Portable Sawmill Helpful Tips & Tricks

Tips & Tricks

Millers are always coming up with new ideas and tricks that make for a better, more efficient milling experience. Some have been incorporated into the design of the mills, as we are constantly looking for ways to improve our mills. Others are listed below.

If you would like to contribute your own tip,send it through to Emma.If you would like more information on something you read here,email us.

When Cutting

Stabilizing during double cutting
Leave a small uncut 5mm ledge before making the finished cut, so the ledge supports the weight of the double-width board. This offers an alternative towedging.

Lining up your double cut
Try cutting thebackcutfirst. This allows you to visually line up the second cut with your standard cut. You can easily adjust the winch up or down to line up the cuts, without having to walk around to the other side of the mill.

Save your blade
Before sharpening your blade, take the top slab off your log. The first slab dulls the blade the most, due to the large amount of grit and bark. Doing this first will prolong the duration between sharpenings.

Resawing
Leave a small ledge on the log, placing the board to be resawn next to it. Doublecut the board, so when pulling back on the mill, the blade forces the board against the ledge, and prevents any movement during the cutting process.

Vertical cuts first
It's a good idea to do the vertical cut first when you're at the bottom of a slab. If the horizontal cut shifts the slab sideways, the timber is already edged so your boards should still come off fine.

Log Placement

Stabilising the log (ASM)
As you start to cut a vertical board, adjust the board remover so it slides next to the board. When you come to the horizontal cut you will stop any sideways movements of either the mill or the log.

Slabbing
It is better to have the log on the ground during slabbing as this stops any sideways movement. If you are usingskids,make sure they are big and have good notches.

Slabbing on a gradient
If you are able to, angle your log on a downwards slope, so gravity helps to feed the slabber through the log. This helps prevent both operator and engine fatigue.

Sag Prevention
At the end of the slab, leave the 'bone', or side cuts, still attached (see right). This will stop the
log from sagging and moving.

Parallel logs
Sight the blade in both horizontal and vertical positions, to ensure that your log is parallel before you begin milling.

Bunk supports
Use three skids for bunk supports to stop the bottom slab from collapsing as it cuts. This will allow you to get maximum yield from any given log. It also stops the bottom slab from sagging or bouncing.

Ramps
Make a pair of ramps easily, by first cutting an 8x8 beam. Put it back onto the log at an angle, and cut vertically as per normal. These can be used to help roll logs over your tracks easily. The weight of the beam will keep it in place as it is being cut.

Square notches
A lot of beginner sawyers cut V's out of their log bunks to hold the log in place, but these often do not work. Instead, cut out actual square notches. Cutting large 8x8 bunks, rather than small supports, is also more beneficial.

Wind direction
Take into account wind direction when setting up your mill, so as to avoid excess sawdust and exhaust fume inhilation.

The Mill

Never overpush
Do not overpush your mill - let the blade do the work. If you are having to overpush, an adjustment is probably incorrect on your mill.

Moving the carriage
When you are wheeling the carriage into position over the tracks, do not push it forward and attempt to roll it over your skids. Instead, reverse it in, and simply ease the wheels over while pulling backwards.

Engaging the bar
When using an ATS model, clip-on or dedicated slabber, try rolling the black carriage wheels to engage the bar into the log. This makes it easier, not having to push it through.

Saving water
When you are doing your sizing, turn your water off so you aren't wasting any of it.

Quick resetting
Reset the sizing device while you are cutting, to save time at the end of a cut. Provided the board remover is off, you can reset the dial while you are cutting on the ASM also.

Eliminate sway
Locking your sizing device in the reset zone before you do a cut will completely eliminate any centre unit sideways movement.

Steering timber (ASM)
You can actually steer the timber left or right as it is being removed, using the reset switch, making it easier for the tailer. This also keeps the boards from falling off the side of the log.

Strapping for transport
When strapping down your mill for transport, an alternative to strapping the bed is to go over the top of the frame. This will prevent chain stretch (which may happen as the bed is pulled down), which can upset blade adjustments.