Rob D

Very clean looking piece of timber looking onto it... As Big J says Helmdon mill would be the best idea...

No worrys - when you're ready

I know what you mean but cutter length is crucial to smooth cutting, stay sharp of the chain, speed... everything really... hence why guides are so good as they get cutter length the same for you.

Yep they should fit in that saw fine... But yes you'll need the .404 sprocket and oregon only seem to list 3/8....

Could be overwork/ stress if you're doing a lot... my brain sometimes feels like it has turned to mush and esp just before a holiday it closes down the day or two before going away Most memory aids are pretty tedious but I'm playing a game at the moment called 'Candy Crush' on the iphone - my mate was playing it and it is great fun - sort of like tetris but a thousand times better! It's free as well................. but when you run out of lives you can either wait 30 mins or pay £0.69 to play again immediately... this happens randomly. I always wait as part of the fun IMO!

Hi Ben got your e-mail and I'll copy this post to it. First off no bars last for ever - they are disposable like a chain.... same as a chainsaw file (ob relatively you go through loads more files relative to bars) you can use a bar for a long long time but over time the bar groove gets widened by the passage of chain down it. How long does a bar last? - difficult to answer indeed as depends on a multitude of factors - use, chain and chainsaw maintenance, has the chain come off the bar, burred the drive links, is it milling, etc the list goes on. The oregon selector guide gives a K095 mount - which is good as it is the main mid range Husky mount. Rather than go into what the pitch and guage is etc have a look here Chain | bar | sprocket identification and try and take the time to get to know what all the numbers mean... don't worry so much about the Makita numbers on the bar... most bars get replaced with oregon, (or can be cannon or sugihara...) I expect oregon probably make the Makita bars anyway. So for you saw you can 'pretend' on the selector guide here to have a Husqvarna 160 - 18" and it will give you the results and these bars will fit your saw. .375 is used on the website instead of 3/8 the / sign causes problems.... but 3 divided by 8 is .375... Get a new chain with a new bar - micro chisel is prob best for you use. If on my site use Husqvarna 160 in the chain selector. Sign up first as you get 10% discount being an arbtalker - e-mail me when you have signed up for me to set this. Also check your sprocket - is it a rim or spur? Hopefully a rim so you can just change this as I expect it's worn... if a spur then that will be harder as oregon don't seem to list one! Sprocket care Rob

I came to the conclusion you get what you pay for with these... I tried a few cheapies - under £50-00 and the readings were rough... I did start selling the Delmhorst ones (if you Google they have a good rep and basically moisture reading is what they do Moisture Meters | Moisture Testers | Delmhorst Instrument Co.) But they sold too slowly and also seemed to drain the battery. But they did give better readings. The pro timeter ones I also heard good things about but never tried one Protimeter Damp Meter - Your direct store for GE Sensing Protimeter Products

The mill I have here works well - but it's just developed a few teething type problems which ok may well be down to my heavy handedness... But I think it just needs a little more refining.... Will keep all informed if there's any more progress in that direction.

Hmmm... coming along slowly.... I've had a few problems with the lateral positioning so it may be the initial version is just for all out slabbing where you can fit your existing Alaskan into it.... The flipping through 90 degrees will come but in some ways getting that right is slowing things down a little... Personally i think the frame the mill sits on still needs to be simplified... So sorry - still nothing concrete to tell you

Bump. Are you looking to pay someone to mill wood Charlie or do you want to get them in to contract mill.... Do you have a mill or do they need their own?

Dan (desert rat) has tried both and he reckons the oregon file guide is better (both better made and actually using it)... the Stihl one is exactly the same one painted orange! So really it's the oregon or the granberg. But then the Granberg is the original and still works well... not had a chance to really compare the two yet myself.

How do you know if all the cutters are the same sizes though Rich? I've been sharpening for 10 years and although when I look at the chain all cutters look the same size and angle - when I stick a guide on it the guide says otherwise... it's not by much they are out but it's enough. Of course I can sharpen free hand and get good(ish) results - but they are not as good or accurate as a guide.

Used to do free hand and file guide but now I just accept I can't get the chain right without a clamp on type guide I can freehand a couple of times but after this can't get everything right and tooth length and angle suffer...

Yep they will be as it all progresses.

Good stuff - best to e-mail me Bob as I am useless on answering phone at the mo!

I think I will be able to pick half the log and do this but have already committed the other half of it... but it would be great to have a couple of 3ft wide quarter sawn boards!

May be an idea to give it a monster pressure wash before you start as the outside will be well and truly impregnated with grit! Can you put some pics up when you have a go at it?

It's a good point and I will be getting some quarter bits out of it but half is going to become a large chainsaw carving... sorry Bob meant to call you the other day but got side tracked

Couple of quid from me - well done for posting. My mum almost died 8 years ago from cancer but is fine now (thanks to the NHS in Newport, IOW).

Not too bad but there was a lot of grit at the end where the log had been dragged.

Ok you've convinced me - if I can get it vertical I'll have a go milling it vertically would certainly make it easier on the arms. I could stick the forks up above it and lower the mill into the cut to get it started.

Hmmm... now I'm thinking should I be milling vertically The only things that I thought may be a problem is the chain getting bogged down in the cut and the mill not staying against the flat surface... That said the 090 should keep the chain going and after the saw is engaged in the cut someone else should be able to safely push onto the mill to keep it flat and the rails in contact with the log....

Have a look here from 0.50 onwards...

It weighs 4.5 tons - it would have to be a serious pallet! I didn't find it too bad milling it like this - maybe if you had more than one to do standing them vertically would be the way to do it.