# Just built my own mill



## mrlynx (Jul 4, 2009)

With inspiration from this site and a few ideas have I built an alaskan sawmill.
At first I tried using my huskey 242 to power it but then I bought a Stihl MS 361 instead.
Yesterday I finally got my new saw and tried it out on a spruce(Picea Abies).


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## LTREES (Jul 4, 2009)

Very nice, and welcome to AS.

LT...


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## Brmorgan (Jul 4, 2009)

The mill looks good! Fellow new member "kayaklogger" here in the milling section just had a new 361 blow up on him while milling for as-yet-undetermined reasons, so you might want to check that out too. I suspect the H jet should have been opened up a bit more to withstand the increased heat from milling - if you haven't already I would recommend it. 1/8 turn or thereabouts past factory settings should do it.


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## BobL (Jul 4, 2009)

Welcome mrlynx and congrats on the mill!

Once you get the hang of this you may want to add a few strategically placed handle so you don't have to bend over so much while milling.


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## Brmorgan (Jul 4, 2009)

Speaking of which, Bob, I just found a handle that appears to be identical to the type you use in the aluminum bin at the scrap yard last week. Now I'm trying to figure out a suitable cable / lever mechanism for the throttle.


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## mtngun (Jul 4, 2009)

Well done, MrLynx.


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## deeker (Jul 5, 2009)

Welcome to AS and it looks like you have done a great job. Now the sawdust diet.


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## dave k (Jul 5, 2009)

Looks great ! It's amazing the confidence you can get from reading the posts here which are so well explained with good pics to help the rest of us along. Bet you felt very good when you fitted the saw and did your first slab !!
Thanks for the post.


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## mrlynx (Jul 5, 2009)

Thanks for all the replys.
I am new to milling and I am learning new things for every cut I do.
Out of the first log did I get 8 nice slabs 40 mm thick and 40 cm wide and 4.6 m long.
//Robert


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## Brmorgan (Jul 6, 2009)

I'll translate for the metric illiterates:

About 16" wide X 1-5/8" thick, and about 14' long.

:monkey:

I'm a bad Canadian. In the end I prefer the Standard measurements and am more familiar with them even though they were never really taught in school, except shop class.


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## Ted J (Jul 6, 2009)

Brmorgan said:


> I'll translate for the metric illiterates:
> 
> About 16" wide X 1-5/8" thick, and about 14' long.
> 
> ...



Thank You Brad,
Were not up on that metric stuff too much.... but we may all have to learn soon enough the way our :censored: "leader" keeps going on.........


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## Philbert (Jul 6, 2009)

mrlynx said:


> With inspiration from this site and a few ideas have I built an alaskan sawmill.








Looks nice.

Can you post of picture of it without the log so that we can see more of the design / construction details?

Thanks.

Philbert


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## mrlynx (Jul 6, 2009)

It has been raining all day so no milling today.
Here is a photo of the mill. Its made up of 20x20x2 mm RHS welded together with two clams around a 25" bar. Max cutting width is 47 cm (19").
I am not used to measure with old english kings bodyparts.


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## Brmorgan (Jul 6, 2009)

mrlynx said:


> I am not used to measure with old english kings bodyparts.



Heh, yeah, I don't think anyone would argue that the system makes any _logical_ sense, but it IS easier to work with for construction on a larger scale. I like to use metric for design and drafting work sometimes because scaling is easier - everything is base-10. But if you were to ask me how much I weigh in kilograms or how tall I am in centimeters, I'd have no idea.

I've been meaning to build a little mill like yours to augment my 36" Alaskan. I would just be using it to take slabs off squared cants. Haven't gotten 'round to it yet though.


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## Philbert (Jul 6, 2009)

mrlynx said:


> It has been raining all day so no milling today.
> Here is a photo of the mill. Its made up of 20x20x2 mm RHS welded together with two clams around a 25" bar. Max cutting width is 47 cm (19").
> I am not used to measure with old english kings bodyparts.]



Thanks for the additional photo!

Nice and simple design.

Philbert


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## mrlynx (Sep 5, 2009)

The mill is under development but some progress is made.
I have added a handlebar and adjustable plastic pipes because the frame got a little bit warped warped when welding it.
I have made a 3D-model of the mill in solidworks so maybe there will be drawings of it.


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## BobL (Sep 5, 2009)

mrlynx said:


> The mill is under development but some progress is made.
> I have added a handlebar and adjustable plastic pipes because the frame got a little bit warped warped when welding it.



I like the pipe idea for reducing friction but don't understand how they fix warping, sure they would just bend and follow the warp?

If the pipes are black polyethylene they will wear quickly but then again they should be cheap to replace!


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## mrlynx (Sep 6, 2009)

The pipe I use is actually made for fiberoptic cable.
Its HDPE High density polyethylene and very cheap less then 1$/m.
But I use cutoffs from work because at work we use some 25000 meters per year.
The adjustment is 3 screws through the inner pipe that push on inside of the plastic pipe.
You see it on the picture but I am sorry for the bad picture quality.


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## BIG JAKE (Sep 6, 2009)

Nice work Lynx-how does your chain oiler keep up with the task of milling?


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## mrlynx (Sep 6, 2009)

I dont see any problems with the oiler.
I have turned it up to max and the chain doesnt seem to be slacking.
But if I had a longer bar there probably would be a need for an external oiler.


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## mrlynx (Aug 25, 2012)

A video i made last weekend milling.

[video=youtube;COl4pYNs5JA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COl4pYNs5JA[/video]


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## greasefittn (Aug 27, 2012)

*new mill*

it is good to make use of your own wood in projects. you will remember every cut when you use it for siding or parts of a building that you can see. the next mill is a ............? addicting.


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## kpantherpro (Aug 28, 2012)

good job on your mill, i'm sure it won't be the last you make you might become as addicted to making them as using them...:biggrin:


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## rarefish383 (Sep 1, 2012)

Brmorgan said:


> Speaking of which, Bob, I just found a handle that appears to be identical to the type you use in the aluminum bin at the scrap yard last week. Now I'm trying to figure out a suitable cable / lever mechanism for the throttle.



With the price of scrap, I've been stripping any junk power equipment and tossing it in 5 gallon buckets. This morning I was stripping an old homelite weed wacker and when I pulled the throttle cable off all I could do is say WOW. The trigger handle is in 2 pieces and bolts around the alluminum shaft. I think it's plenty long to reach the carb on my Super 1050. Just eyeballing the shaft it looks to be the same size as the shaft on the push handle of my Granburg. It's worth a look, Joe.


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## mrlynx (Sep 1, 2012)

I am already in the process of collecting parts for a bandsawmill. Maybe next year I will be ready to start building it.
Some day next week will I take delivery of an old jointer/planer.


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## samdweezel05 (Sep 1, 2012)

Fantastic. I have been so obsessed with big lumber that I have forgotten about getting into the smaller, stuff. I have it in my mind that if it's not 24" or over, it's not worth bringing home. I like your design too.


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## Kenneth F (Sep 19, 2012)

Very nice work fellas can one of you show me a close up of the clamp? I'm gonna try building one myself wanna be sure I get it right


Kenneth


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## mrlynx (Sep 19, 2012)

I dont have any good picture on the clamp.
But the key is to make like a 2 mm pad on the clamp to make the chain clear.
Imortant is to not make the pad to wide so it compresses the rail.


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## Kenneth F (Sep 19, 2012)

Thanks


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