Chainsaw sawmill

[johnk]

Finally got around to using my chainsaw mill. I first carried a 14 ft tree down my hill with the trunk in my bucket so i didn't get mud and dirt all over the bark.

It was a little scary coming down the hill with it but I took it very slow.

I used a 16 foot ladder for the first cut to make sure it was level.

Didn't really know what I was going to make with the lumber so i made 2 2" thick slabs and 1 3" thick slab.

The first cut was really smooth and I was quite impressed with the result.

Here are the pics of the 2 and 3 inch thick slabs....

I think I'll use the three inch slab for a bench top at the cabin for around the firepit. It took roughly 3 to 4 minutes for each cut on 14 inch Spruce. The hardest part was setting up th4e first cut. I have a lot of mature ash and oak trees and I can see a ne floor on my 16 ft trailer in the future. It has a lot of possibilities and i didn't even try out the 36" bar with the rip chain. That was a 32" bar with a regular chain and it did well.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

i wondered how well those really work..........looks good...

of course your saw has some nads on it

 

[Woodworkerman]

Thats awesome! Are you planning on building any kind of kiln or just air drying your lumber? This is something I have always wanted to invest in, but just could never justify it. It's one of those things that you wish you knew someone who had one. Can I ask how much that set you back?

 

[Egon]

Nice pictures. Thanks for posting.

 

[roho]

Hello JohnK....Great TOOL & GREAT PICs! More pic, more PIC & thanks for posting pics! Lumber looks great!

 

[Northstar9126]

How do you plan to square up the sides of the slabs?

 

[case685]

JohnK Great idea using a ladder to guide your first cut, especially on a long log. You should consider making or buying a more rigid straightedge though, particularly if you plan to cut hardwoods that you want to finish plane once thier dry. I've used a chainsaw mill for about 20 years now and have learned that cutting good straight boards of even thickness is quite doable with these rigs and saves you alot of work when it comes time to cut and plane the boards to thier finished size.
Also, you should be sure to stack your boards on a level surface with one inch square stickers between them every couple feet and some weight on top so they stay straight while drying. Gerry

 

[mrutkaus]

Always wondered about those, thanks for the pics.

Mike

 

[johnk]

JohnK Great idea using a ladder to guide your first cut, especially on a long log. You should consider making or buying a more rigid straightedge though, particularly if you plan to cut hardwoods that you want to finish plane once thier dry. I've used a chainsaw mill for about 20 years now and have learned that cutting good straight boards of even thickness is quite doable with these rigs and saves you alot of work when it comes time to cut and plane the boards to thier finished size.
Also, you should be sure to stack your boards on a level surface with one inch square stickers between them every couple feet and some weight on top so they stay straight while drying. Gerry

I have channel posts lag bolted to the log and then the ladder secured to them so it is rigid. I am going to sticker them and let them air dry. It was the first time I used it. I bought it about 4 yrs ago. I have a 36" bar and rip chain I'm going to try next. I have a lot of big ash trees and was thinking of making a nice deck for my trailer. The only thing I don't have is a lot of time so I tinker here and there..

 

[johnk]

How do you plan to square up the sides of the slabs?

You could nail down a 2x4 and run your skill saw down it......