# Norwood Porta Mill



## RON58 (Dec 17, 2008)

Any of you guys use one of these ? I saw one working on you tube and it seems ok. Can't figure out how the saw is bolted to the rig.Does it bolt on the bar studs?


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## Trigger-Time (Dec 17, 2008)

How about a link......Please


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## Wismer (Dec 17, 2008)

comes in at 2:14

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dIno68DeWQ


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## RON58 (Dec 17, 2008)

Do a search on you tube for Norwood industries LumberLite and Portamill.


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## Trigger-Time (Dec 17, 2008)

RON58 said:


> Any of you guys use one of these ? I saw one working on you tube and it seems ok. Can't figure out how the saw is bolted to the rig.Does it bolt on the bar studs?



I would say it dose use the bar studs. Logosol mounts with bar studs, it
uses stand off type bar nut's, One end is female and one end is male.
Screw them on just like a bar nut, but it has a stud on the end to mount
on the mill with your reg bar nuts.



.


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## irishcountry (Dec 18, 2008)

pretty cool I wondered about these a couple years ago seen them in Northerns catalog. Almost like a logosol but lower neat setup. Please tell me no one cuts that fast with their alaskan if you do i'm doing something wrong i'm sure it has something to do with the wood but seemed to really go through quick!! thanks for the link irishcountry


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## Stihl Crazy (Mar 25, 2009)

Just ordered a Portamill today. I should be here in a week. Got a new 880 waiting for its arrival.


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## excess650 (Mar 26, 2009)

irishcountry said:


> pretty cool I wondered about these a couple years ago seen them in Northerns catalog. Almost like a logosol but lower neat setup. Please tell me no one cuts that fast with their alaskan if you do i'm doing something wrong i'm sure it has something to do with the wood but seemed to really go through quick!! thanks for the link irishcountry



That log is small, and appears to be a pretty soft wood. In the first cut it looks like tulip poplar, but towards the end of the video, the endgrain looks like pine. Either way, its a narrow cut and soft, likely green wood. The saw appears to be an 066.

I have milled bigger hemlock than that with my 066BB on the Alaskan, and and it went that fast. Speed depends upon the wood(size, dryness, density) the power of the saw, chain type, and sharpness of the chain. To date, my favorite chain for free cutting, smooth finish, and clearing chips is Stihl RM. Its semi-chisel and full comp. It makes chips rather than dust, and I've used Oregon 72LGX, Stihl RSK(?) full skip chisel, and Stihl RS besides. My first go with the 3120 was in oak with Bailey's chisel chain. It cut fairly smoothly and quickly when sharp.

I'm seriously considering a Norwood bandmill. The Alaskan is great for odd sized and shaped slabs, and remote locations, but too slow for production.


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## user 19670 (Mar 26, 2009)

Hmm, the Portamill is limited to max 14" diameter logs.
At that rate you shouldn't need a forklift to load. you could almost do it by hand LOL

The Woodbug has greater capacity.


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## xbanitecrawler (May 17, 2009)

Hey Ron how is the norwood portamill working out for you very intrested in how you like it.


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## 046 (May 17, 2009)

just watched the youtube... very nice design


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## RON58 (Jun 2, 2009)

*Well did it*

Well I built one and used it. Time to move on.I posted pics a while back.Used a 394xp 38" bar. Cuts dang nice stuff just too time consuming.Would be awesome if ya only had a few logs a year but I need more. Anyone interested in her less the saw? Already started collecting band mill parts.


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## Stihl Crazy (Sep 12, 2009)

Got the mill set up. Only took all summer. Finally had a day to myself. Only thing left is the bar guard.


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## Stihl Crazy (Sep 12, 2009)

Got some small logs (5-7 inch) to turn into 4x4's and decking. Got a Jon 625 on it now. I have a 288, 2095 and new 880 for bigger wood.


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## MNClimber (Feb 23, 2010)

Did you get a chance to use it on any bigger harder wood yet? I was looking at getting one. But most of my log are 22in or so.


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## danthe (Feb 23, 2010)

*Portamill*

Can owner of the Portamill confirm that it is limited to 14 in logs. I was in the local dealer last week and as far as I can see a longer bar will permit you to handle a lot more than 14 in.


