Rob D

Well done for posting and hope it all heals fully... Could happen to any of us.

No worrys - it does need a little tweaking but I think the portability should be excellent when all is finished.

Absolutely cracking job Simon - very good to see you re using timber from your tree jobs and putting it back into landscaping style jobs... ... Top work!

Should be interesting the results or rather the results I've seen so far are interesting... Please keep them coming - have had 7 out of 17. Ta, Rob

Ha ha! It needed to be long to take offcuts from the Peterson mill and is on a pallet for moving around the yard.... I should have made it narrower though ...

No bubbles burst - Granberg have been making CSMs in the US for 40 years (need to confirm exact date) - there is nothing like this available. There are loads of other versions of CSM using a frame in the US (there's even one here in the UK) - but these are mainly home made jobs - I don't know of many that are accessible and on the market. However all tend towards a fully static set up using heavy angle iron. They are not portable and use only a large chainsaw for all out slabbing. The way the saw flips from horizontal to vertical is unique and also this model is now close to being a production model. It's easy to build something that works, much harder to build something that you can then make easily.

I'm sure you could have the option of running x2 powerheads but for the 50" bar I think the x1 is fine.... it's such a strange feeling to mill so easily and then have a heavy plank to lift off! Another bonus is you can leave 2 to 3 planks on the log and still milling as long as you're wedging the cut. In fact this is a bonus on the last few planks as the weight helps keep things steady.

When you get a sec Stevie can you put some pics up of your double milling set up? There's not many like that about.

It'll handle up to 3.5 foot log as long as you position it correctly. The thing I found with it is your chainsawmilling and it's easy.... there's no straining, less fumes, you want to keep milling! In short it's very very good - ok no doubt there will be some teething issues but it works really well. Erik Granberg milled a 7 foot walnut log with a previous modified version - planks cam out perfect!

I think that more would be sold if there was a higher profit margin for dealers and the retail price was lower.... .... The trouble is we can guess but we just don't know what the actual costs are in producing it... Everytime a thread comes up about Aspen it always ends up being the price that is the problem.... surely if they could reduce the price they would? But again we'll never find out as I can't see an oil company opening their books and giving us a breakdown of costs.

I don't think the price has been finalised yet but I would expect it to be just under £2,000-00 + vat.

Talk about touch and go! But well done to him he must've felt amazing when he finally popped onto land.

Cheers - the powerhead vibrating was my mistake as I'd mounted the saw too low on the carriage.

It's been a few years to get to this stage but now it looks like the new carriage mill from Granberg is almost ready for production. Erik Granberg himself came over from the US to help me get it set up. What's the big deal? Well here's a few things: You can have a saw and bar up to 20" which can flip from horozontal to vertical - that's a first hence the name flip and rip. A winding handle pulls the saw down the log Another handle allows you to change horozontal position while you are winding to allow the saw to follow bumpy logs You can put a 50" saw and bar in for all out wide effortless slabbing It is super accurate! and with a smooth tunring motion boards come out with a very smooth surface. It'll be very easy to quarter saw straight out of the log (I'll be trying this next week) You can re saw thick boards To make posts and beams is far easier You're no longer near the fumes of the saw You can cut 3 or so planks without having to take them off the log Remote throttle operation or you can lock off the throttle on full - a touch on the lever releases it There's still some tweaking to be done but after cutting a few planks all I wanted to do was to cut a few more! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvM034guZo8&list=UU9eV7377LRZ9H98BQowuSbQ&index=2&feature=plcp]F&R taster - YouTube[/ame] Please bear in mind this is not a glossy sales video just a quick taster of how things work. The vibration with the 880 in there could have been reduced by having the saw up closer to the mounting brackets - I'm still learning!

Yep in hot weather the bark would fall off pretty fast - this is a benefit really as you need to be able to get in and sand it.... I leave until the bark falls off and the table's outside is dry and spend and hour sanding and planing.... It looks more 'finished' then and is ready to sell.

No worrys but if we could get them done by Weds - or most of them done? It would also be good to have a follow up to see how people found the files kept their edge over time.

I've found that one of the easiest things to make and sell are rustic picnic benches.... the reason I think is everyone usually has space for them, they can be competitive with manufactured furniture and you have a built in table and seats. If you make a table with separate benches it takes longer and is not so practical as the benches are too heavy to move in and out. The mini mill with a 15" bar and cross cut chain flies through the wood and can be used to rip down planks. It makes it a pleasure to use... or more pleasurable anyways! The vid isn't that good but basically: Get the top flat Mill a 3" board and place to one side Using the mini mill cut across the log at bottom, 27"-28" up, another 27" to 28" up and then 6' from there Mill a 3" plank and you bow have 2x 28" pieces (legs) and top (6') The legs are squared and at 3" sit nicely on the 6' piece Cut the first board you made down the center for seats and use the end of braces Put together and leave for 2 to 3 months Now the wood has surface dried spend an hour planing and sanding just to smarten it up I sold x4 of these at a show for between £360-00 and £440-00 and you can make massive versions.... an upright support needs to go under the seat though or x2 big 'uns on one side will have it over! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FM7Y8gVOaw&feature=channel&list=UL]Log to bench - YouTube[/ame] And I made this one at home from planks off the same tree. Plan is to make a boatload of these now ready for a sand and tidy at the beginning of the next garden season.

I know what you mean Jon - after mine disintegrated I decided to go for a mega saw horse.... got greedy and made it too wide though but you can put very long pieces on and if you clip it it's not a problem.

There isn't any guarantee but the likelihood is they would reduce prices to further increase sales. Let's face it no one here would be buying the stuff out of loyalty and dedication - if we buy it it's for our own reasons. And ref the tax argument what GardenKit is saying is that if the government reduced tax only on Aspen because emissions are more environmentally friendly then the price would come down relative to pump fuel....

Ah - that's what you were talking about the other day! Yep looks the business

I think the price is more linked to the packaging and difficulties in distribution rather than big margins..... if it was nationwide at the pumps it would be a totally different story. The more people that use it I expect the price will come down but a bit of a chicken and egg situation. I've used nothing else for 5 years and buy a pallet at a time..... it's painful when you do but I still feel well worth it.

Getting some good feedback.... don't be shy with what you think as I'll be putting up all the results and comments.... but anonymously. 4 out of 17 so far.

PM Big J as he's organised, can send by pallet, has good prices and quality timber....

I'm going through all this at the moment - have used a polytunnel to dry logs for 6 years and now that it has been flagged to the council they are saying I need to apply for change of use.... So it is sticky territory and not a given you an do this.... but then look at all the yards and places around the country where it is going on. If someone notices you could have a problem.

Ha ha! PM over what you thought on the initial uses and whatever files you've ordered I'll change for the brand you liked the most.... .... but please don't tell anyone else the results i.e. what file you thought was the best ta.