Thread: to mill or not

Chainsaw milling is only worthwhile if you
- have lots of spare time
- don't need to mill a lot of timber
- if you already have a suitable chainsaw
- have some logs that you want to cut up into large slabs
- have a physical location where you can't easily get the log out of or mill into the location.
- like doing it (most people who try it, like it, and then keep doing it well beyond when they should have stopped )

If you don't have more that a couple of those above in your favour (especially 1 and 2) then I would consider buying the wood or having someone mill it for you. By the time you buy a chainsaw and a mill you can have a fair bit of timber cut up by someone with a swing mill.

OTOH it sounds like you need to but a chainsaw anyway so why not get something in the 70+ cc range and make your own mill and have a crack at it - but beware, as I said above; most people who try it, like it, and then keep doing it well beyond when they should have stopped

Originally Posted by BobL

Chainsaw milling is only worthwhile if you
- have lots of spare time- yes i have some time but only weekends
- don't need to mill a lot of timber, - not sure what alot is, say i want 50 to 100 meters
- if you already have a suitable chainsaw - no but need to purchase a new one for the backyard
- have some logs that you want to cut up into large slabs - yes
- have a physical location where you can't easily get the log out of or mill into the location. - yes, i cannot get these logs out easily
- like doing it (most people who try it, like it, and then keep doing it well beyond when they should have stopped ) - i dont think i would like the dust, but would get a great deal of enjoyment from the A (cut) to Z (finished product)

If you don't have more that a couple of those above in your favour (especially 1 and 2) then I would consider buying the wood or having someone mill it for you. By the time you buy a chainsaw and a mill you can have a fair bit of timber cut up by someone with a swing mill.

OTOH it sounds like you need to but a chainsaw anyway so why not get something in the 70+ cc range and make your own mill and have a crack at it - but beware, as I said above; most people who try it, like it, and then keep doing it well beyond when they should have stopped

thanks Bob, I have added notes in your quote, Bigi

Originally Posted by bigi

1 sicamore we had cut down and mulched, there were more like this, dont tell me i should have milled this babyArgh
2 blackwood that needs to come down, 20 + meters -the borrom section is 600mm wide by 6 meters Hard to see any detail so can't really advise
3 silver wattle 2 to 3 sections 500 wide x 9 meters, 400 wide x 5m, 400mm x 4.0m Might still be salvageable, depends on how long it's been down
4 blackwood, its been on the ground for a while but looks good, 500 x 5m, 500 x 2m Would forget about this log, may get something out of it but doubt it
5 blackwood its a bad pic but the base is 800 x 6m with higher branches thickish but bentSame as number 2
6 mountain ash branch 450 to 300mm very long Not worth recovering, will have too much tension, cut for firewood
7one of the 3 trees already milled on the property

i also have various other bits of blackwood kicking around and measuring 2.0m and another 4 trees to come down that are 20m + 400mm at base and very straight

Would advise that you get someone who is familiar with your area to check out logs and trees before getting too far ahead of yourself.

I have been sent to lots of place up your way in the cranetruck, only to say forget it, I'm happy to take a drive up in the ute to check out what you have and advise for say a slab of beer.

Where abouts are you? The Dandenong Ranges covers a huge area and depending on where you are and how much sun or lack of sun etc, it can make or break what you recover.

i hear what you are saying Acco

i was afraid you would give me bad news on the sycamore, i have lived up here for over a decade and it is the biggest sycamore i have ever seen, it was a double trunk also so there were 2 like that, not to mention the others we took out and mulched, bummer along with a maple or two and a blackwood

The silver wattle has been down for just over a month
Our property has sun and a lack of it also
We are around the Monbulk Belgrave area

It would be great to get some advice, let me know what you think

Originally Posted by bigi

thanks Bob, I have added notes in your quote, Bigi

You should add your notes outside mine otherwise it's hard for me to add notes to yours.

Chainsaw milling is only worthwhile if you
- have lots of spare time- yes i have some time but only weekends

That will get you started

- don't need to mill a lot of timber, - not sure what alot is, say i want 50 to 100 meters

Of what size?

- if you already have a suitable chainsaw - no but need to purchase a new one for the backyard

Sure but a dedicated milling saw and a back yard saw are quite different. A 50 cc saw is fine for a back yarder wheres it's not really good for milling anything of any size.

- like doing it (most people who try it, like it, and then keep doing it well beyond when they should have stopped ) - i dont think i would like the dust, but would get a great deal of enjoyment from the A (cut) to Z (finished product)

If you sharpen properly and maintain saw sharpness you should get minimal dust.

Anyway I reckon getting Acco's advice will be the best carton you will ever spend so go for it.

Originally Posted by bigi

It would be great to get some advice, let me know what you think

Should be able to come out next weekend, I will also bring one of my chainsaws to investigate some of those logs for you

I'll PM you

good work - great to see the forum workin

Originally Posted by Sigidi

good work - great to see the forum workin

Bugger this reminds me that I still need to get out there, got sidetracked doing repairs on the truck

well i have decided to forget about the logs that have been on the ground for a while
I have just had 5 tall blackwoods cut down and another 5 to come down this week, All tall and straight, cut to 2.7m, ranging from 300mm to 450mm with a few sections 500mm+
I had a local bloke come round who said he can drag them out with a tractor and cart them away to mill for $100 an hour, maybe give me some for free for his effort if he keeps the rest.
I reckon thats pretty expensive, but i dont know
my site is wet bushland, with a moderate slope, so 10 trees probably 100 meters of logs, they all look very good, no rott, borers, it pretty solid and all bar the 2 bigger trees and one other are green with the 3 dead only dead for 3 months

do you reckon i have a crack at it?
I have been looking at chainsaws
Stihl ms 381 $1249
Huscki 3972xp $1499
Makita DCS7301 $945
SHINDAIWA 757 REAR HANDLE CHAINSAW $1150 2 YR WARRENTEE
Echo CS680 $1200 5 YR WARRENTEE

and then i would need a milling frame, maybe $350, but i have found it difficult to research these and dont no much on them

what are your thought guys

I'd be looking at a much bigger chainsaw, in Stihl a 660, not sure equivalent in Husky, but forget the others. Milling frames can be made, do a search, or you could buy but >>$250

Originally Posted by dai sensei

I'd be looking at a much bigger chainsaw, in Stihl a 660, not sure equivalent in Husky, but forget the others.

The logs are only 300 - 450 and a few 500 mm, so while a 660 would be nice I don't reckon he needs a 660 for these sizes of log.

To cut 500 mm with a standard milling frame you will need a minimum of 26" of bar. If you can custom build a mill frame you can get away with 24" or even 22" but I would still get a 26" bar. I reckon a 70 cc can pull a 26" bar quite well. I use a 441 (71cc) with a 25" bar and lopro chain to cut stuff up to about 500 mm and while it is not as fast as a bigger saw it is much easier and nicer to handle and also uses much less fuel.

I reckon you could even get away with a 60cc engine but you would really need to REALLY look after it, keep the chain really sharp, i.e. touch up after every slab cut etc and not overload it too much. Chainsaw milling (CSM) is very hard on saws and if you buy new you need to know that no manufacturer covers the warranty on saws used for CSM. This is a good reason to buy a used saw.

While a person with a lot of experience could mill these very slowly with a 40 cc saw I would not go to less than 60 cc. The chances of damaging the saw are just too great.