Electric Chainsaw Mill Build

[Hilltop366]

Nice to see it is cutting ok!

For a track idea, perhaps some 2X? material and metal joist hangers, for log holders some L brackets fastened to the cross pieces to screw the log to if you do not need to turn the log in between cuts which I think is normal for this type of CSM.

So this has got me to thinking if the long sides of a 2X? log track were taller than the cross bunks by using the next size up of 2X? you would have a track to run you CSM on with a little more fab work the CSM could be made to fasten to a carriage to ride on the rails. A remote switch and a way to run the oiler and your milling standing up but do not have to lift the log up far.

Perhaps CSM #4

[Stu in Tokyo]

Nice to see it is cutting ok!

For a track idea, perhaps some 2X? material and metal joist hangers, for log holders some L brackets fastened to the cross pieces to screw the log to if you do not need to turn the log in between cuts which I think is normal for this type of CSM.

So this has got me to thinking if the long sides of a 2X? log track were taller than the cross bunks by using the next size up of 2X? you would have a track to run you CSM on with a little more fab work the CSM could be made to fasten to a carriage to ride on the rails. A remote switch and a way to run the oiler and your milling standing up but do not have to lift the log up far.

Perhaps CSM #4

Yes, maybe Ver 4.0  ;D

For now something much simpler will do.

I have some steel sitting around that is just about the right length, and some screw things that are used as leveling legs on scaffolding, add a couple of pieces of angle iron I have and some hole, and welding and I might have a rig that will work......



  

  

 

The wingnuts will go on the outside of the side rails, then I'll be able to make the rail the size I need it to grip the log. A piece of angle iron will go along each end on the bottom, one side welded to a side rail the other side will have a slot cut in it and a bolt, so when the rails are positioned it can be tightened and will keep things squared up. I'll put some sort of dogs along the top edge of the side rails to bite into the log. I'll put some bolt on legs on the bottom of the angle iron along each end to get it off the floor, and I'll even put foot levelers on it to make it rock solid.
I don't do or get huge logs, so I don't need a huge set up, heck the mill won't even do 17" as it sits. This long vice like rail set up would also keep the majority of the log above the rail, and would make it easy to mill, just grip the log once and then slab it up, no dogs to get in the way.

Might work?

[Magicman]

Might.  You have a nicely equipped workshop.   

[Stu in Tokyo]

Might.  You have a nicely equipped workshop.   

Thanks, that's my Dungeon  ;D

[Stu in Tokyo]

I've gotten further along with my log holder for the new mill, I think this is going to work, out, but it is a work in process, so I'm sure I'll not get it right the first try, and it will need some tweaking.

I drilled the holes for the big threaded pieces to go through, and just tried it out...



  

 

This way I can make the log holder wider, or narrower depending on the size of the log.



 
Next I put some angle iron on three of the four side of the box, if you understand, both ends of the bottom got angle iron, and one end of the top side. The angle iron is bolted to the side of the log holder that does not move, and has one bolt in a slot on the side that does move, this should allow me to adjust the size but keep things squared up.

I'll also use the angle iron as a mounting point for the legs.



 

Not the best shot to show this, but the far end is much close together than the near end, this should allow me to adjust for the taper in the log.



 
I was just going to cut some plate steel and add some teeth, like the cardboard mockup here, but I decided that it would be better to have teeth that I could screw into the log.....



 
So I welded on some nuts and then put some bolts into them, I'll sharpen the tips of the bolts so they dig into the log better.



 
I want the log holder to sit at an angle, let Mr. Gravity help push things along, so I need to build some legs, a short pair and a long pair.



 
The short pair welded up and then ground smooth.



 
The long pair. I splayed the short pair at 15° and the long pair at 10° to make the whole thing more stable.



  

 
That is about how it will stand. It's not done yet, I have to add a couple of gussets to the angle iron and legs as well as a bar between the leg and the body of the log holder to make it stronger. I can only do this one one side as the log holder has one moving side, but I think it should be enough. I guess I'll find out.



 
Just for fun I tossed the short piece on the log holder, it is a bit too wide I need to adjust it in a bit, but it works.

Cheers!

[Magicman]

   What do you do in your spare time  ???   

[thecfarm]

Take pictures and tell us about his Chain sawmill. :D Good ideas you have.

[Stu in Tokyo]

  What do you do in your spare time  ???   

