chainsaw lumber making

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Chainsaw

Lumbermaking



ChainsawLumbermaking

WillMalloff



Cover photos and text photos

by Beth Erickson.

© 1982 by Will Malloff

All ri ghts reserved

Fi rst printing: June 1982International Standard Book Number 0-918804-12-4Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 82-80556Printed in the United States of America

A FINEWOODWORKINGBook

F INE WOODWORKING® is a trademark of The Taunton Press , Inc.,regist ered in th e U.S. Pa ten t and Trademark Office.

Th e Taunton Press , Inc .52 Church Hill RoadBox 355Newtown, Connecticut 06470



Contents

IN THE SHOP

Chapter 1 Basic Lumbermaking 2

Chapter 2 The Saw 4The Saw Engine 4

Engine Maintenance 5

Carburetor 5

Torquing 5

Air filter 6

Spark plugs 6

Sprockets 8

Fuel 8

Chain oil 10

The Sawbar 12

Bar noses 12

Bar ends 12Bar maintenance 14

Engine Modification 16

Chapter 3 The Chain 18

Ripping Chain 18

Chain Assembly 20

The Grinder 24

Chain Modification 26

Sharpening 28

Depth Gauges 30

Hand-Filing 32

Chapter 4 TheMill 34

Mill Selection and Assembly 34

Mounting the mill 36

Mill Modification 38

Thrust skid 38

Bolting on the mill 40

Assembling the mill 42

Mill-Mounting the Chain 44

Chapter 5 TheWinch Unit 46

The Winch 46

Throttle Attachment 48Saw Bridle Button 50

TheWinchYoke 50

Chapter 6 Build YourOwn Tools 52

Lag Driver 52

End Dogs 54

KerfWedges 56

Jacks 56

v



IN THE FIELD

Chapter 7 Felling a Tree 60

Safety and Tools 60

Tree Selection 62Site Preparation 64

Felling the Tree 66

Limbing 70

Bucking 72

Chapter 8 Setting Up 76

Equipment for the First Cut 76

Index Lines 80

Changing the Bar 88

Chapter 9 PrecisionMilling 90

The First Cut 902x12s 112

2x4s and 2x8s 126

Chapter 10 More Precision Milling 130

Box-Heart Timber 130

Quartersawn Lumber 140

Slabsawn Lumber 146

SPECIALTY MILLING

Chapter 11 Special Cuts 150

Burls 150

Ovals 154

Natural Knees 158

BigWood 168

Quartering a Log 176

Chapter 12 SpecialtyMills 180

Homemade Edger 180

Precision Depth Cuts 184

Cutting Circles 186

2x4 Mill 190Mini-Mill 196

Angle Mill 198

Timber Notches 202

Chapter 13 Epilogue 208



Preface

I started chainsaw lumbermaking in a ser ious way more than twenty years ago. I

was never sat isfied with the efficiency of the equipment and systems available, and

sobegan

todesign and construct my own. Over the years, I've developed and

refined several mills and saw chains, and now I feel I have t he mos t effective,

simplest system for ecological lumber production. To my surprise, a lo t of people

agree with me. The result is that everywhere I go, and no matter where I retreat,

people want to talk about chainsaw lumbermaking. It's hard to explain by drawing

on a napkin or in the sawdust with a stick, so when Beth Erickson agreed to work

with me, I saw that a book would be the per fect way to give chainsaw

lumbermaking to the world. I am especially grateful to Beth fo r helping with the

writing and for tak ing the photographs. I also appreciate the help and support of

my precious friends and dea r family, and to my loving parents, John and Mabel

Malloff, I dedicate this book.

Lethbridge, Alberta

Canada 1982

V



INTH



Chapter 1

Basic LumbermakingAnyone can make lumber. The process can be

as s imple or as r ef in ed as you wish to make it.

In its crudest form, lumbermaking can be as .

uncomplicated as it looks in these photos. All

you need is a chainsaw attached to a mill, a

straight board, a hammer and three nails (1).The board, posi tioned (2) and nailed to a log

(3), is a guide for t he mill, which is adjusted to

the depth of cut plus board thickness (4). The

mill is pushed along the board (5) and th e

sawbar pivoted out of th e log at th e end o f th e

cut (6). The board and slab are removed, th e

mill is adjusted fo r th e next cut, and milling

continues until the work is done (7). That's al l

there is to it.

But for eff icient lumberrnaking and th e bestresults, there are a number of other consider

ations, and ove r th e years I have found many

ways to refine the basic techniques. Let's have

a look at the complete process-from th e saw

engine, ripping chain and mill to felling trees,

milling boa rds and specialty cuts.

CHAPTER 1 Basic Lumbermaking

1

2



6

7

3



Chapter 2

The Saw EngineA chainsaw is designed to crosscut, in other

words , to cut across th e grain. To r ip lumber,

however, th e chainsaw mus t cut i nto the end

grain, parallel to th e fibers of the tree. To

demonstrate the difference, take a short piece

of lumber and make two parallel cuts across

th e grain with a handsaw. Then take a chisel

and remove the wood between the two cuts.

Notice how easily the wood falls out when

crosscut . Now repeat the process on the end

o f the piece, going with the grain. In ripping,

every fiber must be cut befo re th e wood can

be removed.

In crosscut ting, the demand for engine power

is intermittent. The outside edges of the kerf

are cut with the sides of the cut ters , and th e

remainder of the kerf wood is easily removed

by the tops of the cutters . Ripping requires at

least three times as much engine power as

crosscutting because the saw has to run wide

open from the start to th e finish o f ea ch cut.

Partial power is only necessary when starring

and finishing a cut; otherwise the engine has

to ru n wide open or not at all. So when choos

ing a saw for lumbermaking, look for one that

can del iver maximum sustained power.

CHAPTER 2 The Saw

I recommend a saw engine with a long piston

stroke that works in the 6,000 RPM range, with

a chain speed of around 3,000 feet per minute.

(A long p is ton s troke is s imply one that is

equal to or longer than the diameter of the pis-

ton.) My choice of engine is the direct-drive

Stihl 090. The direct-drive, automatic-clutch

system delivers the speed of the engine directly

to the sprocket, which is the gear that delivers

power to the chain. In my opinion , thi s is the

simplest, most reliable transmission system

for lumbermaking. While the gear-reduction

system on gear-drive saws is good for milling,

especially for mil ling big wood, there can be

problems. The design of a gear-drive engine is

such that the transmission system is upside

down during milling, which can cause a lack

of lubr icat ion that often shortens transmis

sion life.

When I choose a saw, I do not consider fuel

consumption, noise, handling, vibration or

weight. Nor do I necessarily use the bar, chain

and sprocket that come as standard equip

ment- there are often better components

available from manufacturers who specialize

in these accessories.



Maintenanceengine care is crucial to good chain

w performance-carelessness will lead to

Establish a practical maintenance

and stick to it. Constant engine sur

lance will soon become second nature.

should start with a thorough

of your saw. Study your operator's

and follow it s maintenance recom

I f your manual doesn't contain a

parts list, make sure th e dealer supplies

u with one .

carburetor contains fuel

er screens, choke, throttle, idle-adjustment

and high-speed and low-speed jets,

regulate th e proportion of fuel and air.

carbure tors are se t at the factory for

ge elevation and atmospheric pressure,

you may need to adjust th e carburetor to

location. Use your manual to learn how.

use ripping requires continuous power, I

un my engine at a r icher set ting on the high-

je t than recommended by th e manufac

rer. In crosscutting, this would cause heavy

deposits on the spark plug and ex-

ports; in ripping, th e extra fuel that

sses through the engine gives additionallu

and prolongs engine life.

To adjust the carburetor fo r ripping, start th e

engine (with bar and chain on) with th e car

buretor set at th e manufacturer 's recom

mended setting. Gently w arm up th e engine

and start a cut into a log to bring the saw up to

normal operating temperature. (Always make

carburetor adjustments while th e engine is

hot.) Open the throttle wide and unscrew th e

high-speed je t unt il the engine starts to falter

and perhaps even smokes a little. Then re-

l ease the throttle to the idle position and ad-

just th e low-speed je t until you get smooth

and steady acceleration up to high speed. Ad-

just th e idle-adjustment screw so the chain

doesn't run while th e saw is idling. I find

opening the high-speed je t Va or If4 turn more

than the manufacturer recommends is quite

satisfactory, but running your saw like this

could affect the val idity of it s warranty.

Periodically check th e spark p lug for carbon

deposits. Too much carbon means your en-

gine is running too rich. I f this is th e case, re-

set th e high-speed je t closer to th e manufac

turer's recommended setting. Never set the

high-speed je t to a lower set ting than is rec-

ommended, because too low a set ti ng can

ruin your saw in just a few seconds.

Torquing-Vibration is an inherent problem

of chainsaws, and over th e years I have no-

ticed the struggle of manufacturers to design

bolts, nut s and screws that won't shake loose.

While modern design has come close to f ind-

ing th e proper bolt, nut, washer and lock nut

combinations, proper torquing is still vital.

5



After t he f ir st few hours of operating a new

engine , I torque down the head bolts to com

pensate for the shrinkage of the cylinder

gaskets (1). Heads and cylinders are usually a

one-piece unit . I f you have a two-piece unit,torque both th e head and the cyl inder. Also

t orque the carburetor-mounting gasket and

muffler gasket along with an y loose nuts,

bolts or screws. After one or two torques,

mos t saws usually need no further torquing,

but inspect yours periodically.

I lubricate often-used screws, nuts and bolts

with Never-Seez, a thread-lubricating grease,

but a mixture of graphite and grease also

works well. On bo lts, nuts and screws thatloosen, I use a bolt-and-thread locking mix

ture called Loctite. Use this after using the

cleanser sold as a companion product. Always

start nuts, bolt s and screws wi th f inger pres

sure to help avoid crossthreading .

Air f i l ter- The air f il te r o f a chainsaw must

t ho roughly c lean the air going into the car

buretor. Sawdust and debris entering with

the air could cause the engine bearings or pis

tons to seize, ruining the engine . There arethree basic types o f fi lt er s: wire screen,

flocked screen and foam. Ripping produces

finer s awdust th an crosscutting, and you

should keep this in mind when selec ting a

filter. Wire-screen filters don't stop the f iner

sawdust, so I prefer flocked or foam ones.

Check filters after every two or three refuel

ings, more frequently if working with soft

woods such as cedar , or abrasive woods such

as mesquite. Before removing the filter cover,brush away sawdust and debris. When a filter

shows the slightest sign of clogging, you

should change it (2). A fouled f il te r reduces

engine power and increases fuel consumption

by changing the proportion of air to fuel. I fyou notice you're using more fuel than usual,

check your air filter.

CHAPTER 2 The Saw

Clean dirty filters in a gasoline bath or with

detergent and water, and allow them to air

dry. Do not use compressed air for cleaning

flocked filters because th e air blows th e flock

ing out of th e screen base. I usually take several clean filters (stored in plastic bags) into

th e field to save mysel f the bother of in-the

field cleaning.

Spark plugs-Spark plugs burn out more fre

quently in r ipping than in crosscutting. Loss

of power and hard s tart ing are often signals

of a faulty spark plug. The amount of carbon,

it s color and t he color o f the spark can also in

dicate engine problems . Charts that identify

spark plug problems are handy tools, and areavailable from most saw dealers and plug

manufacturers.

A fairly clean electrode a re a and a fat, blue

spark are pretty good signs of a properly

functioning engine. But I have found that

even a good-looking plug can be faulty, be

coming a problem only under compression,

when the eng ine is hot.



7



To remove a spark plug, it's safer to use a

rubber-cushioned spa rk -p lug socke t (1)

rather than the T-handled combination bar

and plug wrench th at usu ally comes with

chainsaws. Loosen the plug just enough to enable you to remove it by hand. I f you use a

wrench during the las t turns , you could dam

age the threads.

To change plugs, remove the new plug from

it s container carefully and check the gap with

feeler gauges or a spark-plug tool. Always use

the p lug recommended by the manufacturer.

The length of the plug threads is precise, and

using the wrong one could resul t in plug-to

piston contact, which would damage bothcomponents. The wrong p lug can also gener

ate too much (or too little) heat, resulting in a

burnt-out piston or head, or incomplete fuel

combustion.

Lubricate the plug threads (2) to avoid thread

wea r and to aid in future removal. Start the

plug into th e head gently, then torque with a

socket. I f the plug doesn 't start in to the head

easily, inspect the head for damaged threads .

Check and service the spark plug on you r saw

regularly, and always have one or two extra

handy in the field.

Sprockets-The sprocket dri ves th e chain.

There are two basic types available: a rim

sprocket (3) and a spur sprocket (4). The rim

sprocket stands up to milling best and is the

one I prefer.

In normal chainsaw use, replace the sprocketeach time you replace the chain. You can ro

tate two new cha ins with one rim sprocket fo r

longer sprocket life, but don't couple an old

sprocket to a new chain or a new sprocket to

an old chain-this will damage both sprocket

and chain. You can see the damage in photos 3

(right) and 4.

CHAPTER 2 The Saw

Fuel-Lumbermaking puts heavy stress on a

saw engine, so fo r extra lubrication I 'use a

lower ratio of gas to oil than is recomme nded

by the saw manufacturer. I f th e manufac

turer calls for twen ty-four parts ga s to onepart oil, for example, I use twenty pa rts ga s to

one part oil.

Use the oil and gas recommended by the man

ufacturer of your saw, especially dur ing the

saw's warranty period . When th e recom

mended oil wasn't available, I've used snow

mobile oil made fo r 2-cycle, air-cooled en

gines. Never use outboard eng i ne 2-cycle

quick mix, detergent, nond et er gent or

multigrade oils in you r saw , becau se th esecannot cope with the heat range of air-cooled

chainsaw engines . Some chainsaw deale rs

stock new oils that suggest gas-to-oil ratios of

fifty and even one hundred to one. Should you

feel that these offer advantages, expe rime nt

with caution. I haven 't tested th em.

