Wish H.F. made one of these 35 years ago. My dad had oak,cherry, elm and black walnut on his property when A storm went through and blew them down. No one wanted them and they rotted in the woods. No trees on my property worth cutting for lumber. Nice vid. I subscribed.
I had a lt30 for 15 years put a 24hp Honda on it. a couple of pointers... don't pull the sawmill back with the blade running if it catches it will pull the blade off and screw up the bandblade teeth set. Also keep turning the log after about 2 or 3 cuts or the tension in the log will start to twist the log and screwup your cants! also green wood is easier to cut that dry. another hint.. run water with a little Murphy's soap in it to counter the SAP sticking to the blade. I love the smell of fresh cut logs! good luck and have fun.
you need to feed the saw slower!and it will cut straiter because band saw mills need to be fed slower than a circle saw. even though its cutting that fast the blade gets twisted and wants to dive into the log, also any knots or differnt grain patterns because the wood is denser will cause diving into the log.a man i know hase one of those 40000.00 dollar mills and he cuts to fast and his lumber is wavy as the ocean just slow way down and see what happens, just my 2 cents worth.
Jeremy Newsome Getting all track bolted down to 2x4, 4x4, or 6x6 will straighten and stabilize joints, and dampen vibes. Also will allow shimming/ grinding to "perfection" assembled.
+Charlie Perkins you cant cut too slow either! it will heat the saw and cause it to stretch and lose tension and that make it "snake" as the sawyers say. i'm a saw filer at a local lumber mill and we had a guy on our head rig that always thought that if he slowed down he would cut straighter and that's just not the case. you have to cut at the RIGHT speed, which depending on your wood, your blade, and your experience...may be slower or faster. but yes! it does look in this video like the may very well be over feeding. and never stop any saw IN THE CUT! unless absolutely essential for the saving of life or limb!
GREAT !! Saw your video this morning and went to H.F. and bought one. I had it delivered to the store so I can inspect it there and they also have a forklift to load it on my trailer to bring home. For the guy, Tom Knick about his unstable trailer with the mill on it, You can solve the problem by putting out-riggers on both ends or a set of trailer jacks to stableize and level it. Also you can make a ramp and roll the logs up with either a cant hook, peeve, or com -a -long. Hopes this helps. KC the Tree guy
Just a quick point, I am sure everyone knows this, but some might not . Dirt is the enemy of every blade. If you want to dull a blade in seconds, stick it in the dirt or cut through a dirt covered tree. I suggest scraping the bark, it is usually filthy. If that is too much work, then use a cheap chainsaw to chop off the bark. Woodmizer has an attachment specifically for cutting the dirty bark away from the blade. But proper prior planning solves much of this. First, I stack brush under where I fell the tree. Then I never let the bark touch the dirt, I use a forklift right when I am trimming the branches. And something I saw, and you will say I am being picky, but never, ever step on the wood. Your boots have dirt on them, so even your planer will suffer.
Great advice. I went up north while I was teenager alone not knowing much of anything with my dad's pretty new chainsaw. Cut a bunch of poplar in the ditch and in no time I needed a new bar and chain.
The lumps and bumps in the lumber is most likely the tendency of the blade to follow the grain of the wood. An adjustable saw guide, like Woodmizer uses may help with this. Cutting with a dull blade will also follow the path of least resistance.
Only one man needed to push the saw through the log. One man can "feel" the resistance based on saw sharpness and this will produce better, straighter lumber. Proud owner of a Woodland Mill.
Glad to see the Green Machine up and running. Looks like your going to make good use of it. Keep the vids coming as we're all interested in projects you've coming up.
study up boys. refine your skills on the saw and safety first. i recommend you google quarter sawn wood. you will be working hard but the product is awesome. and saw wet wood and plane dry wood. harvest trees in the winter when they contain less moisture. ENJOY
It may just be me, but the two columns, that the saw's frame rides up and down on, do not look to be square to the bottom track. It could just be the way the camera is sitting, but those will have to be at 90 deg. to the rails the carriages run on. If not, that will cant the blades teeth downward, and the back up the blade up.
