An Alaskan saw mill is a great tool for wood workers, builders, and outdoorsmen. Whether milling beams in a remote site for a cabin or harvesting special wood for musical instruments, the Alaskan saw mill is a versatile tool. Often woodworkers, who are cutting material for furniture or instruments, prefer to cut partially finished lumber with their saw mill.
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.
Chainsaw mills are small sawmills designed to be used by just one or two operators to mill logs into lumber. More elaborate chainsaw mills consist of a track and frame system to which the chainsaw is mounted. 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.
Before actually slabbing up lumber using the Granberg Alaskan Chainsaw Mill I had to assemble the mill first. If there is one bit of advice that I could give about the size of chainsaw you need for a Granberg Alaskan Chainsaw Mill is get the biggest saw that you can afford. Buy a brand new chainsaw and a bigger mill – the cool thing about Granberg Alaskan Chainsaw Mills is that you can get all different sizes depending on the size of chainsaw you have – and I would love to saw up a 36″+ walnut someday.
how does portable chainsaw mill work Related Question:
Are portable saw mills 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.
Do Chain Saw Mills work?
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.
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.
How much does a good saw mill cost?
A brand new, high-quality mill can cost anywhere from $20,000 – $50,000, whereas a used sawmill can be significantly lower, often from $15,000 – $20,000.
How long do logs need to 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.
Will a saw mill 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 thin can you cut with a chainsaw mill?
The Alaskan Mill Mark III Attachment can cut boards as thin as 1/2″ and as thick as 13″. Setup and make your first cut, remove this first slab, then use the Mini-Mill II to edge the log.
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 big of a chainsaw do I need for an Alaskan mill?
Most Alaskan mills require at least 3 inches extra at the end of the bar for attachment. I also recommend going with a saw with an engine size of at least 60cc for smaller logs and softer woods. A minimum of 90cc would be best though.
Can you use a chainsaw on lumber?
Yes, you can use a chainsaw to cut wet wood.
How does a sawmill work?
A sawmill works by cutting logs into lumber using large bandsaw blades. The same process is repeated over and over, log by log, to produce high-volumes of rough cut lumber.
How much do portable sawmills charge?
The most stable or secure method for pricing for the mill owner is a flat, hourly rate. Rates vary from location to location and range from $65 to $105 per hour plus extra charges for travel, broken blades, etc. Pricing on an hourly basis transfers all of the risk of daily output to the customer.
Who makes portable saw mills?
WOOD-MIZER is one of the largest sellers of portable sawmills in the United States and has operated out of Indianapolis, Indiana for over 20 years, manufacturing thousands of personal and portable sawmills to people all over the world.
Is it better to mill logs green or dry?
Cutting the log green is best then sticker stack the boards to dry under a roof but open to the air for good circulation. At 4-8″ in diameter you didn’t start with much and what’s left is probably best used as firewood. However, I suggest you split or slice one of the bigger ones and see what’s in there.
Can you paint fresh cut lumber?
Whether you’re installing rough-cut lumber on the outside of your home or using it for shelves inside, you can paint the wood yourself to help seal it from spills or outside elements. Rough-cut lumber is often more difficult to paint than traditional, smooth lumber because of the roughness and depth of the wood grain.