Woodbug vs Hudson chainsaw mill....

[MotorSeven]

Ok, fans, i said i would post some results, so here they are:

HUDSON PROS:
Cuts to 30"
Heavy 3x3 angle track and heavy carriage...very stable & saw/carriage tracks smoothly.
Track and carriage are standard Hudson, can be converted to a bandmill.

CONS:
Short 14' track, cuts only to 12'
Jack screw thickness/height adjustment requires more time to get board thickness the same.
Mobility severly hindered due to heavy track.
Log dogs are down low, requiring alot of bending of the back.
Horizontal mounted bar spits alot of sawdust at the operator.
Saw must be unbolted at the end of the day.

WOODBUG PROS:
20' track cuts to 17'
Dimension stops make consistant thickness cuts very easy.
Log dogs are up high, easy access.
2x2x1/8 angle and 1/8 tube construction light weight.
Vertical mounted bar makes it easy to see what you are doing and spits the dust down due to a rubber deflector.
Carriage and saw are removable as a unit at the end of the day.

CONS:
Light weight construction is easily bent to twisted, however it is just as easily bent back with minimal effort.
Carriage does not lock onto the upper rail/track, so if you get sloppy, the saw carriage can pop up and out of the lower groove, striking a cross member or screwing up your cut.
Only cuts to 20" diameter

Overall, i like the Woodbug and plan on modifying the rail that the carriage rides on so that the carriage cannot be pulled up and off, and can only be removed at either end of the track. Since i will be cutting house logs, the dimensional stops will make all the logs exactly the same size, with the Hudson i would have to crank a handle and read numbers on a carriage mounted yardstick. I think i am going to check into converting the Hudson to a band, then i will have the best of both worlds. Sorry, no pic's so don't :deadhorse: me!

As far as both these mills go, it looks like Hudson does not list the chainsaw mill on their site anymore, and I can't get anyone at Woodbug to answer my em's, so they both may be out of production.

RD

 

[woodshop]

Thanks for posting that info. I like the idea of having something like that Husdon that can be converted from chainsaw to bandmill. From your post I gather the Hudson is more permanent (solid, heavy) than the Woodbug. So like lots of things, you give up portability and light weight, but gain stability and ruggedness. Seems hard to find that middle ground. That goes for woodworking equipment too, most kinds of machinery.

 

[VT-Woodchuck]

Woodbug here....

I've had the Woodbug for a few years and am pleased with it. All cs mills are a little labor intensive but that is good for me. I've cut maybe 4 - 5k of maple, cherry, butternut, spruce and pine with it and have been pleased with the reliability of it. Maybe someday I'll upgrade to a bs mill but for the price that Woodbug is hard to beat.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

I've had the Woodbug for a few years and am pleased with it. All cs mills are a little labor intensive but that is good for me. I've cut maybe 4 - 5k of maple, cherry, butternut, spruce and pine with it and have been pleased with the reliability of it. Maybe someday I'll upgrade to a bs mill but for the price that Woodbug is hard to beat.

Welcome to AS!

 

[MotorSeven]

VT,
4-5K...wow! Any trouble with the carriage, or do you get used to holding it down and pushing it at the same time? This winter i will start on my house logs, i figure i need 220 of them for the walls, so i will get in some "miller time".
Woodshop,
You would still need 2 people to move either one of them, but the woodbug is lighter and the sections are longer. I loaded the Hud-son into the back of my truck by myself, and there was some grunting & sweating going on

RD

 

[VT-Woodchuck]

Thanks, Aggie. I have been lurking for a while an have been impressed with the expertise and willingness to share. I intend to be more of a player in the future.

Motor7: I have not had a problem with the sled lifting. Cutting with the chain coming up thru the log helps hold it down. My biggest problem is keeping enough oil on the bar. Good luck with your project. If you go to this site and do a search for C. John Hebert, you will find his house/shop that he built out of cedar logs that he cut on a Log-O-Sol. He told me that he figured over 800 logs!

www.woodworkslive.com

 

[MotorSeven]

VT,
I got an aux oiler on ebay(too lazy to build one) for $50. I haven't hooked it up yet, but i know it will help. The blow down cedar is really dry, but the green stuff should cut easier. I already had Hebert's site saved, and have been studying it frequently. 800 logs.....................wuff!
RD

 

[casey v]

Hi All,

I am considering building a Woodbug type mill. Can someone with this type of mill post a pic of the carriage assembly as well as the bar tip assembly that rides in the groove. I would like to have an idea of what Woodbug did before I start cutting and welding.

Thanks Mike

 

[MotorSeven]

Mike,
If you can get aholt of Suzy at Woodbug(in BC), get her to send you their tape, it is very informative. Try their website without the www......just woodbug.com. I have sent 3 em's with no response, so try the ph #. If you have no luck in contacting them, send me a PM with your address and i will copy the tape i have and send it to you. I got it with my used Woodbug and it is so so on quality, but very informative. I don't have any pic's(mill is in TN 900 miles away) but i do have a material list and measurments. I figured about $250 in steel for a 20' section if you DOI. Good luck...

RD