A simple garden chainsaw mill

[Walney Col]

Just about to start making an electric chainsaw mill for use with small(ish) logs. Not having a workshop (or even fences separating our garden from those of our neighbours) it was important to design something that'd blend innocuously into the background when not in use and this is what I've dome up with.

The mill will be built entirely from around 7m of 2x4 joist and a 4' long piece of 18mm ply (total lose less than £20) and should mill anything up to 4' long x 12' diameter using a 16" makita electric saw or similar. I'll be videoing the build and adding the plans + a write up to my web site in due course but if anyone finds it interesting the sketchup plans as they stand can already be downloaded from http://www.seafax.co.uk/index.php?id=electric-chainsaw-mill

Col.

 

[themackay]

Looks intresting ,look forward to seeing finished article

 

[Woodmonkey]

Good luck trying to run a chainsaw along a wooden rail, sorry to be negative but I can't see that lasting very long

 

[RobinBHM]

It looks like the chainsaw bar is bolted to the timber slide, so the rail should last ok.

I do wonder all the saw dust will clog the rail as you try and move it along.

It may be tricky to keep the cut parallel?

 

[Graham Orm]

Rip cutting logs with an electric chain saw isn't going to happen...for very long at least. That rig looks like it will be a struggle at best. If you want consistent cuts with it you'll need a way of carrying the weight of the saw while you push it along. Sorry to be negative, but the beauty of a forum is that you get input from others, and mine would be. Petrol chain saw, metal frame to carry it's weight. Maybe with casters or skateboard wheels built in?

 

[Woodmonkey]

It looks like the chainsaw bar is bolted to the timber slide, so the rail should last ok.

I do wonder all the saw dust will clog the rail as you try and move it along.

It may be tricky to keep the cut parallel?

Yes sorry I didn't see that the saw was attached to the slide.... Could work, but agree that an electric saw will struggle.

 

[powertools]

The op did say smallish logs so an electric saw could well work.

 

[dejaa]

Hi

I'm sorry if I missed something, but not quite sure what you're trying to achieve? Is the saw fixed? and you push the log into it? surely not! How are you going to achieve consistent thickness along the cuts?

Why not just get an "Alaskan Mill"? They're not that expensive even new, and would enable you to cut your smallish logs and even complete boules into pretty accurate thickness boards that could be actually be of some use when seasoned and dried.

Actually the provenance of locally sourced timber is a great selling feature to a number of quality cabinetmakers, I'm sure you would find a local market for any such cut timber that was an excess to your own needs? and now you have a new business?

David

 

[Zeddedhed]

Don't listen to all the naysayers - go ahead and make it. If it doesn't work refine it and keep on refining it until it does what you want.
Then you can triumphantly post a load of pics on here and a set of sketchup plans and we'll all congratulate you on your perseverance and tenacity and make one for ourselves.
Go for it.

 

[woodfarmer]

I think you will need to support both ends of the chain bar or else you will get tapered and wiggly cuts.

Despite all the Alaskan mills cutting straight on etc It is better to have the chain angled so as to actually rip a bit and not be at 90 degrees and only cut across the ends of the grain. Make sure it cuts with the grain IE the chain is pulling down off not pushing the ends up.

As has been said a small alaskan mill may be a better bet, just put it in the shed when not in use.

Also use a ripping chain. Not your normal cross cut one.

 

[Benchwayze]

Would a scaffold pole (or maybe two or three side by side) be a better guide? Never used a chainsaw, so excuse me being ridiculous; if I am ! (hammer)

 

[Walney Col]

Thanks for the feedback chaps. A bit more explanation of my ideas to address a few points raised...

I'm not suggesting for one moment that my design is suitable for large scale production or constant use. I'm a retired elderly gent in pretty poor health who fancies cutting maybe half a dozen 4' long 12" diameter logs per year for use on my scroll saw and mini lathe. By that token there's no way on earth that an alaskan mill would represent good value for money even if there was enough room in my shed to store it which there isn't. The real beauty of my design is in it's extreme simplicity and the fact that it can be left outside all year round without making the garden look unsightly.

And as for a petrol chainsaw... As already mentioned this is for use in a domestic setting and the neighbours living room window is maybe 6' from our shared garden boundary and I doubt very much they'd appreciate the noise of petrol saw when there's a viable electric alternative and I for one wouldn't blame them. They can barely hear my electric saw and there's plenty of examples on youtube of how they perform.

Ripping chain... Yes. I'm going to try it with the supplied cross cut chain to start with but if it struggles I fully intend to either buy a ripping chain or re-sharpen the one I have to more of a ripping chain profile.

Weight of the saw... this isn't a problem... at least not for the duration of a cut. The slide that the blade is bolted to is only 3-sided however and I envision that it may loosen up slightly on it's rail with time but it's only made of wood and it would be a small matter to make a new one - or even make a replacement out of steel since it's such a simple piece :-

The rail on the back of the "seat" (see next image) is what determines whether the cut is consistent or not. Either end of the rail can be raised or lowered as desired to cut any thickness I like and I could even cut deliberately tapered planks should I ever need them.

 

[Walney Col]

Would a scaffold pole (or maybe two or three side by side) be a better guide? Never used a chainsaw, so excuse me being ridiculous; if I am ! (hammer)

It might be a bit more rigid, but it'd look a whole lot less like a garden bench!

Col.

 

[dickm]

Good luck, mate! As another elderly gent, will be interested to see how it works out. Only note of caution is to mention that trying a rip cut with an older Maculloch electric saw a few years back produced an interesting pile of little pieces of plastic when the intermediate (plastic) gear stripped. No doubt Makitas are better made (they are Dolmars, after all ), but go carefully.
On my round tuit list and in a bag on the workshop floor, are the steel sections to weld up my own Alaskan mill, but somehow it keeps getting pushed down the list by one thing and another. if it does get made, there is a 20" stihl 048 waiting to sit in it.

 

[Graham Orm]

Electric chainsaws are a DIY tool, simple as that. Designed for cross cutting thin logs. I really think you should have a go at rip cutting a 12 inch log with one first.

 

[Walney Col]

Electric chainsaws are a DIY tool, simple as that. Designed for cross cutting thin logs. I really think you should have a go at rip cutting a 12 inch log with one first.

I don't have to. Others have done it for me.

 

[Graham Orm]

OK good luck then. Do you have any links to YT videos at all?

 

[woodfarmer]

I can rip logs with my Ikra electric chainsaw with no bother, in fact it is at least as good a friends large professional petrol Stil.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

A couple of thoughts:

Any movement/twist in the slide will multiply at the end of the saw - for example a 1mm gap between the side of the rail and slide will allow the end of the saw to move up/down by approx 5mm giving a wonky cut/more wastage/more finishing. This could be reduced with a lower as well as upper guide rail which would hold the slide more firmly in the right plane.

I would also consider using wheels to roll on the top rail rather than rely on a (hopefully) fairly frictionless softwood slide/rail interface. This would allow the slide to move smoothly rather sticking/jerking mid cut.

Good luck!

Terry

 

[dickm]

Just thinking aloud, but might a wooden version of an Alaskan mill be feasible?
Certainly have doubts about only having a guide on one side and relying on that to keep the saw at right angles. And +1 for making sure that the tip of the saw is leading, rather than lagging, in the cut.