Great video on the harbor freight sawmill!!! Its interesting the dutch elm disease moved thru my area many many years ago. Probably before I was born. Now the emerald ash borer is moving thru and has almost killed about 30 ash trees at my house. Maybe in a few years this will be me sawing up my own lumber. Lol. Probably not but who knows. Haha. Keep up the great videos! I love seeing that mill. Look up elms water content when you get a chance. I have a tree book that says elm has a 140% water content. Which means its more water than wood. Lol. I wonder how much it will shrink down as it dries?
I must get one of these mills!- or build my own. Most reviews say it's a great mill for the price, it just needs tweaking and beefing-up in certain places like the motor carriage frame. Thanks for the video.
Cutting through wet hardwood is actually easier than dried hardwood. When hardwood dries, the pores in the wood contract, causing the wood to get denser and more difficult to cut through. The sawmill appears to be typical HF quality. $2000 was probably $1000 more than that thing should be. The grain was fantastic on that elm. There are fantastic saw mills under $10k, you don't need a $40k sawmill. I personally think that was a waste of money, I don't think you'll be able to mill those boards but I'll look to see if you have a follow up video.
I noticed that as you were cutting the log that you two were pushing on the top of the uprights. It looked like you tilted the head forward at the blade. It may be just the video angle, but you may have actually tilted the blade. Try pushing with the handles that are in the middle of the head assembly. Just a thought. I like your videos. I have watched several.
Will be quite a while before I can get a bandmill, so the Alaskan mill will have to do for now. Can't wait to get even the HF bandmill. One suggestion is to weld up the holes meant for joining the track sections togethet and drilling new holes to eliminate the gap causing yoir blade dive issues.
He has it right. If he flips it (I had mine set that way) then the sawhead hits the metal as it goes down and he won't get close enough to the deck to saw the last two boards.
I think you would make great strides by investing in full length angle for the tracks. Cool machine. With your welder and the atv winch, you should be able to fab a good side carriage/log loader!
Nice video Guys, been wanting to pull the trigger on this mill but gun shy. Now that I know it will do the small amount of work I have for it I am going for it. Thanks
I have one of these sawmills and I will give you a heads up. The bearings the go behind the blade on the guides won't last to long. Better buy some spares for down the road. I sawed around 10,000 board feet before they went out.
Imagine! I just watched 2 different videos of same model mill. From same supplier/dealer but he mentioned that it was made in China. I have seen DIY machines, possibly cost as much to build plus time and manhours. Modifications for improvement certainly required. Happy milling.!
+DIECASTER AFTER you get the whole system dead level,.......welding and grinding those joins in the track, will stop humps and bumps in the cut lumber. Ok Ok,...I subscribed too....this is good stuff,..so far !
Nice..Let it dry and those slabs would be righton for some Viking Chairs for the patio or Campsite..Like the grain in Elm alot better than Walnut or Chestnut !!
First thought - buy two pieces of 2 x 2 or 2 x 3 steel tube for a track Second - this would go great with a 18 or 25 inch wide USA made Woodmaster Planer (which can plane, make molding, sand and rip saw stock for about $1,000.00 to $2,500 (used) on eBay. And either will fit in the back of a Jeep Cherokee or similar SUV. (I paid 1200 for my 18" - 1000 for my older 25" and $900 for my 12" , all with accessories.
@Redneck Homestead great demonstration but this equipment would be completely amazing with a lathe equipment or a vertical saw attachment/ adjusting the horizontal blade to 90 deg cuts. Then i say you could really produce alot of quality would pretty quick/reasonable with a skid steer and a good chain saw
Just watched u on the Homestead nation with brad n co. Why dont you do more of that on ur own channel? Its good to know how u got to a position. I learnt more about u in that 35 mins than I have watching all ur vids.
