# Do you use a chainsaw mill to harvest lumber?



## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

*An Inquiring mind wants to know.*

I now have two panther pro 24 inch mills and a 50 cc and a 55 cc chainsaw. I was advised to just buy my wood but we have a compost site near that often has decent logs that may go to firewood or just get burnt. I am now actively learning all I can before I slab some logs.

I will be doing a blog on my *"Chainsaw Mill Madness!"* as I complete my bench for milling small logs and practice before heading off to the compost site when the weather and work allow.

I'm looking for your wisdom and advice to integrate into this "bucket list" project.

LJ's have given me insight and inspiration to go where I've not gone before!

*As always your comments, criticisms and humor are welcome

Thanks!*


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## Tugboater78 (May 26, 2012)

Ive wanted to invest in a mill myself. Lots of trees gwt cut down around here but usually end up as firewood.

Matt Cremona has some youtube vids about using his chainsaw mill, if you havent already seen them.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

I used the chainsaw mill for 2 years. worked fine, but too slow for what I needed. I have a Stihl 660 with 36" bar.


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## Timberwerks (Sep 29, 2009)

I've been milling with Alaskan mills for many years now. It's true that they are slower but the low cost compared to a band mill and portability more than make up for it. Truth be told Alaskan mills do produce a better, more accurate cut and if you mill urban lumber and chain will hold up far better to hitting metal vs a band mill blade.

I recommend you join the ArboristSite and check out the Milling & Milling Saws section. Lot's of info there: http://www.arboristsite.com/community/


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

Another great source for information and support is the Forestry Forum…

Herb


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

I started with a "beam machine" as it's very inexpensive, but requires a lot of attention and steady hands. I have a 54cc and 64cc saw and the smaller of the two only holds 18.6oz of fuel and the last time I turned a 20" x 9' long leaf pine log into a cant it used exactly 1 full tank for just four cuts. The price of entry and the portability are certainly attractive for occasional users or those cutting monster slabs (not so affordable) but the efficiency doesn't yield a good ROI for anyone hoping to do any volume. I have had the opportunity to use a 36" mill with a 120cc saw and cutting smaller stuff it was much faster, but in big stuff was pretty slow, but still possible. Having a sharp chain is of paramount importance if you don't want to cook your bar as you slowly burn your way through the wood.


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## tomsteve (Jan 23, 2015)

> I recommend you join the ArboristSite and check out the Milling & Milling Saws section. Lot s of info there: http://www.arboristsite.com/community/
> 
> - Timberwerks


Definitely good info. I like to just see what others are doing with their CSM. The one guy in Alaska that mills on the beach….he gets some really nice free lumber. Beautiful view for milling,too.
I will give a warning,though, about arborist site- it can cause BP a d adrenaline to rise and dollars be spent.

Good to read ya branching out! Patience is a good thing with CSMing. Not only for the milling, but for the drying process,too. But the payoff is the reward of building stuff and saying," yup,that started from a log I milled."


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## OhioMike (Jun 24, 2012)

You already know it's slow and difficult work so I'll just mention the following:

1) You need a place large enough to stack and sticker your lumber where it's off the ground, has good ventilation, and is somewhat protected from the rain and direct sun. And you need to get it there ASAP after the stuff is cut. Count on your lumber being in that location for at least a year and maybe more.

2) Consider the weight. A freshly cut oak board that's 10 feet long and 8/4 thick weighs about a billion pounds. Be sure you have a few people with strong backs to horse that stuff around.

3) Watch for creatures. Some of the urban trees you'll encounter will have been felled because of disease. If you plan on building your own kiln, the heat should kill everything. Otherwise, be vigilant and don't introduce pests into your woodpile.

Mike


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

Everything so far posted I can agree with! I picked up the small Alaskan mill for my older Jonsred 54cc 18" bar but had problems finding proper chain(rip cut) made up my own which works okay but still very slow cutting. I started out on a Birch tree which in hind site was one of the toughest trees to practice on! Going to harvest a Poplar this fall which should cut a little easier? We have a wood burning fireplace so a least I have some extra good firewood out of the deal.


