My First Time Using an Alaskan Chainsaw Mill I Bought on Amazon

I stepped away from the lathe this week to try & mill up my own live edge slabs using my brand new Alaskan chainsaw mill I recently purchased. I have had some logs that I wanted to mill into slabs instead of bowl blanks and I sure am glad I decided too. This maple is absolutely beautiful & has some amazing colors & spalted grain that runs throughout the whole log. I was able to get five - 2" thick slabs from the log & now I just have to wait for them to dry. Also I have to add that I was mistaken with my bar & chain price! The bar was $128 & the chain was $44.
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[@Roosters-rants1977]

Great video. Well done. No extra BS. Plain and simple. To the point. Didn't try and act as an expert. I related with this

[@ScottKershawRX]

Super fun to watch that! You’re great to watch. Envious of that timber you have!

[@loriboldt6171]

Thank you so much for your videos first of all!!!! Yay! You inspire me and I really appreciate your honesty in how you show your new adventures!!!

[@andrewmccarn]

And thank you for the kind words! That's my goal for this channel ultimately is to show things that I love doing & trying!

[@ringerson4x4]

A couple of tips, don’t work the saw back and forth keep a consistent angle by pushing with your right hand and pulling back with your left hand. This will make a much better finish on the wood and make more room for saw dust to clear the cut. Use some door shims in the kerf to keep from pinching the chain at the end of each cut, don’t shove them in or the slab will lift and change your cut, just slide them in until they touch.

[@Roosters-rants1977]

Beautiful slabs. Totally worth the investment

[@cliffsmith7069]

Beautiful lumber!

[@davidcrandell1172]

Great vid Andrew. Im looking at milling myself. So every bit of info goes a long way.

[@newtonwilliams9087]

Really like what you're doing....Thanks. Newt

[@brendadriver2702]

I love to see something different. I’ve been wanting to do some milling and you’ve inspired me. That spalting is amazing. That wood is going to make something truly beautiful!

[@andrewmccarn]

I HIGHLY recommend it if you have any desire to try it. That moment I pulled the top cut off and saw the slab I knew I was going to be doing this a lot more. I have already started buying more accessories to help out 😂

[@markchoitz443]

nicely done, I always enjoy your YT videos, very informative and the music is always right on. I Alaska milled a lot of slabs with a friend for several years, we decided it's a younger mans sport - you will have fun cutting slabs with it.

[@andrewmccarn]

Thank you! I just started but have had a blast with it so far.

[@annlaurie1484]

Very nice there will be no stopping you now! 😊

[@andrewmccarn]

Not at this rate! 😅

[@bbigdog2243]

Your video quality is great with a storytelling feel to it. Joy to watch

[@andrewmccarn]

I appreciate that & thats great because the storytelling style is what I am going for! Thank you for the comment

[@jaredhollis1394]

Excellent video! I love that maple.

[@andrewmccarn]

Thanks Jared! Its some of the prettiest Ive seen & it should be dry soon; im ready to get it in the shop!

[@annlaurie1484]

Beautiful wood, enjoyed the video. 😊

[@andrewmccarn]

Thank you! Should be able to use the wood soon for an upcoming video!

[@debramacnabb499]

so nice to see you use a stihl my saw i worked in the woods in nova scotia for years yes im a lumber jillll

[@andrewmccarn]

Im a stihl fanboy lol Been to Nova Soctia before, beautiful land you got up there, jealous of that scenery!

[@patrickmatthews4060]

Beautiful slabs, love the spalting. Recommend you put some cargo straps on the slabs while drying. Really helps keep the twist and warping down.

[@andrewmccarn]

That is on my to-do list for this weekend! I saw some other videos of that & have been meaning to grab some so thank you for reminding me!

[@gaetancrepeault9333]

6"put strap

[@retrowind]

Great video! Enjoyed it, now I want to try it 😂

[@andrewmccarn]

You know youre always welcome to the shop. Got ya a pack of nabs & water waiting!

[@bradwiebelhaus7065]

Looks like it worked well.

[@andrewmccarn]

I was pleasantly surprised! Looking forward to using again soon

[@riverdigger2497]

Great video!! Just started using that type of mill thiss weekend. Dont know why i didnt get one sooner

[@andrewmccarn]

Thank you! and I agree with you, I wish I wouldve got one when I initially bought my chainsaw. Its been a blast to use

[@HIKETOGRAPHER]

Very nice!

[@andrewmccarn]

Thank you!

[@rosohatica3016]

Great video, thanks. Does metal red under structure that you screw to a log and put wooden rails on it (for making the first cut) come with the kit or you bought that separately?

[@heykevwhatyouup2]

Nice slabs what I do is use the guide rails for each cut helps the saw in and out of the log and you don’t need to adjust the saw between top cut and slab cuts

[@andrewmccarn]

Ive been considering doing that, seems easier for entering and exiting the log as well

[@billystarcher8146]

Great video. I've been considering something like this for custom electric guitar bodies.

[@andrewmccarn]

You could definitely get some unique woods sawing it up yourself which would look awesome on a guitar.

[@billystarcher8146]

@@andrewmccarn I'm going to try a couple with presawn blanks designed for guitars to see if I have the feel for it. If those work out, I'll give milling a try.

