# Four stroke chainsaw sawmill build has begun



## quercusgarryana (Sep 1, 2011)

So I finally got started with the cutting, grinding, welding, more grinding, more cutting, more welding..............its quite the project!
I am building it with minimal cost since I already had 90% of the parts. I will post some pictures soon.


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## 820wards (Sep 1, 2011)

quercusgarryana said:


> So I finally got started with the cutting, grinding, welding, more grinding, more cutting, more welding..............its quite the project!
> I am building it with minimal cost since I already had 90% of the parts. I will post some pictures soon.


 
Cool! We await the pictures.
jerry-


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## WoodChuck'r (Sep 1, 2011)

What you using for a motor??


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## quercusgarryana (Sep 1, 2011)

It will be powered by an 11hp Briggs. I already have it from an old lawn tractor. I have my eye on a 15hp Kohler that my grandpa has, waiting to see if he will part with it.


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## john taliaferro (Sep 1, 2011)

welcome ya know with gas as hi as it is 11 hp would save ya 10 or 15 $ a day over 15 hp .


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## 820wards (Sep 2, 2011)

john taliaferro said:


> welcome ya know with gas as hi as it is 11 hp would save ya 10 or 15 $ a day over 15 hp .


 
That 15hp 2-stroke Koler has much more torque than a 4-stroke briggs. Unless he is running that mill every day, gas is just a consumable of milling. Just my 2 cents worth.


jerry-


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## quercusgarryana (Sep 5, 2011)

Here are some pictures of the progress so far. I planned on taking some pics of the building process of the carriage, but once I started I just got so into it that I forgot to take pics. Hopefully by the end of next weekend I will have the motor and bar mounted.View attachment 197834
View attachment 197835
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View attachment 197838


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## quercusgarryana (Sep 5, 2011)

And a couple more.View attachment 197839
View attachment 197840
View attachment 197841


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## kiwiatgundy (Sep 5, 2011)

Real interesting stuff. 
I'm after a slabber or mill combination, going to a field day tommorow to check out a peterson Vs lucas setup. For 10 grand, just to get the basic slab setup, can't get my head round that. I manage a boilermaking shop, though can't weld myself (typical manager  I can get all the steel etc for cost and have engineers to keep an eye on me (laugh at me more like it).
Long story short - keen to keep an eye on your project. Please keep the info and pics coming.


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## quercusgarryana (Sep 5, 2011)

kiwiatgundy said:


> Real interesting stuff.
> I'm after a slabber or mill combination, going to a field day tommorow to check out a peterson Vs lucas setup. For 10 grand, just to get the basic slab setup, can't get my head round that. I manage a boilermaking shop, though can't weld myself (typical manager  I can get all the steel etc for cost and have engineers to keep an eye on me (laugh at me more like it).
> Long story short - keen to keep an eye on your project. Please keep the info and pics coming.


 
A peterson or a lucas would be great! Their slabber attachments have a 72 inch bar which would be great. My mill has only a 36 inch bar. I mostly went with the shorter bar because an engine that could power a 72 inch would have to be at least 20hp and it wouldn't be cheap.


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## mesquite dog (Sep 5, 2011)

quercusgarryana said:


> It will be powered by an 11hp Briggs. I already have it from an old lawn tractor. I have my eye on a 15hp Kohler that my grandpa has, waiting to see if he will part with it.


 
Perhaps ts39136 could hook you up with a nicely tuned v-dub engine to power that badboy :tongue2:


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## quercusgarryana (Oct 27, 2011)

Well its been quite the project. Almost finished now Haven't had a lot of spare time to work it. With hunting season and the new baby and work I have been pretty busy. I've found myself doing a lot changes to my plans as I build so that really slows things down a bit. I will post some pics as soon as I find the time


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## Old Blue (Oct 28, 2011)

*Looking Good !*

I like the 4 post style. Can't wait to see the finshed mill - and some milling pics of course ! 

What kind of log rest and trolley rails are you going to use?

Old Blue
abusively over taxed and oppressively regulated in
Kali-bone-ya


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## StevenBiars (Oct 30, 2011)

quercusgarryana,

I noticed you're using a all-thread to manipulate the vertical adjustment on your mill. If you don't mind me asking, how do you have the bottom and top of the thread mounted? I guess what I'm saying is how do you have it implemented at the top and bottom so that it will turn freely?

