Chain Saw mills

[Furby]

Is that State and Federal Highways/Expressways, or just regular roads, there's a difference??? It gets left behind along regular roads for the property owners.
It's Illegal to stop along a highway/expressway with out a permit, for other then emergency reasons. Least that's what I was told. :

[oldsaw]

They had a serious crew in to trim it up and just left it from there.  It is sitting just like when they left it.  Gonna call the golf course and start the investigation.

The temptation has been there too long, and nobody else appears to have been after it.  

[Furby]

Yeah, I know what ya mean. :
I know where there was a fair amount of Red Oak down or almost down in a wide median. They cut the stuff closer to the road and just let the other stuff to rot. Still a few I wouldn't mind getting, but it's right near the area they posted for the other missing trees. Not worth it I guess. :

[Timo]

 :-[ One more note on Chainsaw VS bandsaw from a health and safety perspective:

2 stroke exhaust is not that great for you. I ran a chainsaw mill for a while to produce floor boards and beams. It worked ok, but I couldn't stand the amount of exhaust it put out. Now, an old 075 in poor tune is not a great reference point, I know, but it still bears a bit of thinking about. With a band saw you will be sucking up less exhaust, and it will not be burned 2 stroke oil!

Most of the professional cutters I know (chainsaw spacers and brushers mostly) use Optimal 2, which works at a 100:1 mix. This reduces the fumes substantially. However, I don't think there is any way to clean up a 2 stoke saw to the point where is matches a clean running 4 stroke engine. Also, with the engine running at waist level, I find the exhaust tends to hover around instead of disipating. Maybe I should find windier locations to cut!

Anyone else out there share this concern, or have you not found it to be an issue. Maybe I'm just overly sensetive :

[Furby]

Yep, if I'm not careful, the fumes from a chainsaw can make me sick real easy. Not a bit of trouble from my bandmill.
It would probly blow a chainsaw miller away how much wood can be cut on the same amount of gas with a band mill, and there is none of that burning oil involved.

[DonE911]

Not to say its not true for others, but I have not had any issues with the fumes from my saw on the mill.  I don't run the optima 2, but I may have to give it a try.   I don't recall ever seeing it anywhere, what types of retail places carry it?  

I have gotten more than my share of fumes while limbing and bucking and would love to reduce that if possible for health reasons.

The fumes from a 4 cycle are not exactly healthy either, but neither are eggs or bacon or a 100 other things that I like ;D

The chainsaw mill will never be for the high production guys/girls , but for us smaller/hobby users it is cost effective and the lost boards to sawdust are not a huge issue at the volumes we cut.

[oldsaw]

If there is any breeze at all, I don't get any bad whiffs.  Worst thing for me is that when I have Sawwood on the other end, the upright gets really hot with the front firing exhaust.

I have fewer complaints about chainsawmill exhaust than I did the Lawn Boy I couldn't stand to be behind.  I was always breathing LB exhaust, I only suck some chainsaw mill exhaust in every once in a while.  Although I did have one no breeze hot day that was bad.

[Norm]

I was wondering if some of you folks that use chainsaw mills could recomment what to use for cutting slabs with. I can cut up to 28"'s on the wm but would like to cut some slabs from the bigger logs I get in. I have a 3120 husky to use.

[Kevin]

I use a mask with the chain saw mill, it helps with the fumes and --Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--.com/photo/13012199/14138484YHJZryGlYK

Norm, for anything that large you could mill it with the Alaskan but you would need an additional oiler on the far end of the bar.
If the milling of the slabs is just to get the log on the mill fee hand would be an option.

[Norm]

Thanks Kevin, I want to make a few up for my own use, new desk and such. I'll look into the Alaskan.

[weimedog]

This discussion really is interesting based on a persons perspective.

I mill for myself and for my projects out of my own woods. It frees me financially and time wize to do projects in my time frame using wood cut to my particular specifications. I can mill fast enough to meet my time schedules....and the ONLY people around here where I live who give me greif are those who have either purchased someone elses services and need to justify that expense or those who have INVESTED in a nice band saw setup for production and now need to COMPETE with the home owner who can do his own stuff. (Some of the locals have been almost hostile taking the "how dare you take business away" type attitude..no kidding.) I would hate to be a guy close by who has invested in a service watching me and others around here who are seeing how this works. Makes that sale a little tougher when we have options where we never thought there were option.

I have to say if I was doing really large projects, and that equates to the same mindset as production oriented milling; I would buy (And probably will buy) a band saw mill for the smaller wood for all the reasons mentioned above. Especially because a band saw mill would allow me to utilize some of my smaller trees for lumber. But for now I am milling BIG trees. Many are over mature Maples & Ash. I have been getting way better results than all the naysayers around here said I would. So my expectation was lower than reality...therefore I am happy. That Alaskan mill setup was the best 400-500 bucks I have ever spent. Allows my family to move forward at our pace on projects I never dreamed would be possible. Its like money, once you have the capability you wonder how you ever did without. And that is even before you factor in this lumber making deal is yet another way to engage my old saw hobbie to productive results. The new saw dealer.......well thats another story. Bet I have less in my 6-7hp class saws in mass (all three of them and all the parts I have bought for them) than it would cost to buy one new. Bet they last long enough for me to complete my tasks here on this earth as well.

I have to say that for me the old saw hobbie IS NOT driven by their cost & value..never has for me and never will..but its turned out to be a definable benifit. Same with chainsaw milling.

Another note about how municipalities deal with tree cutting. The one I work for takes the approach the the land owner gets the wood if he wants it. If the LAND owner gives permission...drag it away. We maintain around 240 miles of roads and run tree crew spring &fall. Typically we will cut the trees to either firewood size so people CAN pick it up and get it OUT of our right-of-way or 8ft sections for farmers to make fence post. (Locust) State actually does the same where they can. The freeways & high trafic secondary roads require a bit more thought & restrictions (and therefor HAVE more restrictions) because of the liability issues.

[Barkman]

Very interesting discussion.  I really, really want a fancy expensive bandmill.  One with all the hydraulics and stuff.  But, it's just NIB (not in the budget) and may stay that way for a while.  :'(  In the last year, I've put some straight stuff in the wood boiler pile that could have made some kind of lumber.  It pains me to burn a straight wood, but, I often find myself with only a small amount of straight wood.  So, I am interested in a chainsaw mill, to avoid this type of waste.  I've looked at the various chainsaw mills on the internet, but find the pictures and descriptions lacking.  I would be interested in seeing pictures and reading descriptions of the operation of various chainsaw mills, to help me develop a more educated opinion on these mills.   

[Furby]

Go to google and click "images", do a search for "chainsaw mills".
Lots of interesting ideas.
Also look through the forum image archives here.

[thecfarm]

Barkman don't give up on a bandsaw yet.I have a Thomas Mill made in Brooks ME.www.thomasbandsawmills.com I live in Chesterville,maybe 1/2 hour from you. It's buried in snow now and I'm busy building the wife a addition to the greenhouse.Have all the lumber sawed and I have it in the greenhouse I built her last year. You're more than welcome to come up and see it.They will be at Bangor and they have open house through the summer to see the saws in use.They will be at a few Fairs too.I think you can buy a small one for $5000.I know that's alot more than a chainsaw mill.These are all manual mills.

[Barkman]

Thanks for the tip.  I had never heard of them.  Definitely worth investigating. :P  How much does it cost you to operate one of these and is the maintenance difficult or time consuming?  Also, is there much of a learning curve to operating one?  I've watched a couple of bandmills operate, but that's the extent of my experience with them.  I guess thats part of the reason I was leaning toward a chainsaw mill initially.