The latest video is a bite sized chainsaw milling tutorial. Did I mention there are 17 tips?! Lets get straight into it. Click here for the full milling tips video, or click here for the article…

1 The quality of your finished boards can be improved greatly by easing the saw into the cut. Don’t go full throttle straight away, instead both start and stop slowly. Same if you have to stop mid slab for any reason.

2 Don’t push the saw! Ideally position the log on a slight gradient so the saw is a little bit ‘gravity fed’. Winches get good reviews though I have never seen much need as a good sharp chain will pull itself into the cut.

3 Wedges – In the video I talk about wedges. Make them yourself easily, with a very gentle taper. Don’t hammer them into the kerf – it will change the angle of the straight edge and cause deep gouges.

4 Notice the angle the saw marks. I angle it nose first, and hold the angle consistently. Seesawing will leave a poor finish.

5 Using the straight edge for cuts after the first again can aid accuracy and safety.

6 Wear Proper protective equipment, including a good dust mask. I’m now using an integrated face shield and vapour/dust mask which I got from ebay, and it’s a complete game changer! I originally got it for all kinds of other workshop tasks like painting, epoxy use, and sanding. In the past, even when I wore a separate dust mask, I would get dry eyes – no more! For chainsaw milling it’s perfect, giving good visibility and clean air, free of the cocktail of fumes you get from using a two stroke engine. It’s the 3M 6800 full face equivalent which means it’s a cheaper import, but I use it with the genuine 3m 6001 vapour filters. (ebay link: https://goo.gl/PNXNEq) .  My radio ear defenders I won in an Instructables contest.

7 Make a full checklist before you leave. You can see my full checklist below (click to enlarge):

8 Use a brush to remove dust round the caps before re-fuelling. CS milling is much more dusty than regular chainsaw use…

9 Enjoy yourself.

10 . Check to see if you need to refuel between slab cuts. Don’t start a slab unless you have enough to finish it. Avoid running the tank dry while milling!

11 Aux oilier talk (see video).

12 Dampened handles!

13 Let the saw cool off with the engine idling after long cuts .

14 Slab moving is dangerous- assess the risks and make wise choices.

15 Play it cool when things don’t go your way. Something will not go according to plan (!) try and make the best of it.

16. Stash your gear up-wing of the saw site. Dust WILL cover everything.

17 How much did the mill cost? It cost about £100 in materials, and some time to build – full build log here.

Posted: 02|27|18 at 3:08 pm. Categorically squeezed into: Invent.

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