# portable saw mill logosol or alaskan ?



## Joshua (Mar 22, 2006)

Hi. I am going to get a portable saw mill for my 064.
I was looking at logosol timberjig ( big mill, lsg ect ) or alaskan mk111s.
I will mostly be cutting smaller wood (12-36") but may need to cut big stuff occasionaly.
Any one got any experience with these things?
Is one better than the other?
Or are there other options ( besides building my own from scratch) ?


----------



## TimberPig (Mar 22, 2006)

The Alaskan mill is more portable.

GB makes a very similar mill to the Alaskan, that is supposed to be a superior design. 4 posts instead of 2, and better clamping design for mounting to the bar.


----------



## CaseyForrest (Mar 22, 2006)

I have the GB mill. It mounts to the bar studs and the tip of the bar. So far its sweet, but have no comparison to an Alaskan.


----------



## Newfie (Mar 22, 2006)

And the Alaskan and GB are buttloads cheaper than a logosol.


----------



## Joshua (Mar 23, 2006)

Thanks for the advice. Who makes the GB ? I can't find it on the
internet.


----------



## CaseyForrest (Mar 23, 2006)

The stamp on the mill looks alot like the GB on the GB bars. They are out of Austrailia, but I dont remember the wbsite. I did a search recently and couldnt find it.

If you like...I can get a few pictures tonight. on and off the saw.


----------



## Joshua (Mar 23, 2006)

Pictures would be great. I have never heard of GB. Are they available in 
GB ( Great Britain ha ha) or Europe?


----------



## Joshua (Mar 23, 2006)

*GB Website*

I found the GB website, but there is no mention of a sawmill.
www.gbbar.com.au


----------



## CaseyForrest (Mar 23, 2006)

Yeah, I dont think the two companies are related, odd.

I didnt get pictures, I was busy trimming the boards Ive got cut so I can get them stacked. Ill more than likely have the 66 and the mill out tomorrow nite.


----------



## ws58749 (Mar 25, 2006)

Ok here we go, used a logosol timberjig for 4 months love it for what I can do with it. Huge stuff! One draw back the longer the bar the more it will be off unless you use the Big Mill System from logosol (I have not found anyone that sells these those,pic below) which is basically a MKIII. I used the MKIII for the first time yesterday and had a epiphany on how iam going to cut now!! Cut the huge logs into more manageable pieces and then go to town with the MKIII. Here are some picks of what the timberjig can do. Have not got any from the MKIII yet. Check back for those. And feel free to ask some questions. I do realize that iam missing my chaps!!!


----------



## CaseyForrest (Mar 25, 2006)

Here ya go, pics of the GB mill;


----------



## Joshua (Mar 26, 2006)

Great pics, thanks for posting them. My mind is made up.... I'm getting one.


----------



## ws58749 (Mar 26, 2006)

Hey CaseyForrest gota few question's about the mill set up you have. How old is that, I have used the 56" GB mill probably about 30 years old and it did not connect to the saw just the bar at both ends. Made chain tighting a breeze.


----------



## CaseyForrest (Mar 26, 2006)

ws58749 said:


> Hey CaseyForrest gota few question's about the mill set up you have. How old is that, I have used the 56" GB mill probably about 30 years old and it did not connect to the saw just the bar at both ends. Made chain tighting a breeze.



Its about 3 weeks old.


----------



## ws58749 (Mar 26, 2006)

Ok here are some pics of the logosol timberjig at work. I like the timberjig for the fact that you can save wood as opposed to the Gb mill due to difficult mounting options. But you cant beat the easy of setup after you have the top off with the GB. They are both great just keep reading and decide what is best for you.


----------



## CaseyForrest (Mar 26, 2006)

ws58749 said:


> Ok here are some pics of the logosol timberjig at work. I like the timberjig for the fact that you can save wood as opposed to the Gb mill due to difficult mounting options. But you cant beat the easy of setup after you have the top off with the GB. They are both great just keep reading and decide what is best for you.



Give us a shot of the jig and saw while not being used, please.


