Cutting Angles

[Kevin]

Just a note on cutting large timber at any angle such as 45° .
I mark the beam and use the mini mill/chainsaw and guide, clamping the guide to the beam.
You could also use the beam machine or something similar.

[Jim_Rogers]

One good tool that I use to cut large beams is called a "Beam Cutter" by Prazi, it's a chain saw bar attachment for a worm drive skil saw. You remove the regular saw blade and this attaches to the arbor and guard bracket and it hangs down from the saw sole plate at a 90° angle, thereby making very nice cuts. The bar length is almost 12" and this means you can cross cut, or angle cut very large beams. Good Luck with your projects, Jim

[ohsoloco]

Jim, I have a Big Foot saw, which is a 7-1/4" worm drive skil saw with a 10-1/4" blade & guard put on it.  Would this attatchment work on this saw?  

[Jim_Rogers]

I'm not sure, maybe. Here is the link to the site and page where you can see it:
http://www.praziusa.com/beamcutter.html
You'll have to check with them. Good Luck, Jim

[Kevin]

Thanks Jim, I had forgot about that.
Now I need a new saw to go with it.  :

[Scotty2]

The Prazi is a good unit. Not right on exact unless you pay attention and don't push it. (only gotten one complaint so far), the Beam Machine is about as low tech and cheap ($40), as you can get and still get the job done. The Granberg mini-mill is more precise than the Beam Machine, (take a look at the neat stand this fellow made;
http://www.loghomestore.com/mini-mill.html ).
And of course, the Grand Poopa is the Makita 16-5/16" beam saw. With a carbide tooth blade this is one great tool. They recently beefed up the base so it strays true easier.

Regards, Scotty

[Kevin]

I use something similar for chainsaw ripping --Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--.com/photo/13012199/14138523oWJPiQXkZr]picture[/url][/b]

[Jim_Rogers]

About the Makita saw, here is a story I posted on another forum back in June, but I'm sure it still could apply:

Recently I needed a beam saw to cut nine saw cut grooves 4 ½" deep totaling 5 ¾" wide down the top side of a 200" long beam, so that we could then chisel out the middle of this beam to create a pocket to hide a glue lam beam. I went to Home Depot and rented a Makita 16 5/16" beam saw for $40 a day. When I returned the saw the next day, by the way it worked great to do the job intended; I told them if they ever wanted to sell it, I'd buy it. They said they sell all the tools they rent. And that this beam saw was currently valued at $249.50 (the computer automatically de-values the saw each time it's rented) and it was available for sale. Amazon.com tool crib sells this saw for $599. This rental saw had only been rented 6 times since new over 2 ½ years. I got it and it works great.
You could try going to your local Home Depot store and see if they have one available for sale from their tool rental section, you might find a good deal there, also. Good luck, Jim

[Don P]

I bought my big Makita before the last few price increases   :D. It has served me well. I think the original steel blade has one cut on it, went carbide Freud immediately. It is underpowered make no bones about it. The motor is the same as on my 7 1/4 Makita framer, 13 amp. Same brushes too. There is a reduction gear in the drivetrain that slows the tip and helps with power...but I've about toasted this motor on rips. It has smelled electrical on several sessions. Count on buying 2 carbide blades as well as purchase price, minimum. On rips I use a 7 1/4 then an 8, then the 16, sometimes shallow then deep. It is a pitiful ripper. A friend reset the original blade for rips and claims limited success.  That said, I grab the big Makita saw for any thick work, if at all possible I leave the Prazi at home, it is a rough cutter. Coupled with no oiling this is my skilsaw of last resort. I do have the Prazi hooked to a Milwaukee worm drive, highest amp saw it'll couple to, never bogs. I like the Prazi on window flares and such, where sanding can dress it up and accuracy doesn't matter too much. Most of the time I'll grab the 034 before the Prazi. I've used a Linear Link with another crew for a couple of years and think this is a superior saw to the Prazi, at least it had a manual oiler. I would like to see the new foot for the Makita and am curious if it is available as a retrofit.  I worked along a guy that had the habit of dropping his saw the last few inches to the ground, this will destroy the Makita.  A skilsaw with a bent table is aggrevating, a big skilsaw with a bent table is liable to render french you were not aware you knew. Ended up with a 10 lb stainless plate for the foot...not too bad but the saw weighs 38 lbs less blade right from the box.

I think a bigfoot is already an attachment on a skil wormdrive, not sure what modifications have already been made. The Prazi or Linear Link will mate to a stock saw, not sure what they've done to make a Bigfoot :-/

[blue_eyed_devil]

Bigfoot Tools makes another attachment called the "headcutter" which will mount up to your chainsaw bar.I don't own one but plan on it soon.
It would be faster than the Prazi depending on your saw's displacement.
Hi Don
Do you know if they still make the Linear Link.I hav'nt seen them around for years.They were a nice unit!

[Kevin]

What chain do they sell with the Prazi?

[Jim_Rogers]

I can't seem to find any info in my user manual about the chain other than it takes a 5/32" file. My manual was in the box I built for the saw and a mouse eat the book in order to get into the box through a hole in the side. So a big portion of the book is missing.
There is a 800# for any questions about the prazi. It's 1-800-262-0211. The part number for the chain is P7020.

That's all I can help you with on this, today. Jim

[Don P]

I've got my best looking for the manual...she just said "cool ,the clock manual "  :D

Hi Blue, glad you came by  .
Linear Link ...link,
http://www.linearlink.com/index.htm

Hope you'll find time to post pics of some of the toys you've built. I think Deadheader might like to see the Eagle, a pic of your mill would be right on time too. Everyone here is a fabricator of some sort  ;D :D

Oh well, she says the Prazi book isn't up here, if its in the moho I'll find it, if its in the barn its probably no better off than Jim's.

Gotta go work on a clock  :-/