Chainsaw Mill again: Tell me what I want to hear

[craig]

Caveat: I am cheap, and I want to do something expensive.

Your posts on the chainsaw mill idea have been great. Meanwhile I have priced out alternatives, none of which seem better. Yes, the band saw idea would be truly awesome, though in price as well. So it looks as if the chainsaw idea is best.

The problem is the cost of the chainsaw and mill, neither of which I presently own. Well, I have a mini saw that is a great trimmer, but the sheer prospect of how stupid I would look using a 14" saw on a mighty maple is enough to make me think twice.

Thus, my plea to have you tell me what I want to hear: What is the lowest amount of power (cc, etc) that should be used to do this? 25, anyone? How about 30? 35? OK, 40....

Secondly, lets say that I buy a saw with, say, 40 or so cc that comes with an 18 inch bar. Can I slap on a 24 inch bar, knowing that it will take longer to do the job? As this is a one-time deal, I am willing to sacrifice time for price.

Thirdly, the Alaskan mill attachment looks to be the best, but isn't cheap. Does anyone know what is meant by the 24" description? Does that mean a 24 " bar is needed, or does that mean that the max cut is 24", needing a bar that is larger?

For the amusement of all, I'll post some pictures, not very good ones, of the land I am talking about. It is in Tully, NY, and is about three acres. I'll put them on my quirky website. I'll just let you be surprised at the other stuff that is on there - I'll just say that my family, none of whom understand why in the world a grown man would willingly spend his life in the halls of academia, wanted to know what I did from 9 to 5. If you like dogmatic essays, you'll love it. I'll call the link something like: For my arborist friends.

it is www.geocities.com/craigphilosopher/index.htm

Craig

 

[HUSKYMAN]

I would LOVE to see pictures of you milling with a 40cc saw! Also the look on your face would be even funnier. Seriously, if you try to go cheap on this you will hate it after five minutes. You need to have AT LEAST a 70cc saw, which is about 5-600.00.
I have heard of it done with 60cc saws but painfully slow. Remeber you are RIPPING the wood which takes a tremendous amount of power. If you get a small saw you will smoke the powerhead and clutch in no time and be buying a new saw every month.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Does that Alaska come with chain, or is it just the jig? I think the 24 inch is max cutting width of the jig, ie your 50 inch logs will need to be reduced manualy. Not to mention needing a skidder to roll the logs.

This will be a major hobby to get into. As the Orange dued says, cheap won't cut it where you want to go.

 

[Darin]

Yeah, 24inch is max. Agreed, even if its a hobby. Its not worth going cheap. Most guys that run this rig have at least an 044 or 371XP. Keep in mind that you are ripping through logs. This is very tough on the saw, requiring more power. The shorter bar the better, especially for ripping, unless you need that size cause of the size of the logs. Good luck, sounds like fun.

 

[Mike Jones]

A good rule of thumb, buy the largest saw you can afford. I run an 066 with 32 and 43 inch bars with full skip, full chisel chains. Large logs can be sawn into halves and quarters to fit the mill if needed. Besides, a bandmill that would handle a 50 inch log would cost more than most people have in a new truck. If your really interested in the alaskan mill with a 24 inch bar, I would recommend nothing less than a 372 XP or an 046 mag. Enough power to keep a decent pace, and ease the strain of pushing the saw. Good luck!