# Four stroke 5HP sawmill?



## omant (Jun 17, 2007)

I was reading a thread where a fellow junior member "banderso" was asking about making some kind of mill using a 4 stroke engine to make sawmill, but no one had answered. I too was thinking about it, and just wondered if this is something juniors members thought or if it was possible? Has anyone ever done it if so have they got any pictures/advice?

The main set back I can think of is you would need a longer bar as you can't get the drive point of an overhead 4 stroke engine as close to the Timber as with a chainsaw.

any thoughts?


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## Ianab (Jun 17, 2007)

No reason you couldn't.

I would suggest you set an idler shaft with the chain sprocket and a pulley, then a belt drive from the engine. This would let you mount the engine out of the way, let you gear up the sprocket speed ( 4 stroke generally revs lower) and isolates the vibration of the chain from the engine bearings.

Commercial slabbing saws like that are made by Peterson and Lucas, but they generally run 13-24hp and 4-5ft bars for slabbing up big logs. A smaller version would work OK on smaller logs, might not be fast, but a decent 4 stroke engine can buzz away all day and not die on you.

I guess the thing is, if you do all that work fabricating a mill, you might be better off making a small bandmill, they will cut faster than a chainsaw for the same amount of power. Chainsaws mills are popular because they are simple, portable and can handle oversize logs. Not beacuse the are fast or efficient 

Cheers

Ian


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## FJH (Jun 17, 2007)

Ianab said:


> No reason you couldn't.
> 
> I would suggest you set an idler shaft with the chain sprocket and a pulley, then a belt drive from the engine. This would let you mount the engine out of the way, let you gear up the sprocket speed ( 4 stroke generally revs lower) and isolates the vibration of the chain from the engine bearings.
> 
> ...



also with the chain mills ,the engines tend to shake to peices after time!
I have done thousands of board ft of lumber with my chain mill before venturing off into band land!The old 2100 has seazed up several times due to the carb shaking loose,(runs too lean) the muffler falls off from time to time , the starter asembly rattles loose from time to time ,I have fixes for these things But There is still a fair bunch you need to know about both!Both have drawbacks and plusses.And each situation is diffrent My mill is diffrent than most as I use the top of the bar, the chain is actually pushing thru the wood not pulling ,causes other things to happen (bar wear on narrow boards) .
Bands you need to have sharpened or build or buy sharpening and seting tools, Chains with a little pateints can be done at home!
chains and bands tend to be around the same price,
The chain tends to waste wood as you take 1/4 inch as appos to 1/8 with the band If your buying logs not the greatest thing!
Anyway talk it around and mull it over theres much to be learned and experimented on!


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## banderso (Jun 18, 2007)

*Four stroke Mill*

Thanks for the replys.

I have made some designs for a four stroke based on the fact that it is very cheap (I have 3 motors in my garage right now). I like the bandmills for the fact that less wood is wasted but the parts (wheels..not car tires) are very expensive. I know of one other member who had tried this with good results but he was still testing different motors.


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## Ianab (Jun 18, 2007)

Here are some pics of a Lucas dedicated slabber, basically a 5ft wide chainsaw mill. The rails are the same as a standard swingblade sawmill, but the centre unit with a chainsaw and 4 stroke engine instead of the circle saw. Might give you a few ideas.

They are used in this part of the world for cutting big logs into table tops, they were getting $500 per slab for those, straight off the mill 












Cheers

Ian


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## omant (Jun 19, 2007)

*good advice*

Thanks for the responses. I like the look of the Lucas setup. I think if this is the size of mill looking to construct it would have to be a little more than 5hp engine. Great to see some examples in use. I will post any contraptions when made probably a winter project.

Cheers.


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