Cant hooks make turning logs easier. 5:40 you need to have the end of the log on the support beam. I've watched other reviews of the HF sawmill and didn't see any issues you guys had. But in all, how did you like the saw? I'm looking at this or a chainsaw mill.
don't know if you pick one yet but i have a chainsaw with a mill mount on it and the problem am getting is 1. If first cut not perfect it mess up all other cuts, 2. lots more to clean up and 3 getting the right chainsaw and chain for the job can be a problem if you already have a chainsaw but there no good chain for milling saws I have a farm boss stihl which could not fine a rippping chain for
@@HeadsDisplay Thanks for the reply. I used the small Alaskan mill with an 18 inch chain. It worked on a Stihl 029 super. I did find the ripping chain after finding the measurement of my chain. You'll need three measurements to get the right chain. You can then generally find the correct chain online. I went through two chains milling the lumber. There's a lot of chain sharpening and the blades will wear out. I ended up milling nearly 1000 board foot of black cherry. I couldn't justify spending that much money on a mill that would just sit there when I was done. My Alaskan mill was simple and worked great. My chainsaw handled it fine. I was worried I would burn it out, and it didn't. As for the top of the logs and causing an uneven board, you need to put a ladder and level the ladder from side to side all the way along the log. Then after the first cut you can just keep going. then trim off the bark end later. I was in a hurry because it had to be done in five weeks and left the bark on. I'll trim it later when It's dry. Good luck with your milling projects. I hope my information was helpful
Nice work guys. Looks like an awesome farm table hidden in that wood. Did you upgrade the saw blade yet? I hear the one that comes with the unit doesn't last long.
WOW! Goes to show you not ALL Harbor Freight stuff is junk (personally recommend their 20T shop press for around $150 bucks). I've found with a lot of their stuff you need to tweak it some to get the results or to perform the way it should or you want. Looks like if you can get one side of a log fairly level and squared this saw should give consistent (thickness) cuts. For the DIYer might be able to build your own log cabin.
This wood is beautiful. Elm is probably the worst for splitting into firewood, practically impossible by hand. Elm makes very strong and flexible ax and tool handles for this reason. Just don't leave it out in the weather. How long are the blades on this saw?
Good unit for the price. they should adapt a Chain Drive Crank system that would drive BOTH sides so One man can work it alone. MAybe you guys can figure one out and let us see it.
Just a suggestion......I would run a metal detector over every log prior to sawing them....one nail, bullet, wire piece could ruin your saw.....you may already do that...I'm not sure....just wanted to mention....
A lovely piece of elm, any thoughts on what you are going to do with it? I've also been milling lumber this week but with a 46cc Stihl it takes a little longer :)
in college i had to show a professor how to change his flat. HE WAS VERY INTERESTED IN WATCHING AND LEARNING. but it requires common sense more then learning. YOU CAN DO MORE THINGS WITH COMMON SENSE THEN WITH LEARNING. women can learn but still dont know what they are doing.
I visited Harbor Freight when I was in the big city awhile ago but the stuff I saw was mostly inferior quality. I know many people still use their stuff but I couldn't find anything I wanted to buy there.
Looks nice, but from the last tools I bought there I just cant quite do it but I want to lol. I bought a band saw from them and its just little shit that always seems to be breaking or needs adjustment, constantly keeping me from getting work done and finished on time. I just don't like how the tools are not ridged seems like everything they make flexes.
it needs to be leveled up move the saw back and forth and measure to confirm the cut is as close to level as possible. I really enjoyed the video. I build thing all the time just seen you guys and just thought I would throw in my 2 cents. I would like to see you cut the wood as straight as possible. I don't see any reason that you shouldn't be able to some pretty straight on that saw. Giving some beefing up the riding surface. Good Luck With your Projects.
the log isn't too wide. you didn't open another face on it. should've turned the log after the first cut so you could open another face and slim the log down, even up it's dimensions so the each cut can go all the way through the mill. and green wet wood is much EASIER for a mill to cut. the drier it is the harder it is and the more it takes out of your saw to cut it. at least that's how it works on the big 40 footers that I fix and file at the mill I work at.
Maybe its the camera angle when you guys are pushing the mill through the log but it looks like the upright posts you push on are out of level..Please reply.
Every time you move the log after cutting a slab you make the next cut an inconsistent thickness from one end to the next. You should set it up and leave it alone in my opinion.
+Mike Kapotsy by flipping the log you can cut SOME of the tension out of the tree.. I have seen a 12 foot log raise 1/2 inch on the end. You can spot these tension logs by looking at the ends. The further off center the pith of the log is the more tension or timber bound. This will continue to show up even after drying down to the smallest board.
