Portable chainsaw mill

[shed9]

Anyone used a portable chainsaw mill, similar to the Alaskan mills?

I'm taking a few trees down in the year and wanted to know if anyone had any experience of the current batch of chainsaw adapters that allow basic milling of in-situ felled trees. I have a couple of small saw's (can't remember the bar lengths) and the mills are pennies these days.

Is this folly or does it make sense?

 

[paulm]

I use an alaskan mill, very satisfying to produce good usable timber from what would normally be left to rot away or get chunked up for firewood !

You will lose around 2 to 4" of usable bar length on your chainsaw due to the way the mills attach, and will need a powerful saw to make much progress unless you want to be all day cutting a single plank ! I use a 60cc saw with a 24" bar and I wouldn't honestly want to use anything less powerful if doing more than a cut or two, more power would be better still.

Ripping chains are also available which make cutting along the grain, which normal chains aren't optimised for, a bit quicker and cleaner and with less strain on the saw, but haven't got round to trying them yet.

It takes a bit of effort too, will test your back and your stamina if cutting for a few hours !

Oh, and you lose a fair bit of the tree in sawdust due to the wide cut of the chain of course.

Doubt you'll regret it if you give it a go, but the saw is the important bit really, more than the jmill which is just a jig that guides the cut.

 

[shed9]

Brilliant info paulm, thanks for that. I expected loss of material given the chain width but this would have ended up as firewood anyhow and I'd rather use it if I can.

 

[acewoodturner]

I have been using the Alaskan mill now for 18 years and have milled everything from small yews and walnut to four foot dia oak with a trunk length of 60 feet. I normally cut my bigger trees into 8 feet lengths as that what fits into my kiln. I normally use a stihl 660 with a 92 cc engine for up to about 28 inches or so in dia and my stihl ms880 with 120cc for up to 4 feet approx. in dia. Its hard work but very rewarding. I have some big winches for rolling logs into a better position for milling and making the log safer and a trolley for moving the planks to my van. I normally use stihl ripping chain although I used to convert normal chain into ripping chain, these days I am often short of time for that. As Paul said, if you don't have a bad back at the start of the day, you will by the end of the day. It also helps if you have a mate to give you a hand as managing big planks is very difficult and dangerous. I mostly go milling on my own now as my logging buddy doesn't keep so well as is often away on holiday.
If you have any questions fire away or feel free to pm me your phone no and I can give you a call.

Mike

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Hi - I've recently been slicing up the largest tree I've ever attempted (an oak about 4ft diameter at the base), having sliced up quite a few smaller ones. I've resisted the temptation to get an Alaskan mill and find that with a well sharpened chain, a bar that's in good nick, and a sufficiently powerful engine I can follow a chalk line down the trunk very accurately. I've also tried not to spend more than about £600 on a chainsaw (having previously had a "homeowner" 14 incher for cutting firewood) - I got one of the Mtronic Stihls with an 18 inch bar, which I could beef up to 20 inch if I felt inclined (but haven't felt the need). The new Stihl is a pleasure to use and the MTronic computerised ignition makes it a lot more powerful and clean-burning for a given weight. I just use standard chains, but you can re-grind (or buy) to a 10 degree angle (as opposed to the usual 30) for ripping - use of a proper rip chain probably makes more sense with bigger and more powerful machines as I think it's primarily a safety consideration (kickback reduction).

I'd only get an Alaskan mill (and possibly a longer bar/bigger machine) if I were going to do this kind of work regularly. Another option you might consider - round here there are blokes with woodmizers who hire them out by the day and come to your woodland to do the slicing £200-£300 seems to be the sort of daily rate all in. There's no question that a woodmizer makes better use of the tree.

Don't underestimate the amount of effort shifting the finished boards!

Cheers, W2S

Edit: I've just read up about rip chains and I think they're more (rather than less) prone to kickback and are definitely not for crosscut use!

 

[shed9]

Thanks for the advice and offers for further advice people, it is appreciated.

To add a little detail, I live in the middle of a forest and own a very small part of it (and I mean a very very small part, like 3 acres if that and my lot is only partially covered in trees). There is a fair bit of wood contained within those trees that need to come down and certainly enough quantity and variety to justify milling, just don't know if this is something I want to do myself or have the time to do so. I don't underestimate the work involved, I've seen it done but also experienced the satisfaction that comes with it. This would keep me (and others) in supply sufficiently for a good while.

My initial query was down to the fact that I have a few saw but my biggest has about a 20" bar which in a jig will only yield about 15" or so width if i'm lucky and that's running at the extreme of the saw. A new saw and a jig comparative to hiring a guy and a mill for a few days would probably equal but a saw and jig won't go home after the job is what interests me.

I'm going to do some sums and think it over but again, appreciate the real world advice - I may be back on this one.

 

[Lazurus]

Alaskan Chainsaw Mill Copy (Chinese Milling or Chilling)

Below is a thread to a forum on which I have given some thoughts on a cheap Chinese chainsaw and Alaskan copy mill. it has proved invaluable in converting trunks to blanks and boards, for those of you whom may have a use or interest in such things.

https://arbtalk.co.uk/forums/topic/9821 ... e-milling/

 

[shed9]

Quick update, I've since bought a used Logosol M8, one of these;

https://www.logosol.co.uk/sawmills/f2-chain-sawmill/

It's the previous Farmers version but looks pretty much the same. I've also bought a new chainsaw, a Stihl 441 (Mtronic) with a 20" bar awaiting delivery. I appreciate I could have got a 461 for around the same price with a few more cc's but I don't expect to do an awful lot of milling and I wanted a bigger saw than I already have to do some basic forestry as well. I didn't want too much saw and something that was grunty but not too heavy, hence the 441. It takes a 25" bar if need be but 20" will do me for now I suspect.

Already laid a block of concrete 4.2 x 1.5m in the back garden for a permanent place for the mill and created a ramp for getting logs on there safely.

Hope to be planking by April and I'll post updates on my opinion on this type of mill / setup when I can in case it is of use to others.

 

[topchippyles]

That is the mill Marty Meierotto uses out of mountain men for building his cabins,I do loads of milling and use a home made mill and a still saw with a 36 inch ripping bar and chain,It will cut the planks in half the time as a standard bar and chain and a far smoother finish.

https://www.logosol.co.uk/sawmills/f2-chain-sawmill/

 

[shed9]

Can I ask what model you are using with a 36" bar. I intend to get a bigger saw in the long term and any shared experience is welcome. I looked at the 661 but it was too heavy for my current and immediate needs however it screemed Buy Me!!!!! Can't imagine using the 880 like acewoodturners up there ^

 

[BigMonka]

Hi Shed9, the "similar topics" links at the bottom of the page lead me down a rabbit hole that ended here.
How you've been getting on with your mill and whether your timber supplies are coming out as usable?