Milling trees

[topchippyles]

I have seen a few posts in the past but just wondered how many of the members on here either have-do mill their own timber from trees.I am involved on a couple of arborist forums and mill most of my own stuff. Really love this subject as a chippy/joiner it was always something i wanted to try cheers les

 

[marcros]

It always sounds a romantic idea, making a table from a tree that I have processed myself. Although lacking space, a tree and the kit I can't see it happening any time soon.

I imagine though that once it is known in your local area that you want trees, offers come in like they do with woodturning timber.

 

[topchippyles]

It always sounds a romantic idea, making a table from a tree that I have processed myself. Although lacking space, a tree and the kit I can't see it happening any time soon.

I imagine though that once it is known in your local area that you want trees, offers come in like they do with woodturning timber.

I am 50/50 now marcros with my work at milling and the joinery/carpentry.The price of timber is going up by 7% year on year hence the milling side of things.Got a nice amount of slabs 4" x1m x 3-5m seasoning now and all oak/ash/beach and douglas fir

 

[marcros]

I am 50/50 now marcros with my work at milling and the joinery/carpentry.The price of timber is going up by 7% year on year hence the milling side of things.Got a nice amount of slabs 4" x1m x 3-5m seasoning now and all oak/ash/beach and douglas fir

I might have to come and visit one of these days then!

 

[Lazurus]

I have a cheap as chips chainsaw mill which has paid for itself many times over and is still going strong, not furniture grade but has produced me hundreds of turning blanks FOC.
https://arbtalk.co.uk/forums/topic/98219-chilling-chinese-milling/?tab=comments#comment-1466130

 

[Tris]

What's the general consensus on kit for milling? I've seen a few planking millls on ebay but wondered if they are any good? Would probably have to upgrade the saw too. What size/cc?
If I won the lottery then maybe a woodmizer

 

[MikeG.]

I've now got access to a Woodmizer. I just need some trees.....

 

[Lazurus]

I guess it depends on the size of logs you have to mill, my saw is a cheap and cheerful 62cc combined with a small mill, does what I need. There are many about now look at chainsawbars for entry level mills - as for a saw the bigger the saw the bigger the log.

 

[topchippyles]

I guess it depends on the size of logs you have to mill, my saw is a cheap and cheerful 62cc combined with a small mill, does what I need. There are many about now look at chainsawbars for entry level mills - as for a saw the bigger the saw the bigger the log. View attachment 90459

Rob who owns chainsawbarsuk is a good friend and understands the difference between the professional and amateur user. The one setup i still use after 4 years is a 62cc parker chainsaw which i purchased off the bay for around £70 and a chinese copy alaskan mill 36" £80 ish. I did get a 24"bar and a couple of ripping chains to add which does allow to cut larger logs. I have upgraded over time and now have a logosol M7 which i run a 48" bar for the mobile stuff and also have the woodlands HM 130 which is a nice static setup. Anyone looking to do it can get rigged up for under £200

 

[Lazurus]

woodlands HM 130 Nice kit, just cant justify it for a hobby user. Will have to stick to me chinese mill set up for the time being.

 

[Harvey B Davison]

I have a makita dcs9100 and a mill bought from TCF engineering, I just do the odd bit. I've currently got some cherry to do, but it's been down a few years and is hard as hell, plus cherry splits and warps outrageously during drying so not sure if I want to mill it or cut into chunks and use on the lathe.

 

[Suffolkboy]

It's something I want to get into but haven't had chance yet.

Moved house a few times in the last few years. Hopefully the next one is the last and I can start to get myself set up.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I couldn't get on with my homemade alaskan mill arrangement, so I cobbled together yet another of my insane chainsaw hacks. What astonishes me every time is how much waste there is, and how much sawdust. However, I do get something approaching planks. I have recently been given given a poplar tree, so have a load of logs to attack - not entirely sure poplar is worth the effort, but it was free, so how could I say no? Given that I can only buy pine, or cheap pine, any other kind of wood is a bonus.

It's in the back of my mind to make a bandsaw mill eventually, but I know that it will never happen. In the meantime, I do this: Post a photo of the last thing you made

I made a rough guestimate of how much I milled in olive wood planks this year and I think it would cost many thousands of pounds if I was insane enough to buy it. On that basis, it is worth the effort.

 

[shed9]

I have a Logosol F2 with a 4m set beam (extended either side again) running with a Stihl 441C which is around the 70cc mark. I'm about to the push the button on a bandsaw mill purely for the reason noted by Trainee neophyte, the volume of waste wood is phenomenal. I use a low profile bar & relevant chain and whilst usually not an issue sometimes I get some really really nice wood and it's heartbreaking to see a large percentage of the tree turned into hamster bedding.
I'm quite fortunate in that I own a small part of the forest I live in, getting the trees is not the issue, it's moving the things around during the entire processing phase. I'm currently looking at the cost implications of building a log arch over buying one off the shelf. I have a UTVs so this makes sense but you end up with the issue of getting logs into position, both into the arch and onto the mill.
The cost of lumber these days is getting a bit silly, if you can harvest your own it makes a lot of sense. That said, it's a lot of work, rewarding but a lot of work.

 

[Oddbod70]

Another thumbs up for Rob at Chainsawbars. If you want to get into it thats the place to go. (But make sure you at least know one end of a chainsaw from the other! Using an alaskan mill type isn’t hard, but its not for a total beginner either)

 

[Oddbod70]

BTW Holding a chainsaw between your knees is a recommended way of starting It. However its the other end you grip.

https://images.app.goo.gl/NedyobZCd6k1sPaGA

 

[Daniel2]

I've now got access to a Woodmizer. I just need some trees.....

Isn't life great ...
I've got plenty of trees, but no mill.

 

[shed9]

BTW Holding a chainsaw between your knees is a recommended way of starting It. However its the other end you grip.

https://images.app.goo.gl/NedyobZCd6k1sPaGA

Good grief!!!!!! Part of me wants to think that's staged but then I remember the sheer number of videos I've seen in the past of people sawing off the very tree limbs they are either holding onto or directly attached to.

 

[recipio]

I tried a Logosol mill with a large Stihl chainsaw. In truth I put my shoulder out a few times trying to start the thing so I gave up and sold it. What I realised was that garden trees up to about 12 " diameter are manageable but after that you are into hydraulic lifts or machinery. An electric sawmill is tempting -- you can even get them to run off single phase power but in the end you have to spend 3-4K . I see a bandsaw on youtube with a sliding table which looks promising but doesn't seem to have a UK outlet. More research needed.

 

[topchippyles]

I have a Logosol F2 with a 4m set beam (extended either side again) running with a Stihl 441C which is around the 70cc mark. I'm about to the push the button on a bandsaw mill purely for the reason noted by Trainee neophyte, the volume of waste wood is phenomenal. I use a low profile bar & relevant chain and whilst usually not an issue sometimes I get some really really nice wood and it's heartbreaking to see a large percentage of the tree turned into hamster bedding.
I'm quite fortunate in that I own a small part of the forest I live in, getting the trees is not the issue, it's moving the things around during the entire processing phase. I'm currently looking at the cost implications of building a log arch over buying one off the shelf. I have a UTVs so this makes sense but you end up with the issue of getting logs into position, both into the arch and onto the mill.
The cost of lumber these days is getting a bit silly, if you can harvest your own it makes a lot of sense. That said, it's a lot of work, rewarding but a lot of work.

What part of wales are you as i have a nice setup and love talking shop