`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º> 'Portable saw mill' any one tried one of those chain-saw guides?

Look in the videos. Dorje did a series with one.

-- Maplewood, MN

O, cool Riker thanks I’ll check it out now…

-- PJM.`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º> why's there a light in fridge and not the freezer? , aka, the wood hunter.aka tigermaple5

I thought about one until I saw how big of a chain saw you need to do this.

-- making sawdust....

I have one of the simple ones (i.e. not an alaskan mill) and yes it works. If you only have a little to do I think it’s interesting enough to have one. A ripping chain makes a big difference. A cross-cut chain just doesn’t cut as well when ripping. I have an 18” poulan.

I have three or four trees I could slab up. I just don’t know if it’s worth having a mill come in…even at $0.50 a foot. I can do it when I want.

I do have a rather large hickory that I’d really love to have slabbed up….bigger than my 18” could handle. But of course hickory is more because it’s harder and dulls the blades quicker.

It’s always 6 to 1, half a dozen to the other, time vs. money, etc. I do get some satisfaction in knowing I cut the wood up myself from my own trees.

-- arborial reconfiguration specialist

You do need a big saw and a decent attachment – the Alaskan seems to do the trick. Rikkor mentioned the blog series I did; if you haven’t looked at it yet – check it out! It was fun…I think it’s worth buying a set-up like this if you see yourself milling periodically over the long haul. And they do work – well! Do they waste more wood than a band mill, sure, but they can go where band mills can’t. It’s the perfect solution for me. I live in the city for crying out loud!

And, once you get the equipment, you start getting calls, so you’ll never run out of wood. I was just offered two cherry logs this weekend…it’s kinda like having a truck.

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

Cherry, do I need to come over and help you cut some logs? :)

-- Mike - http://inquisitivewoodworker.blogspot.com/

i would like to make my own.any one have plans

-- hap, gunbarrel city tx.

I started out with a small Granberg and you can make some nice material. Good for the small projects and the part timer.

-- Ron, Twain Harte, Ca. Portable on site Sawmill Service http://westcoastlands.net/Sawmill.html http://westcoastlands.net/SawBucks2/phpBB3

I have one that I got from Northern Tool. I think I paid $24 for it. Uses stock 2×4as guide/runner. I also use 18” Poulan. Works pretty good actually, but as was said before, if you only have small amounts to cut. It is a lot of work.
Catspaw- where did you get ripping chain for 18” Poulan? I can’tfind one

I’ve seen some metalworking type bandsaws that run horizontally. Would something like this work for milling lumber?

I wonder how tough it would be to create your own horizontal bandsaw to use for lumber milling. A motor, two wheels, pullys, bandsaw blade, something to house the wheels and blade and a trolly system to move the lumber or the bandsaw. Anyone ever thought of building your own?

-- Owen Johnson - aka IowaWoodcrafter

I got my ripping chain from Granberg.

Those milwaukee hand-held bandsaws don’t have the width to be useful. They only go to about 10” or 12” and probably don’t offer a wood blade? Between the bark and variations in the trunk, that’s kinda alot of work for some not very wide wood.

Also Hud-son (sometimes I go to the site just to watch the video of their $2600 bandsaw mill) sells a wheel kit for about $800.

uh….over and out.

-- arborial reconfiguration specialist

IWC, to answer your question about a bandsaw running horizontally, it seems Grizzly already has one. And it’s only $8500. It must work really well….....lol.

Grizzly Horizontal Band Saw

-- Carl Rast, Pelion, SC

Not quite what I had in mind. Besides, WAY too much money. I’ve never checked on the price of a portable saw mill but I can’t imagine them costing that much money.

