Things change in a hurry ...

[TexasTimbers]

Long story that I'll skip, but I just bought a 56" circle saw with a 55' bed. Cut a log with it less than an hour ago (just have to move the behemoth next weekend after I get back from Joey Lowes). Not gonna buy that woodmizer in washington state, so that problem is solved.
I picked this circular up on the cheap, and can still buy a new LM2000 to go with the circle all for less than what the WM would have run before shipping, by itself.
Here's the rub. The circle guy asked why I want a bandmill when I what I should be buying next is a resaw. Says I ought to buy one from Morgan (www.morgansaw.com) in Louisiana. Says it will do everything and more than a bandsaw and faster.
I'm not going to let one guy change my mind but I thought I'd run it by you guys and see what you think about resaws.
My impression is that resaws are for production lumber making. We're building a timber frame and not wanting to go into the lumber business necessarily, except to cut some when we want, after the house is done.
Hope to get some thoughts on this. Thanks. KJ.

[Buzz-sawyer]

I run a 56" simonds.
If you are making timbers you have what you need already.
You will be able to quickly saw out your timbers on that sawmill. You dont need a resaw for timbers.
But , chances are you will like what you are doin, and find more logs to cut. ;)
Congrats

[Jeff]

I agree, You have all you need in the circle saw to cut lumber or timbers or anything you need.

I would add that if you are going in the lumber business and are paying high dollar for the logs and trying to eek out every spec of lumber you can in order to try to make the additional payments on additional equipment that you bought caused you to have to go into the lumber business and buy higt dollar logs, then you should probably consider a resaw.  smiley_flipping

Read my signature....

[sigidi]

Kevjay, this sawdust making thing - it's a bit addictive, as has been mentioned.

You will find yourself looking at trees as you drive around the country,
you will be able to spot a downed tree from a mile away, out the extreme right corner of your eye, while driving at 60mph down a winding mountain road.
Then you will be kicking yourself if you don't detour your trip to find the 'owner' of this tree and organise to haul it home or cut it up.
You will also get very acute hearing for chainsaws, just the sound of a chainsaw coming off a gentle breeze will fill your head with images of gorgeous boards coming out of the truest log you've ever seen.
Then you will use your further heightened sense of hearing and direction finding to source this chainsaw prior to the operator swithching off, so you can get the log as fresh as possible.
Just hearing about freinds and neighbours stories of "Oh I burned up a cpl of trees just last year" will have you grieving like you lost an old firend...

Suffice it to say, I am an addict, I can't get enough of making boards out of "some old tree I was just gonna burn" (comment of an old guy who let me cut his tree, and was amazed at what comes out)

I'm sure you'll make the right decision for you even if the Missus won't understand ................................. YET

[Furby]

What Sigidi said! He's got it nailed!!!
I was taking detours and looking trees along the road and collecting logs loooong before I had a mill. But now I find I MUST search out that chainsaw I hear running as well. ;)

[TexasTimbers]

Yeah Buzz, I know I'm going to like it, I do already just cutting one log. I'm hooked.

JeffB, I know about the debt trap from experience. We paid off the last of any of it last year - house and all, and now we don't participate in it anymore. IF I can't afford it I don't need it. My dad used to tell me that and I didn't listen to him when I was younger. Dad gets alot wiser as I get older

Sigidi, I know exactly what you mean. I've already been looking at trees for years that way, ever since I've been wanting a bandsaw since 1987 the first time I stood next to one and breathed in that cedar sawdust flying off that blade.
As far as my bride, she's as excited as me if not more so! She doesn't pull me down she participates in everything I do. I'm a blessed man to be sure.
Thanks for the info guys, but I still don't understand the purpose of a resaw, and although I can cut my beams quickly now, I still want the bandsaw to make 1 & 2 bys for flooring, decking, interior studs etc. for the house, storage buildings, kiln/s .... geez, sounds like I'm going into the lumber buisiness or something ... ;)

[Buzz-sawyer]

You will be making 2x and 1x lumber AS you make your beams...those boards will be comming of the sides , right?
What you may need, though, is a planner to finish those boards, if you dont want rough sawn surface ;)

[Furby]

Ok, stupid question from someone that don't know a whole lot about circle mills............
How do you guys edge your flitches with out an edger or resaw?