Clean fuel and good mixing procedu res are a

must. I've found that a five-gallon, plastic con-

-tainer with an internal, fin e-screen spo ut and .

capped vent is the best. Metal containers tendto generate water from conden sat ion and rust

when not kept completely full.

Before fueling up, empty and clean th e plast ic

container. Then pour in th e prope r amo un t of

oil and add about a quarter of th e amoun t of

gasoline required. Shake well, add th e re st of

the gasoline and shake well again . Shake the

container before every fill-up to mix th e oil

and gas.



3

4

9



Never smoke when refuel ing or checking the

fuel tank. A partially filled tank is like a Molo

tov cocktai l- the smallest spark can ignite it.

Occasionally, when a saw is mounted for milling, th e fuel filter inside th e gas tank will be

come dislodged in an upright position. This

causes th e engine to falter when you pul l t he

throttle trigger and makes the engine sound

as if i t' s not gett ing enough fuel. To check for

this, wipe any sawdust or debris away from

the fuel tank cap and remove it. Then drain th e

tank and inspect it to see if th e filter is pos i

tioned properly. I f th e filter is dislodged, holdthe saw upright and le t th e filter drop to th e

bot tom of the tank before refueling.

Fouled fuel filters impede the proper flow of

gas and should be removed. Take a short piece

of wire and bend a crook in one end . (Some

saw manufacturers supply such a tool with

their tool kits.) Then insert th e wire into th e

tank and gently pull out the f il te r uni t (1). Re

move th e cap that covers the screened filter

holder and take the filter out of it s housing (2).

Inspect it fo r water or dirt. You can wash a

d ir ty f il te r in fuel mix, but I usually justreplace it with a new one. Put back th e filter

cap and put the unit into th e fuel tank. Make

sure it drops to it s proper position at th e bot

tom. Gently screw on th e fuel tank cap, mak

ing sure it is properly threaded. Do no t over

tighten it.

Fuel t ank caps somet imes leak through th e

venting hole when the saw is mounted fo r

milling .Usually, this is caused by a factory de

fect. Have your dealer replace th e cap unt ilyou get one that works properly. It's not a

good idea to plug a leaky venting hole because

this creates a vacuum in the fuel tank, which

puts a lo t of stress on th e fuel-pump dia

phragms in th e carburetor.

CHAPTER 2 The Saw

Chain oil-High-quality chain oil is essential

for good lubrication. Chain oil is unlike ordi

nary oil in that i t is specially made to pene

trate to th e rivet flanges and drive-link tails of

th e cha in , whi le sticking to the bar rails,groove and nose.

Some manufacturers supply both a light

viscosity winter oil and a heavy-viscosity

summer oil, while others supply just one .

Heavy oil is sometimes thought to be less

prone to fly of f th e chain, but I believe it also

has less chance of penetrat ing to the rivets in

side the drive links. This result s in inadequate

oiling, which can cause the chain to wear ex

cessively, stiffen or break. I use a light-viscosity oil year round. Re -refined, light-viscosity

oil g ives excel lent results, inexpensively. My

favorite oi l is SAE 10 hydraulic .

I f I have t o use a heavy-viscosity oil, I dilute it

with diesel fuel so that th e automatic chain

oiler can function adequately. A chain oiler is

functioning adequately if th e driv e links

always show a film of oil, and the oil tank

doesn 't empty before the gas tank. I f the automat ic o il er on your saw has an adjustable

flow control, open it as wide as possible for

milling, without letting the oil tank go dry be

fore th e gas tank. I f th e oil tank has run dryand th e oi le r has an auxiliary manual pump,

pr ime it by pumping before engine start-up.

You should also pump the oiler before start

ing th e mill into each cut because it provides a

surplus of oil, and a well-oiled start prolongs

chain and bar life.



11



The Sawbar

The bar of a saw suppo rt s and gu ide s the

chain. As ripping places great stress on a saw

bar, i t is especially impor tant tha t th e bar

used in lumbermaking be made of good

quality, hard steel. Soft steel wears quicklyand can cause a number of problems. I think

Cannon (Cannon Machine Works, 6337

Laure l, Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5B 3P3)

makes the best bars, but a variety of manu

facturers and designs exis t (1).

To lighten th e saw, chainsaw bars manufac

tured today are narrower in design. A narrow

bar will work well with a mill up to 30 in.

wide, but it will sag in the middle if th e mill is

improperly mounted to it . For mills over30 in., I use a custom-built bar wide enough to

support th e additional length.

Bar noses-Bars are available with a choice

of noses. In thi s photo (2), th e first bar on the

left has an i nt erna ll y moun ted bearing

sprocket nose. The second bar ha s a nose with

an insert of steel harder than the bar welded

to it s edge. The third bar ha s a new style

bearing-sprocket nose and th e fourth bar has

a bearing-roller nose.

I use a bar with a bearing-roller or bearing

sprocket nose because the bearing reduces

the amount of friction between bar and chain

and allows the chain to cut with up to 20 per

cent more power. A sprocket or roller sup

por ts the cha in away from the bar and helps

eliminate bar-end wear. The pitch on bearing-

s pr oc ke t a nd bea ri ng -r ol le r noses must

rna tch th e pi tch of the chain and engine

sprocket. The fraction marked on the bar thatis third from th e left in th e photo shows th e

pi tch of the nose.

CHAPTER 2 The Saw

When a mill is mounted to a bar, it must be po-

sitioned so as no t to impede t he work of the

bar nose. The bar should be 4 in. to 6 in .

longer than the leng th o f the mill.

Bar ends-Bar-end des igns vary (3), but al l

have elements in common. Slots allow move-

ment of the bar for chain tensioning, the large

holes accommodate the chain-tension pin,

and th e small holes allow oil passage from the

engine to t he cha in . Make sure the bar you

select has the proper mounting configuration

fo r your saw.



Bar maintenance- The bottom edge o f a bar

usually leads into the cut, and so receives the

most wear. To balance wear, flip the bar top to

bottom a ft er about 20 hours of operation.

Always make sure before remounting that th eoi l hole is clean.

In proper operation, the ti e straps of the

chain slide along the bar rails . Bu t as the bar

rails in this photo wore down (1), t he d ri ve

links of the chain started to ride on th e bot

tom of the bar groove, plowing it ou t. This

ruined the chain and burned the bar. The point

is: With regular bar inspection and mainte

nance, this problem could have been avoided.

As the chain slides along the bar rails and the

bar begins to wear, a burr can form along th e

rail edge (2), causing improper chaid tracking.

Square th e . rails by draw-filing (3). Support

the file on two blocks of wood, each posi

tioned square to the top of the bar. Hold the

file a s shown in the photo .

CHAPTER 2 The Saw

I f the rails have become too ha rd for d raw

filing, a metal-cutting wheel mounted in a

Skilsaw'or table saw will dothe job (4). Mount

the wheel 90° to th e saw table and lightly pass

th e bar aga inst t he wheel in gentle, steadystrokes the full length of the bar on both

sides. A properly squared bar will balance on

it s edge on a level surface.

I use a be lt sander to clean th e s ides of the bar

and to remove any burrs there (5). Sand even-

ly over the entire surface. I f you don't have a

bel t sander, use a flat file.



4

5

15



Also on the bar-maintenance checklist should

be a per iodic check of bar-groove width, a lso

called bar gauge. With feeler gauges, measure

groove width al l around the bar (1), and com

pare this measurement with the known gauge

of the bar.

To determine the amount of wear, subtract

the new width from the original width. For ex-

ample, if the new measurement is .072 in. and

the original gauge was .063, the wear is

.009 in. Worn bars can be rehammered and re-

grooved by bar-repair shops. I usually send

mine in when wear exceeds .010 in.

Bar-groove depth also needs to be checked

regularly. I f you have a bar-groove measuring

tool (2,3), use it to check a t interva ls around

the bar. I f you don't have one, use a match

stick or anything else that will fit easily in th e

groove. Compare the length of the bottom of a

drive link (4) to groove depth; there should be

space between the bottom of the drive links

and the bot tom of the bar groove. This dis-

tance reveals remaining bar life.

CHAPTER 2 The Saw

Engine ModificationAn engine sawdust guard (5) does several jobs.

I t holds the guide pla te that controls chain en-

try into the bar and it is also the c lamping

bracket for the bar. In normal crosscutting,

the guard allows sawdust to be directed away

from the saw through a bottom opening.

However, when the saw is inverted in the mill-

ing position, the opening doesn 't allow the saw-

dust to escape properly, which causes a saw

dust bui ldup between the centr ifugal c lu tch

and the gua rd . This often leads to internal

clutch problems and heavy clutch-shoe wear.

An easy modif icat ion e limina tes this prob

lem. Simply cu t away the sawdust-shie lding

portion of the unit (6) and use the guide p lat e

and clamping bracket as you normally would.

This exposes additional moving parts, b ut

because the saw is inverted during milling,

the advantages make it worthwhile to me.

With this modif icat ion, you also won' t have to

remove the bar from the engine to mount or

remove the chain.



4

5

6

17



Chapter 3

Ripping ChainThe most important factor in successfullum

bermaking is properly prepared and main

tained chain. Although you can us e standard

crosscutting chain, this will result in ineffi

cient milling. You really need r ipping chain,

and in the early 1960s I invented and patented

ripping chain especially for chainsaw lumber

making . his chain is made by modifying

c ro sscu t chain and is sold today by various

manufacturers of portable mills.

Over the years I grew dissat isfied with the in

efficiency of th e original, patented ripping

chain, so I continued my research. Today I

have what I consider to be the ult imate chain

fo r lumberma king (1). This new chain is not

yet available commercially, but you can

modify your own cha in a t home, using either

a grinder or a hand file. I usual ly use Oregon

square-edge chisel chain (mode l 52L) made by

Omark (Oregon Saw Chain Division, 9701 S.E.

McLough lin Blvd., Portland, Ore. 97222) fo r

.063-in. gauge bars with .404-in. pitch. I've

never had any succe ss modifying round or

chamfered-edge chain. I also don't recom

mend using safety chain. Safety chain is de

signed to prevent the nose of the bar from

kicking back when crosscutting, but when

ripping, th e guard links prevent good saw

dust clearance and adequate sawdust flow.

CHAPTER 3 The Chain

It's not hard to modify chain , but first you

must have a working knowledge of its compo

nents. Chains have several variable features:

pitch, gauge and number of ti e straps be

tween each cut te r.

Chain pitch is the distance between the cen

ters of one rivet and the rivet after the next,

divided by two. The saw sprocket and the bar

nose sprocket (i f your bar has one) must have

the same p itch as the chain .

Chain gauge is measured by the thickness of

the bottom of the drive links, which ride in the

groove of th e bar. Chain gauge must be coor

dinated with bar gauge.

Regular chain has a single ti e strap separat

ing each cutter; skip-tooth chain ha s two tie

straps . I a lways use regular chain because a

single tie strap gives better support to the cut

ters. While skip-tooth cha in has fewer cutters

to be modified and sh a rpen ed , I find it does

not cut as smoothly or as efficiently.



19



}

ChainAssembly1prefer to purchase chain in bulk (rolls of 25,

50 or 100 ft.), because it 's usually less expen

siv e th an preassembled chain. When working

wi th bulk chain, you need to know the length

ne eded for the saw and bar you're u sing.

Chain length is often referred to by th e num

ber of drive links rather than by measured

length. When the model number of a chain

manufactured for a particular saw is fol-

lowed by a da sh and another number- f o r ex-

ample, 52L-70E-the last number (70E) refers

to ch ain length (which means th e chain has 70

dri ve links). Most saw dea le rs have leng th

charts that give the number of links necessary

fo r th e saw and bar you're using.

Of course, you can also determine chain length

by coun t ing the drive links of an existing

chain for you r saw . Or you can retract th e

sawba r and thread th e chain around th e bar.

Mark the tie strap where the chain ends meet,

which is where the chain must be broken .

Then rivet th e ends of the chain together to

form a cont inuous loop.

There are various ways to dismantle and re-

con stru ct cha in . Sever al types of chain

breakers and spin riveters are available, and

al though some of the se work well if you fol-

low th e directions, others don't. 1 prefer to

use my own system :

CHAPTER 3 The Chain

To begin, clamp the ti e s t ra p square in the

jaws of a vise at th e point whe re th e cha in is to

be broken. Fil e th e two ri vet heads flu sh with

the ti e s t rap side (1), or gr in d th e heads flush

on a grindston e (I u sual ly do thi s freehand).

Remount th e cha in in th e vise, clamping the

drive links, and co mp le te th e break by apply-

ing a little s ide ways pressure to th e strap (2).

You could al so use a punch to complete the

break. (Wear g loves whe n handling cha in , es -

pecially if yo u a re un accustomed to working

with it.) Disca rd th e di smantled ti e s trap (3)

and use a new one to assem ble th e chain.

Always break cha in on a tie s t ra p, but if you

have to break at a cutter, assem b le th e chain

u sing a new ti e strap in st ead of a new cu tt e r.



Occasionally it's necessary to break a used

chain to repair or shorten it. Chain tends to

stretch with use, and you'll have to shorten it

when it stretches beyond your saw's tension

ing capacity . But because tie strap width de-

creases wi th wear, you 'l l have to adjust th e

new tie strap to match th e u sed ones befor e

assembling the chain. First, measure the

wid th o f one used ti e strap (1), then file th e

bot toms of the new straps to th e wid th o f th e

used one (2). Failure to do this can resul t in ex-

cessive bar wear and errat ic cut ting .

To assemble chain, place a preset tie strap

(the one with the rivets a tt ached) on the bot

tom (3). Direct the rivets up through the drive

links being connect ed . P lace a regular tie

strap over the rivets. I use vise-grips to hold

the two tie straps together fo r peen ing on an

anvil (4). Peen the r ivets gently, using the ball

part of a machinist's ball-peen hammer. Then

reset th e vise-grips onto one of the connecting

drive l inks fo r access to both rivets, and con

t inue peening until t he head is formed (5).

