# Chainsaw Mill or Bandsaw Mill



## Derik (Oct 7, 2018)

Hey folks, I've been woodworking a bit and would like to harvest my own lumber. 

I was looking into a chainsaw mill due to its portability, but the only problem I would have is the amount of waste. It's really not that big of a problem, would be a bit of an annoyance. 

Is there different reasons to run a bandsaw mill? Other than the waste factor. 

The cost for a chainsaw and a mill would run me about $1200-$1300, would be using the Granberg Alaskan Mill, 36". 

I have no idea what a decent bandsaw mill would run, I checked harbor freight and they have one for around $2000.


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## Henry3120xp (Oct 7, 2018)

Derik said:


> Hey folks, I've been woodworking a bit and would like to harvest my own lumber.
> 
> I was looking into a chainsaw mill due to its portability, but the only problem I would have is the amount of waste. It's really not that big of a problem, would be a bit of an annoyance.
> 
> ...



My opinion is that saw kerf or waste per cut is one of the least important considerations when choosing milling methods. There are many considerations much more important to consider. I would say that what kind of lumber you want to produce would be the primary consideration. Most entry level bandmills have very limited cutting capacity. What size logs will you be processing? I would say one of the most important things to consider is do you have equipment to move logs to the sawmill and get them on the mill? Entry level mills don’t have a log loader. Green sawlogs can weigh several thousand pounds and are very hard to roll on the mill by hand. Chainsaw mills give you the ability to mill the log where it falls so that’s a very important consideration. If you plan to run a 36 inch mill the saw alone will cost over a thousand dollars and a 36” Granberg C2 mill package is $800 plus shipping. You can just buy the mill and use a standard bar but it won’t do as well as their milling bar will. I have a 48” mill and sometimes use a shorter standard bar to mill smaller logs, just to reduce the weight. It doesn’t produce as smooth a cut as the milling bar will since its not as wide. It’s not a huge difference but it usually requires an extra trip or two thru the planner. When bandmill blades start to dull the cut will drift more and make boards that are very difficult to get planned because of their varying thickness. When a saw chain dulls the cut rate slows way down but is still fairly accurate. 
If you plan to mill mostly 4/4 lumber a bandmill would probably be a better option.
If you want big live edge slabs a chainsaw mill is a lot more practical and affordable.


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## Derik (Oct 7, 2018)

I have access to logs between 16-28" I diameter. I would be cutting mesquite, it rarely grows straight so the lengths will be under 10'. It's even rarer to find a mesquite tree bigger than 32", if you do find one, it's usually already spoken for. 

I do have a tractor with hydraulics to move bigger logs around, that's not a problem. 

Seems chainsaw mill is better suited, I plan on cutting slabs, live edge, perhaps every once in awhile 4/4, 8/4 lumber.


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## Brian72 (Oct 7, 2018)

Unless you're going to do very wide slabs, get a bandmill. Check out Hudson, Norwood, Woodmizer etc. They have some very affordable starter mills that are a better choice than Harbor Freight. Chainsaw mills are great for big stuff but otherwise, a bandmill will give you much better production. Chainsaw mills are slower, waste more material, very labor-intensive and not exactly cheap. 

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## Bmac (Oct 7, 2018)

Moving the logs is a key consideration, so the fact you have the means to do that is important if you decide on a bandsaw mill.

I use a chainsaw mill because I have trouble moving logs. I minimize waste by milling everything 9/4, after drying I resaw on my bandsaw in my shop, this is one way I get around the waste factor. I also think I get less warping with my lumber while drying. Last year I milled well over 30 logs with my chainsaw mill, most logs around 7 feet long, but many of them well over 24" diameter. Brian72 is right, it is hard work, but I look at it this way, I just don't need to go to the gym.

Another option to consider is to get a bunch of logs, move to a site you can mill them, and then hire a sawyer with a bandsaw mill. At the very least this might be something you want to do before you buy a bandsaw mill, you'll learn a lot and you might find this is a cheaper option.


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## Henry3120xp (Oct 7, 2018)

Derik said:


> I have access to logs between 16-28" I diameter. I would be cutting mesquite, it rarely grows straight so the lengths will be under 10'. It's even rarer to find a mesquite tree bigger than 32", if you do find one, it's usually already spoken for.
> 
> I do have a tractor with hydraulics to move bigger logs around, that's not a problem.
> 
> Seems chainsaw mill is better suited, I plan on cutting slabs, live edge, perhaps every once in awhile 4/4, 8/4 lumber.




