agg221

Thanks for the thoughts. The wheel scrapers are set well and the wheels are free of sawdust and resin - they are also true (can check this against the scrapers). Set up is as good as I can get it - there isn't a manual as such. It is also very forgiving about working well with bands which have been thrown (so long as they are re sharpened), probably because they are so light. Bearings look like a strong candidate - I'll strip it down and take a look. Alec

Hi Steve, no it doesn't have rubber tyres - never has had though so this isn't a change. Alec

As per title - my Ripsaw bandmill has developed a nasty habit of throwing its bands forwards in the cut, grinding them into the casing. The bands are 3/4" wide - some light, some stiff. They are good quality (Tuffsaws) and run true. The saw is tracking fine, slightly to the rear of the pulleys. I have tried setting the tension on the correct setting or cranking it up as hard as I can with the saw still able to pull it - doesn't seem to make a difference. The pulleys are aluminium with rims on the front face - to throw the band forwards it is jumping the rim. The saw has started throwing the bands whilst milling. It does it intermittently, with new or old bands. Put the band back on, resharpen it and carry on and it may not do it again, or it may do it in six inches time. Anyone encountered this (maybe on a vertical bandsaw?) and more importantly does anyone have any ideas what might cause it and how to fix it? Yesterday was quite frustrating. Alec

If you had a way of milling it yourself then poplar makes good cladding for sheds, bases for trailers and other general purpose timber. It is not naturally durable when exposed to water but it lasts pretty well if it isn't left damp (there are poplar blades in cruck frames of over 800yrs old) and it takes up preservative very well. It also doesn't splinter and the grain and colour, whilst subtle, are quite pleasant. However, from a commercial perspective it is not a high value timber and there is unlikely to be demand for it, so you are not likely to sell either the log or the milled timber. As such, if you have a use for it yourself to do something from the above list, it would be cheaper to get this milled and use it than to buy in the timber - it would save you a good few hundred pounds over buying in some cheap softwood and do the same job just as well. If not, log it up for firewood. Alec

441 and 444 are ferritic grades. These have much lower expansion than the more 'normal' 304 or 316 (A2 or A4) austenitic grades. Expansion is comparable to mild steel. Specifically, coefficients of thermal expansion are (approximately, as they are non-linear): Grey cast iron: 11-15 Mild steel (and other carbon steels): 12-14 Ferritic stainless (400 series): 9-12 Austenitic stainless (300 series): 16-18 This is why I suggested the ferritic grades. Note, they are also usually a lot cheaper than the austenitics as they don't contain nickel. There are large quantities of them used in steam pipes and boiler parts in power stations (although these are usually 9-Cr, but I haven't previously been able to find a stockholder who carries this). The chromium gives corrosion resistance and good high temperature strength, niobium and titanium give creep resistance. Alec

If Lloyd at stainlessandaluminium.co.uk can get you some 441 or 444 grade then this would be what I would use. Alec

Any chance of a close-up of the trunk (bark) and of the leaves? Alec

Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula' - the weeping beech? There is probably a graft line somewhere near the top of the straight bit. Alec

This is a simplification, but in essence a lot of the confusion over materials arises because 'iron' and 'steel' are not simple things. Iron is an element. It has quite a high melting point, doesn't corrode quickly but is relatively soft and has very little high temperature strength. Other elements are therefore added to iron to change its properties. The smelting process (making pig iron from ore) results in a composition with a lot of carbon and silica (melted sand) in it. The carbon alloys with the iron, lowering the melting point and making it brittle (but actually improving the high temperature stiffness). To make it useful, it needs to have some of the impurities removed. Pre-industrial revolution, the only options were to heat the iron and hammer out the impurities, eventually making wrought iron, or to 'burn' some of them out, making cast iron which still contained a fairly large amount of carbon and hence was still rather brittle, although with excellent high temperature stiffness. Throughout the Victorian era, these were pretty much the only options for large volume material. The development of processes for volume steelmaking e.g. the Bessemer process) changed this in the 20th century. Steel is an alloy of iron with controlled quantities of other elements, often including carbon at up to ~2%. These elements, such as manganese, nickel or chromium, are selected to improve hardness (e.g. cutting tools), high temperature stiffness, corrosion resistance to heat, seawater, acids etc. Because there are so many possible applications, there are also loads of different steels, optimised to meet them. There are steels designed for continuous service under high pressure at over 750degC without corroding or deforming, which would have your whole stove glowing cherry red! The steelmaking process has become so universal (and so much cheaper) that it has effectively completely replaced wrought iron, through the supply of 'mild steel' which is basically iron with a very small amount of residual carbon. So, if a stove is made of 'cast iron' you know it will be stiff and hold up well at high temperatures, even if the material is relatively cheap. However if it's too cheap then it may not have been refined enough and hence crack easily. If it's made of 'steel' there is a huge variety available, which at the high end could mean it's much better than cast iron and at the low end means it's much worse. This is where you have to trust the manufacturer. Not sure if this helps or not! Alec

