# Saw Milling for Green as Fresh cut wood



## Matthew Jaynes (Sep 1, 2015)

I have recently been looking for portable saw mills for milling large logs and doing some research on it, unfortunately the portable bandsaw mills are out of my price range at the moment. but I have seen mills that you hook up chainsaws to, to mill the wood into manageable boards. Any thoughts or critics on the use of chainsaw mills, and if recommended, what brand chainsaw and length is best suited for the job? I see a lot of Poulan Chainsaws on the craigslist but I heard that are not good saws compared to others. If this was a topic of discussion already on a earlier thread I do apologize for the repeat :(


----------



## Kevin (Sep 1, 2015)

@woodtickgreg 
@JR Custom Calls 
@othersIcantRememberJustNow

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Matthew Jaynes (Sep 1, 2015)

Kevin said:


> @othersIcantRememberJustNow



^^^^ that right there is awesome LOL

Reactions: Agree 2


----------



## JR Custom Calls (Sep 1, 2015)

Greg is going to be the man with better answers than me… but from all the research I've done, the tips from Greg (and Kevin), and a little bit of experience, here's my opinion… 

Forget Poulan. Look in to a bigger saw with a good reputation. Husqvarna, Stihl, Jonsered.. look for a saw in the 80cc or bigger range. Stihl MS660, 880, Husqvarna 385, 390, 394/395, 3120, or an equivalent saw. 

Milling with a chainsaw is slow, and not quite as practical. Great for slabbing, but dimensional lumber is not going to be easy or quick. 

Bar size is going to greatly depend on the logs you want to mill. I have a 36" on my milling setup, but plan to get a smaller bar for smaller logs. The smallest bar you can get by with for the logs your milling is best, as turning extra chain just robs power. 

Panther Pro mills are a very economical way to get set up once you have a saw. But, don't expect to get set up on the cheap. If you don't have a saw, you're looking at nearly $1000 or more if you go with a good used saw… and if you don't know what you're doing with a saw, that can be risky.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Informative 1


----------



## norman vandyke (Sep 1, 2015)

After having used a bandsaw mill, thank you @justallan, I can tell you that had planned on purchasing a large chainsaw and milling jig to mill logs. I am now saving up for the bandsaw mill. I know csm's work well for a lot of people but after using a bandsaw mill, there's no turning back for me now. I know woodmizer has mills starting at around $4000. That is bottom line, pull start with no extra track though.

If you're really looking to start cheap, I saw a video on YouTube. Some crazy Canadian made a wooden chainsaw mill. It's basically a wood box with boards angled to cradle the logs, which adjusted in height. He also attached a couple pieces of wood to the chainsaw to ride the edge of the box and stay level. Very crude and only good for small stuff but it worked. Just a thought.

I saw another video where a guy took a regular bandsaw and turned it into a moveable mill on wheels. Pretty cool.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## justallan (Sep 1, 2015)

I don't know a thing about the chainsaw mills, but I feel all of the manual bandsaw mills are basically the same animal with different colored paint. If I were starting out again and had limited funds, I would look into the Harbor Freight mill. I think it's pretty much the exact thing as my first mill. Obviously you have to figure on eventually replacing parts as time goes by, but it gets you working and making money.
I started cutting firewood 5 years ago with a pawnshop poulan chainsaw and a splitting maul, worked until I could get a decent saw and then a bandmill, sold that mill and got the one I have now. I only cut firewood and use the mill on cool evenings and Sundays, so it's very do-able if you can find just a small niche market for some of what you are sawing.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## woodtickgreg (Sep 1, 2015)

We have had a bunch of discussions on this topic. At the top left of this page there is a search forums title, click on it and search chainsaw mill, you'll find tons of stuff on this topic, lots of good reading and info. And yes I do love my chainsaw mill. Also search for milling duckwood, there you can see what we do with our mills.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Kevin (Sep 1, 2015)

woodtickgreg said:


> We have had a bunch of discussions on this topic. At the top left of this page there is a search forums title, click on it and search chainsaw mill, you'll find tons of stuff on this topic, lots of good reading and info. And yes I do love my chainsaw mill. Also search for milling duckwood, there you can see what we do with our mills.

Reactions: Funny 7


----------



## Mr. Peet (Sep 1, 2015)

Matt,

Another option is barter. I have 3 custom order portable band saw mills in a 5 mile radius. One is at a rustic furniture making store. I often offer wood in exchange for labor. I get something as does the sawyer. The challenge is not letting greed get in the way. Softer woods, I get a little more, but I realize the harder woods are more costly to cut. Barter, boy that word sounds familiar. Seen it somewhere round here.....Good luck Matt. I'd try the barter option and save up for the band mill.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


----------



## woodtickgreg (Sep 1, 2015)

Kevin said:


> View attachment 86976


For now.......

