Sawmilling - hints, tips, do's and don'ts.

[Marc Lewis]

We're a cooperative bunch (of sawmills) up here. Whilst obviously everyone looks after their own business, I believe that sharing things that have made your job easier is well worth doing. Like with anything else, you can regard yourself as being quite proficient (or indeed expert!) and still not know the half of it. I'm pretty sure that's me, and I look forward to other contributions!

 

When I've got a moment over the Christmas period, I'll do post on what to look out for when buying and sawing logs, what sells and what doesn't and guide prices for butts.

 

That would be good of you if you do find the time. Over the years I have always given, thrown away or taken to the axe my arb waste. More recently however, I have started thinking it would be better to utilise the larger and better pieces of timber by milling them. So for you to give an idea of what to look for would be great.

[delabodge]

some top tips jonathan,

I never stand next(in-line) to the flywheels when milling as have had a blade on the woodmizer break and with such force it shot 8inches through the flywheel cover, had I been stood there I dread to think

I release the tension on theblades when not in use,

and I break timber down with a chainsaw mill also like jonathan.

build a cover over your mill, makes such a difference.

[shavey]

on bandsaw mills do you have to wedge as you cut on larger chunks of hardwood

[Ukulian]

on bandsaw mills do you have to wedge as you cut on larger chunks of hardwood

 

Only if something goes wrong (hit a nail for example) and you have to get the blade out the way it went in! It's too easy to pull the blade off the wheels if you don't wedge the kerf open.

[Big J]

some top tips jonathan,

I never stand next(in-line) to the flywheels when milling as have had a blade on the woodmizer break and with such force it shot 8inches through the flywheel cover, had I been stood there I dread to think

I release the tension on theblades when not in use,

and I break timber down with a chainsaw mill also like jonathan.

build a cover over your mill, makes such a difference.

 

Good point about the safety around the bandwheel housings. I've had at least one band explode dramatically on me, with a 4" long section of band ending up rattling around the housings. That said, the doors are at least 4mm thick on mine, so they seem to be effectively bullet proof!

 

Building a shelter over the mill is vital, and it's always a trade off between access and weather proofing.

 

On bandmills, use diesel on all your chains at least once a week to keep them lubricated. Ideally every other if you are busy.

 

Shavey - I find I very very occasionally get stuck if I have a large weight above the band (I can cut a depth of about 18", so could conceivably have 9 2" boards on top of the cut I'm making) and the tension is such in the log that all the weight is on the end (the exit) of the cut. This has happened about 3 or 4 times, the band gets stuck and I have wedge to finish the cut.

[delabodge]

do you remove the board after evey cut or cut all of them and then remove?

[Big J]

do you remove the board after evey cut or cut all of them and then remove?

 

Depends. If I'm cutting by myself, I tend to cut a whole stack and then wiggle them onto the forks to avoid the lifting. If I've got a lackey in, I usually remove after each cut so that it's scraped, treated and ready to be stacked after each cut. With heavy boards, I cut a few and then wiggle onto forks and off. I was cutting waney edge larch fencing yesterday (180 square metre at 18mm) from logs at about 14" in diameter. I would cut to one board shy of the heart, lift the stack off, flip the log and cut to the bed.

[Rob D]

Good thread Jon

 

 

 

Chainsaw milling - keep practicing your chain sharpening until it is near perfect - it is the key to using a chainsaw and especially with milling.

 

 

 

[se7enthdevil]

can anyone point me out a good file for sharpening chains with as i've lost my cheapo one and wish to buy a proper one.

[sloth]

Save Edge are supposed to good, I've always liked Oregon...