New old guy here, need info

[clintb]

Being a Georgia redneck and no job ,I been thinking about milling some wood. I started reading the chainsaw section last winter, I started with a poulan then and after a few months reading I'm up to 9 saws now. So I guess I need to switch to the milling section. What about a 12 or 15 hp 4 cycle, vertical shaft with a harvester sprocket and bar mounted horizontally on a carriage? Would the chain speed be to slow? How fast would it cut in a poplar or southern pine about 12 to 20 inches? How about another crazy idea, 2, 4hp electric chainsaws mounted on a 2 ended bar, with a alaskian bar setup? I've been a welder since 1968, so building this wouldn't't be a problem, but the biggest saw I have are 036 and ms 360. Help me out I'm new at this wood thing.

 

[Newfie_1986]

When I was originally thinking about getting into milling I had thought about a chainsaw mill, but after reading I leaned toward a band mill, faster cut than the chainsaw mill, less wastage (smaller kerf).

Once I made my decision I went ahead and built a small band mill powered by a 6.5 hp Honda clone engine, it can cut up to a 20 inch log. The mill cost about $1200 Candian to build could have built it cheaper but was desinging the thing out of my head so I had a few mistakes and design changes.

Hope I was of some help !

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

What do you want to achieve with your mill? Is it something you want to kill time with or make a living with? Your current saws are really not up to the task of a CSM (some will argue with that). A small bandmill is hard to beat for small logs but, like everything else, it has it's limitations. CSM's built like you describe are typically dedicated slabbing mills and are only practical for that purpose.

 

[clintb]

Newfie, I looked at your pictures. What is the drive axle made with and where do you get the guides? Aggie, it would be just to have something to do and for lumber to build sheds or car shelters. I read a lot , where somone is selling one type of mill or plans and says small band blades don't cut straight. I don't know enough to sort out all the info.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Newfie, I looked at your pictures. What is the drive axle made with and where do you get the guides? Aggie, it would be just to have something to do and for lumber to build sheds or car shelters. I read a lot , where somone is selling one type of mill or plans and says small band blades don't cut straight. I don't know enough to sort out all the info.

Those who argue against bandmills ad hoc usually didn't operate the one they used properly or are trying to sell something else. Bandmills are just like any other tool in that they mostly reflect the skill of the user.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I read a lot , where somone is selling one type of mill or plans and says small band blades don't cut straight.

Bet you didn't get that from a small bandmill owner.... I know dozens of small band mill owners who love there mills, and some are makeing money with them. Best part is, they saw fast enough so you can make a few dollars with them, and pay for your hobby and then some!!!

Go read on the Norwoodindustries.com town hall forums and see what the owners are doing with there small bandmills.

Rob

my sawmill picts. http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumList?u=4378744

 

[Ianab]

The idea of a 4 stroke powered chainsaw mill will work.. I've attached pics of one in action. But if you are wanting to cut 20" logs then put your engine and welding skills into a small bandmill, it will cut MUCH faster and recover a lot more wood. The correct (and sharp) blades and proper guides and tension will allow it to cut straight.

The chainsaw slabbers come into their own then the logs get up over 3 ft and you want to cut full width slabs. The big Lucas slabber runs a 9 ft bar, and I think an 18hp engine. The log was a 7' dia swamp kauri stump. The log was dug out of a swamp where it had been buried for around 3,000 years.

I imagine it's being made into very expensive table tops at the moment.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Newfie_1986]

clintb

I made the guides myself, and as far as the axle goes well it is a Keyed shaft I purchased at Princess Auto its about 7/8's thick. I should have purchased a heavier one as this one seems to twist a little in heavy cuts, When I upgrade the engine to an 11 hp one I will have to change the sha

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

The idea of a 4 stroke powered chainsaw mill will work.. I've attached pics of one in action. But if you are wanting to cut 20" logs then put your engine and welding skills into a small bandmill, it will cut MUCH faster and recover a lot more wood. The correct (and sharp) blades and proper guides and tension will allow it to cut straight.

The chainsaw slabbers come into their own then the logs get up over 3 ft and you want to cut full width slabs. The big Lucas slabber runs a 9 ft bar, and I think an 18hp engine. The log was a 7' dia swamp kauri stump. The log was dug out of a swamp where it had been buried for around 3,000 years.

I imagine it's being made into very expensive table tops at the moment.

Cheers

Ian

:jawdrop: :jawdrop:

Man I love Kauri. I wish we had it here.

 

[t_andersen]

Ianab, the slabs look fabulous! Could you possibly post some pictures with details of the saw setup you're using?

 

[Ianab]

Ianab, the slabs look fabulous! Could you possibly post some pictures with details of the saw setup you're using?

Not my mill unfortunately

It's made by Lucas sawmills in Australia. They haven't got pictures of that oversize one on their web page yet though. This shows their standard size slabbers tho.
http://www.lucasmill.com.au/slabs.html

A similar machine is made by Peterson here in NZ.
http://www.petersonsawmills.com/products_dws.htm

I have a Peterson swingblade mill, which limits me to 16" wide boards, although I can make one full size slab from each log by flipping the log over during sawing.

Cheers

Ian

 

[woodshop]

Hard to imagine something that beautiful was buried in a swamp for 3000 years. It looks like fairly dense wood, so I guess the slabs like the one with the lady standing in front of it would weigh a ton (literally).

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Hard to imagine something that beautiful was buried in a swamp for 3000 years. It looks like fairly dense wood, so I guess the slabs like the one with the lady standing in front of it would weigh a ton (literally).

Some of it has been aged to 50,000 years. Absolutely amazing. When I learned about this wood I spent hours researching and reading about it. (Yes, I am a wood p o r n addict... and, no, I don't need treatment)

http://www.ancientwood.com/

http://www.kauri-museum.com/

 

[Ianab]

It's a softwood, looks a lot like cypress, although a bit denser.
I'd guess that slab would be about 500lb, make a nice sturdy table for someone

There is a spiral staircase at a shop up north that is actually carved INSIDE a single log. The log weighed about 50 tons, and was placed in as they build the building then hollowed out with a chainsaw. The log had been buried for ~40,000 as well

Cheers

Ian

 

[carvinmark]

It's a softwood, looks a lot like cypress, although a bit denser.
I'd guess that slab would be about 500lb, make a nice sturdy table for someone

There is a spiral staircase at a shop up north that is actually carved INSIDE a single log. The log weighed about 50 tons, and was placed in as they build the building then hollowed out with a chainsaw. The log had been buried for ~40,000 as well

Cheers

Ian

That is awsum!!!!!!! I like!
Mark

 

[woodshop]

It's a softwood, looks a lot like cypress, although a bit denser.

There is a spiral staircase at a shop up north that is actually carved INSIDE a single log. The log weighed about 50 tons

interesting... 50 tons!! OK, if it's like cypress but a little denser, what, maybe 2lb/bd ft? That 50 ton log would then yield say 50,000 bd ft. Lets say only 30,000 with waste and just to be safe. At $25 4/4 and $32 8/4, that log would have yielded between 3/4 million and million bucks, just as dimensional lumber, and several million as huge slabs. I guess everything is relative, but thats a pretty expensive staircase, unique as it is. Maybe when it was set in place the wood was not yet that expensive. Supply and demand.

btw aggie, I am also a wood nut, interested in trees, the different types of wood structure, it's uses and properties. (I actually have a wood collection, with over 300 species so far from all over the world). Wood has infinite beauty as every piece of wood is unique. THAT is what got me into woodworking in the first place. I did work as a logger for several years, but what got me into chainsaws and mills was their ability to acquire more wood to feed that woodshop.