Looks like you have it set up wrong. Log should be on other side. I may b wrong. I have seen them both ways. just wonder what is the best. looks like good mill just need to be longer
Looking at your cut, your blade is no where near tight enough. You should also take time to check your guides. I use a piece of paper on mine. Tighten the blade up, and then put a piece of paper on the top of the blade, then lower your blocks and tighten them. Then move the paper to the bottom, and push the block tightly against the blade and tighten. Remove your paper and you have 1/2 the thickness of a piece of paper clearance, and the blade should not hit the blocks as you cut.
yeah but it isnt portable, will last a fraction of the time (mines a 1985 and still runs perfect) and you have to push the blade through the wood. i guess if you bought it just to do a couple logs it will do the job. i always invest for the future when it comes to tools and equipment. when that thing is in the scrap yard mine will still be cutting wood. i also have the added bonus of knowing all the previous owners through woodmizers records. its not that i think everyone should buy a woodmizer, i just think that horrible freight saw is way over priced
+ironlionkalo The Harbor Freight saw seems portable to me, will likely last years to come at a half the cost of yours (which you seriously overpaid for), and has quite a few improvements.
Those pieces you cut are not cheap at a lumber yard. Firstly, you need an exotic wood dealer, and a piece with two rough edges can easily go for many hundreds of US dollars. One nice tree can pay off that machine easily.
With an inch per year to air dry it or they have to come up with money for kiln-drying. They first need to learn how to stack, sticker, and tarp the wood they've cut.
Looks like you are pushing the saw to fast! You are not giving the blade enough time to clear the saw dust and it is causing the blade to deflect! That is the primary reason you are getting stuck and that cut is not staying flat! You may also want to invest in some wedges to stick in the kerf!
Wish H.F. made one of these 35 years ago. My dad had oak,cherry, elm and black walnut on his property when A storm went through and blew them down. No one wanted them and they rotted in the woods. No trees on my property worth cutting for lumber.
Nice vid. I subscribed.
I had a lt30 for 15 years put a 24hp Honda on it. a couple of pointers... don't pull the sawmill back with the blade running if it catches it will pull the blade off and screw up the bandblade teeth set. Also keep turning the log after about 2 or 3 cuts or the tension in the log will start to twist the log and screwup your cants! also green wood is easier to cut that dry. another hint.. run water with a little Murphy's soap in it to counter the SAP sticking to the blade. I love the smell of fresh cut logs! good luck and have fun.
A lot of good information. Thank you
Harbor freight sawmill looks like it works great. Thanks for the video.
Every homesteader needs a Rob.
I'm just glad to hear you call it an engine and not a motor lol
you need to feed the saw slower!and it will cut straiter because band saw mills need to be fed slower than a circle saw. even though its cutting that fast the blade gets twisted and wants to dive into the log, also any knots or differnt grain patterns because the wood is denser will cause diving into the log.a man i know hase one of those 40000.00 dollar mills and he cuts to fast and his lumber is wavy as the ocean just slow way down and see what happens, just my 2 cents worth.
Charlie Perkins I appreciate the feedback Charlie! You are right, plus i need to make some adjustable guides and level the track as well!
Jeremy Newsome Getting all track bolted down to 2x4, 4x4, or 6x6 will straighten and stabilize joints, and dampen vibes. Also will allow shimming/ grinding to "perfection" assembled.
+Charlie Perkins you cant cut too slow either! it will heat the saw and cause it to stretch and lose tension and that make it "snake" as the sawyers say. i'm a saw filer at a local lumber mill and we had a guy on our head rig that always thought that if he slowed down he would cut straighter and that's just not the case. you have to cut at the RIGHT speed, which depending on your wood, your blade, and your experience...may be slower or faster. but yes! it does look in this video like the may very well be over feeding. and never stop any saw IN THE CUT! unless absolutely essential for the saving of life or limb!
Charlie Perkins his is like 2000.00
pen mightygun b
GREAT !! Saw your video this morning and went to H.F. and bought one. I had it delivered to the store so I can inspect it there and they also have a forklift to load it on my trailer to bring home.
For the guy, Tom Knick about his unstable trailer with the mill on it, You can solve the problem by putting out-riggers on both ends or a set of trailer jacks to stableize and level it.