CHAPTER 3 The Chain

1

2

3



The GrinderYou'll find that a good disc-whee l chain

grinder (1)will soo n pay for i tself by its accu

racy in modifying and sharpening ripping

chain . Although you can use hand files tomodify chain (p.32), one grinding stone will

do the work of several dozen fi les. The

gr inder is a lso the on ly too l ab le to sharpen

cutters whose edges have become crystal

lized by contact with sand, rocks and metal. I

like to use the Jol ly Chain Grinder, made by

Windsor Machine Co. Ltd . (3147 Thunderbird

Crescent, Burnaby, B.C., Canada (VSA 3G1).

Mos t grinders come equipped w it h two

s tones-a fine-grit stone fo r gr inding andsharpening chain cutters and a coarse-grit

stone fo r grinding depth gauges. I prefer to

use a coarse-grit stone for initial cha in modi

fication and a fine-grit stone fo r sharpening.

But regardless of th e grit, al l grindstones

tend to clog, which can cause the chain cut

ters to burn. I have experimented with vari

ous s tone lu br icants , and have found that par

affin is the best one . Rubbing a b lock of paraf

fin or a paraf fin candle on the spinning stone

frequently (at least several times per chain)no t on ly reduces clogging substantially, but

also reduces the number of times you need to

dress the s tone (2).

Stone thickness is not cri tical when sharpen

ing ripping chain because the most impor tant

part of the gri nd is done with th e si de of the

stone. But in initial chain modifica t ion, it 's

be st to use a stone that is thick eno ugh to re

move the total amount of metal necessa ry in

one pass. Stone shape, however, is important .To produce the correct cutter sh ape (p.26),

you'll have to establish a flat edge on the stone

for grinding the bottoms of the cu tter gullets

and a rounded edge for shaping the round

part of the gullet.

CHAPTER 3 The Chain

Although I'm u sing a carborundum sto ne

dre sser in these photos, I prefer to use a star

wheel dresser to shape th e stone. St ar-wheel

dressers actually cu t away the sto ne, whileca rborundum dresser s (and the diamo nd

dressers built into some gr inde rs) tend to clog

it up. For a good cut that produces a crisp

edge, you need a sharp, clean, grinding surface.

Shape the flat edge of the stone by se tting the

grinder cutting arm at 50° from vert ical. Use

the chain track on th e grin de r to co ntrol th e

movement of the carborundum stone dresser

or star wheel (3). Pull the grinder arm down

gently to bring the stone in to contact with thedresser, and slide th e dresser from side to

side on the chain track-in thi s way, the bot

tom of th e stone is ground pa rall el to the

chain track.

To form the rounded edge, ho ld the d resser

freehand against the leading edge of the stone

(4). With short , controlled sweeps, round th e

edge.Wear safety glasse s whe n using a grinder

to protect you r eye s from flying deb ris.



3

4

25



4

5

27



SharpeningA dull chain is usually the cause of power loss

and poor cutting in milling. Sharpen th e chain

as soon as it shows the s lightest sign of dull

ing. The top edge of a cutter will no t reflect

light if it is sharp, but a dul l edge will shine.

Use either the chain grinder or a file to main

tain the shape and edge on your chain. Cu t

ters dulled in normal use require only a little

grinding to restore sharpness. You can use

th e same coa rse-gr i t grinding stone for

sharpening as you did for cutter modifica

tion, or a fine-grit stone (lubricated with

paraffin to retard clogging), modified to the

correct shape.

Mount the chain in t he g rinder , t hen adjust

the pawl so the s tone can pass into the cutter

gullet with zero clearance between the stone

and the top edge of th e cutter (1). The chain

should be positioned so that the stone just

brushes past th e edge of th e cutter. Gently

lower the stone in to the gull et and adjus t its

depth stop.

To make a sharpening pass, start th e grinder

and lower th e stone to the bot tom of the

gullet, applying slight sideways pressure on

the grinding arm toward the cutter (2). At th e

bottom of the gullet, r elease the sid eways

pressure to a llow the stone to rise out of th e

cu t. I f you don't do this, you'll ge t a large burr

on the cutting edge. You'll also get a large

burr if the stone has become glazed.

CHAPTER 3 The Chain

Now examine the cutter to be sure it has been

completely sharpened. The shiny, dull edge

should be completely gone, leaving a sharp

edge that will not reflect light.

I f cut ters are severely damaged, you'll have to

adjust the grinder to remove the whole dam

aged area on the top pla te of each cutter (3).

Use the most damaged cutter in the chain as a

gauge to adjust the pawl. This will ensure that

the damage on al l the cutters will be removed,

and that they will be ground to the same

length and sharpness. When excessive grind

ing is necessary, always check the depth

gauge height (p. 30).

For sharpening chain on the bar, I like to use a

Simington sharpener (Simington Products

Co., Star Route 141, Chiloquin, Ore. 97624).

It's battery-powered and can go r ight into the

woods with you (4). A 12-volt motorcycle bat

tery will power many sharpenings on a single

charge. Though there are a variety of motor

powered, on-the-bar chain grinders available,

I don't recommend them-they ar e inefficient

and, above all, inaccurate.



29



Depth-Gauge Setting

To dete rm ine de pth-gauge se t t ing , measu re the di stance between astra ightedge se t on top of two cu tte rs on th e sa me side of the ch a in and

the top of the depth gauge . All ga uges sho u ld be se t to th e same height.

Cu tt ing depth

4

5

31



Hand-Filing

Chain modif icat ion with a file guide and

round file is essentially the same as with a

grinder, but when modifying by hand, I file a

45° hook on each cutter instead of a 50° hook.

This is because th e round file leaves an edge

that is hollow-ground; if th e hook were filed

to 50°, th e cutting edge would be weakened.

To modify my .404-pitch, .063-gauge 52L Ore

gon chain, I use the Oregon model #25892 file

guide and a z round file. Start offwith the

file diameter recommended fo r your chain,

but switch to th e next smallest size (Y32 in. less)

when the cutters o f the chai n are about half

worn. Don't assume the file guide will be

straight when you take it out of the package

check your s and straighten it out if necessary.

The file guide, as it comes f rom the manufac

turer, is se t to file a hook angle of approxi

mately 50- to

increase th e angle, it is neces

sary to shim the f ile in the guide at both ends,

directly under both clamps (1). I usually use

two or three strips of a matchbook cover to

start, adding strips until the file cuts a 45°

hook. It 's a good idea to start with a conserva

tive number of s tr ips, to avoid removing too

much metal. For an example of shim thick

ne ss, with the 7hz-in. file and guide I'm using

here, t he shim measures .060 in.

When hand-filing inthe shop (and especially

fo r initial chain modification), I prefer to hold

the chain in a small machinist 's vise, rather

than to file while the chain is on the bar. (When

sharpening in the field, when the chain is on

the bar, I mount the bar in a holder made es

pecially fo r field work.) With a square, draw a '

line 90° across the jaws of the vise, then mount

you r chain . Posit ion the file guide flat on top

of the f ir st cut te r, touch ing the depth gauge,

and keep the guide paral le l to th e line (2).

CHAPTER 3 The Chain

With both hands, fil e in long, controlled

strokes, using the full length of th e file. Don'

drag th e file on the back s troke, as th is wil

wear it out. Remember to keep th e guide fla

on top of the cutter. Keep filing until the hook

angle on the side of the cutter is 45° and the top

plate is 90° across (3). The bottom of the cutte

gullet should be just above the tops of the drive

links. To speed things up, I sometimes file the

cutter back f reehand , then use th e guide to

complete the modif icat ion accurately.

As you modify you r chain, measure th e length

of the top plate of th e cutters to mak e sure

that they are all exactly th e same. You can use

a crescent wrench or calipe r fo r a gauge.

It's a good idea to rotate th e fil e in th e guide

slightly as you feel it s t a r t to dull. At least two

f iles wil l usually be necessary to modify one

chain. Never use a dull fil e to modify o

sharpen chain-it 's a was te o f time.



Chapter 4

Mill Selection and AssemblyWhen selecting a chainsaw lumbermaking de

vice, consider the size of the logs you plan to

mill, as well as you r type of chainsaw and the

bar length. For many of my milling needs, I

us e a Granberg Mark III Alaskan Mill (Gran

berg Industries Ltd., 202 S. Garrard Blvd .,

Richmond , Calif. 94804) (1). These come in a

variety of sizes from 24 in. to 56 in .; I find the

most efficient mills are 48 in. and under.

The Mark II I mill is lightweight, reasonably

durable, accurate and inexpensive. I t al so ha s

flat-bottom ed , sliding guide rail s, which

scrape the sawdust from the milled surface as

they go. (The fine sawdust not scraped away

acts as a lubricant.) Roller guide rails, com

mon on many types of mills, roll up overwood

chips and sawdust, re sulting in an irregular

cut. I f you' re using a mill with roller guide

rails, make a point of keeping th e milling su r

fa ce fr ee of debris as you go .

I f you purchase a mil l, and it ' s not a ssembled,

inspect the components against the parts list

and drawings supplied by the manufacturer

before you do an ything else. Th en layout th e

components in the approximate order of as

sembly, checking each for twist, bend or

warp. Correc t an y defect s you find , and if a

componen t is be yond repair, have it replaced.

CHAPTER 4 The Mill

Lubricate often-used nut and bolt thread s

with a good lubricant, such as Never-Seez or a

mixture of grease and graphite, to a llow for

proper to rquing and adjus tment. The lubri

cant he lps reduce thread wear and al so re

tard s rust and corrosion. Then assemble th e

mill, following instruction s ca reful ly . Take

you r t ime- haste can lead to damaged or mis

aligned parts.

Wh en th e mill is as sembled, double-ch eck to

be su re you\ve followed all procedures prop

er ly before tak ing the mill into th e field. Re

member, precision in th e sho p is vital to pro

ductive and enjoyab le work in th e field.


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Mounting the mil l - To mount the mill on the

sawba r, s la ck off th e bar nuts and loosen th e

chain. Retract the ba r a s fa r as possible and

draw a line across the bar where it meets the

saw. This line marks the farthest point at

which the mill can be mounted on the engine

end o f th e ba r. (If yo u' re u sing the engine for

both crosscutt ing and ripping, and are leav-

ing the felling sp ikes on th e saw, mark at th e

end o f the sp ikes .) C

Return th e bar to it s working position, read

just chain tension and se cu re the bar clamp

ing nuts . Mark the tip of the bar at a point that

will allow space between th e bar and the nose

guard or helper handle . The two ver t ical lines

in th e photograph (1) mark th e maximum

lim its f or mounting the mill on this bar.

Before mount ing, se t th e height o f the mill to

3 in. on both r iser posts. Then mount th e mill

within the marked lines, a s close to the engine

as possib le . If the mill is mounted too far for-

ward, the weight of the engine could cause the

bar to flex or the cha in to t rack improperly,

re sulting in a bowed cu t o r even a bent bar.

CHAPTER 4 The Mill

After mounting, check that th e bar is s t ra ight

by laying a st ra ighte dge aga ins t it lengthwise

or by sighting down th e bar -a twisted or sag-

ging bar can be a power robber. Th en ra ise

the mill setting to maximum cu tt i ng height,

making sure to move both end brack et s eve n-

ly up the ri ser posts. Double-check th at th e

bar is straight by sighting down it (2) or using

the straightedge. If th e bar isn't s traight a t the

maximum se tt ing, loosen a mill-handle bolt at

one end of th e mill and the two guide-rail

bolts at the same end. Adjust th e mill handle

unt il the saw s tra ighte ns.

With all componen t s in prope r po sition, th e

mill aligned, and a ll nuts and bolts torqued ,

the standard mill is ready to go . But fi rst let 's

have a look a t a few o ther things you might

want to do .



MillModification

Thrust sk i d -The thrust skid of the Mark II I

Alaskan Mill has a built-in design problem. I t

often loses contact with the log (1), which

causes the riser post to touch the side of the

log, and quite often, to get hung up. The heavy

vibration and stress exerted on the riser

posts, guide rails and mill handle can also re

su l t in parts breaking or bending, or in mis

alignment of the mill.

Here's one s imple solut ion to the problem.

Mount another thrust-skid unit inboard. Pur

chase these Mark II I parts (2): #790 clamping

bracket ( thrust-skid end) ; #788 clamping

bracket (nose end); two #808 5/16" x 3V2" carriage bolts; two #684 51t6-in. hex nuts . Epoxy

small strips of clo th-backed sandpaper (from

a worn, coarse sanding belt) to the st\e l pads

on the brackets to prevent the thrust skid

f rom slipping on the bar. Bolt the unit on

where needed (3).

There's another problem with the standard

thrust skid- i t often get s caught on a log's

surface irregular it ies, causing the mill to jog

and cut unevenly. I therefore find it necessary

to use an addit ional thrust skid (4) that is

much longer than the standard skid. You can

make it from l-in.-square steel tube if avail

able, but angle iron will also do quite well.

Heat the end of the tube and bend it while

holding it in a vise. Hacksaw a slightly curved

line for the nose and another line for the shoe.

Remove the wedge of metal between the lines

and pound th e shoe up around the nose . Trim

off the excess and weld or braze the nose and

shoe together. Drill two %-in. holes in the new

skid to align with the holes in the standard

skid, and attach it to th e mill.

The extra length and curved end of this thrust

skid ensure smooth mill travel over log irreg

ularities. The photograph (5) shows the thrust

skid in action.

CHAPTER 4 The Mill

1

2

3



Assembling th e mil l -When mounting th e

sawbar, be su r e t he mount ing a reas of saw,

bar and guard are clean. Oiler holes on saw

and bar (1) should be f ree of obstructions. Fi t

the bar on the studs and over the chain

tension pin , and clamp the bar to the engine

with the c lamping bracket . T ight en the nut s.

