AlecSebastian

billsmith,

I use a number of different chainsaws in my milling. For most trees I have a Stihl MS660 that does the job nicely. For the largest beasts I have a 'vintage' Stihl 090. The geared chain drive is a bit slower, but the saw will never bog down. Either of these saw are coupled to a Granberg Alaskan mill, which, while far from perfect, will do the job quite nicely. I find that a chain with a 0-5 degree tooth angle will make the best rip cuts. These chains can be found online, or you can grind the angle yourself on an existing chain.

Be warned that milling with a chainsaw and Alaskan mill is back breaking work. The main benefit is being able to go to the tree if need be. I have cut many trees located deep in the woods that would be impossible to move otherwise.

My favorite hand tool is a toss up between my little Lee Valley 4" double square (easily the most used tool in the shop) and a set of Lie-Nielsen bevel edge chisels I stumbled onto at a flea market for pennies on the dollar (what they were doing at a flea market, I'll never know).

My favorite power tool is my 1971 Northfield 12" direct drive jointer. Nothing is built better, and I can still get parts should I need to.

Cyclewvu,

I let all my wood air dry outdoors for at least a year. I use a good moisture meter that will tell me when things get to around 20%-15%. At this point, if I have a use for a piece I will bring it into the shop and put a fan on it. If it's winter time I'll bring it into the house and let it sit somewhere with both sides exposed.

I have often considered making a kiln of some kind. A solar or dehumidifier style kiln are probably the easiest to make. If you're drying very small quantities you can use your attic in the summer. Just remember to keep the wood covered with something semipermeable so it doesn't dry too fast.

Swirt,

In my experience a chainsaw mill can leave quite a good rough-sawn finish, given a good sharp chain and one that has the appropriate angles ground into it. Bandsaws can leave a good finish too, though one has to control the feed rate carefully to keep the blade from undulating and creating a wavy surface.
The issue of surface finish out of the mill is important to me since I'm using sanders or handplanes to remove the mill marks. Most of the wood I use is too wide to fit in a planer.


The issue of the kerf is indeed one that I struggle with. A bandsaw would certainly waste the least wood. Both chainsaws and traditional circular mills have similar kerfs, somewhere in the order of a 1/4". It kills me to think that I could squeeze out an additional flitch or two per log if I milled using a bandsaw, but at this moment I can't justify the cost. Chainsaws are by far the cheapest way to mill.