Thread: 1st timber slab with the 395xp and CSM

Good work Gordo.

BTW Using a winch from that position is going to continually tip/rack the mill and contributes to the jagged finish you are getting.
It will also continually tip the bar and chain in the cut and wear the chain and bar rail unevenly.
If you are going to use a winch, get a hold of Will Malloffs book on CS milling and have a look at how he attaches the winch to the bar.
If you can't find it send me a PM.

Originally Posted by BobL

Good work Gordo.

BTW Using a winch from that position is going to continually tip/rack the mill and contributes to the jagged finish you are getting.
It will also continually tip the bar and chain in the cut and wear the chain and bar rail unevenly.
If you are going to use a winch, get a hold of Will Malloffs book on CS milling and have a look at how he attaches the winch to the bar.
If you can't find it send me a PM.

Cheers bob, I’ll see if i can find a copy or excerpt of the book. The finish in the last pic looks a lot worse than it actually is as the sun was shining on it from the far end, exaggerating the shadows. Still, principle is the same, I’ll look at modifying it. I could probably use two pulleys at the far end to get the cable outside the log and also direct the cable from the winch, down the height adjusting leg closest to the saw.

I found that because the log was on a slope, the self weight of the saw pulled it through the cut, i only really used the winch to keep the cut square every now and then.

thanks for the advice.

Sorry if I sound critical but I am just trying to help. That really is a very good effort on a first cut especially when I look back on some of the first cuts I made.

The stepped lines/cuts that start at one side but don't go right across the slab (like those pointed to by the purple arrows) suggest that the mill is not always stable during the cut

Was this cut made with the mill on the log rails? If so then the log rails are not wide enough and /or not strong enough (what thickness steel are they?) and need some intermediate support
If not then the mill may not be tightened up enough.

If this cut was made with the mill rails riding on a previous cut maybe that cut was not wide enough to enable the mill to be held steady enough?

If the cut was wide enough but had some bumps on the surface then this can also cause this effect.
It's more work but use my log rails on every cut - the mill finds it easier to slide on the metal rails than the irregular surface of a previous cut and the finish will also be smoother.

Some of your cut roughness may be due to using skip chain.

please don't apologise, i wouldn't have got this far without your advice on my own and others posts.

The cut you are looking at was the first cut, my longitudinal steel guide rails were unsupported in the middle due to the shape of teh log so would hav ehad some movement in them. It was also a full 12 inch cut so teh mill was extended to it's max and moving around quite a bit. it could probably do with some weight on it to help hold it stable, but would need the intermediate support you mentioned. I knew this first cut would be a rough one, my aim was to get to the better part of the log in the first cut, then use my steel rails again on top of this rough cut to make the next cut. does this even make sense???????

Originally Posted by Gordo78

. . . . . does this even make sense???????

Yep - sounds good!

just had a quick look at the slab, as you say, first cut is quite rough compared to the second cut.

hopefully the next few cuts will be as smooth if not smoother than the second cut.

Originally Posted by Gordo78

just had a quick look at the slab, as you say, first cut is quite rough compared to the second cut.

hopefully the next few cuts will be as smooth if not smoother than the second cut.

What are your chain specs, especially the top plate filing angle i.e. is it milling chain?

I'm using a 404 skip with chamfer chisel. not sure of all the dimensions but it has a 10' top plate angle. i found the saw handled the cut comfortably, only bogging down in the cut a few times.

Fantastic effort mate!!!!

log looks to be bluegum or forest red gum as others call it