# Alaska Chainsaw Mill questions



## RedArrow (Jan 19, 2011)

Seeing all of the beautiful slabs you guys have milled has given me the milling bug BAD! I want to get started asap, and for now using and then possibly buying a buddies Alaskan is my only choice. How well do these rigs work? I have access to plenty of powerful chainsaws. Just wondering how much of a pain these are to set up and use. He has had a few sour things to say about it, but I know a guy with a bit more patience and skill could make a difference. Anybody use these?


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## woodtick greg (Sep 12, 2011)

i have a great deal of experiance with one of these, you hit on one key word, patience, they are very slow on the big hard logs even with a sharp chain. on the plus side i have gotten some awesome lumber for my time and a few gallons of oil and gas. i recomend at least a 100 cc saw powerhead if you will be running a long say 36" bar. i use mine mostly for urban logs, i can usually get the big logs that no one wants do deal with because they are so heavy, i just mill em where they fall.
and yes i do get those bib beautiful slabs, with a 36" bar i am able to mill up to 32" wide, it is very physical and can wear on you but the lumber makes it worth it!:smile: milling urban logs you will hit nailson ocasion, i just chisel or chain saw them out, you will aquire a feel for it and know when you hit them and pull back the mil when it happens, i usually dont destroy my chain and can keep going, worst case senario a few strokes with a chain file and back in buiseness. speaking of chain you will need a milling chain, i get mine from bailey's.


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## woodtick greg (Sep 12, 2011)

how long is the mill that you are looking at and what size cc power heads do you have? this is probably where we should start. do you have slabing brackets for your first cut? do you know what a slabing bracket is and how to use them? if not i can help you with this. these two topics is where we should start.:yes:


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## RedArrow (Jan 19, 2011)

I've only seen it, never used it, totally new to milling besides just cutting down the middle of a log. I have a Stihl 440, which is 71cc. And I can get a 660, and 880. I don't know the cc on those. So I have that covered.


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## woodtick greg (Sep 12, 2011)

how long would you estimate the attachment is or what size bar do you intend to run? with milling always go with the biggest power head you can.


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## RedArrow (Jan 19, 2011)

I'm thinkin 40"-48"? It's been a while. Anyways I plan to start out with smaller logs. So I'm thinkin my 440 with a 20". Then work up to bigger stuff


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

Get the biggest engine you can afford. Simple as that. After that, go slow and be aware of the ridiculous amount of waste from this method of milling. Piles and piles of sawdust you won't believe.


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## RedArrow (Jan 19, 2011)

Oh I know about ripping saw "shreds" I work for a tree service and sometimes have to pie up big logs to move them. I come across tons of nice useable logs so the waste isn't too big of a deal


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## woodtick greg (Sep 12, 2011)

the 440 may be underpowered for milling , it may work but will be very slow, what turns most people off to chainsaw milling is that it is so very slow, try it with a too small power head and you will probably be very disapointed, trust me on this one.if you were to start out small i would recomend a 24" bar as you will loose a few inches from the mounting brackets for the milling attachment. frank makes a good point about the sawdust, i run a 440 ripping chain on my mill and it makes about a 1/4" kerf. so for every 4 boards i cut i loose one to waste, but i get the logs for free and keep them from being turned into firewood or going to a landfill which is more wastefull imo.i run a 40" bar that gives me about a 32" cut as i have an aux oiler and helper handle with a roller in handle. I have milled logs 40 to 50" by turning the log as i go. make a few cuts till the width of the mill is maxed out, roll it, repeat, and so on. if you can get the 880 go for it, with chainsaw milling power is everything!


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## pwoller (Dec 12, 2010)

I have the 36 inch mill and have used a 2100cd and an 066 on hardwood and both do fine. Just take your time and make sure that the stihl is getting enough oil on the bar. Also that the chain your using is the right degree and sharpness. That makes a huge diffrence.


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## kpantherpro (Oct 3, 2011)

as a maker of chainsaw mills www.pantherpros.com i thought i'd chime in and hopefully help you make a decision, first milling is addictive, you've been warned, your 440 will do fine for now but i wouldn't plan on doing alot of logs over 20", i have a 440/25" bar, i run skip chain and usually mill 18" and less with it, i have run this saw through 1000's of board feet, and it's still running strong, just run it rich, let it warm up and cool, and try not to run it full throttle, usually with a properly sharpened chain, you'll find it cuts best at about 3/4 throttle, and keep moving smooth and steady, you'll get some really nice cuts that way. the chainsaw mill has some advantages in that it is a great "bang for the buck" and extremely portable, alot of my customers use these to reclaim fallen trees in forests where trailers aren't allowed, they'll cant or slab these to smaller dimensions they can handle and haul them out that way. good way to get valuable wood for next to nothing, so if you go that road you'll get an opportunity to mill alot of differant species of lumber, also beware of the used alaskan's since they are made from aluminum they do have the tendancy to fatigue and start to wander, this is the biggest complaint my customers make about the alaskan, so if you are considering a mill i would go with a double clamp design, your cuts will be alot more accurate less wandering, if your set on the alaskan i would buy new, or try a design such as my panthermill 2 which was designed and built to exceed the performance of other mills costing twice as much, to give you the best possible chainsaw milling experience.


