# Chain saw mills



## Stihl Rules (Apr 22, 2011)

Has any of you used these mills if so how did they work and are they worth the money. Here is an example. YouTube - Granberg Alaskan Small Log Chainsaw Mill from baileysonline.com


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## Stihlman441 (Apr 22, 2011)

Depends on what you wont to do in the end.
With that type of mill you would only be able to mill up to about 20'' and then i can see accuracy problems.
With a 36'' Granberg allaskan type mill you have a more choices and combined mith a minni mill can allmost do anything.

http://www.arboristsite.com/milling-saw-mills/167446.htm


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## Stihl Rules (Apr 22, 2011)

Stihlman441 said:


> Depends on what you wont to do in the end.
> With that type of mill you would only be able to mill up to about 20'' and then i can see accuracy problems.
> With a 36'' Granberg allaskan type mill you have a more choices and combined mith a minni mill can allmost do anything.
> 
> http://www.arboristsite.com/milling-saw-mills/167446.htm


 
20" would be fine for what I need I don't have access to much timber larger than that. Do you need a special B/C and would my MS361 be able to do the job?


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## northwest coast (Apr 22, 2011)

it takes a pretty powerful saw to be able to get through a log without bogging down. imo there is no overkill with csming. a 361 might almost be enough if 20" is your max but i don't like to see my saw struggle and depending on the wood, 20" is plenty. plus you generally want one saw set up for bucking and another with your mill on it.

i use .404 full house ripping chain that should be kept sharper than i ever seem to get it. (remember .404 chain requires .404 bar tip and sprocket) i've only been into it for a couple years though so lets hear some other opinions.

i think everyone will agree though that csming is addicting, satisfying and frustrating all at the same time.


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## SDB777 (Apr 23, 2011)

Gone as wide as 28" with the mill set-up you linked to with my MS390. Take it easy with your saw and she'll do just fine....of course it goes without saying. Plenty of oil on the scary sharp chain will cut great.

Big CC saws are great, if you already have one, but to buy a new one(or good used one) can be extremely bad for your checking account just for ripping a few slabs......nah.






Scott B


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## Stihl Rules (Apr 23, 2011)

northwest coast said:


> it takes a pretty powerful saw to be able to get through a log without bogging down. imo there is no overkill with csming. a 361 might almost be enough if 20" is your max but i don't like to see my saw struggle and depending on the wood, 20" is plenty. plus you generally want one saw set up for bucking and another with your mill on it.
> 
> i use .404 full house ripping chain that should be kept sharper than i ever seem to get it. (remember .404 chain requires .404 bar tip and sprocket) i've only been into it for a couple years though so lets hear some other opinions.
> 
> ...




Thank you, does baileys carry those bar and chains you are talking about?


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## Stihl Rules (Apr 23, 2011)

SDB777 said:


> Gone as wide as 28" with the mill set-up you linked to with my MS390. Take it easy with your saw and she'll do just fine....of course it goes without saying. Plenty of oil on the scary sharp chain will cut great.
> 
> Big CC saws are great, if you already have one, but to buy a new one(or good used one) can be extremely bad for your checking account just for ripping a few slabs......nah.
> 
> ...



That is kinda my thoughts I don't think my bank account could take it. If I get one I will just go slow I would be fine with that


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## northwest coast (Apr 24, 2011)

yeah you know a newer ms 361 probably doesnt have that much less power than my old husky 2100.

and yeah .404 chain and tips are pretty common, get em at baileys or wherever.

i milled 26 yellow cedar slabs in the bush today though, some 30" wide, so it definitely depends on what your goals are.


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## masculator (Apr 24, 2011)

Simply put your 361 would make that mill look too small, I regularly run a 25 inch bar on an 034 in australian hardwood on a mill where I regularly use the full length of the bar. a standard alaskan will lose about 4 to 5 inches of cut so theoretically you should be able to run a 28 inch bar on an alaskan in the american timbers which are SOFT in comparison (actual cut would only be about 22 to 24 inch.) Speed will be the killer and when cutting at full bar your feed will be fairly slow but on 12 to 18 inch cut you will be fine. 