Bo l t the bar to the riser posts through th e

'h-in. holes with 7I/' x 114" bolts (2). Use an

ex t r a heavy, Ih-in. flat washer under the

bolthead fo r a good torquing base. On the

th ru st- sk id end of th e mill, insert 5 16" x %"

bolts and washers through th e bar and into

the holes. These bolts add support and com

pensate for t he extra pressure the long thrust

skid will put on th e post. It 's a good idea to use

thread lubricant on al l nut s and bolts.

Now pas s two 3s" x 4" bolts through th e holes

in th e adjustment pos t on the thrust-skid end

of th e mill. Screw four %-in. nuts on each bolt

and to rque them down. Put th e long thrust

skid over the bolts and lock it with two more

nuts. Torque th e skid down with th e f irs t nut

and us e the second to lock the first.

CHAPTER 4 The Mill

On the no se en d, pa s s two %" x 4" bolt s

through th e adjustment post and no se gua rd.

Screw on two 3/s-in. nuts on each bolt and in

stall th e clamping bracket wit h th e pad in

ve r te d. On th e non-cutting s ide of th e bar,

sc rew and torque two %-in. space r nuts . Then

screw and torque one %-in. nut on the bol t on

the cutting side of th e bar. In stal l a %-in. flat

washer and then a %-in . lock washer, and

torque down a %-in. nut. This forms one of th e

winch button s nec essary to hold th e ropes

used in th e w inc hing se tup. Th e o the r button

is described on p.50 .

Once you 've mounted th e mill , mak e one final

modification. Drill a %-in. ho le through th e

s tandard thrust skid in a lignment w it h the

chain-tension sc rew. With this mod ification ,

you can reach th e sc rew eas ily wit h yo u r

screwdriver (3) and ten sion th e cha in wh ile in

the cut .

A properly mounted , modified mill and ba r

will not need to be removed fo r cha in sha r p

ening or maintenance, but you should flip th e

ba r every 20 hours ofoperation to bal an ce bar

wear. Simply unbolt th e bar f rom th e modi

fied mill and remount it upside down .



Mill-Mounting the ChainAftermodification, it becomes quite simple to

mount or remove chain f rom the saw.

To mount the chain (1), retract th e bar byslacking off about a half turn on th e bar nuts,

just enough to enable you to loosen the chain

tension screw. (Count the number of turns it

takes to loosen the chain-tension screw and

you'll find it easier to tension the chain later.)

Hold th e chain in th e proper direction of

travel and insert it behind the clutch and onto

the chain sprocket. The chain should be going

away from the saw engine at the top of th e bar

and toward the engine at the bottom.

Thread the chain through the space between

the thrust skid and the bar (2). Place the chain

between the chain-guide plates and feed it

through the thrust-skid space (3).

Continue threading the cha in, starting it in

the groove around the nose (4). Make sure the

chain is properly posit ioned on top of the bar

and all the way back to th e engine, then ad-

vance the cha in with your fingers so it drops

into the groove. Tighten the chain on the baras you feed it into the groove.

Now, holding the chain at the center of the bar

top and bottom, move it a few revolutions

around th e bar to remove kinks. Then hold

the chain at the center of the top of the bar

and lift it up out of th e groove. I f t he d rive

links just clear th e top of the groove under

normal finger pressure, and you can easily

rotate the chain by hand, the chain is properly

tensioned (5).

CHAPTER 4 The Mil l

With the tension set correct ly , t ighten the bar

nuts (6). Rotate th e chain around th e bar, lu-

bricating it with the manual o iler as you go.

Start the engine and run th e chain a bit, thenstop it and check the tension, adjusting if nec-

essary. New chain tends to stretch on break

in, so check t he tens ion again soon after you

start milling.

Adjusting chain tension is an important main-

tenance procedure. Chain that is too loose can

whip out of the bar groove; chain that is too

tight can cause a rough cut and, i f not

checked, will wear out quickly.

The procedure for removing a chain is essen

t ia lly the same as for putting it on. Slack the

bar nuts about a half turn, just enough to

loosen the chain by unscrewing the chain

tension screw. Lift the chain up out of the

groove on top of th e bar and pull it back a bit

(7). Rotate the chain around th e bar a little

and off the nose. When the chain is off the

nose, thread it back a long the bar. Slip it of f

th e sprocket and out around the clutch.

Always be careful when handling chain.


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Throttle Attachment

Because the operator is at one end of the log

and the saw at th e other when milling with my

system, you need to build a remote throttle at

tachment (1) to work the saw t rigger. This oneis designed fo r a Stihl 090, so if you're using a

different engine, you might have to adapt a

little . The illustration (2) shows the parts

you'll need. The surgi ca l tubing should be

long enough (about 6 in. to 8 in.) to provide

proper tension in the open-throt t le position.

You can substitute shock cord fo r surgical

tubing, if you wish.

W hen you assemble the parts , lubricate th e

bolt between the two flat washers so the bearing surface can move freely. Adjust th e bear

ing tension of the two flat washers w ith th e

first nut so th e arm moves eas ily without _

wobbling, and lock it with the second nut.

Through the saw handle, drill and t ap a 1/4-in.

thread (3) and m ou nt the attachment (4) by

screwing the bol t i nto the hole and locking it

with a nut and washer. I'll explain how to use

the remote throttle attachment on p.94.

CHAPTER 5 The Winch Unit

In add it ion to holding the throttle open when

in a cut, th e remote throttle attachment also

can be used as a locking throttle when hand

milling. Because the operator doesn't have tohold the throttle open manually, the amount

of vibration normally endured is reduced. To

use th e attachment as a locking throttle, open

th e eye on the free en d of the surgical tubing

to form a hook, then drill a small hole in th e

engine casting to accommodate the hook (5). A

small piece of string tied around the ends o f

the surgical tubing will keep the eyes secure.

Flip the attachment to an open position (6) fo r

convenient hands-off, open-throttle milling.



5

49



Saw Bridle Button

The winching rope is attached at one end to

the mill (p.42) and a t the other end to the mid

dle of a l ength o f rope I call the bridle rope.

One end o f the bridle rope goes to th e remote

throttle attachment; the other end must at

tach to the saw. But since there's no place on

the saw to accept a rope , you have to make a

holding button . I call thi s the bridle button.

On the Stihl 090, I substitute a 516" x 1Yz" bolt

for the original metric bolt (1) to make the

bridle button. This is th e logical place for it,

as the bolt is in a strong posit ion on the saw

and in the line of pull when winching through

a cut.I f

the threads on the bol t don't go al l theway to the head, drill out the mating nut with

a 51t6-in. drill. Two 3/s-in. flat washers hold the

bridle rope around the nut (2). I prefer to use a

sta r lock washer, mounted against th e engine

casting or under the bol thead, instead of a

516-in. split lock washer, because i t' s eas ie r on

the aluminum. Torque the bol t a ssembly se

curely through the engine casting and into the

bolt hole in the handle. The photo (3) shows

how the bridle rope is mounted on the button.

CHAPTER 5 The Winch Unit

The Winch Yoke

For the mill to be pulled a t bar level in a

straight path you need a winch yoke (4). The

yoke al so helps keep the guide rai ls of th e mill

levelon the top plank.

Thech

eekblo

cks onthe

ends of the yoke dir ect th e rope s light ly down

ward for a well-controlled cu t (5).



Chapter 6

Lag Driver

To complete your milling kit, here are a few

handy, work-saving tools that can easily be

made from exis ting tools.

Using a box-end wrench or a ratchet-handled

socket wrench to drive lag bolts (p.86) istedious work. I prefer to use a hand-drill

brace and a modified short extension bar

from a %-in. or Y in . socket set. Simply grind

the square-holed end of the extension bar to

fit th e brace (1,2,3). Use a hexagonal (6-point)

socket for hex-head lag bolts and an octagonal

(8-point) socke t for square-head lags (4).

CHAPTER 6 Build Your Own Tools

I f you want to make the modification perma

nent , weld the socke t to a drill-b ra c e co lla r (5).

Keep the col la r from turning by drilling and

bolting it to th e ratchet head with a Y4-in . or

s!I6-in. bolt and nut. Secure th e nut by ri veting

th e bolt over it , o r u se a cen ter punch to expand th e bolt into th e nut. Keep the moving

pa rts of th e b race we ll o ile d.



53



End DogsThe inner tensions of a tree, caused by it s re-

action to the environment , often make boards

twist or bend as soon as they're sawn. This

distortion can throw of f a properly alignedmilling system . So I've designed end dogs to

help keep boards straight unt il the cut is com

plete- the dogs tack board and log together,

so the board can 't deform dur ing the cut .

The bes t end dogs can be forged from short

pieces of automobile leaf spring (1), though

other hardened s te el wou ld probably do as

well. These end dogs are durable, easy to set

and rarely need maintenance. To make them,

first round the ends of th e spring stock. Thenheat and bend the ends so that they are at

right angles to th e f lat s tock. Rehea t the dog

to a dull red, and allow it to cool slowly in the

air to harden . Grind the upturned ends from

the outside to a sharp edge and then grind th e

edge straight across so that it is about '132 in.

to '116 in. wide. End dogs with edges th at are

too sharp deform eventually and become dif-

ficul t to drive.


I f you don 't have acce ss to a forge, you can

make adequate end dogs from square steel,

aluminum tube or even flatstock iron (2,3).

You can a lso modify an extra se t of thrustskids (4,5). Simply dri ll holes to accommo

date lag bolts. Use %-in.-diameter l ags or, fo r

the convenience of using the same lag driver,

use lags of the same diameter as those used

fo r guide-plank supports.



4

5

55



Kerf WedgesAs a saw moves through wood, th e width of

the cu t it makes is called a kerf. In milling, th e

piece being sawn tends to sag into the kerf as

the saw opens up th e log. This often causesthe chain to pinch. Sagging also causes an un

even cut, because the flat surface on which

the mill's guide rai ls r ide becomes unparallel

to the desired cutting l ine. At th e end of a cut,

th e entire weight of the mil led piece is carried

by the ba r. This causes th e saw to make a

deeper cut , which results in curved ends on

the mil led board.

To e limina te these prob lems, I insert kerf

wedges every few feet of the cu t. The wedgessupport th e piece being mil led and keep the

kerf open, a llowing the bar to travel f reely. I

also insert a wedge on each side of th e log just

before the end of the cut . This allows the mill

to exit easily and eliminates end run-off. Six

or eight wedges are sufficient fo r most mill

ing jobs.

Make the wedges from pieces of hardwood

that are about Y32 in. thicker than th e kerf (1).

Taper th e ends of th e wedges slightly andround the corners fo r easy entrance i nto the

kerf. Rounded handle ends with chamfered

edges are easy on the hand s. I paint my

wedges a bright color to make them easy to

spot if they drop into the sawdust. The paint

helps preserve the wood, too.


Jacks

One or two bumper jacks are invaluable tools

for ro ll ing or lifting large logs or cants, and

fo r clamping wood into various positions. But

th e base of an unmodified ja ck tends to slipoff its footing or sink into the ground (2). To

overcome this problem, I use two 3s-in. bolts

and nuts as holding dogs. Bolted to the base,

they grip rocky surfaces or bite into cross

pieces p laced underneath the jack.

To prevent the jack from slipping at the point

of contact with the log, it 's necessary to weld a

dog securely to the jaw of the jack (3). Cut the

dog from a piece of flats tack iron and grind

one end to a sloping edge for good bite andeasy release. Keep the moving parts of you r

jack well lubricated with cha in oil.



IN THE FIELD



Chapter 7

Safety and ToolsFelling a tree is the mos t dangerous part of

lumbermaking. To do it well is an art-fe l l

only when you fully understand the process

and hazards, and are sure you can handle the

work safely. I have felled trees professionally

fo r over 25 years and am alive and well today

only because of my dedication to safety.

Safe felling requires strict working habits.

When I f ir st broke in as a feller, an old-time

logger told me, "Watch out fo r your tools,

they're out to ge t you." I respected hi s advice,

and it has kep t me alive long enough to learn

that it isn 't a lways the tool that's out to get

you-you can also get yourself. But withwell-

maintained tools, you certainly have less

chance of getting hurt. So always keep your

ax sharp , i ts handle tight and your chainsaw

well serviced.

CHAPTER 7 Fe ll ing a Tree

In the field, always wear a hardhat and safety

glasses . Loose clothing can easily ge t caught

in a running saw, so wear only well-fitting

clothing and boots . It's also a good idea to

wear hearing protection, even for short work

periods, because the noiseof a

roaring chain

saw can damage, or even destroy, your hear

ing. I started felling trees long before ear pro-

tection was common in the woods and have

become accustomed to l is tening for the warn

ing sounds of fa ll ing l imbs and b re ak ing

trees, so sometimes I choose not to wear hear

ing protection .

Never become overconfident when felling,

and never cut down a tree when you are

hampered by wind or bad weather. Stay away

from alcohol and drugs, and don't work when

you are tired. Fatigue can cause you to work

dangerously-a hot chainsaw muffler can

cause a serious burn; a slip of a wrench and

you could cu t your hand on the chain. Also ,

tr y no t to work alone , but if you must, at least

tell someone when and where you're going

and when you will return. Alwa ys keep a well-

equipped f irst -a id kit nearby. I f you have as-

sistants, never assume they understand work

dangers: It's up to you to insist upon safety.



In short, don't take risks. Every time I step up

to a tree that I want to fell, I feel a tingle of

fea r run down my spine. Don't feel embar

rassed if you'd rather not take on this aspect

of lumbermaking. There are experienced pro

fessionals who can do the job for you .

Because thi s book is about lumbermaking, I

won 't t ry to cover all the details o f the felling

process , but I will re commend an excellent

book that does. The Faller 's and Buck er's

Handbook , published by th e Worker 's Com

pen sation Board of British Columbia (5225

Heather St., Van couver, B.C. , Canada V5Z

3L8), is a modest ly priced , logging-industry

handbook that I find quite helpful.