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

well i have lots of info to give here, well i really only have a small amount and quick to the point, take your logs to a sawyer, sell the chainsaws and mills, well keep one saw for that needed tree that will come down in the yard, but everything else, save your back…and save your time…use the time to do actual woodwork….the work that it all takes is young mans work…and that is all i have, noy what you wanted to hear…..but its all free, so if its not wanted, then just chuck it in the not wanted file, matt cramona loves to cut his lumber for just the odd and end project, how far away is he from you tom…he can sell you all the wood you need…, its all one price…check him out.


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## CampD (Nov 8, 2008)

> save your back…and save your time…use the time to do actual woodwork….the work that it all takes is young mans work…
> 
> - grizzman


What Grizz says!


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## HillbillyShooter (Feb 15, 2012)

Would love to see you thoughts, but I fear grizzman is right-save your time for actual woodworking and it's a young man's game. This business of aging is not for the weak or faint of heart.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Justin, Grizz,John, Doug,John,Andre,

Thanks for your very wise advice! I know cutting wood with a chainsaw can be dangerous, so I am starting with small logs. I have the chains, blades, moving tools and protective Kevlar clothing. I have watched the videos and read some books, as I don't have a mentor. I have been thinking about this for as long as I have been on LJ's maybe longer.

I even bought a winch that has been on the shelf in my shop that is going into service in this "bucket list" project.

I'm learning a lot about chainsaws, the weight of the saw and steel mill together, as well as stacking and sticking, checking, etc.

I probably am not up to the task at this point, and I may fail to "get some wood I cut," which is my goal here.

After which I will have some tuned up ready to go chainmill tools for Ebay or Craigs List
*
Thanks for your advice! "It's my Chainsaw Madness" LOL!*

Tom


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## jar944 (Jun 19, 2014)

You may want ti think about a bigger saw if you do much milling, I have a few 80cc saws and wouldn't want to use them for much milling. Most of the guys on AS with chain mills seem to be running in the 100cc + range (660/880 stihl or the 395/3120 husqvarnas)


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Tugboater78,HerbC,BigBlockYeti, Tomsteve,Ohiomike,Monte,

Your information is something I will keep in mind. I'm not into volume at this point, and I'm not sure(at all) how far I can go. Getting Old sucks! LOL! I may not even get to do something with what I harvest, if anything, but I'm going to try to "swim up river," as my new mentor Thomas Hucker has advised.

I also have a metal detector to at least prevent metal from dulling the blades, but that also depends on depth of cut.

*I want to thank everyone for their input!*

Tom


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Jarr,

If I could handle or afford a bigger saw I'd probably be buying those big slabs. LOL I do understand I have minimum power,and depth in my cut, but I do know my limits.

Thanks for the suggestion.
*
As the smart folks said "It's a younger mans game!"*


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## CharlieK (Jan 6, 2008)

HI Tom,

I have never used a chainsaw mill, but I sure like your title: *Chain Saw Madness! *


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Charlie,

It is maddening! I actually started to cut a small walnut log and now I realize my chain is really dull and I don't have another for my short blade. Grrrr!

Thanks for checking it out.


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

> Charlie,
> 
> It is maddening! I actually started to cut a small walnut log and now I realize my chain is really dull and I don t have another for my short blade. Grrrr!
> 
> ...


I have a cordless Dremel that I use to to resharpen the chains but seems the chain stays pretty sharp cutting wet wood!


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Andre,

Thanks! The small log is from a branch cut off of one of my walnut trees. I ran a metal checker over it to not have a nail surprise. This is with my smaller saw and 20 inch power match bar. Not sure about tension binding the cut or if the chain does a cross cut. The bar that came with the saw uses a different length chain of which i have two new chisel chains.

I purchased a ripping chain to have a standard of comparison, and I have two sets of file sharpening files and sets I will be trying out this evening when it gets cooler.

Eventually I will blog the misadventure.


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## JoshCarte (Oct 19, 2013)

Lots of good advice for you here, Doc. Chainsaw milling is tough but quite rewarding.


