small log mill & drying

[ricdorm]

Hi there,

I milled my first log today (sycamore). It went fine in general, but I have two questions:

1) I didn't manage to get the top and bottom of the planks parallel - on other words, when you look at the ends, they are a slight wedge shape. Yet I thought I was holding the jig flat the whole time. Is there a knack I'm missing? Or does it all get evened in the planing?

2) I could dry the timber outside in the normal way, but I also have a dry cellar. Obviously in the cellar, I would miss the wind, but I wouldn't have to worry about rain. Is the cellar a good idea or a bad one?

 

Thanks,

Richard

[Ukulian]

Cellar is a bad idea. You need airflow!

[agg221]

Check the clamps on your uprights. I suspect you will find that on one the scale on the upright is against the wedge behind the U of the U-bolt, the other against the cross-brace. These are at different heights, hence even if you keep the mill flat to the log you will get a wedge.

 

If so, you need to turn one of the uprights round (if you still have the instructions you can see this marked up, but it will probably be the outboard one, since the inboard one has the skid on and is harder to get wrong).

 

Alec

 

edit: just noticed this is the small log mill, so a single upright. Suggests you are pushing down too hard on the powerhead, causing the bar nose to lift.

[gobbypunk]

Hi you should look at attatching a winch to your mill everbody rates them I am waiting for mine to arrive in the post speek to Rob D on hear he will sort you out with one there are some cool vids on hear to do with winching worth watching Happy Milling

Cheers Mark

[arbmark]

is your bar straight and the chain equally sharp on both sides? there is usually a bit of splay with the small log mill, but it will plane/thickness out if you are going posh afterwards. if you are using a ladder make sure it is square and the two sides run parallel by resting two bits of straight timber across either end and sighting it by eye