Thread: need advice big time!

go for it mate.

1. yes

2. you need skip chain. you can make one easily by taking one tooth out of every 3 off (with angle grinder) or extended skip by taking of 3 and leaving 2.

3. any timber is good timber to have.

4. no - good

5. yes but its teh best waste of time. or you could waste your time goign out and buying it.

paper bark is a nice timber mill it aswell.

Thanks Carl,

I knew you would let me know!

Is it harder to cut if dried rather than green? any tips would be a help.

Ill post some photos as i go along.
particularly trying to get them in a trailer!

Steve

lif one end if possable so you dont have to push the mill.

the hardness depends on the species. some are to sappy to cut green others get hard with age.

do let us know how u go.

If the trees were cut down 6mths ago, they will still be sopping wet inside, logs take many years to dry. Elm slabs nicely and as Carl says, use a skip chain but also make sure it's a ripping chain as well, not a crosscut.

The Elm will be relativity easy to slab, the gum will take longer to cut and you'll also love the smell of the Elm once you staring slabbing it

thanks dj and Carl.

to get it right DJ i need skip tooth ripping chain that suits my bar?


steve

i dotn want to confuse the matter for you but

i never used ripping chain on my slabber i just used standard secmi chissel chain as i foud ripping chain to cut slower althow it achived a better finish i dont belive it to be worth teh extra time.

Tip - cut 6" off the end of the log as those few inches are case hardened and will blunten the chain quite a bit.

Steve,

I've ripped freehand with crosscut chain on my 372 - most split post cutters just use crosscut chain, seemed okay.

I only use ripping chain on my Lucas slabber - it seems okay.

The big thing is comparing apples with apples, are you just wanting to learn a bit, break down these logs for yaself, save 'em from being wasted and can spare a bit of time to play? or are you wanting to sell the timber to other people, or sell yourself cutting timber for other people and wanting to get it done as quick as you can - without anytime to spare with experimenting?

If you are in the first mindset then stuff it, use crosscut chain grind a few cutters out of it and go for it - have some fun.

If you are in the second mindset, then buy skip tooth ripping chain from the start, don't worry about grinding it yaself and churn out the boards, but still have fun

Oh and most important of all - take some pics

thanks for all the advice it has been really appreciated.

Sigidi, i am only cutting it for personal use and have spare time to do it.

It is a recycling station and the logs will wnd up as garden mulch, what a poor recycling option!
I just cant let that happen so all i have to give the guys i a couple of six packs for them. Sounds fair to me.

Will definately post some photos as i go. first job is to get it in the trailer! ive got a turfer which may help.

Steve

Cool, inthat case, I'd go at it with ya crosscut chain, just make her a skip chain.

Any chance of slicing 'em at the station? then you just tail the boards into the back of ya ute?

I wouldn't worry about skipchain unless you are cutting really big hard logs. A saw like a 660 has a very high chain speed and will clear the sawdust very easily. FWIW I don't use skip even on my 60" bar.

bob and sigidi,

Sounds like a lot of this is how each of you feel you get best results from the type of saw you use and size of timber and type.

I suppose that is just getting to know your saw.
I had thought of trying to mill it on site, but that would be pushing my luck as i dont think they are supposed to be doing this.

Steve

Well i finally picked up two logs.
I had to hire a car float as my 6x4 probably wouldnt do the job. plus the float already had a winch!
The first photo shows the two logs note the log on the left has different bark than the one on the right which is much more knarly. I think the one one the left could be liquid amber? The 3rd photo shows in the foreground what i believ is the same tree, you can see the buds about to shoot and the seed pods. Just happened to be a tree in the park which we back onto that has the same bark structure. If it is the same is this a liquid amber?
Photo 4 shows a bit of the timber- i thought liquid amber was much whiter than this so perhaps its not! ANY GUESSES? Maybe Beech?

The second photo is a piece of Elm i think, it has not split at all at the ends.

We back onto the park, so thought it was a great place to mill it, it is all mulched area where the logs are now. So i will hopefully make some sawdust with the new saw and mill on the weekend!

Thanks to all of you so far for all the helpfull info. Got to admit the chainsaw does scare me a bit, especially now it has a 36" bar.
Anyway ive got chaps , hearing and eye protection so that makes me a bit more comfortable. Being in the mill i think ill be pretty right.
Sorry to kink your necks

More pics over the weekend.

Steve

look good mate

let us know how u go ay.