The felling tools you will need will vary with

you r si tuation and skills. Here is a basic list:

• a saw engine coupled to a bar equipped with

crosscutting chain

• a file for sharpening chain

• a bar wrench

• a measuring tape

• safety gear

• engine fuel and oi l

• a properly serviced ax

A single-bit, 3 lh-Ib. ax is good for felling and

wedge driving. Check that the axhead is on

tight, and round off the sharp edges on the

back of the head to reduce wedge wear. I

usually store my working axhead in water,

especially in hot, dry weather, to keep the

wood from loosening around th e head.

Always keep you r ax in a safe and handy po

s it ion for easy access during felling.

• two or more felling wedges

These wedges are different from splitting

wedges . You can make them from hard

wood, but I usually buy the plast ic ones sold

by chainsaw-supply dealers because th ey

are more durable. Never use st ee l wedges

with a chainsaw because one slip can wipe

out th e chain cutters . Exp eriment with

wedges of various lengths and thicknesses,

as different t imber and weather conditions

require different designs. Frozen wood , fo r

example, requires special wedges.

Keep tools and fuel in a convenient cache be

hind a stump or standing t ree, safe from fall

ing l imbs or a misdirected tree.

61



Tree SelectionThe usefulness o f the lumber you mill in part

depends on the tree species , so proper iden ti-

fication is crucial. Develop a working knowl

edge of the types of trees in you r area , and

learn to identify each one (1).

Tree structure will also help determine us e-

fulness-con sider the number of limbs on the

tree (and the number of knots hidden within).

Does the tree twist? I f so , the grain of the

wood most likely will twist, too. Does the tr ee

lean? Leaning t rees con ta in react ion wood,

which moves and machines abnormally.

CHAPTER 7 Felling a Tree

Also consider tree size. Mea su re th e t ree' s di-

ame te r to be sure your mill can handle it (2).

Once you've se lected a tr ee, see if it can befelled to a good working location . Will it leave

damaged limbs on adjacent tree s th at could

threaten your safety during milling? Does the

tree have a de ad top or broken limbs? Is it s

butt hollow or decayed? Test for soundness

by thumping the tree around its base wi th

you r axhead (3). An unsound butt could cause

a tree to fall to an unsafe or inconvenient mill-

ing site or to hang up in an adj acen t t ree.



Site PreparationClear away any limbs, brush, roots, stumps

and rocks from around the base of the tree

you've chosen, and select a convenient site for

debris. Then remove al l tree limbs as high asyour saw can reach, cutt ing them as close to

th e tree as possible (1).Make sure your saw is

getting plenty of lubrication, and until you

know that it is, try not to run the chain too

fast, especia lly on automatic-oi ling saws.

With a saw having a manual oiler, pump it to

ge t lots of oil on the bar and chain.

Check the base of the tree trunk for obstruc

tions such as spikes, wire fence and rock, and

remove anywith an ax. Then establish the lineof fall. A straight tree can usually be directed

to the desired location easily, but if the tree

leans, you must take corrective steps.

To determine a tree's lean, hold your ax up to

the t ree with the blade edge at the center of

the t runk . Sight up the handle (2). Repeat in

two or three other locat ions for an accurate

reading. I f the tree leans away from the pro

posed line of fall, wedges driven into the back

cut (p. 66) can lift the t ree pas t it s center ofgravity toward the desired location.

Now clear at least two escape paths away

from the proposed line of fal l and at least one

path in the line of fall, in case wind, overcut

ting or other errors cause the tree to fall in

the opposite direction. Select a s tout t ree or

stump at the end of each path as shelter from

flying limbs and treetops.


Bedding logs (3) p laced across the p roposed

line of fall will support the tree at a conven-

ient height and protect it from dir t and rocks.

Determine the lengths of the logs you intendt o buck f rom the tree, and place bedding logs

at intervals relative to these . Bedding logs

should be long enough to compensate for er-

rors in felling direction and thick enough to

support t he tree. Be careful not to use thin

logs, which might break on impact, but on the

other hand, don't use logs tha t are too thick

these can cause the tree to break when it is

felled across them.

Some trees are too brittle fo r this approach.Lift brittle logs to a convenient milling height

after the tree is felled and bucked to length.



Felling theTree

There are three cuts necessary to fell a tree:

the f ir st undercu t, the second undercut and

the backcut . While cut ting , t ry not to stand

under th e lean of t he tree.

With the chain well lubricated, start the

undercut with the felling spikes of the saw up

against the tree (1). Cut into the tree a dis-

tance between a quarter and halfway, keeping

the cut level (2). Then remove the saw.

The second undercut meets the first to form a

wedge that is later removed, allowing the tree

to hinge down on the remaining wood (3).

Start the second undercut above the first, at

an angle that will allow it t o mee t the end of

the f ir st cut . The height of this cut should be

at least a third of the f ir st cut's depth- too

narrow a wedge will cause the tree to break

th e hinge prematurely. Make sure the two

cut s mee t exactly on e ach side of the wedge 1

opening; i f the second undercut slants to one

side, the t ree will hinge down on the narrower

side first , and swing in that direction. After

you complete the cut, remove the wedge with

your ax i f necessary.

Now place the head of your ax into the under

cut (4) so that it s handle is at a right angle to

th e line of the cut ; the handle will point to the

direction of fall (5). Reposition bedding logs i fyou have to. Remove the ax and start the back

cut opposite to and a l it tl e above the fi rs t

undercut (6). Keepthe backcut level.

2




5

6

67



LimbingI usually cut th e limbs of f each tree before

felling the next one. This makes it easier to

clear the milling site. But reposit ion the bed-

ding logs where necessary (1) before remov-ing any supporting limbs. Remember that th e

limbs may be under tension and can kick

back at you or at th e sawbar, which in turn

can kick back at you . Sometimes it is best to

relieve stress by cutting the limb in half be-

fore cutting it of f (2).

Begin to l imb from t he top side of the tree (3),

being careful to keep a safe foo ting at al l

times. Overcut and undercut the limbs with

t he nose of the sawbar.


As you near the final s tages of removing the

supporting limbs, be ready to move away

quickly, fo r th e tree can roll, swing or drop.

Plan your moves in advance. I try to imaginewhere I would land, and where I'd toss the

running saw, if I should stumble and fall.

After limbing, trim off any irregularities that

may interfere with milling (4).



4

71



BuckingOnce you've l imbed the tree, buck it into logs.

Measure and mark out the tree to the desired

log lengths with a tape (I), allowing enough

length for end trimming and squaring. Iusually mark of f log lengths by axing straight

down, then axing in at an angle (2). This pro

duces a chip that often stays attached to the

log-helpful when viewing the whole tree.

When marking is complete , reposition bed

ding logs as necessary (3).

I f the tree to be bucked is on a hill, tr y to buck

it from the uphil l s ide. Bucked logs can roll or

swing, which is dangerous if you're in the line

of movement.

Bucking requires at least a basic understand

ing of sawing problems, of which the main

one is a pinched sawbar. Beaver-tailing, or

boring with the nose of the bar, is a good way

to deal with pinching. As you feel a pinch hap

pening, pull the saw out of the cut. Then bore

into the cut repeatedly to remove the wood

that is closing in on the kerf. Be careful not to

let the cha in touch the ground a t this point .

Continue bucking when the top of the log hasclosed completely.

A technique to avoid pinching and also split-

ting, which is another problem in log bucking,

is underbucking (4). Start at the underside of

the log and cut with the top of the bar until

you feel a pinch, or until a good portion of the

cu t is completed. Lift the saw with your legs,

not your back. Underbucking causes the saw

to push toward the operator, so I usually use

only enough bar to ge t through the log. Whenyou've completed the ·undercut , start in from

the top (5). Be prepared for the log to drop,

and free your saw accordingly. I f this log had

not been underbucked, it would have split, be-

cause its end was not r es ting either on a bed-

ding log or on the ground.


1

2



I f your saw does get pinched in a log, wedge,

jack, or saw it out or chop it out w ith an ax.

Remove the engine f rom the bar fo r safety.

After bucking the logs, position them so they

a llow plenty of working space. If you p lace

th e logs with their straightest sides up, it will

be easier to mill them later.

A peavey is handy for rolling or swinging logs

(1). Keep the peavey hook sharp enough for

good log entry, but not so sharp that it will

stick. Always pull with one leg in f ront o f the

other (2). You can get a stronger pull with both

feet together, but if the hook lets go or the

handle breaks whi le you are in this position,

you can easily hurt yourself. I f the logs are

too heavy to roll, the modif ied jack (p. 56)

comes in handy (3).


When the logs are in position, block each one

to keep it from moving. Now is the ideal t ime

to seal the log ends to retard checking. You

can do this after t he wood is milled and the

lumber stacked, but I find it best to seal fresh

cut log ends, especially when milling high

grade lumber or working under very dry con

ditions. Lumber end-sealing wax is common

to th e milling industry. I use one manufac

tured by Mobil Oil Corp. (150 E. 42nd St., N.Y.,

N.Y. 10017), called Mobil-Cer M, which is sold

in 55-gal. barrels. You cou ld al so use mel ted

paraffin wax or house paint, but these aren't

nearly as good.



Chapter 8

Equipment for the First CutBefore you can begin to mill any lumber, you

must establish a level sur face on each log to

guide the fi rs t cut. My sys tem consi st s o f a

straight guide plank resting on end boards

and pai rs of leveled lag bolts placed along the

length of the log (1). The guide plank shouldbe at least as wide as a third the wid th o f th e

cut to be made. The wider the plank, th e more

support fo r the mill. The plank should also be

thick enough to support th e weigh t of the

mill with minimum help f rom th e lag bolts.

CHAPTER 8 Setting Up

-

Guide-plank lengths will vary according to

the lengths of th e logs being milled, but I find

. that a lO-ft.-Iong, dressed 2x12 works in most

situations and can be eas ily moved from site

to site. The guide plank needn't be as long as

the log being milled, because you can mill instages by sliding the plank of f the end board

and along the lag bolts as you go .



To s ti ffen the plank and help keep it straight,

and to allow t he p lank to slide a long the lag

bolts without damage, attach two o/i6-in., 1Y2" x

1V" angle irons to the plank edges, using

countersunk screws about every 12 in. The in

side edges of the angle irons should be in line

with the outside edges of th e plank (1). To re

tard checking and warping, I treat the plank

with linseed oil periodically. This also helps

th e mill to slide a long the plank.

The guide plank is supported a t both ends o f

the log by end boards. I usually make pairs of

end boards from common, 2-in.-thick, dressed

lumber. Heights of 4 in., 6 in., 8 in. and 10 in.,

cut to th e width of the guide plank being used,

cover most milling situations (2). The maxi

mum height of your end boards is determined

by the maximum cutting height of your mill,

less the thickness of the guide plank and angle

iron. For example, the mill I us e here has a

maximum cutting height o f 13 in., the guide

plank is 1% in. thick and the angle iron is

311 6 in. thick. Therefore, the tallest end board I

could use would be a little over 11 in. Because

I usually allow at least an inch of clearance

f or th e bottom o f th e lag bol ts tha t run along

the length of the log, the tallest board I would

use would be 10 in.

Drill holes for lag bolts or double-headed

nails at a variety of posi tions on the bottom of

the boards and file notches on the top of the

face of each end board . Becau se the angle

iron I use is 1V2 in. wide, each notch must be

inset 11/2 in. fr om the end. These notches will

aid you later, when you align the lag bolts to

support th e guide p lank with a taut line ofstring. Set shortened, double-headed nai ls

around which to wrap the string just below

the notches.


It's best to use the shortest lag bolts possible

to support the guide plank (and therefore the

shortest possible end boards) because short

lag bolts are more rigid and have less chance

of binding as the plank slides over them for

successive cuts.

Lag bolts are used for a number of purposes

in milling, so I routinely stock about s ix to ten

each of %-in.-diameter lags in lengths of 3 in.

through 10 in. at l-in. increments. A supply of

2 1/rin. lags also comes in handy . I prefer

%-in.-diameter lags because they're easier to

drive; V in . lags are sturdier, but much harder

to drive unless holes are predrilled with a

716-in. drill. Applying bar soap, paraffin wax,

or chain oil to the threads makes all lags

easier to drive.



Index LinesTo make square lumber from a round log , you

must first establish reference poin ts f rom

which to calculate your milling patterns. You

can either mill to the hear t center (pi t h) of alog or to average center (1). On re latively

straight logs, milling to the heart ce nte r will

allow you to retrieve a larger percentag e of

straight-grained boards than milling to aver

age center. On logs with excessive taper,

where the heart center is way off average cen-

te r and parallel to the taper, you'll be able to

retrieve a larger volume of boards by milling

to average center rather than to the hea rt. Bu t

the result will be that a great number of the

boards will have cross grain (grain that devi-a tes from the long axis of the board), and there-

fore will be of lower grade . Also, a log fo rmed

this way is liable to contain react ion wood,

which shr inks and machines abnorma lly.


Measur ing the top end of th is log (2) shows

th at the hear t cen te r is just slightly of f ave r-

age cen ter. This is tru e oft he butt of the log as

well. With th i s log, grade as well as volumea re possible , and I'll mill to the hea rt center.

Ma rk ou t the index lines by drawing a short

ve r t ica l lin e th rough the heart cente r a t the

bu tt and top of the log (3), and then a short

hor izontal mark on each (4).



J

81



Now decide which end boards to use. The idea

here is that the top edges of the end boards

will establish a plane parallel to the heart cen-

ter of the log. This means that the top edges of

the boards you bolt to either end of th e log

must be the same distance above the horizon

tal index lines (1). At the same time, you want

to use the shortest possible end boards that

will still allow room fo r th e lags to be bolted

into the log. End boards tha t a re too long will

interfere with th e first cut.

