HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOURS

                       Our NEW YEARS WISH FOR YOU
                       Make Allowances......
                       Don't assume you are right......
                       See things from both sides......
                       Forgive and tolerate......
                       Give people room........    

 Regarding oil painting.  Vikki started it last winter..... she did some artistic editing.  Took out the big trees in front of the cabin and some of the fence... Cabin is closer to the lake.... Hannah is sitting on the front porch.  Bee is in the kitchen window.  The light is on in the chichen/ skinning shed.  It is about half way finished.  (The cabin looks big because of the big porches.... it is about 14' x 15' inside.)

Log Hauler and Trail Grader Get Improvements

 This summer Bryan made some improvements to his Log Arch hauler.  (You can see our Wooldridge River boat up in the top right hand corner).  He also redesigned the Trail Grader Groomer.  It is now in two parts so that he can haul it up piece by piece on the steep hills.  He redid the hitch so it is easy to hook up.
When he is finally sure that everything works .... he will do up the blue print plans.  These will be available here on this site shortly. 

 When you have to travel the same trail over and over again all winter long, taking the bumps out and filling in the hollows is a wonderful thing.  It is not bump bump bump.

Ripping Chain Needed for Alaskan Mill

When using an Alaskan Mill you need to go to a saw shop and get your hands on a Skip Tooth Chipper Chain also called a Ripping Chain.  It has to be sharpened at 10 degrees. 
If you us a standard cross Cut Chain it will work slow and do a poor job.
It is well worth the money to have the right chain.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND MAY YOUR SPIRITS BE BRIGHT

Thank you all for your support.  With us out here alone for 10 months of the year it is nice to
have this kind of contact.   Re photo.   It was taken this summer at the guide-outfitters home that built the big lodge here on the lake.  He has since sold that guide-outfitter area but we are great friends.  It is very seldom we are in a picture together. Vikki glued some used ribbon around the photo and cut up some old Christmas cards.  Scanned it into the computer...   and sends it out thru the air to you. AMAZING.   MAY THE COMING YEAR BE AMAZING FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.  

Marten in Wolverine Set.

 Well the Marten was lifted up all right so the system works. 

 Burl Line Cabin.  Ishi is really good.  She runs up but just nudges the fur.

Cutting Long Logs with an Alaskan Mill

Jon asked Bryan.... "I was wondering what you have found the best way to start a log that is longer than your starter (guide) board?  I have tried sliding a board along lag bolts with mixed results.  I may build a frame out of steel that I can add onto.  Reason I am asking is that I will be making some long cuts for a ridge beam in the future."
To Jon from Bryan
Use 2 1/4" common bright nails, not Lag bolts, with the string method.  Put the nails about 24" to 30" apart. To make a 24' beam, I would use a 10' board and move it twice.  When you place the board, have it fall just short of reaching a set of nails on the front end.  When the mill has cut past the last set of nails supporting it, you can lift the plank and slide it out without disturbing the nails.  Lay the plank down and pull the mill back 2 feet and tuck the plank under the mill, making sure the front of the plank falls just short of the next 2 support nails, and repeat.    With a little practice and patience this becomes old hat.  
When using the nail method, before you lay the plank on the first time, especially on a long log, eyeball the nails, make sure they are perfect.  I sheeted a large floor with 26' 2 x 12 using this method.  These boards fit better than most factory lumber would have.  Do not attempt long cuts if your saw isn't cutting absolutely perfect and you've checked that your bar and chain are not under tension from mill adjustments.  This is what causes lateral grooving on the lumber.  
Perfect this method and you don't need all the cumbersome hardware.   
Good milling, Bryan

Auxiliary Oilers for Alaskan Mills

Andrew sent this question.  "Give me your thoughts on auxiliary oilers on Alaskan Mill.  Are they a must or only if you are doing wide cuts?"
I have never experienced any more than a 28" bar on a Alaskan Mill.  I use a 395 Huski, it's a modern saw with an adjustable oiler.  I turn the oiler wide open and found it to be more than enough oil.  BUT BUT!!!! I keep my saw sharp, sharp, sharp.
If I have to push hard on the mill I stop and sharpen.
My thought on those auxiliary oilers.... I see no point in them.  If your chainsaw is so hot you can't touch it...you should sharpen more.   Typically I would process 2 12 foot logs into lumber with one sharpening.  One or two light strokes in each tooth with the guide.  SHARP IS THE WORD ON ALASKAN MILLS.  # 2 MAKE SURE THR BAR IS UNDER NO TENSION FROM THE MILL.
More oil may be just fixing the symptoms and not the cause.  It should use almost the tank full of oil for a tank of gas.

Boarding The Fisher

I mark the board with pencil to outline the belly board so that I can nail away from there.  Because the Fisher hide is tough I am using small nails instead of tacks.

The belly board must be about 1 1/2" thick at base.

I have made up these cardboard pieces to help in the tail flattening.

First I use the folder piece.  I start with the tip at the base of the tail and slowly move it along making sure the fur is out of the flesh.

Then I flatten down that folded piece and put the other one on top.

Take notice of the nail placement.

Note..... folded piece must be about 1 " longer that second part so that it sticks out and you have a place to hold on to and put the folded piece out.

Then I put in 5 tacks and lightly nail them.

I cut out small leg cardboards that I use over and over again. 

I also place a piece of cardboard to hold legs up.

Make sure to check for any folds in the armholes.  If there are folds the hide can go sour there and the fur will slip when tanned.


TURNING  THE FISHER  ...   depends on conditions and if you can get it well fleshed it should be ready to turn in 8 hours.

Fisher

 A nice young male Fisher. 

 It was not until Bryan went and took the Fisher down that Ishi even saw it hanging there.

Ishi didn't like it out on the line and she sure didn't like it in the cabin.  She was running around barking and her hair was up.

Wolverine....

 We always store our Wolverine Boxes up on small trees so in the summer the Bears can only swing them round and round.  Bryan thought about how to protect the caught Wolverine from shrew and other damage.  The set below is a trial set.  It has the ordinary coniber in the box but a small cable is attached to one of the arms.  Once the Wolverine sets the trap off... the movement of the trap opening up pulls the cable off the headless nail in the tree and allows the log to drop so that the Wolverine in the trap is suspended about 6 feet up in the air. We have thousands of shrews here. 

Getting Rid of the Pesty Flea

 First thing Bryan does when we get back from checking the Line is to put 3 Marten on the top rack with a 1/2" piece of lite coil about 1 1/2 feet below them.  He lets them sit in the covered box for 15 minutes and them takes them out and adds the next patch.  He does this with squirrels and weasels also.  He uses a small pair of wise grips to hold the small piece of mosquito coil.

Turning a Marten Part 2

 With Bryan's thumb he pushes out the ears.

Once on the stretcher he uses the two feet as a guide to centering the hide. .

 Bryan uses his fingers to first get the feet in position and then with the thick end of the belly stick he makes the feet straight and off to each side just a little so that the pelly stick has room to go up.

The stretcher is pushed up and the mouth positioned around the top of the board.

He uses the two feet to pull so that fur is stretched.

Then he proceeds to pin.

He always brushes against the hair starting at the head and working up.

 Insert the belly stick and then tap the stretcher 3 or 4 times on your toe to give the fur loaf.