Howdy

[Kris Casey]

New guy here. I found this site through a link posted on ArboristSite.com.

I dont do any real wood working, I get my kicks from milling it. Ive been milling wood with a CSM for a little over a year now, and got hooked quick. I am looking forward to being able to start doing some woodworking now that I have the lumber, and the satisfaction of knowing I milled it!

Here are some pics of my operation.

This is my set-up and a piece of White Ash....



This is a piece of White Oak, but not me at the helm...enjoy.


Kris.

[Dennis Peacock]

Welcome to SMC Kris.!!!! Glad to have ya here.

Glad to see ya making some sawdust there.

[Martin Shupe]

Hi Kris,

I have done some chainsaw milling with a friend in Iowa. We have had good luck with walnut, but the oak always seems to check. Do you have any experience drying oak?

Welcome to SMC!

[Joash Boyton]

Hi, I'm new as well.....

So what chainsaw are you running there? We have a Husky 95, and we've never needed anything bigger (we have cut 9 feet in diameter with it)

We have a mill as well, great fun cutting timber is'nt it. All our timber we get from places where they are clearing for industrial area etc: I always try and run the chainsaw, that way I can make sure a good share of it comes out as bowl blanks

Looks like a good setup

Joash

[Kris Casey]

Thanks Dennis, running the saw is like therapy for me!!!

Martin, some Black Walnut Ive milled has checked worse then some White Oak I still have in the stack. I use Latex paint on the ends, a couple to 4 generous coats usually does the trick for me. Get your Anchor Seal or paint on the ends as soon as possible. Idealy the best time is immediately after the tree is cut down.

Joash...that is a 660 running 28" bar and Woodsmen Pro Ripping chain, 3/8 50 gauge running the cuters at 5 degrees and the rakers at .030. Ill be in the market for either an 880 or a RipSaw once I get my taxes back. Ive got a friend up north of me that runs a 395 with a 42" bar, most of what he does is softwoods though. I get most of my wood from the clearing we do at my job. White Ash, White Oak, Shagbark Hickory, Red Oak and I have a Red Maple on the trailer right now.

Glad to be here, thanks for the warm welcome.

Heres a couple more pics.....

This is my stack......



Before it went into this....



The Playhouse has since been almost completed. The siding is done and the railing is up. Just need to build a door, and rough in and build some sort of windows. The only wood in there I didnt mill are the 4x4 posts.

[Robert Mickley]

Welcome aboard Kris.

Like your guide rails, better than a 2x lumber.
I bet your neighbors just love you Of course if I lived in town I would do the same thing

[Kris Casey]

Robert...My immediate neighbor to the east of me TELLS me they dont mind. I know they start cussing me everytime they see logs in my trailer, though. I dont have an immediate neighbor to the west, house has been empty for going on 3 years now.

2 of my not so immediate neighbors are hobby woodworkers, so I bribe them with wood.

[Steve Ash]

Hello neighbor. Good to see another Michigander, especially one so close.

[John Miliunas]

Welcome to the Creek, Kris! Not too sure about yet another Steve Ash neighbor but, we'll try not to hold that against you! Have fun and keep us posted on your lumber adventures.

[Chip Charnley]

Oak needs to dry S>L>O>W>L>Y! If you are milling oak and AD'ing it, get some shade-dri or burlap and and it from whatever you are roofing the stack with for the first few months of drying to slow down the air going through the stack. But be careful doing this with a mixed stack. Maple and other 'white' woods will tend to go brown on you if they dry that slow and others, like cherry, may tend to grow mold.

[Kris Casey]

Thanks for the Welcome guys!!!

I look forward to lurking around and seeing some of your projects.

[Kris Casey]

Hello neighbor. Good to see another Michigander, especially one so close.

Well hello neighbor!!

[Robert Mickley]

Robert...My immediate neighbor to the east of me TELLS me they dont mind. I know they start cussing me everytime they see logs in my trailer, though. I dont have an immediate neighbor to the west, house has been empty for going on 3 years now.

2 of my not so immediate neighbors are hobby woodworkers, so I bribe them with wood.

Smart Man,, bribes are always good!! Now bribe the the neighbor to the east by making them something out of your lumber and you'll have it made

[Brad Schmid]

Hi Kris,

Welcome. Good to see you over on this site. It's always good to have another fellow chainsaw junkie here Nice job on the lumber by the way.

[Ted Miller]

Kris, Welcome, and I don't miss the MI winters, grew up in Wayne County but now live in Southern California, bummer today it was 74 degrees. One thing I do not miss is trying to work in the garage with a 60,000 btu kerosene heater blowing on me so my fingers didn't freeze off...