Chainsaw milling

treekiwi · 31st January 2008, 09:08 PM

Hey guys,
heres a few pics of my chainsaw mill and some macracarpa i milled up today, was first attempt so a litle bumpy, will have to set better angles, anyone got any tips?

TreeDimensional · 31st January 2008, 11:45 PM

It seems that you may of been crowded for space on the business side of things. What were you using for chain? I was given some good advise on chain, but am a little reluctant to mention it on an open forum. I wouldn't want this to turn into a mine-is-better-than-yours thing.

The end result doesn't look to bad, practice, practice, practice.

RDMOTT · 1st February 2008, 04:27 AM

TreeKiwi,
what did you use for a guide board to get your first cut?
I use a pressure treated 2" by 12" and longer than the log you are milling - the straightest one I can find. Nail this down hard to the top of the log then take a level and go down the entire length of the board and shim it to get it real flat and rigid on the log. Crank out the depth so you run under the nails on your first cut. when this is done you should have a nice flat surface from which to mill out slabs in whatever thickness you want.
Rich D.

DBS · 1st February 2008, 01:03 PM

Once you mill the slabs what is the process for drying?

Is there a specific moisture level that you target?
Do you use a device such as this....

How do you prevent cracking during the drying process?

Regards,

Daryl

TreeDimensional · 1st February 2008, 02:39 PM

Daryl, good point. I am also new to the world of milling, and I believe the best statement that could be said about my knowledge level is "I know a lot less than I need to know".

I have a bandsaw mill, which in my opinion is easier to manipulate the log you are working on. From what I have learned thus far is that the log should be "read". This involves looking at the whole log to see it will give you in quality lumber. I messed around for a while and learned alot of things not to do, for instance trying to cut 12' lengths, where if I would have cut it to 8", I would of had a better yield (More boards). The other thing I quickly learned is the warp factor. If these boards had been cut differently they probably wouldn't have ended up looking like hockey sticks.

As there aren't any saw mills near me (200 miles) I looked into the grading standards. I purchased the NLGA (National Lumber Grades Authority) grading manual and the Grading rules. For $10.00 these two books, teach you a lot about how to cut lumber.

The drying thing is subjective to the climate you live in, and is variable to the humidity and the set-up in which the lumber is going to be stored. The term "dry lumber" is (in my country) 19% moisture or less. "Green Lumber" has over 19% moisture. The common moisture meter is the electronic variety, that are available just about anywhere.

We dry our lumber by air drying. It is layed on a flat surface (shop floor) and stickered between each row. We then direct high volume air through the lifts. It is very important not to dry the lumber down too fast as this may lead to grading issues.

This is an interesting subject to me, and I hope I have helped. Like I said in the post I have a lot more to learn!

DBS · 1st February 2008, 02:53 PM

well TD.. seems you have your head on straight!!

great point on moisture content being specific to location.

another topic id like to raise would be quarter sawn vs plain sawn.

do you have the ability to do both or just plain sawn.

seems to me quarter sawn is far more difficult to accommodate.

this is def something i might be interested in pursuing.

i am a carpenter by trade and i love building furniture and doing trim work.
i would love to one day say .. "i built that from a tree i cut down" LMAO

in case anyone doesnt know the difference between plain and quarter sawn.....

-Daryl

RDMOTT · 1st February 2008, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBS

How do you prevent cracking during the drying process?

Sealing the ends of the slabs with parrafin wax can help reduce "checking" or cracking. some slabs, however, will split no matter what you do.
Rich

DBS · 1st February 2008, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RDMOTT

Sealing the ends of the slabs with parrafin wax can help reduce "checking" or cracking. some slabs, however, will split no matter what you do.
Rich

does limiting the thickness of the mill vary the "chances" of checking or cracking?