Also you can make a ramp and roll the logs up with either a cant hook, peeve, or com -a -long. Hopes this helps.
KC the Tree guy
Just a quick point, I am sure everyone knows this, but some might not . Dirt is the enemy of every blade. If you want to dull a blade in seconds, stick it in the dirt or cut through a dirt covered tree. I suggest scraping the bark, it is usually filthy. If that is too much work, then use a cheap chainsaw to chop off the bark. Woodmizer has an attachment specifically for cutting the dirty bark away from the blade. But proper prior planning solves much of this. First, I stack brush under where I fell the tree. Then I never let the bark touch the dirt, I use a forklift right when I am trimming the branches. And something I saw, and you will say I am being picky, but never, ever step on the wood. Your boots have dirt on them, so even your planer will suffer.
Great advice. I went up north while I was teenager alone not knowing much of anything with my dad's pretty new chainsaw. Cut a bunch of poplar in the ditch and in no time I needed a new bar and chain.
Robert Carver
The lumps and bumps in the lumber is most likely the tendency of the blade to follow the grain of the wood. An adjustable saw guide, like Woodmizer uses may help with this. Cutting with a dull blade will also follow the path of least resistance.
+1 and as far as the tracks no aligning perfectly, a bit of filing and shimming and you will be dead nuts on.
Enjoy! Sawmilling is the most fun I've ever had woodworking. Sure you'll love it too.
Only one man needed to push the saw through the log. One man can "feel" the resistance based on saw sharpness and this will produce better, straighter lumber.
Proud owner of a Woodland Mill.
Glad to see the Green Machine up and running. Looks like your going to make good use of it. Keep the vids coming as we're all interested in projects you've coming up.
Zim glad you shared this mill with us , thinking of getting started 🇺🇸👏👄
study up boys. refine your skills on the saw and safety first. i recommend you google quarter sawn wood. you will be working hard but the product is awesome.
and saw wet wood and plane dry wood. harvest trees in the winter when they contain less moisture. ENJOY
Wow - beautiful wood - that sure makes it all worth it...thanks for sharing.
That grain is simply awesome. Make a very nice gun cabinet, or whiskey box.
Thanks for sharing all the best from John in Texas
looks like Harbor fright has it going on
It may just be me, but the two columns, that the saw's frame rides up and down on, do not look to be square to the bottom track. It could just be the way the camera is sitting, but those will have to be at 90 deg. to the rails the carriages run on. If not, that will cant the blades teeth downward, and the back up the blade up.
The crouch figure is wonderful 👍
Great video on the harbor freight sawmill!!! Its interesting the dutch elm disease moved thru my area many many years ago. Probably before I was born. Now the emerald ash borer is moving thru and has almost killed about 30 ash trees at my house. Maybe in a few years this will be me sawing up my own lumber. Lol. Probably not but who knows. Haha. Keep up the great videos! I love seeing that mill. Look up elms water content when you get a chance. I have a tree book that says elm has a 140% water content. Which means its more water than wood. Lol. I wonder how much it will shrink down as it dries?
Great channel! Tommy and Brad sent me over.
better blade and experience makes the day a lot easier
I must get one of these mills!- or build my own.
Most reviews say it's a great mill for the price, it just needs tweaking and beefing-up in certain places like the motor carriage frame.
Thanks for the video.
Just invest in the mill...I just built a chain mill..Its a battle that takes over your life...:)
Love the chain drive wallet and the Mr. T starter kit.
Elm really warps bad, but you can't beat free delivered wood. It's cool.
Pretty sweet!!!!
Guys, that shot of the cut at 10:38 ? Gorgeous! I'd take it!
This is very helpful, thank you.
Cutting through wet hardwood is actually easier than dried hardwood. When hardwood dries, the pores in the wood contract, causing the wood to get denser and more difficult to cut through. The sawmill appears to be typical HF quality. $2000 was probably $1000 more than that thing should be. The grain was fantastic on that elm. There are fantastic saw mills under $10k, you don't need a $40k sawmill. I personally think that was a waste of money, I don't think you'll be able to mill those boards but I'll look to see if you have a follow up video.
I noticed that as you were cutting the log that you two were pushing on the top of the uprights. It looked like you tilted the head forward at the blade. It may be just the video angle, but you may have actually tilted the blade. Try pushing with the handles that are in the middle of the head assembly. Just a thought. I like your videos. I have watched several.
Will be quite a while before I can get a bandmill, so the Alaskan mill will have to do for now. Can't wait to get even the HF bandmill. One suggestion is to weld up the holes meant for joining the track sections togethet and drilling new holes to eliminate the gap causing yoir blade dive issues.
Nice work guys, Cheers!!!
You need to swap sides with the black track roller assemblies. The long leg goes the direction of the cut - this may help you make a better cut.
Great advice... The manual doesn't say that but I agree that it would be better
He has it right. If he flips it (I had mine set that way) then the sawhead hits the metal as it goes down and he won't get close enough to the deck to saw the last two boards.
that's good, the saw works just fine
Wet wood is much easier on your blades than dry wood.
Chris C try cutting stump year later when dried, will come to same conclusion.
I think you would make great strides by investing in full length angle for the tracks. Cool machine. With your welder and the atv winch, you should be able to fab a good side carriage/log loader!
Nice video Guys, been wanting to pull the trigger on this mill but gun shy. Now that I know it will do the small amount of work I have for it I am going for it. Thanks
the front end of the log is not on the frame, that's why your cut is off, and he is going way to fast
i used to work in sawmills and the head rig and the re-saws were all vertical bandsaws which made vertical cuts instead of horizontal.
I have one of these sawmills and I will give you a heads up. The bearings the go behind the blade on the guides won't last to long. Better buy some spares for down the road. I sawed around 10,000 board feet before they went out.
Imagine! I just watched 2 different videos of same model mill. From same supplier/dealer but he mentioned that it was made in China. I have seen DIY machines, possibly cost as much to build plus time and manhours. Modifications for improvement certainly required. Happy milling.!
Weld the tracks together, then grind them down flat.
+DIECASTER AFTER you get the whole system dead level,.......welding and grinding those joins in the track, will stop humps and bumps in the cut lumber.
Ok Ok,...I subscribed too....this is good stuff,..so far !
Nice..Let it dry and those slabs would be righton for some Viking Chairs for the patio or Campsite..Like the grain in Elm alot better than Walnut or Chestnut !!
First thought - buy two pieces of 2 x 2 or 2 x 3 steel tube for a track
Second - this would go great with a 18 or 25 inch wide USA made Woodmaster Planer (which can plane, make molding, sand and rip saw stock for about $1,000.00 to $2,500 (used) on eBay. And either will fit in the back of a Jeep Cherokee or similar SUV. (I paid 1200 for my 18" - 1000 for my older 25" and $900 for my 12" , all with accessories.
do they make an extension to mill logs up to 12+ feet long?
hey just to let you know you should place two wedges in the first six inches of the new cut this stops blade binding and motor stall-outs...good luck
@Redneck Homestead great demonstration but this equipment would be completely amazing with a lathe equipment or a vertical saw attachment/ adjusting the horizontal blade to 90 deg cuts. Then i say you could really produce alot of quality would pretty quick/reasonable with a skid steer and a good chain saw
R-Squared is back!!!
remember to drive a wedge into your initial cut thus taking the weight of the slap your cutting off of the saw blade as it runs.
A 5 minute, UN-skippable ad before a video is insane. I even have ad-blocker.
PS you are doing a great job..Now I'm torn on which mill to buy..
Just watched u on the Homestead nation with brad n co. Why dont you do more of that on ur own channel? Its good to know how u got to a position. I learnt more about u in that 35 mins than I have watching all ur vids.
Cant hooks make turning logs easier. 5:40 you need to have the end of the log on the support beam. I've watched other reviews of the HF sawmill and didn't see any issues you guys had. But in all, how did you like the saw? I'm looking at this or a chainsaw mill.
don't know if you pick one yet but i have a chainsaw with a mill mount on it and the problem am getting is 1. If first cut not perfect it mess up all other cuts, 2. lots more to clean up and 3 getting the right chainsaw and chain for the job can be a problem if you already have a chainsaw but there no good chain for milling saws I have a farm boss stihl which could not fine a rippping chain for
@@HeadsDisplay Thanks for the reply. I used the small Alaskan mill with an 18 inch chain. It worked on a Stihl 029 super. I did find the ripping chain after finding the measurement of my chain. You'll need three measurements to get the right chain. You can then generally find the correct chain online. I went through two chains milling the lumber. There's a lot of chain sharpening and the blades will wear out.
