Logosol Chainsaw Mill

[happybonzo]

I know that it's not really a Bushcraft subject but it is interesting to see how British coppice workers are using some items to add value to their product.

http://www.woodlands.co.uk/tv/2011/11/portable-chainsaw-mill-logosol-m7/

[dave budd]

believe me, with a small chainsaw mill like that, you aren't doing it foo added value products like planks! Well, most people wouldn't. I've got a similar version and the amount of waste, time taken and amount of fuel used (not to mention the hard work, face stuck in the exhaust and wear on the saw) all make it something that you use for occasional planks or for one clean surface on something like a bench. Most people I know that use them stick to milling large timbers for bridges and park benches, and then only when it is more practical to fell a tree near to the job rather than carry the wood in.

That said, I do like them :) I bought one because you don't need heavy machinary to lift and move the tree, you just take the saw (the one used in the film has the frame and bed too, so is much less portable and you still have to raise the log onto the bed) to where the tree is. That way I can mill a couple of large (3" thick) boards and drag those to the workshop where I can resaw with a bandsaw or circular saw. I've also used it to cut the tops level on a bunch of post that support my workshop, to cut a flat top on benches and shave horses, etc. I've a friend who loves his and fitted a winch to it to help drag it along the tree, but he is milling soft wood whereas I've got oak (one tank of fuel per 30' run through 16" oak!).

What most coppice workers do with trees is to stock pile them and hire a bandsaw mill (such as a woodmizer). The mill is towed behind a vehicle to the site, set up like the one in the vid and the wood is brought to it. The advangtage is that the badsaw is faster and much less wasteful, the kerf (slot cut by saw) on a chainsaw mill is about 8mm or 10mm, compared to 2mm or 3mm on a bandsaw. Some coppice groups own a mizer between them and they drag it to each others land when they need it. They are, however more expensive to buy and require a machine to get the wood to them and onto the bed.

[Woodwose]

I haven't used one of those before, but I have used a set up like an alaskan mill for planking on many occasions. It consisted of a framework with a guide bar and chain about 4-5 foot long with a stihl 88 saw at each end, (if I remember rightly). They had a button that you pressed to pump more oil onto the chain. It was torture on my lower back.
We also had a peterson saw mill which was excellent, although you where limited to the width of cut due to the size of the circular saw wheel. The timber was lifted onto the bed with a tractor front bucket and chain.
There was also a lister diesel powered saw bench that was a right $%%&**!! to start. I was never to keen to work it. Pulling off the back was OK, working at the front was scary.
Every know and again a woodmizer was hired in. The bloke who brought it said, it really suffered from salt attack from the roads in the winter.

Dave, you might be intersted in these two books by Ed Robinson also known as Geoff Surtees. They are both a great read. Both are available from wagtail press.

http://www.ed-robinson.co.uk/writing.html

[paul standley]

It's a nice piece of kit.... but probably not for use on "coppice" work as coppicing tends to be more geared towards small diameter wood. That said, I like it from a 'outdoors boys toys' point of view :-)

Paul.