Thread: Which Direction Do You Mill A Log?

Which ever end is nearest the ute (the shortest distance to carry all the gear).

Milling Direction depends on

1) If I can easily move the log: If I can move it I do so to balance out 2), 3) and 5)

2) Wind direction: Unless I can move the log its generally from whichever direction the wind will blow the exhaust and sawdust away from me. If the wind changes I switch.

3) Space around the log: For alaskan milling with a long bar, a big something on one side can get in the way

4) Whether its rail milling or alaskan milling - see below

5) natural slope of the land - its easier to mill down hill

For alaskan it's normally the big end so the log rails have something solid to hit against all the way thru the log.
On awkward shapes I use my height extender at the wonky end like this.

On a Lucas I jack the smaller end of the log up so the top is parallel with the rails. There's no preference as to which end goes where.

The butt end of a log is sent through the Canadian saw first so that the benchman will have have more log to push (So he can keep his hands further away from the saw blade (Geez, that whole paragraph made no sense)

I think it made sense to me funky
This question of which direction to mill I have wondered about myself, so far it doesnt seem to matter, whatever way u can get access to the log seems to be the controlling factor.
Peter.

Originally Posted by funkychicken

On a Lucas I jack the smaller end of the log up so the top is parallel with the rails.

What the.....
what drugs you on Chicken?????
jack the bloody log up to be parallel with the rails????
Haven't you discovered the winch handle yet?
ya know you can wind the endframes in different directions to make the rails parallel with the log ya know?!!!

It makes no difference to me at all, the location dictates it more often than not. If I have an option I try to have logs in the the 'dump' orientated so the vertical cut starts from the butt of the log and therefore is 'downhill' but this is because more often than not I am tailing and sawing myself and this way works out easier for me.

geez andrew.

you dont lift the end of the log thats teh whole point of having a LUCAS.

i always start from teh smal end where i can. that way i can see what i can get out of the log. you cant get more than you can mark on the small end.
it just makes life easyer for me.

When slabbing, I run "with the grain", so butt to crown, but when swinging it makes no appreciable difference. I do try to work out whether I'm likely to be running any deep vertical cuts though and if so, I try to put the crown end first, because then the verticals are "with the grain" and a bit less prone to wander.

Originally Posted by echnidna

Here's a brain teaser

Which Direction Do You Mill A Log?

Why?

I usually mill it the long way, because if you mill it across you will get only firewood or bowl blanks.

I'm surprised no one prefers cutting with the grain

When slabbing, I run "with the grain", so butt to crown, but when swinging it makes no appreciable difference. I do try to work out whether I'm likely to be running any deep vertical cuts though and if so, I try to put the crown end first, because then the verticals are "with the grain" and a bit less prone to wander.

i think u need yor eyes checked bob..

when ripping post i used to run with the grin (bottom to top). as it did seam to make a diferance.

I jack one end of the log up so I'm not pushing (or pulling) the mill uphill nor am I having the mill run downhill on it's own accord

Downhill . This is normally butt to crown, as diameter reduces. Every third slab change around, so you don't get bored. Never change half way through, even though theory states that the two cuts will meet! I don't believe one way is faster than the other.

andrew.

just line up with teh bottom of the log.

no lifting and as level as u have yor bolsters

If I line up the rails with the bottom of the log (Leave the log as is) then I'll have to do more cuts to cut the flare/butt off an. Also, if I have the top of the log level with the rails then when I finish the log there's a big heavy chunk on one end that stops what's left of the log jumping about on the last cuts