# Interested in getting a bandsaw mill



## milkie62 (Mar 17, 2013)

Been to the Boonville NY woodsman days and tried a Hudson manual bandsaw mill.Was suprised how easily it worked.Just as a hobby and maybe a small amount of custom milling,I was thinking of getting a mill since I have the timber plus a fair amount gets dropped off to me for my wood boiler.It seems a shame to burn some of the nice logs that get dropped off.Thought about milling the nice stuff and selling it as I get it.Also am building a 40x72 pole barn so some of the milled stuff could be used on that.Oscar 36 I think is the one I was looking at.Thank you all for any input... Ed


----------



## mikeb1079 (Mar 17, 2013)

i don't have any experience w/that particular mill but it sounds like you're in the perfect situation for a bandsaw mill. i doubt that you'd regret getting one.


----------



## Brian Harnett (Mar 18, 2013)

I have a friend that has one, it works fine a nice basic mill.


----------



## qbilder (Mar 18, 2013)

They are handy for sure. Good luck & have fun with it.


----------



## chaikwa (Mar 18, 2013)

Why don't ya build one? You won't save any money but you'll have fun and you'll know the mill inside-out!


----------



## scor440 (Mar 18, 2013)

*Mill*

I agree build one i have the plans if you want them.They are the Bill Rake style.It is the TURNER MILL.Take a look it is a simple mill to build.


----------



## gemniii (Mar 18, 2013)

milkie62 said:


> <snip>.Oscar 36 I think is the one I was looking at.Thank you all for any input... Ed


One thing about the Hud-Son's was when I saw them two years ago all of their rails were LIGHT compared to Woodmizer, Norwood, TimberKing.


----------



## Dave Boyt (Mar 20, 2013)

Whatever mill you get, it won't be long before you'll be buying more chain saws and dreaming of giving up your day job! It sounds like you've got the timber resource, and the need for it. I run a Norwood, but are some points to consider for any mill: Get the biggest engine option available. Any sawmill is easy to push through the wood with a sharp blade, but that is just one part of milling. Check the clamping system and the head raising mechanism. Are the controls intuitive and easy to use? Does the sawdust blow toward you or away from you? Does the capacity of the mill match the size of the logs you will be milling? How solid is the carriage-- does it move from side to side when you push on it? Let us know what you decide, and post a picture of your first board!


----------



## milkie62 (Mar 22, 2013)

Dave Boyt said:


> Whatever mill you get, it won't be long before you'll be buying more chain saws and dreaming of giving up your day job! It sounds like you've got the timber resource, and the need for it. I run a Norwood, but are some points to consider for any mill: Get the biggest engine option available. Any sawmill is easy to push through the wood with a sharp blade, but that is just one part of milling. Check the clamping system and the head raising mechanism. Are the controls intuitive and easy to use? Does the sawdust blow toward you or away from you? Does the capacity of the mill match the size of the logs you will be milling? How solid is the carriage-- does it move from side to side when you push on it? Let us know what you decide, and post a picture of your first board!



Now you have me thinking.I do not really know what to look for in a mill.I can try a fair amount of them at the logger fairs.The big engine is a must plus the sawdust blowing away is a good idea.Pros and cons are aprreciated here. Thanks Ed m


----------



## gemniii (Mar 23, 2013)

The first thing you should decide is how much money you can lose. Look at it like recreation, not a business. If you are getting a small manual basic mill your production will be small. The mill is only a minor part of the process.

Process:
These are the major portions of my process on my last several trees (note I'm retired, by myself and work slow)
Find right tree - may take 10 minutes to an hour
Fell & limb tree - one or two hours
Get tree to mill or mill to tree - half an hour plus 
Mill tree - an hour at most (I'm lucky if I can do 100bd ft/hr)
Stack and sticker lumber - half an hour
WAIT 6 MONTHS
Cut to size and use - up to 5 minutes per board

And that doesn't include things like clean up, sharpening chains, filling engines etc.

I've only been milling 10' to 12' sections of tree because I'm primarily making 2" slabs and lifting and carrying to stack a 20" wide 2" green slab gets tiring (need to get my tractor down here).

(I'm sure if you are in full production mode you could crank out a lot more, but I'm just learning.)

So I'm probably getting about 10 board foot per hour AT THE BEST for my start to finish effort and sunken costs - chainsaw, mill, parts, fuel. 

But it keeps me busy and out of the bars.

After you decide how much money you can lose look at how big a log you need to mill.

Probably 99% of the trees I have to mill are less than 24" DBH, and the few larger I can whittle down with my saws.

Then look at carriage capacity - is it solid? Harbor Freight sells a real cheap mill that you basically replace the rails they are so flimsy.

Most of the major mfg have decent mechanisms for raising and lowering the heads, but try them out at the logging shows.

And if your not rolling your own look at support.

Since you are close to Hud-Son that could be a factor. 

Note: I'm not arguing against a BSM, but I've seen a lot of them on CraigsList "barely used" because someone thought they were going to make money and didn't.

good luck.


----------



## hunterbuild (Mar 23, 2013)

I have the Harbor Freight band saw. I'm having very good luck with it after some minor fixing. The rails are fine, just short. I made new one using the basic same angle iron, just longer. I can cut 22" by 19' long with out adding extensions. I paid $1700 for it and its more than paid for now. The only change I'm thinking of is a hp increase, but the 7.5 hp is fine for pine which is what I cut.


----------



## hamish (Mar 23, 2013)

Any Bandsaw Mill is a huge step above not having one. Every mill made has its pros and its cons. What I shall offer to the table is look at the number of mills made by the company you are looking at. Companies making fewer models usually have the issues worked out for the most part as the limited production is there income, versus larger manufacturers with a boatload of models and offering some lower cost mills to grab more of the market share offset by the sales of there other mills.


----------



## NCSawyer (Mar 24, 2013)

For a manual mill, I personally like the Woodmizer LT40. I run a 20 year old LT40 that my Dad bought new in 93 and I have run or drug slabs off that mill every single hour it has been run. It will handle 36 inch diameter logs up to 21 feet. That's just as big as the hydraulic mills they make. 

Like others have said it just depends on how much you want to invest. A new one of those mills is probably around the $15,000 mark. Mine new 20 years ago was about $12,000. You could probably pick up a good used mill if you search around in the $6,000 to $8,000 range.

These mills also have the capability to turn out some serious lumber. With one man on a loader and one man off bearing, I have been able to cut in excess of 4,000 bdft per day of 2 inch pine.

Just my thoughts.


----------



## gemniii (Mar 24, 2013)

The base price on the LT40, without blades or shipping is $18K.


----------



## hamish (Mar 24, 2013)

gemniii said:


> The base price on the LT40, without blades or shipping is $18K.



Or tax!


----------



## NCSawyer (Mar 24, 2013)

gemniii said:


> The base price on the LT40, without blades or shipping is $18K.




Wow! You're exactly right. They have gone up since I last checked out their webpage.


----------



## poorboypaul (Mar 24, 2013)

I purchased a Big Cat sawmill kit for $3800. This is just for the hardware (pulleys, bearings, rollers, cable, etc) and the frame for the saw head. Being I have access to materials and what I have on hand, it was a good way to go. Will take up to a 38" log. Had it for 3 years now, and getting back to getting it together. Had 2x6 tubing for the rails and a 4" solid axle to put under it. Been laid off, so now I finally have time to work on it after catching up on vehicle repairs. Couple of pics. Have a little more done. Bought a garden tractor at an auction for $190 with a 20hp Onan twin on it. Working on getting it running right now. Also trying to get the tubes lined up right for the carriage to go up and down on. Being I live on a farm, I don't consider it to be real expensive to cut, being I have saws, tractor to skid with, etc. At least I'll have lumber to put up a building and use for cabinets and such. View attachment 286627
View attachment 286628


----------



## Dave Boyt (Mar 25, 2013)

gemniii said:


> Stack and sticker lumber - half an hour
> WAIT 6 MONTHS
> Cut to size and use - up to 5 minutes per board



Granted, there is a LOT more to milling than just the mill. You can come out a little better if you go ahead and mill a few logs during the 6 months wait for the first boards to dry, though :msp_biggrin:. The Norwood has worked well for me. Question I have about the HF mill is why you'd want to buy a mill, knowing that you'll need to fix it before you even start cutting lumber? And even though I do just mill in my spare time for fun & profit, my spare time is very dear to me, and I'd like to push the mill through as much wood as I can during the short time that I do have. I hardly ever see a band saw mill on Craigs List, but this part of the country isn't as saturated with small sawmills as other areas are.


----------



## hunterbuild (Mar 26, 2013)

My HF was a fairly easy fix and for the money still a bargain. I done a lot a bf so far, no more problems.View attachment 286821
View attachment 286822


----------



## davistree (Apr 1, 2013)

*Mill*

I run a Norwood mill. It is a great unit. I have learened a lot over the years that I have owned it. Namely, like most equipment you ll buy- start small and test the water or go big? Other posts are right. The Norwood is surely not a production mill. It's a great mill for recreation or personal use. My family has built two large barns, tons of woodworking projects, and smaller rough cut projects. I am currently looking to increase the production and purchase a woodmizer lt40 mill and edger. Be warned, manual mills are time consuming and require a physical investment. If you don t mind the labor, it is very rewarding with every single board that comes off of the mill.


----------



## davistree (Apr 1, 2013)

*Mill*

I run a Norwood mill. It is a great unit. I have learened a lot over the years that I have owned it. Namely, like most equipment you ll buy- start small and test the water or go big? Other posts are right. The Norwood is surely not a production mill. It's a great mill for recreation or personal use. My family has built two large barns, tons of woodworking projects, and smaller rough cut projects. I am currently looking to increase the production and purchase a woodmizer lt40 mill and edger. Be warned, manual mills are time consuming and require a physical investment. If you don t mind the labor, it is very rewarding with every single board that comes off of the mill.


----------



## Dave Boyt (Apr 1, 2013)

Actually, the Norwood 34 has hydraulics that you can either buy with the mill or add on. And there is the new HD36. Bigger capacity is about all I know at this point. It just depends on what you want to do.


----------

