Making my own Lumber with a Sawmill

Watch Ryder

I got a nice treat from a neighbor a few weeks back, the opportunity to use his Harbor Freight Sawmill!

Here's how the machine is used:

It's more than just the chainsaw conversion, but a proper carriage-driven engine thing with a great hooping sawblade!

Turning this:



Into this:



I had a roof to build and got stuck in.



Here's the roof I built with it!




Beams, beautiful beams! I worked out each beam costs me roughly 3 Euros or so (plus my time to work the mill), compared to about 30-50 Euros for the price of the beams, plus transport.

Watch Ryder

Here's the concluding video on how-to the sawmill.

While these sawmills are not cheap (this one cost about 2000 Euros) if you have plenty of lumber to use on a project or want genuine 4x4s, oddball sizes etc, they are worth a look.

Getting these beams up by myself wasn't easy! The beams were fairly green and about 8 1/2 ft in length. They ranged from 3x5, 4x5 and 5x5s.



Here's the final build using the beams made with the sawmill...

recipio

Oh......to live in America where you can pop to your hardware store and buy a sawmill.:D
These are Chinese made bandmills and retail for about $1750 ?
I'm thinking of building a home made mill this summer but would probably go for a swingmill circular blade design.
Anybody else got one ?

iano.p

That's some setup I would love something like that. Never seen them over here

Watch Ryder

recipio wrote: »

Oh......to live in America where you can pop to your hardware store and buy a sawmill.:D
These are Chinese made bandmills and retail for about $1750 ?
I'm thinking of building a home made mill this summer but would probably go for a swingmill circular blade design.
Anybody else got one ?

That's just it Recipio! That sawmill shown in my OP IS a Chinese-made one!

They are made to strict specifications by Harbor Freight (a US company). The only problem using it was a metal clamp spindle snapped (weak metal component) but we were able to fix it with a long bolt and two nuts.

Watch Ryder

recipio wrote: »

Oh......to live in America where you can pop to your hardware store and buy a sawmill.:D
These are Chinese made bandmills and retail for about $1750 ?
I'm thinking of building a home made mill this summer but would probably go for a swingmill circular blade design.
Anybody else got one ?

My other neighbor's got a small one, like a band-saw but it's vertically configured and only a 10 inch blade (up to about 4 inches 'above the table')

woodturner

That's it. I'm moving to the States.

..Brian..

That's the right job. I'd love to get one of the logosol chainsaw one's. There's something awesome about milling your own planks!

recipio

Plenty of videos on youtube about it. Considering a standard Woodmizer is about 10k is the US that is a real bargain for the backyard miller.
I'd favour a 3 phase motor if possible for the torque and a swingmill to trim the edges and cut quarter sawn planks ( on the vertical ) Have a look at the Peterson weekend warrior electric mill.

kadman

https://www.donedeal.ie/gardenequipment-for-sale/logosol-timber-jig-chainsaw-mill/10702498

Watch Ryder

recipio wrote: »

Plenty of videos on youtube about it. Considering a standard Woodmizer is about 10k is the US that is a real bargain for the backyard miller.
I'd favour a 3 phase motor if possible for the torque and a swingmill to trim the edges and cut quarter sawn planks ( on the vertical ) Have a look at the Peterson weekend warrior electric mill.

That's the one! The Woodmizer is the model they based it off! Not the highest quality compared to the Woodmizer but it cuts straight enough and the engine seems hardy.

You've got to remember to slacken the blade after each day of cutting it will tire the blade.
Each blade is about $25 each and $5 - $10 to sharpen.

Watch Ryder

kadman wrote: »

https://www.donedeal.ie/gardenequipment-for-sale/logosol-timber-jig-chainsaw-mill/10702498

Looks pretty good, like a more affordable variant of the Alaskan Sawmill.

recipio

Watch Ryder wrote: »

That's the one! The Woodmizer is the model they based it off! Not the highest quality compared to the Woodmizer but it cuts straight enough and the engine seems hardy.

