Thread: From tree to dressed timber

Hey, nice drawings Martix!

Flippinchippin makes some good points for a moderate to serious CSM slabber but I wouldn't worry about refiling your chain to a 5 to 10 degree set for just the occasional slabbing of a small log. OTOH if you look like you might need a a new chain soonish it's no biggie to buy it now and keep the new one for your regular work and refile the old one to a shallower set. If you mess it up you haven't lost much and if it works you have a new skill under your belt.

The other advice I received from the CSM folks on Arborist.com was to go for a low profile chain which has a slightly narrower kerf and to reduce wandering.

I am grateful for each contribution so far - perhaps I should have properly explained from the beginning, at the beginning.
I have access to square miles of relatively small felled, and grubbed-out trees, but I don't know when the property owner will burn it all. The drought may be a friend effecting his decision to let the wood rot till he has water.
Loading the Ute is OK, but then I make lots of waste to reload into the Ute for another journey, and of course there is the extra noise in town. If I have the ability to cut to slabs in the paddock using a CSM I save much of this and much of that.
Martrix - your last post is exactly the information I need. I erred naming my CS - it is a Stihl 023, petrol, and the most trusted of my 'tools'.

Thanks, again to ALL.

soth

Going by the size of your CS, I wouldn't be using it for anything over 6" or 8" on a CSM.

CSM are hardwork for most CS, so would take it easy with that size

good points for a moderate to serious CSM slabber but I wouldn't worry about refiling your chain to a 5 to 10 degree set for just the occasional slabbing of a small log. OTOH if you look like you might need a a new chain soonish it's no biggie to buy it now and keep the new one for your regular work and refile the old one to a shallower set.

Absolutely right, for splitting the odd brach or small log, this would be a waste of time, it is more in reference to underpowered saws and larger logs, speaking of splitting have you tried cutting a small slot in the log and hammering in a wedge? Depending on the timber some little logs split beautifully, once into a managable size you can size on TS BS etc and the split edge come off.
I have watched experienced fencers get some amazing results with wedges, but like anything it's all practice!

I have the Westford Slabbing Mill & a Jet 18" BS.
I intend to use the mill to break my logs down to a managable size & then feed them through the BS to save wastage.
I would like to build something similar to TTIT's rig.

As yet, mill hasn't been used, BS hasn't come out of the crate & the shed still doesn't have power.
House renos are progressing.... slowly.... when they are finished I can finsih the shed.

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

I have the Westford Slabbing Mill & a Jet 18" BS.

Nice combo! What sort of CS do you have? Are you gonna build a TTIT rig?
Keep us posted. Cheers

Sthil 08S.
I've bought a narrower bar/chain/sprocket set.
I have a 20" 3/8 bar instead of 17" .404.
I haven't done the change over yet as we are still clearing fallen timber from Larry & the .404 is fine for that.

I also have a couple of damaged trees that are still standing & growing that I will take out when I get busy & make a place to store them.

We are getting consequential tree damage months after the cyclone. Trees that didn't go at the time but have obviously had some internal damaged have flourished in the extra light caused by the thinning of the surrounding trees have grown a much larger crown & then snapped off in storms or strong winds.
Some of the Lemon Aspen saplings that were tall & skinny in the rain forest grew bushy tops. In later storms they just bend right over so we now have a couple of inverted U shaped Lemon Aspens.... makes it easy to pick the fruit.

Some of the Lemon Aspen saplings that were tall & skinny in the rain forest grew bushy tops. In later storms they just bend right over so we now have a couple of inverted U shaped Lemon Aspens.... makes it easy to pick the fruit.

So do they grow up or down now? I mean if they are growing up they'd be growing down right? and vice versa. Sounds like they are in need of some lemon-aid?

Originally Posted by flippinchippin

So do they grow up or down now? .... Sounds like they are in need of some lemon-aid?

Down at present but I don't know how long that will last.
Lemon-aid? The is just Aspen for a smart reply.

........... left alone these could develop into as a 'W' (er, double U, see?).

Any Yanks reading this will be throughly confused because if we ARE downunder then have the said trees grown in the shape of "n"?

soth

a couple of inverted U shaped Lemon Aspens....

They are already upside down.

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

Down at present but I don't know how long that will last.
Lemon-aid? The is just Aspen for a smart reply.

At last some humour that doesn't leave a sour taste in your mouth.