Chainsaw Mill

[PatrickG]

I have never seen a chinsaw mill in real life much less in operation.  Could someone with experience with them please make a few comments regarding their operation, intended use, and whatever else I should have asked if I knew what I was doing.

Thanks,

   Pat  

[Tom]

Patrick,
Here is a start.  It is the website of our chainsaw topics moderator and administrator Kevin.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/kvn.rob/millingmasters.html

Look for "My milling photos"

[Plowboy]

Patrick, a chainsaw mill is an excellent mill if you are not in a hurry.  We had a chainsaw mill and it would cut some great lumber but it took a little longer than a bandmill.  The pros of the chainsaw mill is you don't get taper or wander when cutting.  It is also a little cheaper to get started.  We were able to build one ourselves.  You can use the chainsaw off the mill to cut down trees.  
The cons are: it is slower, it will take longer to cut hard woods.  A chainsaw mill will also takes a larger kerf, that is it removes more wood per cut.  Some chainsaw mills also require alot of physical work and can be quite tiring.  
Over all it depends on your needs for what will work best for you.  The chainsaw mill was a cheaper way for us to start and now I have upgraded to a bandmill.     Plowboy

[PatrickG]

Tom, Thanks for link, good pix.

Plowboy, For the chainsaw milling I am interested in personal use, hobby intensity of operations, and less $ tied up. I took a look on eBay and saw (pun not intended) various chainsaw mill gadgets for various low prices.  Most seemed to be the equivalent of a piece of "C" channel with a clamp or bolt-to-the-bar-of-a-chainsaw  arrangement that guides the saw down a 2x6 (or whatever) "straight edge that is nailed or screwed to the log.  Minutia of competing features being whether or not you had to drill the hardened bar, bearings on saw mount pivot, and the like. One seller will include FREE with each purchase the secret inside info he usually sells for $20 on how to refile/modify your chain to rip vs crosscut.

Aren't chains for ripping sold ready to go?

I was also trying to find info on what chainsaw(s) were good candidates for this operation as I thought it likely that my 16 inch Mac might just be a wee bit undersized/powered.  After partially recovering from sticker shock $1000 for a Stihl I began to wonder how much saw is enough saw for someone who isn't trying to make a commercial go of it but still doesn't want to spend too great a percentage of their remaining life pushing an undersized saw through logs for FUN.

Another issue was warranty.  I note that the BIG Huskys for example had a 90 day warranty but the largest of the "homeowner" sized units had a much better/longer warranty but I was concerned regarding them being "enough saw."

    Pat    

[grampt1]

Pat
  Found this web site today and thought it had a lot of good information on chain saw milling http://home.nc.rr.com/cquade/milling.htm

  Hope this helps.
  Ron

[PatrickG]

YES!  Ron, thanks so much for the link.  It was very informative.  I guess I'm in the market for a good used "real" chainsaw as it isn't bloody likely that I will be laying out $1000 for a new one.

   Pat