-Daryl

TreeDimensional · 1st February 2008, 03:41 PM

Daryl, we do both types of sawing. But before you hand out any more compliments, I should tell you of the oversite I had. You see I am a farmer first, an arborist second and a sawyer last. The 30" mill was purchased to deal with our scrap from the tree care operation, when we are hired to do a tree job, the clients always gets first dibs on the wood and the chips (12" bandit), so we are a bit hard on the firewood stuff unless instructed otherwise. The chips can be hit-and-miss, depending where we are working, and we always have to deal with the large diameter wood.

My oversite was the fact that ALL wood milled in North America that is going to be used in construction MUST be graded. I didn't even think of THAT.

Our closest grader is 175 miles away, and he is a tad expensive to use. Therefore all our wood is being cut for porosity fencing for cattle. If you check on this thread TreeDimensional's set up you will see that I am a bit limited in raw product.

I am considering taking the grading course, but it is unlikley I will ever re-coup the investment. It is also something that requires continual use or you get stale, just like welding.

While I was typing this RDMOTT made a good point, logs that are not going to be milled immediatley should be cut about 1' longer than their intended use and sealed, especially if the conditions could cause them to desicate.

If you have quality wood, I might suggest that you cut extra long, seal the end, and debark. Let the log dry out slowly and benefit from less losses at milling and drying time. Store as you would milled lumber.

Brent

DBS · 1st February 2008, 04:03 PM

Well put Brent.

i have a possible 60-70 foot oak for a full removal and i am considering trying to transport the main trunk... only down fall is storage location and conditions. Not to mention if i bring that home i will have the cart ahead of the horse...as i own no milling equipment what so ever.

just going to be a shame to pass it up because the main trunk has little to no interruptions and is VERY straight!!

its an equal shame that the homeowner even wants it down but he complains of the mess it makes and safety issues of walking on fallen acorns... PFFF right!!

-Daryl

shaggs · 1st February 2008, 04:40 PM

Lotsa good info here guys. I enjoy reading.

thanks for posting.

TreeDimensional · 1st February 2008, 04:42 PM

Daryl, what is the DBH of that thing? If you are considering a mill, could you convince some retailer to give you a demo (Wink Wink). I know a place that has a bunch of slightly used bandsaw mills on their site. If your interested in the link PM me. I get nothing out of this deal except the satisfaction that one of those ones that was cost-prohibitive to bring into Canada, might find a good home in CT.

Pigdog · 2nd February 2008, 12:03 PM

What I've found to making lumber dry flat and straight is to mill the log as soon as possible after it's felled.
It will build up stresses as it dries out. sawing the log after it's had time to dry out a bit first will cause that stress to be released as you saw it. They'll be warped before you can even stack and sticker it!
Quarter sawn will tend to bow on the edge more than flat sawn.
Also many logs will become attacked by mold and fungi and become stained if it's allowed to lie around too long. Depending on the species of course.

If you are sawing and start seeing bluish stain, start investigating for something metal like a nail in the log.

TreeDimensional · 2nd February 2008, 12:15 PM

Pigdog makes a good point, I sometimes forget that this is an International site

In my area we have 6 months of winter so time isn't an issue.

The other phenominum with cut wood is that if there are any boring insects in or under the bark (cambium) they tend to be able to know their home is trouble and bore deeper to survive.

I thought I knew a lot about trees before I bought the mill, but I have learned a great deal more of tree biology since I started sawing.

Pigdog · 2nd February 2008, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeDimensional

Pigdog makes a good point, I sometimes forget that this is an International site

In my area we have 6 months of winter so time isn't an issue.

The other phenominum with cut wood is that if there are any boring insects in or under the bark (cambium) they tend to be able to know their home is trouble and bore deeper to survive.

I thought I knew a lot about trees before I bought the mill, but I have learned a great deal more of tree biology since I started sawing.

Yes, cool weather would slow things down a but I live in Louisiana!
Just about any time of the year here you can lay a pine board down on the bare ground and have an instant termite farm in only few days!
A dying pine tree goes under an insect and mold attack almost immediately! I've ruined good logs by not gettng them milled right away.

