Couple people have asked me exactly how I mill all the lumber I do. This explains my system A to Z.
Few people can claim they have the ability to walk into the woods, drop a 3 ft diameter tree, buck and limb it, and then mill the logs into rough lumber right there on the spot. I have assembled a system using an Alaskan chainsaw mill, a chainsaw powered bandmill and some custom built equipment that will do just that. There are many portable bandmills on the market today that sit on carraiges or can be towed behind a truck. They have their place, and if I could afford one I would probably own one. However, they all have one major limitation. You still have to get that 800lb log from where it was cut to the saw and up onto the carriage where it can be milled into lumber. If that log is 100 yards deep into the woods and you don't have a skidder or ATV with a log carrier, you're out of luck. The 47lb chainsaw powered Ripsaw bandmill allows you to carry the mill right to the tree, so it is truly portable. Along with two 20 lb aluminum guide beams to guide it down the log you can be milling lumber within 15 minutes of setup. In one day I can drop a tree, buck it, slice it into cants with my Alaskan chainsaw mill, and then use the bandmill to mill those cants into 300-500 bd ft of lumber. No single piece of my system is more than 50 lbs, but both mills and accompanying equipment add up to about 300lbs. all together. When I do have to carry it all back into the woods, I can do it in two trips using a small sturdy wagon.
Husqvarna 365 and Echo 3450
Prior to felling the tree I use the small but dependable 34cc Echo CS-3450 with a 16" bar to clear away brush and open up a couple of escape routes. I fell and buck the tree using a 65cc Husky 365 with a 28" bar. It has plenty of power to drop and buck a 24 inch diameter tree. With a little patience and skill it will also take care of a larger one. After lopping off the big limbs and bucking the log into 8 ft lenghts, I grab the small Echo again to clean up the small stuff. I also use the little Echo for trimming away knots or small defects on a log prior to attaching the milling guide beams where a larger saw would be awkward if not dangerous.
Granberg 36"Alaskan chainsaw mill with Husky 395XP
After dropping the tree and limbing and bucking the log to 8 ft lengths, the first order of business is getting the log into 14" wide cants so the RipSaw bandmill can start making lumber. The best way to do this is to slab off the sides of the log with the Alaskan Mill. If the log is larger than 28 inches diameter, I usually quarter it with the Alaskan. Unlike the bandmill with its thin .025" kerf, the Alaskan mill uses a chainsaw bar and chain with its larger kerf that wastes more of your log. However, the bandmill is limited to a 14" wide cut, and also the bandmill blades wear out quicker going through bark. So, I do the dirty work of getting the log to manageable cants without bark using the Alaskan mill first. I power the Alaskan mill with a 94cc Husqvarna 395XP pulling standard ripping chain around a 36" bar. You lose about 6 inches of bar attaching the saw on the mill, so that leaves me with a max cut of about 30" wide. The 395XP with its 94cc's has the muscle needed to rip that much hardwood. With a lot of fussing, a 30" cut is actually wide enough to slice up a 4ft diameter tree if needed. I rarely come across a tree larger than 36" though, and most of the time I am dealing with trees less than 24" so this capacity mill and saw are plenty. You can get away with a smaller saw in the 60cc range, but it will be slow going on anything over 15 inches even with a shorter bar. All the pros say it's really hard on a small saw pulling a chain around a 36" bar especially when ripping. So, if you're going to be milling logs much over 15" diameter you will need a large saw in the 90cc and above class.