[TexasTimbers]

I have a planer, but it won't accept anything taller than 6", so another reason for a bandsaw right.  But I won't be gettting enuf dimension lumber from knocking off the sides making beams will I? At any rate, I'm thinking I really need a bandsaw to maximize the bf ...?
I thought the whole thin kerf bandsaw blade versus the thick (1/4"?) circle blade is fairly well settled.
The whole point of my question was to determine if I should get a resaw in lieu of a bandsaw and now you got me wondering if I need either one at all  :-\ ....

[Furby]

I'd wait until you have this mill setup and running and see how things are going before spending any $$$ on either a resaw or a bandsaw.
But that's just me.

[Buzz-sawyer]

Well, as one circle sawyer to another.....The kerf debate IS over...circle saw wins. ;)
Do you saw high dollar logs, or common saw logs? If you are cutting 18" or better logs you will get lots of side lumber.
It sounds like you may just really need a bandsaw (want?) ;)
If you are sawing costly wood, a band resaw, or mill is great.....but for what you are doin, you got the right tool...now I like bandsaws too, but they have thier own set of drawbacks balancing out the kerf issue, like blade costs and maitenace, time used in the cut, (on smaller mills)...........So dont believe you bought a Red headed step child....How long is your carriage, and what type engine does it have?
As far as the other saws,
you dont need either one....that mill you have will eat up anything you put on it, and make 3/4" lumber on up.....you will have some saw dust.....but in doing the math, you will find time, and cost of equipment, dont add up to the huge differences some folks talk about.
ESPECIALLY when you are making cants, or beams...I just sawed out an order of 5/8 planks out of sweet gum, for every 3 I cut I had 1 in waste dust.
Now, with 1/8 kerf you would get a few boards  more, but at the price of blocking logs, your still ahead in my area .Maybe you will be on your logs too
Use it you will see  

[Jeff]

Ok, stupid question from someone that don't know a whole lot about circle mills............
How do you guys edge your flitches with out an edger or resaw?

Furby, you can pile the flitches right back on the carriage, dog them down and edge them, pretty much the same way you would do it on a bandmill. Actually its easier on a circle saw cause you dont have to stand boards on edge, just pile em flat.

[Buzz-sawyer]

Another little help(  on a simple mill like mine)  is to leave the board attached by a small corner and return it to the log deck, then just flip it off on the rails........I dothis for different reasons, one being to plain saw through a ways on a big brute I dont want to fight.
Then do as Jeff said and edge up all that remains....clear as mud right? :D :D :D

[TexasTimbers]

Ya found me out Buzz, I DO want one! But if I really don't need one it's a waste of alot of money I could use on ammo and bait perch :D
Thing is, when we caut that log today it came off the saw with some rough as heck markings on it. Not nearly close to satisfactory for using as timbers in a timber frame home, unless of course as in a super rustic lake cabin, which would be fine.
I guess I'm suffering from cognitive dissonance ...
It'll probably be 3 weeks before I have it moved, re-alighned, and sawing again. I have to rebuild some of the components too. Nothing major, Some of the carriage nbeams should be replaced, and some other parts I don't know the names of yet. Wow, what a newbie I am ....
So I'll try to take your advice and cut with the circ before I buy a bandsaw. No promises. I'm leaving for East Texas tomorrow to go get some TF experience with Joey, so that woodmizer might make get me all starry-eyed for a bandmill ya know ...
Thanks KJ

[Buzz-sawyer]

Good luck
And If ya need any suggestions I have moved a mill before, as several others here have, and could give some pointers to help.....like set it up at least 2-3 feet above the ground. :P

[Furby]

Thanks, that's what I kinda figured, but really wasn't sure.

