# You guys are driving me crazy



## NYwoodworks (Sep 19, 2010)

There are a couple posts running now ( Big old maple log and how much should I pay for this log) that have some incredible results sawing up some gnarly wood. I have been interested in some time being able to do something like this. The reason is, there are some very large fallen maple around here that is could cut up. I am not interested in milling a bunch of lumber for building I am more interested in finding lumber for furniture projects.
I have thought a lot about how I can take advantage of these treasures. The thing is it all boils down to big money having the equipment to move them and to get them to a mill or even on a mill. 
My first thought was the portable chain saw mill. Now for me personally that looks like a lot of hard work and it looks like it could really tear up an expensive chain saw.
I have been doing a lot of research and I think I may have run into something that may work for me. 
Look at this video and check out this mill. I am a decent fabricator so I think I can redesign this thing so I can pull up to the side of a log, set it up cut without moving the log.

I have have a lot of the stuff even the motor so I am looking for opinions from the experts on here.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

your links appear to me as just broken-link images inside boxes labled You Tube


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

Looks easier than pushing by hand. :thumbsup:


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Well isn't that some contraption. I see pros and cons. It's not portable like a CSM so you still have to move the logs to it/have a place for it to sit (but you said you could figure that part out). I do like the 4 stroke motor over a 2 stroke. I'm not sure how he is getting the chain speed needed to cut right, must be in gearing/pulleys. His bar is short, but you obviously could go as long as you want for wider lumber. I would have something to stabilize the far end of the bar to keep it from raising/dipping through the cut with a longer bar. Not a whole lot of parts to wear out, the motor should run forever, just a lot of chain sharpening and the belts will wear (but are cheap) I would look harder at a more accurate way to raise/lower the head if you are cutting for furniture. Overall with some mods I see something along these lines working ok, and for not a huge investment.



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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

A mill has always held my interest, one thing I would do is take me a bunch of batteries for a battery powered drill to turn that crank, that wore my arm out just watching.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Oh I'd do away with that crank feed all together, I too was worn out just watching that part. I push my mill and the head weighs 400+ lbs, it's not hard at all. I have pushed it miles and miles, the log handling/lumber stacking is the hard part of the job not the actual sawing.

If a guy was determined not to push the head he could use a small/cheap electric winch to pull the head. Mount it on the far end of the track, pull the head down the track/through the log and free spool it back for the next cut....but I am not sure about the variable speed needed when cutting different types/widths of lumber.

I would just push the darn thing, less stuff to break...




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## Rodney Sinclair (Aug 17, 2008)

Looks like it works like the Logosol M7 to me. The M7 with a big chain saw being the better unit.

Rodney


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## mrbentontoyou (Aug 3, 2010)

check this one out...

looks like one could mount a 4 stroke motor in there somehow, or just find a good condition stihl 090 (13hp chainsaw!) and be done. 

There's a vid on that site of a guy cutting on the push and the pull. 
and i agree with daren about losing the crank. get level, get decent bearings and push. shouldn't be using a lot of pressure anyway.


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## NYwoodworks (Sep 19, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies and input. I think I am going to start playing with the design. 
I have an 18 hp twin cylinder 4 stroke that I should be able to get all the torque it needs and with the right gearing, get revolutions needed to cut at a reasonable pace.
And I agree with everyone I will probably just push it instead of getting an aerobic workout spinning a handle.


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## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

With 18 hp to play with and fab skills, why not just make your own bandmill? The wheels couldn't be to much different in price from the gearing needed for a 4-stroke to run a chain at 2-stroke speeds. You could make a extra large version of one of those portable Lumbersmiths even.


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## Mizer (Mar 11, 2010)

jeffreythree said:


> With 18 hp to play with and fab skills, why not just make your own bandmill? The wheels couldn't be to much different in price from the gearing needed for a 4-stroke to run a chain at 2-stroke speeds. You could make a extra large version of one of those portable Lumbersmiths even.


I agree, you can buy most everything you can't fab from Cooks.


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## NYwoodworks (Sep 19, 2010)

The reason I liked this idea instead of a band mill is the fact that once I redesigned it I would be able to position it next to a log without straddling it or picking up the log to put it on a mill. Besides my motor is a vertical shaft.


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## Mizer (Mar 11, 2010)

My bad, I remember you saying that now.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

I really like it. I believe I'd have to replace the boat winch with a variable speed 12v motor though. I also like Daren's idea to stabilize the end of the bar especially running a 6' bar. It's pretty close to the design I was involved with in a thread on another forum 4 to 5 years ago and the four stroke with a pulley and belt was a big part of it - Daren I think you were part of that thread also. Really cool design I like it a lot. 





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## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

Missed that vertical shaft bit. I think you could take some ideas from Norwood's PortaMill. I like their push handle, bent out so that you can walk along away from the track, throttle on the handle, and the height adjustment.

http://www.norwoodindustries.com/en...od_Industries_portamill_chainsaw_sawmill.aspx


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