I have several curved logs of some poplar-related hardwood that would
make a wonderfully artistic frame around the door or even interior
supports of a small building, such as a sauna.
My question is how to slab them. My chainsaw (and, for that matter,
handsaw) ripping technique is imprecise to say the least, and I can't
imagine wrangling these onto my 12-inch band saw and getting anything
resembling a straight cut. One of those portable mills would do the job,
but the cost of renting or hiring one for so few cuts is prohibitive.
Anybody have any ideas I'm overlooking?
"Wolf Lahti" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have several curved logs of some poplar-related hardwood that would
> make a wonderfully artistic frame around the door or even interior
> supports of a small building, such as a sauna.
>
> My question is how to slab them. My chainsaw (and, for that matter,
> handsaw) ripping technique is imprecise to say the least, and I can't
> imagine wrangling these onto my 12-inch band saw and getting anything
> resembling a straight cut. One of those portable mills would do the job,
> but the cost of renting or hiring one for so few cuts is prohibitive.
>
> Anybody have any ideas I'm overlooking?
Couple of options. First, you can do a search for a product called an
Alaskan Saw Mill. It's a frame that a chain saw bolts into and the
frame/saw combination ride on a log (actually, ride on a 2by which is nailed
to the log), and enables you to make cuts down the log such that you can
turn a log into lumber. You only ride on the 2by for the first cut and then
the rig rides on the previously cut side. These rigs are really pretty
accurate, as far as saw mills go. Even as we discuss this my neighbor is
using one to mill red pine for a log home. I live in a log home myself and
I was looking at his logs the other day and they are every bit as good as
the commercial logs. Quite a neat little rig. Cost - around $200.00 if
you're looking to buy one, or you may be able to rent one from a nearby
chain saw sales/repair facility. Caveat - you need a fairly beefy chainsaw
if you're going to do much of this work. A saw that is under 2cid might not
have the required power for this work.
Second option - I've done this myself in the past when I've needed some
extra logs for different things. Nail a sacrificial 2by to the log such
that the edge of the 2by runs along the line you want to cut. Use the 2by
as a guide bar for your chainsaw. You'll find that you can pretty easily
hold your saw so that it runs true along the edge of the 2by. You'll scrape
up the 2by to the point that it's pretty ugly doing this, since the sides of
the cutters will tear at it with each pass, but you'll be surprised at how
well a simple 2by keeps you holding your saw straight and produces a good
cut. For a small amount of work, this is all I'd do.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
Fri, Jul 23, 2004, 12:44pm (EDT+4) [email protected]
(Mike=A0Marlow) says:
Couple of options. First, you can do a search for a product called an
Alaskan Saw Mill. <snip>
If he's gonna do that, there's plans for similar type rigs free,
should be a couple in the archives.
JOAT
Expensive tennis shoes won't cure a sore toe.
- Bazooka Joe
Thu, Jul 22, 2004, 6:45pm (EDT-3) [email protected] (Wolf=A0Lahti)
claims:
<snip> hiring one for so few cuts is prohibitive. <snip>
Depends. I understnd some saw owners will take wood as payment.
Never hurts to ask.
JOAT
We've got a lot of experience of not having any experience.
- Nanny Ogg
On 23 Jul 2004 19:16:38 -0700, [email protected] (Phil Crow)
wrote:
>Tim Douglass <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>> If you're going to do much work with an Alaskan mill I'd recommend
>> trying to find a ripping chain rather than the normal chain. They
>> really do make a difference and will yield a much better surface as
>> well.
>>
>> Tim Douglass
>>
>> http://www.DouglassClan.com
>
>I've heard that there's a way to sharpen a standard chainsaw chain so
>that it will do ripping duty. Has anyone else seen/heard this?
>
>-Phil Crow
yes. here's a page about it:
http://www.granberg.com/ripchain.html
note that ripping chains are very "grabby" and really want to kick
back....
Wolf Lahti <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Anybody have any ideas I'm overlooking?
I use a big Japanese _hand_ rip saw (anahiki ?)
The effort of sawing is less than the effort of getting the sled /
clamping right to saw it by machine.
Wolf Lahti wrote:
> I have several curved logs of some poplar-related hardwood that would
> make a wonderfully artistic frame around the door or even interior
> supports of a small building, such as a sauna.
>
> My question is how to slab them. My chainsaw (and, for that matter,
> handsaw) ripping technique is imprecise to say the least, and I can't
> imagine wrangling these onto my 12-inch band saw and getting anything
> resembling a straight cut. One of those portable mills would do the job,
> but the cost of renting or hiring one for so few cuts is prohibitive.
>
> Anybody have any ideas I'm overlooking?
Here's one idea:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/tresl39.html
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
(Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)
Shipwrights carve curved pieces to fit using an adze. Note the
shipwrights adze has small flanges on the sides and the handles were
bent or straight, made for working from right. left or centre. These
flanges allow better control, versus the carpenters adze, which is
flat. WEAR STEEL TOED BOOTS WHEN USING AN ADZE.
I would use the adze to roughly flatten the side where it lies on the
ground. Then put the peice up on saw horses and use a straight edge
and power plane to get closer to a flat surface. Check the progress
with winding boards as your eye will play tricks on you with a curved
surface. Finish with a door plane.
For doing the upper and inner curves I would use the adze again then a
spoke shave.