It really does depend a lot on your particular situation. I’d say there are many considerations other than desired board size. There are plenty of pros and cons for either method. It is true that chainsaw milling is labor intensive but so are all starter bandmills. They require just as much effort to push the saw carriage as it takes for a chainsaw mill, but you don’t have to carry the sawhead on the return trip. Most don’t have any log loaders or turners. It requires massive effort to load and turn logs, personally I think that’s harder than carrying my mill. I run a 3120xp with a 48” Granberg C2. It’s 53 pounds without fuel or oil, while that’s too heavy for lots of people I find that easier than trying to roll a 1500 pound log once you’ve made the first two cuts. For me the Alaska mill is better, but I’m certain there are plenty of people that would be better off with a band mill. Either way it’s a lot of money. 
I’m sure that for every reason I could give to go with a chainsaw mill others could give just as good a reason to get a bandmill. Just think (a lot) about your needs and which will best fill those.


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## Derik (Oct 8, 2018)

Bandsaw mill is quite a bit more expensive too it seems, even the starter mills, that's a considering factor. For something I want to use for my own benefit, it's rather difficult to verify spending 4-7k on a mill. 

I couldn't really sell lumber considering there's a sawmill about 30 minutes away from me. They are expensive, they're a permanent mill so you would have to bring the wood to them. 

Considering what everyone has mentioned, I'm leaning towards the chainsaw mill. 

I was planning on building an overhead shed, where I can mill out of the weather and use it for stacking and drying out. 

Bmac, cutting the lumber 9/4 is a great idea. Mesquite doesn't move much even while drying, but I'll do the same.


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## Bmac (Oct 8, 2018)

Derik, what kind of wood working do you do? 

I find that milling anything over 8 feet long is just a pain, as I seldom ever need lumber that long for my wood working projects. 
The shorter length lets me move the boards, stack the boards and etc much more easily. I even mill quite a few logs shorter than 8 feet. 

Remember to seal the ends, don't skimp and use old paint, do yourself a favor and use anchorseal.


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## Derik (Oct 8, 2018)

Bmac said:


> Derik, what kind of wood working do you do?
> 
> I find that milling anything over 8 feet long is just a pain, as I seldom ever need lumber that long for my wood working projects.
> The shorter length lets me move the boards, stack the boards and etc much more easily. I even mill quite a few logs shorter than 8 feet.
> ...



Mostly woodturning. But I'm making small tables, benches, stuff like that


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## Bmac (Oct 8, 2018)

If that's the case than I would mill shorter logs. 
Milling shorter logs is also easier on your saw as you don't have to run it wide open as long.


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## Derik (Oct 8, 2018)

Bmac said:


> If that's the case than I would mill shorter logs.
> Milling shorter logs is also easier on your saw as you don't have to run it wide open as long.



I would probably be working 5' logs. Maybe a bit longer than that. Is that confirmation to pull for the chainsaw mill?

I was talking with a buddy earlier, he tried a chainsaw mill and it walked on him. Cut crooked and dived


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## Bmac (Oct 8, 2018)

It's my understanding that the bandsaw mills do have some trouble with shorter logs, no firsthand knowledge, but it is what I've heard.

My experience, and I'm sure many others on here would agree, is that with some practice and the right stuff, a chainsaw mill will cut very accurately. I'm amazed at the lumber I can produce with my chainsaw mill, but it does take some trial and error to master it.


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## Derik (Oct 8, 2018)

Bmac said:


> It's my understanding that the bandsaw mills do have some trouble with shorter logs, no firsthand knowledge, but it is what I've heard.
> 
> My experience, and I'm sure many others on here would agree, is that with some practice and the right stuff, a chainsaw mill will cut very accurately. I'm amazed at the lumber I can produce with my chainsaw mill, but it does take some trial and error to master it.



Chainsaw mill it is then. Would you enlighten me on some of the trial and error you've learned?

It seems pretty straight forward to me, you set up the rails properly and the mill, the initial cut would be most critical. 

Seeing already that the saw might get pinched, towards the end of the cut, I would use wedges to support the board. 

Any other pointers?


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## Brian72 (Oct 8, 2018)

Derik said:


> Chainsaw mill it is then. Would you enlighten me on some of the trial and error you've learned?
> 
> It seems pretty straight forward to me, you set up the rails properly and the mill, the initial cut would be most critical.
> 
> ...


Getting one end up and running downhill works very well. Rails that extend beyond the log help with starting and finishing the cut. Don't rock the bar, keep it straight. A nice steady feed will give you a much better finish. Be very good at sharpening. Milling dulls the chain faster than crosscutting. Buy a metal detector (a cheap wand type from Harbor Freight or similar works well.) Removing the felling spikes will gain you a little more cut width. As far as chain, I normally run regular Stihl RS and RS skip on my longer bars.












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## Brian72 (Oct 8, 2018)

Brian72 said:


> Getting one end up and running downhill works very well. Rails that extend beyond the log help with starting and finishing the cut. Don't rock the bar, keep it straight. A nice steady feed will give you a much better finish. Be very good at sharpening. Milling dulls the chain faster than crosscutting. Buy a metal detector (a cheap wand type from Harbor Freight or similar works well.) Removing the felling spikes will gain you a little more cut width. As far as chain, I normally run regular Stihl RS and RS skip on my longer bars.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Also, wedge the kerf as you go to keep it from pinching.

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## Derik (Oct 8, 2018)

Brian72 said:


> Getting one end up and running downhill works very well. Rails that extend beyond the log help with starting and finishing the cut. Don't rock the bar, keep it straight. A nice steady feed will give you a much better finish. Be very good at sharpening. Milling dulls the chain faster than crosscutting. Buy a metal detector (a cheap wand type from Harbor Freight or similar works well.) Removing the felling spikes will gain you a little more cut width. As far as chain, I normally run regular Stihl RS and RS skip on my longer bars.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Never would have thought to run down hill, less labor. I'll be working about waist height, but I can arrange the log bed to be declined. 

How often do you sharpen? I'll be running an Echo saw, and ripping chain from bailey's


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## Brian72 (Oct 8, 2018)

Derik said:


> Never would have thought to run down hill, less labor. I'll be working about waist height, but I can arrange the log bed to be declined.
> 
> How often do you sharpen? I'll be running an Echo saw, and ripping chain from bailey's


Really depends. Species, width and length can vary. On this Walnut, with my 36" bar I was sharpening about every third cut. Soft woods are a little easier. It's certainly easier to touch it up every couple of passes than to let it get too dull. You'll feel the difference. I usually have a few chains ready to go and swap them out. I have a 28, 36 and 50" bar. Skip chain works better on the longer bars as it clears chips better.





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## Derik (Oct 8, 2018)

Brian72 said:


> Really depends. Species, width and length can vary. On this Walnut, with my 36" bar I was sharpening about every third cut. Soft woods are a little easier. It's certainly easier to touch it up every couple of passes than to let it get too dull. You'll feel the difference. I usually have a few chains ready to go and swap them out. I have a 28, 36 and 50" bar. Skip chain works better on the longer bars as it clears chips better.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I was about to say, you could be able.to tell by the chips and the feel. I can tell when cross cutting regular brush. Mesquite is a pain in the ass to work with so I'll try to touch up on the chain every fill up on fuel. 

The saw I'll be buying has a max bar length of 36" it's more than I'll need


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## Brian72 (Oct 9, 2018)

Derik said:


> I was about to say, you could be able.to tell by the chips and the feel. I can tell when cross cutting regular brush. Mesquite is a pain in the ass to work with so I'll try to touch up on the chain every fill up on fuel.
> 
> The saw I'll be buying has a max bar length of 36" it's more than I'll need


I do recommend buying a bigger mill than you "think" you"ll need. Always better to have more if you decide to get longer bars later. I bought the 48" mill and glad I did. I can run all my bars with this setup. 

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## Derik (Oct 9, 2018)

Brian72 said:


> I do recommend buying a bigger mill than you "think" you"ll need. Always better to have more if you decide to get longer bars later. I bought the 48" mill and glad I did. I can run all my bars with this setup.
> 
> Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk



That's what I've been told before. OnE reason why I'll get the 36" mill


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## Bmac (Oct 9, 2018)

All great stuff from Brian72, he knows his stuff. You'll definitely get the feel of when to sharpen. 
Care for your powerhead is also important. I'd run a 40:1 fuel ratio, let it cool down by idling after cuts, port your muffler if possible to let it breath better. 
As for size of your mill, the same goes for your powerhead, the bigger the better. 

Also, you need to keep an eye on your rakers, once I understood them better it has improved my cutting immensely. Read the CS Milling 101, great tips and a lot of discussion about rakers.


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## Brian72 (Oct 9, 2018)

Bmac said:


> All great stuff from Brian72, he knows his stuff. You'll definitely get the feel of when to sharpen.
> Care for your powerhead is also important. I'd run a 40:1 fuel ratio, let it cool down by idling after cuts, port your muffler if possible to let it breath better.
> As for size of your mill, the same goes for your powerhead, the bigger the better.
> 
> Also, you need to keep an eye on your rakers, once I understood them better it has improved my cutting immensely. Read the CS Milling 101, great tips and a lot of discussion about rakers.


Also great advice. Thanks for sharing some things I missed. That's why I love these forums! Keep an eye on this guy Derik! Bmac does some of the most beautiful woodworking I've ever seen!!

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## Derik (Oct 11, 2018)

Okay, I took a look at the milling 101 pin. The rakers, set the depth of which each tooth cuts into the wood. 

On the current saw I have, which I use for clearing brush and other things, is an Echo CS-310, I use a depth guide and file. I believe the depth is .025, from what I understand is that, the depth gauge and file aren't enough to properly maintain the rakers. Is that correct?


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## Bmac (Oct 11, 2018)

Correct, you need to learn about progressive raker depth, look at this link!
https://www.arboristsite.com/commun...ly-progressive-depth-raker-generators.114624/


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## Sawyer Rob (Oct 12, 2018)

Anyone who thinks it's just as much work to push a BSM through a log as a CSM hasn't milled with a BSM much!

CSM's are HUGE amount more work than a BSM!!

Then there's the amount of time you are pushing too!

SR


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## Derik (Oct 12, 2018)

Bmac said:


> Correct, you need to learn about progressive raker depth, look at this link!
> https://www.arboristsite.com/commun...ly-progressive-depth-raker-generators.114624/



There was a video in that thread posted by, BobL, at least I think that's the person. Looks like he was filing the rakers at an angle versus a curved edge like they were from factory. 

The way I see the rakers that BobL filed down, less drag that they impose on the wood the less resistance of the saw. 

I noticed a bit of discussion about the angle at which they should be, what's the purpose of the angle? There's only so much of the raker that touches the wood. 

Granted it's better than what I do, which is file the top of the raker flat using a depth plate, but since I use those strictly for cross cutting, it's not a critical.


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## Bmac (Oct 12, 2018)

Derik said:


> There was a video in that thread posted by, BobL, at least I think that's the person. Looks like he was filing the rakers at an angle versus a curved edge like they were from factory.
> 
> The way I see the rakers that BobL filed down, less drag that they impose on the wood the less resistance of the saw.
> 
> ...



It's my understanding that the steeper the angle the more/deeper bite your cutter makes. In soft woods you can have a steeper angle with more bite, in harder woods you want less of an angle with less bite. Once you set your raker angle it will decrease over time as you sharpen your cutters.


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## Derik (Oct 12, 2018)

Bmac said:


> It's my understanding that the steeper the angle the more/deeper bite your cutter makes. In soft woods you can have a steeper angle with more bite, in harder woods you want less of an angle with less bite. Once you set your raker angle it will decrease over time as you sharpen your cutters.



Okay, that makes sense. I don't touch rakers but maybe every 5 times when I sharpen the chain. 

A buddy of mine, he has a large saw, it can run 36 inch bar but he runs 24 inch. Anyway, he told me that I'm wasting my time sharpening chains. 

If a chain gets dull for him, he puts a new chain on. No idea what he does with the old chains, probably junks them. I've worked with him before and he runs the crap out of his equipment. I helped him take a tree out before, he ran the chain so much that it blued on the cutters. 

He buys his chains at bailey's, buys 10 chains at a time.


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## Bmac (Oct 12, 2018)

Well with milling you sharpen a lot, so you need to keep an eye on those rakers. Usually I'll take a swipe or two off of them during a long milling session. I check the angles a lot less frequently.