Ripsaw with Stihl MS 361
Once I have whittled the log into 14-inch wide cants, which is the max width cut of my Ripsaw bandmill, I can start milling lumber. A chainsaw powerhead powers the Ripsaw, and I use a Stihl MS361. Its 59cc's has plenty of power to pull the thin kerf 3/4" x 90" bandsaw blade through the log. With a sharp new blade the RipSaw will move through 14-inch wide oak at more than 2 ft/minute. Softer wood as well as less width goes even faster. An 8 ft long 10-inch wide soft pine log would take about a minute end to end. As the blade gets dull, the saw needs to work harder and the cutting speed drops off quickly. That's my queue to change blades. If I keep going with a dull blade, not only is it much harder on my powerhead, but also the blade starts to wander and my cuts are not true. Depending on the species I'm cutting, I get about 200 bd ft of lumber from an $18 blade before it needs re-sharpening. I can get two sharpenings from each blade if I am careful. I've gotten more than 600 bd ft between sharpenings in softwoods. I found that if I keep the blade out of bark as much as I can, it will last a lot longer. That is why I use the Alaskan mill initially to slab off the sides of the log. Sharpening a chain is much quicker and easier than sharpening a blade. Not counting my time, the cost of the blades is the most expensive part of the milling operation at about 5 cents a bd ft.
guide beams
The Ripsaw mill's fence rides on sturdy hollow aluminum 2x6 guide beams that get attached to the top of the log to guide the mill giving me dead-on true strait cuts. Two 5 ft sections come with the Ripsaw package, but if you want longer boards you can attach more sections. They bolt together making one long strait beam. I also use the guide beams when pushing my Alaskan mill down the log when initially cutting the log into 14" wide cants.
small horses, floor jack & ramp
Two small sawhorses along with a lightweight aluminum automotive floor jack and a 2x6 ramp are the system I use to get the logs off the ground and thus easier to mill. I use a cant hook to roll one end of the log up onto the small ramp. This raises the log enough to allow me to get the floor jack under the log and lift it high enough to slip one of the small horses underneath. I then jack up the other end of the log, and slip the second horse under. The log is now up off the ground and much easier to mill. The small horses are sturdy enough to hold a large log and have metal reinforced wooden chocks that fit into holes I drilled into 1/4 inch thick aluminum bar stock attached to the top of each horse. While is it entirely possible to mill the log while it's on the ground and I have done many that way, I was either bending over or down on my knees pushing the mill down the log. This was hard on my back and knees both. With the log up on the horses I am standing and leaning into the RipSaw partially using my body weight to push the saw down the log.
two toolboxes
Except for saw gas, bar oil and the large items, two toolboxes contain all small items needed for the milling operation. One contains tools to service the RipSaw, Alaskan mill and the chain saws as well as spare parts, chainsaw files, spare chains etc. The second is a custom made wooden box that contains all the rest of the accoutrements necessary for safe milling. Chaps, dust mask and gloves, first aid kit, hatchet, small fire extinguisher, and wedges for felling and bucking. All the tools, spare parts and small items are in these two toolboxes. If I keep them organized and stocked, grabbing both assures that I won't forget anything.
portable worktable
I park my RipSaw for changing blades and adjusting fence height between cuts on a simple table using lightweight plastic sawhorses upon which I set a plywood plank just the right size for my RipSaw and a few tools. This little "quick and dirty worktable in the woods" really comes in handy when adjusting equipment or sharpening the saws. I used to just set things on the ground or a stump, but that was hard on the back and knees after a day of sawing.
Is this method a lot of hard work? You bet. Expect to burn some calories. Is it rewarding? You bet. Expect to get excited. I've milled thousands of bd ft of lumber with this method, and every time I open up a log I'm like a kid in a candy store. Is it expensive? Well, depending on species and where you live, milled wet lumber is still a buck or two a foot right off the saw. Much more for quartersawn boards or 14" wide 8/4 and 12/4 if you can even find it. So that 300 bd ft you milled in a day would cost you at least $500 and probably more if you had to buy it. Also, I have milled walnut and cherry crotch figured wood that looks better than stuff costing $30 a foot at the local specialty lumber retailer. So, is my system expensive? An entry level bandmill on a trailer you can tow behind your truck will still cost you the better part of $5000 and a LOT more for a good one. Everything in my system fits in the back of my minivan and all together will cost you about $3500. Around $2500 if you're willing to swap saws between mills. At 300-500 bd ft a day can my system cut as fast as the bigger more expensive bandmills? Of course not. However, I can carry mine right up to that cherry tree that blew down in the back of the neighbors yard. Within 15 minutes I am milling custom lumber exactly the way I want it cut. That is where my system shines.
Tell me what you want and I'll see what I can do!
