Is 272xp enough saw for milling

[SpaceBus]

Once you have the 3 outside cuts off, for whatever reason, it speeds waaay up. Something in those outside cuts just takes the life out of a chain. But anyways,if making 2x4’s, drop down 4 inches until you run out of log. Stand all your cants up and screw a board holding them all together( this is why I mill on top of 4x4’s) and start 1 5/8 or 2” runs, they don’t make a table saw or circular saw that will keep up

Cutting through bark for the entire cut is hard on the saw and chain.

 

[Nealm66]

I will also say a ladder never really worked for me. Just go down and get som angle iron or something similar. More good is better but weight and transport becomes an issue- yes, someone will hear you have a mill, and yes it’s impossible to get through a slice without someone asking questions

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

What if you debarked it ?

 

[Diabel]

What if you debarked it ?

Yes, i will try to debark and see how it goes. Hemlock has tough bark. My test tree will be a 15” cedar that I will drop and try to mill it right there so there should not be much sand in the bark.

 

[SpaceBus]

I try to clean my logs, but I don't have a pressure washer. Someday I'd like to get one that can take the bark off.

 

[Nealm66]

What if you debarked it ?

It doesn’t help, unless it’s dirty. It will still dull no matter what. But after the three outside cuts are made, even a smaller saw chugs right along

 

[Nealm66]

Another thing, if you do get some angle iron or equal, use it on every cut and have it extend past the cut. Don’t buy any of that fancy crap like chains or bla bla, if you’re going to make any investment, get a grinder so you can fine tune the way you want it to cut without guesswork. I wouldn’t try a chisel bit grinder as that’s a whole pita to figure out, just get a decent round grinder . Although I would try by hand to start just to see, my neighbors do really good licking a chain with a file. I suck at it so ...

 

[SpaceBus]

Another thing, if you do get some angle iron or equal, use it on every cut and have it extend past the cut. Don’t buy any of that fancy crap like chains or bla bla, if you’re going to make any investment, get a grinder so you can fine tune the way you want it to cut without guesswork. I wouldn’t try a chisel bit grinder as that’s a whole pita to figure out, just get a decent round grinder . Although I would try by hand to start just to see, my neighbors do really good licking a chain with a file. I suck at it so ...

My guided grinder with good lube makes a better cutting edge than using a guided hand filing jig. The hand filed chain was "grabby" on the mill and cut like a factory chain. Could have been because I was making 2x8's into 1x2's and didn't have a ton of resistance.

 

[Nealm66]

My guided grinder with good lube makes a better cutting edge than using a guided hand filing jig. The hand filed chain was "grabby" on the mill and cut like a factory chain. Could have been because I was making 2x8's into 1x2's and didn't have a ton of resistance.

? What grinder is that? I didn’t know there was a lube for grinding

 

[Nealm66]

I chop the cemented mud off with an ax ( be careful!) then I give a quick scrub with a wire brush. Then I grind my way through the 3 outside cuts. Don’t get caught up in waste on the outside slabs. You can always flip and mill but I just focus on the task and firewood the outside slabs. I will hand rip excessive sweep off as well

 

[salecker]

090 is the same as 880, yes? I Don't know much about big saws, especially ones I don't have

No they are not the same.070 an 090 are the same family
088/880 is the next gen of the 084

 

[SpaceBus]

? What grinder is that? I didn’t know there was a lube for grinding

I use the granberg precision grinder with the bar mounted jig. I also use their black grinding lube stick. If my truck is handy I use a hitch mounted vise to hold the saw while I sharpen the cutters.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Oooo I dont know the 2in1 is a great tool ... Just saying ..

 

[Nealm66]

I just thought of something else, I run 404 chain on anything I can. I don’t have the issue of the chain wanting to run on me if the bar gets a little sloppy near as quick as it does with that crap 3/8’s. Ya, it’s slower , takes a wider kerf bla bla bla, I hated that crap when the 63 gauge 3/8’s came out and tried it multiple times, no thanks if I can help it.

 

[Nealm66]

I don’t know anything about round chain grinders , I guess I would call madsens and ask but probably anybody on this forum could round file better than me

 

[SpaceBus]

All of the old timer chainsaw mill folks, Alaskan or Logosol, mostly suggested and used semi chisel round ground chain. I'm not 100% sure but it seems to stay sharp longer and handle abuse very well. If you mill with square chisel chain then you are the only person that I've run across that does so. I see 3/8 more often than 404 as well, but as you said, that's more for the smaller kerf than anything else.

 

[Nealm66]

I agree, I’m definitely odd man out even in the industry. I’m not ever going to win the popularity contest on the internet either lol. My advice is just my best that I’ve learned from everything the hard way. Don’t mean it’s gospel ha ha! If someone wants to fight that 3/8 and push on that round file chain so be it !

 

[SpaceBus]

I agree, I’m definitely odd man out even in the industry. I’m not ever going to win the popularity contest on the internet either lol. My advice is just my best that I’ve learned from everything the hard way. Don’t mean it’s gospel ha ha! If someone wants to fight that 3/8 and push on that round file chain so be it !