----------



## Drive_1305 (Mar 29, 2006)

I don't know anything about milling and making lumber out of different trees, but Im curous why you guys do portable milling. Near where I live you can go to some small saw mills and get rough lumber- farmers around here use it to make sheds and for rough projects. I suppose you can buy it form the mills cheaper than you can cut your own. I've read some post where you guys get blown down trees. I like that idea of saving a tree. Near me there's a tree laying in the woods my father 77, said it was a Wild Cherry I think and would make some good lumber- its about 2ft dia. It still looks pretty solid, but it just going to lay and rot. So do you guys mill your lumber to save money, is it mainly a hobby, or is it a business? Just curious.


----------



## Joshua (Mar 29, 2006)

I am getting a mill for a few reasons.
Firstly because I am building a house and can save money on lumber
and get better quality lumber for free ( a solid oak staicase instead of a red deal one for example, or solid beech kitchen surfaces).
Secondly because I am a treeman and I hate to see good wood wasted.
Thirdly because I will be the only one around here able to mill large trees in
hard to get to places or peoples back gardens and I think that there is some money to be made.


----------



## doggonetrees (Mar 29, 2006)

Milling my own to save the wasted wood- and the price of lumber has gone up a bunch. Plus, I have a customer that needs a 32' beam for restoration of a log cabin. Hadn't thought about the aspect of doing it in a customers yard though-thanks


----------



## CaseyForrest (Mar 29, 2006)

I bought my mill because I want to build my son a playhouse. Figured itd be alot neater to build it entirely from wood that I milled. Now that Ive been using it, itll get used alot more too!


----------



## MikeInParadise (Mar 29, 2006)

> I don't know anything about milling and making lumber out of different trees, but Im curous why you guys do portable milling.



I bought my Alaskan MKIII because most of the wood is up a steep slope on the other side of a creek with not easy access to it. I would rather carry down rough boards as opposed to logs. Also there are very few mills around here..







This picture is taken up near the top of the lot just making use of some fallen trees...






I am also cutting up some of the smaller birch using my bandsaw so I can make some furniture with it just to be able to say that the wood came off the property. The birch is not that big and I did not want to loose the 3/8" of the chainsaw kerf.


----------



## coveredinsap (Apr 8, 2006)

(Isn't the top handle on the mill in the photo above supposed to face in the direction of the cut? Maybe I'm just confused....oh well.)

Anyways, people buy mills for numerous reasons. For me it was a large cedar tree that needed to be removed and a new fence built below it. The wood for the fence was sitting right there in the tree. Why chop the tree into firewood and/or dispose of it and buy lumber from the store when for less money I can get a chainsaw mill and chainsaw and make the lumber myself? (Plus you have the added benefits of putting the tree to good use, and getting to buy new tools...who can resist that? Not me.)

The sad fact is that in many (most?) places, mills won't touch a tree that they don't know where it came from (read 'the woods'). Too many wrecked saw blades I suppose. And you generally can't get people who own a portable mill to get off their arse and mill something without paying them an arm and a leg for their trouble. The solution? A chainsaw mill or portable mill for yourself.


----------



## Newfie (Apr 8, 2006)

You must be confused. Looks set up properly to me.


----------



## aggiewoodbutchr (Apr 9, 2006)

*ATTN: CaseyForrest*

Thanks for posting the pics of your GB mill. It's got me thinking about rebuilding my homemade rig. Would you mind posting some more close up pics of the mechanical parts of the mill. I'm particularly interested in the chain tension adjustment and height adjustment mechanisms. I'm also wondering if unistrut would work for the rails on a factory GB mill. What's the width of the factory rails?

Thanks again.


----------



## CaseyForrest (Apr 9, 2006)

aggiewoodbutchr said:


> Thanks for posting the pics of your GB mill. It's got me thinking about rebuilding my homemade rig. Would you mind posting some more close up pics of the mechanical parts of the mill. I'm particularly interested in the chain tension adjustment and height adjustment mechanisms. I'm also wondering if unistrut would work for the rails on a factory GB mill. What's the width of the factory rails?
> 
> Thanks again.



Ok, I will get some close ups and a few measurements tomorrow and get them up.


----------