-Steven


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## quercusgarryana (Jan 7, 2012)

Chainsaw slabber - YouTube


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## n8ghz (Jan 7, 2012)

Looks like it works pretty well. Very innovative use of a vertical shaft 4-stroke engine. Did you use a clutch sprocket or direct drive of the chain itself?


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## 820wards (Jan 8, 2012)

quercusgarryana said:


> Chainsaw slabber - YouTube




Glad to see you have your mill running, I'm sure the firs cut was the most fun! Post some pictures of those logs your cutting. We would all be interested in seeing close up pictures of your clutch assembly.

jerry-


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## quercusgarryana (Jan 8, 2012)

There was a lot of trial and error throughout the building process. Got real frustrating at times.:bang: There is a belt from the motor to a jackshaft with a 2.5 in pulley. On the other end of the jackshaft is a sprocket from a chainsaw. Bar is mounted solid and the chain is tensioned by moving the jackshaft in and out. At first I had a 6 in electric clutch from a lawnmower. Had a lot of problems with it. Just wouldn't handle the load. I switched to a 5 in solid pulley double groove and use and spring loaded idler pulley to engage the chain. Works quite well. The log being cut in the video is a Western Red Cedar. I have about 50 logs like that. Plan on building a new deck with them. I will get some pics up soon.


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## Kenzy (Feb 21, 2012)

I'd be interested in seeing some pics of how the bar and motor are mounted.

I've been playing with building a similar set up myself.


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## hamish (Feb 21, 2012)

Got me thinking, with your motor maxing out at 3700rpm and going to a 2.5" pulley, not even taking into rpm loss from the couplings (engine to jackshaft etc...) your chain would be at 9000rpm unloaded..........you might consider changing your ratios to be much higher unloaded and strive for the 9-10k loaded to achieve result similar to a two stroke, seamed a bit slow in the cut, with the rpm right and a sharp chain you should be able to lug down a 4 stroke pretty good and still be cutting.

Loved the videos.


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## BobL (Feb 21, 2012)

hamish said:


> Got me thinking, with your motor maxing out at 3700rpm and going to a 2.5" pulley, not even taking into rpm loss from the couplings (engine to jackshaft etc...) your chain would be at 9000rpm unloaded..........you might consider changing your ratios to be much higher unloaded and strive for the 9-10k loaded to achieve result similar to a two stroke, . . .



This is not necessary if you have enough torque which his 4 stroke obviously has. If he wants to cut faster he can just drop his rakers some more. The guys using lucas mills with the slabber attachments running at 3500 rpm use more than 0.05" (some use 0.06") rakers on new 404 chains. This just ploughs through aussie hardwood like a knife through hot butter.


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## hamish (Feb 21, 2012)

Off to read about Lucas slabbers now!


Direct drive i can see the 4 stoke have the torque for the job, but friction loss in the drive to the actual chain..................no opion yet gotta go diggin!


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## n8ghz (Feb 21, 2012)

The 4-cycle video was great. From what I think I read, it is now using 2 v-belts of some sort from the engine to the jackshaft? And on the jackshaft, some kind of chain sprocket off of a gas saw?
I assume that means no centrifical clutch? The OP mentions providing loading via an idler pulley.

Watching the video, makes me feel confident that my direct-drive hydraulic saw attempt will also work well in my homemade mill. I, also don't have the chain speed of a gas saw, but I do have the power/torque.


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## cgarman (Feb 27, 2012)

I'd love to see closeup photos of the interface between the output shaft of the engine and the drive sprocket. Maybe you could just explain - did you have to make any parts? I have a friend with a go-cart engine he wants to get rid of. I'm trying to figure how to drive the sprocket without building some kind of jacked up adapter.


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## jnl502 (Feb 28, 2012)

BobL said:


> This is not necessary if you have enough torque which his 4 stroke obviously has. If he wants to cut faster he can just drop his rakers some more. The guys using lucas mills with the slabber attachments running at 3500 rpm use more than 0.05" (some use 0.06") rakers on new 404 chains. This just ploughs through aussie hardwood like a knife through hot butter.




Hey BobL I always love your posts and try to catch them. You have seen and run these types of mills so when you speak on this subject it is LAW. Your post is true and alot of people do not know this. I have a Jred 930 on my alaskan 36" mill and I file the rakes on a new chain. The 930 don't turn quite the rpm's as Husky and Stihl of the same cc's. I think a slower chain speed and a bigger bite is easier on the bar and the bigger chips are not as dusty.


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