Is 272xp enough saw for milling

[EbS-P]

I’m about to swap the 36” to a 52” and mill up this crotch for some wall art. Maybe some 6x tomorrow for some other projects. We’ll see how how the G660 handles it.

 

[Diabel]

Did you have to replace any parts in the 660 yet?

 

[EbS-P]

Did you have to replace any parts in the 660 yet?

Chain tensioner yesterday and a bar stud I cross threaded. I should put in the high volume oil pump but that seems like more than I wanted to tackle right now.

 

[Nealm66]

Super cool! It will be interesting to see the grain and if you’ll have to use an epoxy to keep it together. I see my neighbors just had some big hooty fir fell. Guessing about 60” with huge limbs. I should sneak over and see if I can mill some slabs but just no time

 

[Nealm66]

Chain tensioner yesterday and a bar stud I cross threaded. I should put in the high volume oil pump but that seems like more than I wanted to tackle right now.

Sometimes you can drill out the bar oiler hole and gain but all of the longer bars I’ve seen come ready to go

 

[EbS-P]

41” wide. Blew over two years ago during hurricane Florence. More later.
She cuts ehh?

 

[SpaceBus]

41” wide. Blew over two years ago during hurricane Florence. More later.
She cuts ehh?

View attachment 270467View attachment 270468View attachment 270469

Those are beautiful and this is where Alaskan mills definite shine. Is this a maple or elm tree?

 

[EbS-P]

Those are beautiful and this is where Alaskan mills definite shine. Is this a maple or elm tree?

Tulip poplar. Will loose the greenish color as it dries. Only accessible by foot for me as I don’t have any implements. City just bought all this as a drainage easement and will be clearing it all in the next 12 months. Got get it while I can. If anyone has any tips for milling where it fell I’m all ears. This is only my third day of cutting in 18 months so don’t think I’m an expert

Evan

 

[Nealm66]

That looks gorgeous! Its one of the dilemmas I face doing tree work. So much faster/cleaner just to slice everything into firewood but so much potential goes up in smoke ha ha! I’m not sure if the video is still on YouTube cus it’s been about 3 years since I watched it but there’s a guy that mills about a 60’ slab out of a spruce log in Alaska. He taps nails in using a string level and then slides a board across them. That’s the video that led me to using the rails and ditch the ladder. But ya, basically you mill long and slice the lengths if you can’t roll. Have to chunk out where you end. I never have to pack in like your doing and I know what you’re up against moving those heavy slabs. That’s what made me buy my tractor ha ha! About killed of my poor buddy hefting those things about. I like my system. Not saying there’s not better methods out there but it works for me. I rip a bunch of stickers that are the same space as my kerf to follow behind instead of wedges to keep everything as flat as possible. But really, after the first cut, the rails true up any flaws. I think my biggest struggle is places to dry and I messed up a lot of hard work not taking the time and effort to do that part correctly. Had some disappointing windshake in some beautiful butt logs that learned me as well. First time I tried to shorten up on my 72” cannon bar, didn’t compensate for the taper and my chain hit the mill arm! Ha! Only do that once. Well, if I think of something I’ve learned, I’ll gladly share it for whatever it’s worth

 

[SpaceBus]

Tulip poplar. Will loose the greenish color as it dries. Only accessible by foot for me as I don’t have any implements. City just bought all this as a drainage easement and will be clearing it all in the next 12 months. Got get it while I can. If anyone has any tips for milling where it fell I’m all ears. This is only my third day of cutting in 18 months so don’t think I’m an expert

Evan

Definitely get some oil or wax on those slabs, or at least slow down the drying process as much as possible. Poplar is bad for checking/cracking and loses water fast. Great for firewood seasoning, not great for nice flat slabs. Never seen such beautiful poplar!

 

[EbS-P]

Definitely get some oil or wax on those slabs, or at least slow down the drying process as much as possible. Poplar is bad for checking/cracking and loses water fast. Great for firewood seasoning, not great for nice flat slabs. Never seen such beautiful poplar!

I think it looks great. I called the local live edge wood shop when I started this. They really don’t do poplar as there is no demand. He said if it comes through his shop he prices about 15-20% lower than anything else. Last lab he sold was 28”by 8’ and said 700$ was a fair price.

I will seal the end grain. I’m not to worried about this one as it’s going to be hung on the wall with back spacers and Rbg LED light strips behind it for back lighting. Probably will rip into 12” wide boards so I can run through thicknesser. Or just mount it green.
Evan.

 

[Nealm66]

I’ve thought about building one of those router sleds. Hope I won’t need to. I did build a way to level /slice large burrows with my mill. I sunk 4 posts and leveled a bunch of block that I concreted in place. Then I can set some good flat 4x4’s across as my table. Then I have 2 8”x20’ steel studs I can adjust to any height on both ends . Works really good as long as whatever I’m trying to straighten out is heavy enough so it doesn’t slide. I’ve found for live edge slabs it’s better just to reshape them with water and pressure. Otherwise a nice 2” slab gets a lot more thin than one would expect.