I work running our liquor shop about 12+ hours a day  ;D

Biggest thing is I stay off the computer until later at night, when I'm sitting in the liquor shop running the place, most nights from about 8PM to midnight I'm here by myself just waiting for customers to come by, so that is mainly when I'm on the net. The other thing is I don't do Facebook anymore, and I almost never watch TV, maybe an hour a week, there is a great TV show on here called "Before/After" where they take an old wreak of a house and redo it, amazing stuff, only on Sunday night for an hour, otherwise no TV. Japanese TV generally sucks anyways, and I'm not paying a bunch of money for the cable channels when I'd rather be down in my Dungeon building something  ;D

Thanks!

[Stu in Tokyo]

I got the log holder done.....



 
The gussets around the top of the leg where the angle iron bolts to the frame, and you can see where the strut will go, just clamped in place in this picture.



 
A close up of the gusset



 
I sharpened the tips of all the bolts that will grip the log.



 
The short legs done, the gussets and the strut as well.



 
That is done, not the best picture, kind of confined space, but it is done, now I just have to wait for the ripping chain to be in stock and be shipped to me.

One thing that this build really pointed out to me is that in my new welding room space, the next project will be a good welding table/bench with a vice, it was just silly using that piece of 1/4 plate on a workmate knock off, I need a proper bench and vice attached to it, next project I guess  :D

Cheers!

[Stu in Tokyo]

My ripping chain will not come until the end of May,  :'( and I need my space back, so I'll be stowing the log holder until then, but I wanted to give the whole set up a test run before I do put it away, so.....



 
..... I threw one of the dry Doug Fir logs on the log holder.



 
I'm worried that the bolts would not dig into the log, so I strapped the log down first.....


 

and then tightened the bolts down....



 
.... they dug in just fine  ;D



 
I made a deflector out of cardboard and duct taped it to the saw, it worked well.



 
I sliced the top off the log.
This cut took less than six minutes, not fast, but not as slow as I'd feared. The saw body was only warm to the touch, and the cord was not warm at all. The deflector worked well and a box kicked along got a lot of the sawdust, maybe 60%.



 
I went ahead and did a second cut, this went even better, took maybe 8 minutes and with a modified box I got more of the sawdust, maybe 80% not bad at all.



  

 
I think that is a fairly nice slab of wood.

The bottom remaining part I'll cut into two square pieces something near 4x4s on my resaw bandsaw.



 
The saw seemed to work just fine, like I said, it's no speed demon, but it did not over heat, and I could keep oil on the chain as you can see.....


 

The tip did not overheat either....


 

.... I'm about 90% satisfied, and I'm sure that will get towards 100% with the ripping chain. I hope to also make a better box/dust collector of some kind, but all it all it worked great. The log was very securely held in place and the mill worked just fine, I'm calling this a win!

Cheers!

[Magicman]

This has been an interesting build from "idea to sawdust".   ;D

[Stu in Tokyo]

This has been an interesting build from "idea to sawdust".   ;D

Thanks you sir!

I just wanted to post this as basically finished, I took the other half of the log down to the Dungeon and ran it through my resaw-bandsaw.



  

 

I moved the saw to the middle of the shop, using my bench and tablesaw as infeed and outfeed.



 
Ready to go!

The results.....



  

 

The big slab on the left is the main piece I got, as well as two other not so bad chunks, this was the smallest end of the log, and it had some significant cracks in it, and I made a bad cut or two, as my resaw was not quite tuned up, yes operator error...

Once I get the ripping chain on my mill, I'll cut up the other four logs, until then I'll be stowing the mill and the log holder.
I'll make the slab and into a nice bench for a buddy's yard, it will fit in perfect.

Cheers!

[justallan1]

Great work, Stu.
Thanks for the update.
Allan

[leroy in kansas]

Stu, Looks like you've almost got the fixings for a BSM in what you've made. Have ya tryed to saw any of that large log you scored? 

[Stu in Tokyo]

Stu, Looks like you've almost got the fixings for a BSM in what you've made. Have ya tryed to saw any of that large log you scored?

Not yet, I'm waiting for my ripping chain to arrive  ;D

[Jay C. White Cloud]

Hi Stu, great work you are doing.  If you sharpen your own chains, you can grind a new one to ripping profile. 

Regards,

jay