Chainsaw mill project Ideas wanted.

[Taylortractornut]

For  a while now Ive been wanting to build a band mill or a chain mill.    I wasnt quite sure how to go about it though.   I had seen the   Logsol and  the Alaskan mills and  neither really suited me.      The other day talking to Meadows Miller and  Banjo picker when they visited  I got some great advice from Chris.     I want to go with a harvestor bar and a riping chain.     And set it up  with  my bar being raised on lead screws and on a carriage. 

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My big  problem is   I dont have the cash to sink into another larger saw.     I saw a chain mill today that was used to  slab for a smaller bandmill and   it had a  saw motor but  it used a Jack shaft running a harvestor sprocket but with out a ripping chain.       I thought about this while running the  dozer but instead of a saw motor I can get a  12 to 15 hp   verticle shaft engine  for a  good savings over a new saw.      If I ran this larger sprocket with a ripping chain on my rig  would it work.       Ive got most of what I want for my  mill, I have some nice flanged rollers with bearings in them from some  chains from a papermill.   

I also rounded u a lead screw and a some number 40 chain to connect them.   Im sure I have the  stuff for the track and the tubing to make the carriage from.        I also remeber an  older Husky saw I have i nthe shed that  was low hours but my uncle droed it and broke the handle which was no longer available.      I could make it work on a smaller scale.    Right now  production and speed arent a concern.    I just have a few logs time to time that are too good to fire wood and  I need an occasional  board around the place.  Take care TL

[paul case]

do a search on chainsaw mill  by member tjb and you will see some pics of his chainsaw mill on some of his posts and i am sure they are in his gallery. i think his mill is what you are describing anyway. pc

[paul case]

i will try to post a link for ya.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,40605.msg583994.html#msg583994

wow it worked.

[bandmiller2]

Taylor I've never done it but I don't see why you couldn't use the harvestor bar,chain and mount the chain sprocket on a verticle shaft engine like they use on lawn tractors.Castor wheels are made with a "V" to ride on inverted angle iron.A passible lifting arrangement is a simple shaft with wire cable wrapped around it crank and ratchet to hold position. Frank C.

[Hilltop366]

Check out this one.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,41080.0/all.html#lastPost

I used a 16 hp (from a lawn tractor) with one belt, two belts would be better with that hp.

[MotorSeven]

TTN, I had two chainsaw mills(a Hudson & a Woodbug). They work well very plain and simple, but they are slow, and slower because you have to keep chains sharp. I ended up going to a LT15 band...huge difference if you are cutting to build. If for a hobby, chaiunsaw is fine.....jmho.

[sgschwend]

Sounds like a good project.  Here is one caution.  The ripping chain is costly.  A 27RA chain is over $.50 per drive link.  Not sure what size you would need for a harvester bar, but their are .404 pitch .063 gauge bars so the 27RA chain would fit those .

I am going to try and use a different model ripping chain, which is half the price.  On my slabber I need 190 drive links, so one 27RA190 chain is $100 plus shipping. 


The other trick is to find a large sprocket so that the chain has decent rpm, I think mine is a 15 tooth.   Those may not cheap either.

[Taylortractornut]

Hilltop366 I just ran ay icross yours  on  Youtube.    Your mill is 99.9  percent what  I want.     The  3 phase rig I  saw was pretty quick.    Intentions are to later build a    band mill but  a Chain mill had me iterested  for  milling some  landfill trees and chunks for    a later project of a bowl  lathe. 

[Hilltop366]

Taylortractornut, reply # 6 and 16 pretty well sums up what I would do different if I was to make another, using a large chain saw would be easier and faster than the four stroke but I never liked the thought of ripping with one a lot, there just not made for it.

Bailey's has 3/8 chain @ $.24 per link and .404 @ $.29, The last time I looked they also had harvester sprockets.