I've wanted to try using square chisel for milling, but the Kerf must be massive, especially on 404 chain. Do you still set the top plate angle to 5-15 degrees? I want to get a few nice three angle files for my Granberg file n' jig, but I would have to convert my only 28" loop.

 

[Nealm66]

I've wanted to try using square chisel for milling, but the Kerf must be massive, especially on 404 chain. Do you still set the top plate angle to 5-15 degrees? I want to get a few nice three angle files for my Granberg file n' jig, but I would have to convert my only 28" loop.

Man, I’m not sure what the angle is for sure, for myself I wouldn’t recommend taking up chisel grind or file just because it was such a pita for me to get dialed in. I had the unfortunate ability to trial and error every day for 20 years. Not to say somebody with better abilities couldn’t pick it right up. I started with a copy of a factory grind and played with it till it was a money maker. I fiddled with it when I started milling just enough to find a middle line. I will say my neighbor does a pretty good job with a round file but he pre commercial thinned for 15 years and cuts 2 cord every weekend to sell so he has a lot of practice. I have him round file my little tree topper and I’ll touch up his chains to true them up a bit. I guess if you wanted to give it a go, I’d start by copying a factory. I’ve only worked with one old guy that could chisel file worth a dang. If memory serves, it’s hard to get a good angle because of the side strap but it was in the 80’s when I worked with him so take that with a grain of salt. I use an old simington grinder now, I’ve wore out a couple different ones throu the years and no complaints with the simington

 

[SpaceBus]

Man, I’m not sure what the angle is for sure, for myself I wouldn’t recommend taking up chisel grind or file just because it was such a pita for me to get dialed in. I had the unfortunate ability to trial and error every day for 20 years. Not to say somebody with better abilities couldn’t pick it right up. I started with a copy of a factory grind and played with it till it was a money maker. I fiddled with it when I started milling just enough to find a middle line. I will say my neighbor does a pretty good job with a round file but he pre commercial thinned for 15 years and cuts 2 cord every weekend to sell so he has a lot of practice. I have him round file my little tree topper and I’ll touch up his chains to true them up a bit. I guess if you wanted to give it a go, I’d start by copying a factory. I’ve only worked with one old guy that could chisel file worth a dang. If memory serves, it’s hard to get a good angle because of the side strap but it was in the 80’s when I worked with him so take that with a grain of salt. I use an old simington grinder now, I’ve wore out a couple different ones throu the years and no complaints with the simington

Have you milled with semi chisel chain? I myself would never attempt to free hand file square grind, but I have a guided jig that can accept a three angle file.

 

[Nealm66]

I haven’t, no. Everything I have is full skip. It’s worth a try with the triangle. I’ve tried both and even trying to follow my grinder angle it’s not great, awful actually ha ha. There’s a guy on here that races saws and he hand files. Deetes? He might have some tips and some websites. The problem I found through the years with all the information you get from here or there was that it’s not always about how fast a chain can make a bucking cut. We had to bore and get decent life out of a chain. And that 3/8’s might be a little quicker but if you’re not matching your undercuts cus that crap is so finicky- you loose money. I run it on my little saws with no problem on little short bars but 28 and up = nope. I have tried semi skip but I didn’t see no gain, just a little smoother and not worth the extra sharpening

 

[SpaceBus]

I haven’t, no. Everything I have is full skip. It’s worth a try with the triangle. I’ve tried both and even trying to follow my grinder angle it’s not great, awful actually ha ha. There’s a guy on here that races saws and he hand files. Deetes? He might have some tips and some websites. The problem I found through the years with all the information you get from here or there was that it’s not always about how fast a chain can make a bucking cut. We had to bore and get decent life out of a chain. And that 3/8’s might be a little quicker but if you’re not matching your undercuts cus that crap is so finicky- you loose money. I run it on my little saws with no problem on little short bars but 28 and up = nope. I have tried semi skip but I didn’t see no gain, just a little smoother and not worth the extra sharpening

I don't need anything over 20"to deal with the trees around here, I'm just curious how full chisel square grind does when on a mill.

http://treefalling.com/
the above link has all the details on how to get a square grind with a guided jig ( I have the same one) using a three angle file. No guesswork needed. To be honest I really only use my 20" equipped 460 to fell trees and I deal with everything else using a MS150 top handle saw. I think the largest spruce on my property is maybe 30" diameter and we probably wouldn't even cut it down. Our land was logged back in the 50's or 60's.

 

[Nealm66]

I feel it does really good, I wouldn’t say running a round chain for the outside cuts wouldn’t be a horrible idea but I usually get the 3 outside cuts off before it’s shot with the full skip. Although the last slice is a push. That’s where it’s nice to have a bigger saw. Once the outside 3 are done, I put a fresh chain on and it zings along with little effort on a 20” cut for example

 

[Nealm66]

A good example is my neighbors. I fell a roughly 30” Doug fir for them and lent them my 880 with a couple sharp chains. I’m pretty sure they will use that boat anchor to get the outside off and then maybe slice some cants but then I know they will probably use they’re smaller saw to make the rest of the cuts. I would

 

[SpaceBus]

I just use my 395xp for everything. Sometimes I wish I had waited and snagged a new 881, but I got the new 395xp with a 28" round chisel setup for less than $1,000.