Help with adjusting and using an Alaskan mill

1947wdx

Howdy,

I've been lurking here for a while, and thought I would throw this out there to see what those with more experience have to say.

I have an Alaskan mill I purchased used this summer along with a Husky 3120. I've been experimenting on some pine logs left over from some work I had done on my land last winter. I'm not new to chainsaws, but fairly new to milling myself. (My father milled most of the lumber for a 30x40 barn using something equivalent to the Granburg mini-mill, but I was just a gofer at the time.)

Enough background on to the questions...

I've noticed the last couple of times I've used the mill that one rail seems to stick up a bit as I move through the wood. At first I thought I was doing something wrong and tried adjusting my procedure. Finally I placed it across what I believe is a fairly flat surface and sure enough it seems to have a bit of a twist such that it rocks back and forth.

I've tried loosening up all the nuts and insuring both rails are flat on the surface and then slowly tightening things back up checking all the time for "flatness". So far without luck as it always seems to twist back to the same shape.

Are there any tricks to getting these mills flat? Does it matter? I seem be able to produce fairly flat boards as long as I keep the leading edge on the log all the way across. (The back corner farthest away from the saw is up about 1/8 of an inch or so in this case.)

I've been having issues keeping the the ends of the boards parallel. Up till noticing this I put it down to lack of technique, now I'm not sure. (Probably still partially my technique...) It's easier on wide or long logs, but on short (5 to 6 feet) after about 4 cuts or so there is a definite curve end to end.

Sorry, no pic's at this time, I forgot the camera this weekend.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance,

Tony P.

Bruce Hopf

I'd take the outfit all apart. Go over every piece of it separately. One of the pieces has to be twisted, or a bracket is bent. That is the only thing I can figure, that can cause a problem.
I've never worked with a sawmill like the one that you have, but by the sounds of the way it is cutting, could be a problem too.
Another thing, check the guide bar on the chain saw. It could be twisted too, or needs to be squared up. Posible that the rails are uneven for height.
Check the chain as well, and go over it too. Have someone sharpen it with a grinder, and have the raker's looked at as well.
Any one of these, or multiple, things, can throw your cuts out of whack. I'd start with that, and see what is going on. Hope this helps. Bruce.

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1947wdx

Thanks Bruce! I don't think the bar or chain are an issue as they are both new. They could be however, I'll take a closer look this weekend. You are probably right in that it's more then one thing... The mill was used when I bought it. (Maybe wasn't as good a deal as I thought. But it did come with the 3120 which is in great shape, so I think it was still a deal.)

TonyP

arfabuck

Did you ever discover the cause of the problem?

My double banger 60" started doing the same for no apparent reason. Tail quarter lifting 1/2".

Discovered that the bar was not parallel with the sliding frame. The channel to hold the bar at 90 degrees had bent somehow. Easy fix.

arfa
Menzshed

1947wdx

Yes I did. One of the rails of the mill had a twist to it. I used a set of "winding sticks" to see the twist, and was able to gently persuade it back to being mostly straight. I say mostly because the winding sticks showed an ever so slight twist remaining. I used two 4 foot levels as winding sticks. Clamped one end of the rail in a vice and used a large wrench on the other with some plate steel on the sides of the rail to distribute the force of the wrench. I then tweaked the rail a bit, rechecked, tweaked some more, rechecked etc. At one point I went too far by a bit, went back the other way enough to bring it back, and called it good. Once I put the mill back together, it ran perfectly on the log.

I still have a bit of practising to do , but the winter up here in Vermont has blocked access to my stash of logs. (I could snowshoe in, but dragging the 3120, mill, gas, oil and what not on a sled is not worth it to me...)

arfabuck

Ha! I wish. We do not get that white stuff here. Miss it.

Thanks for the come-back. Appears to be a common problem after time with a mill.

cheers,

arfa
Menzshed

woodmiller

Been a keen alaskan mill user, the problems mentioned are strange, unless as suggested by previous replies there is a twist in one of the rails.

In Australia,I have only had issues with some of the harder species of timber which also have a twisty, but attractive grain, such as mahogany gum (beautiful hardwood...a real pest to finish) and red gum.

There was one branch I milled from a fallen red gum, about 4ft long and 18inch diametr, where the grain was extremely swirly, to the exten that over the 4ft lenght, the grain had twisted almost 180 degrees. As I cut the stresses were being relieved, and afetr cutting about 2ft in, the original top and bottom slabs had moved about 1.5 inch sideways. Wish I had a photo of this to show...

Bruce Hopf

I've seen that too in Ash, and Maple, where the grain, does some intresting stuff. Must have been the way the tree grew.
I had some Maple milled, into 2" X 4", and 2" X 12",that a neighbour of mine did with his portable band saw mill.
That lumber in the 2" X 12", twisted every direction, as it came off of the mill, and some of the 2" X 4", could have used them for sleigh runners, or for rocking chairs.
It is sometimes amazing, to see how nature works. Bruce.

__________________
McCulloch chain saws
1- Pro Mac 60, 1- Pro Mac 700, 2- Mac 10-10 Automatic's, 2- Mini Mac 30's, 2- Mac 110's,
2- Mini Mac 35's, 1- Mac 140 with Automatic Chain Sharpener,
1- Pro Mac 10-10, 1- Mac Cat, 2- Eager Beaver
2.0's, 1- Mac 1-10
Stihl chain saws
2- 044's, 2- 034's, 2- 024's, 1- 064, 1- 084,
Strunk chain saws
1- Busy Beaver, 1- SpeeDemon Special
Stand Back, I Have A Very Extreme Case of CAD (Chain Saw Addiction Disorder).