Reducing large diameter logs before milling

[Craig ketley]

Hi 

 

Ive got a lot of large butts that won't go through my serra alpine, she will only take 90cm wide log but height is restricted to 66cm. Im thinking of alaskan mill them down a bit so they will go on. Do any of you have any better solutions any other than way.

 

Chalky

Edited April 3, 2018 by Craig ketley

[Rough Hewn]

Have you tried free hand
cutting the edges off?
[emoji106]

[Big J]

You need a bigger mill. Only 66cm above bed is severely limiting. Serra has a good reputation and resale value should be high. 

 

My previous mill was a brilliant machine (Logmaster LM2). It had the same 90cm capacity, but went to 88cm above bed. I replaced it because it's capacity was too small.

[LeeGray]

7 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

Have you tried free hand
cutting the edges off?

That’s what I do most of the time and works fine for me or cant up with the mini mill if needed but don’t do masses and wouldn’t want to be on like that a lot.

[Chalky]

Free hand is a option as always, lot of work. Bigger mill is what I’m thinking. It was sold as a
90x90 log size. Always read small print

[wills-mill]

I've come to the conclusion that halving the log is less grief than gnawing the sides off, and it makes further cuts easier.

  I'm really quite surprised to hear that the Alpina doesn't get very high off the bed. A Mizer usually tops out with the band at around 34in from the bed and then there's 12in of fresh air above that.

[TheHungrySquirrel]

Why not quarter either freehand or with an Alaskan?

[Big J]

All these options are OK for short term or occasional solutions, but if you are regularly going to have logs that are oversized for your mill, just get a bigger mill. Halving logs is brutally hard work. Shaving logs when on the mill also very nasty. Getting an appropriately large mill and whizzing through them is a doddle.