Have we had a 'First go at Milling' thread recently?

[TuscanPhil]

Having bought myself a 41 year old saw, a new 'chinese' chainsaw mill, some assorted spare parts (for the chainsaw to get it running), I've managed to have my very first go at chainsaw milling this morning!

 

I've been reading this forum (from the beginning - I'm now on page 77 working my way back to page 1) to try and learn from others and see what methods have been used.  I've fabricated a couple of brackets to hold my ladder in place for the first cut, but these only held the ladder at the far end - I need to make 2 more for the front end to hold the ladder and stop it moving as I go down the log.  I've also made some 'homemade' wedges which are not that great - so propper wedges are on my shopping list unless I make some better ones!

 

Apart from not getting particularly well centered on the log (it's only a 'throwaway' log to have a play on), I found that the saw gap flexed open rather than closing down, as I went along the log - there must have been a lot of tension? in the log?

 

A few pikkies!

 

I made ladder supports out of some dexion and plywood - will make something a bit better as I learn what works and what doesn't.  The clamps simply bolt through a hole in the dexion and have an additional nut/bolt to provide some tension as the plate is moved onto the ladder rail.

 

First cut went well to split the log in two (first two milling pics), but when I did the second cut (to make a board) I can see some marks where I must have stopped milling to put in the wedges (3rd milling pic) - is this because I stopped too quickly, too slowly, started too quickly or something else?

 

I set 1.5" on the mill but it cut about 1.75" - no worries, the boards will probably only be destined for some benches around the garden until I get a bit better and can mill for a specific purpose!  Might need a bigger bar as well as I have a large Poplar to get through as well as a reasonably large Douglas Fir (see https://arbtalk.co.uk/forums/topic/121764-trees-for-milling-various/ for pics)

 

[topchippyles]

Well done phil but those brackets look a little flimsy.I have a ladder i only use just to get the first straight cut and screw direct through the runners most of the time and secures it as good as required.Just looking and your push handle should be on the opposite side.

Edited September 1, 2020 by topchippyles

[Rough Hewn]

Well done [emoji106]
Are you using a ripping chain?
Instead of cutting the log pith to pith, use it as a reference to cut slabs.
Often a trunk with uneven tension and compression will “banana” when cut pith to pith.
Welcome to the wonderful world of milling[emoji3][emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

[Rough Hewn]

As Les mentioned, it’s easier to drill holes through the ladder rungs, then pack em where needed.
[emoji106]

[topchippyles]

Dont forget to drop the depth down low enough to avoid hitting any screws securing the ladder as not the first or last time i have fooked that bit up rushing ?

[TuscanPhil]

4 hours ago, topchippyles said:

... those brackets look a little flimsy....

They are actually quite strong.  3 or 4mm galvanised steel.  I could probably pick the log up by the ladder with them.

4 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

Well done
Are you using a ripping chain?
Instead of cutting the log pith to pith, use it as a reference to cut slabs.
Often a trunk with uneven tension and compression will “banana” when cut pith to pith.
Welcome to the wonderful world of milling

Nope, just a standard 3/8 semi chisel lo pro ground to 10 degrees.

By pith to pith, do you mean through the centreline?  All new terminology to me I'm afraid!  I cut this one like that as my ladder supports wouldn't have given me much more clearance to cut the top board off first.  If I screw the ladder on and pack it out for my next try, then I shouldn't see the banana effect?

[TuscanPhil]

About 3 and a half usable boards (1.75" thick) out of my 'playing' today.  The top and bottom edges I can chop up and use to make Bird Box fronts with, (or just stick 'em through my biomass once they are dry) or something else...

 

The 2 widest boards will probably end up as rustic benches around the garden, the slightly less wide boards might be used to make the end supports or something else...

 

Oh, and are they dry yet???

 

2 more pics!

[TuscanPhil]

Oh,forgot to say, boards now resting on my pallet floor of my open sided wood shed, stickers in between boards, stickers lined up vertically, heavy weight (old 10 or 12" gate post about 4' long) on top to try and keep them flat.

 

Did I ask - are they dry yet?

[trigger_andy]

Nice work. Its always so exciting when you Mill your first few logs. Its a feeling thats not deminished with me over the last 4 years that Ive been Milling.

 

I note you're doing a lot of skinny boards but seem to be planning on using them for benches etc?

 

Might be worth keeping in mind that as you're cutting through and through the image below is what you'll end up with even when stickered and weighted down (to some degree) Cutting the thicknesses you have you'll end up with quite a lot of sub 1" boards after flattening. OK for some applications in the house but outside? Not so much. 

 

Unless you're specifically looking for 1" boards Id be looking to mill 2" and above. Even a well stickered and weighted 3" Oak Slab that I,m flattening now had 1/2" cup and bow each side over the 90cm width. So thats obviously now a 2" Slab. And a 3" Slab is clearly gonna be much more stable than through and through sawn 1.5" Slab. 

[TuscanPhil]

1 hour ago, trigger_andy said:

Nice work. Its always so exciting when you Mill your first few logs. Its a feeling thats not deminished with me over the last 4 years that Ive been Milling.

 

I note you're doing a lot of skinny boards but seem to be planning on using them for benches etc?

 

Might be worth keeping in mind that as you're cutting through and through the image below is what you'll end up with even when stickered and weighted down (to some degree) Cutting the thicknesses you have you'll end up with quite a lot of sub 1" boards after flattening. OK for some applications in the house but outside? Not so much. 

 

Unless you're specifically looking for 1" boards Id be looking to mill 2" and above. Even a well stickered and weighted 3" Oak Slab that I,m flattening now had 1/2" cup and bow each side over the 90cm width. So thats obviously now a 2" Slab. And a 3" Slab is clearly gonna be much more stable than through and through sawn 1.5" Slab. 

 

Thanks Andy!  Great post!  To answer some of the points raised:

First go at milling, so it was just to see how I got on.  I was only milling a reasonably small log, so wanted to get a few boards out of it so didn't go for 'fat' boards.  I was actually aiming for 1.5" which is what was set on the Mill, but with it being my first use, I now know to 'calibrate' the measurements to get a size that I want rather than to rely on the graduations on the Mill itself.  The boards generated from this log have no specific use so they will likely end up as 'rough' garden furniture.

 

Ref the flattening - how do you go about this?  Is it a case of going over them with a power plane, or rigging up a router sled and doing it that way?  I'm guessing a belt sander will be too slow but good for later / finer finishing?  I don't have (or have access to) a planer thicknesser and I'm guessing my local timber yard (https://nickstimber.co.uk/) wont want me dragging 'gash' boards to their yard, upsetting their machinery settings etc for their commercially produced timber.

 

 

As it stands, I'm just looking to 'cut my teeth' and find out what works and what doesn't.  Once i know more what I'm doing, I have a large Poplar that, if I can do it successfully - need to get a 36" bar though, might be used for weather boarding on a wooden garage I have, a large Doug Fir that I want to mill beams from (so the centre square section of the log?) with a potential to use it for building a new wooden and brick porch on our home.  They seem to good to be cut into firewood (which I can use plenty of as my central heating is biomass).

 

Once I know more what I'm doing, I have a roughly 6-7m long (has a fork in the last 1m), max dia 45-50cm oak trunk that could be used to make some (hopefully) nice boards with - again, no end use planned for them at the moment, but maybe once I learn more about this whole thing!