As for chains I run full comp semi chisel which I sharpen to 10 degrees on the top plate (normally top plate is 25 to 30 degrees.) you may find that when ripping you can run slightly lower rakers than standard but i would recommend starting with leaving this as it would be standard for a start and maybe experiment a little down the track.I started with the 034 and 25 inch bar now I run a 42 inch bar on an ms660 with a 4 post GB mill (similar to the granberg but the GB mounts better.)

Oh and stay with 3/8 chain some people I know use the 3/8 picco but i find the 3/8 63 thou stihl RSC i think it is works like a dream just change the top plate angle over a few sharpens.

Really the alaskan type mills are fairly easy to build and if you were concerned about whether it would be worth the investment you could build one quite cheaply and easily, then if you think you want to progress you could buy one or even build a better one with better materials and your gained knowledge. 

Something I will say is chainsaw milling is slow, tedious, dirty, hard work but it is worth it when you get it all worked out and start to see some results for your input. 

When you first start out, learn how it all works on some logs you will not mind sacrificing, you will make a few mistakes!!!

at the end of the day enjoy what you do and don't get disgruntled if it doesn't work out straight away.


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## Stihl Rules (Apr 24, 2011)

masculator said:


> Simply put your 361 would make that mill look too small, I regularly run a 25 inch bar on an 034 in australian hardwood on a mill where I regularly use the full length of the bar. a standard alaskan will lose about 4 to 5 inches of cut so theoretically you should be able to run a 28 inch bar on an alaskan in the american timbers which are SOFT in comparison (actual cut would only be about 22 to 24 inch.) Speed will be the killer and when cutting at full bar your feed will be fairly slow but on 12 to 18 inch cut you will be fine.
> 
> As for chains I run full comp semi chisel which I sharpen to 10 degrees on the top plate (normally top plate is 25 to 30 degrees.) you may find that when ripping you can run slightly lower rakers than standard but i would recommend starting with leaving this as it would be standard for a start and maybe experiment a little down the track.I started with the 034 and 25 inch bar now I run a 42 inch bar on an ms660 with a 4 post GB mill (similar to the granberg but the GB mounts better.)
> 
> ...


 
Thank you for all the info I really appreciate it. I may try to build my own first.


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## Stihl Rules (Apr 24, 2011)

northwest coast said:


> yeah you know a newer ms 361 probably doesnt have that much less power than my old husky 2100.
> 
> and yeah .404 chain and tips are pretty common, get em at baileys or wherever.
> 
> i milled 26 yellow cedar slabs in the bush today though, some 30" wide, so it definitely depends on what your goals are.



It is a pretty powerful saw in its class turns fast not a 460 or 660 though. I build small country things in the basement so if I could just cut the average boards you can by at Lowes 1" x 12"s and lower it would save me alot of money. I would by from a mill but i dont have a planer so I thought one of these could come in pretty handy.


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## redoakneck (Apr 24, 2011)

I have a 36" granberg with a hole in the center of the sprocket nose bearings to give me 31-32" of milling width ( this is with the dawgs off and the mill hits the chain brake lever at certain heights).

I power it with a ps-7900. Very strong saw for the money but ripping 30" wide hardwood for 9 feet takes a few minutes. The woodland pro ripping chain works great, but keep it sharp!!!! I think it easier to sharpen ripping chain because the angle is 0-10.

I am waiting for my stihl dealer tp get my granberg style ripping chains finished, 2 side cutters and 2 top cutters.


I have the auxilary oiler and have it drip on the chain at the very tip of the bar. DO NOT WASTE your time drilling a hole for the auxilary oiler- you will lose too much bar length.

I have been fooling with this for only 3 months and it is fun!!!

Waiting for me now is a 34" diameter white ash ( will use a mini-mill to get the sides off so my mill will fit), a 30" sycamore, and a monster 3' maple. With these trees I can easily build a nice woodshed.

You are in eastern ky.... I am near cincinnati, used to live in ashland ky. Love that area, and yes , plenty of trees!!!!


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## northwest coast (Apr 25, 2011)

DeAtley30 said:


> It is a pretty powerful saw in its class turns fast not a 460 or 660 though. I build small country things in the basement so if I could just cut the average boards you can by at Lowes 1" x 12"s and lower it would save me alot of money. I would by from a mill but i dont have a planer so I thought one of these could come in pretty handy.



hmm, the great thing about milling for me is i usually only mill yellow cedar which is amazing wood and all but unavailable at the lumber yards where i live. even red cedar, not many people can offer boards as wide as i can get with an alaska mill. that for me is why milling is great, plus i cut 2" or even 3" and 4" because i feel like less is wasted to the kerf. if i were to go and mill some spruce or pine that i could buy from the store, it wouldn't be much cheaper to mill it. thats why i mill and also why i run such a big saw, for smaller project wood you'd have no troubles with a smaller set up for sure, some of the real hard woods might slow you down a bit, but keep your chain sharp and you'll get through it. 

also, i use canola oil for bar oil, easy on the environment and much cheaper than anything else around here. i get 5 gallons of it for 30 bucks. it seems to work well.


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## mtngun (Apr 25, 2011)

northwest coast said:


> also, i use canola oil for bar oil, easy on the environment and much cheaper than anything else around here. i get 5 gallons of it for 30 bucks.


That is an attractive price. :msp_thumbup:

Where do you find it ? It costs far more than that at the grocery store.


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## northwest coast (Apr 25, 2011)

mtngun said:


> That is an attractive price. :msp_thumbup:
> 
> Where do you find it ? It costs far more than that at the grocery store.



yeah i get a friend to bring it to the coast from the bulkley valley wholesale when he comes my way. i ran out the other day and had to buy a couple litres for 8 bucks from overwaitea.


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## splitpost (Apr 25, 2011)

northwest coast said:


> it takes a pretty powerful saw to be able to get through a log without bogging down. imo there is no overkill with csming. a 361 might almost be enough if 20" is your max but i don't like to see my saw struggle and depending on the wood, 20" is plenty. plus you generally want one saw set up for bucking and another with your mill on it.
> 
> i use .404 full house ripping chain that should be kept sharper than i ever seem to get it. (remember .404 chain requires .404 bar tip and sprocket) i've only been into it for a couple years though so lets hear some other opinions.
> 
> i think everyone will agree though that csming is addicting, satisfying and frustrating all at the same time.


 
what saw are you running and why .404 for milling?


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## Stihlman441 (Apr 25, 2011)

+1 for me i can see any advantage in using .404 chain.


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## northwest coast (Apr 25, 2011)

splitpost said:


> what saw are you running and why .404 for milling?


 
i use a husky 385 xp, but a friend that i've done more milling with than i have on my own uses a stihl 076. he gave me an 076 carcass that just needs a new pot and piston and i am in the middle of rebuilding it and cant wait to get it running because its nice to have the extra torque. the 385 bogs down when you put too much pressure on it but the 076 can run through 36 inches of wood and keep the revs up.

my main reason for using .404 is because thats all i've ever used since the same aforementioned friend got me into milling. does anyone have a better reason ?


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## pwoller (Apr 26, 2011)

I use .404 too on the mill. I hate to venture a guess at the advantages but I will...stays sharp longer???


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## masculator (Apr 26, 2011)

pwoller said:


> I use .404 too on the mill. I hate to venture a guess at the advantages but I will...stays sharp longer???



Actually it will not stay sharp longer, theoretically it will blunt quicker than a comparative length of 3/8 as their are less teeth trying to remove more timber. You also lose a lot more timber to kerf and thus you also need more power to pull it. personally I wouldn't run 404 on anything less than an 090 for milling and realistically I would only consider it as being the go to chain for running on the likes of a lucas dedicated slabber or the like and then it would be in multiple skip setup.


