First Sawmill - Advice needed.

[MtnDoo]

Hi All,

I've been watching these forums for years, and recently built a small log cabin in Colorado via sub-contractors.
Now, we're thinking about building a log house for our family, and would like to saw our own logs.

The goal is to mill raw logs to 8.5" x 12" beams, texture them(draw-knife corners, shoe-plane faces) and assemble them per our custom plans.

Are there any "must-have" features when looking for a sawmill?
I've watched the WM videos, and the hydraulic handling looks nice, as does the electronic height adjustment options.
Is it worth it?  Are there other mid-tier mills I should consider?  Used is fine, if low-hours.

References to good "about" sites would be fine as well.
Thanks in Advance for any advice & direction your can offer!

Regards,

Corey..

[sgschwend]

In a bandmill the hydraulics really help make the big parts like beam.

You may want to look for a mill that has hydraulic feed so you have the power to offload the heavy parts.

Also how long of a beam do you want to make?  The length may set what machine you end up with.

A big mill is needed to handle the heavy logs so that you don't bend the mill or damage a log turner with big logs.


With all that said, you could get the job done with smaller mills or even Alaskan chain saw mills, or a circular mill.  Just going to be a trade-off with how you setup the mill and how much work the mill will do for you versus getting the work done some other way.

[MtnDoo]

Thanks for the reply sgschwend,

I'm looking to mill the logs/beams as a hobby for a while until I get the entire package done.
We'll also do a garage/barn similarly.

Beams will be everywhere between 16' and 34'.
The mill for our purposes doesn't need to be a trailer type, if we can shift some of the investment from wheels/mobility into hydraulics and precision, I'm game.

We do have a Kubota MiniExcavator U45 w/ thumb for moving logs around the yard, but I'd like to be able to saw a bunch of logs each night after getting a set of them into position, then move them over for storage on stringers.

CB.

[sgschwend]

Sounds like you will need to go with a stationary setup so that you can get the length.  Not sure how many mills have log turners that can turn a 35' long log, I would guess that log would weigh a couple of tons.

If a swing mill would work for you, you may find that to your liking.  All manual feed, but you could get the length.  Brand X has a fun video you can watch, they are not portable like the others brands.

You can lengthen a portable but the turners will be in the front half of the mill.  My mill has two, most mills only have one.  The heavy logs taxes most mills.  I was able to handle a 4000 pound log but that was just about all the hydraulics would do.

[MtnDoo]

If the log were wet/fresh, I could see it weighing a couple of tons.
I'm seeking to user drier stock.

Fortunately, it seems that we can source standing-dead Engleman Spruce, or Lodgepole pine, and then the logs would probably sit a year or so on stringers in our yard prior to being cut.  I've got one group of 9 logs (40' avg) that have been drying at 10,200' for over a year.  hehe.  When we fell the trees, the little U-45 excavator could move them around no problem soaking wet.  As to how the hyd system on a mill would move them - I don't know.

Thx for the notes!

CB.

[Ianab]

A Peterson WPF would certainly do the job as the rails are just laid out on the ground, easy to extend as long as you need. Log doesn't need to be turned, unless you are going over size with the beam. An 8" cut mill will saw out a 16x8 beam without moving the log, bigger if you can flip the log over.

A 34ft beam is going to need about 40ft of mill, But the sections just unbolt so you can pack it up and go portable again in 10 mins.

This post has pics of the Peterson guys cutting a 47ft ship mast.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,8172.msg110736.html#msg110736

Ian

[Magicman]

Wow, MtnDoo, you have been quite for a long time.....busy   ???    Welcome back.....

[backwoods sawyer]

You already have the hydraulics with the excavator. Something along the lines of an LT-15 that you can lay out the needed track for the length that you need may be your best option. I run a LT-70 and 20' is all it will cut. Another option that I have seen done is extend a four-post mills frame to the length that you need. However, equipment is still needed to handle the logs. 
Wecome back

[ErikC]

 If these logs are big enough to get more than 1 beam out of, I would recommend a swingmill. If you are just squaring smaller logs, the manual bandmill is probably your best bet for the money. Having that excavator makes all the difference, without it you probably will need hydraulics, or a winch system, for handling logs that long.

[MtnDoo]

The excavator handles the logs very nicely.
We were sure to get an ex with a thumb.
I'm looking to sell the Kubota U-45, and upgrade to a KX-080.
If I could afford it I'd keep both.

The Brand X looks interesting too.
What are the advantages/dis-advantages to a band vs blade mill?
Looks like the length of the frame can be extended pretty easily.

34' is the longest log we'll need.  16' as well.
A single 8.5" x 12" beam will be the yield from each log.
Maybe cut some rough sawn boards for B&B siding under gables.

That's about it.

Here's the mini.

[ErikC]

 A couple of good things about the swing blade. No wavy boards in dry hard knotty wood(probably applies to your situation), easy to sharpen, and the cost per bdft is very low because they last a long time in normal circumstances. My best is 30,000 from one set of carbide teeth. Also there's no need to turn the logs. One good thing about the brandx is if you want to you can turn them, they have a frame sort of like a bandmill, but it isn't needed in most situations. For squaring up single long, small diameter logs though, it might be an advantage.
The downside to the swing blade is they are expensive if you wreck one, band blades are cheap. Pretty hard to wreck though, if you avoid big metal objects buried in logs.  The kerf is more, at least double, but recovery is still very high due to the accuracy, so that's probably a wash. It won't matter for what you have in mind anyway.
I know less about bandmills so will leave some of those specifics to someone else

[scott saunders]

I am in Calif. and own a "Brand X" swingblade mill .....Jay Brand is no longer alive and I don't know where to order a new blade for my mill...??? anyone know were to get one??  530 5585145   help.

[thecfarm]

No help from me, but good luck with your search.