Guys…. Im ready to get serious but…. Im debating on building a “Pro-Cut” chainsaw mill or buying a used band mill…. I want to saw when I can to start gaining experiance as well as collecting lumber to buiold a timber frame house of aprox 3000 Sq Ft. So Im open for all suggestions…. Home built mill – Milling logs to build a home for the family. If you have plenty of spare time and there is no rush to get things done, then the chainsaw mill will do the job, if you have plenty of time and no money, again the chainsaw mill comes into play again. If you have plenty of wonga, hire in a band mill to do most of the donkey work and finish off with a Ripsaw, which is a superb chainsaw driven band mill or get a medium sized chain mill and do the same, A procut mill is a very good alternative to a band mill, and afterwards you could add a band mill conversion to it with little fuss, check out the many different home made band mills on the WWW, which I have just decided to go down this path myself.
A chainsaw sawmill is actually quite different in that it is effectively the enhancement of a standard chainsaw to produce a viable solution for milling lumber. Because of that, bandsaw mills are admired for their low kerf rating, or the small amount of wood lost in each cut due to the thickness of the blade versus a chainsaw blade, which generally produces a rougher cut. Regardless of the wood’s size and density, one very important thing to remember with a bandsaw or chainsaw sawmill is that the blades need to be sharpened regularly.
Moving the logs is a key consideration, so the fact you have the means to do that is important if you decide on a bandsaw mill. “I use a chainsaw mill because I have trouble moving logs. I minimize waste by milling everything 9/4, after drying I resaw on my bandsaw in my shop, this is one way I get around the waste factor. I also think I get less warping with my lumber while drying. Last year I milled well over 30 logs with my chainsaw mill, most logs around 7 feet long, but many of them well over 24” diameter. Another option to consider is to get a bunch of logs, move to a site you can mill them, and then hire a sawyer with a bandsaw mill.
Chainsaw mill will also cut you a more uniform board. If it’s a large amount I would look at a bandsaw, if it’s a few boards a year and you desire a nicer board then a chainsaw mill may be the thing. Chainsaw mill is for cutting oversize slabs …. that is all.
If you’re new to milling timber, you’re probably a little confused about some things – namely, the difference between chainsaw and bandsaw mills. Bandsaw mills are very popular these days, and chainsaw mills have maintained a niche in the mill world for their own unique advantages. You may decide between a chainsaw and bandsaw mill solely based on the portability factor, but there are several other factors to consider as well.
Customers are regularly impressed with the quality of the cut from the chainsaw mill, imagining that the chainsaw will necessarily make a terrible cut with a nasty surface finish, which it does not. As far as I am concerned, any mill which uses a chainsaw chain and bar is a chainsaw mill, no matter the setup. If you didn’t own a chainsaw and decided that you wanted to cut some lumber, you could be making your own lumber for about $500, for a small chainsaw and the Alaskan mill attachment.
There is one situation wherein a chainsaw mill is clearly superior to a bandsaw mill. A chainsaw mill with a huge motor can handle a bar length of 48 or even 60 inches, thus allowing you to mill logs which are beyond the capacity of a more expensive bandsaw mill. Full disclosure: I have a Wood-Mizer bandsaw mill that cost a bit under $40,000, and for occasional use, I employ the Granberg Alaskan chainsaw mill with 48 inch bar that cost about 5% of the bandsaw mill.
chainsaw mill vs bandsaw mill Related Question:
Are chainsaw mills any good?
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.
Is a bandsaw mill worth it?
A portable sawmill can be worth the investment. It can provide a source of wood for your own projects and give you a side business. For a source of lumber, as well as a profitable business, a portable sawmill can be a key piece of equipment on your farm.
How fast is chainsaw mill?
Cutting speeds can vary from 8 feet a minute in narrow softwoods, to 1-1/2 feet a minute in wide hardwoods.
How slow is a chainsaw mill?
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. I use a Stihl 661 professional grade saw and love it.
Is milling wood worth it?
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 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.
Is owning a sawmill profitable?
It’s true that owning a sawmill can be a very lucrative business venture, and in the right circumstances it is not only possible but very likely to earn you a significant profit on a regular basis. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that building a business with only profit in mind is not sustainable in the long term.
Can a sawmill pay for itself?
If you are looking to build for yourselves, the sawmill will quickly pay for itself once you start looking at the cost of wood at lumber/hardware stores and comparing it to what you are cutting.
How much does a good sawmill cost?
New portable sawmills range in price from less than $4,000.00 to over $80,000.00 depending on the amount of production you need.
What size chainsaw do I need for chainsaw mill?
What size chainsaw should I use for milling? Go with a chainsaw that can handle a bar that is at least 3 inches longer than the width of the log you’ll be milling. Most Alaskan mills require at least 3 inches extra at the end of the bar for attachment.
What is a ripping chain?
Ripping chain is chainsaw chain designed specifically for cutting with the grain. Ripping chain is always micro chisel or semi chisel chain which features a re configured cutting angle of 10 degrees.
Is it cheaper to mill your own wood?
In the end, only you can decide if milling lumber from your own property is worth it. Because every job is different, we can not tell you the actual amount of money you would save or not save. Generally, it costs 5-10% more to have your lumber milled on-site.
How much does it cost to mill lumber?
By the Board Foot Pricing varies by species and location but ranges from $0.25 to $0.50 per board foot of sawn lumber. This pricing method places all of the risk of productivity on the sawyer since the customer is only paying for the lumber they receive.
Can you build with fresh cut lumber?
Building with green lumber for timber frame construction can save time, money and energy. With green timber, you can begin building right away without having to wait for the wood to dry, or having the added cost for kiln drying, which uses environmentally damaging fossil fuels during the drying process.
What is a chainsaw mill used for?
A chainsaw mill or PortaMill or Alaskan mill or Alaskan sawmill or Logosol sawmill is a type of sawmill incorporating a chainsaw, that is used by one or two operators to mill logs into lumber for use in furniture, construction and other uses.