Need help choosing a mill

[thecfarm]

northern California,can't help you for a show there. But there will be one in Vermont in May. ;D

[hunz]

I would definitely suggest a swing mill or go full hydraulics. When I first bought my manual mill, I figured it would just be about twice as slow as a hydraulic mill with the same engine. Boy was I wrong. My budget was limited at the time so my choices were narrow concerning hydraulics. Looking back, I learned a lot from my manual however I wish I just saved more up and went hydraulic like I'm doing now.

I turned many large logs(33" white oak, 33"x20' white pines by the dozens), but man was it a lot of work despite a skidsteer helping. It was about 25 hours on the engine meter when I realized how much I would wear out my body to accomplish my goal. We all have our own opinions and experiences. From mine, two things that are essential to operating a mill with large logs..... power feed and some form of a built on log turner. I wish you the best with your road to a new mill!

[customsawyer]

Welcome to the forum. I second the suggestion that you go and see some different mills run if you can.

[Fla._Deadheader]

All good advice above. Here is another idea.

Visit Linnlumber.com on the 'net. They are located in Oregon, I believe. They sell kits or parts to build a very basic band mill. IF you have the tools and ability to build a mill, this one can be modded to a wider cutting capacity. It will get you started, and, you can mod it with any features you want, and there is a GREAT amount of help available, right here. It will also be a lot less money up front. Sawing lumber and selling can create funding for upgrades, once the mill is paid off.

A decent manual mill can turn out a bunch of lumber per day.

My Son and I built an oversized woodmizer type mill, and, could saw 37" wide LUMBER, from 40"+ logs, up to 16' long. One of our best selling products was wide table slabs. We could saw 4" thick at 36" wide leaving live edge, which was another good selling feature.

Adding electric-hydraulics, whatever, is not as difficult as one might imagine.

Check the site out, and still, go see mills running. Then, you can see what is involved in possibly building something, if you so desire. Never hurts to cover all the bases. Good luck.

[two-legged-sawmill]

Hello drewsteele, Just for a little more information on Big Mills try Hud-son Forestry Equipment. Our Oscar 52 will do a 48" slab or cant cut! Our 60" will do 53" inside the Guides, Try web site www.hud-son.com;
Buying a  mill to do this size timber will cost you considerable more than 5 to7K
how ever!  Dan sr

[kevin19343]

I have an EZ Boardwalk 40 that will cut a true 36" board, and will take logs up to 42" in diameter. I think I paid around $9,000 for the saw, trailer package, blade sharpener, log roller, delivery charges, and 4 blades.

I'm very happy with it so far and have already run out of room in my barn which is full of wide slabs of cherry and walnut.

[EZland]

I have a EZboardwalk Jr. and push it to the limits for size of logs.  I have cut logs up to 30 inches, but it is challenging to lay the log on there just right to get it to pass down the track.  I have cut cants as wide as 19 inches and slabs out to 26".  I did cut one to a full 29, but I removed one roller for the mill to pass. 

I wish I could bought the Boardwalk 40, but it was out of my price range.  The boardwalk is well made and holds up to some serious abuse.  Most parts can found anywhere.  I see Kevin bought the whole package.  Nice. 

Keep in mind that once you buy the mill.  That is only part of it.  I have 18 blades, The wheel package and a couple of logrite log cants. 

Good luck! 

[Tom the Sawyer]

Just something to consider when evaluating maximum cut width and maximum diameter log size claims... ask about the maximum cut height above the bed.  My mill was originally marketed as "logs up to 36" in diameter".  The maximum distance between the guides is about 25" and the maximum blade height above the bed is just under 28". 

Consider the 'ideal' 36" diameter log (round and straight).  The width of an opening face 27.75" above the bed would be 30.5".  I would need to raise my cut about 3" in order to get the opening face down to approximately 24".  If the log has even an inch of sweep then you won't be able to complete the cut without some trimming with a chainsaw. 

