Alaskan Mk111

[chopper brown]

Hi all. Been on this forum a while but never posted.

 

Been milling today and for some reason everything was going fine all morning planking up some larch but when i went back to it after lunch on a new log the mill kept jamming up.

 

It was as if the saw was cutting downwards away from the the set depth causing it to eventually jam and me being unable to even push the saw never mind cut.

 

I tried from the other end of the log and still the same. I checked the depth and both ends were still set to 4" and everything seemed straight.

 

Any suggestions??

[agg221]

You could try taking the mill frame off and just trying the saw on a rip cut on a bit of scrap. It'll tell you if you have bar/chain problems.

 

I've had some where I've clipped something hard on one side, like a really hard knot, which dulls the teeth so it tries to climb in the cut. I've had one where the bar rails opened up a bit too much causing the chain to rock in the groove. I think the former may have eventually caused the latter.

 

At least if you test the saw off the mill you can be confident whether it's a saw problem or a mill problem.

 

Alec

[Rob D]

I've had this before on some sycamore I was milling.... got halfway down the log and the mill just stuck fast.... I'd already cut 3 or 4 planks fine.... couldn't understand it.....

 

My theory (and to ditto agg) is worn bar where the groove has widened and the chain is sloppy. This chain slop causes the bar to pull one way which causes more wear on that side of the bar which in turn makes the bar pull up (or down) causing even more wear on that side which causes even more pressure until.... it sticks!

 

So why does it suddenly stick fast and not gradually? I dunno.... You can get over it temporarily by taking the bar and chain off, dressing the bar and then spending some time getting the chain perfect but personally I'd say a new bar and chain is on the cards (and new drive rim while you're at it!).

 

When you get a new bar and chain after milling with an old set up it's like those first kisses from your wife all that time ago and the magic of milling is back

 

 

 

 

You'll tell me it's a brand new saw you had on there now!

[agg221]

One medium-term fix is to very carefully squeeze the rails together again. Try the feel of the chain in the groove near the powerhead, under the spikes. That's what it should be like. If it rocks significantly more than this in the middle then it can be nipped up in a vice. If you overdo it you can tweak it back out with a large flat blade screwdriver.

 

If you do the above, watch out extremely carefully for cracking at the base of the bar groove. Check regularly as it may be initiated when you do it but not show until after you've run it for some time. Do check that you've still got clearance for the chain in the groove though before you bother.

 

If in the end you do finish up buying a new bar and chain, and as a consequence you find yourself unnaturally attracted to your mill as Rob D suggests then all I can say is that I hope you're using bio-oil.

 

Alec

[chopper brown]

Cheers for everyone's quick replies. Thinking about it, it all sounds about right as the bar and chain i was using is an old 18" bar on my ms341 as my 084 clutch drum has just gone.

 

I think a new bar and chain seems the way to go.

 

Thanks again.