Sawmills

What a great thread!! I have had some wood milled and built a rough slab counter in my office. We also built a cedar fence ...It has been a while since i have had the MILL DUDE come out.. He runs a Mizer
Ill tell you what , seeing these beautiful pieces of wood opened up makes me want to call him tomorrow!! I too have been storing up logs!! I want to own one..
have any of you guys found a market for selling?!! that has ALWAYS been a dream of mine!!
 
The mill is a Norwood Pro MX34. I've had it for nearly a year now, and have nothing but good to say about it. The clamping system works well for some of the oddball pieces I cut. It handles up to 34" diameter, but with a little chain saw trimming, I've handled bigger. Frame is solid, and cuts are accurate. Hydraulics are optional and can be added later. Biggest problem is I just don't have time to run it as much as I'd like.
 
Hard to say how it compares to the WM. WoodMizer has a lot of different models. Might be similar to a LT15. My Norwood is manual (no hydraulics), with a 23 hp engine. There are a lot of manual mills out there... WoodMizer, Timberking, Baker, EZ Boardwalk, Cook, Hudson, and LogMaster, to name a few. It would open up a hornet's nest to say one is better than another. Norwood saves you some money by shipping the mill in parts that you assemble. This keeps down the the shipping (it all comes on a 4' by 6' pallet), and you aren't paying someone at the factory to assemble the mill. So for the price, it is excellent. I particularly like the clamping system. The log stops move in and out, and can be set up in different places along the track. Trailer package tows very easily, and the blade cuts through the wood with almost no effort. Very simple machine. I haven't needed any tech help, but they are quick to send out blades. Norwood is the only one I know that has retrofit hydraulics.
 
WOW! very cool...and i totally get the idea of not comparing..sorta like husky v stihl or comparing vehicles etc...
As i mentioned before i have had a hankerin for millin....i have had a guy com in a couple times and mill for me and had a great experience,,,,would love to own one!!
 
sounds like a machine even my shaved ape brain can handle
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. I too would like to get into the milling part of the wood working so many times I have sent out wood and gone to see it milled , and am just amazed at the beauty of it.

Has anyone every milled Willow? Would like to see that milled with how tight the gains are on some of the older knotted trees.
 
Hi, Gene.

I thought the magazine did a pretty good job on the editing and layout, and featuring your thoughts on the matter as an arborist really made it work. Thanks for your input. I'm planning to be at the National Walnut Council meeting in Carbondale, IL first weekend in Aug. That anywhere near you?
 
Beautiful! Ever hit any rocks? I slabbed out a walnut root a month ago (first one), and kept hitting rocks embedded in the root. Destroyed two band saw blades. The wood was worth it, though.
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what system is that bixler ? i do not have money for a mill yet and would like to start with something like you have there .

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It's a Stihl 090 with a 54" Alaskan Mill setup. The saw is in great condition, as is the mill. Quite affordable if you find the right deal. I paid $900 for the setup.

Oakie, beautiful mill you have. Thanks for the pics.
 
I haven't hit any rocks... yet. Wow what a piece of wood you found. I get anxious when slicing wood open to see what it looks like. It's also a nice way for the tree to 'live on' for another couple hundred years. I think a metal detector would help for nails and fencing, ever use one of those?
 
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Welcome Post Oakie to the buzz. that is some nice milling , you too Bixler Hopefully I will have some Walnut milled soon been on the ground for 4yrs. have 2 more to come down to get milled. What kind of mill do you run Oakie? Getting the Alaskan mill for smaller wood , but need a real mill for the larger wood.

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I'm amazed at how long black walnut can be down and still be good to cut. I've cut some that's been down for at least eight years. The sapwood rots away, but the heartwood just gets darker and richer in color! My mill is the Norwood LumberMate Pro MX34. It works great for some of the oddball stuff I come across.

