Chain saw Mill ?

Does anyone else on here use a chainsaw mill? I use a Granberg alaskan mk III on a huskey 359.

Yes. It is noisy, unpleasant and slow. Other than that, it's a marvelous bit of kit.

Like similar bits of kits, marvelous in a correct application; slow, noisy, and wasteful in an inappropriate application.

You (properly) use one of these where distances make transportation of the logs to a regular saw mill impractical and the volume insufficient to justify a portable bandsaw mill (an expensive bit of kit, and although portable, take a couple days to get set up each new location* --- so of use mainly where it is a couple thousand board feet per day for at least several weeks).

That said, a couple decades ago got to watch an old forest ranger rip out boards even to say an 1/8" just to a snapped chalk line and not even using a ripping chain! (just his regular cross cut chain). That takes serious practice/experience.


* That's if it has to be disassembled for transport to the location. If it could be towed to the site intact perhaps just half a day to get it firmly based/trued up? Our local county fair usually has one of these operating as a demonstration.

I have split various wood into rough planks using a mallet and various sharp metal objects. I would love a mill of some description but cost is stopping me, alas.

Am musing on designing and maybe making one, using the existing chainsaw...any ideas, anyone?

Compostwoman wrote:I have split various wood into rough planks using a mallet and various sharp metal objects. I would love a mill of some description but cost is stopping me, alas.

Am musing on designing and maybe making one, using the existing chainsaw...any ideas, anyone?

This is what I use http://www.granberg.com/

Thanks for the useful link, Phil!

You need a big saw... or an awful lot of patience.

Although I use handsaws, I know almost nothing about chainsaws so please excuse my ignorance ... The thought that occurs to me is that the chain must normally be designed for crosscutting, not ripping as in the picture - do you use a different chain ? If not it would certainly explain why it is slow.


PS: welcome to the forum and the workshop, Phil

Chilli-head wrote:The thought that occurs to me is that the chain must normally be designed for crosscutting, not ripping as in the picture - do you use a different chain ? If not it would certainly explain why it is slow.

Yes, you can get ripping chains, they are better, but still slow and wasteful: the kerf on a chainsaw is very wide.

Ahh.

I watched a great demo of milling last summer, involved a traction engine with a belt drive to a circular saw of 3-4' diameter. A bit impractical for home use though (unless you are a Fred Dibnah type).