What to buy?

[twoclones]

I think it's time for me to gear up for milling my own logs into slabs for chainsaw carving benches but I barely know where to start. I'd like to buy a Wood Mizer LT15 but the $1100 delivery charge tastes nasty to me so I'm considering a chainsaw mill. I'd use it only on occasion so the Wood Mizer would be over kill anyway. [still want one if you have a used one for sale]

Typically, I'd be milling 24" Sycamore into 2" thick slabs. The biggest saw I have is the MS361 so I suppose I'll be needing the MS660. But which chainsaw mill would be a good choice for my use? By 'good' I mean high quality, trouble free and worth the money?


Butch
http://www.WoodHacker.com/

 

[mtngun]

Alaskan (Granberg) mill is a proven design and the cost is reasonable.

There are more sophisticated chainsaw mills, like the Logosol or the Woodbug, but they are a big step up in cost. I suggest either Alaskan or else save your money for a bandmill.

Watch CL for used bandmills. Also, some of the bandmill manufacturers may have information about used bandmills in your area. I'm an Alaskan user myself, but if I were doing this for money, I'd use a bandmill. Way faster and easier.

 

[MJR]

Go cheap LL24 by Norwood

 

[twoclones]

Go cheap LL24 by Norwood

I'd have to see one of those operate, in person, before buying because they offer half the engine power for a similar log diameter capacity as does Wood Mizer. Hate to waste money on something under powered...


Butch

 

[MJR]

Well understood. Contact Norwood and they will give you a number of someone near you that has one. It has done well by me. I do like the LT15 better but not worth the extra $$$$.

Good luck

Michael

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I'd have to see one of those operate, in person, before buying because they offer half the engine power for a similar log diameter capacity as does Wood Mizer. Hate to waste money on something under powered...


Butch

Woodmizer doesn't have a patent on speed... There's several mills that are in the LT15 "size" range that are cheaper, and just as good or even better. And, they offer plenty of power as an option, if you want to pay for it.

The LL24 is a decent small saw, and it's not under powered, it's just slower. Put a bigger motor on it, and it speeds up, same as any sawmill. NO matter, even with a small motor, it's in "warp drive" compared to a CSM!

DM

 

[glennschumann]

It sounds like you would use this ocassionally... how many slabs a year do you figure you will be making? If it is 10, an Alaskan is probably the way to go. If it is 500, the band mill is the right route.

A 660 is a good choice for logs like this. A 460 would probably work too. I run an 066, 36" granberg, with 42" bar, and 3/8" RSC chain ground to 10 degrees. Works well. I also have a few smaller bars that are handy for smaller logs. Less exposed bar is easier to manage, and safer.

 

[twoclones]

Brug Bandsaw Mill

Woodmizer doesn't have a patent on speed... There's several mills that are in the LT15 "size" range that are cheaper, and just as good or even better. And, they offer plenty of power as an option, if you want to pay for it.

While checking out such options, I came across Brug Bandsaw Mills in Oregon. http://www.burgbandsawmills.com/ They're having a summer sale and offering a "New Complete 42" Bandsaw Mill with 13HP Honda Engine for only $3500.00." Their online price list says the regular price is $5900. A heck of a sale and a Honda engine makes it all the more tempting.

Anyone have experience with the Brug Bandsaw Mill?

Butch

 

[deeker]

While checking out such options, I came across Brug Bandsaw Mills in Oregon. http://www.burgbandsawmills.com/ They're having a summer sale and offering a "New Complete 42" Bandsaw Mill with 13HP Honda Engine for only $3500.00." Their online price list says the regular price is $5900. A heck of a sale and a Honda engine makes it all the more tempting.

Anyone have experience with the Brug Bandsaw Mill?

Butch

My LM2000 has a throat of 24", but it has a 23hp Briggs vangaurd.

A 13hp pulling a blade through a 36" throat would be one hungry motor.

Their mill looks a lot like the WM15 or Cook's smaller saws.

I have never needed more horse power with mine, and have cut several logs 31' dia to start with. And we can finish boards 24" wide. Dry and green, walnut and pine....etc....

With the Brug Bandsaw....I wonder why such a large throat?????

What about Sawmill Exchange????

