sawmill

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rowdyred

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I want to cut my own timber and mill it for lumber, Do I cut trees and let it dry before I mill it or go ahead and mill it and then let it dry, also do I have to let it dry before a build with it? it's all pine
 
cut green , Stack with 1" strip every 24" to 36" between each layer store under barn until dry . If you build with it wet it will twist . Make sure to use borax or something on it to deter the powder post beetles .
 
rowdyred":3glk740b said:
I want to cut my own timber and mill it for lumber, Do I cut trees and let it dry before I mill it or go ahead and mill it and then let it dry, also do I have to let it dry before a build with it? it's all pine
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I was just talking to JW IN VA about it and I wanted to get a mill but figured it would be another piece of equipment I would use hard maybe once or twice a year. I have a guy with a mill cut mine into lumber I will take 2 or 3 tractor trailer loads of logs to him and pay 900-1200 for usually a tractor trailer load and a 32' gooseneck trailer full of lumber lasts me a year or 2 if you buy one can you pm me what you bought and how you like it and review it for me I may need a tax write off after I sell most of my cattle :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
rowdyred":18kvwh7y said:
sure thing
I want one, right now I'm watching alot of youtube videos and talking to people that own one.
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I talk to my guy about his he loves it.. he does custom wood work and cuts lumber. What brand are you looking at mostly.
 
Those Alaska mills you put a chainsaw on look promising. I've got a planer and practically everything else. Been taking rough lumber and refining it for years. I've built several cedar chests that turned out really nice.

The pipe liners left oak timbers all over my pasture and I cut them with a table saw. That turned out great.

The Alaska mill might work perfect for my cedar chests.
 
ive got a 1930's meadows circle mill, they are good and fast but as far as being accurate and consistant they aint, works good for building barns and corral boards
 
backhoeboogie":3h6rsstz said:
Those Alaska mills you put a chainsaw on look promising.
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I used one when I lived in San Angelo with a pretty big Jonsered saw on it. Sawing mesquite. About all I remember about it was the mill didn't have any kind of chip deflector on it and man you were covered with chips by the time you got to the end of the rails.
 
We have a sawmill. We've tried selling cut lumber. We've custom cut things, that's the best way. We cut up some rough sawn pine for concrete forms. Husband will cut up oak for trailers..
Storage is the big problem. You'll need machinery to move it around. Tractor with a front end loader unless your short on space, then you're better off with a skid steer..
Your best bet if you're wanting to make money is to sell it before you cut it.
 
Ours was a gas engine sawmill, but husband turned it into electric which was the best thing ever. Its so quiet now, we don't have to have gas on hand and it was just a pain when it was gas run.
One day we may make custom oak molding, that's kind of our plan. Right now we just make stuff for us and an occasional person wanting something custom made. Its usually someone who knows we have a sawmill...I know there are many ways to make money with one and we have a life time supply of many types of wood. We have very little invested in this, so making money isn't that important to us. Its my fav place to be, the woodshop.. I love the nonstress fun I have in there, I think it would be too stressful if I had to constantly make custom stuff for others.
 
skyhightree1":179yklpt said:
rowdyred":179yklpt said:
sure thing
I want one, right now I'm watching alot of youtube videos and talking to people that own one.
Click to expand...

I talk to my guy about his he loves it.. he does custom wood work and cuts lumber. What brand are you looking at mostly.
Click to expand...

Around here, believe it or not, harbor freight seems to be big for the part-timers, like I'm gonna be. A few have the more expensive ones. Got a friend whose dad sharpens the saws on the side, says harbor freight seems to be alright. I really haven't decided.
 
Look for used ones. My husband got his for very little. Needed some work, but most of it is replaceable...Making it electric didn't cost much either...
 
greybeard":1qwdzcsj said:
backhoeboogie":1qwdzcsj said:
Those Alaska mills you put a chainsaw on look promising.
Click to expand...
I used one when I lived in San Angelo with a pretty big Jonsered saw on it. Sawing mesquite. About all I remember about it was the mill didn't have any kind of chip deflector on it and man you were covered with chips by the time you got to the end of the rails.
Click to expand...

The alaska mill IMO is too much work and I would only use in a remote location it wouldn't be my first choice
 
cowgirl8":3pzd53d6 said:
Ours was a gas engine sawmill, but husband turned it into electric which was the best thing ever. Its so quiet now, we don't have to have gas on hand and it was just a pain when it was gas run.
One day we may make custom oak molding, that's kind of our plan. Right now we just make stuff for us and an occasional person wanting something custom made. Its usually someone who knows we have a sawmill...I know there are many ways to make money with one and we have a life time supply of many types of wood. We have very little invested in this, so making money isn't that important to us. Its my fav place to be, the woodshop.. I love the nonstress fun I have in there, I think it would be too stressful if I had to constantly make custom stuff for others.
Click to expand...

looks good i would prefer something like that
 
rowdyred":1jnkt5q3 said:
skyhightree1":1jnkt5q3 said:
rowdyred":1jnkt5q3 said:
sure thing
I want one, right now I'm watching alot of youtube videos and talking to people that own one.
Click to expand...

I talk to my guy about his he loves it.. he does custom wood work and cuts lumber. What brand are you looking at mostly.
Click to expand...

Around here, believe it or not, harbor freight seems to be big for the part-timers, like I'm gonna be. A few have the more expensive ones. Got a friend whose dad sharpens the saws on the side, says harbor freight seems to be alright. I really haven't decided.
Click to expand...

i didnt know HF sold them i wonder whos making them for HF
 
My dad has a circular mill. It was originally a flat belt drive but we converted to run on a tractor PTO.

If you want straight, precise boards, it takes almost constant tweaking and adjusting, but it will saw some wood in a hurry. Having a blade that is tuned to your mill is very important as well.

We have done it both ways, either sawn it green and stacked it, or let it dry in the log. Some wood will never dry and rot if left as a log before it dries all the way.

As mentioned, best way is to stack it somewhere dry after sawing, using shims between each layer of boards.

We also have a chainsaw mill, but only use it for cutting large slabs, or for slicing logs to are too big to handle on the mill to a more manageable size. Best have a big saw, I have a Stihl 066 and could still use more.
 
I have a Hudson Oscar and I'm going to break tradition. We'd cut pine trees down one day, saw them the next and nail them up the next. I did 2x6 for studs and board and battens for walls. Some of the black pine boards rotted on the porch so replaced it with PT and cypress. We try and keep it sprayed down with a mix of diesel fuel, Tempo and ATF for bugs and rot.
 

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