Should I buy a chainsaw mill?

[peter nap]

I posted this in sawmills and then realized it should have gone here :-[ I hope.

I am starting a Pole Barn that has turned into a post and beam Barn and I expect will turn into a full timber frame barn. Shocked

I'm an experienced carpenter and I am brand new to timber framing except for several traditional boats I built. In other words, I know nothing and freely admit it!

After pricing beams, siding, etc, I have started to wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper to buy a chainsaw and mill attachment, (I have a couple of saws but my biggest is a Husky 445 and I don't think it's up to the job}....and cut my own lumber. I have trees.

Any opinions and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[jph]

I used to use a chainsaw mill powered by two 2101xp saws (the biggeset saws I could find). It worked well but it was hard, dusty , backbreaking work. OK if you are young and fit. We milled alot of large oak with it in people's back gardens.
However if all your logs are in one location I would say you would be well advised to get someone in with a woodmizer or similar and get straight on with the cutting of your timber frame.
John

[Kevin]

Chainsaw mills are ok for hobby work but I would suggest buying a small manual mill and selling it when you're done if you don't want to keep it.

[oldsaw]

Chainsaw mills are ok for hobby work but I would suggest buying a small manual mill and selling it when you're done if you don't want to keep it.

I have to agree.  I love my CSM, but I only do a few bft here and there in places where bandmills fear to tread, and my legs play out hauling boards out of.  I see 200bft as a real "catch".

Mark

[hazard]

I posted some comments on this in your other thread.  I agree with what has been said above.  Backbreaking work for a small amount of wood.

Before you buy the mill I think you should come up with a method for setting up the initail cut.  Cutting beams 16' long will be a challange setting up for.  Maybe use square steel tubes that won't flex.

Chris