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## headleyj (Feb 26, 2010)

danthe said:


> Can owner of the Portamill confirm that it is limited to 14 in logs. I was in the local dealer last week and as far as I can see a longer bar will permit you to handle a lot more than 14 in.



not to hijack but I too want to know exactly this. Is it the vertical indexing of the mill that limits you to 14"?? If you had a big enough powerhead and long enough bar why couldn't it take a 48" log?

Inquiring minds want to know


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## headleyj (Feb 26, 2010)

From what I can see this is what's limiting it to 14" - the rollers/ carriers/ bed (whatever it's called) that the log sits on, right?


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## headleyj (Mar 3, 2010)

called norwood - they said basically the torque a longer bar puts on that vertical post becomes too great on anything over a 14" log.

He said during testing things started to break over that and they had to put a line in the sand somewhere.

Too bad - if it'd take a 395/ 3120 and a 48" log I'da bought it.


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## rick_saws (Mar 11, 2010)

headleyj said:


> called norwood - they said basically the torque a longer bar puts on that vertical post becomes too great on anything over a 14" log . . . . Too bad - if it'd take a 395/ 3120 and a 48" log I'da bought it.



If you really like the design, you might be able to mod it pretty easily to take the strain off the post and mill bigger logs. Adding a lever arm parallel to the bar (maybe attached to the guard above the bar?) would take most of the torque from the saw. If you wanted to remove all the torque from the post, you might be able to mod it to use a round post instead of a square post. It looks like 4 bushings and weld plates would do it (1 on top, 2 on the saw, & 1 on the bottom). Then you could rotate the saw a bit while milling, similar to an Alaskan.

- Rick


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## headleyj (Mar 11, 2010)

rick_saws said:


> If you really like the design, you might be able to mod it pretty easily to take the strain off the post and mill bigger logs. Adding a lever arm parallel to the bar (maybe attached to the guard above the bar?) would take most of the torque from the saw. If you wanted to remove all the torque from the post, you might be able to mod it to use a round post instead of a square post. It looks like 4 bushings and weld plates would do it (1 on top, 2 on the saw, & 1 on the bottom). Then you could rotate the saw a bit while milling, similar to an Alaskan.
> 
> - Rick



you're right - you could mod it, I just have a problem dropping a grand for something that I have to modify


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## rick_saws (Mar 11, 2010)

I agree - that's why I'm just using an Alaskan with unistrut till I figure out what I really want . . .


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## headleyj (Mar 11, 2010)

rick_saws said:


> I agree - that's why I'm just using an Alaskan with unistrut till I figure out what I really want . . .



yeah, that's prolly what I'll do too, just gotta get the ballz to grop the $ for everything


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## reswire (Jul 23, 2010)

*Porta mill*

If there was some way to stabilize the bar on the far side, I think it could cut larger wood without any problem. I think that over 14" may cause the bar to dip or "go around knots" etc. I really like the way it looks though. Hope you post some pics of it cutting some larger stuff.

:monkey:


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## hamish (Mar 22, 2011)

Old thread but have to wake it up. 

The 14" limit is not the o/a log diameter, but more like the max board width. With an 18" bar and bucking spikes/dogs removed the useable cutting length of the bar is about 15". As the powerhead is secured to the mill via the bar mounts nothing is really lost. When cutting the first slab off then turning the log the o/a diameter of the log has been greatly reduced, hence with the second slab taken off the perpendicular side. The Portamill just needs a few adjustments to the bunks in order to get the most out of it. Undercut the ladder portion under the log bunks, and gain about 2" of cutting capacity.

Spent 4 hours playing with a Porta Mill versus loading my new ML26......................darn chainsaws.


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## lwmibc (Apr 10, 2011)

Stihl Crazy said:


> Got some small logs (5-7 inch) to turn into 4x4's and decking. Got a Jon 625 on it now. I have a 288, 2095 and new 880 for bigger wood.


 
Would really like to know your impressions on this thing; just found it on Youtube today and liked what I saw. How's it working out?


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