First go to the butt end of the log and measure

from its top sur face down to the junction of

the index lines. Add enough heigh t so the

angle iron on the guide plank will clear the

log, then lock your tape at thi s total . The end

boa rd a t this end must reach up to this mea

surement, wi th enough overlap to be bolted

into place. So must th e taller board you'll

need at the top end of th e log.


When you've figured out the board sizes

you'll need , position the top end board,

hammer-start one of the lag bolts and screw

it in with th e lag driver. Then level the board

and screw in the second lag (2). Ins ta ll t he

butt board in the same way.

Before installing the lag bolts tha t suppo rt

the guide plank, attach a string to one of the

nai ls on ei ther end board and pass it through

th e notch (3).Wrap the string around the nails

on the other board (4), bring it home and wrap

it around the las t nail. Pull it tight and secure

it with a few wrap s and a couple of half

hitches (5).



4

5

85



Measure and mark the log for the supporting

lag bolts. When using a 10-ft. guide plank, I .

usually place a pair of lags every 4 ft. To select

lags of proper length, measure from the bot

tom of the strings to the marked positions on

the log (1), and then add on about 1112 in. for

holding. Check the measurement in several

places as the lengths required may vary. You

may have to remove high spots on the log with

a chainsaw or ax-drawing a string or mea

suring tape from one end of the log to the

other will le t you see any irregularities. Re

member to make sure the lags don't go so

deep that they're in the path of the cut.

Drive-start the bolts on the outside of the

strings (no further than 11/4 in. away) at the

marked positions (2), t hen screw them in so

that the tops of the boltheads are the same

height as the bottom of the string (3). Make

sure the lags don't touch the strings. When all

the bol ts are in place, sight down the log to

double-check alignment of the end boards,

and remove the string.

Posit ion the guide plank, looking under it tomake sure the angle irons rest securely on the

lags and end boards. You'll need an overhang

of at least 12 in. to support the mill as it be

gins the cut, so pull the plank out (4).

I f you're milling with a winch, you'l l need a

weight to hold the guide rails of th e mill fla t

on the plank. Make this from a b lock of log

that is slightly larger in diameter than th e

space between the mill guide rails. You'll have

to notch out the log for the mill handle (5).Mark the no tch with a crayon (6) and make a

cut deep enough to give good handle clear

ance. Remove the wedge o f wood with a sec

ond cut and, if you need it, a third (7). Then

tes t the fit of the weight on the mill (8).


2



6

87



Changing the BarI f yo u use one saw engine both fo r felling and

lumbermaking, you will now need to remove

th e fe lling bar and cro ss cu t ch ain . Beforemou nting the milling bar and mill , c lean the

cover plate and blade area of the saw engine

with a stiff brush (1). Then unscrew the chain

ten sion screw to full s lack pos it ion (2).

Double-check for a clean oiler hole on the en-

gine and the bar , and mount the bar and mill.

Rep lace the chain-guide plate, making sure

th e tension stud is properly positioned.

Tigh ten the bar nuts on the lubricated bolts

with your fingers (3).

Now for the chain . Chain often gets tangled

into what seems like a hopeless mess when it

is moved around. To roll the kinks out , hold

the c h a in in both hands. Sta rt ing with the

most serious kink (4), roll the chain as shown

(5). Pull the two loops i nto the final loop, and

you're ready to mount the chain on the bar (6).

I f you're not used to handling chain, it's a good

idea to wear gloves because sharp cutters

can seriously injure bare hands.


1

2

3



Chapter 9

The First CutBecause al l logs are shaped differently, the

first cut mus t establish a le ve l and flat work-

ing surface that will guide the rest of the mill-

ing. I f the first cut is off, the other cuts will

be off, too.

Determine how high to set the mill for the

first cut by measuring from the top of the

guide plank to the top cant mark on the verti-

cal index line (1). For this log, I'll se t my mill

at 11 in. Start the saw, and pump out an ex-

cess of chain oi l (2); remember to check the

chain frequently for good lubrication.

CHAPTER 9 Precision Milling

c:

Mount the mill on the guide plank. As you

push the mill forward to begin the cut, press

down firmly on its handle (3)to keep the guide

rails level on the plank. Gently rev up the

engine to f ul l throttle as the saw starts to cut.

Keep the thrust skids against the log andenter the cut with the nose end of the sawbar.

Cut at full throttle until the back guide rail of

the mill just passes the end board (4). Drive in

both end dogs (5), spacing them as fa r apart as

possible. But make sure no t to pound the dogs

so close to the edges of the cut that the top

slab splits.



Now position the winch yoke. Center it on the

butt end o f the log so that the outside pulleys

are 1 in. or 2 in. below the top can t mark on

the vertic al index line (1). Mount the yokewith washered lag bolts .

Drive the winch dogs into the top of the end

board (2). I t' s somet imes bes t to predril l the

end boards to keep the dogs f rom spl it ting

the wood.

Thread one end of the winch rope through

the double cheek b lock in the center of the

winch and out to an end block (3). Thread the

other end of the rope through to the remain-ing cheek block. You can remove the winch

handle so that as you pul l the ropes through

the yoke (4), the winch will not vibrate off it s

mounting. I f you don 't want to bother doing

this, just pull the ropes out a lit tle more slowly.


1

2

3



When you're down at the mill end of the log,

thread the outside rope around the spacer

nut s and set it s eye over the winch button (1).

Then put back- the winch handle, if you removed it earlier, and winch this rope to a

light but snug tension (2).

Now s lip one end of the bridle rope over the

bridle button on the saw engine, and hook the

other end of the bridle rope to the eye on the

remote throttle attachment (3). The length of

the bridle rope should be abou t twice the dis

t ance between the bridle button and the

throttle eye. Gently take up the s lack in the

w inch rope (4), and thread it through thebridle rope so that it will pull the throttle

wide open before pulling the mill forward (5).

When you find the proper position, mark it

with a piece of tape. Try various posit ions for

a well-synchronized pull. As a guideline, the

length of rope going to the bridle button

should be shorter than the length of rope going

to the thrott le .


1

2



5

95



As var ious ropes knot differently, on ropes of

unknown material I use a double sheet bend

(1) for easy removal. On ropes I know, I usual-

ly use a single sheet bend with a loop (2). Idon't recommend using a metal hook instead

of a knot, because the hook cou ld whip back

at you if the rope were to break.

The piece of t ape t ha t marks the pos it ion o f

the winch rope on the bridle rope will soon

be pulled off. But the permanent kink the

knot leaves in the rope will help you realign

the next hookup for a synchronized pull (3).


1

2



When the winch is se t up, start the saw engine

and posit ion the counterweight (1). As you

start cranking the winch (2), the engine should

open up to full throttle. (You shouldn't have

to put heavy pressure on the winch handle .)

You will soon learn to coordinate engine

speed with winching speed. Check the tension

of the winch lines occasionally- rope break

age can be dangerous, so watch out fo r it.

To keep the top slab f rom sagging and pinch

ing th e bar, stop milling and place kerf

wedges on both sides of the cut as needed (3).

The number of wedges and their placement

will depend upon the weight of the slab .

Wedging can be done by your partner, if you

have one , but make sure he or she keeps both

hands fa r away from the chain. To stop mill-

ing, or if the saw sticks in th e cut, turn th e

winch handle backward quickly fo r several

rotations. This will stop th e pull and allow

the engine to return to idle.


Keep an eye on the guide rails of the mill to

be sure they remain flat on the guide plank,

and mill up to the last set of lag bolts (4).

Crank the w inch backward quickly to stop

milling, allow the engine to idle and then turn

the engine off.



3

1

Now set the winch dogs in to th e end of the

guide plank (3), replace the counterweight

and continue milling, add ing ker f wedges as

necessary (4). When the mill comes close to

the end of th e cut (5), remove the counter - 2weight, winch ropes and yoke (6).A final set of

kerf wedges will keep the top s lab f rom drop-

ping on the saw as the cut is completed (7).

Remove th e counterweight and winch, leav-

ing the ropes attached to th e engine. Pull the

guide plank forward to the next cutting posi-

tion (1). In the las t position, the plank shouldjust cover the end board (2). It's a good idea to

check th e lag bolts to make sure they haven't

been bent. With thi s sys tem you can cut any

leng th o f log, as long as you accurately set

the end boards and lags.




7

101



To begin the cut, position the adjustable entry

guide rail in th e center of th e slab (1). This

rail supports th e mill during exit and entry.

Start cut ting with the nose end of the bar,

keeping the guide rai ls f lat on the slab .


Set end dogs (2), or if you feel the top slab will

not cu rl up or twist, insert ker f wedges. Se t

up the winch (3), lifting up on the winch

handle as you drive or hand-pre ss t he f ront

dog into th e slab.



I don 't normally use the winch yoke on shal-

low cuts. I attach the winch rope to the bridle

rope at the engine end as when using the

yoke, but attach the nose-end rope by slip-ping the loop ove r the riser post (1).

Once the counterweight is in position, you can

start milling, setting kerf wedges as neces-

sary. Near the end of the cut, remove the coun

terweight and winch, and set the final wedges

(2). Complete the cut by swinging off or mill-

ing straight off-use whatever works best fo r

you to keep the final stages of the cut straight

(3). Experiment with different handholds to

find the most comfortable position (4).

Now gently take off the slabbed board (5).The

top slab of the log makes a good base for

stacking your wood as you continue to work.

Place it on the ground, support logs or level

timbers. For air-drying, I use l -in. -square

stickers, but sticker size depends on how fas t

you want the wood to dry. The larger the

sticker, the more ai r that circulates, and the

faster the wood dries. Swing t he s labbed

board onto the stickered top s lab (6).


1

2

3



6

11



2x12sNow we'll mill 2x12s. Begin by adjusting the

mill to cant width (12 in.). I f you intend to re-

saw th e 2x12s into 2x4s and 2x8s (p.126), ad-

just the mill to cant width plus saw kerf (here

% in.) (1). Kerf width varies with types of

cha in and nar rows as the chain is ground or

filed back. Measure for kerf width just behind

the sawbar when the saw is stopped in a cut.

Start to mill, set ting the end dogs after the

mill is well into the cut (2). Se t up the winch,

mount the counterweight and continue mill-

ing (3). I f you r mill has square guide rails,

they will scrape away the sawdust , but if

you r mill has roller guide rails, you' ll con-stantly have to sweep away the sawdust

ahead of them. Otherwise, the rol le rs will

ride up on the sawdust, resulting in an irreg

ular cut.

Insert kerf wedges as necessary and continue

milling to the end of the cut . Then remove the

winch and, after inserting the final two kerf

wedges, complete the cut by hand-milling, as

before (4). Check the cut for accuracy (5).


1

2



After the can t is turned, select and position

the end boards (p.84) (1). Screw in one bolt,

then square the board (2) and screw in the

second bolt. Double-check to be certain you

didn't disturb the square when screwing in

the second bolt.

Attach the string to the end boards, pulling it

taut. Mark and se t lag bol ts o f proper length

level to the bottom of the string, being careful

no t to select lags that will protrude into the

milling area-the length of the longest lag

bol t p lus the thickness of the guide plank and

angle iron must be less than the mill height

setting. Sight down the lag bolts to double

check level, then remove the s tr ing.


Next, mount the guide plank on an end board

and the lags (3), checking that the plank-is

supported properly. Measure and mark the

desired cut from the horizontal index line (4),

in this case, 6 in. Now measure from the top

of the guide plank to that mark, and adjus t

your mill to this measurement . Measure and

mark the other end of the log. This double

checks all previous calculations, shows the

exi t l ine of the saw and helps in positioning

the winch yoke.



4

117



Start the cut with the guide rai ls f lat on the

p lank and the thrust skid against th e side of

th e cant (1). Se t the end dogs, mount the

winch apparatus (2) and counterweight, andmill (3,4).

When you're finished, turn the slab, swinging

it across the cant, using felling wedges at th e

point of balance if necessary (5). Roll the slab

over and swing it back onto the cant. Block as

necessary to steady fo r milling.

From this slab we will mill one 2" x 12%"

board. Adjust the mill fo r a 2-in. cut and

move the entry guide rai l to the center of th eboard to support th e mill (6). Mill by hand un

til the saw is well into the cut. Se t kerf wedges

instead of dogs if you feel th e board won't

curl up too much (7). Then mount th e coun-

terweight and winch, and continue milling (8).


1

2

3



Noti ce how the winch rope, when used with

out the yoke on shallow cuts, spools unevenly

(1). To overcome uneven spooling, I replaced

the short bo lts on the winch with long ones

(2) to ac t as fairleads and help even out th e

spooling. Improvement of milling equipment

is an ongoing event, and as you read this

book, you'l l probably find many ways to im-

prove your equipment and the art of milling.

This simple modification certainly solved my

problem.

While we're on the subject , here is another

winch refinement. An adjustable winch

coupler, made of a short cord with knotted

ends (3), allows milling closer to the winch at

the end of the cut. This can replace the former

cross-over system (shown in photo 1). Wrap

the coupler around the winch ropes a few

times and tie it with a square knot (4) or three

or four half-hitches. Then attach t he winch

rope to the riser pos t for a direct pull (5).

When you 're a t the end of the cut , remove the

winch and counterweight, insert final kerf

wedges, and hand-mill out of the cut (6).


1

2

3



Swing of f the board (1), and mill all usable

lumber from the top slab (2,3). Swing the

boards onto a pile convenient for milling into

2x4s and 2x8s (4). Continue sawing 2-in.

boards fo r 2x12s or change the mill setting

for boards of different thickness.

Eventually, th e problem of the mill cutting

too close to the bedding logs will arise . Solve

this by elevating the cant with log supports.

To make them, cut two log blocks and mark

out a centerl ine on each. Then mark two par-

allellines equidistant f rom the center line (5).

This is one of the times an extra chainsaw

comes in handy, and it s bar makes a conve

nient straightedge and width gauge. Using

the marked lines as guides, saw out notches

(6). While you can do this freehand, you will

probably get better results using lines.


