# Ripsaw purchase, is this a good/wise idea?



## originalhooker (Mar 10, 2010)

Newbie here, ready to learn!
I am thinking of purchasing a used ripsaw to mill pine logs ($1200 w/ a stihl saw).
My intentions are to build my son a log cabin playhouse (12' x 16' ish).
I have access to the logs as a byproduct of our tree service, equipment , & space.

Questions?
is this practical? my idea is to mill 2 sides and debark 2 sides, going with 8" cants, would it be better to mill 4 sides?
How long does it take (after the learning), to mill one log(8' to 12')?
Have any of you built something similar?
I might have found someone w/ a woodmizer 40, that will mill 1000 bf' for $175, is this a better option?

Thanks in advance


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## aardquark (Mar 10, 2010)

originalhooker said:


> Questions?
> is this practical? my idea is to mill 2 sides and debark 2 sides, going with 8" cants, would it be better to mill 4 sides?
> How long does it take (after the learning), to mill one log(8' to 12')?
> Have any of you built something similar?



I am in the process of building a timber frame shed 16' x 12', milling the timbers with a RipSaw. A friend recently clocked the time to make one cut down a 12' log, about 3 minutes. In spite of that reasonably short time, it still takes me more than an hour, sometimes up to two hours to complete the log. A lot of time is lost setting up each cut. It is particularly tedious to deal with getting the guide beam set, because of the limited distance between the beam and the pins that are driven into the logs. Perhaps with larger logs this may have gone faster, but my logs are barely big enough to get the required timbers, so I have to fuss a lot.


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## rick_saws (Mar 10, 2010)

I'm not quite sure what you mean by a ripsaw? (maybe others will know.)

If you're not doing a lot of milling and the pine logs you're cutting are less than 15" in diameter, $1,200 is way more than you need to spend. You can get a brand new Stihl, a small Alaskan mill, and extra bars/chains for $800. (Just don't try to use it for big hardwood . . .) But if you plan to cut bigger logs in the future, then $1,200 may be too little to spend.

I have a small chainsaw mill, and I cut mainly pine logs of about the same size you described. I enjoy it and I'm learning how to do it as a part-time hobby, mostly for rough timbers, posts, beams, etc. I've toyed with the idea of building a log cabin similar to what you described.

If you are only planning to do this one project, I'd recommend paying for the 1000 bf of roughsawn logs. But if you'd like to use this project to learn a new hobby, a CSM mill would be great - go for it!

Good luck,
- Rick :greenchainsaw:


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## aardquark (Mar 10, 2010)

rick_saws said:


> I'm not quite sure what you mean by a ripsaw?



This is a RipSaw.


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## rick_saws (Mar 10, 2010)

Thanks - that ripsaw looks like a great tool. I might have considered one if I'd known about them before I got my CSM. Maybe if I can make the time to actually do some milling soon, I would think about upgrading to a ripsaw . . .

Know anyone with a LumberMate Mark 4 who might be willing to sell me a slightly used ripsaw someday?   If so, I'll be in upstate NY later this summer!

Cheers,
Rick


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## gr8scott72 (Mar 10, 2010)

rick_saws said:


> Thanks - that ripsaw looks like a great tool. I might have considered one if I'd known about them before I got my CSM. Maybe if I can make the time to actually do some milling soon, I would think about upgrading to a ripsaw . . .
> 
> Know anyone with a LumberMate Mark 4 who might be willing to sell me a slightly used ripsaw someday?   If so, I'll be in upstate NY later this summer!
> 
> ...



The big limitation to the ripsaw is it can only cut 14" wide. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.)


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## Can8ianTimber (Mar 11, 2010)

Have you thought about lumbersmith. http://www.lumbersmith.com/

Looks like a fairly new product but you can cut 16" wide at 1" thick. I have not heard any reviews or talked to people who have used them, I just think it sounds like a decent consept.

Honestly after doing a fair amount of milling with an alaskan mill I would hire the Woodmizer. $175 for 1000 bf is a great deal, sounds like he is hungry.


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## aardquark (Mar 11, 2010)

rick_saws said:


> Know anyone with a LumberMate Mark 4 who might be willing to sell me a slightly used ripsaw someday?   If so, I'll be in upstate NY later this summer!



Yes, I probably know that guy better than anybody. Right now the saw is being brought back to factory spec down in Alabama at SIR. When it gets back I'll probably be putting it on ebay.


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## originalhooker (Mar 14, 2010)

Guy's, thanks for the input. 
I decided to get the Ripsaw. I had just bought a Boxer mini skidsteer the day before & stopped by my parents (they live in a 3 story log cabin which I grew up in). After staying the night, I was going to get the saw! There is just something about being in a log house with large exposed beams! 
After seeing the setup, I was really excited, it is larger than the ripsaw advertised on their site, & the pics, I saw on this site. The opening will handle 24" cuts? not the 14" as I saw listed. Any thoughts? 
Oh yeah, then the power source was a Magnum 088! Dusty, yes, but I popped off the air filter & the inside was brand new, i mean, like several cuts new. 
I'll post pics tomorrow. 
Thanks for the responses


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## gemniii (Mar 14, 2010)

originalhooker said:


> Guy's, thanks for the input.
> I decided to get the Ripsaw. I had just bought a Boxer mini skidsteer the day before & stopped by my parents (they live in a 3 story log cabin which I grew up in). After staying the night, I was going to get the saw! There is just something about being in a log house with large exposed beams!
> After seeing the setup, I was really excited, it is larger than the ripsaw advertised on their site, & the pics, I saw on this site. The opening will handle 24" cuts? not the 14" as I saw listed. Any thoughts?
> Oh yeah, then the power source was a Magnum 088! Dusty, yes, but I popped off the air filter & the inside was brand new, i mean, like several cuts new.
> ...


I believe there were two sizes of Ripsaw made, one with a 10" throat and one with a 14" throat identical to what aardquark posted.
If the Stihl is a good condition 088 then you are basically buying the saw. Good luck and we need pics.
/edit -that is the Ripsaw for a chainsaw, they also made what they called the XL4, which is along the lines of a regular bandmill.


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## Sawyer Rob (Mar 15, 2010)

In that pict., they are throwing away a good board that's in the slab... If they cut the other 3 slabs off the same way, there's 4 boards wasted...

Rob


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