Forestor Pilous Bandmills

[Squaredy]

8 hours ago, gobbypunk said:

Hi I thought you were going to sell me your Lucas , I know Newport very well I am from Barry originally . 

I may still sell it, I really haven't decided which way I am going yet.  If you are seriously interested feel free to PM me and we can discuss.  Although it is still in daily use it has a few battle scars so would be fairly cheap for a Lucas Mill.

[Squaredy]

1 hour ago, Rough Hewn said:

You can cut a 3m slab 3feet wide with an Alaskan mill in about 4 minutes.
Ms 880.

That also impresses me.  But could you do that all day?  Maybe I am just not as fit as some people but I am not sure I would want to use a chainsaw mill for more than an hour or so, if that.  Using a full travel keyboard is quite tiring at my age...  

[Big J]

9 hours ago, Squaredy said:

That also impresses me.  But could you do that all day?  Maybe I am just not as fit as some people but I am not sure I would want to use a chainsaw mill for more than an hour or so, if that.  Using a full travel keyboard is quite tiring at my age...  

Chainsaw milling all day is something you can maybe do for one day, but not again the next. 

 

Cut rates on my Trakmet through (hard) hardwood on a 3ft cut are about 6ft a minute or so. However, the amount of physical exertion for me to do that is precisely zero, and the only effort is on the unload, which is usually really easy and quick with a forklift. Additionally, versus a chainsaw, the sawdust saved on a narrower kerf (2mm versus 9mm) means on a 3ft log cut to 2", I gain an extra 2 inch board and an extra 1.5 inch board that would otherwise have been reduced to sawdust. Do 8 logs in a day and on 10ft x 3ft diameter logs, you've gained about 58 cubic foot of timber, which if it was oak and sold green would be about £870. That's some very expensive sawdust.

[muttley9050]

Hi Muttley, I am impressed with your results.  4 minutes for a 4m slab 4ft wide is very good.  Have you replaced the Kohler engine with a V8?  Or maybe you don't know your own strength?  [emoji4] 

Chain sharpening and set up is key. The bar needs to be set dead level and true. Mine needed a fair but of shiming.
The chain needs to be exact in tooth length and angle. If you can try to cut down hill a little bit.
I just park my bum against the carriage. Give it a gentle lean. Listen to the radio.
Jobs a gooden.
I can point you in the direction if some helpful set up internet pages if you wish.?

[muttley9050]

You can cut a 3m slab 3feet wide with an Alaskan mill in about 4 minutes.
Ms 880.

You can indeeed.i have a double ended 3.5ft mill on two stihl 051s.
It cuts as fast as the lucas. 3 weeks or so ago I did two days straight cutting 2 and 3 " beech slabs. 10 to 16 ft long and 3 to 4 ft wide. When I was finished I felt great. A day in the Alaskan and I feel like I've had a day on the Alaskan.

[muttley9050]

Chainsaw milling all day is something you can maybe do for one day, but not again the next. 
 
Cut rates on my Trakmet through (hard) hardwood on a 3ft cut are about 6ft a minute or so. However, the amount of physical exertion for me to do that is precisely zero, and the only effort is on the unload, which is usually really easy and quick with a forklift. Additionally, versus a chainsaw, the sawdust saved on a narrower kerf (2mm versus 9mm) means on a 3ft log cut to 2", I gain an extra 2 inch board and an extra 1.5 inch board that would otherwise have been reduced to sawdust. Do 8 logs in a day and on 10ft x 3ft diameter logs, you've gained about 58 cubic foot of timber, which if it was oak and sold green would be about £870. That's some very expensive sawdust.

J. Your mill is a beast. But its largely immobile/illegal to tow. I nearly always mill mobile unless a local wants something small doing. I usually turn up somewhere in a back garden, woodland or muddy field and cut one to five logs. Cost of extraction and delivery to a mill and haulage back, would well outweigh the savings in sawdust on these logs.

[Rough Hewn]

Big J is correct of course, for bulk milling any bandsaw wins hands down.
If there's access.
Often I mill for clients and it's one big log, in a garden or other inaccessible place.

[Rough Hewn]

Big J is correct of course, for bulk milling any bandsaw wins hands down.
If there's access.
Often I mill for clients and it's one big log, in a garden or other inaccessible place.

[Rough Hewn]

Big J is correct of course, for bulk milling any bandsaw wins hands down.
If there's access.
Often I mill for clients and it's one big log, in a garden or other inaccessible place.

[Rough Hewn]

Big J is correct of course, for bulk milling any bandsaw wins hands down.
If there's access.
Often I mill for clients and it's one big log, in a garden or other inaccessible place.