-- Owen Johnson - aka IowaWoodcrafter

There are several people that I know in SC that have woodmizers. I tried the sawmill resaw route years ago boy what a dangerous lot of hard work! I since have discovered that I do not have to personally have to do everything. I bring the wood to one of them that needs to be re sawn and in no time flat it is accomplished cheaply without risking life and limb or too tired to do woodwork after the rough stuff is accomplished. If it is large enough a woodmizer, small stuff a rodgers re saw that has belt feed and almost no waste and I did not have to spend 10,000.00 to get one. These process wood accurately and fast, and you do not have to add on to the shop to make room for it. These guys resaw heart pine from timbers and ect. so to place our small stuff and saw it is nothing to them. Let these guys have some work for their investment as far as I am concerned after my experience I am more then glad to bring it to them. It is hard nasty work. A chainsaw is dangerous and a lot of things can go wrong in the process. The log can roll, chain can break( and wrap around your hand while spinning, and sharpening takes a lot of time too. So research and make the best choice.If you have enough wood they can bring the process to you for less then you can think.

I have used an alaskan mill on a 088 Stihl. It does a fantastic job on splitting logs too large for my mill. Or reducing a logs size to haul it (with the 4 wheelers help) to the trailer. I have used a six foot bar and ripping chain on it. The down side is huge, lots of backbreaking work and not as fast as I like. The chainsaw exhaust gets a bit old, and the sawdust is directed to my eyes with any sort of breeze. The plus side is larger slabs than I can cut on a sawmill. I will continue to use my alaska mill when I cannot fit the log on the mill, or need large slabs from a large log. My mill can cut up to a 31” dia log and a final cut of 24”. The bandsaw is alot faster. But some logs just won’t fit. Good luck.

Kevin Davis
Ruff Cutts

-- To those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected never know. Unknown, on an empty C-ration box. Khe Sahn 1968

Really Great comments tips trick and reference. I’m doin’ IT!.... Ripping chain! Thanks Dorje. May Be an important tip!... I like the Idea Of “going where Someone else can’t” . I roam around an old family farm up in connecticut sometimes sawing up crooked slabs to drag home and refine… But thing it’s time to try this Alaskan Jig. O, man I’m dreaming of my own cut slabs now.. Less ebay lumber…Gotta try and save some $ where I can. I found myself becoming truly OBSESSED with wood now. It’s like hunting fishing Art and building wrapped into a Giant new world of GREAT people.. And , a never ending education . Limits are endless. Back In Those Woods is an Old Fruit Orchard, I’ve found cedar, pear tress, cherry, walnut. Some trees I have no idea what they are? Man, I need to move up there . I’m about finished with living in brooklyn. And always “hearing it”- about “why do you need so much wood in our apartment…. HAhahah I don’t care. I need the wood… I’m definitely out of my element here… O well, two more years… You guys are the best! Thank you All….... Patrick

-- PJM.`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º> why's there a light in fridge and not the freezer? , aka, the wood hunter.aka tigermaple5

[IMG]http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii48/woodnut99/right-tool_1986_94954714.gif[/IMG]
Granberg G777 Alaskan small log chainsaw milling attachment
Think I’ll go for it! Thanks , again any more tips are welcome ..I’m waiting a month to buy, which will give me more time to read more reviews etc….

-- PJM.`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º> why's there a light in fridge and not the freezer? , aka, the wood hunter.aka tigermaple5

http://dcregistry.com/users/exositwoods/chainsaw.html.
Patrick, here is a web page I came across a long time ago, when I was considering doing the same thing. Even though I live and work in Houston most of the time, most of the sites we develop still have allot of trees on them. My problem was I didn’t even have a chainsaw, and know very little about them. Now I do, so I may try building my own.

I started out with a pair of 2×2” and a square. I would place log upright, screw 2×2 to log on each side and cut from top down as close to the 2×2 without touching them as I could. Lost alot of wood but I was still overwhelmed with the slabs.

Blue stingray boots…. “very cool” I remember when I was a kid in oregon fishing on the log rafts… wondering even then how i can get the good wood….

-- PJM.`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º> why's there a light in fridge and not the freezer? , aka, the wood hunter.aka tigermaple5

Thanks tope5 , that’s a great site….. and, iowa wcftr as far as using a portable band saw to mill, I’ think I’d end up with 50 broken baleds and 3 fingers…. the chain-saw I know i’ll have both hands on tight!! Always safe with the chain-saw safty first!

-- PJM.`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º> why's there a light in fridge and not the freezer? , aka, the wood hunter.aka tigermaple5