Phew!

[nantmoel]

Well we have finally finished milling the Oak tree I have been discussing here, the milling went fine (3 chains now blunt and waiting for us to sharpen them), but moving what we had cut! All I can say is wet oak is bloody heavy!

[swinny]

We need pictures

[Rob D]

Nice work - but yes more piccies are always well received!

[nantmoel]

Here goes! Here is some of the Oak we have been milling - the first picture shows the 3" plank ready to be lifted off the remaining stump and the second one of 4 piles of planks before they have been sticked.

[Rob D]

Look really nicely milled planks - very flat.

[MikeTM150]

i'm finding making sure the ladder doesn't twist when you fix it to the trunk is critical and takes practice to get it level!

[nantmoel]

i'm finding making sure the ladder doesn't twist when you fix it to the trunk is critical and takes practice to get it level!

 

Agreed a good eye helps! But what we have found it that we take a load of various wedges and use these to stop the ladder bending into the trunk, also we use a load of 'feather edge' cut offs to push into the cut as we progress down the log - seems to work for us.

[MikeTM150]

I have just purchased a few more plastic wedges to help get ladder level and to put in the cut during further slabbing, I made some wooden ones but they didn't seem to stay in so well as the plastic with it 'grippy' bits on!

 

Practice at milling will help learn the tricks i can see!

[agg221]

Look like nice boards - I've moved a few 3" slabs and you certainly feel it!

 

Another trick for levelling. Carry a few coach screws in various lengths. If you're using an old Stihl then use M10 (17mm heads), new Stihl use M12 (19mm heads). That way they match your bar nuts so the same wrench will fit. They're good for sticking round the curve a bit - either directly under the rail or to support a thin board resting on the screw and the crown of the curve of the log, or straight across to screws on the other side of the log. They're infinitely adjustable, and don't fall off - just don't forget them when setting the depth of cut! You can always make the first cut deeper by the depth of your first plank, then flip the section over and mill the plank off from the cut face.

 

Alec

[nantmoel]

Well here is some of our Oak almost fully sticked! run out of the little blighters, need to cut some more, quite a pile - there are three more (not stacked so high).