Yes you want them as clean as possible. I use a saw to scribe the shoulders of the log. You get the hang of barely cutting thru. Then I can remove the rest with various tools. spuds, Drawknife, axes, even my peavey. If you got bad shoulders you might not like it. I'm 66, so I work my way up to it nowadays. Bark wizards are useful sometimes, but you need a dedicated saw, and they need regular sharpening as well. A pressure washer would be helpful also. Debarking also helps you find defects and nails, etc. I need a goat that eats bark... Happy milling!
You have a lot more patience than I do By the way I have the exact same mill and I see you are having a little trouble sliding the log over to the stops. ( I got this from someone else) I cut two 2x6s and put them cross ways between the rails so that I would have something for my cant hook or Peavey to leverage against. (One at each end of log) Enjoy watching when I can't get out and mill.😊
Hey sir! Get yourself 2" pvc and put over your log stops when turning your logs. I use 20" tall pieces. Your back will thank you and i believe alot of people would like an honest opinion on this technique :)
Could you use your laser as a guide and cut straight into the bark with the grinder? What do you plan to do with the cottonwood? I haven't seen it used very often? Have you tried the Ripper 37 blades? Some other channels have been having good luck with them. Thanks for the video.
Hi Mike. Thanks for watching. The laser as a guide is a good idea. I think I might play around with that. Thanks for the idea. I am planning on using the cottonwood to build some Adirondack chairs. Will save the rest of the wood for other projects in the future. Ripper 37 blades will be the next blades I buy.
I can appreciate the idea of cleaning the log before cutting. I'm certain it will help the longevity of your blades. However, speaking in my case, I don't think the time it takes, would be all that beneficial. Even though I do it as a hobby, I'd rather sharpen a blade on occasion. Exception to that statement might be if the log is extremally muddy or dirty I might try to strip the bark with a spud hoe or similar tool
Yes I think it will extend your blade life. You might look into the grinder wheel the chainsaw carvers use, if you want to stick to the grinder. If you wouldn't mind using a chainsaw, you might look into the Log wizard. The Chinese knockoff is only like $70. I enjoy watching your Vid's. Happy milling
Yes you want them as clean as possible. I use a saw to scribe the shoulders of the log. You get the hang of barely cutting thru. Then I can remove the rest with various tools. spuds, Drawknife, axes, even my peavey. If you got bad shoulders you might not like it. I'm 66, so I work my way up to it nowadays. Bark wizards are useful sometimes, but you need a dedicated saw, and they need regular sharpening as well. A pressure washer would be helpful also. Debarking also helps you find defects and nails, etc. I need a goat that eats bark... Happy milling!
Thanks for watching.
You have a lot more patience than I do
By the way I have the exact same mill and I see you are having a little trouble sliding the log over to the stops.
( I got this from someone else)
I cut two 2x6s and put them cross ways between the rails so that I would have something for my cant hook or Peavey to leverage against.
(One at each end of log)
Enjoy watching when I can't get out and mill.😊
Thanks for watching. I am going to try the PVC tubes but might incorporate this idea too. Thanks for the tip.
Hey sir! Get yourself 2" pvc and put over your log stops when turning your logs. I use 20" tall pieces. Your back will thank you and i believe alot of people would like an honest opinion on this technique :)
I am planning to add those and will report back. Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching.
If it extends the blade life it may be worth it. Glad to see gloves and glasses while you operate the "death wheel "
Yeah. As soon as the grinder hit the bark and debris went flying into my face I was glad I was wearing the glasses.
Could you use your laser as a guide and cut straight into the bark with the grinder? What do you plan to do with the cottonwood? I haven't seen it used very often?
Have you tried the Ripper 37 blades? Some other channels have been having good luck with them.
Thanks for the video.
Hi Mike. Thanks for watching. The laser as a guide is a good idea. I think I might play around with that. Thanks for the idea. I am planning on using the cottonwood to build some Adirondack chairs. Will save the rest of the wood for other projects in the future. Ripper 37 blades will be the next blades I buy.
I can appreciate the idea of cleaning the log before cutting. I'm certain it will help the longevity of your blades. However, speaking in my case, I don't think the time it takes, would be all that beneficial. Even though I do it as a hobby, I'd rather sharpen a blade on occasion. Exception to that statement might be if the log is extremally muddy or dirty I might try to strip the bark with a spud hoe or similar tool
Something to consider. Thanks for watching.
Yes I think it will extend your blade life. You might look into the grinder wheel the chainsaw carvers use, if you want to stick to the grinder. If you wouldn't mind using a chainsaw, you might look into the Log wizard. The Chinese knockoff is only like $70.
I enjoy watching your Vid's. Happy milling
My Bad I see you have that grinding wheel I was thinking about.
Thanks for watching, commenting and for the tip. Much appreciated.