milling thread

[friedrich]

What are the jacks doing?

the lucas mill will only cut 20cm above ground so you need to put the logs on cribbing. with heavier logs i will just cut until the mill runs out of room and then will jack up the skin and put cribbing under it.

 

[SeanKroll]

I'm wondering when a log has a lot of internal stress in it, and it splits, is it likely to just be junk, or will the stress have been relieved enough to get any good lumber out of it.

This bigleaf maple log started splitting when cut, then the crack grew a bit more. I used some splitting wedges to force the splits to the end of the log. After a week of being bucked, the largest split in the second picture was about 1", with the other 2 being smaller than 1". The other end had some slight splits. I just popped the 10-12' long log apart, now.

My guess is that its going to warp badly.

I'm trying to learn about case-hardening. Is that pertinent to this log?

 

[stikine]

Boy, I don't think I'd hold out much hope for that log yielding much straight lumber. I'll have to look up the term case hardening.

 

[Raj]

I'd cut it thick and hope for some curly or birds eye.

 

[SeanKroll]

We'll see if it becomes milled lumber or milled firewood.

 

[friedrich]

i only know case hardening from metal work is the term used for a similar thing in woodworking?

 

[lumberjack]

Case hardening happens when the outside of the wood dries faster than the inside, causing stress in the wood that presents itself when working the wood later.

In a kiln you can add water or steam during the later parts of the drying to relieve the stress.

Tests showing the stress

Showing minimal stress.

 

[Raj]

Some crap sugar maple I had.

 

[SeanKroll]

Messing around with something that's been spalting in my work yard.

Looks like it would do well as an epoxy tabletop.

 

[SeanKroll]

Thought I would bring this thread back into the limelight.

Nailing boards or setting up slabbing rails to the top of logs to get that first cut with the Alaskan mill just really isn't for me. It can get to be a little on the frustrating side unless you have alot of time on your hands. I made this set-up a while back that for me works out a little easier especially for the smaller stuff.

I don't exactly what to call this other than some kind of adjustable saw guide. Kind of reminds me of those stocks they used back in colonial times to shame people who had committed petty crimes

Anyway, this is adjustable by adding or subtracting 2x4's or 2x6's. I also made it to mill small logs because I also got the mini Alakan mill works great for that attachment and possibly do some eging with the Beam machine attachment I've had for a long time.

It works out good for what I have been using for but like all things it has it's pro's and con's. It was also easy for me to make and not all that expensive. I can do longer logs if need be by pushing one of those stands back on the 4x4's that are under it.

Here are some pic's showing different ways I have been using it to mill large pieces ,slabs, and a few pieces I wanted to fix that didn't come out good when I tried to freehand them with just a saw.

This is a nice idea, I think. I might play with it some time.

 

[Raj]

Finally got some milling on Hamilton Mountain. Honey Locust.

 

[Raj]

My biggest problem is the first start of my 088s, really ruins the day. I've been doing this for just a little while and with the mill anchored by the winch and the bolts of the bar clamps sitting in the grooves of the bed liner the saw starts up a lot easier pulling with my whole body.

 

[SeanKroll]

Anyone know about chestnut?

 

[friedrich]

Anyone know about chestnut?

i would‘nt bother with aesculus, a bland and carotty wood. but castane sativa is nice.

 

[SeanKroll]

I got this funny purple coloring from the bark dust, I'm presuming, like I've seen with reddish color from doug- fir, I think. I might have had my water running too much. I wonder if this increased it.
This is after washing the slabs a bit with a garden hose.


This is a short section of a horizontal limb, flat-sawn, for an experiment.

I'm removing one, now, that has straight, vertical logs.

 

[Raj]

Couple milling jobs from last week. Beech and sugar maple. 088 sounded lean after a cut, runs good now, all I did was take carb apart and spray it down.

 

[Patrick A]

Last week milling of a sugar maple log that I had left outside for 3 years. Wood is still solid. I cut everything at 2" thick. I wonder what the humidity is after 3 years

 

[Marc-Antoine]

I got this funny purple coloring from the bark dust, I'm presuming, like I've seen with reddish color from doug- fir, I think. I might have had my water running too much. I wonder if this increased it.
This is after washing the slabs a bit with a garden hose.
...
View attachment 129507

It looks like steel micro-dust reacting with the wood. Maybe the boards sliding on a steal plate or the milling frame on the wood. It seems that mainly the hight spots/ridges are stained. It wouldn't be the case if it was bark dust dragged in by the cutters.