The powerhead for the chainsaw mills is typically stock chainsaw, though I have had mine modified somewhat to run cooler, because of the extended run times. The biggest difference is in the way the chain is filed for rip sawing-- at a 10 degree angle, or even straight across. You can get rip chains from Baileysonline.com. Get the biggest saw you can. I use a 100 cc Husqvarna.
 
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Bixler, really cool rig there. So that power head and bar are both designed solely for milling then? I have seen the older 090's but a little different. It's hard not not to be interested in milling the stuff we cut down. I find it really hard to buck some of the stuff into firewood. A hobby I'm sure I'll take up in the far distant future!

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Thanks Zach
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The powerhead was designed back in the day for POWER and lots of it, i read 13hp. It had been modified by the time I got it, someone took a cover off the side (I assume to let the saw chips fly out faster while milling only).

The saw also came with a 58" bar and chain (for regular use)! I can't wait to rip some wood with that one, although I should get that side cover on first
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I have noticed that the 090 pulls at a surprisingly low RPM... just beefy.

I feel ya... it's tough bucking up beautiful wood when you know it would be nice to mill. I find myself free-handing table top slices just to throw a few in the truck and take home with me. They always seem to crack after a while though???
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Anyway, good news... I had a wonderful couple come over this evening and purchase 3 of my 4 slabs. We settled on $380, I figured give em a deal, after all he did buy a bunch of other stuff from me. CASH MONEY
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Man was it tough to see those go!
 
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I find myself free-handing table top slices just to throw a few in the truck and take home with me. They always seem to crack after a while though???
confused.gif


Anyway, good news... I had a wonderful couple come over this evening and purchase 3 of my 4 slabs. We settled on $380, I figured give em a deal, after all he did buy a bunch of other stuff from me. CASH MONEY
cool.gif


Man was it tough to see those go!

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Logs, slabs, and boards split because the moisture quickly moves out through the end of the log, creating stress from the different moisture content of the wood. Bailey's sells a product called "anchorseal" that you can paint onto the end of the log or slab to seal up the end grain. You need to do it within a few hours of cutting the log, since it won't work once the wood begins to crack. I use it on the good logs. Nice to be able to sell slabs.
 
Here's a solution for dealing with cracks in round slabs.

Resign yourself to the fact that the slab is going to crack. Sometimes sealing and slow drying works, a lot of times it doesn't though.

This technique was suggested by a custom woodworker a few years ago and I've read that other woodworkers have followed this technique with great success.

Be prepared to do all of the preparation in one process, as quickly as possible. Anyone who's 'cut cookies' knows that they can start to split within an hour, even less!

Have tarps or plastic ready
Have sealer and brushes ready---Anchorseal or even old latex paint works. My Dad used latex on his rough turnings and it worked well.
Drying racks or stickers ready

Cut your slabs
Decide/guess where you think that the slab will likely crack. Sometimes there is a defect that will create tensions. Use this to your advantage but find a place where the rings are clear.
Cut as many slabs as you can.
KEY STEP
Cut a relief slice from the bark to the pith. If the slabs are small a bandsaw works the best. Larger ones might need the chainsaw. What you're doing is relieving the tension inside the slab. Kind of like scoring glass before cutting.
Now...go to the slab that was cut just above or below this relief cut.
Cut reliefs in it on a different bearing.
Seal the slabs, wrap them in tarps/plastic and follow your chosen drying procedure.

When the slabs have dried you should find that the relief crack has widened some. If you're lucky no other cracks have formed.
Now...you have this empty pie piece to fill.
Go to that piece above or below that you cut the other relief in.
Lay your chosen slab on top in the 'tree position' and mark out the empty pie piece onto the donor slab.
Do you see what's going to happen?
Cut the donor piece a bit wide of the line so that you have room for fitting.
The pie piece will be fitted into the opening and the growth increments will line up with just the smallest line.

Even though I've never taken the time to do this I know that it would work. Anyone who has cut firewood has studied the butt ends of adjoining pieces and seen how cracks form.

If you're lucky you might be able to get donor pie pieces from slabs above or below alternate slabs.
 
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