Any technology not understood, can seem like Magic!!!
I will love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind.
I have three Amish mills within about twenty minutes of me.
There used to be a very simple and inexpensive version, that attached to the chainsaw and used a 2x4 as a guide. I don’t know if they still exist. They were popular for squaring up logs, but not really up to the job of cutting a lot of boards.
i've got one of those.
think the sticker said 'beam machine' or similar.
basically a length of U channel steel on a pivot pin that clamped to your saw bar.
i used it a couple times to slick off a log for a bench. also made a 6x6 beam/post or two.
i think i used the 12' long 2x4 for a quick project and put the beam machine on the shelf.
WebMonkey
Retired 19D
Psalm 91:9
Honda 919
You're getting some great advice here White Eagle! The are few things more satisfying than opening up a log and seeing it's grain. I'll add this...pressure wash the dirt out of the bark if you dragged the logs and use a LARGE Stihl brand saw with a decompression button for cranking.
HOLLYWOOD Collector Left hawg 405#, right one 315#, had my elderly neighbors granddaughter treed and why I got the call. Both charged, one from 20' and one from 40'. Thanks to the good Lord and Samuel Colt I won. May God bless our Lawmen & Soldiers!
I used one quite a lot many years ago; lumber to build a truck shop, skids for logging equipment, and selling lumber. It is entirely worth your time to debark the logs. I used a Stihl 090 and a McCollouch 125, and both worked well. I used both of those saws for falling. The special chain for milling is worth the cost as is the separate tank for B&C oil. I have a mill now, and some logs to mill but I don't have a saw that is nearly large enough in displacement. I passed up a great buy on a Husky that was large enough as I didn't have the mill at that time and I drag so much stuff home that storage space is a problem. The garage sale gods would not have allowed me to find the mill had I not passed up the saw. With reloading and gun stuff I just buy whatever it is and don't worry about it. I am not even tempted by the Chinese saws.
There are plenty of videos so they will give you a measure of speed of production and ease of use.
The issue with a chainsaw mill that I see is you need a large saw for it to be effective and those are not cheap and they suck fuel. Saws that size are too big for me to handle for other work where an 18"-20' bar is enough.
My buddy is getting a "hobby" bandsaw mill and I think he is on the right track. He can easily sell the bandsaw mill if he tires of it and get most of his investment back. Used bandsaw mills do not last long on Criagslist in our rear.
I have a source of 70 pine/spruce logs 10-18" in diameter (for free) 4 mile from me, plus a tractor with a grapple. I will help him saw the wood and take a bit for my time and trouble. At 70 YO I am not going to be building much so setting up a drying shed is not worth the effort. One of the issues with making lumber is getting it dry and that takes time.
For a few timbers, the chainsaw mill seems to make sense, but if you are going to cut a lot, or make smaller dimensional lumber, the bandsaw mill is worth looking at.
Don Verna
If you want dimensional lumber a swing saw is faster and you don't have to worry about knots pushing the band saw blade around.
On a swing saw the blade rotates 90 degrees to make a second cut on the return stroke so you get 1 piece of lumber per cycle. On a band mill the return stroke is a deadhead.
Baileys ripping chain used to have 4 different cutters and was great stuff. Their new chain has 2 cutters and left a washboard finish. I Do Not Recommend The New Chain. I milled the Oak with RC Chain.
Last edited by Mal Paso; 07-22-2021 at 09:51 PM.
Mal
Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.
I thought about getting one, but between the chain saw and band saw types, I thought the kerf was really thick and you could get more board feet with the thinner band saw cut. In some applications, it may not matter. I'm thinking that for floor boards, there would be much less sanding to finish out the wood. I'll be reading what those with experience have to say. . . .
Only interest here is for making beams. The kerf becomes a non-issue in this application: take the extra waste out of the slabs, not your beam. Using a commercial Fairmont-Greenlee hydraulic chainsaw which has tons of torque and can take a ridiculous amount of abuse.
Agree a bandsaw, swing mill, etc. is best for boards but there are good uses for the chainsaw mill.
I have a Haddon https://www.amazon.com/Haddon-Lumber...7218972&sr=8-8
It works fine if you watch a youtube on how to do it properly. I've cut 2x4's, 6's and 2x8's as well as 6x6's. Use a big enough saw with a sharp chain, ripping or narrow kerf is best and don't muscle it. If you don't want to buy a narrow kerf bar then a ripping chain is what you want for this. I keep it at my camp along with a $89 Chinese chainsaw to cut up down stuff right in the woods where it lies. Works great for occasional use, cutting a few timbers or using that downed hemlock for something other than letting it sit and rot.
I've used a 41cc saw with an 18in bar and narrow kerf. Worked but slowly and not the best for the saw. Used my 50cc Jonsered Professional and that worked ok but I'd recommend a 60cc or up saw for this if your going to cut on a regular basis. Guy I bought if from runs a chainsaw shop and his sister used it to build a cabin in Northern Canada. If you have the time it would do that but for something like that I'd buy an Alaskan and a Chinese powerhead of the 80cc up on Ebay. Save your good saw for logging/firewood
Last edited by jonp; 07-25-2021 at 09:39 AM.
I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled
Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum
There is enough fat in the federal government that if you rendered it you could wash the world
Ronald Reagan.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |