Making another mill.

[Old Blue]

Well my brother (Bro Brad) and I have tried a few slicing sessions with a little style alaskan mill we fabricated. It was quite a learning experience (all this learning stuff wears on a fella). I don't know if it doesn't work as well for us because of our experience level, the wood were cutting or what but it isn't happening like it does in the videos. I actually think that its all three.

Weve pretty much come to the conclusion that we need a woodmizer or a band mill. Too bad thats not going to happen!

So we're settling on making a carriage / trolley style mill. Sort of a Procut type of mill without the trailer. I figure that if we wind up thinking that we need it trailer mounted later, then we'll do that later. No worries folks, I've been doing things the hard way all my life, why stop now?

The Procut style and the Fancy Chainsaw Mill thread have pretty much won us over on our decision. But this is based on not having used anything like them.

Does anybody think this is a mistake or want to enlighten me?

From what I can see, I have the impression that this style of chainsaw mill will make consistently straighter, flatter and more repeatable milling cuts. It also looks like it will eliminate the need for me to try to balance my efforts between countering the pulling forces of the chain through the wood and keeping the mill guided on the rails. It also looks like I will breath less exhaust and eat less sawdust and run in a much more comfortable stance.

Can anyone who has run one of these style of mill tell me if they think it's worth it to put one together?


Thanks again
Old Blue

 

[Andrew96]

No I can't since I haven't run anything other than a BSM (my Dads quite a few years ago) or a CSM.

I think you'll be wasting your time IMO. Though you'd gain some accuracy (assume that's your problem with the CSM), you'll still be running a saw. To me...the Alaskan accels in portability...at the expense of speed and accuracy. You move the mill to the tree. As soon as you are not going to do that anymore, by moving the tree to the mill...the next step is to a BSM. Somehow you need to get one, make one, repair some old one...hire one. I think considering a stationary procut type as a step between a CSM and a BSM keeps all the negative aspects of a CSM without gaining very many (if only accuracy) of a BSM....but without the speed or the thin kerf. I'd say...rethink. Just my 2 cents...they are Canadian cents though so they're worth more now.

 

[mtngun]

The Pro-Cut or Logosol style chainsaw mills have their place.

With an Alaskan, you spend most of your time setting the darned thing up.

With a pro-cut, you'll spend less time setting up and more time cutting. It should produce more boards at the end of the day.

But ..... you have to be able to move the pro-cut to the log, or else move the log to the pro-cut.

Another downside is that you will be limited to logs that fit on the mill. No giant oaks.