Thread: What chainsaw mill fo me???

How much money do you want to spend?

For that amount of timber milling for building I'd be thinking more about a Lucas Mill rather than a chainsaw mill. Plenty of threads on here for Chainsaw Mills, but let me assure you they are hard work, fine for beginners and hobbiest doing the occasional milling.

+1 on the Lucas.

BUT if you are really keen on Chainsaw milling I would
1) Get hold of a copy of Will Malloffs "Chainsaw Lumbermaking" book - it has most things.

2) Look here for heaps of info
http://www.arboristsite.com/communit...-saw-mills.62/

Gday ... and great to get some input here.

Bob and Dai .. thanks for getting the ball rolling.

It seems there may be some gaps in my understanding of the subject here. And maybe also I haven't been clear enough in my explanation. Please do add some more and/or correct me if I am wrong in these assumptions.

I got the impression that a lucas mill is in it's own right a pretty big investment. However, if you ALSO include all the additional equipment required to use the lucas, the true/actual investment is significantly more?

For example, I guess, you would need a 4w drive on our old forestry roads (which would then involve greater wear and tear on vehicle), probably a suitable trailer to haul the mill, and then some kind of forestry equipment to get the log out of the forest to where the lucas is set up (our block is hilly), and then I'm guessing a lucas being a more complex piece of machinery, with more parts - that would need servicing. Geeezzz ... I don't know, I just guessing here.

Getting back to the context in which I would be using a portable mill. I'm gunna need a chainsaw anyways to fell a few trees. The 'litte' cabin we are intending to build will be about four (4) metres by six (6) meters. That would include framing, flooring, roofing and linning. A traditional tin roof and sheathing on the outside.

Once we are settled in our 'little timber framed' cabin, we are planning to build our actual house out of stone, and then use more traditional heavy timber framing for the rafters, roofing, etc.

Add a couple more stone and/or strawbale cabins and I reckon I will be wanting to get on to more woodwork type stuff like tables, boxes, and craft type things.

This is my reasoning for leaning towards a chainsaw mill.

Does this add up or am I way off track here???

Cheers,

Wellspring

Traditional wisdom says that for milling are looking at a 95 to 120cc saw, think either husky or stihl. Personally I wouldn't drop a tree with these saws, it's like picking up a elephant to brush your teeth. If you aren't skilled at tree felling get trained.
Granberg type mills are all pretty simple bits of gear and mostly similar. I have a panther pro, it was cheap as they should be.
How you are going to build a log cabin without even so much as a tractor to assist suggests you are either one tough lumberjack dude or crazy, best of luck either way.

Originally Posted by Wellspring

. . . . I got the impression that a lucas mill is in it's own right a pretty big investment. However, if you ALSO include all the additional equipment required to use the lucas, the true/actual investment is significantly more?

Correct but they payback will be far far quicker 5-10 times quicker. What this says is that chainsaw milling is SLOOOOOOOOWWWWWW and very physically demanding not something to use to make timber to make a cabin out of. The people that have done this have usually been milling northern hemisphere soft woods - also very slow but a bit more feasible in these types of woods .

For example, I guess, you would need a 4w drive on our old forestry roads (which would then involve greater wear and tear on vehicle), probably a suitable trailer to haul the mill, and then some kind of forestry equipment to get the log out of the forest to where the lucas is set up (our block is hilly),

Sure, but based on the 6m and 4 m length timbers you mention below you will need something similar to physically move the timber out of this environment anyway!
No one in their right mind is physically carrying out 4m long lengths let alone 6m long lengths of anything out of the sort of environment you are referring to.

and then I'm guessing a lucas being a more complex piece of machinery, with more parts - that would need servicing. Geeezzz ... I don't know, I just guessing here.

Yes it will need servicing but so do chainsaws and the cost of Lucas serving will be much less per metre of wood cut than a chainsaw .

Getting back to the context in which I would be using a portable mill. I'm gunna need a chainsaw anyways to fell a few trees. The 'litte' cabin we are intending to build will be about four (4) metres by six (6) meters. That would include framing, flooring, roofing and linning. A traditional tin roof and sheathing on the outside..

I'm guessing that this would take 6 months of full time chainsaw milling by someone that already knows what they are doing and double that for someone who has to learn the full ins and outs.
If you place any sort of value on your time you could buy the wood for a quarter of that cost .
You might also be able to hire someone with a tractor to snig the logs out and a Lucas operator to mill the timber for less.

Add a couple more stone and/or strawbale cabins and I reckon I will be wanting to get on to more woodwork type stuff like tables, boxes, and craft type things.
This is my reasoning for leaning towards a chainsaw mill.
Does this add up or am I way off track here???

Yep waaaaaaay off track. The chainsaw mill will be suitable to generate timber for the craft aspect but that's about it.
Are the rocks on the hillsides? if so you will need a tractor for those.

For ease of use I'd steer you to a model 4 Lucas. You can do up to 8" wide boards and 4" deep, itd be as easy to carry as a chainsaw mill. Maintenance on them is very small - less than $20/day for commercial operation of my 10"

Much thanks for all those who have chimed in thus far. It's gotta be better learning the hard lessons before dropping a big wad of cash, so thanks for saying it as it is.

And yes the Lucas Mill is already starting to sound closer to the mark.

CROWASH ... We are not planning to build a log cabin. It will just be a light timber frame cabin, something like the images in my initial post. I'm definitely no lumberjack, closer to the crazy end, but probably more shrek-like than anything.

BOBL and others, I'm hearing a resonant collective voice affirming the physical efforts / strain required to work a chainsaw mill day in day out. I didn't much want to hear this but there it is, clear as day. Much thanks!!! (Interesting reference to the northern hemisphere woods.)

STONES??? ... all over our block, but enough field stones in the open paddocks to build what we want.

Maybe paying for someone with a lucas mill might be the way to go. Get a bit more of a taste for milling, get some wood, and not lose a big wad of cash.

I will add another layer of flesh to this story, but for now, I should do a little more homework.

Much thanks,

WellSpring

Hi,

I am in no way an expert in chainsaw mills, used one for one afternoon and decided to buy a Lucasmill.

If the only (main) project is just a little cabin I can't imagine it being cost effective to buy a mill ( and other equipment needed). I'm not trying to sell you anything but I'd have a look in getting somebody in with the equipment to get the job done and safe the chainsawmill idea for your craftwood down the track. Being in the Huonvally I'd be very happy to give you an idea on the cost of getting your trees milled.

Good luck,
Bernt

Wellspring, I'm green with envy.

Wouldn't it be far cheaper to buy the materials for said cabin commercially, then mill a few logs to recover the cost?

I've milled a few logs. I dare say I match your physical description... Fit, athletic, strong, robust.... In my 20's! Now 45.... More "Shrek"! By Jove, after those experiences I found muscles that ached I didn't know I had. It's hard work.

Lucas is lovely. Perhaps find a local who has one and who will let you do the stickering for a day or two. They'd like the help and you'll get first hand experience, hints and tips for free... They might even buy you a coldie afterwards..... It won't touch the sides!