I bought a brilliant tool called either a lathing axe or lathing hammer, the name reflecting that on one side is an axe blade, the other a hammer head. "Great" I thought, as now when I am fitting laths I can use the same tool for chopping them to length and nailing them on, as indeed it is designed to do. It was only when I started using it to nail on laths at around head height that I realised on the backswing what the issue might be... Alec

Yep, that's what I use:001_smile: Alec

Will do. Alec

Did you ever get anywhere with arranging a visit? Alec

Yes - the outer bracket on the mill can be slid along the rails to give you the right width for your bar - the 'mill length' is actually the length of the rails, so 36" is the furthest apart you can put the uprights. These are 1" square, so the maximum capacity is 34". You have to bolt the mill inside the sprocket nose of the bar so you lose about 5". This means that with the dogs off the biggest cut you can get on a 36" bar is about 30". If you have a 661 then it's worth going for the 36" mill - if you ever want to then you can get a 42" lo-pro bar to get the most out of it. Try it with the 461 and the 661 and decide which you want to use. Even on the 25" bar my money is on the 661 Alec

It will not be the fastest, but it will work fine - ie if you want to mill the odd log for your own use and enjoy the milling process in itself (warning, it gets addictive!) then it's a good option, but if you would rather spend the time using wood than milling it, or you are thinking of offering milling as a service, you would need to take a different route with a much bigger saw. I should have mentioned - 18" is the max width if you leave the dogs on, take them off and you will get 20" through it. If you don't already have the grinder then you will get more value out of that than just milling. Alec

25" mill or 25" bar on an Alaskan mill? A 25" bar will give you an 18" cut and it will be OK (not the fastest but OK). 25" cut would mean fitting a 30" bar, which would be very very slow. I did once in desperation fit my 044 to a 36" bar and run a 2ft or so cut up the middle of a spruce with it. Next time I will use an axe and wedges as it will save several hours of my life. Alec

Cheers Steve, only a minor niggle rather than a major issue - at least I know it's not me

That's the same one I get - presume it's just a case of living with it? Alec

Not sure how often he comes out your way but we have used Bill Wight (Ablewight) for the past 15yrs and have always been very happy with his service. Alec

The ones in Greenwich park are pretty impressive - well worth a look if you are ever over that way. Try Google images for an idea of what they look like. Alec

Well done on the plank - if you've started with a 181 then milling can only get quicker Is your supply standing alive, standing dead or already felled? If felled, I would start with the birch. It can have a nice colour and grain but will rot fast. I would then go for the sycamore and when milled, stand it upright with only the ends touching anything if you want it to dry white. If you want it pink it won't matter so much. The ash can wait a bit. If standing live, I would choose the ones I wanted for the projects I had in mind and cut them in that order. If standing dead, I would expect the birch and alder to be rotten but check them first as if they aren't yet they soon will be. Alder is soft and rots quickly if damp, but keeps really well if under water. It is fairly stable for carving or turning. I wouldn't regard willow as useless. It doesn't have much grain or colour but is a good craft wood - it used to be heavily used cleft and bent for boxes. It was also used for tool handles as an alternative to ash - it is pretty shock resistant so was used for cart floors and even brake blocks as doesn't split under load. I wouldn't mill it though unless you need some plain boards for shelving as an alternative to Wickes whitewood (spruce) - although given your first post perhaps you would prefer the latter Alec

Depends which route you are taking back to Lincoln, but if it's up the M11 then Duxford Hire & Supply is less than 5mins off route. Alec

I think you mentioned you were planning to rip the bits I have for you into 3" squares? I can't remember what for though. Alec

Do you use a winch? If not then it's worth considering if you are having problems with the powerhead getting ahead of the nose - you can mount it to pull the nose end forward and then keep the powerhead moving with it. Alec

Yes, a 36" .404 roller nose bar is available but this is unlikely to be your problem. Firstly, check whether the chain wobbles side to side in the bar. Is the bar nose getting hot and the chain getting slack? If no to the above then the bar is not the issue. I would check the chain - just because it is new does not mean it is necessarily right. When you are milling, do you run with the bar straight across, or do you have the powerhead slightly forward? In some woods, slightly forward creates a judder. I have particularly found this in oak. Changing the angle may result in it going away. Only other thought is the drive sprocket? Hope something above helps! Alec