You've got to remember to slacken the blade after each day of cutting it will tire the blade.
Each blade is about $25 each and $5 - $10 to sharpen.

I'd actually be tempted if someone over here sold them. I have a pile of Elm logs that I rescued from being turned into firewood and have no way of cutting them into planks. Its one thing to cut logs down but I've found you need to be able to lift them as well otherwise I'd take them to a sawmill.

kadman

recipio wrote: »

I'd actually be tempted if someone over here sold them. I have a pile of Elm logs that I rescued from being turned into firewood and have no way of cutting them into planks. Its one thing to cut logs down but I've found you need to be able to lift them as well otherwise I'd take them to a sawmill.

How big are the logs. I,ve ripped 9" planks of elm freehand with a
chainsaw and a modified ripping blade, from a 50" diameter trunk.

I still have some of the planks in the woodshed 7' long

MIght be an option for easier transportation to the sawmill.

recipio

kadman wrote: »

How big are the logs. I,ve ripped 9" planks of elm freehand with a
chainsaw and a modified ripping blade, from a 50" diameter trunk.

I still have some of the planks in the woodshed 7' long

MIght be an option for easier transportation to the sawmill.

They are about 8' long and various diameters up to 15 " or so.
How do you keep the boards to a constant width if you rip freehand ? I'm not too keen on chainsaw mills because of all the waste.

Double Barrel

Happy New Year

http://www.logosol.co.uk

iano.p

Double Barrel wrote:

Happy New Year

God I'd I had a spare 8 grand I would get the bandsaw one.

kadman

recipio wrote: »

They are about 8' long and various diameters up to 15 " or so.
How do you keep the boards to a constant width if you rip freehand ? I'm not too keen on chainsaw mills because of all the waste.[/QUO

I used a standard 30" bar chainsaw, with a modified standard rip
chain. And stood on the trunk, and ripped from both sides.

It made transport easier, after ripping the planks. But if your butts
are only 15" in diameter. They should be manageable enough for
transport already, into a trailer??.

There are plenty of chainsaw bar ripping attachments available on the
market to suit planking small diameter logs, or make one.

woodturner

I'd love to get that Logosol one. I wouldn't have enough timber to get much use from it though. I find it very difficult to get fresh logs around my neck of the woods. As soon as it falls it's cut for firewood. I'd be turning and practising every day if I could get the material.

Watch Ryder

Wow, was just looking at Logosol and they want about £40 for EACH bandsaw blade! Daylight robbery! I pay about $25 each for them to be made to order! $150 for ten is possible over the states.

recipio

Logosol UK are just a branch of the parent Swedish company. The UK has become so expensive now for us in the colonies its often worth buying from Germany or even the 'States.
I see circular blades with bolt in teeth are now available for the Peterson NZ machines - that seems to me to be the way to go.

kadman

I,d hate to think of the customs costs of bringing in anything from the US,
based on my last purchase from there.

Unless you have a requirement for large amounts of stock, then a chainsaw mill
is a better value option than a bandmill. You get the best of both worlds.

Band saw blade sharpening could end up being an expensive issue. And its
not viable to purchase, swaging and tensioning tools/jigs for diy sharpening.
Proper blade sharpening is an art, and hammering and tensioning saw blades,
is a dark art.

Chainsaw mill will do the same job for the occasional user, plus the benefit of
being able to use the chainsaw, off the jig..

Personally I,d opt for a chain saw mill, as it would be more versatile for me,

http://www.thesawdoctor.ie/products/big-mill-timber-jig

2 cents

timfromtang

recipio wrote: »

I'd actually be tempted if someone over here sold them. I have a pile of Elm logs that I rescued from being turned into firewood and have no way of cutting them into planks. Its one thing to cut logs down but I've found you need to be able to lift them as well otherwise I'd take them to a sawmill.

