Portable Saw Mill suggestions

[AndyBoyd]

Here in the land of happy football fans I am very lucky that when we bought the house it came with 20 small bits of the local wood (for chesnuts and wood supply for the house heating in winter)

Now I have enough wood to keep our hearth running for the next ten years (we heat mainly with Gas now) and so I can use my wood for furniture and DIY uses.

Now I was thinking about getting a portable saw mill, one of those that works with a chain saw and guide rails than can be carried into the wood (max ~100m from an access road) Then lug out the planks to the road, one by one by hand - boy the missues will be pleased with that suggestion, maybe my 90yr old neighbour Dante can help. :?

We have Chesnut, Oak, Beech, mainly but many other sorts of trees, and I will slowly take them out and plant new ones.

But any advice on these things which one to buy etc would be very gratefully received as I haven't a clue.

 

[mbedford]

Andy

These machines are beasts, and unless you are going to use them a lot I would stear well clear, I get one of our local tree fellers who has a wood miser to come and see us every now and then, much safer and not too expensive, you can nornally barter his time for some excess timber that he can sell.

Martyn

 

[AndyBoyd]

Thanks but I was thinking of the smaller man portable one's I'd seen advertised somewher, I will have to carry it 100m into the wood, where my section begins. I remember a chain saw, with a aluminium top guide rail to steer it you bolt together at the site, or was I dreaming?

This is none, you nail a board (or ally extrusion would be better) to the trunk and chainsaw away - see http://www.hud-son.com/hudson_chainsaw_mill.htm BoardMaster

or this here And check out the video on this ebay listin and see if you yell out ouch at the last one!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[Adam]

Thanks but I was thinking of the smaller man portable one's I'd seen advertised somewher, I will have to carry it 100m into the wood, where my section begins. I remember a chain saw, with a aluminium top guide rail to steer it you bolt together at the site, or was I dreaming?

No I recognise the description of what you describe. You have a roller above the chainsaw which keeps it referenced to the previously cut surface. When you start, people use a scafolding flat to "iron out" the undulations in the bark/trunk. Once you have taken the first cut or two, it self spaces based on the previous line. You can adjust the space from the roller(s) to the blade to take larger or thinner cuts. Its specifically designed for a one-man-band as I recall.

Obviously it wastes a lot of timber, e.g. the thickness of a chainsaw blade per cut, but then its cheap and easy.

Can't help you out with where to get it though I'm afraid...

Along these lines, but its commercially available....

http://eddiem.com/projects/csmill/mill.htm

Ahh got it, heres one... second piccy down....

http://www.granberg.com/chainsaw_mills.htm

Andy, try a search for " chainsaw mill " on google

 

[dedee]

Andy,
I just googled "chainsaw milling" and this came up on ebay
Is this the type of ting you are looking for?

Andy

 

[AndyBoyd]

Just the ticket guys thanks and make sure you check out the video on the ebay listing here

Scroll down a bit and hit play, as far as this eye can tell they are not staged accidents !!!!!!

 

[Colin C]

The two guys moving the bricks #-o
Ps do you think the boy in it went for a 3-4 hour hide :twisted:

 

[bill d]

I've got one of these things, which I bought from my local hardware supplier. It's made by Oregon. There are a few of points to think about. First, they are quite slow. Expect to take about 5 mins per 12 foot, 18 inch hardwood plank. That's a lot of 2 stroke as you will have the chainsaw running at full power for all this time. Second, it's hard work. Third, you will need a really powerful chainsaw fitted with a 28 inch bar and a special rip chain. The rails & kit cost me £180, the chainsaw bar and chain much much more. Finally, it's dangerous work with plenty of scope for things to go wrong. I'm assuming you already have the appropriate protaective clothing, if not, that's expensive too.
Mine spends all its time stored away in a corner of the workshop. If I want a tree planking up I trailer it over to the nearest sawmill and they do it for me for a very reasonable fee.
Best wishes, Bill

 

[jasonB]

I did look into getting one a while back but deceded against it for the amount of use it would get.

Instead I cut the trunk into 5-6ft lengths then freehand cut into quarters lengthways. This was about as much as two people could lift. Once you have got it to this size it can be transported back to the workshop and put through a bandsaw. Much easier and a lot less waste in the forn of sawdust.

As Bill says you need a decent saw & correct chain, I bought a large Husquvarna with 24" bar and an additional rip blade.

Jason