Beam Machine

[boboak]

   Has anybody tried the Beam Machine?  I want to mill some 6x6 fence posts from incense cedar and it looks like a good way to get started.  I have an 066 with a 36" bar and a 361 with a 20".  If I do get the Beam Machine will it lead to other vices...like an Alaskan Mill and then a portable sawmill and then...well who knows.  My wife worries about what I'm going to do when I retire...I think I've got that figured out  : Thanks, Bob

[sbishop]

hi boboak, I ask the same question a couple of weeks ago regarding the beam machine and the mini mill II from Granberg. I got more replies of people that had the mini mill and they loved it!

it's order one this week...can't wait to try it, i need to make a bunch of 8X8

Sbishop

[Ax- man]

Hi Bob,

I have one of those beam machines, tried it out years ago, it is not that good. I could rip a log just about as easy doing it freehand with some lines on the log and making sure the saw was cutting straight down the side of the log. I just found it to be a hassle to set -up and work with.  If their is a better upgrade alternative I would go with it.

The beam machine turned me off to any kind of milling with a chain saw. If I was to get into any sort of serious milling or lumber making  it would be a machine with it own seperate engine and a bandsaw blade.

Just my .002 cents .

Larry

[Al_Smith]

I have one that was given to me.It works ok.I suggest you use the 066 because it takes some grunt to mill or rip logs.I can make 8 feet in 5 minutes in 16" oak using a 2100 Homey or Sp 125 McCulloch.I have tried an 048 Stihl,which is a pretty peppy saw but lacks the pulling power to mill with.
I for one am not a fan of chainsaw millimg except for an occasional thing or two.I much prefer the high pitched whine of a bandsaw mill,slicing away at ease instead of a chainsaw feeding me a steady diet of saw chips.Then again,to each his own.

[Hoop]

I have used a beam machine & a chain saw mill.  Here is my $.02 worth.

The beam machine is only slightly better than roadside debris.  Straight cuts are pretty much a concept with this machine.   Reality brings differing results. If you don't mind putting lots of effort into a thick & thin end product, buy it.  Otherwise stay away from them.  Most people can accomplish the same results sawing "freehand".

The chain saw mill I used was when I was working for a log home building company.  It was a fairly good setup as far as chain saw mills go.  It was a home made device that showed some ingenuity.  It could be raised or lowered with a turn of a crank.  Chain saw mill was set up to cut up to 45' logs.  It was used mainly for cutting flats on log floor joists, which generally were 16' - 20' in length.  The saw was mounted on a device that had wheels and traveled on rails.
The results were OK.  Not terrific, but not notoriously thick & thin either.  Most of the wood cut was red pine, and whenever a big knot was encountered, the mill would "jump" ever so slightly, leaving a high spot.  After the pieces were cut, we would use a 6' level to gauge the "high spots", mark them, and then grind off the excess stock with an industrial strength grinder.  Definitely a very slow process.
Milling with a chain saw is horrendously slow.  Even with a Husky 394.  Another item was the fuel mileage.  Its poor.  Really poor.  Chain saw milling produces little bang for the buck.
I would urge anyone considering purchase of a chain saw mill to use one from a friend/neighbor/etc for at least 4 hours and assess the results. 

I don't see the economic viability of chain saw mills.  Certainly not for continuous usage.  (the log home company I worked for has since purchased a band saw mill).

I'm convinced band saws are 100 times better than a chain saw mill.

[solodan]

I think that your best bet would be an Alaskan and a mini mill combo. They work real good together. If you are cutting incense cedar, than it will not go as slow as others are telling you. I think it would be  a good investment for you, since you live in Santa Cruz and probably know where there is more than one huge redwood stuck in some steep drainage. I own a Lucas 827 and still use my Alaskan and mini mill for certain jobs, and though I have nothing against portable band mills, I could only suggest that you would be way under gunned in Santa Cruz. Them trees are just too big.

[boboak]

   Thanks for the advice,one and all.   I'd like to have a bandsaw mill,too, but I don't think I can justify it for thirty or forty cedar posts a year. :D  The posts don't have to be real pretty...I used to hand split all my posts but with advancing age I"m looking for the easy way to do things now.  Eventually I'd like to get into a little small scale milling but for now I'll try to keep the machinery (and expenses) to a minimum.
   Also looks like I better do a better job on my member's map pin.  Solodan thinks I live in Santa Cruz and I'm actually quite a ways north east of that.

[WoodSmith]

Ha there boboak,
Sorry I'm a little late in adding input.
I have cut some nice beams with an Alaskan Mill and a beam cutter, I ended up with some nice beams that I have installed in my house.
It does take longer to get and end product, but when your not cutting for production then time doesn't matter.
I like to mill with the chainsaw, especially when the tree are in a place that are hard to get to and your out there in the woods life doesn't get any better.
When you can't afford the more expensive mills the chainsaw mills works just fine.
Good Luck with the milling.
If you can post some pics when you get done.

[solodan]

Well Boboak,

I guess that clears that up.

I never even looked at the members map pin, I just assumed you lived in Live Oak, Ca, the town between Santa Cruz and Capitola, in Santa Cruz county. I assume that you must live in the other Live Oak up near Marysville. I was kinda confused when you mentioned incense cedar, since it is usually a Sierra tree that grows in the transition zone between 4000' and 7000'.  I am right in the middle of the transition zone and have mostly incense cedar, ponderosa, sugarpine and white fir, what elevation are you at there. I guess I will have to take back what I said about bandsaws. :D
I will actually probably add a bandsaw to my equipment in the future, but i just can not imagine being in California without a swinger. Small logs would be much easier with a bandsaw, but we have just too many huge logs here. I still think an Alaskan and a mini mill is the way to go as far as chainsaw milling.

[boboak]

   Solodan...I live in the "big " Live Oak.  We have a post office and one stop lite...might get another stop lite one of these days ;D    Live Oak is in the valley...way too low for cedar.  The people I work for have cull logs available for employess to cut for firewoood.  Once in awhile I'll find a good one in the cull deck and make a few posts.  Thats why I was curious about the Beam Machine.  I"m getting a bit old for hand splitting and figured a Beam Machine or something similar would be a good way to go.  Whatever I wind up using you can bet they'll be smoother and better looking posts than my old hand split creations.  Good thing  my cows aren't fussy :D

[solodan]

My wife used to live in the"small" Live Oak, I don't think they have a post office. We live in the "big" Sugar Pine,  we have two stop signs, at the highway, but no post office.

Like I said before, incense cedar cuts real easy, and I am sure you are well aware of that. I think that I got addicted to sawing after I cut my first slab from a real nice cedar. Whatever setup you get I am sure you will enjoy.
keep us all posted and post lots of pics. ;D How do you hand split your posts? how long were they? I think that incense cedar makes the best split rail.