you cut cants, stand them up and tack them together, you can cut multiple boards at a time waay faster then any table saw. Probably burn up a table saw if tried on a regular basis

 

[Diabel]

You won't get four perfect 6x6's if the cant is exactly 12x12 since the saw kerf will take at least 3/8" of material each pass with standard sized 3/8 pitch chain.

Thanks. That will be added.

 

[Diabel]

If you cut cants, stand them up and tack them together, you can cut multiple boards at a time waay faster then any table saw. Probably burn up a table saw if tried on a regular basis

Good idea. Will do

 

[Nealm66]

Good idea. Will do

Just true up the tops and drop down desired width

 

[Diabel]

Is this ripping chain any good? It is about 68.00cad on Amazon

Oregon 72RD084G 84 Drive Link 3/8-Inch Ripping Saw Chain Standard Sequence​

Thank you for the recommendation to stop using the 36” bar. I ripped some boards with my 25” 35% stihl bar. Saw oiled well but it was a slow going. Maybe the chain is dull.

 

[Diabel]

Or should I just regrind the stihl chain to 10% and be done with it?

 

[SpaceBus]

The Stihl chain is better, but you will lose some meat going to 10*. Perhaps your 36" bar doesn't match up the oil hole with the pump very well?

 

[Diabel]

The Stihl chain is better, but you will lose some meat going to 10*. Perhaps your 36" bar doesn't match up the oil hole with the pump very well?

Perhaps. I will look and see. Enlarging the hole maybe.

 

[SpaceBus]

Perhaps. I will look and see. Enlarging the hole maybe.

Supposedly an aux oiler is really easy to setup on an Alaskan mill, water cooling may also be something to think about. I got the water cooling attachment for my mill, allegedly it will help the bar and chain last longer.

 

[Nealm66]

I wish you were closer, I’d give you a 28” 404 bar with a good chisel bit grind on it. That 66 would smoke through those logs. Your not going to be happy with the rip chains. My best suggestion is to keep grinding off the outside with the 36 and maybe I can make a couple good 25” chains and send to you to cut the cants/beams. The outside of the log destroys a good chain. Is your 25” 3-8’s? I think I have enough left on my roll to make a couple but would need the driver count

 

[Nealm66]

You definitely shouldn’t need an auxiliary oiler for a 36” bar cutting those logs with a 66

 

[Nealm66]

I might have a tired 28” 404 bar with some life left as well, I’ll check

 

[Nealm66]

And I’m pretty sure I have a spare 404 sprocket laying around

 

[Diabel]

I wish you were closer, I’d give you a 28” 404 bar with a good chisel bit grind on it. That 66 would smoke through those logs. Your not going to be happy with the rip chains. My best suggestion is to keep grinding off the outside with the 36 and maybe I can make a couple good 25” chains and send to you to cut the cants/beams. The outside of the log destroys a good chain. Is your 25” 3-8’s? I think I have enough left on my roll to make a couple but would need the driver count

Yes, 3/8 and 84 links.
Thank you but I cannot ask you to send me any chains unless I pay for them. I am pretty sure the bark killed my brand new 36” rip chain. I will sharpen it. Also, what angle/degree should I sharpen my regular 25” 84 link chain to rip faster?

 

[Nealm66]

If it’s round file, from my neighbors experience, they said not much gain from 10 degree. Just fight the 3 outside cuts off, then switch to 25” and sharpen like normal would be my advice. Helps to have a guide of some sort while hand filing and a rider gauge. I’ll see what I’ve got laying around tomorrow. I probably got some rag chains and an old bar that I have no need for that will definitely be a huge improvement. I just don’t have a good way to resharpen but if you just use for the cants and beam/boards will get you quite a ways and your arms won’t be so sore pushing them round file chains.

 

[EbS-P]

Is this ripping chain any good? It is about 68.00cad on Amazon

Oregon 72RD084G 84 Drive Link 3/8-Inch Ripping Saw Chain Standard Sequence​

Thank you for the recommendation to stop using the 36” bar. I ripped some boards with my 25” 35% stihl bar. Saw oiled well but it was a slow going. Maybe the chain is dull.

Having an extra chain to swap is faster than sharpening for me. Ripping with factory 35* chain left a rougher finish and it was grabby but it was archer chain(I bought 25’ roll of skip and have have no problems with it) and the raker depth was inconsistent out of the box. Once I filed to 10* it was not faster but left a better finish.

I sharpen a 156 DL chain after about 5 full tanks.

debarking if possible saves a chain sharpening but probably not much time


are you running all 0.063 gauge?

 

[Diabel]

Having an extra chain to swap is faster than sharpening for me. Ripping with factory 35* chain left a rougher finish and it was grabby but it was archer chain(I bought 25’ roll of skip and have have no problems with it) and the raker depth was inconsistent out of the box. Once I filed to 10* it was not faster but left a better finish.

I sharpen a 156 DL chain after about 5 full tanks.

debarking if possible saves a chain sharpening but probably not much time


are you running all 0.063 gauge?

Yes 0.063 on the 36”
And 0.050 on the 25”

 

[SpaceBus]

A 25" Stihl bar is 84 DL in 3/8 or 3/8 LP. Post some pics of your bars and I'll show you how bad I ruined mine before figuring things out.

 

[Diabel]

A 25" Stihl bar is 84 DL in 3/8 or 3/8 LP. Post some pics of your bars and I'll show you how bad I ruined mine before figuring things out.

Yes it is 3/8.
I am back in the city until Friday afternoon. Can post some pics on Sat. I do not think I have yet ruined the bars. The 25” is being oiled well. I stop and check.

 

[SpaceBus]

Yes it is 3/8.
I am back in the city until Friday afternoon. Can post some pics on Sat. I do not think I have yet ruined the bars. The 25” is being oiled well. I stop and check.

Two of my 24" 84DL bars are trashed from me not knowing what I was doing. The handle on my 395xp was pressing against the saw carriage and causing the bar to twist while sawing. I know on the Alaskan mill you won't have this problem, but those ruined bars still work for me if I take it slow. Make sure you aren't over tensioning the chain. I've been erring on the side of too lose rather than too tight. If the chain is too lose I'll hear it and stop, but if it is too tight I won't know until I have put huge gaps where the bar contacts the log because the chain was too tight to "jump" off the bar into the cut. The chain should have a small gap off the bar when it is actually cutting wood, but the drivers shouldn't be able to come all the way out of the groove. There was a diagram floating around on this forum showing what this looks like, but I can't find it now.