kayaklogger
ArboristSite Lurker
Hey guys, I doubt anyone here actually remembers me, but I thought I'd take a second to show you the house I built with my chainsaw.
japanesehouse
I learned a lot, which I should type up at some point.
Heck, I've had a few beers so here goes:
This is for milling medium sized softwood logs.
The Saw: Buy a big saw, like an 066 not an 046, port it, run it rich (drop the rpms by 1000, run it 40 to 1 at least.
Don't use a wrap handle, it gets in the way
The Bar: a NEW 36 inches, 50gauge, 3/8ths
Normal 7 tooth sprocket, buy extra, you'll need them
set the oiler all the way up
The Chain: I just use the normal ripping chain, the granberg stuff doesn't cut any faster. You MUST be a sharpening ninja. equal teeth, deadly sharp, sharpened often, most people can't do this by hand. Take the rakers down to .35
I also have a second smaller saw for edging so I don't have to switch over.
What you can reasonably accomplish:
CS milling makes sense for cutting beams and possibly making boards of very soft wood. The only 1x I'll cut is cedar. I'll cut cedar boards with a CS mill. Big old douglas fir is for beams only as the blade needs a resharpen with every cut. Hemlock and spruce are good for beams and for 2x boards. If you have an amazing piece of hard wood and you just want a few slabs a CS mill might be a good choice.
Bottom line: If you are thinking of making lots of lumber with a chainsaw you are smoking crack or just like pain. Cedar and spruce and hemlock and pine are about the only thing it's sane to make lots of boards from. For doug fir I'd cut beams and resaw them. Also, I never, ever mill anything with a chainsaw that I can drive a bandmill or lucasmill to, it's the right tool for the job. I use a chainsaw to cut on beaches and in the woods.
Wear a respirator, the fumes of a big ported richened saw will kill you.
Brian
japanesehouse
I learned a lot, which I should type up at some point.
Heck, I've had a few beers so here goes:
This is for milling medium sized softwood logs.
The Saw: Buy a big saw, like an 066 not an 046, port it, run it rich (drop the rpms by 1000, run it 40 to 1 at least.
Don't use a wrap handle, it gets in the way
The Bar: a NEW 36 inches, 50gauge, 3/8ths
Normal 7 tooth sprocket, buy extra, you'll need them
set the oiler all the way up
The Chain: I just use the normal ripping chain, the granberg stuff doesn't cut any faster. You MUST be a sharpening ninja. equal teeth, deadly sharp, sharpened often, most people can't do this by hand. Take the rakers down to .35
I also have a second smaller saw for edging so I don't have to switch over.
What you can reasonably accomplish:
CS milling makes sense for cutting beams and possibly making boards of very soft wood. The only 1x I'll cut is cedar. I'll cut cedar boards with a CS mill. Big old douglas fir is for beams only as the blade needs a resharpen with every cut. Hemlock and spruce are good for beams and for 2x boards. If you have an amazing piece of hard wood and you just want a few slabs a CS mill might be a good choice.
Bottom line: If you are thinking of making lots of lumber with a chainsaw you are smoking crack or just like pain. Cedar and spruce and hemlock and pine are about the only thing it's sane to make lots of boards from. For doug fir I'd cut beams and resaw them. Also, I never, ever mill anything with a chainsaw that I can drive a bandmill or lucasmill to, it's the right tool for the job. I use a chainsaw to cut on beaches and in the woods.
Wear a respirator, the fumes of a big ported richened saw will kill you.
Brian
