Cheap / Easy way to mill small logs

[Stereo]

I'm looking for a way to plank up some small elm we are felling. No bigger than 8" diameter at the biggest and most is smaller. I've looked breifly at chainsaw mills and also the sort of demi pro bandsaws which Draper do etc. but not sure what to go for. It's not heavy work and not on a huge scale, just for my own use really and cheap is the key as it's just so I can knock up a few things like architrave for the house etc.

[agg221]

Alaskan mini-mill via Rob D would be my suggestion if you've got plenty and don't mind wasting the kerf.

 

Alec

[tommer9]

I own an alaskan and a bandsaw, and TBH an alaskan is about the worst sort of mill for this size of timber there is. It would be a nightmare attempting to even set an alaskan up around an 8" log, and by the time you have made a few cuts you would have about one bpoard out of it and a load of sawdust.

get it to a bandsaw.

[Stereo]

Thanks. The sort of stuff I'm intially doing is maybe 6" dia x about 4' to 8' long. I'm looking to make architrave and maybe some other bits, coat racks, stuff like that. I had a look at the Alaskan and to be honest it seems aimed at bigger stuff.

 

I guess with a band saw I can come up with some kind of fence system.

[tommer9]

I know an old boy who has a good sized carpentry workshop bandsaw with a fence who regularly mills the sizes of wood you are talking about. He makes all sorts of fine shelves and small boxes out of stuff like yew and pear, which normally we would log or chip.

[Pedroski]

How about...... speaking to a local sawmill/wood place and see if they could do it for you for a few quid. It might work out more efficient and cheaper than buying your own gear as it's a small amount.

[niftysteve]

my cousin has had a few bits of 8inch oak and yew from me recently and took them to his work (joinery workshop) and runthem through a table saw

[agg221]

Hi Tom, it's not the big alaskan I was thinking of - rather the vertical mini-mill.

 

I agree that a bandsaw will be far more efficient on kerf, but it's dependent on being able to lift the log, and keep it straight fixed to a runner, against the saw fence. 8" stuff x 8' length can be a bit difficult to do this with on your own.

 

My thought was to use the mini-mill to break it down. The older mills were adjustable sideways I believe and this can be retro-fitted, which would give either planks and a lot of sawdust, or something square enough to run through a bandsaw more easily.

 

Alec