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## JKMDETAIL (Nov 13, 2013)

Very good discussion here. My son and I have cut a few trees for this purpose in the winter and spring. Not sure if you are looking to sell the slabs or cut for your own use. It is very hard work, nothing about it is easy. He built his own Alaskan mill and has a stihl 880 and 660 with a 42" bar. It is very time consuming for sure. We love the result, watching to see the grain patterns come to life. A 36" cut 10' long takes about 40 minutes in red oak just to give you an idea. Not to sure about your area but we have had a difficult time selling the slabs.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

http://lumberjocks.com/donwilwol/blog/23436


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## Timberwerks (Sep 29, 2009)

> Very good discussion here. My son and I have cut a few trees for this purpose in the winter and spring. Not sure if you are looking to sell the slabs or cut for your own use. It is very hard work, nothing about it is easy. He built his own Alaskan mill and has a stihl 880 and 660 with a 42" bar. It is very time consuming for sure. We love the result, watching to see the grain patterns come to life. A 36" cut 10 long takes about 40 minutes in red oak just to give you an idea. Not to sure about your area but we have had a difficult time selling the slabs.
> 
> - JKMDETAIL


Are you using ripping chain? A 36" x 10' slab cut from Red Oak should only take 10 - 12 minutes or so.


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## Quanter50 (Feb 11, 2012)

This past weekend my two boys and I cut up a 26" diameter Red Oak that blew down during Sandy. I used my Jonsered 2166 (70cc) with a thin kerf bar and ripping chain. I used one of those chain saw guides that attaches directly to the chainsaw bar. We ripped 2-3" thick slabs.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Josh,

I'm just trying to do some slabbing, not carving. LOL!

Thanks for checking it out.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Don W,
LOL! Good stuff, I even replied 2 times. At that time I was thinking about Husquavarna. Ended up with a 50 cc poulan pro. inexpensive for a 50 cc saw but a plastic oil pump vs. a metal one in a Husky. I've learned a lot but yougot the information down, Andy you went to a band saw mill.

I'm not planning on selling, mostly acquiring materials for me. But mostly to just do it.

Hopefully I'll remember it's there when I need it.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

jkmdetail,

Thanks for checking in. Not planning on selling , just harvesting free logs when I can. Dallas is the guy I bought my modified 55 cc from and he uses a modified chisel chain. Not sure if I hit a rock in that walnut, but I know it's not metal. I know I need a sharp chain and aripping chain is said to do the best although Dallas will argue with that.

I am using an Oregon power match bar which is ment for this type of sawing.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Quanter50. I'm envious of your saw. LOL!


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## Quanter50 (Feb 11, 2012)

Doc, I picked that saw up at Tractor Supply. One day my youngest son and I walked in and on a pallet were 3 chainsaws. One was marked down from $699.99 to $349.99. I asked the girl working there what the deal was with the saws. She said they were customer returns. She also said they were sent out and checked over and were ok. I dunno…....I'm glad I stumbled upon that deal! I love that saw! I also have a Husqvarna 257. That was my first real saw I bought when we were building our house and clearing the lot. That is a great running and cutting saw also. Here is the Jonsered with the guide attached.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Blade looks like it has a replaceable tip. Some people have really good luck! LOL1


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

well tom, get your gear out and do some cutting, get er done son, i want to see you doing some cuttingand then let us know what you feel about milling lumber…..so next blog has got to be some milling.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Bob/Grizz,

Making every effort to do that. Murphy must have a room with the cats in the shop. Wensday I attempted to cut the top off a small log, and it bogged down. Sooooo. I have a new ripping chain to go with my 50 cc saw, and a freekin carborator coming for the 55 cc saw. GRRRR!

I will post the bench as a project and the milling as a blog. It's starting to cool down which helps when whereing protective gear.

How's the back since the procedure?


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

well all i had done there was a device was removed, so no new changes there, getting over the heart attack has ben a bit of a challenge…but im doing good so far, i look forward to seeing you finally getting to cut, sure would enjoy seeing some new slabs….


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

Found some Pic's of my last milling adventure, so in about 2 years should have some Birch planks to slice up?


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Andre,

Looks like some heafty chunks of birch?


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Grizz,

I think I told you I had one. No stents, minor loss, but my brother was a smoker and had more than on stent put in. He didn't listen to me but he did listen to his heart!

Got my ripping chain in the mail today. Clients in Mankato tomorrow and an Art Festival (juried) that if I like it I will shoot for next year.


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