Thread: Milling on a hill

Yeah you can do it. Set up so it cuts horizontal on the downslope, vertical uphill. Be careful to steady it into the stops on the downhill side as the brake won't reliably hold it. It'll get heavy pulling it back uphill, but that can't be avoided. So long as your rails are parrelell it'll cut.

CSM shouldn't be too bad like that though... Get it into a cut and it should just about feed under its own weight while you sit back and relax with beer in hand.

My policy is always mill with the lucas on relatively flat ground
The braking system is not reliable enough to hold the engine steadfast
One or a dozen logs just aren't worth the risk
Dock log into manageable lengths and move to a spot that is more appropriate in my opinion
Just not worth the risk
Ones safety is paramount and no prizes for being a hero...MM

Thank you for both your replies.
I have no knowledge of petrol powered mills, but i was also concerned for the oil pickup on any 4 stroke engines. If it was steep enough I thought all the oil might slosh to one end leaving everything starving for oil. If I have to dock it, so be it. But the dream of 3m slabs is always enticing.

My chainsaw mill does up to 1.2m wide slabs, slowly then though as only 660 with 5' bar and triple skip tooth, but slope always helps although it can get dodgy when it gets too much. I did an old Crows Ash with my mill on a huge slope (see https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...ight=crows+ash) and had to tie back the slabs to ensure they didn't slide away.

Originally Posted by Emit

But the dream of 3m slabs is always enticing.

Not at the expense of being maimed or killed!!
How are you physically going to lug the slabs out of the forest then even if you did mill 'em?
NOT worth it Matt...MM

Your right Mapleman, At 65mm thick I think it would kill me. Rough calculations puts that at around .2 of a cube and with a green weight of 1200kg equals 234kg. Might shorten the slabs a little bit.

Dai sensei, I have a 44inch bar for the 066 but have never done the skip tooth thing. I'm running GB saw evo 3 chain .404. What would some recommendations be to speed up the cutting process?
Heres a picture of the first time I milled a few years ago. Was slower than I thought and more rewarding than I thought.
first time milling.jpg

Originally Posted by Emit

Dai sensei, I have a 44inch bar for the 066 but have never done the skip tooth thing. I'm running GB saw evo 3 chain .404. What would some recommendations be to speed up the cutting process?

Definitely using an auxiliary oiler is essential for the larger bars to keep chains lubricated and cooler. A 660 isn't really big enough for >40" bars so you need to take it easy. Skip tooth chain helps clearing the sawdust and reduces the load on the saw. A winch also helps but takes some fine turning to ensure the blades cuts straight. Check out some of BobL's posts on sharpening ie teeth shape and raker heights too.

Originally Posted by Emit

Thank you for both your replies.
I have no knowledge of petrol powered mills, but i was also concerned for the oil pickup on any 4 stroke engines. If it was steep enough I thought all the oil might slosh to one end leaving everything starving for oil. If I have to dock it, so be it. But the dream of 3m slabs is always enticing.

the kohlers are rated to 25 degree slope. Actual design limit is closer to 30.

any chance to parbuckle the log around and mill across the slope?

Originally Posted by John.G

the kohlers are rated to 25 degree slope. Actual design limit is closer to 30.

any chance to parbuckle the log around and mill across the slope?

Once it's on the deck I don't think I have any chance of moving it. I'm still tossing up between doing it myself or having someone else enjoy the sweat.

Thanks again for the angle knowledge.

Matt
Sensible advice is to leave it on the ground where it is and let the grubs have it
Forest Red Gums are common place in South East Qld
Connect with your local tree loppers and you might even get the logs delivered for FREE
Don't forget that you are a newbie at the milling game and would hate to see you injured mate
Pivoting the log where it lies is not going to help your cause one iota...very dangerous stuff
Walk away from it dude...there are much better options out there...MM

If you really want the timber hire a crane operator to move the log onto a flat level spot where it is safe to slab. Cheers WC

Think of your safety.

A Lucas will work to 30 deg.

The brake has changed a lot in the 15 odd years since your machine was made MM, it is a pin which drops into a hole - no physical way it moves unless gravity reverses.

I would agree with using someone to do the job for you - just don't ring me (after an incident involving a 13t road roller and my right leg 15 years, 1 month and 1 day ago) I don't do so well on slopes.

more like what they said - Think of your safety.

Tempting but often the temptation of "free wood" over rides our judgement - it can turn into very very expensive wood - very quickly.