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## Derik (Oct 12, 2018)

Bmac said:


> Well with milling you sharpen a lot, so you need to keep an eye on those rakers. Usually I'll take a swipe or two off of them during a long milling session. I check the angles a lot less frequently.



So it's not something to really worry about but need to know


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## Bmac (Oct 12, 2018)

With new chains I don't worry, but as I sharpen the chain I need to start adjusting my angles. I set my angles and taking a swipe or two of the rakers during milling means I don't need to spend a lot of time with my angles after they are set. The few swipes I take during milling keeps my angles pretty close to what I want. 

In hardwood I try for a 6 degree angle and shoot for a 9 degree angle in softwood.


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## Brian72 (Oct 13, 2018)

Derik said:


> Okay, that makes sense. I don't touch rakers but maybe every 5 times when I sharpen the chain.
> 
> A buddy of mine, he has a large saw, it can run 36 inch bar but he runs 24 inch. Anyway, he told me that I'm wasting my time sharpening chains.
> 
> ...


That's a lot of wasted money and equipment! I'm always surprised at how little people know about chain maintenance. I'm no expert and I've learned a lot from these forums but a dull chain makes the work much harder than it should be and it's much harder on the saw.

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## Derik (Oct 13, 2018)

Brian72 said:


> That's a lot of wasted money and equipment! I'm always surprised at how little people know about chain maintenance. I'm no expert and I've learned a lot from these forums but a dull chain makes the work much harder than it should be and it's much harder on the saw.
> 
> Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk



I agree but I know how he uses and abuses tools. Once the chain starts to dull, he forces it to cut. So really the chain is already gone by the time he pulls it off


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## WolfMann (Oct 15, 2018)

Chainsaw mill sounds like a good fit for what you're trying to do. I would recommend the Malloff grind for your chains, lasts longer and in my experience cuts faster/smoother.


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## Derik (Oct 15, 2018)

WolfMann said:


> Chainsaw mill sounds like a good fit for what you're trying to do. I would recommend the Malloff grind for your chains, lasts longer and in my experience cuts faster/smoother.



What is a Malloff grind?


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## WolfMann (Oct 15, 2018)

You take a full comp, round ground chisel chain, file straight across at 0°. Then set the hook a little deeper, 45°-50° depending on hand file or grinder.


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## WolfMann (Oct 15, 2018)

Sometimes sounds more confusing than it really is, but the straight edge let's you make more cuts without having to sharpen as often. (There's no point to dull on it). Not to say you never have to sharpen, but compared to a Granberg chain which can dull out after 2-3 cuts, it'll help save some time for sure. Faster cut too.


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## WolfMann (Oct 15, 2018)

What I do recommend from Granberg is the G-106B file jig. You've maybe seen one before, it's a handy little jig that mounts to your bar and lets you perfectly hit all these less than traditional top plate angles (0,5,10°) for ripping chain. Good for the cross cutting chain too.


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## WolfMann (Oct 15, 2018)

Also, take a look online for a copy of Will Malloffs book Chainsaw Lumbermaking, can find hard copies or pdfs, but there's a lot of good info there, including a more detailed description of the chain modifications.


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## WolfMann (Oct 15, 2018)

Alaskan mill is addicting, be careful.


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## Derik (Oct 15, 2018)

WolfMann said:


> Alaskan mill is addicting, be careful.



Thanks for all the information, I already got the book on order, took a look at the file jig, seems pretty good.


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## Henry3120xp (Oct 21, 2018)

Sawyer Rob said:


> Anyone who thinks it's just as much work to push a BSM through a log as a CSM hasn't milled with a BSM much!
> 
> CSM's are HUGE amount more work than a BSM!!
> 
> ...


I’ve used them both enough to know which is better for me and my current requirements.
I agree that chainsaw milling is hard work. However if you mill a sloped log with a chainsaw mill it pulls itself and requires zero effort to make the cut, with a freshly sharpened chain I actually have to hold it back a bit. A band mill cannot be sloped and requires more effort to push the saw through a cut. (We were talking about entry level mills that do not have a power feed)
I’ve built many projects with lumber from a bandmill and the majority of it is not very true and is a pain to get planed correctly. If you are just building with rough cut material this isn’t a big deal, if you are building furniture it’s different. I can mill very accurate lumber with my chainsaw mill so it only requires about four passes through the planer to have finished lumber, most of the bandmill stuff that I have dressed required 6-10 so the time saved milling is lost once I get the dried lumber in my shop. When a chainsaw mill gets dull the cut slows way down but is still very accurate, when a bandsaw mill gets dull it will cut almost as fast but is very inaccurate and board thickness can vary as much as 1/4 inch.


