chainsaw mill

[Ken Guzman]

Anyone here have any experience with chainsaw mills? What's the best brand to get? Are they even worth the money?

[loghousenut]

I made one and played with it on my Stihl 064. Now I have a bandsaw mill and use it all the time. Much faster, cleaner cut, and more enjoyable to run.


PS.... This subject has been wrung out from nine different angles on the members side.

[ivanshayka]

I played a lot on my Alaskan mill with my little stihl 260. It works for what I needed. It all depends on how much u mill, if you mill few boards than yes for Alaskan (chainsaw) mill. If you need a whole lot than get yourself bandsaw mill and follow LHN's advice.

[loghousenut]

If you need a whole lot than get yourself bandsaw mill and follow LHN's advice.

Careful Ivan. Ken's kinda new around here and he may not realize that following my advice could prove to be counterproductive.

[rreidnauer]

I also have the Alaskan Mill with a Husky 3120XP powering it. Nice for the occasional job, but not something you'd want to do production work with.

[thoner7]

How long of a bar would one need to slab kitchen counter tops do you recon?

36"
?

[jay audley]

You should check out "Pro cut" portable chainsaw mills. If you can weld this seems to be the best option for chainsaw mills that I have found.

[loghousenut]

How long of a bar would one need to slab kitchen counter tops do you recon?

36"
?

On my homemade Alaska style mill I lose about 6" so figure from there. It'll take a pretty stout powerhead depending on log size and species. There are several really good forums out there where the guy/gals who do a lot of this stuff get together and they have some good advice.

I too plan on using slabs for our countertops but don't yet know if I'll do it Alaska style or on my bandsaw mill. My mill will cut about 20" easy enough and have a joint in the middle of the counter.

[rreidnauer]

Yup, I run a 42" bar on my 36" Alaskan Mill.

I have the Pro-Cut plans and hardware kit. (actually, I have two hardware kits because I am/was planning on a four post arrangement)

[thoner7]

It would be a hard wood like oak, ash, or walnut. Leaving a live edge I figure I would need 30” or so.

I’d love to have someone else do it for me and kiln dry it and everything, but I’m not sure if that will be an option or not.

[loghousenut]

Do it yourself even if you have to whipsaw it... Just my opinion.

[rocklock]

Just bought a still 064 with a 36 inch bar. Now I just need every thing else.

[rickwaldo]

Even if you had a shorter bar, say 20", You could cut two slabs, run one edge of each slab through the jointer and glue them to gether with doweling
I only have a 20" bar on my saw and used an alaskan mill, milled all the boards for this porch with it. Too time consuming.
Yes, I needed a bigger saw ;)
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab290/steelheadslayer/150.jpg (http://s872.photobucket.com/user/steelheadslayer/media/150.jpg.html)

[Ken Guzman]

Has anyone ever used a Beam Machine chainsaw mill?

[ivanshayka]

This is my ms 260 with 18" bar. Cuts about 10-11 inch. I never measured.
http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee382/ivanshayka/Log%20Home%20-%20Practice%20Shed/IMAG0520.jpg (http://s1225.photobucket.com/user/ivanshayka/media/Log%20Home%20-%20Practice%20Shed/IMAG0520.jpg.html)

This is the door I made out of same lumber
http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee382/ivanshayka/Log%20Home%20-%20Practice%20Shed/IMG_07261.jpg (http://s1225.photobucket.com/user/ivanshayka/media/Log%20Home%20-%20Practice%20Shed/IMG_07261.jpg.html)

[JSmith]

Ken, Ive used a beam machine. They are no good IMO for milling, but work great to edge what has already been milled. They are a perfect combo with an alaskan mill.

[thoner7]

So what makes a ripping chain.... a ripping chain?

[allen84]

isn't it the same as "chipper chain"? If so, I think it has half as many cutters, they are angled different and maybe cut deeper.

If you read up on some of those sawyer and logging forums, some of those guys do some machine work on their chains to change certain aspects of them.

Wait for a good deal on a little bandsaw. You'll have that much or more in a big saw, chains and jigs unless you build it from scratch... I would have anyways. I collected everything to build a chainsaw mill and never got around to it.

[rreidnauer]

Ripping chain has a 0° grind on the cutters. And yes, it *could* be arranged like skip tooth, but not always.

I currently have Granberg ripping chain on my mill, but don't like it. It is just regular chain that has been modified. Unfortunately, when modified, they didn't grind the depth gauges, so it performs poorly. I really need to try to fix it, but I'm more apt to just go buy some proper Stihl ripping chain.

[thoner7]

Well I'm looking at an Alaskan mill which is $190 bucks but I would need to buy a longer bar and chain too. So would a stihl chain work on an Oregon bar? I'm a total newbie in regards to chainsaws!

Reason for needing an Alaskan mill -- I don't think it's feasible to get a bandsaw to mill a flat top on 30 foot rafters, because the track would be ungodly long.

[loghousenut]

Brand of the chain and bar won't matter. There are different camps on ripping chain. Google "ripping chain forums" and see what you get. Do an image search and it'll make more sense. Supposedly the right ripping chain will use less fuel and be easier on the saw.

When I was playing with my homemade alaska mill, i went to my favorite saw shop and asked for a ripping chain. Came home with a regular chipping chain that was filed to 0 degrees. I tried it against my regular chipping chain and seemed to get the same results.

Personally, if I was only setting up the mill to make a skiff cut on rafters, I'd just get a long bar and regular chipping chain and go at it. If you decide you really like chainsaw milling and want to make real lumber on the weekends (you won't) then get right into the different styles of ripping chains and become an expert on the subject. Once you spend some time on a bandsaw or circular sawmill, you will love that chainsaw just a little bit less. It will still be fun and it can produce real lumber without hauling the logs back to civilization but it is kinda hard on old bones and it makes young bones feel old.

[rreidnauer]

As long as pitch and goove width match, brands can be mixed

[mudflap]

Once you spend some time on a bandsaw or circular sawmill, you will love that chainsaw just a little bit less. It will still be fun and it can produce real lumber without hauling the logs back to civilization but it is kinda hard on old bones and it makes young bones feel old.

So, I'm right to be looking into a bandsaw mill for $3k-$5k?

[edkemper]

Reason for needing an Alaskan mill -- I don't think it's feasible to get a bandsaw to mill a flat top on 30 foot rafters, because the track would be ungodly long.

It's amazing to see American Made bandsaws that have been shipped to some of the most remote places on earth. They being the only way to make lumber in many places. There are probably exponentially more Chainsaw Mills in even more remote places.

My bandsaw mill comes with a 21 foot cutting bed. I'm pretty sure I could still trim one side of a 30' log. Probably a PITA, but doable. Thinking about it, I don't really think it would be that tricky to do. Cut 20', move log, level cut surface, cut the rest.

Plus I get to mill all the rest of my lumber needs (except the final work on T&G) at least 5-10 times faster. (but more costly up front) But like most other larger equipment we use, most of it we could sell for what we have in it or only a slight loss. But you need the money up front.