Another New Member!

[fodenwagon]

Hello everybody, thought id introduce myself,Im Duncan i found this website whilst searching for Portable sawmills,what a great source of information!

I have a small plot of woods in the New Forest in the UK 60acres, and was looking to buy a sawmill to cut up some of my timber,it is not going to be used much so what do you suggest? make my own or buy something new?

I have been looking at the "Alaskan" chainsaw attachments,are there any good are they accurate? what do you think?

Cheers Duncan

[ladylake]

 Welcome Duncan.  I'd buy a small push along bandsaw before a chainsaw mill with the main reason being you get a lot more lumber out of your logs with the bandsaw. Also a bandsaw mill will be quite a bit cheaper to run once you have it.  A chainsaw big enough to mill with cost a lot and if used a lot will wear out a lot faster than a small 4 stroke motor.     Steve

[customsawyer]

It don't matter what equipment you buy it is only as good as the operator. That being said we all had to cut our first board out of a log some where and with some kind of a mill. Use the search engine at the top of the page and study past post, figure out what mill you need, ask all the questions you want we are all here to help each other, oh and welcome to the forum.

[bandmiller2]

welcome Duncan,I would say a swing mill might be just what you need.Swingers come with sharpening equip.,are very portable, you go to the log and can be broken down and stored easily.Frank C.

[Don K]

Welcome to the forum Duncan. I started with a LT 15 manual bandmill for my own use. Swingers are a great option as well. Just read,research, weigh all the options before settling for something.

Don

[ladylake]

  Depends on the size of the logs also, for big logs swing mills would be a better choice, smaller one a bandsaw.   Steve

[Lud]

I bought an economical manual bandsaw mill 4 years ago as I'm a lifetime wood worker who has some trees to harvest , a tractor to haul with and a barn to store the wood in.   It has been a perfect fit.  These mills don't waste wood and the blades are not too expensive.   I can cut anything from beams down to almost veneer.

I bought it so I could get sawing.  I could have built one...may still,  but this was the best tool I ever bought.

Make lumber, not sawdust ,  go bandmill.

[fodenwagon]

Excellent, thankyou for all your replys i'll give the forum a good search and read up and i'll let you know what i decide to get!

Thanks Duncan

[southpaw]

Welcome Duncan, I resently purchased a manual bandsaw mill after doing the hours of research. I chose what I thought I could aford and what I was getting for my $$ ;), I cut for my own wood projects so far have bid 3 custom jobs they need to get trees felled. Anyway I have no regrets their, and there is alot to learn but after almost 3yrs. of debating I'm glad I'm where I am 8) 8). Good luck.

[Magicman]

fodenwagon, first, Welcome to FF.  Glad to have you.  I think that you have found the best place to ask the right questions and receive honest answers.

Oh, and personally, I chose a bandmill.  It fit my needs.  I'm sure that you will make the correct decision to fit your needs..... 8)

[paul case]

welcome duncan,
im a bandmill operator , rite for me check em all out. see which you like. have you looked at sawmill-exchange.com? they have a link to mill manufacturers.   good to have you here   pc

[captain_crunch]

Been there and done that with Alaskan mill Were not many bandsaw setups around here back then or I would have went that route instead. But they do have some good points also. Originly designed for homesteaders where you could use saw and regular chain to cut down what you were going to mill. Switch to ripping chain and cut lumber. But like mentioned before it takes a BIG saw like the old Sthill 075 or 090 and they are expencive to buy and it is hard on them pulling like they have to. One 10 ft cut and you better let saw kool down so not real productive. Also 3/8+3/8= 3/4 so in two cuts you lost a board to sawdust. However not a total loss because you will find it in the form of sawdust in your ears,nose and skivvies. And anywhere else you can think of not makeing you very popular with vacume cleaner opperator in your household
Brian

[paul case]

brian,
even the bandmills distribute sawdust evenly inside and outside your clothes .lovely if your sawing stinky cottonwood or bitter cherry.   pc

[captain_crunch]

 I am sure you are right there but in my case it was worse : Always seemed to be on knees pushing saw and the exhaust seemed to stir up what was on ground also. At least with my old Bellsaw mill I can kinda hide behind center post of mill. Don't know which gets me in more trouble with Wife Grease. Sawdust or Mud. Ifn you ask her Hyd oil is my favorite after shave. I suffer from a disease which causes me to get out torch,welder and forge and spend two days building 10 dollar part and according to her have to roll around in grease to accomplish project. Truth is I can get greasy fixing a toaster. So you can imagine what I can do with pitch and sawdust 8) 8)
Brian

[fishpharmer]

Welcome to the forum fodenwagen.  I built my own mill or should say am building.  It never seems to be finished.  If time is a major factor buy a mill.

[paul case]

brian,
no arguement here, we are fixers round here too.my wifes biggest gripes used to be chicken feathers and diesel. she thought i had hung a fuel barrel on my mirror for an air freshener.the one that makes her  gag is 80w90/gl-5 axle grease. i get to do my own laundry and try to keep the ''stink'' outside  . pc

[captain_crunch]

As far as building a mill goes you will NEVER finish(according to feller that we got cir. mill from) There is always some thing you want to add, modify or rebuild. In my case it is the carrage. The old bellsaw cuts nice lumber but the knees are just a little crude you my likeing. Duane's mill is an American and the knees are sooo much nicer but guess ya gotta crawl before you walk. And not knowing what you are doing adds a little challenge.
PC
Lets not mention gear oil OK :-\ :-\ You Know how cold it is Streaking accross back porch without your britches because of it and hopeing there are no unanounced guests in house : Don't know if you are famuliar with Tacky Lube(open face gear lube) If you get it on your fingers you will have it on your nose in your ear and hair before you wear it off. I use to run a Link Belt log loading shovel and once a week (about the time you wore it off) you have to coat gears again. Belive this had a lot to do with why I have second wife now
Brian