I have a logosol farmers sawmill and a timberjig, I'd be happy to travel, to your elm logs and mill them into planks for you. (very reasonable rates)
contact me with a pm if you like
tim

recipio

timfromtang wrote: »

I have a logosol farmers sawmill and a timberjig, I'd be happy to travel, to your elm logs and mill them into planks for you. (very reasonable rates)
contact me with a pm if you like
tim

Thanks, I cut a small log on the bandsaw and was disappointed with the colour - a kind of beige colour with not much grain. I will think about your offer.

timfromtang

recipio wrote: »

Thanks, I cut a small log on the bandsaw and was disappointed with the colour - a kind of beige colour with not much grain. I will think about your offer.

perhaps you'd consider selling me a log or two? I could saw them into manageable cants on site an trailer em home.

Incidentally the kerf on my logosol mill is only 1/4 inch which would be comparable to the kerf of a typical circular sawmill rack bench etc. There is a lot of waste however when using the heavier 3/8 chain on a chainsaw mill for ripping big wide slabs etc.
I find the combination of a timberjig (real cheap way to get started making lumber lads and available from an irish dealer to boot) which i use to break down big logs into manageable sections, and the farmers mill to rip up the cants to be efficient and accurate. You'd want to be up to speed on chainsaw maintenance and sharpening etc though.
tim

Marraige

Timfromtamg do you kiln dry the planks as well??

recipio

timfromtang wrote: »

perhaps you'd consider selling me a log or two? I could saw them into manageable cants on site an trailer em home.

Incidentally the kerf on my logosol mill is only 1/4 inch which would be comparable to the kerf of a typical circular sawmill rack bench etc. There is a lot of waste however when using the heavier 3/8 chain on a chainsaw mill for ripping big wide slabs etc.
I find the combination of a timberjig (real cheap way to get started making lumber lads and available from an irish dealer to boot) which i use to break down big logs into manageable sections, and the farmers mill to rip up the cants to be efficient and accurate. You'd want to be up to speed on chainsaw maintenance and sharpening etc though.
tim

Sorry, they were hard won. Four Elm were cut down by the Council if front of my house and I had negotiated to get one of them. When I realized on the day that all four trees were going I tried to buy the wood but was told where to go. They were promptly turned into firewood by the tree surgeon and the thought of it still brings down the red mist :mad:

timfromtang

Marraige wrote: »

Timfromtamg do you kiln dry the planks as well??

At the moment we use a (polytunnel based) solar kiln to dry our kindling, firewood, and planks. It is a slow gentle drying method, and i had good results last year.
At the moment i am sawing a badly diseased poplar with a rotted heart, the wood is beautiful, full of burl and colour, these fresh planks will be stacked and stickered in the tunnel kiln, i hope they (3/4" thick) will be dry enough to use (14% mc or so) by the end of march, or worst case middle week of april (based on last years experience)
tim

dathi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=713Toc7LiXs&list=PLJX6MQ22Wrc0hu2bXvEgVIp0ME6P0u0EA&index=6&feature=iv&src_vid=gDVPzQZJ7nU&annotation_id=annotation_2936008215

or for the brave or fool hardy

kadman

dathi wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=713Toc7LiXs&list=PLJX6MQ22Wrc0hu2bXvEgVIp0ME6P0u0EA&index=6&feature=iv&src_vid=gDVPzQZJ7nU&annotation_id=annotation_2936008215

or for the brave or fool hardy

Homemade bandmills in the US have been a major past time on
forestry forums for Years. Why is it a foolhardy exercise??

Definitely a money saver:)

gctest50

dathi wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=713Toc7LiXs&list=PLJX6MQ22Wrc0hu2bXvEgVIp0ME6P0u0EA&index=6&feature=iv&src_vid=gDVPzQZJ7nU&annotation_id=annotation_2936008215

or for the brave or fool hardy

needs more horsepower

Watch Ryder

dathi wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=713Toc7LiXs&list=PLJX6MQ22Wrc0hu2bXvEgVIp0ME6P0u0EA&index=6&feature=iv&src_vid=gDVPzQZJ7nU&annotation_id=annotation_2936008215

or for the brave or fool hardy

Are you serious? That's not much different to the sawmill I used! LOL. I couldn't see any water cooling though.

The one I ran had more of a front guard on it.

kadman

Nice bit of kit there:)