looking to fix up an old saw for milling

[boatman]

I just picked up a mid '60s Homelite C51 from my father in law.  He bought it new, used it for 25 years and then put it in the basement.  I need a bigger saw so I decided to fix it up and take it for a spin.

Anyone here used a c51 for milling?

This got me thinking that I should start looking for a big old saw to use for milling.  What saw should I be looking for?

Heavy doesn't matter.  I like old American made stuff, and I can fix most things.

[Ironwood]

I have a local guy with a whole milling outfit, two 075's and the complete mill (including old ladder) both saws look to be in decent shape. One is running the other may need carb work. I'll pm ya.

Ironwood

[Magicman]

I know that there are plenty of them cutting every day, but personally I would rather use a saw with a chainbrake.  I just retired two XL12's because of safety.

[Al_Smith]

I doubt a c-51 Homelite would make a very milling saw .It's slow as a snail and only 77 cc's .In my opinion although not shared by eager fellows when it comes to milling ,you need at least 100 cc to get any kind of performance using a chainsaw to rip with .

Now I've used both a 2100 Homelite and a 125 Mac to rip with and even that size is no speed demon . Further more I doubt seriously if an 880 Stihl or 3120 Husky would actually cut much faster besides the fact they cost-a plenty for a new one .On that option after you bought the saw and maybe an "Alaska" type mill device you would have about as much in them as a small mill .

The "old blue" Homeys are indeed a good old saw--in the day .That day has passed though .Nice old saws for a little resto project but they don't usually see much service after that  except a run now and again to keep the cobwebs blown out .

[jteneyck]

Don't know anything about the C-51, but I have milled a lot of hardwood with a Husky 385 XP, and it's definitely up to the task.  This is the saw recommend by Logosol with their mill.  A larger saw may be better, but I find that a sharp chain is more important than HP, so you might get by with a 77 cc saw for cuts no wider than around 16 inches, 12 inches even better.  I've cut stuff up to 22" with my 385 XP, but it's pretty slow going, maybe only 1 - 1.5 ft/min.  At 12" I can average about 2.5 - 3 ft/min in oak, cherry, etc.  I spent just about $1000 for my saw and Alaskan Mill when I bought them 5 or 6 years ago.  It was the cheapest milling option by far.  I wouldn't choose the chainsaw approach for high volume, but for the 500 - 600 BF I mill per year it has worked just fine. 
Be careful, though, because milling is highly addictive.  I have to remind myself that the reason I started milling was for wood for my furniture making and not just to make lumber. 

[Al_Smith]

 Well truth be known you could mill with a Mini Mac if it wasn't too big of stuff and you weren't in a hurry . I tried it with a 76 cc 048 and the good old Stihl while being a good old faller wasn't a good old miller .

I can make about a foot a minute on 18" red oak using those 100 plus cc reed valve classics but I doubt I get half that with that Stihl .Okay I suppose for an occasional cut the plank out of the log stuff but not a production thing for sure .

[boatman]

I checked into parts prices.  There are rings available on ebay for @$15 and rechroming the cylinder would cost @$200.  A few other parts are available, maybe I will get them and put them on a shelf.  Then I will need a carb kit.

So @$300 to get an old 77cc saw going.  It lasted my father in law 25 year an he never did anything but put fuel and oil in it.

If I could only find an ol 066 to rebuild for the same price.

[Al_Smith]

If you are really bound and determined to rebuild that old Homelite you could do a lot better with parts .Get a hold of Scott who is a sponser on this site . He has chainsaw parts by the ton ,nice guy to deal with too .

Now it might be a nostalgia thing which is not my call .However you go dumping 250-300 bucks in that old blue saw it's still only worth 50-75 bucks tops if that much .For that matter get Scott on the phone he just might have 066 parts because he gets stuff in all the time . Using an 066 as compaired to that antique is like compairing a model A to a mustang .

[boatman]

Thanks Al_Smith,

Scott has a piston and cylinder for $65 and a sew sprocket for $10.  It just wasn't on the website. 

Yes, it was my father in laws saw, he bought it new and used it to cut fire wood for 25 years.  I am going to get it going, use it until I can get a better saw and return it to him in running condition.  I think he will appreciate it and I need a bigger saw for a while.