Boatman
On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 18:45:45 -0700, Wolf Lahti <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I have several curved logs of some poplar-related hardwood that would
>make a wonderfully artistic frame around the door or even interior
>supports of a small building, such as a sauna.
>
>My question is how to slab them. My chainsaw (and, for that matter,
>handsaw) ripping technique is imprecise to say the least, and I can't
>imagine wrangling these onto my 12-inch band saw and getting anything
>resembling a straight cut. One of those portable mills would do the job,
>but the cost of renting or hiring one for so few cuts is prohibitive.
>
>Anybody have any ideas I'm overlooking?
Wolf Lahti wrote:
>
> I have several curved logs of some poplar-related hardwood that would
> make a wonderfully artistic frame around the door or even interior
> supports of a small building, such as a sauna.
>
> My question is how to slab them. My chainsaw (and, for that matter,
> handsaw) ripping technique is imprecise to say the least, and I can't
> imagine wrangling these onto my 12-inch band saw and getting anything
> resembling a straight cut. One of those portable mills would do the job,
> but the cost of renting or hiring one for so few cuts is prohibitive.
>
> Anybody have any ideas I'm overlooking?
TimberJig - bolts onto body of chain saw. Go here and find
Timber Jig in left frame. Have one on my Stihl and got the
ripping bar and chain for it to cut down on the kerf width.
http://www.logosol.com/
charlie b
Phil Crow wrote:
> I've heard that there's a way to sharpen a standard chainsaw chain so
> that it will do ripping duty. Has anyone else seen/heard this?
>
It's not just the shape of the teeth but also the chain AND the bar as
well
- chain's narrower as is the bar. Narrower kerf, less material to
remove, less power required - like a thin kerf table saw blade. Rip
bar and chain for Stihl 25C was about $60.
charlie b
On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 13:00:56 -0700, charlie b <[email protected]>
vaguely proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:
remove ns from my header address to reply via email
Well I hope their products are good. Their site is weird.
Ask for the catalogue
"hi there. We sell Logosol. How are you?"
Ask for the timberjig manual and the file is called blah catalog.xxx
>
>TimberJig - bolts onto body of chain saw. Go here and find
>Timber Jig in left frame. Have one on my Stihl and got the
>ripping bar and chain for it to cut down on the kerf width.
>
>http://www.logosol.com/
>
>charlie b
*****************************************************
It's not the milk and honey we hate. It's having it
rammed down our throats.
My Woodmizer mill man charges $35/hr, which is pretty reasonable. Your
trouble is the travel and setup for a few logs. My man also works at home.
So you need to find someone working stationary, or at another job, and carry
your logs there. It's hard to handle curved logs, especially short ones,
but it can be done and the cuts are fine. We just did several small walnut
logs, some curved, only 4' long. It made a nice pile of boards, 3-8" wide
and took just under an hour for four logs. I guess there were close to 75
BF.
Wilson
"Wolf Lahti" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have several curved logs of some poplar-related hardwood that would
> make a wonderfully artistic frame around the door or even interior
> supports of a small building, such as a sauna.
>
> My question is how to slab them. My chainsaw (and, for that matter,
> handsaw) ripping technique is imprecise to say the least, and I can't
> imagine wrangling these onto my 12-inch band saw and getting anything
> resembling a straight cut. One of those portable mills would do the job,
> but the cost of renting or hiring one for so few cuts is prohibitive.
>
> Anybody have any ideas I'm overlooking?
On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 12:44:44 GMT, "Mike Marlow"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Couple of options. First, you can do a search for a product called an
>Alaskan Saw Mill. It's a frame that a chain saw bolts into and the
>frame/saw combination ride on a log (actually, ride on a 2by which is nailed
>to the log), and enables you to make cuts down the log such that you can
>turn a log into lumber. You only ride on the 2by for the first cut and then
>the rig rides on the previously cut side. These rigs are really pretty
>accurate, as far as saw mills go. Even as we discuss this my neighbor is
>using one to mill red pine for a log home. I live in a log home myself and
>I was looking at his logs the other day and they are every bit as good as
>the commercial logs. Quite a neat little rig. Cost - around $200.00 if
>you're looking to buy one, or you may be able to rent one from a nearby
>chain saw sales/repair facility. Caveat - you need a fairly beefy chainsaw
>if you're going to do much of this work. A saw that is under 2cid might not
>have the required power for this work.
If you're going to do much work with an Alaskan mill I'd recommend
trying to find a ripping chain rather than the normal chain. They
really do make a difference and will yield a much better surface as
well.
Tim Douglass
http://www.DouglassClan.com
Tim Douglass <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> If you're going to do much work with an Alaskan mill I'd recommend
> trying to find a ripping chain rather than the normal chain. They
> really do make a difference and will yield a much better surface as
> well.
>
> Tim Douglass
>
> http://www.DouglassClan.com
I've heard that there's a way to sharpen a standard chainsaw chain so
that it will do ripping duty. Has anyone else seen/heard this?
-Phil Crow
On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 18:45:45 -0700, Wolf Lahti wrote:
> Anybody have any ideas I'm overlooking?
IIRC there is a clamp-on thingie to guide a chainsaw bar. I doubt if it's
as accurate as a proper mill, but it might be better than slicing freehand.
You might take a gander at http://www.loghelp.com/tools/chainsaw.html . It
offers both a larger and a smaller version.
Bill
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