[Corley5]

 8) 8) 8) 8)  We've got another circle miller in our midst.  We're still out numbered but holding our own. ;) ;D ;D
I'd love to have a bandmill but there's just no comparison to the sights, sounds and smells of a big old circle mill at work.   

[TexasTimbers]

This forum is FANTASTIC! 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Y,all are great. I really appreciate the wealth of knowledge and willingness to help a total stranger. Muchas Gracias, Domo Ariagato, and спасибо! KJ

[Jeff]

When time comes, we'll see if we can get ya on track so that Circle saw is cutting proper. If its leavin the boards real rough there's something going on there...

[Bibbyman]

All right you circle mill guys,  I'm back....

With a 55' bed,  (and that's a lot longer bed than many circle mills are equipped with.) what is the maximum length log you will be able to saw?  25'?  Or there abouts. 

With a band mill,  you can get extensions or build a track as long as you want.  Even most standard bandmills – like the Wood-Mizer LT40 will saw 21' – the big Baker will saw 25'.  And you can stretch that a few more feet with some extra thinking and work – if you only have a few to do.

A 25hp gas engine on a standard bandmill will saw all day on 5 gallons of gas.  The big 40hp+ maybe 10 gallons of diesel.  How much HP does it take to turn that big circle mill blade?  100-200?  How much fuel does that take?

I've not done any cost comparison on circle vs. band but I've always figure my blade cost at .01/bf.  Others have come to the same conclusion.  I've heard talk of how much a circle blade cost initially – I don't have a good idea how long they last.  I guess until they hit something that destroys them.  But I also hear the circle mill guys talk about how much the teeth cost and they're not cheap.

A quality, name brand band sawmill,  kept in good shape,  have always returned pretty much of their initial purchase price on re-sale.   I've seen a few used circle mills go for not much better than scrap prices.  (You say you got yours "on the cheep" – right?  You'll probably find out why...)

If I already had a circle mill and had money to add to the operation,  I think I'd buy an edger.  While you can edge on a circle mill just as you can on a band mill,  It'd be like using a bulldozer to till a garden.  A simple two-blade edger would do the job faster and easier and would take far less fuel to run and maintain.

[Corley5]

10 gallons of gas=approx. 2,500 bdft of softwood lumber with my 60hp gas engine.  I can saw a 22' foot log, that's what will fit through the mill door, on my 16' carriage with 54' of track.  I've edged on the mill for small jobs rather than belt up a tractor to the edger.  It's OK for small amounts but isn't practical for anything else.

[Swede]

We are talking grits and tatoes, as we are talking band sawmills versus circle sawmills.

I think both can feed a man, depending of what he have to saw (or what his stomic needs.)  :D :D ;D ;)
Sometimes I could use a circle sawmill with two blades on one shaft. There is some small logs I could make boards of but just saw in two peaces and throw into the firewood pile. They don´t fit on a band sawmill.

Congratulations to Your circle sawmill, kewjay!

Swede.

[Jeff]

RIght on Swede.  The only comparisons I will make is that they both make lumber.  Also the mill I run has the cabability of 30,000 feet a shift. Pretty glaring production difference unless we are talking about a band headrig.

I have sawn with circle blades older then I am.  My record for a set of inserts is over 400,000 feet of aspen. typical is 150,000-200,000 sawing debarked logs.

[TexasTimbers]

So many valid points and of course circle men are biased one way and band men another. Human nature. I'm sure someone on the forum runs both. Him/they would surely have an interesting perspective.

Bibbs you make a strong argument with what seems like many valid points, and they probably are. He claims it will saw a 30' log. It has a 40 gallon tank and he claims it will run all day using only a 1/4. I'm covering my butt by starting with "He claims..." to let you know I'm green but not necessarily gullible  : We'll find out the realities after I start cutting I suppose. I didn't buy the mill based on those "features" ...

