CSM Newbie

[wineandwood]

I am a fairly new woodworker that is looking to possibly get a chainsaw mill for personal use. My first question is which saw to start with? I realize bigger seems to be better in the milling world but also would like to start with a saw that is small enough to still be useful for everyday use if I decide not to mill with it. Eventually I would like to upgrade to a bigger saw if I stick with it. My chainsaw use to this point has consisted of firewood and clearing fence rows and power lines. The biggest saw I have ran is a stihl 361. Currently I don't own a saw due to moving out of state and all the saws were family saws that stay on the farm so I am in the market for a new saw. Also I have came into some 100 plus year old barn wood. Mostly beams That are no bigger than 12 inch. Would a chainsaw mill work for breaking these down? Typically with barn wood I would first run everything through with a metal detector first before any cutting. My other milling would be pine as well as taking the saw back to MO to hopefully do some milling on our farm. In a nutshell I am wondering what would be the smallest saw I could get away with and which saws would be good to look at? I dont have brand loyalty yet so looking for bang for the buck. Also what chainsaw mill to look into? As well as any other info on milling I should know about. I have been looking for used saws in my area but haven't had much luck. Did find a Husqvarna 372XP for sale. Also what about the 555 by Husqvarna?

 

[rapattack]

A chain saw mill is an excellent way to rip large dimension timbers into smaller material for many reasons. One being the ability to mill the log/large timber at its origin of fall, reducing the need for energized equipment to position logs/large timbers, and its relatively inexpensive to get started. I would not go any smaller then the 372. The 372 is a great power head, it is balanced best with a 26'' bar, in which I'am confident would be the maximum size of bar that a 372 could power efficiently for milling operations. If speed is your main concern use skip tooth ripping chain it will also be a little easier on your power head. however if a clean quality cut is your aim, then i would use full house ripping chain. I have extensively used the Granberg alaskan mill with 30'' rails I would recommend the same unit for yourself it should cost around 300. Very easy to use and adjust and super precise.

 

[BobL]

I think rapattack has it covered.

 

[gemniii]

The biggest saw I have ran is a stihl 361. Currently I don't own a saw due to moving out of state and all the saws were family saws that stay on the farm so I am in the market for a new saw. Also I have came into some 100 plus year old barn wood. Mostly beams That are no bigger than 12 inch. Would a chainsaw mill work for breaking these down?

Critical questions - the definition of "some", "breaking down", length of beams, thickness of final cuts.

My other milling would be pine as well as taking the saw back to MO to hopefully do some milling on our farm.

What type of milling? A tree in the woods or several trees hauled in by tractors? How much pine? How big are the trees?

In a nutshell I am wondering what would be the smallest saw I could get away with and which saws would be good to look at? I dont have brand loyalty yet so looking for bang for the buck. Also what chainsaw mill to look into? As well as any other info on milling I should know about. I have been looking for used saws in my area but haven't had much luck. Did find a Husqvarna 372XP for sale. Also what about the 555 by Husqvarna?

Saw -
Your beams are going to be rock hard. You'll need a saw in the > 70CC class. Things to look for on a CSM saw include side mount chain tensioner and inboard clutch.

Mill -
For a CSM there presently seems to be 3 main routes -
Alaskan Mark III - A long time standard, great for portability, sold at Bailey's
Panther mills - A good contender, I'm sure the mfg will chime in
BIY - Build it Yourself (or Bob's Independent w/ Yankee mod) - This requires up to two years studying designs on this forum and making your own creation. It may require an engineering degree, or be as simple as nailing a few blocks of wood together.

CSM versus BSM
CSM advantages - initial cost, portability, ability to take it to the log, wider slabs
BSM advantages - SPEED, thinner cuts, less kerf, easier to do long logs

I think that if you've got a couple of beams under 20', are trying to make boards 2" and thicker and a few pines in the woods a CSM might do.
However a CSM is VERY slow compared to a BSM, do a search here on "inches/sec".
It is definitely a good starting point, as is the 372XP.
If you like 2 stroke smell and chainsaw noise a saw or two is a good therapy for stress.

 

[wineandwood]

Thanks for all the info so far. I have talked about getting a chainsaw mill for while just never did the research required. Sorry about the first post being a little jumbled decided to post right before work and rushed through it.
Most my milling wood be taking the mill to the logs. We have a farm in MO that has a lot of hard woods on it that I may try to mill some where down the line. There I would be able to get a tractor to about any of the trees so that should make it a lot easier. I like the idea of starting small and increase as my use increases. Are there other budget saws anyone would recommend? So far this site has been great and full of information.

 

[BobL]

. . . . . Are there other budget saws anyone would recommend? So far this site has been great and full of information.

Personally I recommend used saws for milling because any value the warranty may have is voided by any milling activity.
Something like a 6400 or 7300 dolmar would be a good choice in the small saw category.
The 64 cc makita is a rebadged dolmar is also a pretty good saw.

 

[wineandwood]

Thanks for all the info so far. Just an update: I Purchased a used Husqvarna 372XP a few days ago in great shape. It came with a 16"bar and a 18" bar. I plan on buying a new bar and chains when I decide which mill to buy. Right now I am thinking of a Panther2 mill 24". Has anyone had experience with these? My thought is to buy the 24" and see how well I like milling. Then later upgrade size of both mill and saw if I choose to. I don't want to go too big and burn up my saw. Also really like the price of this mill.
Thanks again
Garrett

 

[76gmc]

saws

just about all of the major saw manufactures make power heads that will work fine for milling. you need to see who the dealers are in your area. it wouldn't be fun waiting for a part to be shipped in. i live in ct. so sthil and husky are the big ones around here. i think that there is only one solo dealer close by. as for mills, i love my granburg. its a great product and the staff is real helpfull.