The Forestry Forum

I am going to start work on a log  home this summer.  I have to fall trees and cut  6x8s and 2x6´s.
Does anyone have experience with tools like Prizi beam cutter, Granberg´s Alaskan ssmall log milling attachment, Granberg´s minim mill, the  beam machine etc.   Which are worth buying.

I´ll be  cutting dimension, boards(probably  hire a protable bandsawer for this) do framing cuts etc.
Jim

Why not have the portable do all of your sawing and save you time .... ???

Hiring a portable mill to make the beams and boards will save you a bunch of time and may not cost much more than doing it yourself.  When you begin to assemble the frame, a Prazi beam cutter will be real usefull as you can controm the cut across a full size beam from one side.

I use a prazi beam saw -- no complaints -- make a portable jig that you can set it in so it does not get banged up -- knocked around everytime you put it down.
I got use to droppoing  a circular saw after finishing cuts over the years -- don't want to do that with the bar attached.

If hiring in a bandmill is an option I'd go that route as well.
Falling the trees in winter saves some effort. They debark easier and are lighter.

The granberg I use for quartering large logs. The alaskan mill more for cutting large slabs. For accuracy I like the alaksan mill -- but both can do the same work -- become a master at sharpening chain.


 

  Instead of using  a Prazi beam cutter  why don't you use a chainsaw Just mark your cut with a pencil , cut the line with a olfa knife and cut the beam with the saw ...

Hello,
   I own a WM LT40HD, a prazi beam saw, and a RipSaw.
   The beam saw is OK but I have a hard time making perfect cut with it (ie. sq within 1/16 on a 8x8) keeping it razor sharp helps alot. I would recommend using a worm drive power unit a they are more robust than the standard direct drive units.
   The RipSaw I find very useful for making lap joints, I have had no problems with mine so far. I have sawn only one log with it and found it very time consuming. I used it two years ago to saw two 10X14 X 30 ft red oak beams from one log.  I had to saw it where it fell as there was no way to get a machine in to move the log. It is much easier to saw with my woodmizer.
neslrite