Making a Chainsaw Mill

[Alaskan Survivalist]

I have stated in other threads that cutting on a vertical plane and being able to change the angle of attack increases the efficiency of a chainsaw mill. They are also the least expensive guides you can buy having seen prices range from 40-100 dollars but they are so simple you can make them yourself. This is one I made but you really don’t need plans or have to use the same materials just the basic design principal. I went to ACE hardware and walked the isles until I saw things I could put together. You may be able to do the same thing in your garage. This stuff cost me about 12 dollars.

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I use 2x6 as guides so just cut a couple pieces of angle iron to ride on the guide and then laid angle across them measure and cut 2 more to hold them together.

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I set the pieces in place just to check fit. One problem was the tubing used as hinge did not fit tight enough and would have to much wobble as is. That’s why I check things before I weld it together.

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I used a die grinder to cut tubing and pinched it together to tighten in around bolt.

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Hinged assembly needs to be square with guide rails and weld this first.

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Then braces are welded and I slapped a little paint on it. All you need to do to adapt the to chainsaw is drill a hole in the bar and bolt it on. Use heavy large washers.

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Often I think people don’t need to be shown these things they just need to be shown how simple it is to do them.

[hunter63]

Cool post, have often though about this type of mill myself, just never got around to trying one.
Using a 2X6" as the guide(?), I guessing that sawing a log would require a large dia to start with, or a fixture to fasten the giude to, and something to hold the log?

That being said, I have also wondered about the efficiency of using one.
I guessing that the main advantage is simply cost and portability.

Having ripped a few logs in half using a nailed on 2X4" as a guide, and free handing it, did a reasonable job, fo the small foot bridge I was making.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

Hunter63,I have a job to do at my sisters place on the Yukon in June. I sent my bandsaw mill up there years ago but my nephew took it apart and scattered all the pieces. I'm going to Fairbanks tomorrow to see if I can find enough pieces and get it working again. I'll probably just be hauling the carraige down river and cutting up wood for carraige to ride on and cutting that up with chainsaw. When I get back from trip in June I will post a little more on size of logs and cutting lumber then.

[hunter63]

AS, cool, I would (as well as most of the rest of us) would really like to see that.
Nice job on the fixture, thanks.

[randyt]

awesome post, you make it look so simple.