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## Matthew Jaynes (Sep 2, 2015)

woodtickgreg said:


> We have had a bunch of discussions on this topic. At the top left of this page there is a search forums title, click on it and search chainsaw mill, you'll find tons of stuff on this topic, lots of good reading and info. And yes I do love my chainsaw mill. Also search for milling duckwood, there you can see what we do with our mills.


 I read that entire thread of you "Milling Duckwood" took me about 3 hours because I was also on a Skype call with Grace, and I had a question. I noticed that on all of your initial cuts on logs you would put your guide on top and screw it down on either side across the metal bar, using 2x4s do you worry about sagging if there is a low spot or is the weight of the chainsaw and mill attachment not enough to do so? at first look, this just being my thoughts on the practice, I would think that it would. but you also have them vertical so the 3-1/2 inches are up and down which would add more stability across the length of the first cut.


----------



## woodtickgreg (Sep 2, 2015)

Matthew Jaynes said:


> I read that entire thread of you "Milling Duckwood" took me about 3 hours because I was also on a Skype call with Grace, and I had a question. I noticed that on all of your initial cuts on logs you would put your guide on top and screw it down on either side across the metal bar, using 2x4s do you worry about sagging if there is a low spot or is the weight of the chainsaw and mill attachment not enough to do so? at first look, this just being my thoughts on the practice, I would think that it would. but you also have them vertical so the 3-1/2 inches are up and down which would add more stability across the length of the first cut.



Sagging is not an issue, and sometimes I add a couple of screws in the middle. It moves side to side sometimes but that is not an issue either. I also mill things a little on the thick side so that slight variations can be jointed or planed out. The thing that's cool about using the 2 x 4's is they can be swapped out cheap when the get warped or too many screw holes. I like the option of being able to add a screw anywhere I need one for stability.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## JR Custom Calls (Sep 2, 2015)

I'm going to take some 2x4's over to @Gixxerjoe04's to joint for me so I can start using them as well. Ladder is nice, but I do get some slight deflection if the middle of the log isn't supporting the ladder. I can usually find some scraps of something to fill the gap, but I'm also limited in where I can screw down to the log as well.


----------



## Matthew Jaynes (Sep 2, 2015)

That does make a good bit of since, I saw on the GB website that they sell the metal brackets for the 2x4 lumber guide, that site is pretty much a one stop shop for when it comes to csm minus the power head


----------



## JR Custom Calls (Sep 2, 2015)

Granberg has a good rep... But Panther is half the price or better

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Matthew Jaynes (Sep 2, 2015)

JR Custom Calls said:


> Granberg has a good rep... But Panther is half the price or better



Ill have to check them out too Jonathan


----------



## woodtickgreg (Sep 2, 2015)

I like my granberg for several reasons. All aluminum construction ( except for the bar clamps and thickness uprights) so it is very light weight and that is important when you are carrying around a heavy saw with a 4' bar and the milling attachment. I also like the granberg because it is all bolted together and any part that becomes worn or gets damaged can easily be replaced, and I have replaced parts. I also like that all the fastners are the same size which means I only have to carry 1 wrench in my pocket. I like the thickness scale that is on the granberg, it is accurate. The clamps and any other hardware, u bolts etc, can all be purchased at your local hardware store. I keep a bunch of extra hardware in a milling tackle box just in case I need to replace something in the field. I also run the granberg helper handle with roller bearing sprocket and the aux oiler. I can only comment on the granberg as it is the only one that I have used. But I have milled thousands of board feet of lumber with mine and it's still going. In fact I wore out a saw power head with it and just got a new one to replace it. There are other guys that have used the panther mills that can elaborate on those. Maybe some of my observations will help you to decide which is best for you..

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Tim Carter (Sep 4, 2015)

I don't have a chainsaw mill but it's something I'd like to do. If you can get a copy of Will Malloff's book "Chainsaw Lumbermaking", I think it would give you a lot of info about all aspects of CSM. It was published in 1982 by the Taunton Press, the same people that publish "Fine Woodworking" magazine.


----------



## Kevin (Sep 4, 2015)

Will called again a few months ago but I missed his call. When I returned it he missed mine and he called again a week later and missed me again. Been playing phone tag with him but I will try again. He left a message the last time to let me know the book has been republished in paperback. I have had the hardcover for years it is indespinsible for anyone getting started in CSMing.

Will is getting on up there in age and does not hear well - anyone wanting to correspond with him should not tary.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## norman vandyke (Sep 5, 2015)

Found another option for you on YouTube. Lol

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Matthew Jaynes (Sep 6, 2015)

@norman vandyke That is extremely Awesome! but my degree in metal crafting is as about as much as blind cattle driver

Reactions: Funny 2


----------



## justallan (Sep 6, 2015)

Matthew Jaynes said:


> @norman vandyke That is extremely Awesome! but my degree in metal crafting is as about as much as blind cattle driver


What us old blind ones do is treat them so good that they just follow along.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1


----------



## woodtickgreg (Sep 6, 2015)

Like the man from cross sawmill said "spontaneous junk" Very cool! I love it when folks repurpose things.

Reactions: Agree 2


----------

