chainsaw mill

[plumbstraight]

Been on my mind for a while to cut logs for a cabin. I came up with this to take two sides off the log then rotate the saw to cut down the middle to make to half logs to put together.

It is good to make lumber as I make several cuts vertical then rotate to take several boards off at a time. I have made some changes with this prototype including a bigger saw. Bar is same length, just more power. With this log I am taking off 3 2x4s and a 2x6 on each pass. This unit can take up to an 18ft log and a bit over 4ft in dia which covers most wood in this area.

Thinking about putting plans out if anyone is interested.

 

[plumbstraight]

taking the boards off in the horizontal

 

[roadhunter]

Nice work!

 

[Sodo]

I like that unit. I have a simple type (called "Beam Machine") where you screw a 2x4 board (a very straight one) to th log you're cutting, and it follows the 2x4 as a guide. It makes nice beams but is very strenuous to use, by the time you square a couple sides you gotta take a break.

I can see using your method with a couple cable pulleys to follow the flange of an I-beam. But to go vertical/horizontal the I-beam must rotate (simple enough). And there's the log clamping too. I'd like to see your plans, or at least some closeup pics!

 

[EddieWalker]

Great idea. How do you attach the chainsaw to it?

Eddie

 

[Egon]

Sodo, you could rig up a pulley system for the Beam Machine.

 

[s219]

I remember this from another thread -- very nice setup!

 

[plumbstraight]

I remember this from another thread -- very nice setup!

Yes, I forgot I had already made an entry, sorry.
as far as attaching the saw, just drilled the bar and bolted it to the carriage with a spacer between the bar and carriage. I works great for a simple machine to make what you need in the bush or projects at home if you have the resources.

 

[s219]

Yes, I forgot I had already made an entry, sorry.
as far as attaching the saw, just drilled the bar and bolted it to the carriage with a spacer between the bar and carriage. I works great for a simple machine to make what you need in the bush or projects at home if you have the resources.

I would like to see more details or closer picture of the carriage and wheels. Were the wheels custom made, or standard items?

 

[plumbstraight]

Wheels are from mower vbelt rollers on the carriage. The ones one the cross feed are just casters taken off swivels and groved to follow a half inch round stock. Building something like this is just see what you need and make it. For the ends for raising and lowering, I used boat winches and went up and over to the other side to lift. If you don't put a spacer bar across at the top it will try to pinch the crossmember when you raise it.

 

[edkemper]

Just a personal opinion? Use the mill for lumber. Leave the logs intact w/o the bark to use for the cabin walls. Any time you cut a log to stack them you invite water into the joints and invite a lot of maintenance down the road.

 

[muddstopper]

I thought about building a chainsaw mill, once. I have a 362 husky chainsaw with 24in bar, and thought before trying to build the mill, I would just see how well the saw would rip a log. Log was a 4ft dia red maple. Just making a slab and half way thru the log, i said to heck with this and blocked the log into firewood. Lots of folks have chainsaw mills and like them, but they are not for me. If your going to build a chainsaw mill, you better have plenty of saw hp to go with the mill.

 

[MNBobcat]

I thought about building a chainsaw mill, once. I have a 362 husky chainsaw with 24in bar, and thought before trying to build the mill, I would just see how well the saw would rip a log. Log was a 4ft dia red maple. Just making a slab and half way thru the log, i said to heck with this and blocked the log into firewood. Lots of folks have chainsaw mills and like them, but they are not for me. If your going to build a chainsaw mill, you better have plenty of saw hp to go with the mill.

Chainsaw mills are cool but they are a lot of physical work and relatively slow. If I were going to build a mill it wouldn't be that hard to make a bandsaw mill. I guess it comes down to how much would you think you might be milling. If only a little, a chainsaw mill is less expensive and simpler to get started with.

 

[PILOON]

I made a couple from scratch.

Basically a channel about 6" long a tad loose to fit a 2 X 4 with 1/2" bushing welded precisely across the width.
A 1/2" bolt was then welded to a 2" x 3" flat exactly centered and vertical. That flat was attached to the saw blade close to the motor head.
Bolt is inserted into the sleeve and a lock nut screwed on almost snug.

Next a VERY straight 2 X 4 is attached to the log to be sawed with 3 screws, one center and one at each end.

I did discover that a special ripping chain worked best. Basically it is skip toothed and excavates chips rapidly requiring less effort and speeds things up.

2 were made. one for me and one for my pal.
We made lots of 4 x 4's for posts.
Kinda fun but would not wish to saw enough to build a house that way.

 

[EddieWalker]

Just a personal opinion? Use the mill for lumber. Leave the logs intact w/o the bark to use for the cabin walls. Any time you cut a log to stack them you invite water into the joints and invite a lot of maintenance down the road.

I don't think it matters how you cut a log, they are all prone to moisture issues unless you put a big porch over all four walls. Chinking might be worse because it allows moisture into the space between the chinking and the log that is created when the log shrinks. .

Eddie

 

[Sodo]

Yep easy to make, easy to buy. these are only about $45. But as I said, you'd be surprised how strenuous it is to use them. Depends how bad you want that beam. In my case I can make a beam much faster than a trip to town, and saves a couple hundred bucks, you can make it payback quick. Making 4x4s you're mostly paid only in satisfaction, but can't knock that!

Agreed on the large powerhead and skip tooth, its already strenuous, you want to cut as fast as possible. ------Which adds cost and eqpt. Making 2x4 would never be worth it. but 4x8, 8x8 can work out. And especially if just making one flat on a round.

 

[Egon]

The amount of perceived work is greatly reduced with a sharp rip chain and a slow feed rate. Extra time spent sitting in the shade with saw and file at hand is well spent.

 

[plumbstraight]

everyone that has made a comment here is right on with their experiences. for me I just needed something that works for me. I love to tinker and built this to do what I need. It is a bit slow and I did put a bigger saw on and it cuts many more times faster than what I was using in the pics. Being able to take off 4 boards at a time sure cuts down on time spent, no matter if I am making smaller lumber or larger beams. If after making the vertical cuts and making anything from a 1x4 to a 4x16 three or four at a time works for me.

I must say too that being able to cut large beams like 18x18 with four cuts without wrestling the log around sure helps. Is all done by moving the saw, not the log.

 

[PILOON]

I posted earlier about my homemade rig.
The PIX of that Hudson boardmaster is similar in concept to what I made except I used 2 x 4 and hudson uses 2 x 6.
I used DOM sleeve while Hudson uses 2 washers.

I cannot stress enough that the trick for successful operation is a special ripping chain. It is 2-3 X faster and much less effort to use.

 

[Sodo]

I saw ripping chains on Amazon. Any idea what makes it better than skip tooth?