A simple garden chainsaw mill

[Walney Col]

First cuts... video coming soon.

Img_0166.jpg[/attachment]
Col.

 

[Harry 48]

Congratulations some nice looking timber you've produced very well done. I think I will be making one soon thanks =D> =D> =D> =D>

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Well done for persevering. Bet the naysayers are feeling a right bunch of charlie's now eh

 

[Graham Orm]

Impressive well done. Here's one I found with an electric saw. I have to say I didn't think an electric one would cope! Looks to me like wheels are a good bet. ALSO He oils the chain constantly whilst cutting as the saw is on it's side the gravity drip feed won't work.

EDIT: Link added

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJMe_CbsFQ0

 

[paulm]

Result, well done 8) =D>

Did you find it hard work to use with the pushing and the electric saw ?

Cheers, Paul

 

[Water-Mark]

Awesome

 

[Woodmonkey]

Well done, great job. Must confess I didn't think that an electric saw would manage that, as a professional petrol chainsaw user I don't have a very high opinion of electric chainsaws.

 

[Walney Col]

Impressive well done. Here's one I found with an electric saw. I have to say I didn't think an electric one would cope! Looks to me like wheels are a good bet. ALSO He oils the chain constantly whilst cutting as the saw is on it's side the gravity drip feed won't work.

Was there supposed to be a link there Grayorm?

I have to say I found it very hard work but I was already tired before I started today so all things considered I'm calling it a success. I don't think for one second that a healthy person would have found it hard (or even worth bothering with perhaps) but for me in my state of health and on a limited budget the alternative would have been to work with only cheap pine or shop bought plywood for the rest of my days so it opens up avenues I'd not have available by any other means.

The biggest difficulties I'm pretty sure I can overcome. As someone anticipated the weight of the saw hanging over the back of the bench had a tendency to jam the blade - and sadly (although it helped a bit) the force of the cut pulling the saw towards the log wasn't anywhere near sufficient to overcome that weight. I can get round that at least partially by refining the metal guide the saw's mounted on (a technical term translated as "hitting it with a hammer to tighten it up a bit")... at the moment it's a very loose fit on the rail and that helps it to tip and jam unless I counterbalance the weight of the saw by lifting it up as I push which isn't quite as easy as it sounds.

Other questions may well be answered by watching the video which is compiling even as we speak. I don't mean to claim the saw bench as "a resounding success of interest to able bodied people" but for those amongst us who need that little bit of help getting things done I'd say it was well worth considering and the power of the saw was more than adequate taking (even me) just a little over 4 minutes to take the first slice off a 350mm oak log and that was with a bog-standard cross cut chain.

BTW, the oil feed on the makita didn't seem to be effected by being on it's side. I checked it afterwards and there was still a healthy dose of oil covering all the parts you'd want it to.

Col.

 

[Walney Col]

Well done for persevering. Bet the naysayers are feeling a right bunch of charlie's now eh

I'm saying nothing :lol:

 

[Walney Col]

Result, well done 8) =D>

Did you find it hard work to use with the pushing and the electric saw ?

Cheers, Paul

Yes, very much so. But what you have to bear in mind is that I have a heart and lung condition plus a back-pain problem and I can't honestly think of any other way I could have cut that log with the resources available to me. To a fit lad though I'm pretty sure it would've been less than 3 minutes per cut and easy peasy.

Col.

 

[Owl]

Well done indeed young sir =D> it looks the business.

ps. at my age I can afford to address you thus: :wink:

 

[Walney Col]

Well done, great job. Must confess I didn't think that an electric saw would manage that, as a professional petrol chainsaw user I don't have a very high opinion of electric chainsaws.

Thanks woodmonkey.

As a professional petrol chainsaw user you're probably quite right in your estimation of electric saws, but at 2.5HP, the makita I have wasn't phased at all even though with it's standard cross cut chain it was a bit on the slow side even by my standards. I hope to file one to more of a ripping profile for my next try.

Col.

 

[Walney Col]

Well done indeed young sir =D> it looks the business.

Thanks owl. I have to say it was great fun seeing what was inside that log.

 

[powertools]

I think that your approach to woodworking is similar to mine and I look forward to your video and your next project.
My disc sander based on your design is great

 

[RobinBHM]

I would say the clean finish and 4mins of work, would definitely count as a resounding success for an able bodied person. It wouldnt surprise me if this thread inspires others to make something similar.

I wonder if a second guide rail lower down and a simple plywood outrigger, to form a sliding platform so the saw is fully supported might be worth consideration.

 

[Graham Orm]

Was there supposed to be a link there Grayorm?Col.

DUH! yes, have added it to the post as well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJMe_CbsFQ0

 

[Walney Col]

I would say the clean finish and 4mins of work, would definitely count as a resounding success for an able bodied person. It wouldnt surprise me if this thread inspires others to make something similar.

It's very kind of you to say so Robin. Having had a limited income and limited physical capabilities for the best part of two decades I often find it hard to judge the value of something to someone else. All I know is that for me being able to mill my own lumber albeit on such a small scale is absolutely priceless.

I wonder if a second guide rail lower down and a simple plywood outrigger, to form a sliding platform so the saw is fully supported might be worth consideration.

It's certainly worth considering. Another option that occurred to me is that if I were to mount the saw further back (by it's top handle rather than it's blade) I'd not only get a better balanced setup but also a deeper cut.

 

[Walney Col]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJMe_CbsFQ0

That's a cracking little setup isn't it. And with an Einhell too. I thought they were supposed to be rubbish?

One thing that occurred to me from an earlier comment someone made about it being "a stealth mill" is that in the video you can actually see the corner of neighbour's house barely 15' from where I'm cutting. They were in. And I'm delighted to say they didn't hear a thing. For my purposes I'm definitely calling that a win!

 

[dickm]

Great work that man. Another suggestion- could you weld a couple of downward pointing axles on each side of the metal guides with small wheels that would run on the guide rail? They would make sliding the saw along easier and keep it level? But it's a real inspiration already.

 

[Aden30mm]

Nice one Col, is that a bit of Vickers engineering coming through (I note your location).

Aden