OliB

I've noticed most sharpeners on the market a quite a bit cheaper than woodmizer's. But woodmizer tell me the cheaper sharpeners/setters are awful, so I've been saving. Is your experience different? I'd be interested in something that does the job for less money!

I have one, and am considering adding a second so I can make a bigger box (for longer limbers). So if you can't sell the whole bunch, I'd be interested in just he VT3. I'm down the road nr Ludlow. Oli

Sawing managed logs into valuable and environmentally sustainable timber always made me feel quite positive. Very little "footprint" so to speak, especially when I use waste for firewood and woodchip. I'm in a rural farming area. A working landscape. It's very pleasant, but everyone is busy making a living. Lots of various machines, barns, workshops etc. But a while back a guy (admittedly a guy who moved from a big city to retire here) jumped my fence to comment on the noise. He agreed it's better since I stopped chainsaw milling and bought a woodmizer, but objected against the noise. I didn't think the woodmizer is particularly noisy, or that this objection was very realistic. (to be clear, any neighbours are separated by multiples of fields, and/or woodlands, not yards). But just wondered if others have had similar objections, or have a difference of opinion. I can't think of any way of minimizing the noise. I think it's more the zzzz mosquito noise of the band that upset this guy, rather than the petrol head. Not that I am hugely concerned. Both wild and domestic animals come very close whilst I'm working, so they don't care, or show any signs of distress. Everyone else who runs businesses round here are too busy to notice. I guess it's just the incomers who want their little patches of countryside to be retirement homes, not working landscapes. Oli

I got the woodmizer shingle / lapsider. It's already paid for itself just making feather edge boarding for my barn. It can do shingles up to 300mm wide and from memory 600mm long.

Hi, I'm going to be driving past hungerford on the M4 next friday evening or saturday morning. I'm already loaded with oak for my brother in law, so may be able to sort you out also. I don't have time to kiln dry before then, but I could get you a beam out of a fairly dry log. Would be about 20%mc. Let me know if that's of use. The sooner the better please, or I may not have time to do it for you. Oli.

If you don't mind me asking, what do you use to point your fence posts? Oli

I went thru a similar thought process, figuring out if I could make a profitable business out of sawing logs. I started in early 2013 with is Logosol M8 chainsaw mill for regular use up to 500kg, with an alaskan mill for occasional heavier/loger logs. I was keen to prove whether upgrading to a hydraulic mobile bandsawmill would be a risk. I kept a record of top dia and length of each log (hardly a noticeable expense of time considering the slowness of manual log handling and chainsaw milling), and the amount and quality of timber produced. I worked out what this cost, and what the end product was worth, and factored in other costs to see what the profit really was. I did 100 tonne of oak this way between early 2014 and mid 2015. In May I ordered a hydraulic, mobile woodmizer Lt40, which arrived at the start of september. I haven't looked back since! Milling oak beams and sleepers i often get no more than about 50% to 60% out of each log into the beams specified by the order. To be safe I always count on wasting 50% when doing beams and bigger timbers. BUT, the other 50% isn't waste. I mill the rest to 1",2", 3" and sometimes even 4" slabs, which I re saw on the mill into other products. The trick is finding a market for them, but if you can it's the difference between getting by and doing a little better. Then you get some logs that are no good for anything, but look ok. I had one day when the timber I milled cost more than the value of the beams produced because of various defects. Making feather edge boarding "wastes" 70% of log. Again, if you have other things you can use the "waste" for, then you doing well. The biggest caution I would say is finding a market at all. For main products or waste. That's one of the many reasons I started on a CSM before making a hefty financial commitment. There's no reason why you shouldn't start with a £30k machine. Just consider what market exists and what price you will need to charge per cubic meter (or whatever measurement you prefer) to get your piece of it. Oli

You will know whether you have enough of an existing market already so that's the first thing to consider, as there's no point making anything you can't shift. Then I would say there's 2 factors to consider. Firstly, if you bought in the timber to make the fencing could you make a profit? Then if you figure out all of your costs to mill and factor in the cost of the time to do it have you increased this profit by an acceptable measure.

Did you find the cause in the end?

I'm interested in getting one too. Woodmizer tell me the cheaper ones are no good for woodmizer blades, but I'd be interested to try one. If you end up getting one, and it can be used on Woodmizer blades I'd be interested to see the results. I'd be happy to pay for the service if I could drop some blades over. I know kennedy grinding in craven arms offer the service, but another mill owner I know was never happy with the results.

Don't have that make, but all depends on starting mc and desires mc, as well as if its hard or soft wood, and how thick it is. On mine fairly green 1"-2" hardwood boards take about 5-6 weeks to get to mc suitable for doors etc. I can only do 3.5 cu meters at a time (less if you count stickers). Then I need to leave another 2 weeks to allow to settle. I've never dried lower mc than that, but if it's for cabinet making you may need to add a week or 2 more, then allow to settle for longer. I would say it is most definitely worth it unless you use more timber than that in the 5 weeks or so it takes to dry. I've never stuck firewood in. The space is always too valuable for me, but depending on the size of kiln your thinking of, and how much space you need in it I'd say go for it. For the cost of mine, it paid for itself the first time I used it. Maybe stick firewood in during periods if it's not needed.

Thanks, I'm really liking it. steep learning curve tho. Also the logs I once preferred for the csm are very different to those I now prefer for the Woodmizer. Shorter, smaller dia logs that are slightly curvy are a waste of time, just got to finish the pile before moving on to my other pile of longer larger dia logs. Same amount of handling, a little extra time in the cut and many times the output. I think that may be the biggest difference between hydraulic bandsaws and csms. It takes me the same amount of time to mill a small 30cm log as a 50cm one pretty much. The 50 cm log yields lots more sawn timber with a proportionately lower waste, and a greater ability to get different dimensions of sawn timber to suit requirements.