Kevin

 

[excess650]

I started milling with a Granberg Alaskan MKIII, added a Granberg Mini Mill, and now have a Norwood LM2000 with 23hp. For slabbing 2" or thicker table tops the Granberg is my choice. The Alaskan can be used on short or long logs, logs larger than 31" in diameter, and can be finessed around odd shapes. Bandmills lock you into their max width cut, 24" in the case of the LM2000, and pretty much straight wood unless its less than max width allowed by the mill. The Alaskan is far more portable.

My main milling saw is a Stihl 066 that has a Bailey's big bore kit and dual port muffler. I have "backups" 066, 660, 272xp, and a 3120xp for when the going gets really tough. At 99cc the 066BB has pretty decent grunt, and I've milled oak and elm up to 31" wide(only have a 36" bar and MKIII), and it gets it done. The 3120 has more grunt, but weighs more, uses more fuel, and has .404" chain vs 3/8".

The Stihl 066/660 or Husqvarna 390XP or 395XP would be good choices. The saws are light enough for heavy falling and bucking duty and still have enough grunt for the mill. The 880 and 3120s are really heavy, and better suited to the mill duty only, unless your logs require longer than 42" bars.

The bandmill is better suited to milling in quantity, and particularly for thinner lumber.

 

[MJR]

My planner is only 13" wide...

 

[deeker]

The afternoon, that I posted the above.....a customer showed up with a table top. He wanted me to cut the sweep/warp out of it for finishing.

It was 34"x39" and 4.5" thick. He needed half an inch off of the top and bottom. Total.

My mill only cuts 24" wide. The CSM is great for slow cutting stuff like this. But with only a 1/4" off of each side....around the edges....we decided for him to use his eletric hand planer to do it.

First time I was completely unable to help a customer....so far...

Kevin

 

[twoclones]

Change in direction again

I may have talked myself out of a bandsaw mill. I'd been shopping for a ms660 for some months and this morning I found a 3 month old one on Craigslist for $800. The guy had bought it to remove 2 trees rather than pay an arborist. The bar paint is worn but the rest of the saw is still like new and I'm it's new owner!

I have made an offer on a Wood Mizer LT15 but the seller is waiting for a better offer. However, if he accepts my offer I will buy from him. In the mean time, I'll get a chainsaw mill and carve some benches to help pay for a bandsaw mill.

 

[mtngun]

A nearly new 660 ? For sure you are cured of cancer.

When you get around to carving those benches, post some pics.

 

[BobL]

Nice saw TC = happy milling!

 

[twoclones]

You asked.

Here is my first bench carving. Didn't mill the slab myself....

http://www.woodhacker.com/images/bench_bears_600wide.jpg

 

[BobL]

Here is my first bench carving. Didn't mill the slab myself....

http://www.woodhacker.com/images/bench_bears_600wide.jpg

No exactly my thing but I can sure appreciate the work that goes into making something like that. It will be even more satisfying once you start milling yer own. Thanks for posting.

 

[Coalsmoke]

TC, nothing wrong with a chainsaw mill for low production slabbing. I have an alaskan mill, a carriage style chainsaw mill (which I don't use enough so I am going to be selling it) and a Norwood LM2000. For small scale commercial production for a one man sawyer like myself, the LM2000 is a heck of a machine, but the chainsaw mills will also produce good consistent lumber without too much technical knowledge or time spent on maintenance, just at a much lower production rate. You just set up and get sawing and for the most part you don't have to worry about anything but keeping gas in the saw My advice would be to do as I did, start with a CSM and if you have a need later on to upgrade to something higher in production, then make that leap at the time.

 

[twoclones]

Bought the Alaskan.

My advice would be to do as I did, start with a CSM and if you have a need later on to upgrade to something higher in production, then make that leap at the time.

That is just what I have done. I finally decided I'd buy the Alaskan MK-III C3 36" because I liked the idea of having the oiler on the far side and the helper handle. Price is $685 at the Granberg site so I went to ebay where I found the Mark III C3 with a 394 Husqvarna for $650. Same price [essentially] as the mill alone and keeps my Stihl ms660 free for blocking out those really big carvings.

If making benches turns out to be as profitable as I think it will, there may still be a bandsaw mill in my future.

Butch

 

[Coalsmoke]

Great to hear, and you got a real good deal on that saw / mill combo. You might very well find in the future that the chainsaw mill is doing just fine, but instead upgrade to a chainsaw carriage style of mill so that you have log dogs, and the setup time is faster, etc. For now, that saw combo will serve you very well