Better method of chainsaw milling

[muttley9050]

Good work Rob. How do you find your band mill, do you pack it up after each use, if so how long does it take to set it up?

[Rob D]

Good work Rob. How do you find your band mill, do you pack it up after each use, if so how long does it take to set it up?

 

 

I just leave it out - it's an old mill and can be temperamental - but now I've a bit more got the hang of using it I can see why people rate bandsaws so much...

 

 

Cut wise it seems to cut flat as a pancake on pretty much all wood....

 

 

[Big J]

Even a manual bandmill is very easy going compared to chainsaw milling. If you think about it, you are using twice as much horsepower to remove 5 times less wood. No wonder it's easier!

 

As I've always said though, chainsaw mills have their place for the occasional sawmiller and for those of us who mill more in order to get back garden trees out and to halve/quarter larger lumps.

 

Jonathan

[carpenter1]

what size mill could a 372xp run?

or size of log could it cut with ripping chain?

[Rob D]

Even a manual bandmill is very easy going compared to chainsaw milling. If you think about it, you are using twice as much horsepower to remove 5 times less wood. No wonder it's easier!

 

As I've always said though, chainsaw mills have their place for the occasional sawmiller and for those of us who mill more in order to get back garden trees out and to halve/quarter larger lumps.

 

Jonathan

 

 

 

Absolutely - combo ing a chainsaw mill to carve a large butt up and then re sawing on a bandsaw is pretty much the ultimate set up really...

[Rob D]

what size mill could a 372xp run?

or size of log could it cut with ripping chain?

 

 

Missed this question really you would want a 20" bar with the small log mill - max cut 18"

 

 

 

[jon_h]

Good evening all.

 

Apologise if this is in the wrong place. Had a first go with a chainsaw mill today(I'm used to circular rack saws) on a 14" oak log; all went well, but i found the quality of the cut was very rough, even with a new chain. is it something I'm doing wrong??

Would appreciate any help with this!

[agg221]

Good evening all.

 

Apologise if this is in the wrong place. Had a first go with a chainsaw mill today(I'm used to circular rack saws) on a 14" oak log; all went well, but i found the quality of the cut was very rough, even with a new chain. is it something I'm doing wrong??

Would appreciate any help with this!

 

It shouldn't be that rough. It won't come out as smooth as a fresh bandsaw blade but it can be pretty good - try looking at the milling pics and vids thread to see how it can come out. In what way is your cut rough (any chance of a photo of the board surface)? It may then be possible to work out what is wrong.

 

Alec

[jon_h]

First go at posting a pic.... I mean it's not the worst I've seen but looking at pictures of other peoples work, I think mine looks pretty rough and untidy.

 

[Big J]

That's a bit rough for Oak (which usually takes a reasonably fine finish from a chainsaw mill) but it might be down to practice, or rather lack thereof. Really focus on minimising and small movements or jerks with the mill, maintaining smooth progress through the log. Here is a picture of Oak I've chainsawmilled: