You can buy a chainsaw mill – there are plenty to pick from for just about every budget – but if you are confident in your DIY skills, you may decide to build your own instead. For anyone who is thinking about trying but who doesn’t know where to start, we bring you 9 homemade chainsaw mill plans you can DIY easily. Here’s a more original idea – rather than the typical “Alaskan” chainsaw mill that is available to buy and that many people try to make at home, this DIYer came up with a plan for a simple chainsaw mill that cuts vertically. Assuming you know how to handle a chainsaw and take the necessary steps to ensure your safety, building your own chainsaw mill at home can be a highly rewarding enterprise.
Here are 13 homemade chainsaw mills that you can DIY easily using readily available materials. The DIY project is an improvement of the regular premium quality homemade chainsaw mills. The first step involves creating rails and support for the entire chainsaw mill build, assemble, attach anchors, but don’t forget to sled the chainsaw and attachments.
This started as an idea after making my homemade band saw mill and comparing the apparent inefficiency of that to the simple chainsaw mills that most use. I got to thinking about how I could rig one up to cut my short lengths of hard maple, and came up with the idea of making the saw run on a post that is set in the ground. More details on how I made that and attached the saw in the video below.
how to build chainsaw sawmill Related Question:
Are chainsaw mills worth it?
A chainsaw mill is one of the most efficient and effective tools when it comes to converting wood into lumber. Lumber is a very effective raw material that can be used for a variety of purposes. Be it for firewood or be it for construction purposes, you can certainly utilize lumber for whatever you need.
What size chainsaw do I need for a sawmill?
What you need is a chainsaw powerful enough to get the job done with a chainsaw mill. You will want to have a saw that has at least a 50cc displacement and can run a 20-inch chain. However, if you’re cutting smaller logs and milling smaller boards, you can use a smaller saw.
Is it worth milling your own lumber?
Milling your own lumber can produce quality material for a fraction of the price of a lumber dealer. In fact, if you purchase your own mill, like I have, you can actually make a profit off of it by selling lumber to other woodworkers and by offering to mill other people’s logs.
How many horsepower does a sawmill need?
What size power unit (hp) is needed to run a circular sawmill with a 56″ blade for cutting ties and lumber (hardwood)? From contributor G: 5 hp per inch depth of cut for slow feed, 10 hp for fast feed. You can saw slow with a 75 hp or fast with a 150 hp.
How much does it cost to build your own sawmill?
The cost of a portable mill is about $1,500 for the base mill, plus an optional $500+ for a mechanical jack-hoist to get the logs up on the bed. A stationary mill, with all components but the engine bought new, would cost $5,000 or $6,000, and about half that used — and you still have to install it.
How fast does a chainsaw mill cut?
Cutting speeds can vary from 8 feet a minute in narrow softwoods, to 1-1/2 feet a minute in wide hardwoods.
How well do chainsaw sawmills work?
A chainsaw has a saw kerf right around 3/8 of an inch, which means it is very inefficient and produces a lot of sawdust. For these reasons, a chainsaw mill is definitely not to be used for optimizing the amount of lumber that you can yield from a log.
Can you use a chainsaw on lumber?
Yes, you can use a chainsaw to cut wet wood.
How long does it take to mill a log with a chainsaw?
In the world of chainsaw milling, the more powerful the saw the better. You can mill with a smaller saw; however, it’s going to be really slow. On average, it takes me about 10-15 minutes to make one cut using my saw, based on the size logs that I typically cut. Expect that a smaller saw will cut slower.
What chainsaw do loggers use?
Stihl is the most popular chainsaw for professional loggers. It has a long-lasting chain, and you can also enjoy the exceptional cutting speeds available with this brand of chainsaw. Additionally, the chains are high-performance, low vibration, and quiet in their performance.
What CC is Alaskan mill?
In general, you will need at least 50cc to run our smallest mill (G777). The more powerful your saw, the easier your milling experience is going to be.
How long should wood dry before milling?
Depending on the thickness of the lumber and where you live, weather and time of the year, it will take anywhere from 6 weeks to 4 months. Most lumber is in the 1” to 2” thickness and the time above applies to thicknesses. Drying cants, timbers, posts will take considerably longer.
How long should logs dry before being used to build?
You should seal the ends within minutes after being cut down; you should not wait hours, and definitely not days! The drying time will vary depending on the wood species and thickness of the logs, but they will take at least one to two years to dry – the longer you can leave them before you start building the better.
How long can oak logs sit before milling?
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor: As a rule of thumb, there will be a measurable loss in four to six weeks of warm (over 50 F) weather. It is just a rule of thumb.
Can you make money selling rough cut lumber?
When you first get a sawmill, the primary ways to make money are selling lumber or cutting for people. However, cutting for people is kind of tricky, because you’ll want to have some experience before you start doing that. If you’re cutting by the board foot and you take your time it doesn’t really matter too much.