I don't mind telling you I paid $2500 for the mill. Probably too much  :'( but it seemed cheap enough to me for a mill that runs and cuts wood. The engine alone is worth a big chunk of that I would think ... Maybe I am gullible after all! :(

[lord_kenwolf]

well that mill should be able to cut 30 feet.  a sawmiller that helped us get our mill going  has sawed 32 feet on his 14 foot carrage. it all depends on how big of an opening you have for logs, that and how crazy you are  with dealing with big logs.
  as for how much horse power you need, we have been told  from lane sawmills that we would only need about 90 horspower to run our 50 inch blade.  we use a 671 detroit industrial engine so we have plenty of power for it.   the only bad thing is the price od desiel, at 2.35 a gallen it gets expensive. if you have a big tank for it maybe you could get your local heating oil company to bring out off road fuil thats what we do and we save about .40 cents a gallen.

[TexasTimbers]

LordKenny,
Yes, I have a distributor here that delivers what we call Farm Diesel in Texas. It's alot cheaper though I can't say how much right off. Also yesterday I just picked up two 250 gallon propane tanks on wheels and one 50 gallon that were being used for something else (dont know what) and I'm going to use one for diesel for my skid steer and sawmill and gonna convert the other into a nice smoker. Haven't figured a use for the 50 gallon yet but it'll get job doing something .....
Don't know the HP on that big Mack truck engine. It still sits in the truck frame though. It was never taken off the engine mounts. Looks like they just cut it out of the truck as most of the frame is still there just welded into the the big cradle that holds all the guts to turn the blade...

[Jeff]

Actually, my understanding is that the Cheapest bandmills, bandmills with manual feeds that sit flaton the ground, are the ones that can most easily be set up to saw long, long timbers. You can add unlimited length of track as you dont have to worry about wires and chains and hoses.

A circle mill's one big limitation is length you can cut by the length of the track and carriage. You can cut timbers much longer then your carriage, but not if you don't have enough travel on the track.  

[Buzz-sawyer]

My diesel is ecomonical. If cutting mixed cants and ties,with the side wood,It is capable of cutting 8,000 bdft in 8 hours. It will use about 1 gallon an hour or 1 gallon for 1000bdft in this scenario.
My saw blade IS as old as I am, :D and as far as teeth I use chrome and they LAST a good while. I am guesstimating 60-80,000 bdft on dirty logs.(probably more)
This is far bellow pennies a bdft for teeth. And if a person is fortunate, and they keep that disk spining COOL and not binding , or hitting REAl bad things the blade will run true indefinitely..........which means till something bad happens........can be years.
Once a circle mill is running true and straight, blade nice and cool.............there is VERY little maintenance. And at $2,500 you already made back your money on the sawing you will do , only on those timbers. The bonus is that saw will run the rest of your life.
As far as cutting edges, I do it every day I saw, it uses little to no energy as I see it, I can run through 6 2x8 in about 1 second and have the carriage back to the bunks for another log.
A circle saw is pretty good for some things , no doubt about it ;)
But I DO not like cutting high dollar wood on one.

[Ernie]

Si

Youre right on the money there, after Alf and I convinced Jan that we really did NEED a mill, We developed a whole new appreciation of the drive into town.  How many cube do you reckon there are in that tree, I never noticed that big Macrocarpa over on that far hill, It'll be great when the slabbing bar arrivees and we can see if Richard is going to take down those big trees that he's got at the back of the farm  and stuff like that.

It has been like moving into a whole new area.  no longer just the mountain views and how's the surf.

Ernie

[Rockn H]

This post has got me to thinking back.  My dad had a circle saw for years.  Quite a bit of lumber came off of it.  He did quite a bit of edging on the mill itself.  Most of the fletches went right through a foley resaw, though.  Now I have the bandsaw and I do a lot of sawing at different locations.  What I'm saying is that in my opinion if you are sawing your own logs or have logs brought to you the circle saw should not be sold sort and you should definately take the time to work out the bugs and the saw marks :D.  You should see my bandsawn boards when the tooth set is wrong.
You really feel like you are sawing lumber when you pull back the clutch on a big circle saw.  Just be sure and use a shield between you and the saw.  A nail can sure send those teeth flying. ;)