With the maximum height and width of cut on my mill, the largest perfectly round log I should be able to cut would be 32.5" in diameter.  Even then, a 4.5" thick slab will be heavy to handle. 

I suspect that most mills have the fixed side (drive-side) guide roller positioned somewhat outside the face of the backstops for clearance.  In order to maximize my cut I have to reduce that clearance by lowering the backstops and nudging big logs a little further to the left before clamping them.  That works for the first face but the second face of a round log will also be the same height and, if you want to assure the second face is 90° to the first one, you may not be able to use the stops and have to nudge it over like you did on the first face.  Of course, you can use a level to square it up and still gain an inch or so - it just takes even more time. 

Fortunately, few big logs are perfect.  You might be able to saw off the high spots first, the flare may fit down between the supports and give you a couple of inches, and you should always keep your chainsaw handy.  You may be able to put those thick opening slabs back on the mill later and get a few more boards. 

If you are considering a mill just big enough to saw the common sizes of logs you'll be handling I think that your efficiency will be much lower than you may expect.   

[Mountain Guardian]

You do not have to have a mill that will mill 36 inches to do those logs, just throw together a quick simple and cheap alaskan mill set up and cut say six inches of round off each side, you are then left with a max size of about 24 inch cants.

Now you only need a mill that will cut up to 24 inches.  As for inexpensive mills, in that price range you are pretty much looking at band mills.  Hudson has some good mills in that price range, Harbor Freight actually has a pretty inexpensive band mill that is only around $2,200 or so.  I am a member of a wood working forum and about fifteen members have bought the Harbor Freight bandmill.  It is not the greatest mill in the world, but it does work and with just a bit of working on it can be made into a pretty good mill.

I have a little Hudson HFE 21 mill with electric motor, it ran me about $3,350 delivered with 16 feet of track and 16 blades.  It is a bit more expensive now for that one.  This mill will only cut a max width of 18 inches though, so on my big logs I run my alaskan set up and run the logs down to 18 inch cants side to side, the height is no longer a problem for me I modified my mill to cut up to 28-29 inch tall logs.  With my extra track (angle iron I bought at the metal supply) my concrete pad, plywood deck over rough cut deck, door rail tracks and rollers, Peavey (log turner), 20 inch log tongs, and chain hoists I am into this system a total of about $4,000.

If you include the planers and routers table saws chop saws lathe and all that my total is a bit higher, but it is awful handy being able to produce nice finished lumber to use here on the farm buildings and the house.

If you are interested, I can put my alaskan mill set up plans on here, it is incredibly simple to build and pretty dang inexpensive as for materials.  It is also stouter and more accurate than most of what I have seen being sold in the way of alaskan mill set ups.

When I cut the rounds off my logs I later put the rounds on the mill and flatten them off and use them for fence boards, so if you were concerned about excess waste of the wood, even though you cut the rounds off with the alaskan mill they can still be utilized on the mill.

[dboyt]

Look at the value of your end product.  I assume that that you are producing high-value lumber, and that the 36" diameter log is the exception.  I recently cut some 36" diameter by 10' sycamore on my Norwood HD36 (no hydraulics on the mill).  Even with the mill set up as portable, it stood up well to the weight of the logs, even though some were dropped on it pretty hard, and it was bumped by the loader hard enough to push it sideways about a foot, while a log was on it.  A solid frame is absolutely critical for big logs.  We used a Prentice loader to load and turn the logs.  I was able to get 30" wide slabs by taking the blade guides off, with no problems.  Great thing about the Norwood is that you can start out manual (which is what I have), and add hydraulics later.


 


 

[Magicman]

That first log surely is dirty.   :-\

[Peder McElroy]

Where are you in northern California? I'm in Santa Cruz. I have a Lucas 618 and it is great for large logs and you don't have to turn them once in place. I used to have a Woodmizer lt40 but don't have it anymore,I'm thinking of buying a Woodland Mills 126 for cutting wider boards and also for the price. The swing mill is great for  framing lumber and decking.