1

2

3



Position the notched blocks bes ide the re-

mainder of the cant (1), and swing one end at

a time (2), lifting with your legs and no t your

back. I f the cant is too heavy to move manual

ly, use jacks or other equipment. Then you're

ready to continue milling (3). I find it easier

to stack lumber by swinging each end, rather

than lifting the whole board at one t ime (4).

Readjust the mill to take a shallow last cut

(5). Very thin boards can be milled quite ac-

curately, but be sure to allow extra thickness

fo r final dressing.

Hand-milling is much less complicated thanthe winch system, but certainly more tedious.

I often hand-mill short and nar row cuts, but

find a day's work much easier with a winch. 1

Swing and stack th e final board from the re-

mainder of t he cant. Now you have a fine pile

of 2x12s (6).

2




2x4s and 2x8s

I f you want 2x4s and 2x8s, you can resaw

your 2x12s. F irs t measu re the comb in ed

width of the boards to be resawn (1). As you

will be s tacking these boards on edge, you

will need a base at least as wide as the com

bined width of the boards. Use th e wides t

slab (2) fo r a base, extending it s width with

crossboards if necessary.


Arrange narrow and bark-edged boards in the

center of the stack (3)and complete the assem-

bly with a heavy, clear-edged board on each

side. Use the modified jack or other device to

clamp the boards together securely (4). Posi-

tion the jack below the proposed cutting line

(in this case, the cutting line is 4 in. from the

top of the stack). Pound the board tops to

level, if necessary, as you c lamp the s tack to-

gether (5), then check with a square.



4

5

127



Now adjust the mill to a cutting height of 4 in.

and pos it ion the entry guide rail so it will

ride on a board in the center of the stack.

Start resawing (1). Insert kerf wedges when

the mill is well into the cut (2), and attach the

winching apparat us and counterweight (3).

You won' t need th e yoke fo r shal low cuts.

After milling, double-check fo r accuracy. No

tice how th e %-in. kerf allowance on the

2x12s lets you saw perfect 4-in. and 8-in.

boards (4). Restack th e boards fo r air-drying,

using s tickers between them (5). The remain

ing slab (6) makes a good weight.


1

2

3



129



Chapter 10

Box-Heart TimberBegin to mill a 12 x12 box-heart timber by

drawing vertical and horizontal index lines

through the heart center at the top and butt of

the log (1). Then center th e timber on the in

dex lines (2,3). Select your end boards: The top

measurement of this log was 2 in. less than

the butt, so I selected a 6-in. board for the butt

end and an 8-in. board fo r th e top. The 6-in.

board allowed adequate angle-iron clearance;

the 8-in. board took up th e 2-in. taper.

CHAPTER 10 More Precision Milling

Install and level the end boards (4), set the

string and mark for the supporting lags. Check

the leng th of the lags you select to make sure

they won't be in th e path of the first cut (5).

Install the bolts to string level, sight fo r

alignment (6), then remove the s tr ing.



3

6

131



Posit ion the guide plank, checking to see that

th e angle i rons rest securely on the end board

and lag bolts. Set mill height (1), then pull the

guide plank ou t to start the cu t and begin mill-

ing. Set the end dogs, mount th e counter-

weight and winching unit (2), and mill to the

end of th e guide plank, adding kerf wedges as

necessary. Slide the plank to the next position

and finish milling.

/


Remove the kerf wedges and end dogs and flip

th e slab to inspect the cut (3). I f you want to,you can make unedged lumber f rom this slab.



Now turn th e log so that it s straightest side is

on top and the mil led surface is approximate-

ly vertical (1). Block the log to prevent it from

rolling over. Set up this surface fo r milling,making sure that you bolt th e end boards

square to the slabbed side of th e log (2). Mill

(3,4,5,6,7), then remove the s lab (8).

1

2




For th e third cut, adjust your mill to th e bot-

to m line. Hold th e forward guide rail do wn

firmly as yo u enter th e cut for an accurate

start (1). B e fo r e y o u start a down a n d f or w ar d

push, you c an c ha ng e your hand to a more

comfortable position. Mill th e cant (2), adding

k er f w e d g e s as necessary. Yo u can mill

through support blocks as long as their actual

p oi nt o f support is below t he c ut ti ng line (3),

but watch out in c as e t he sawbar pinches o r

th e log starts to roll.

CHAPTER 10 Mo re Precision Milling

1

2



When the cu t is complete, pull the cant off the

bottom slab and onto the bedding logs (1), and

move the bottom slab out of the way. Roll the

cant barkside down and block it (2). The mill

setting remains the same for this next cut. Note

th e smooth cutt ing surface that results from

sharp, properly tensioned ripping chain (3).


When milling is done, rol l the timber off the

bottom slab. From this timber (4), it is pos-

sible to make edge-grain (quartersawn) lum-

ber by milling the timber into quarters along

the index lines, then milling each quarter as

shown (5).But quartersawing like this isn't ef-

ficient, because to ge t a worthwhile amount

of edge-grain lumber, you have to start with

large logs. I prefer the sys tem described in

the next section.



MillingQuartersawn

Lumber

6th cu t

4th cut - " - - -

2nd cu t - - -;;..

4

139



Quartersawn LumberMy quartersawing system requires an extra

edg ing p roces s, but yields the maximum

amount of quar te rsawn lumber. Start by

drawing ve rtical and horizontal index lines

through the heart of the log at the top and

butt (1). Mount the end boa rds in the usual

manne r. I f you are milling a short log and feel

the guide plank will no t sag between end

boards , skip the supporting lags.

Now measure from the top of the guide plank

to the cente r of the horizontal index line. Sub

tract half th e width of the saw ker f f rom this

measurement and se t your mill to the new

measurement . I f you don't subtract half the

kerf width, the saw will cut below the center

of the line . Double-check that th e mill is set

correctly by measuring the dis tance f rom the

center of the chain drive links or bar groove

to the bo ttom of the guide rai l (2).


Slide the guide plank out fo r mill entry and

begin the cu t (3). I f you want to save the t ime it

takes to mount the winch and its accessories,

mill by hand . But if you do , you'll have to en-

dure engine noise, exhaust and sawdust, as

well as the strain of holding the mill down

while moving it along . It's you r choice.



3

141



When the first cut is completed, set an end

dog on each end of the halved log, to one side

of the vertical index line (1). Roll the log over

to the second cutting position, and block orwedge it securely in place (2). Mount end

boards square to the vertical line (3), and in

stall lags fo r support if necessa ry . Then

mount the guide plank. Measure f rom the top

of the plank to the center of the horizontal

line and again subtract half the kerf width (4).

Adjust th e mill, double-checking to make

sure the measurement is correct. As you be

come experienced in making a good starting

cut, you won't need to overhang the guide

plank (5).

You'll end up with quartered cants (6). A true

hea rt cut will give you the pith of the log (7),

which can be removed by edging with a

homemade edger (pp. 180-182), bandsaw,

table saw, Skilsaw or radial-arm saw.


1

2

3



- - - -- -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Now set one of th e cants aside, and block th e

other in p o si ti o n f o r mi lling (1). Short, dou ble

headed spikes (2), d r iv e n a l on g th e edge of th e

c u t t in g p l at f or m , keep t he c an t from moving.Adjust th e mill to cut at th e d e si re d t h ic k ne ss

and st ar t to mi ll in a p r o gr e ssi o n o f alternate

sides (3).


Occasionally, yo u ma y have to mill t he s am e

side tw o o r m o re t im es to increase th e num

b er of longer, edge-grain boards (4). This is

o f te n n e c essa ry when th e heart center of th elo g is w el l o ff a v er a ge c e nt e r.



2

3

145



Slabsawn Lumber

One of the s imples t fo rms o f chainsaw lum

bermaking is straight slabbing. The boards

are left unedged and are easily s tacked and

stickered for air-drying. The yield is a full as-sor tment of flat-grain and edge-grain cuts.

Proceed using the milling methods described

in Chapter 9. When you've milled the top slab,

remove it and position it f lat s ide up as a base

for stacking (1). Place two or more st ickers on

the base (2). I usually use l-in.-square stickers,

but it's a good idea to look into systems used

by local sawmills and lumberyards .

Now mill th e r est of the slabs (3), allowing alittle extra thickness on each fo r planing and

sanding. A good stack of lumber and the sat

isfaction of a jo b well done ar e the results (4).


1

2

3



SPECIALTY MILLING



Chapter 11

Burls

The techniques I've just explained don 't l imit

you to milling only standard lumber. With dif-

ferent end-board and guide-plank setups, you

can easily mill lumber to special shapes and

with exotic grain patterns. Milling bur ls , for

example, is one of th e most delightful and ex-citing lumbermaking experiences. Burl s a re

abnormal outgrowths of trees, and th e unu

sual wood found in them can be used dra

matically in decorator slabs "and furniture.

When you take a saw to a burl (1), be especial

ly cautious, fo r although burls can reveal real

treasures, they are noto rious fo r hiding

rocks, sand and dir t -a l l hard on a chain.

Take several sharp chains to your site to en-

sure a good day's productivity.

After bucking th e burl to length, position it to

a convenient height and stabilize it for mill-

ing. Measure it s widest part (2) to make sure

you r mill can handle it.

CHAPT ER 11 Special Cuts

In milling burls, as in milling logs, you need a

flat top surface from which to mill th e wood.

For a guide plank, us e any s t ra ight board that

is at least a third th e width of th e burl and

strong enough to support th e mill. With an ax

or a chainsaw, e stablish th ree points on theburl that will suppor t the plank parallel to th e

cut you want to mak e (3). Then ta ck th e plank

at thos e poin ts with sho r t nail s (4).



3

4

151



Measure from the top of the plank to various

points along both sides of the burl to deter-

mine a cutting height out of the path of in

grown rocks (1). Adjust the mill and begin cutting cautiously (2), so as no t to damage the

chain severely if you strike a hidden rock. In

sert kerf wedges as necessary. Remove the top

slab (3) and pry it from the plank, removing

the nai ls .

For the next cut, again examine the outside 1

edges of the burl to determine a safe cutting

level (4).Don't forget to add in the thickness of

the guide plank when setting mill height. Tack

the plank to the burl and mill through the cut,using kerf wedges as needed (5). Remove the

slab from the plank. Notice the internal cavi-

ties that I've uncovered here (6); these often

house rocks and other abrasive materials.

2

3

CHAPTER 11 Special Cuts



Ovals

To mil l oval s labs , I use a modified end-board

system. I usually prop up th e log securely

with a notched suppo rt and then mount a

sho rt end board to level at the upper end ofthe log . At th e lower end, I mount a longer

board to level (1). These boards support th e

guide plank-tack it to th e short end board

with a couple of small nai ls (2), but leave th e

other end untacked to allow fo r mill exit.

Measure from the top of the plank to the de-

sired cut to calculate the mill setting (3), then

make the firs t cut (4,5,6).


1

2



Remove the milling accessories (1). You now

have a level surface from which to saw the re-

mainder of the log. Adjust th e mill to th e de -

sired height and make the next cut (2).The en-tr y guide rai l of th e mill is especially impor-

tant here fo r support (3); keep it flat on the

slab fo r a straight cut. As you continue mill-

ing, you'll eventually have to block the log in

a stable position (4).

Here are th e results (5).


1

2

3



3

159



4

5

161



Now flip th e top slab and inspect it for a us-

able knee (1). Wedge or block the slab in a

stable position (2) and adjust mill height to de-

sired knee thickness. Start th e cu t and inser tkerf wedges or set end dogs as necessary. Mill

past the center of the curve and insert another

pair of wedges (3). Insert a final pair of wedges

before completing th e cut (4). Repeat th e pro-

cess on th e other slab fo r a second knee.


1

2

3



163



An alternative knee-milling system is espe

cially useful on logs with sharp curves. Buck

the selected log to length (1), block it to a con-

venient height and draw a line through theheart centers on both of it s ends (2). Spike or

bolt long end boards of equal height and

wid th to the log. The tops of the boards

should be higher than the top surface of the

log; the bot toms should be placed on or

equidistant from the heart lines (3). Make

sure the boards a re level.


Mount a guide plank on the end boards. For

box-heart natural knees, measure f rom the top

of the guide plank to a point below the center

line that is half the thickness of the knee youwant (4). Se t your mill to this measurement.



3

4

165



To start th e cut, pass th e mill over the guide

p lank and around th e end board (1). Start to

mill, setting end dogs or kerf wedges as neces-

sary (2). Mill unt il you need to reposition theguide plank. Do this and complete th e cut (3).

Remove t he t op s lab and flip it, adjust th e mill

to the desired knee thickness and mill (4,5).


1

2



5

167



Safety is a major consideration. I t is especial

ly important to think about your pos ture and

footing when working with big wood. In this

photograph (1), I am shown standing a littleto the s ide of the saw-comfortable and well

balanced. I f the saw needs to be removed

quickly or if the log should move, I am in a

good position to react. Remember, if you have

to move sudden ly , keep the bar and chain

away from your legs.

I posi tion big logs using two modified jacks.

Once the first jack is se t at the maximum safe

height, set the second jack (2). Alternately se t

and remove the jacks unt il the log is the wayyou want it. A block, in front of th e third

workman's foot in this photo, is used to pre

vent the log f rom rol ling back.


You can mill big wood efficiently with a 4-ft.

mill, but mills this large should be either

custom-buil t or modified as discussed on

p.38. Even so, large mills can be trouble. Because the riser posts are fa r apart, they give

only minimal support to the sawbar and bar

sag becomes a real problem. And it's also dif

ficult to generate sufficient power when us

ing a large mill. Using two saw eng ines on

one mill isn't the answer as it's just about im

possible to synchronize them.

When mil ling big wood, I usually use a modi

fied, 4-ft. Alaskan mill coupled to a Stihl 090

engine with a double-headed Cannon bar (3).The Granberg Helper Handle, which is at

tached to the bar end, gives your partner

something to hold on to.



