Bloody Rob D

[DN22 Gardening]

AS the title suggests, i'm fed up with Rob, wished i'd never heard of Alaskan bloody mills.

 

Bought a 30" mill, plus mini mill, chain for the 880 ( not cheap, but worth the cash). All good

 

Had a play with some small bits of Ash, good results, nice timber, gave it to a neighbour who makes a bit of furniture.

 

Bought the grinder to make my teeth all straight and level

 

Went to do a large ish piece of Aspen we've had for a while, and the bloody things not big enough !!!!!!!

 

Now i've got to get in the wifes good books to get the purse strings open for a set of 36" rails, a bar, and yet another chain.....:sneaky2:

 

Why did i ever think i may be able to make a couple of quid milling ????

 

 

 

Only joking, I'd recommend both Rob and the Alaskan to anyone.

Never milled before, so if i can get reasonable results within 1/2 a day anyone can

 

Pics to follow

[DN22 Gardening]

the lump of Aspen currently waiting on my wifes pleasure

 

 

The last pic is the first 3" thick plank removed

[agg221]

You could buy a 36" set of rails.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

....or you could just give in now and buy the 090, 6ft bar and rails and the 26" uprights right away:biggrin:

 

Alec

[Big J]

I run my 088 with a 50 inch bar and that's sufficient for most logs. Gives a 42 inch cut.

 

You always need more than you think!

[DN22 Gardening]

I run my 088 with a 50 inch bar and that's sufficient for most logs. Gives a 42 inch cut.

 

You always need more than you think!

 

Yeah, i could.........given enough brownie points from my better half.

 

Sorry J, but on this firm, a tool has to prove itself before we expand it.

Bought a stump grinder earlier this year, its paid for itself 4 or 5 times over, i've just been given the go-ahead to THINK about saving for a larger, self driven one.

 

I think i'll have to sell a bit of timber ( or make her something spectacular) before she'll let me invest in a 50" bar (maybe £250/£300) chain (£100) supplementary oiler (????) etc.

Never mind the fact that the 88, plus 30" bar n chain, plus Alaskan weighs a blinking ton, dread to think what the bigger one you use weighs ????

[Rob D]

Ha ha! Nicely squared off log there though Dave! Can you not mini mill another plank off the side and settle for narrower planks.

 

 

I'd try and manage on what you've got for now...

 

 

Try and get some cash back on what you mill and don't go too mad milling everything that comes in your path!

 

Chopping boards is where it's at IMO as long as you know someone with a good planer thicknesser... I seem to be making more from them than anything else using all the crappier bits of wood!

 

 

 

 

[Big J]

50 inch bar - £250 or thereabouts

Mill extensions - £100 or so

Chains x 2 - £100

Aux oiling kit - £50

 

Total - £500

 

Revenue from first 3ft 6" diameter 10ft oak log slabbed at 2 inch sold at £15 a cubic foot (fairly cheap) - £1134

 

You know it makes sense!

[DN22 Gardening]

Ha ha! Nicely squared off log there though Dave! Can you not mini mill another plank off the side and settle for narrower planks.

 

 

I'd try and manage on what you've got for now...

 

 

Try and get some cash back on what you mill and don't go too mad milling everything that comes in your path!

 

Chopping boards is where it's at IMO as long as you know someone with a good planer thicknesser... I seem to be making more from them than anything else using all the crappier bits of wood!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Rob, i was just having a play with the Aspen

 

As all the seasoned millers will be able to tell, i've never done it before, and i don't doubt for one minute its a skill that takes years to learn.

 

What to cut where, how to cut to get the best timber from the log, etc, etc

 

Being from an arborist background (and most of that on price work) logs were always dealt with by someone else, so since i've been on my own its been a steep learning curve whats to keep, what to log etc.

 

About the biggest mistake i've made so far was chopping a beautiful piece of Yew into firewood

 

I also need to learn what the carvers like, but as i've said, its all a learning curve

 

[Rob D]

Yep it is indeedy but how you've cut that log in the pictures looks accurate.

 

 

What I tend to highlight these days is what are you going to do with the timber? Where are you going to store it?

 

One of the biggest problems I had in the early days was I had all this lovely timber and thought I would sell it hand over fist.... and found demand (near me anyway) is/was pretty much zero.

 

People come and pick a bit out here and there.... but really to make money you need to turn it into a product. Something you enjoy making but that doesn't take too much time.

 

 

[Paul Smith]

the lump of Aspen currently waiting on my wifes pleasure

 

 

The last pic is the first 3" thick plank removed

 

How did you secure the ladder? Set screws?