I ended up milling nearly 1000 board foot of black cherry. I couldn't justify spending that much money on a mill that would just sit there when I was done.
My Alaskan mill was simple and worked great. My chainsaw handled it fine. I was worried I would burn it out, and it didn't.
As for the top of the logs and causing an uneven board, you need to put a ladder and level the ladder from side to side all the way along the log. Then after the first cut you can just keep going. then trim off the bark end later. I was in a hurry because it had to be done in five weeks and left the bark on. I'll trim it later when It's dry.
Good luck with your milling projects. I hope my information was helpful
You should make sure to get both ends of the logs resting close to a support on that lower frame.
Nice work guys. Looks like an awesome farm table hidden in that wood.
Did you upgrade the saw blade yet? I hear the one that comes with the unit doesn't last long.
WOW! Goes to show you not ALL Harbor Freight stuff is junk (personally recommend their 20T shop press for around $150 bucks). I've found with a lot of their stuff you need to tweak it some to get the results or to perform the way it should or you want. Looks like if you can get one side of a log fairly level and squared this saw should give consistent (thickness) cuts. For the DIYer might be able to build your own log cabin.
This wood is beautiful. Elm is probably the worst for splitting into firewood, practically impossible by hand. Elm makes very strong and flexible ax and tool handles for this reason. Just don't leave it out in the weather.
How long are the blades on this saw?
Good unit for the price. they should adapt a Chain Drive Crank system that would drive BOTH sides so One man can work it alone. MAybe you guys can figure one out and let us see it.
Just a suggestion......I would run a metal detector over every log prior to sawing them....one nail, bullet, wire piece could ruin your saw.....you may already do that...I'm not sure....just wanted to mention....
I wonder if you mounted a push bar lower. It might not be so wavy.
Your pushing at the top.
Maybe the blade is veering down.
Enjoy watching the video
A lovely piece of elm, any thoughts on what you are going to do with it? I've also been milling lumber this week but with a 46cc Stihl it takes a little longer :)
A little longer? Try a lot longer
remember even the small scrap can be used for pen blanks hint hint rob knows me
boys u be sawing to fast, but I loved the video, that is some pretty wood I should of saved mine and sawed it. keep sharing ur video
Wow
man i could make some nice guitars out of that last piece u cut it had some nice quilt in it nice job guys
Well that is Harbor Freight for you. Only the minamum of desing.
in college i had to show a professor how to change his flat. HE WAS VERY INTERESTED IN WATCHING AND LEARNING. but it requires common sense more then learning. YOU CAN DO MORE THINGS WITH COMMON SENSE THEN WITH LEARNING. women can learn but still dont know what they are doing.
SKIPPER SKIPPER he just wanted to watch your ass while you were doing it.
the log slid forward back end of log came off
I visited Harbor Freight when I was in the big city awhile ago but the stuff I saw was mostly inferior quality. I know many people still use their stuff but I couldn't find anything I wanted to buy there.
Whats the maximum length logs you can mill on that thing?
ThomasPaine3 i have managed 8'6" but with longer track, the sky is the limit!
Looks nice, but from the last tools I bought there I just cant quite do it but I want to lol.
I bought a band saw from them and its just little shit that always seems to be breaking or needs adjustment, constantly keeping me from getting work done and finished on time. I just don't like how the tools are not ridged seems like everything they make flexes.
Nice Video. You guys didnt put in wedges as you were cutting??
Is that the blade that came with the mill?
david dorshak yes
Dwarf surfboards.
