Looking at getting a chainsaw mill. Getting logs is not an issue. What would be some ways to make a little side income?. New to the whole milling wood experience. All info is welcome!
If you want to make money, you need a market. Maybe you could make tables, or cabinets, or do some other type of wood working project where you could use your mill to get the rough wood you need. Or maybe you can find wood workers who need types of wood that you can mill from time to time.
Good luck and welcome to the forum.
Thanks. I was planning on making some small things to try to sell why I look around to sell ties or maybe some lumber. I eventually want to work my way to a band mill. But for now just learn what I can about milling and do some with a saw.
If I was sawing with a chainsaw mill, I would be looking at slabs, rustic benches, and other things that play to a chainsaw mill's strengths (big wide cuts).
Thanks that's a good idea barbender. Where would I market stuff like tho?
Clev10,welcome to the forum.
Where do you live will help some with the questions.
Get set up on facebook,webpage,maybe even youtube. Flea markets,country fairs. Makeup business cards.
In my area it would be kinda hard to do this. People don't have alot of money.Summer time would work out better here. Get all the people from away and they can bring stuff back and say,Look what I bought in Maine. ;D
Where are you located?
The quickest thing you'll learn making lumber and ties from a chainsaw mill is that chainsaw mills are a lot of work and suck at production. I'm guessing you might get one tie per hour if you including filing time and work fast. (10 minutes per cut is a pretty common figure) That's before the gas, oil, and wear and tear on the saw.
Chainsaw mills have their place for sure. Specialty oversize stuff. Yard trees with great figure but may have metal. The other option a chainsaw mill can be decent at is sawing beams for timberframing. Not for lumber and ties.
If you have the logs, it would be a lot better to sell some and use the money to buy a real mill. Even a HF mill would put a chainsaw mill to shame for production.
Hey Clev10, I suspect you're getting the idea. Maybe someone will come along with a list of great projects. There's really not much limit to the kinds of things you can mill. But of course you would not be able to mill boards as quickly as you could with a big band saw.
Thanks for all the ideas. Looking at just making small crafts just to get into milling. And work my way to a HF bandmill. 10mins per cut is quite a bit of time for making ties.
Hey Clev,
I started the same way you are talking about. I bought the Norwood chainsaw mill to mill beams for a workshop i want to build. After one summer of milling 4 6x6 beams in a day i upgraded to a bandsaw mill. Starting with the chainsaw mill definately gave me the sawdust bug but it also cost me around $1000 for the mill and more than that for a husqvarna 395xp chainsaw. I could have put that money towards my bandmill. Good luck with whatever you choose.
Thanks alpine I already have saws. Just was going to buy the mill attachment. It seems fun I've been looking at trying it for a while.
I too started with a chainsaw mill. After trying it for two or three years, I decided to go to a bandmill. If you can be satisfied making a half dozen slabs a weekend, it might be just the thing you need. I needed more production and the trees I'm sawing didn't lend themselves to chainsaw milling - mostly hardwood and a lot of white oak.
I'm 55 years old, it didn't take long for the chainsaw mill to get old. It is hard on the back and knees and it is proportionately harder as the width of cut increases.
Welcome to the forum.
I started with a chainsaw mill, upgraded to a band saw mill and recently added a chainsaw mill back in to my stable so I can mill wide slabs.
I wouldn't use my chainsawmill to try and produce lumber in any quantity unless I was milling in a remote location.
You might try craigslist to sell slabs and benches.
A guy I know just displays his slabs and benches outside his house and people stop by and buy them. No advertising at all!
Jon
Thanks everyone! Plan on still getting one and cutting so wood to make small projects out of. Then eventually getting a bandmill. That's the current plan!
unless you have a need for a really big chainsaw I would say your better off getting a cheap low end bandmill. you going to end up there eventually. several companies that have mills available for under $3000.
If you are any good at fabricating you can buy a mill for less than $3000 then modify it to whatever you want it to do.
I would echo what the others have said. I have a chainsaw mill and it is a lot of work. It has its place for sure, but if getting logs is not a problem then get a band saw mill.
Check my posts I have a lot of info. Just what everyone else said. A lot of work for a little lumber. The logosol is not as slow as some have mentioned. I have some vids posted you could check the speed.