So, you thinking of buying a sawmill

If anyone is thinking this, I am going to post what it takes to run a small manual mill. My mill is a woodland 126, that can saw up to 24", but I broke down logs up to 30" in the pass.

First off, think were you would get logs. I take them off my place, but also had put ads on Craiglist to get pine logs for free. I had to build a trailer with a wench to get those.

Second, one will need something to move logs. I use my old tractor with a hay fork. I had lift logs over 3500lbs which is about the max my tractor can lift.

Ok, picking out a log and knowing what to get out of it. Of course, always start out with a cut list for what you need or want.

This is a water oak, fresh felled. 16 1/2" at the butt end and 14 1/2" at the other in. It's 24' long. My cut list called for some 1x6's and a couple 2by's. I need all that at 12' long, so the log was sawed in half. This log was a bit egg shape.

Using the tractor to load the mill.



A very important tool. A cant tool that rolls logs. You will need at least one. If you fell trees just for firewood, buy one of these.



Log on the mill.



At this point, knowing what I want out the log, I rotate it for my first cut. Then, I eyeball it level due to the tapper of the log on the small end using a jack and shim it up.



My first cut. Being egg shape, I have the log set up to take a cut leaving a clear 6" flat top.



Now something about stress in a fresh felled log. There is a lot.

Second cut is to take a 2by out. Most of that is sap wood. Look at the stress.



Next is to rotate the log 180. Then take a cut to leave a 6" flat cut. Then a second cut like the other side.



Now time to rotate it on the live edge. I did plan out that my cant is 6 1/2" wide which it is now.



Then I level the cant end to end and then make a cut. Then I set up for a 1" cut.





Looking at the cant and feeling how the saw is cutting, it was time to change the blade. I knew is needed to be done before I started, but this log had a lot of mud on it. Dirt is a killer on blades.



Ripples are a sure sign of the mill blade speed slowing down.

Blade change.



Kasco blade that is 12' long 7 degree.

After that, I took a couple more 1 bys off. Of course the cant stress has came into play. Rotated 180, removed the live edge and cut some 1 bys.

Stress had moved the cant to were there was a 1/4" dip. Had to take that out. This saw will cut 1/8".



Center of the cant cut.



The cant moved that much.




Now very important thing. The cant pith. You never want to saw that center. Always try to block that in.



From this point, I sawed a couple 1 bys and then flipped the cant and took more 1 bys.



All sawed up. Just have to stack in stickered which I didn't get any pictures of and will get some later.