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## RedArrow (Jan 19, 2011)

Thanks for the comment PantherPro. I checked out your website and liked what I saw. I have also heard about the Alaskans problems, and am not set on buying one by any means. For now my needs are a mill to run up to a 32" bar on my 660. So going by your product info I would want the 36"? And it looks like I should probably have an aux oiler for the 32"?

One suggestion I have for your website... Videos! I'd love to see it in action. 

Thanks for the help, and by the way... I know it's addictive, I'm not even doing it yet and can't wait! I work for a tree service and have access to a lot of different wood, and I always think of what a shame it is when we cut firewood logs or chip what could be quality boards.


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## Manuka Jock (Jun 27, 2011)

Go for the 660 or the 880 , or both .
The 880 for the mill and the 066 for cross cutting etc .

Look after your knees and back .


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## Manuka Jock (Jun 27, 2011)

frankp said:


> .... go slow and be aware of the ridiculous amount of waste from this method of milling. Piles and piles of sawdust you won't believe.


 Yep , and it gets every where , and I mean everywhere .

Lay a groundsheet well away from the milling area , and set out your tools and other stuff on half of that , and flip the other half over the gear . 
Sawdust in your lunch is hard in the digestion :furious:


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## Jfore (Dec 26, 2010)

We run a 60" double ended with twin 660's on it. We have slabbed trees up to 60" and all sorts of shapes. If you are going to chainsaw mill I would suggest going big. It is where the money is. We generally get the wood that no one else can handle. Our bandsaw mill can cut to 29" and over that we used the csm. We use a 404 and I keep 4 sharp chains. Like everyone else has stated, patience is key! Make sure your chain is sharp, bar is straight and not spread, guides are all same height, air filter is clean, gas is full, ear protection, eye protection, dust mask, etc. Wedges, hammer, chisel, extra saw for trimming, pipes to roll slabs, and the list goes on and on. 

I suggest you make a trip and experience this with someone that can show you the ropes. It can be an expensive learning curve. 

Best time to do this is in cold weather. You will get hot!


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## RedArrow (Jan 19, 2011)

Yet ANOTHER question... Is there any way to set csm's up for cookies? The bigger ones I can see, but how about down to 8-9"dia?


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## Jfore (Dec 26, 2010)

Upright bandsaw with a sled.


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## kpantherpro (Oct 3, 2011)

let's see if i can answer a few questions, first you will want to save your back so yes, get your logs up off the ground, if you don't have equiptment/tractor, use logs that are about 8-12" and start longer to shorter to make a step system to get the log to a comfortable working height the ramp system works well too, make it long enough so that you can prep and mill a couple logs at once, in essence your eliminating alot of redundant steps by doing it all at once, this will increase your output dramatically, also i use the butts or stumps to set my tools up on so i don't have to reach to the ground for anything. thier is alot of sawdust flying, but if you where the proper gear, sawdust" infiltratement" should be kept to a minimum...lol. if you plan on milling anything over 30" an oiler is highly recommended, you'll want to mount it on the return side just after the tip, usually right at the clamp of the csm will work nicely. and if milling pine a generous solution of pinesol and water works good at keeping the gunk from building up, i've heard soaking your chains overnite in kerosine works well too, but i always forget to try it. i don't do pine too much, although i have some bueatiful straight pines on my property that may one day come down, someday. jfore is correct in that this can become an expensive hobby/venture, but if you look at the cost of a bandmill, your still way under that for a one that will cut as well as a csm(meaning cut quality, not speed) and to just test the waters to see if you like it your looking at maybe another $200-$400( depending on csm, misc. gear and chains you don't have) to get started. but on the plus side he can take the lumber and pretty much sell it to any cabinet shop, custom homebuilder, furniture maker, lumber mill or even list it on craigslist to make his money back, this is how a few of my customers stumbled into pretty lucrative side businesses. and yes you will learn alot of pointers from someone who's been there and already done it, but as long as everythuing is tuned, sharp, and tight, you'll be fine if you have to go it on your own. as far as cookies, wooden nickels, etc. an H shaped skid bar will make it easy to do those, kinda like the one on my panthermills, you should be able to see what I'm talking about if you click on the image on my site, or even a csm like my panthercub mill set up to act as a miter saw would do nicely, or a very large miter saw would work too but you might need to rotate the log a few times to get all the way through, some can also do freehand, but if your looking for accuracy, mechanical may be best. it really depends on the quantity you want to do them in.
I have to commend everyone here who has responded, all very good helpful answers, with a support group like you all in place "redarrowarcher" should have no problems accomplishiong his goals. and either here or through my contact info I am here if you ever have any questions. As far as my website it is still a work in progress, but videos are in the works, as well as some tutorials, links, etc. and I do invite you all to have a look, any advice /input you have would be appreciated. thanks and good luck everyone


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