Recently I have had great success with a Stihl

090G (gear drive) saw, especially on logs over

2 ft. in diameter. The only problem was the

loss o f gear oil from the venting hole in thetop of the gear case cover with the saw in the

milling position. So I removed the cotter pin

and tapped the ven t hole to accommodate a

90° elbow and a short piece o f coppe r tube

stuffed with a foam fuel-filter element. With

out this modification, you have to check the

level of gear oi l constantly to guard against a

ruined gear case.

The guide-plank/end-board system discussed

on pp.76-78 works well with any size log(1,2,3). Homemade, square- tube end dogs,

bolted on with 3/s-in.-diameter lags (p. 54), se

cure the top slab here.

Although one-worker operations are possible, 1

a team of two workers is best. With one

worker on the winch and the other setting

wedges, the mill is kept cut ting and a day's

production is greatly increased.

Plastic felling wedges are invaluable for moving heavy cants. This cant is over 10 in. thick,

3 ft. wide and 24 ft. long (4). The wedge in the

foreground was d riven in to help start the

cant sliding as it pivoted on two wedges at

the weight center.

2




You can hold one end of the cant in place with

a small hatchet (1) while you pos it ion the

other end fo r lifting. Then, to keep the cant

from sliding, rep lace the hatchet with a lagbolt. Begin to lift with a jack positioned at the

weight center of the log (2). Use a block under

the jack to increase it s height. Wedge th e cant

with a block of wood (3) before you complete

the lift, and position the log with a jack. The

slabbed log makes an ideal working surface.

1How to stabilize this mass o f wood? Bol t the

cant to a nearby log, stump or t re e w ith a

small log, using washered lag bolts.

For production milling, it's a good idea to

have a smaller mill and bar as a companion to

the 4-ft. mill. This 2-ft. Mark II I (4) is modified

for bol ting to the bar, has standard thrust

skids and a winching button. I f you use the

same saw engine for both mills, make sure to

couple each new chain to a new sprocket to

prolong the life of the chain.

During the mil ling, log ramps assist in the 2

safe movement of s labs from the cant (5,6).

3




6

175



Quartering a LogI f you want to mill very large trees, you will

have to quarter the log first. Do this either by

splitting the log with steel wedges and wooden

gluts, or by freehand ripping with a chainsaw.

The drawing (1) shows how to split a log. To

begin, mark vertical and horizontal index

lines through the heart center of th e butt of

the log. I f you find a major check, draw the

vertical index line through it and make the

spl it there . I f no check exists, start one by

sledge-hammering a checking or steel split-

ting wedge at the top of the vertical line so

that it just s tarts to spl it the log. Remove the

wedge and position it so that it s to p corner isguided by and connected to the f ir st check.

Hammer it in until the wood just starts to

split, remove it and continue the process un-

til you get to the bottom of the line. Leave the

wedge in position at the bottom of the log fo r

the next stage of spl it ting . These shallow

checks will help the log split accurately along

the line.


Now start a steel splitting wedge in the top of

the check. Add other wedges at short dis-

tances below it. Pound each wedge in a short

way, then go back and pound each in farther,

repeating the process until al l the wedges are

driven home and the log begins to split. Com-

p le te the spl it u sing wooden gluts. Start the

first glut into the split on the top of the log.

Use more between the steel wedges. Drive the

gluts in gradual ly unt il the wedges loosen.

As the top of the log begins to split, start

gluts in to the log's length. Double up on the

gluts to complete the split. Repeat the process

to quarter th e halves. Use a chainsaw to cu tbinding splinters or red irec t an offline split.



For milling, block up a quarter (1) with one

split side level. Mount end board s and lag

bolts to support the guide plank, and mill of f

the split side. Now roll the log so that the remaining split side is level, set th e end boards

square to th e freshly milled surface and mill.

Now you're ready to quartersaw or flatsaw

the quarters .


On logs that don 't spl it readily or accurately,

or on logs that are curved or knotty, I use a

chainsaw to cut down a chalked line running

the length of the log between the tops of thevertical index lines. I f the saw won't reach al l

the way through the log, you may have to rol l

it over to complete the cut, or use wedges and

gluts to spl it the remaining wood.

This 52-ft. Sitka spruce log (2) was quartered,

then quartersawn to be used in the box spar

of a sailboat.



Chapter 12

Homemade EdgerThere aren't many types of specialty mills on

the market today, so I've designed a few that

can be built in the home shop. The vertical

edger is handy fo r cutting to depth, circle cut

ting and edging boards. Make it from two

pieces of 3" x 12" channel iron and two piecesof 1Y2" x2" flat s tock iron bol ted together (3).

The edger is mounted to an edging table (a

s lab of wood will do) that is nailed down se-

curely (1). Center a short, straight line just a

little longer than the width of your sawbar

across the table for a sawbar slot (2).It's impor

tant to have ample room on both sides of the

table to support the edger when it's mounted

on the saw. Plunge-cut t he s lot w it h the nose

of the bar (4). Then mount th e edger, clampingthe bar between the sandpapered mounts (5).

Use the shortest bar you have that will handle

the work. You can u se either crosscutting or

ripping chain, but for product ion milling, I

recommend new modified ripping chain.

This setup is dangerous, so it's smart to use

the adjustable, clamp-on safety guard shown

in the d raw ing , even with a short bar. The

guard is of f in the following photos so you can

see how the vertical edger is used.

CHAPTER 12 Specialty Mills

1

2



Lower the bar into th e slot (1) unt il the edger

rests squarely on the table. Bolt the edger to

t he tabl e using four %-in. lags (2).

Now mount the edger table to a stump with

the sawbar up (3), using four washered lag

bolts. I use this sys tem for sma ll j obs, remov

ing the table f rom the stump fo r refueling. (A

tankful of fuel will cut several hundred feet of

lumber.) You could also attach th e edger table

to sawhorses for portability and to eliminate

t he need to dismount the saw for refueling.

To edge quartersawn boards, first measure

fo r desired board width (4). Then, for a fence,position a dressed guide plank the distance of

t ha t measurement away from the sawbar.

Measure fr om the inside edge of a chain cut- 1

ter on both sides of t he bar to make sure the

fence is straight (5). Clamp or nail down the

fence securely (6).

Start the eng ine with th e throttle locked in

the starting position. This half-open setting is

adequate for edging most lumber. Or you can

use the remote throt tle at tachment used inwinch-milling .

Edge the boards (7), readjusting th e fence as

necessary. For slabsawn boards, I mark a cut

t ing l ine wi th chalk and remove the first edge

freehand, then proceed using the fence.

2




Precision Depth CutsThis is a good way to make some of the cuts

necessary in timber joinery. Begin by mark-

ing th e line of cut (1). Mount the edger so that

the sawbar prot rudes to the desired depth .Then measure th e wid th o f th e edge r (2), and

center it on the cu t line (3). Tack or clamp

short guide boards along th e marks (4). Enter

the cu t with th e bottom of the edger level on

the top of the timber (5), and exit the cut in th e

same way (6).

CHAPTER 12 Specialty Mil ls

1

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3



·l



2x4 MillAn accurate and inexpensive mill (1) can be

built from a dressed 2x4, tw o feet of Y in .

threaded rod, four Y in . flat washers, si x Y in .

nuts, and a fe w scraps of 2x2s and plywoodf or s pa ce rs . Us e s ev er al t hi ck n es se s of ply

wood, such as 14 in., %in., 112 in., %in. and % in.,

so you can set cutting h e ig h t a c cu r a te l y.


Drill tw o lh-in. holes in th e b ar of your chain-

s aw f or m ou nt in g. Lock together tw o of th e

nuts on the bottom e nd s o f t he threaded rods .

Drill tw o Y in . holes in th e 2x4 guide rail, usin g th e b ar h ol es a s a template. You ca n sub-

stitute a dressed 2x6 o r a w i de r b o a rd f or th e

2x4 if yo u wish.



To mill a square t imber with the 2x4 mill, first

se t up the end boards and guide plank. Deter

mine mill height by measuring f rom the top of

the guide plank to where you want to make

the first cut (1). Assemble the mill with the

necessary number of spacers, positioning the

skid block below the bar with a regular block

to keep the chain from pinching the skid.

Stack surplus spacers above th e guide rail (2)

and secure the assembly with a flat washer

and nut. Double-check cutting height by

measuring f rom the edge of an ins ide tooth to

the bottom of th e guide rai l (3).


Mill through the first cut, as described on

pp . 90-100 (4). For the second cut, lay the guide

plank back on top of the slab. Because the 2x4

mill has only one guide rail, you need to use

the p lank with every cut to control th e mill

during exit and entry. Reassemble the mill to

adjust for your dep th of cu t, pos iti on ing the

skid block above the bar with a regular spacer

block in between (5) so that th e skid will ride

against the log during milling. The blocks

next to the bar should be chamfered on one

side so they can't interfere with the chain.

Double-check mill height after torquing down

the top nuts, then mill, using end dogs and

kerf wedges (6).



Now se t th e cant on edge and ins ta ll the end

boards (1). Adjust the mill to th e correct

height and mill through th e third cut, then the

final cut (2). Here is the completed timber (3).


1

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- - - - - - - ---- - - - - - - -_ .. - - - - - - ~ - - ~ - - - - - - - -

Mini-MillMini-mills, which are available through many

chainsaw dealers, work with the saw in a ver

tical position . To use one, you need a guide

plank made from a straight board and th e 4-ft.aluminum track sections that come with th e

mill (1). Th e mill does a reasonably good job of

milling sm a ll l og s, but I wouldn't recommend

it fo r se r i o u s lumbermaking. I t does do a nice

jo b of e d g in g (2) and, with an adjustable r ip

fence (3), is useful for ripsawing to width (4). A

va riety of freehand cuts (5) is al so possible.

1

2

CHA PTER 12 Specialty Mills



Angle MillI designed t hi s m il l to edge standard lumber,

to mill a ng l ed l um be r, and to make straight,

angled and complex-angled precision depth

cuts fo r timber joinery. You can m ake thismill from materials a va il ab le f r om m e ta l a nd

machine-hardware supp ly houses (1).

CHAPTER 12 Special ty Mills

You'll need a hacksaw..a drill press w i t h d r il l s

up to liz in., a be l t sander, lf4-in. an d %-in. taps,

and a n e le c tr ic welder ( t ho u gh b r a zi n g can be

substituted fo r we lding if yo u prefer).



To u se th e mill, m o u n t the sa wb a r to the de-

s i red cutting depth, then cu t tw o pi ece s of sand-

p a p e r t wi ce t he size o f th e clampi ng pads (1).

Fo ld t he p ie ce s a nd i ns er t the m between th e

pads and th e b a r to hold the ba r in place.

Secu r e th e b a r by tighte ni ng the b o l ts evenly

on the an g le he a d, t ak i n g c a r e no t to over

t igh ten (2). Tigh te n bo th an g le-ad ju s tmen t

n u t s (3) a f t e r positioning the b a r to th e angle

yo u want. Wit h this mill, a great n u m b e r of in-

b o a r d and o u t b o a r d cutting po s itio ns a re pos

sible, as s h o w n in th e ph o tographs (4,5,6).


1

2



Timber NotchesTh e an gl e mill (1) let s you cut notches o f al l

ang le s and depths from e it he r s id e of a timber

(2,3). When cu tt in g th e s ides o f th e not ch , th e

outside s lide rail act s a s a fence against th eedge of the timber (4). Mak e sure th e slide

rail s are a lways parallel to each other.1

2




The last cut, which frees th e notch wood, is

made with t he saw held vertically in th e mill.

Adjust th e mill whi le holding one side of a

square against th e sawbar and the other sideacr os s the slide rails (1). Loosen the angle

head bol ts wi th a wrench (2), adjust the saw to

depth (3) and t ighten the bol ts . Mark th e cut

and th e placement of the guide plank (4).

Double-check the p lank befor e nailing or

clamping it in place (5).


1

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Mill carefully (1), pushing the mill forward

smoothly and steadily. Keep both hands away

fr om the chain. Be sure tha t the bar is com-

pletely out of the cut and the chain is stopped

before you lift the mill off th e guide plank.


You can mill from both sides of the guide

plank if you make it a width that is suitable

fo r multiple cuts (2). For cuts like these (3),

and for most timber joinery, I use standard

crosscu t t ing chain.



2

3

207



Chapter 13

Once you start to make your own lumber, you

begin to notice usable wood everywhere you

go. For example, I found these logs (1)washed

up on a beach in the middle of a large city. I

know a man who built most of his house from

discarded powerl ine poles, which yieldedbeautiful, dry fir and cedar boards . Don 't

overlook existing timbers and beams ei ther -

resawing them often yields surprising

resul ts . You 're not restricted to milling only

standing trees.

Epilogue

I f you mill your own wood, you 're not limitedto working with the sizes and species avail

able at the lumberyard. Gilbert Cook, of Alert

Bay, B.C., makes sure he gets attractive grain

patterns for his mandolins (2) by milling the

spruce, maple and rosewood himself. (Usingmy sys tem, Cook is also rebuilding a 65-ft .

boat with milled lumber.) And although over

sized t imbers such as these (3) can be difficult

to find commercially , they are ea sy to make

with a chainsaw.



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211



The Haida Indian Band Museum (1), in Ski de

gate, B.C., is housed in a building constructed

totally of milled wood. George Dyson, of loco,

B .C., planked the inside of his baidarka,The Mount Fairweather, with 40-£1. Sitka

spruce that he milled himself (2). It's incredi-

ble to look at, on and of f the water (3). And

Alfie Collinson, also of Skidegate, B.C., uses

milled yellow cedar slabs as the raw material

for his sculptures (4).

Epilogue

With a chainsaw, a few tools and imagination,

the possibilities of lumbermaking ar e end

less. What more can I say?



Editor: Laura Cehanowicz Tringali

Designer: Roger Barnes

Layout, Illustration, Cover Design: Lee Hochgraf Hov

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chainsaw lumber making

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