[@TheSladeRiggs]

Awesome looking slabs, I haven't dove into the chainsaw milling yet but I have gotten lots of wood sawn at a local mill and milled my own turning blanks. One note on stacking and stickering those slabs, you want a support underneath every spot you put a sticker. So you would have three of those treated posts on the bottom of that stack underneath every sticker. I don't know how much wood you've milled and stacked before but we have made that mistake before and it can lead to some wonky boards and slabs. Shouldn't be much of a problem with those shorter slabs but once you get to milling some long stock it can really surprise you how much they move when there is a lot of weight on top of them. I also put stickers on top of that final slab and then cover with some metal roofing material and weigh it down with cement cap blocks, but I know a lot can be cut for editing. I'm in NC as well so mostly same climate conditions.

[@andrewmccarn]

Thank you for the info! I have done some stacking in the past but this was my first time doing any milling on my own. I probably will add another underneath just in case because these slabs are too pretty to take any chances with. My initial thought was that its only about a 2' distance between the two so I wasn't too concerned but I may move 4x4s closer to the ends and put another in the middle. I appreciate the advice!

[@jayscott306]

I am a recent new subscriber. I am always watching for potential new channels to subscribe to, when the algorithm stops showing me the same old garbage and offers me someone new. I am mostly a wood turner, but I enjoy any quality video about the aspects of woodworking. You had an interesting video the 1st time I saw one, great production values, editing, audio and video. I enjoy channels for the personality of the creator almost as much as the quality of what they are doing. That said, you better believe I still watch Wayne the wood turner even though it looks as though he's recording with a potato. :) I mean that in kindness because he is fantastic. You're doing a lot of things right so keep it up.

[@andrewmccarn]

Thank you Jay, I appreciate that very much! I am still learning a lot about videos and my own style just like woodworking but I am happy with what I have done so far & I completely agree, some of those other guys just know too much to not watch no matter the quality!

[@jayscott306]

@@andrewmccarn It's true. But I want their effort of teaching to be best used. I know I learn more when that video & audio is quality. Looking forward to more of your work.

[@jeffbenhase7945]

Great demo! Maple can be hard to “stick”. Watch the pine and pressure treat leaving brown shadow lines in the grain.

[@andrewmccarn]

Thanks for the suggestion! Once I get more established with this I would probably switch over to something more suitable. For this I just used what I had laying around.

[@AlexGarcia-ly9fq]

Nice! I have the Granberg version. Would love to have a bandsaw mill but can't justify the cost right now. Great video.

[@andrewmccarn]

They are the best when it comes to chainsaw mills! My chain worked wonders. I am with you on that, I would love one as well but I live on less than half an acre in a neighborhood & I am not sure if my neighbors would like that too much lol

[@em4703]

Its nuts how high the price goes for a bandsaw mill that's capable to do cuts larger that 2 feet. I think the only way to go is by building it yourself, from the steel frame welding to using mower engine. Save up a few tens of thousands of dollars in the process, literally 😅😅

[@MarykateMcCarn]

Next is the bandsaw mill!

[@andrewmccarn]

One day! 🤞

[@Cdspirit07]

Can not wait to see it 😊and nice work on it too

[@andrewmccarn]

@@Cdspirit07 Thanks Nathan!

[@anthonyvilgiate6711]

that was really helpful.. I have that big old pile of logs too and was thinking about slabbing them to make my blanks... you think that set up would work to make 4-5" thick slabs?

[@andrewmccarn]

Potentially, I honestly don't see why not. I plan to do some 5" thick slabs soon for bowl blanks but plan to keep the log around 6' so its not cutting too long. So I guess we will see! lol

[@cd7336]

Awesome work, really enjoying these videos! I just started slabbing small logs myself. Just curious, how do you transport the logs before milling/cutting? Do you have a truck/trailer setup or take delivery? Also, do you plan to just air dry or move to a kiln? Thanks in advance and excited for future videos!

[@andrewmccarn]

Thank you! I use to do a mixture of both but when getting them myself, I was limited to if someone could load them and how big they were. I only have a small 8' trailer and no tractor. I mainly have a few guys now that will drop them off when I have the space for them so thats made life a lot easier. Eventually I would love to do a small dehumidifier kiln or solar kiln. Ive been watching some videos to see which would work best but until then, its just air drying. I appreciate the kind words!

[@russelstewart1726]

Where did you find those brackets you screwed to the ends of the logs to hold the 2x4's?

[@andrewmccarn]

Amazon! I searched Chainsaw mill rail brackets & I think its the first one that pops up

[@djmorgan8783]

Do you have to switch bars

[@andrewmccarn]

For this log I just stuck with the 30" bar

[@danharrison1135]

What chainsaw do you have? How many CC’s?

[@andrewmccarn]

Im using the Stihl 462 and I think it has around 72

[@gaetancrepeault9333]

Nice works like slabs you make (what the name of chainsaw mill Amazone

[@andrewmccarn]

Thanks! This is the Zozen chainsaw mill on amazon

[@gaetancrepeault9333]

@Andrew McCarn order one delivery Monday next week

[@gaetancrepeault9333]

Andrew what you doing for chain not coming so hot same you cut I can't keep my hand on handel so HOT from chainsaw not exhaust from chain saws

[@davidcooper2951]

maybe a 6 month followup is in order . . . Im genuinely curious if you are still using it and any feedback you have (new SUB BTW)

[@andrewmccarn]

Definitely have something planned hopefully soon! I haven't got to use the milling system much since but I have switched over to using exclusively the Granberg bar and ripping chain for my bowl blanks and its been fantastic especially the chain. I appreciate you subscribing!