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## Derik (Oct 21, 2018)

Henry3120xp said:


> I’ve used them both enough to know which is better for me and my current requirements.
> I agree that chainsaw milling is hard work. However if you mill a sloped log with a chainsaw mill it pulls itself and requires zero effort to make the cut, with a freshly sharpened chain I actually have to hold it back a bit. A band mill cannot be sloped and requires more effort to push the saw through a cut. (We were talking about entry level mills that do not have a power feed)
> I’ve built many projects with lumber from a bandmill and the majority of it is not very true and is a pain to get planed correctly. If you are just building with rough cut material this isn’t a big deal, if you are building furniture it’s different. I can mill very accurate lumber with my chainsaw mill so it only requires about four passes through the planer to have finished lumber, most of the bandmill stuff that I have dressed required 6-10 so the time saved milling is lost once I get the dried lumber in my shop. When a chainsaw mill gets dull the cut slows way down but is still very accurate, when a bandsaw mill gets dull it will cut almost as fast but is very inaccurate and board thickness can vary as much as 1/4 inch.



I don't mind a little work. How much clearance do you add for the planer? 

I don't have a planer, I use a router with a planing bit and jig to get the wood where I need it.


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## Henry3120xp (Oct 21, 2018)

Derik said:


> I don't mind a little work. How much clearance do you add for the planer?
> 
> I don't have a planer, I use a router with a planing bit and jig to get the wood where I need it.



It’s usually between 1/8 and 3/16 loss to the planer. How do you like using the router? I’ve been thinking of trying that for stuff too wide to fit in my planer.


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## Sawyer Rob (Oct 21, 2018)

Henry3120xp said:


> I’ve used them both enough to know which is better for me and my current requirements.
> I agree that chainsaw milling is hard work. However if you mill a sloped log with a chainsaw mill it pulls itself and requires zero effort to make the cut, with a freshly sharpened chain I actually have to hold it back a bit. A band mill cannot be sloped and requires more effort to push the saw through a cut. (We were talking about entry level mills that do not have a power feed)
> I’ve built many projects with lumber from a bandmill and the majority of it is not very true and is a pain to get planed correctly. If you are just building with rough cut material this isn’t a big deal, if you are building furniture it’s different. I can mill very accurate lumber with my chainsaw mill so it only requires about four passes through the planer to have finished lumber, most of the bandmill stuff that I have dressed required 6-10 so the time saved milling is lost once I get the dried lumber in my shop. When a chainsaw mill gets dull the cut slows way down but is still very accurate, when a bandsaw mill gets dull it will cut almost as fast but is very inaccurate and board thickness can vary as much as 1/4 inch.


 First of all, it's just plain NOT true that you can't set up a BSM to mill on a slope... Side to side they have to be level, no problem at all with slope up or down...

BUT, most of all, when some can't mill flat lumber with a BSM, that tells me they have no idea what they were doing!!

There are reasons why folks mill thick and thin lumber on a BSM (or any other mill) and if you can't easily figure out why and correct it, you just plain don't know what you are doing!

I ran a custom furniture/cabinet shop for many years, and I had NO problems with flat lumber coming from a "properly set up" BSM with "properly" sharpened/set bands... My mill is a manual mill, and I have no problem turning out nice flat lumber that is NOT thick and thin!

IF you can't do this with your BSM,







then you absolutely don't know how to tune one up, as my cheapo manual mill can and do this any time I want...

And yes, I started on a CSM too...

SR


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## Derik (Oct 21, 2018)

Henry3120xp said:


> It’s usually between 1/8 and 3/16 loss to the planer. How do you like using the router? I’ve been thinking of trying that for stuff too wide to fit in my planer.



I figured about a 1/4" but I'll keep that in mind. 

It's okay, I've used it twice. I built the jig out of pine, which should have been hardwood. It's a little time consuming but it gets the job done when you don't have anything else. 

I used a 1/2" routing bit, I have a small, and old router so I didn't want to overload it with a bigger bit.