ThomasPaine3 lol!!
enjoyed watching this shit! :-D
That's all looks to me like it's easier to move than the logs are made you bring the saw over level it up and away you go
it needs to be leveled up move the saw back and forth and measure to confirm the cut is as close to level as possible. I really enjoyed the video. I build thing all the time just seen you guys and just thought I would throw in my 2 cents. I would like to see you cut the wood as straight as possible. I don't see any reason that you shouldn't be able to some pretty straight on that saw. Giving some beefing up the riding surface. Good Luck With your Projects.
roll the log for a few cuts till carriage will make the rest of the cuts
the log isn't too wide. you didn't open another face on it. should've turned the log after the first cut so you could open another face and slim the log down, even up it's dimensions so the each cut can go all the way through the mill. and green wet wood is much EASIER for a mill to cut. the drier it is the harder it is and the more it takes out of your saw to cut it. at least that's how it works on the big 40 footers that I fix and file at the mill I work at.
Beautiful
Maybe its the camera angle when you guys are pushing the mill through the log but it looks like the upright posts you push on are out of level..Please reply.
Great Video guys! Lovely Grain.....What is the cost of Sawmill? just a point on safety Gents...ear protection...thanks for the upload!
Donervan Chong The sawmill was $2kUS. A VERY good deal indeed :)
What cuts over 36 to 46 inches wide
The captioning is hilarious, auto correct gone really wrong. Nice video, I've often wondered about this product.
it's been a while since yoi posted any vids on this sawmill. are yoi still running it. pm me of you ever want to sell it.
Every time you move the log after cutting a slab you make the next cut an inconsistent thickness from one end to the next. You should set it up and leave it alone in my opinion.
+Mike Kapotsy
by flipping the log you can cut SOME of the tension out of the tree.. I have seen a 12 foot log raise 1/2 inch on the end. You can spot these tension logs by looking at the ends. The further off center the pith of the log is the more tension or timber bound. This will continue to show up even after drying down to the smallest board.
1DIYGuy ahhh I see. Thanks.
Not bad at all for a 2000.00 mill. I'm not a fan of band saws except for metal cutting applications.
Always set your pith both ends of log must be leveled and centered
not enough supports under it. will make curve.
Harbor freight must have thousands of these little mills , hurray for Chinese industry
Looks like you have it set up wrong. Log should be on other side. I may b wrong. I have seen them both ways. just wonder what is the best. looks like good mill just need to be longer
Hell, if you don’t think that is usable lumber sent it to me.
Looking at your cut, your blade is no where near tight enough. You should also take time to check your guides. I use a piece of paper on mine. Tighten the blade up, and then put a piece of paper on the top of the blade, then lower your blocks and tighten them. Then move the paper to the bottom, and push the block tightly against the blade and tighten. Remove your paper and you have 1/2 the thickness of a piece of paper clearance, and the blade should not hit the blocks as you cut.
Good but show your safeness 1st like wearing protection glass or wear gloves just in case the saw blade broken, I think
John Doe you are right, i am usually very safety conscious, but sometimes i lag in that department.
why not weld the pieces together rather than bolt them?
we did that in a later vid ;)
i bought an lt40 for 4000 at auction. who would spend 2000 at horrible freight
ironlionkalo
Because it will still do the job, at half that price.
yeah but it isnt portable, will last a fraction of the time (mines a 1985 and still runs perfect) and you have to push the blade through the wood. i guess if you bought it just to do a couple logs it will do the job. i always invest for the future when it comes to tools and equipment. when that thing is in the scrap yard mine will still be cutting wood. i also have the added bonus of knowing all the previous owners through woodmizers records. its not that i think everyone should buy a woodmizer, i just think that horrible freight saw is way over priced
+ironlionkalo The Harbor Freight saw seems portable to me, will likely last years to come at a half the cost of yours (which you seriously overpaid for), and has quite a few improvements.
FCFordLord what are the improvements and what do you value a woodmizer lt40 at?
good lord you are pushing it too fast
Those pieces you cut are not cheap at a lumber yard. Firstly, you need an exotic wood dealer, and a piece with two rough edges can easily go for many hundreds of US dollars. One nice tree can pay off that machine easily.
With an inch per year to air dry it or they have to come up with money for kiln-drying. They first need to learn how to stack, sticker, and tarp the wood they've cut.
This is a prime example of why you don't buy harbour freight... look at that fucking cut.
Looks like you are pushing the saw to fast! You are not giving the blade enough time to clear the saw dust and it is causing the blade to deflect! That is the primary reason you are getting stuck and that cut is not staying flat! You may also want to invest in some wedges to stick in the kerf!