Should I start CS milling?

[jackshady513]

Hey everyone, I'm new here. I actually don't even own a chainsaw, please forgive my virginity. I have used plenty of them, but never needed to buy one. I have a friend that is getting ready to rebuild his house from ground up. He is having 2 trees removed, one pecan about 20-24 inches in diameter and one oak about 42-48 inches in diameter and 40' without branching. I toy around with furniture making and own my own construction and remodeling company, so I am no stranger to heavy equipment. I started looking into what it would take to mill both trees into slabs, the oak 3-4" thick. To sell and use in furniture or special building (mantels, beams...). I was wondering how big of a chainsaw I would need to do this. I looked into the stihl 660 and husky 3120xp. Is this overkill or is it required for the size of the oak. The stihl says it can go up to 59" bar and husky says it can go up to 72" bar. I was wondering if it is worth sinking this much money into doing this. If I broke even I would be fine, my wife might not be though. Can I get away with small saw? Is it easy to sell larger oak slabs? Large trees like the oak don't come buy often so do tree companies sell to individuals like me and not take my arm and leg with them? Any insite is greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Forrest

 

[DarwinAustralia]

Why not, you may end up with some great slabs and furniture. Worse case you can sell the saw and the mill at the end to cover costs. I thought about it forever , gave it a go and now I am hooked.

 

[rarefish383]

I wouldn't think you could pay for your new set up with just those 2 trees. As it stands the Oak is worth firewood price. Slab it and it might be worth a little more. Kiln dry and finish it, more. The raw material isn't worth all that much. Many tree companies in our area have gotten out of the firewood business and will give the wood away. It's too labor intensive. They can make a lot more money putting their men on a job. Milling is fun and can be real exciting when you get that first slab off and see some really pretty wood. Unless you have a reputation for supplying exotic slabs, no one is going to beat down your door. I would think if you got started as a hobby and supplying your own needs, in time, you can make some cash. Good luck , Joe.

 

[Barneyboy]

Go For It

If you can afford the saw etc, definitely do it but don't expect to make the money back. It's a really satisfying thing to do. Sometimes it drives you mad but the results are well worth the grief. There's nothing quite like slicing the tree up and spending a long time watching it season and thinking what you can do with the timber. Good luck!

 

[mdavlee]

I would think with a custom mantle or two you could come out on it. Don't buy brand new. Look in the classifieds on here and maybe post a wanted ad for one. I think you meant 880 instead of 660 too.

 

[Timberwerks]

I'm a furniture maker and started milling for myself, slabs mainly. With connections to local tree services I'll be getting a fair supply of wood that I can mill and use for furniture so I feel it's worth the time & investment.

 

[mad murdock]

Start looking at craigslist and garage sales, inquire amongst your friends and acquaintances if anyone has a saw that has been moldering away in a barn for years. You never know what you may turn up! Get as many cc's as you can afford, no such thing as too small of a saw for a CSM, especially if you are talking about slabbing 40" oak. Read through the CSM 101 thread, search chainsaw mill on YouTube, and you will get the idea and figure out which way you want to approach things. I have a Granberg Alaskan MK III and a Logosol Timberjig. Provides me with a lot of versatility. Oh yeah, and I have 5 or 10 saws, but hey, who's counting welcome aboard and enjoy the ride!

 

[flashhole]

There are a few additional things you will need besides the saw and mill (the saw includes the bar and appropriate milling chain). None are big ticket items but without them you will not have a good experience. Several wedges are needed along with a guide rail of some kind for making the first cut. Miscelaneous hand tools are handy as are a level, sharpening files and a tape measure. I use my rail for every cut because it makes it very easy to go into the wood square and not end up with an irregular cut on the ends.

If you intend to harvest your own logs for milling you will quickly discover 95% of the work is spent felling the trees, cutting them to mill length and getting them to your mill site. The nice thing about the Alaskan mill is - it is highly portable and you can take it to the log to be milled. It's not as convenient to mill in the woods but you can do it.

Of the two saws you mentioned the 3120 would be my choice. I am new at milling too and mill with a Husqvarna 394. Haven't yet wished for more saw but I'm only using a 30" mill. I don't see how anyone can make money at this unless they are milling rare wood that is in demand and would command a premium price.

 

[rmh3481]

Since you own your own construction and remodeling company, you know what some of these hard woods can cost. Im sure you can picture an intricate fireplace mantle or solid cherry kitchen cabinets. Some of this is custom work and you may not want to do it, but there is some $ in it for those who do. Having a quality source of material to work from supplied by your own mill might just be the ticket to establishing a new phase of your business.

 

[Dave Boyt]

You should justify chain saw mill the way most people justify a set of golf clubs, a boat, or season tickets to a professional sports team. If it isn't what you want to be doing, it isn't worth investing in. It takes a strange sort of person to call logging and sawing recreation, but then some people claim to enjoy running marathons. You'll either find yourself hooked and spend countless hours working on the mill and posting pictures to this forum, or you will be satisfied with some nice slabs and sell the mill. The way I see it, you win either way.

 

[Freakingstang]

I totally rebuilt a 084 from the ground up to use for a milling saw. Well, after milling up one tree with my 660, I wouldn't use anything smaller than a 660. I might be selling my 084 and 36" mill setup. PM me if seriously interested.

 

[scor440]

No .Bandsaw mill is the way to go.It is LESS labor and the waste is far less than a CSM.I know they are pricey lets not go over that again.Peace

 

[Yellowbeard]

Hey everyone, I'm new here. I actually don't even own a chainsaw, please forgive my virginity. I have used plenty of them, but never needed to buy one. I have a friend that is getting ready to rebuild his house from ground up. He is having 2 trees removed, one pecan about 20-24 inches in diameter and one oak about 42-48 inches in diameter and 40' without branching. I toy around with furniture making and own my own construction and remodeling company, so I am no stranger to heavy equipment. I started looking into what it would take to mill both trees into slabs, the oak 3-4" thick. To sell and use in furniture or special building (mantels, beams...). I was wondering how big of a chainsaw I would need to do this. I looked into the stihl 660 and husky 3120xp. Is this overkill or is it required for the size of the oak. The stihl says it can go up to 59" bar and husky says it can go up to 72" bar. I was wondering if it is worth sinking this much money into doing this. If I broke even I would be fine, my wife might not be though. Can I get away with small saw? Is it easy to sell larger oak slabs? Large trees like the oak don't come buy often so do tree companies sell to individuals like me and not take my arm and leg with them? Any insite is greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Forrest

I think your name pretty much says "yes" to this question, doesn't it?

 

[Dave Boyt]

No .Bandsaw mill is the way to go.It is LESS labor and the waste is far less than a CSM.I know they are pricey lets not go over that again.Peace

I agree, but a lot of people with bandsaw mills started out with chain saw mills. I still use my CSM to break down the big logs for my Norwood. Nothing wrong with starting out with a chain saw to get your feet wet.

 

[Timberframed]

Even if you don't have a market for them now you will in the future. Just store them well. Don't forget about solid wood countertops with or without the natural edge. I've turned big friggin' logs into raised panel doors, full kitchen cabinets, even made baseball bats for some little leaugers. The list goes on. I can tell a client where the tree came from and how old it was. Some folks dig it. The avatar you see here is a 1952 Coleman 228E on top of a 55" x 108" x 2.25" solid White Ash table top with 7 coats of lacquer for a panty droppin' mind blowin' finished piece that will last for centuries to come. Burn your name and date on underneath. They'll be talking about it in 2313 and not yesterday's golf scores. 100+ cc's makes a big diff. Have some fun rippin' on the flat.