31st January 2008, 11:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
TreeDimensional Afterburner is shakin' Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 381	Re: Chainsaw milling It seems that you may of been crowded for space on the business side of things. What were you using for chain? I was given some good advise on chain, but am a little reluctant to mention it on an open forum. I wouldn't want this to turn into a mine-is-better-than-yours thing. The end result doesn't look to bad, practice, practice, practice. __________________ West Central Saskatchewan ISA Certified Arborist

1st February 2008, 04:27 AM	#3 (permalink)
RDMOTT Break'n the ice Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Montgomery CO PA USA Posts: 7	Re: Chainsaw milling TreeKiwi, what did you use for a guide board to get your first cut? I use a pressure treated 2" by 12" and longer than the log you are milling - the straightest one I can find. Nail this down hard to the top of the log then take a level and go down the entire length of the board and shim it to get it real flat and rigid on the log. Crank out the depth so you run under the nails on your first cut. when this is done you should have a nice flat surface from which to mill out slabs in whatever thickness you want. Rich D.

1st February 2008, 01:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
DBS Fly'n Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: CT USA Posts: 196	Re: Chainsaw milling Once you mill the slabs what is the process for drying? Is there a specific moisture level that you target? Do you use a device such as this.... How do you prevent cracking during the drying process? Regards, Daryl __________________ Stihl MS 200T Stihl MS 361

1st February 2008, 02:39 PM	#5 (permalink)
TreeDimensional Afterburner is shakin' Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 381	Re: Chainsaw milling Daryl, good point. I am also new to the world of milling, and I believe the best statement that could be said about my knowledge level is "I know a lot less than I need to know". I have a bandsaw mill, which in my opinion is easier to manipulate the log you are working on. From what I have learned thus far is that the log should be "read". This involves looking at the whole log to see it will give you in quality lumber. I messed around for a while and learned alot of things not to do, for instance trying to cut 12' lengths, where if I would have cut it to 8", I would of had a better yield (More boards). The other thing I quickly learned is the warp factor. If these boards had been cut differently they probably wouldn't have ended up looking like hockey sticks. As there aren't any saw mills near me (200 miles) I looked into the grading standards. I purchased the NLGA (National Lumber Grades Authority) grading manual and the Grading rules. For $10.00 these two books, teach you a lot about how to cut lumber. The drying thing is subjective to the climate you live in, and is variable to the humidity and the set-up in which the lumber is going to be stored. The term "dry lumber" is (in my country) 19% moisture or less. "Green Lumber" has over 19% moisture. The common moisture meter is the electronic variety, that are available just about anywhere. We dry our lumber by air drying. It is layed on a flat surface (shop floor) and stickered between each row. We then direct high volume air through the lifts. It is very important not to dry the lumber down too fast as this may lead to grading issues. This is an interesting subject to me, and I hope I have helped. Like I said in the post I have a lot more to learn! __________________ West Central Saskatchewan ISA Certified Arborist

1st February 2008, 02:53 PM	#6 (permalink)
DBS Fly'n Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: CT USA Posts: 196	Re: Chainsaw milling well TD.. seems you have your head on straight!! great point on moisture content being specific to location. another topic id like to raise would be quarter sawn vs plain sawn. do you have the ability to do both or just plain sawn. seems to me quarter sawn is far more difficult to accommodate. this is def something i might be interested in pursuing. i am a carpenter by trade and i love building furniture and doing trim work. i would love to one day say .. "i built that from a tree i cut down" LMAO in case anyone doesnt know the difference between plain and quarter sawn..... -Daryl __________________ Stihl MS 200T Stihl MS 361