 

[EbS-P]

Update on how the G660 preformed yesterday. The cut yesterday was about 22” wide at the small end and 42” at the big end. 52” bar and 100$ 36” Alaskan mill customized with T-slot extruded aluminum to extend it to the longer bar.
Cuts really nice on the small end then it got wider and knotty. Really had to go slow with lots of extra oil. I maybe could do the 36” by my self but I think it’s better as a two person job as it’s easier to keep the saw revs right in the sweet spot. if I set up a small boat wench at the saw end of the mill and run the rope/ cord to a fixed pulley set a couple feet beyond the end of the cut then back to the the tip end with a bit of bungee cord to keep the tension and added an oiler at the tip end I could maybe manage by myself.

G660 ran great. I have not ever adjusted the carb. It’s not the easiest starting saw. I can’t drop start it even with the decomp. Needs a skip chain. I have a spool of full skip semi chisel I just have not made any loops yet. Poplar is soft and cuts well would not expect the same results on tougher woods.
Big bars are hard on the chain tensioner. Add the weight of the mill to that I’m being careful to always lift with with the saw and the mill. I don’t want to break mounting studs or crack the case.

All in all it works. it’s definitely pushed to the limit and in time sensitive production environment it would have me a little concerned. But it’s made five 11’ cuts, max 32” and one 7’ cut max 42” wide. I’m pleased. All said I have about 800$ US total in the saw, bars, chain and mill. So it has paid for it self.
Evan

 

[Nealm66]

It’s a lot of work but it’s definitely rewarding. I pieced a hooty 4’ fir down for a relative down in Portland and made some 8’ slabs that he sold for $250 a piece! Green even! They did look really good though with the big knots. Wonder how many ever survived to become something as that’s to me where the real skill lies. Glad to hear the g660 is holding up. I’ve been running stihl chain just because that’s the last roll I bought but I’m going to switch to Oregon as it’s a little softer and smoother cutting IMO. Plus I have better success with the rider gauges, not sure why. Anyways, thanks for sharing.

 

[Diabel]

Greetings
The g660 arrived today, all good. Nice packaging and all. When i opened the gas tank plug, i could smell gas, then i opened the oil plug and i smelled oil. Is this normal? I thought these saws came dry. I have only bought saws from dealers before.

 

[EbS-P]

That’s the way mine arrived. My guess is they have some quality control and starting it up is the easiest way. I haven’t touched my carb since I took it out of the box maybe they check tuning too. One might hope they put a tach on it so they don’t send out a saw that’s over revving. I watched a good YouTube video where the gentleman went through his G660 which he had run serval tanks through. He basically was re torquing everything. Had all intentions of doing that to mine but didn’t get around to it. I’ll post it if I can find it again.

Evan

 

[EbS-P]

Here it is. That was easy enough to find. The only video in my favorites.

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[Diabel]

That is what i thought in terms of quality control.
i watched that video yesterday. Might still go through the bolt tightening and locktite stuff. Will run couple of tanks of 25:1 mix while cutting then couple of 32:1 while cutting. Then will retighten everything before milling. Will also put the tach to it making sure it is below 12500 rpm.
Never did any of this to my stihl says. I suppose warranty and trusting local dealer service helps.

 

[Nealm66]

That is what i thought in terms of quality control.
i watched that video yesterday. Might still go through the bolt tightening and locktite stuff. Will run couple of tanks of 25:1 mix while cutting then couple of 32:1 while cutting. Then will retighten everything before milling. Will also put the tach to it making sure it is below 12500 rpm.
Never did any of this to my stihl says. I suppose warranty and trusting local dealer service helps.

If you plan on wearing ear protection, doesn’t hurt to modify the muffler a little bit. Just have to be careful in the dry months and port in such a way so it doesn’t blow right at the wood.

 

[Diabel]

Ear protection check.
I am also looking into a nose/mouth mask. Any suggestions?

 

[Diabel]

Forester bar and chain should be here next week (36”). Next, aux oiler. Should be able to rig something diy. After that will be the rails vs ladder.

 

[salecker]

Forester bar and chain should be here next week (36”). Next, aux oiler. Should be able to rig something diy. After that will be the rails vs ladder.

You should be able to turn up the oiler if they copied the real one right,otherwise get the high output oiler from Stihl

 

[Diabel]

How should the power head be facing, recoil up or down. Have seen set up both ways. I am right handed and naturally would want my right hand on the throttle, but that means recoil will be facing down and the exhaust shooting right in my face....

 

[Nealm66]

Forester bar and chain should be here next week (36”). Next, aux oiler. Should be able to rig something diy. After that will be the rails vs ladder.

Try making a regular cut after each run. It helps clear the rails. Shouldn’t need an oiler for what you’re milling

 

[EbS-P]

I as I recall with the oiler wide open it ran out before the gas did. On my big cuts I stop half way and refill. I really like this combo can for filling a hot saw up. Doesn’t spill a drop
.