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## 820wards (Apr 26, 2011)

masculator said:


> Actually it will not stay sharp longer, theoretically it will blunt quicker than a comparative length of 3/8 as their are less teeth trying to remove more timber. You also lose a lot more timber to kerf and thus you also need more power to pull it. personally I wouldn't run 404 on anything less than an 090 for milling and realistically I would only consider it as being the go to chain for running on the likes of a lucas dedicated slabber or the like and then it would be in multiple skip setup.


 

I'm using .404 chain on my 134cc 820 PowerBee motor and I find it has more than enough power to cut through a slab even when it's starting to get dull.

jerry-


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## masculator (Apr 26, 2011)

820wards said:


> I'm using .404 chain on my 134cc 820 PowerBee motor and I find it has more than enough power to cut through a slab even when it's starting to get dull.
> 
> jerry-



I have no doubt it does, anything with those sort of ccs should drive it but it doesn't mean it is the optimum, or that it doesn't waste more wood. 

anything under 120cc I would run 3/8. for numerous reasons.


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## Stihl Rules (Apr 26, 2011)

I would like to thank all of you for all the information this is the best forum anyone could take part in.


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## pwoller (Apr 26, 2011)

masculator said:


> I have no doubt it does, anything with those sort of ccs should drive it but it doesn't mean it is the optimum, or that it doesn't waste more wood.
> 
> anything under 120cc I would run 3/8. for numerous reasons.



Which are? Why would anyone use .404 on any chainsaw mill then?


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## Stihl Rules (Apr 26, 2011)

do any of you have a design of one of these I could build myself?


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## oldsaw (Apr 26, 2011)

pwoller said:


> Which are? Why would anyone use .404 on any chainsaw mill then?


 
Because that's what they are set up for. I run 3/8 on everything because that's what I'm set up for, even when I had my 3120.


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## splitpost (Apr 26, 2011)

My personal preference is 3/8 on my milling saws 660 and 880, less waste in the kerf than .404 which can add up to another board in some logs,less weight ,and have more 3/8 chain on hand than any other size


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## Pstone0013 (Apr 26, 2011)

Lets build a mill.


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## Stihl Rules (Apr 26, 2011)

Pstone0013 said:


> Lets build a mill.


 
Pretty sure we could find all the parts we need somewhere.


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## masculator (Apr 27, 2011)

DeAtley30 said:


> do any of you have a design of one of these I could build myself?



I will see if I still have the plans I had (not sure If I was able to save them when my comp had its last meltdown) they were pretty simple, but they would have been a good starting point. 

If you want to get really intricate BobL is the bloke to talk to, but his mills are probably more intricate than you will need.

If I find the plans I will Pm you and you will need to send me an email address so I can send them to you.:smile2:


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## Stihl Rules (Apr 27, 2011)

masculator said:


> I will see if I still have the plans I had (not sure If I was able to save them when my comp had its last meltdown) they were pretty simple, but they would have been a good starting point.
> 
> If you want to get really intricate BobL is the bloke to talk to, but his mills are probably more intricate than you will need.
> 
> If I find the plans I will Pm you and you will need to send me an email address so I can send them to you.:smile2:


 
That would be greatly appreciated


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## sixteenacrewood (Jun 5, 2011)

I never though of using canola for the aux oiler! I make soap and buy canola in bulk online.
here is a link
SoapersChoice.com - Product Listing
35 lbs, abound 5 gal, $37


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## betterbuilt (Jun 5, 2011)

sixteenacrewood said:


> I never though of using canola for the aux oiler! I make soap and buy canola in bulk online.
> here is a link
> SoapersChoice.com - Product Listing
> 35 lbs, abound 5 gal, $37


 
Thanks for the link. I usually get mine from the local bakery. I think it's around $6.50 a gallon. Recently I've been using peanut oil that was on sale for like $5.00 a gallon. 

I run the canola in both oilers and have never had a problem. I left it in my saws over the winter to see what it does to them and it had just barely started to thicken. I think the people that have problems with canola in their oiler are the ones who only run their saws once a year.


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