[OP]
Member
I have seen people use bandsaw mills, but chainsaw mills seem a lot cheaper, how do they compare?
If you use a chainsaw mill and have a 10ft long tree say 26 inches round how long does it take to have a stack of boards?
how much wood do you lose to the wider kerf of the saw?
Member
It is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. They both give you flat lumber, but do so with markedly different costs and efficiencies.
If you have only an occasional tree to mill, then a chainsaw mill is a great solution. It may not give a thickness of cut that is quite as consistent or may not yield as good a surface as with a bandsaw mill, but it is nevertheless quite acceptable. And with experience, these issues become negligible.
From your example, I am not certain if you are referencing a log 26 inches in diameter or one with a circumference of 26 inches, which would be about 8 ¼ inches in diameter.
The length of time it takes to mill a log is, of course, dependent on the number of cuts you are going to take (i.e., the board thickness), the length and diameter of the log, and the type of wood, among other factors. With a chainsaw mill, you may go through 1 or 2 feet of log length a minute for smaller logs, and up to several minutes per foot for massive logs. Remember that the length of time to take a cut with a bandsaw mill or a chainsaw mill is only a part of the overall amount of time it takes to mill a log. Setup time, moving the log, adjusting the mill, and stacking the boards are only some of the activities which also burn up time.
The biggest cost in a chainsaw mill is the powerhead (i.e., the chainsaw’s motor), if you do not already own one. You will need a good-sized powerhead if you are cutting a 26 inch diameter log. A small log (under 16 or 18 inches diameter) can be well handled by a powerhead of 50 or 60 ccs, give or take. A 26 inch diameter log needs a much larger chainsaw motor (think closer to 85 ccs). And when you get into the larger logs, this is a two-person operation.
When using a chainsaw mill with a rip chain, your kerf is ¼ inches, as compared to a bandsaw mill which typically has a 1/8 inch kerf. Hence, your waste is somewhat greater.
There is one situation wherein a chainsaw mill is clearly superior to a bandsaw mill (besides being a fraction of the cost of an entry-level bandsaw mill). Bandsaw mills have an upper limit of the width which they can cut. That is often in the range of 26 to 28 inches, which means the largest log you can possible mill on a bandsaw mill is an absolute maximum of 36 inches (which generates a cant about 26 inches square). However a chainsaw mill with a huge motor can handle a bar length of 48 or even 60 inches, thus allowing you to (slowly!) mill logs which are beyond the capacity of a more expensive bandsaw mill.
A second advantage to a chainsaw mill is that it can get into loci that are inaccessible to a bandsaw mill. For example, if you have a large log to be milled in someone’s back yard, removing an intact log from a fenced-in yard may be difficult or impossible because of limited access to the location. But you can carry a chainsaw mill into a back yard and come out with beautiful boards or slabs that one person (or perhaps two) can easily carry.
It is important to keep in mind that sometimes it is not a question of chainsaw versus bandsaw mill. Both are needed on occasion. 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. But for my next big log that is waiting to be milled (Black Walnut 15 feet long and 35-40 inches diameter) I need my chainsaw mill as it is too big for my Wood-Mizer.
Regardless of which way you go, you will discover the joy of opening a log and seeing incredibly beautiful grain patterns. A significant benefit of milling your own logs is that you have some control over how well the grain is shown.
Charles
Last edited by Charles Randal Smith; 08-29-2015 at 12:38 AM.
Member
EXCELLENT answer Charles! Thank you for joining into the conversation. Welcome to the Creek and what a great first post!Originally Posted by Charles Randal Smith
Scott
[OP]
Member
Thanks, I had someone mill a walnut at my house with a woodmizer and was super jealous, this last weekend I had a bunch of maple from a storm I could have had if I had a mill. Right now anything is out of my price range but a chainsaw mill is something I might be able to afford, where a 40k bandsaw mill is definitely out of reach. Thanks for you very clear response, I was saying 26 inch diameter...
Member
Warning! Trees that are salvaged from a strong storm or tornado may be unusable. In 2011, a series of strong tornadoes ripped through North Alabama and destroyed hundreds of houses and downed thousands of big hardwood trees. Some took days to remove from the roads. I talked to my local sawmill operator later about all the beautiful logs that were available from that disaster. He told me he tried to salvage a few that looked beautiful and showed no signs of damage. He discovered that internal stresses created by the powerful winds had destroyed the wood structure. Lumber cut from those logs looked perfectly good when milled but split and even shredded as they were kiln dried or worked in a shop. He said to look for evidence of twisting of the tree and leave those trees where they fell.
Contributor
I use an 85 cc saw with 42" bar on my home built mill. I can mill logs up to about 33". It takes all day to mill two large logs. The saw costs around $1200 new today. I probably have about $2500 total invested in the saw and mill and accessories. I've milled over 4000bf of lumber with it and my prior Alaska mill. If you want mill on the cheap a chainsaw and Alaska mill is the lowest cost option.
John
Member
Art, your note explains why I have had some failures when I milled windfalls and found the trunk bore major fractures internally while manifesting a largely-intact exterior.
John, I would be interested in knowing more about the design/construction of your home-built chainsaw mill.