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## Derik (Oct 21, 2018)

Sawyer Rob said:


> First of all, it's just plain NOT true that you can't set up a BSM to mill on a slope... Side to side they have to be level, no problem at all with slope up or down...
> 
> BUT, most of all, when some can't mill flat lumber with a BSM, that tells me they have no idea what they were doing!!
> 
> ...



I'm inclined to agree with you on the tuning part. For me, chainsaw mill is cheaper and I can get the lumber I need. Will have to spend a little more time for lumber that will be used for furniture but I don't have a problem with that. 

It's a little difficult for me to spend 5k or more on a bandsaw just for my own personal use.


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## BobL (Oct 22, 2018)

It's perhaps a tad too simple and obvious to talk about a "properly setup XXX" - that applies pretty much to anything, what is in some ways more important is how quickly can a newbie can get to that point, and also how easy is it to stay "on point".

Besides the cost, a very significant difference between BS and CS milling is the learning curve, especially if you are starting from scratch and learning on your own.
For most newbies it's much easier to take a CSM out of the box and produce a straight cut.
Some newbie BSM operators are indeed "naturals" and can get a straight cut from day one, but I'd say that's pretty rare.
If you only intend to be milling occasional on you own, most newbies are unaware that to get truly consistent cuts with a BSM can take weeks or even months, and even then, just when you think you have it right, something goes out and it can take days or weeks to sort things out.
Like many complex things if you don't build up enough skill and knowledge and you only mill very occasionally you can lose your BSM touch and going back to a BSM can be very frustrating.
Meanwhile you can waste a lot of timber.
With a CSM you can pick one up years later and be underway in minutes.
If you can find someone that knows how to properly setup and operate a BSM to show you the basics, and be available to refer to when you get stuck, this can save a lot of heartaches.
If you can't, be prepared for a long road.

That aside, a small BSM can (eventually) be setup to produce very accurate cuts, wastes less wood and is of course faster than a CSM.
Ultimately it depends how much lumber you want over what time, and lets face it most folks eye's are far bigger than their storage capacity or usage rate.


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## Sawyer Rob (Oct 22, 2018)

When you buy a Norwood Lumbermate, they give you a manual of how to set it up.....with pictures, follow the directions, and it WILL cut properly!

SO, you are right, you AT LEAST need to know how to read, and follow some picture directions!!

SR


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## Derik (Oct 23, 2018)

BobL said:


> It's perhaps a tad too simple and obvious to talk about a "properly setup XXX" - that applies pretty much to anything, what is in some ways more important is how quickly can a newbie can get to that point, and also how easy is it to stay "on point".
> 
> Besides the cost, a very significant difference between BS and CS milling is the learning curve, especially if you are starting from scratch and learning on your own.
> For most newbies it's much easier to take a CSM out of the box and produce a straight cut.
> ...



Given then information you provided, a chainsaw mill is right up my alley. Didn't think a bandsaw mill would be that complicated to perfect.


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## Sawyer Rob (Oct 23, 2018)

Derik said:


> Didn't think a bandsaw mill would be that complicated to perfect.


 It isn't, IF you can follow some directions when you first set it up...

MY answers have not been about which is better or what one to choose, it HAS been about correcting some mis-information posted here...

Mine hasn't even been checked for side to side level since this last spring when the frost went out, or had a wrench put on it in years, it just keeps on keeping on...

My wife and me, turned this,






into a bunch of 1x4's with it,






yesterday, in a few hours, working at our own speed,






and as usual, it cut straight and true...

BTW, we used less than a gallon of gas and no oil... lol

SR


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## Derik (Oct 23, 2018)

Sawyer Rob said:


> It isn't, IF you can follow some directions when you first set it up...
> 
> MY answers have not been about which is better or what one to choose, it HAS been about correcting some mis-information posted here...
> 
> ...



Pretty nice set up there, there's still the cost factor though


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## Sawyer Rob (Oct 23, 2018)

Derik said:


> Pretty nice set up there, there's still the cost factor though


 Thanks Derik, my mill is far from an expensive mill, but it also not a cheapo mill, but it's paid for itself over and over. I've owned it for many years and it's been one of my best buys...

A HF mill can be bought for less than 2K and that's in, big saw/CSM area. (by the time you buy everything you need)

Like I said before, I'm NOT trying to convince anyone to buy a BSM, but many guys that like milling would be better off with one.

Thanks again, and happy milling with what ever you use...

SR


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