Chainsaw sawmill

[johnk]

Finally got around to using my chainsaw mill. I first carried a 14 ft tree down my hill with the trunk in my bucket so i didn't get mud and dirt all over the bark.

It was a little scary coming down the hill with it but I took it very slow.

I used a 16 foot ladder for the first cut to make sure it was level.

Didn't really know what I was going to make with the lumber so i made 2 2" thick slabs and 1 3" thick slab.

The first cut was really smooth and I was quite impressed with the result.

Here are the pics of the 2 and 3 inch thick slabs....

I think I'll use the three inch slab for a bench top at the cabin for around the firepit. It took roughly 3 to 4 minutes for each cut on 14 inch Spruce. The hardest part was setting up th4e first cut. I have a lot of mature ash and oak trees and I can see a ne floor on my 16 ft trailer in the future. It has a lot of possibilities and i didn't even try out the 36" bar with the rip chain. That was a 32" bar with a regular chain and it did well.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

i wondered how well those really work..........looks good...

of course your saw has some nads on it

 

[Woodworkerman]

Thats awesome! Are you planning on building any kind of kiln or just air drying your lumber? This is something I have always wanted to invest in, but just could never justify it. It's one of those things that you wish you knew someone who had one. Can I ask how much that set you back?

 

[Egon]

Nice pictures. Thanks for posting.

 

[roho]

Hello JohnK....Great TOOL & GREAT PICs! More pic, more PIC & thanks for posting pics! Lumber looks great!

 

[Northstar9126]

How do you plan to square up the sides of the slabs?

 

[case685]

JohnK Great idea using a ladder to guide your first cut, especially on a long log. You should consider making or buying a more rigid straightedge though, particularly if you plan to cut hardwoods that you want to finish plane once thier dry. I've used a chainsaw mill for about 20 years now and have learned that cutting good straight boards of even thickness is quite doable with these rigs and saves you alot of work when it comes time to cut and plane the boards to thier finished size.
Also, you should be sure to stack your boards on a level surface with one inch square stickers between them every couple feet and some weight on top so they stay straight while drying. Gerry

 

[mrutkaus]

Always wondered about those, thanks for the pics.

Mike

 

[johnk]

JohnK Great idea using a ladder to guide your first cut, especially on a long log. You should consider making or buying a more rigid straightedge though, particularly if you plan to cut hardwoods that you want to finish plane once thier dry. I've used a chainsaw mill for about 20 years now and have learned that cutting good straight boards of even thickness is quite doable with these rigs and saves you alot of work when it comes time to cut and plane the boards to thier finished size.
Also, you should be sure to stack your boards on a level surface with one inch square stickers between them every couple feet and some weight on top so they stay straight while drying. Gerry

I have channel posts lag bolted to the log and then the ladder secured to them so it is rigid. I am going to sticker them and let them air dry. It was the first time I used it. I bought it about 4 yrs ago. I have a 36" bar and rip chain I'm going to try next. I have a lot of big ash trees and was thinking of making a nice deck for my trailer. The only thing I don't have is a lot of time so I tinker here and there..

 

[johnk]

How do you plan to square up the sides of the slabs?

You could nail down a 2x4 and run your skill saw down it......

 

[johnk]

Here is a pic where you can see the channel posts lag bolted to the log.

It worked well...

 

[EddieWalker]

I like the use of the ladder. That was very clever.

I have a more primative setup that uses a 2x6 on the log. Then an attachment that goes onto the chainsaw bar so that the chainsaw rides along the 2x6. It works ok and I was able to cut the oak beams in my house this way. I then did the same with some oak for a coffee table. I cut them about two inches thick and ended up with 3/4 inch pieces after planine them down.

For what it took to get flat workable wood, I don't think I'll do it again. It was hours and hours of work, then more time planing it into something workable. I do like the idea of cutting slabs for a bench. That's something that I've been thinking of doing with some of my cedars. Especially being able to see the natural grain of the cedar from the side, but have a flat, smooth surface to sit on.

Thanks for the pics,
Eddie

 

[johnk]

Eddie,
I think they call that one the beam machine or something like that. You would have a lot more slop using that....When I get some time I'll try it on hardwood which I'm sure will take about twice as long.. I have the trees, now all I need is the time...Retirement sounds pretty good....

 

[czechsonofagun]

Very cool. How big is the chainsaw? I use small log mill to rip logs.

One trick I learned in a milling group is to make the first cut in the middle of the log and than rip boards from each half. The reason is when you start slicing from the top, you will collect the error all the way to the bottom, but when you cut in half first your total error is half.

 

[johnk]

Very cool. How big is the chainsaw? I use small log mill to rip logs.

One trick I learned in a milling group is to make the first cut in the middle of the log and than rip boards from each half. The reason is when you start slicing from the top, you will collect the error all the way to the bottom, but when you cut in half first your total error is half.

The chainsaw is a Husqvarna 385 XP. I have a 32" chisel chain on it but I also have a 36" bar with a rip chain I am going to try. It was my first attempt and i had fun doing it. I have some better pics on my website if interested. What do you do with the wood you cut? My webpage....


http://homepages.roadrunner.com/outdoorsman/

 

[Egon]

What do you do with the wood you cut

Consider it unassembled furniture.

Just a thought. When cutting the logs remember quarter sawn wood is usually the most desirable cut.

 

[Slacker]

Here is my chainsaw mill. I did the cedar deck railings for my cabin with it.

 

[czechsonofagun]

The chainsaw is a Husqvarna 385 XP. I have a 32" chisel chain on it but I also have a 36" bar with a rip chain I am going to try. It was my first attempt and i had fun doing it. I have some better pics on my website if interested. What do you do with the wood you cut? My webpage....


http://homepages.roadrunner.com/outdoorsman/

I use it for different things. My last piece was a big (relatively) cedar and I am building a an outdoor table from it.
Ripped some pines from Isabella and used them as a floor for kids tree house. Still have some maple from the same storm and use it to make benches and such to make the little missy happy

 

[Maxfli]

I lost a 28" shagbark Hickory over July 4th. I have a few sections 12 to 18' long. Was everything I could do just to cross cut the thing with my 20" saw. I finally ended up renting a 29" saw. I would like to Rip some pieces here but it seems to me that Hickory is more like granite than wood. Anyone have experience??? Does a rip blade make a big difference????

 

[Egon]

A rip chain will make a difference. There are also different versions of rip chain as there are of crosscut chain.

Saw HP is important.