1st February 2008, 03:41 PM	#9 (permalink)
TreeDimensional Afterburner is shakin' Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 381	Re: Chainsaw milling Daryl, we do both types of sawing. But before you hand out any more compliments, I should tell you of the oversite I had. You see I am a farmer first, an arborist second and a sawyer last. The 30" mill was purchased to deal with our scrap from the tree care operation, when we are hired to do a tree job, the clients always gets first dibs on the wood and the chips (12" bandit), so we are a bit hard on the firewood stuff unless instructed otherwise. The chips can be hit-and-miss, depending where we are working, and we always have to deal with the large diameter wood. My oversite was the fact that ALL wood milled in North America that is going to be used in construction MUST be graded. I didn't even think of THAT. Our closest grader is 175 miles away, and he is a tad expensive to use. Therefore all our wood is being cut for porosity fencing for cattle. If you check on this thread TreeDimensional's set up you will see that I am a bit limited in raw product. I am considering taking the grading course, but it is unlikley I will ever re-coup the investment. It is also something that requires continual use or you get stale, just like welding. While I was typing this RDMOTT made a good point, logs that are not going to be milled immediatley should be cut about 1' longer than their intended use and sealed, especially if the conditions could cause them to desicate. If you have quality wood, I might suggest that you cut extra long, seal the end, and debark. Let the log dry out slowly and benefit from less losses at milling and drying time. Store as you would milled lumber. Brent __________________ West Central Saskatchewan ISA Certified Arborist Last edited by TreeDimensional : 1st February 2008 at 03:43 PM. Reason: Add on

1st February 2008, 04:03 PM	#10 (permalink)
DBS Fly'n Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: CT USA Posts: 196	Re: Chainsaw milling Well put Brent. i have a possible 60-70 foot oak for a full removal and i am considering trying to transport the main trunk... only down fall is storage location and conditions. Not to mention if i bring that home i will have the cart ahead of the horse...as i own no milling equipment what so ever. just going to be a shame to pass it up because the main trunk has little to no interruptions and is VERY straight!! its an equal shame that the homeowner even wants it down but he complains of the mess it makes and safety issues of walking on fallen acorns... PFFF right!! -Daryl __________________ Stihl MS 200T Stihl MS 361

1st February 2008, 04:40 PM	#11 (permalink)
shaggs Afterburner is shakin' Join Date: May 2007 Location: sydney Posts: 459	Re: Chainsaw milling Lotsa good info here guys. I enjoy reading. thanks for posting.

1st February 2008, 04:42 PM	#12 (permalink)
TreeDimensional Afterburner is shakin' Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 381	Re: Chainsaw milling Daryl, what is the DBH of that thing? If you are considering a mill, could you convince some retailer to give you a demo (Wink Wink). I know a place that has a bunch of slightly used bandsaw mills on their site. If your interested in the link PM me. I get nothing out of this deal except the satisfaction that one of those ones that was cost-prohibitive to bring into Canada, might find a good home in CT. __________________ West Central Saskatchewan ISA Certified Arborist

2nd February 2008, 12:03 PM	#13 (permalink)
Pigdog Cruisin' Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: USA Posts: 65	Re: Chainsaw milling What I've found to making lumber dry flat and straight is to mill the log as soon as possible after it's felled. It will build up stresses as it dries out. sawing the log after it's had time to dry out a bit first will cause that stress to be released as you saw it. They'll be warped before you can even stack and sticker it! Quarter sawn will tend to bow on the edge more than flat sawn. Also many logs will become attacked by mold and fungi and become stained if it's allowed to lie around too long. Depending on the species of course. If you are sawing and start seeing bluish stain, start investigating for something metal like a nail in the log.

2nd February 2008, 12:15 PM	#14 (permalink)
TreeDimensional Afterburner is shakin' Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 381	Re: Chainsaw milling Pigdog makes a good point, I sometimes forget that this is an International site In my area we have 6 months of winter so time isn't an issue. The other phenominum with cut wood is that if there are any boring insects in or under the bark (cambium) they tend to be able to know their home is trouble and bore deeper to survive. I thought I knew a lot about trees before I bought the mill, but I have learned a great deal more of tree biology since I started sawing. __________________ West Central Saskatchewan ISA Certified Arborist

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