Scott and Cody, thank you for your kind replies. I must apologize to you as I may have misled you in terms of the cost of a bandsaw mill.
Please do not think that a bandsaw mill must cost $40K. Indeed, that is perhaps in the middle of the price range, which varies from entry-level machines at about $10K, to commercial rigs that approach six figures. My mill is perhaps at the upper end of what a person would pay if they wanted something for hobbyist or occasional use. But there are lots of folks who use my model of sawmill on a daily basis for their income, so it is a capable workhorse.
The entry level bandsaw mills will mill the same logs as mine, generating the same lumber as mine. The difference is all the other stuff that makes life easier. (Parenthetically, for a 65-year old geezer like me, that is what makes milling possible.) The more expensive bandsaw mills give you a larger motor, portability, hydraulics for lifting and turning logs, computer control of milling head, etc.
If you are seeking a low-cost bandsaw mill, there are a couple of other options. One is a kit (of which I have no experience). As well, used sawmills are available, some with few hours on their clock. I have seen them on the usual websites (e.g., CL, Kijiji) as well as on a dedicated website which serves as a used sawmill exchange.
Finally, if you do have just an occasional log, you might find a sawyer in your area who is willing to mill your logs in exchange for splitting the lumber, usually 50/50, rather than paying for the sawmill per hour or per board foot. This is a reasonable exchange, as most logs have a value of less than $1 per bd ft, and custom milling for such logs can cost almost as much per board foot as the log is worth. Hence, the log’s owner and the sawyer split the costs by splitting the lumber. I know that some hobbyists or occasional sawyers will consider doing this. If you lived close to me (Toronto area), I’d be willing to do so.
Charles
Member
The Woodmizer manual bandmill, the LT15 with the 25 HP motor and a power feed is a fine set-up for less than $10,000. You can buy one used for half that. I milled about 80,000 BF on one.
So, if you will be milling on more than the odd one-time-a-year basis, and will be sawing logs fairly frequently, one of these lower cost bandmills is superior to a chainsaw mill.
One other thought. By the time that you spend $2500 - $3000 in a good chainsaw mill set-up, for about 2x that, you can have a bandmill that will out-produce a chainsaw mill 3:1. However, the only way that makes sense is if you will be milling more frequently instead of much less frequently.
You do need to think ahead.
Member
Art, that's referred to as "wind shake" and it is commonly found in trees that were sheared off and left a root ball still embedded in the ground.
Trees that have been uprooted usually don't have shake if the root ball is still attached.
Member
Charles, no apology needed. I am well versed with the costs as I own a Baker 3638D band mill along with a Peterson WPF Swing-blade mill and a dedicated slabbing mill.
When you get a chance please fill out the sawyers introduction thread and let us know about your equipment and background. Thanks!
Contributor
The reviews are quite good for the Harbor Freight bandsaw mill and you can get it on sale for around $2000. It may be worth checking out.
[OP]
Member
I have seen that one, and it has actually went in sale cheaper, but it is limited to a 20 inch log, is that a big issue for normal use? That seems like a small log.
Member
It seems to me that a 20" capacity will be extremely limiting. I know for us, we have a 30" and that will be too small sometimes because every knob, piece of bark, or slight curve on a big log can cause a problem. 20" may be better than nothing, but I would try to find a used one. they are hard to find - but they are out there.
thanks,
john
Hobbyist woodworker in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York.
Member
The HF is the same as the woodland HM126 mill. The HF has a 26" log capacity. 20" capacity is referring to the widest board you can cut.
Contributor
Here's a picture of my chainsaw mill with about the largest log I've ever milled on it. We par buckled it up the ramps to get it on the bunks. It's over 33" diameter, with a couple protrusions I had to cut off for the mill to roll past it.
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The base of the mill is just some 4 x 4's that I shim to get all in the same plane. On top are more 4 x 4's on which aluminum angles sit for the mill to roll on. The bunks are a couple of 6 x 6 pieces. It all just screws together so it can be set up/taken down for storage or to take the mill to the work. Where it now is is in my driveway.
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Here's a better shot of the mill, in a different location milling a smaller log. It's made from 1" steel tubing so that it's light and portable. I copied the design from various pics. I saw on the web. I bought the tubing and other steel parts, cut to length, from a local Metal Supermarkets store, and welded it together myself. The box casters I bought on the net somewhere, same for the sprockets and chain. All in I have about $350 in it. The aluminum angles were a shocking $140 if I remember correctly, but they will never rust so I got over the cost.
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The sprockets are sized so that one turn of the crank raises or lowers the saw by 1/4". The saw is a Husky 85 cc saw with a 42" Oregon bar and Oregon full complement ripping chain. There is a supplementary oiler that adds oil to the end of the bar. The saw is attached to the mill with a bolt at each end of the bar. Here's a shot with the saw removed so you can see what the attachment points look like.
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And with the saw bolted in place; very easy to install or remove, and very secure by using self locking nuts.
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This is the cut quality typical from the mill. I've never been envious of a bandsaw mill in terms of cut quality, only speed and kerf size.
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This is what I got from that big red oak log and another.
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I have a SketchUp model of the basic mill frame if anyone is interested.
John
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