I quite like the look of a standing Yew tree, and have been known to get my self in trouble walking in parks etc by commenting to whoever was accompanying me that "I love Yew". I've had a couple of very surprised looks before realising my error and correcting myself, "not You, Yew. Taxus, Taxus"!

Generally speaking I used to produce 12-16 8"x4"x8' oak sleepers in a day on my logosol M8 working alone with a tractor to tow logs, but no loader on the tractor. That's .576 to .768 cubic meters a day. Today I took delivery of a woodmizer lt40, and after completing the training day I milled 16 oak boards for the kiln at 1" by 14" (0.336cumic meters) plus some random width 1"boards from a log the logosol M8 couldn't even handle in under 30 minutes. That log would have had me reaching for my alaskan mill, and taken most of the day, and would have wasted a board in kerf for every 2.5 boards produced, giving more like 12 boards (.252 cubic meters). I honestly don't know how I ever lived without hydraulics!

Sorry Ganit, it's gone. Ended up ordering a woodmizer lt40 to replace it, should be here soon! I um'd and ar'd about it for ages, but I'm saving equivalent to 2/3rds the price of the mill by milling timber for my new house, so it's the only opportunity I'm going to get! Plus woodmizer did a really good offer at the time, which saved another pile of cash. I looked at loads of other mills, and a few looked awesome, but cost more than a woodmizer lt40 to get the same features. Think (hope?) I'll be very happy with it!

Hi, if the guys at copford can't supply to your area, I could do you oak or wr cedar waney edge or feather edge. Bit of a haul tho, so might make it too expensive for you. Cheers, Oli.

Local guy trains ex addicts in arb, welding and/ or other vocational stuff on a residential placement. Most of the guys make it and go into work. A guy who can motivate and train people and offer them a new way of living is worth his weight in gold to society.

There may be an argument for sticking with what you know, and if you're not familiar with husky, stick to stihl? Then again progress would never be made if everyone was afraid of change. Myself I went with the 880, little more ccs and power. I haven't looked back, it's served me very well milling through nearly a couple of hundred tonne of mostly oak. Only slight issue would be direction of fumes from the exhaust when you're milling large slabs at 8" plus, the fumes bounce back off the timber and aren't very pleasant. But I think the husky is the same? When I bought the 880 I factored in the cost of buying it against hoping it would produce at least the equivalent of 1000 oak sleepers, thus costing £1 a sleeper. I have far surpassed this already, and it's stihl going strong! I would not be surprised if it got up to 5000 or 1000 plus now. The rollomatic 36" bar sprocket failed ( but I didn't used to oil the nose, so that's my fault), and I've worn out a 25" rollomatic bar. But now using a sugi 36" bar I think I've matched a bar of equivalent durability to the saw, but this if off topic. I've no familiarity with the bigger huskys, but have an old small one, and over all I prefer stihl, but this is kind of subjective, huskys make good saws, and other people prefer them. I ordered from my local dealer TFM, and they gave me a really good price when I asked. I have to clean the air filter alot from all the fine milling dust. I don't know whether the husky might be less prone to collecting dust? The 880 is LOUD, but I expect the husky will be also. Either way I'm sure you will have a saw you will be happy with.

I hope we can still talk about our Wood. And what about Felix's Chopper?

I won't clutter up the advert thread posting there. This mill came up about a week after I ordered a woodmizer. Gutted! All the best selling it. On another note I had no Idea this forum was run by one guy. All I can say is thanks to you. I've been a member a few months, and have bought logs and sold sawn timber, as well as getting mobile work through it. I have also learned a thing or two. Good work Steve Bullman.

Guitar builders use a variety of different stains on the untreated wood before a final number of coats of lacquer. This is how the tobacco burst or sunburst effects are achieved, as well as a number of other nice effects. I guess if you apply stains to the wood before oils it may help keep the colour longer between coats of oil. Just a thought, I haven't tried this before, but might now!

Having paid a deposit on a woodmizer hydraulic bandsaw mill I'm looking to sell my m8. Its done a bit of work but is still fully functional and I have upgraded the log beds to heavy duty log beds, and include a few spares. I'm probably 4-5 hrs from Kent, but if you want to cone spend a day milling with me you can get a good feel for how you like it, then either buy mine used, or get a new one with the advantage of a warranty for the extra £1000 a new one would cost.

I use danish oil on nearly everything, which does need re coating, but as mentioned above, osmo oil is actually even better... at a price. I've not heard of an alternative to non oil based coats available without going to lacquer or varnish, which last longer between coats, but flakes and takes a lot more work. Would love to hear of something better if there is something. Quick tip if you don't already do it this way. I apply first coat or 2 with 30% Danish oil and 70% white spirit. The white spirit really helps the danish oil penetrate the timber. Then next coat 50% danish, then either 70% or straight danish oil, of which I use 2 coats if I get round to it. Lasts well this way. Eventually you need to re-coat, but if you remember do it before it starts to fade (which I usually don't) the timber retains the colour.

Don't do it! There should be a health warning on milling, it is highly addictive and bad for the health! Anyone know where I can find my local branch of millahaulics anonymous?

Here's the price list they sent me last week. Out of all the companies I have been emailing about a mill in the last few months I have to say they rank with the best at response time, maybe the quickest, and in perfect English. I just don't understand why they made their mobile mill 3 phase, with no petrol/diesel model available. Anyway, there's plenty of options with the standard 600. Fully hydraulic and with 1200 mm wide head, that's £7K plus haulage. reviewers seem happy with their products, but I wonder if it's a bit too good to be true? mobilne Anglia.xls