Anybody use a chainsaw mill?

There are a bunch of down oaks behind the house, 12-24" DBH with long, straight trunks, so I thought it would be fun cut a few timbers to make a wood shed. Thinking some 4x10 beams to use as headers. Not looking to start a lumber factory, just cut a handful of timbers.

I've got an MS660 for the job... any recommendations on a chainsaw mill? I see the full frame Alaskan/Granberg design and also the more simple lumbermaker jig.

Thanks for the feedback folks... I think I will go with the mini-mill for now. It is less than half the price and should be sufficient for this project. If I decide to do more milling in the future and spring for the Alaskan, it sounds like they work well in tandem.

Bought the Haddon Lumbermaker for $90 shipped off Amazon, and today I took it out for a spin.

First I cut a 4x4 test beam from a oak limb using the 036/20" and a 4' 2x4 as a guide.



That went pretty well so next cut a real beam. Used the 660/32" and a 16' 2x4 as a guide. Cut a reasonably straight section of ash and final beam is 4x11x16'.



So far I am liking this thing... easy to use and cuts a surprisingly straight beam. Sure is hard work though.

If you wanted to cut slabs the Alaskan mill would be a better choice, and for lots of lumber the bandsaw mill would be better yet. But now you're talking thousands of dollars, or hundreds to rent one, not to mention you need to get the mill to the logs or the logs to the mill. For cutting beams and posts this does a great job, is <$100 and you only need your chainsaw and a 2x4 so you can cut just about anywhere. I've since cut a few more beams and an 8x8 locust post... will get some more pics up here shortly.

Here is a step-by-step of a locust beam I cut this weekend. On my commute to work I pass by this house with a big old locust tree on the corner of the property. A few months back the power company came through and chopped the top off it, as I guess it was growing too close to the lines. There was about 25' of trunk left looking all haggard, so I stopped and left a note one day asking if I could cut it down. Got a call a few days later and the homeowner said 'have at it."

Dropped the tree. It actually didn't want to go down, I think because there were no branches left to help pull it over. About 24" across at the base in a weird clover leaf shape.



It was a little tough to cut given the odd shape of tree, but took my best guess on how I might get a 8x8 section around the center. Guide is a 2x4 screwed to a 2x8 for stability, which is screwed to the tree. MS660 with 32" bar.



First face cut. Probably could have kept a bit more on the one side, but oh well.... it's for a wood shed so close enough is good enough.



I must have missed one pic in the sequence but I rolled the log so the cut face was on top, then cut the two sides. With the top being flat I can ditch the 2x8 and just screw the 2x4 to the log. One of these days I plan to buy a 16' piece of 5.5" wide PVC decking... wider board would be more stable and I think the jig would slide more easily on the plastic. I also need a peavey or cant hook to help with the log rolling.



Rolled it again and cut the last face. Final size 8x8x11'.

Cut one of the big slabs in half and plan to make a pair of benches out of it. The others were cut up into firewood. There was a huge crotch section at the top that I sliced into thick cookies and plan to use them as steps in a path across the back yard.

Oldman47 said:

It looks to me like you have at least 4 pieces you could use to build a shed. The squared off piece in the middle is obvious but the one almost the same size with some bark still on it is darned near as strong in use and you could split that first large slab for 2 more good pieces. Lumber does not need to be square or rectangular.
Edfit: I see you already decided to split that large slab in half.

Click to expand...

The pics are a bit deceiving... that last slab that came off looks to be about 6x8 on the end, but in the middle it's no more than an inch or two thick. You can see where it's just bark half way down towards the bottom. Just getting one 8x8 out of this was tough because the tree was so gnarled and uneven.