Necessary materials
Structurally, all sawmills are divided into two types:
- With the supply of logs to a stationary saw unit.
- With the movement of the saw unit relative to a fixedly fixed log.
The machines of the latter type include the common band sawmills (“ribbons”). Chainsaw-based sawmills are made according to the same principle.
The log is fixed with clamps on the frame, and the saw unit moves along it along the guides.
The main material for such a device is rolled metal. This can be a square or rectangular profile, round pipes, rods, angles, channels and small rails as guides, similar to elevator ones.
This material is used to collect:
- frame on which the chainsaw is mounted,
- frame for placing logs,
- guides for vertical and horizontal movement of the saw unit relative to the log.
It makes no sense to give any cost for such rolled metal. An owner who decides to assemble such a frame on his own can choose either expensive thick-walled hot-rolled steel or lighter-weight cold-bent steel. The only requirement is that the rental must withstand loads and not bend during operation.
In many cases, material for homemade sawmills is simply collected from scrap metal or from available material at hand. Therefore, theoretically, the range of metal prices for a rigid frame is from 0 to 15-25 thousand rubles.
The length of the logs that are supposed to be cut also matters. For a long round timber you will need a bed of the appropriate length. And multi-meter rolled products are much more expensive and are rarely found in scrap metal.
In the video, an example of a compact homemade unit for cutting short lengths.
Wood is not used for the frame because it is susceptible to warping. The location of the log on it will constantly change, and it will not be possible to achieve stable cutting accuracy.
In addition to rolled metal for the frame and guides, you will need screws to secure the saw unit and the log. The assembly of the frame itself is also sometimes performed using threaded connections, especially if the sawmill needs mobility. Then the frame can be disassembled and transported to any place.
For stationary use, welded joints are more often used.
Assembly of a chain (tire) sawmill
Before starting assembly work, prepare a flat, open area. Then a metal frame is assembled, onto which the racks are attached and the frame is installed as the basis of the chain structure.
At the next stage, the trolley is assembled, on which the mounts for the electric motor are mounted.
Next, the cart is installed on the frame, and the engine and saw are mounted on it.
The last assembly step is to tension the chain onto the bar, and the sawmill is ready for use.
Which saw should you choose?
All hand chainsaws are, in principle, designed for cross cutting. In this case, the operating mode with maximum load can be considered short-term. The thickest log rarely exceeds 0.7-0.9 m in diameter. A cross cut is carried out in a short time. Next, the internal combustion engine cools down for some time, idles or turns off.
When longitudinal sawing, it is necessary to cut up to 6 m. In this case, the chainsaw operates at maximum load for quite a long time. For this reason, only reliable professional chainsaws with a long service life and good maintainability are suitable for such sawmills.
The engine power should be from 5 hp. and higher. As an exception in terms of power, you can use old Soviet-made chainsaws. For example, “Friendship-2” (3 hp), “Friendship 4”, 4 hp. and other models. These are durable units, extremely easy to repair and maintain, and were widely used in industrial logging sites in their time. The same applies to chainsaws of the Soviet Ural brand.
The Ural saw is most often used to make a sawmill with your own hands, especially at home - it is cheap and practical.
The big disadvantage of Soviet chainsaws is their heavy weight. But just when used on sawmills, weight does not matter, the saws are fixed and do not have to be held in your hands.
Among modern chainsaws, we can recommend the professional, original Shtil and Husqvarna.
No one forbids using light household chainsaws with a power of about 2-2.5 hp or a more powerful one from the budget category, for example Kruger GCSK 35-45 or Shtil 180. But the laws of physics and mechanics cannot be fooled. Such power units can only be used for sawing small products, and in practice they will not last long in this mode.
Chainsaw sawhorses
Working with a chainsaw greatly speeds up the fuel procurement process. The productivity of a chainsaw is significantly higher than that of a conventional saw. But when using classic sawhorses when sawing with a chainsaw, the chain often gets jammed. It can be eliminated only by turning the log cut side down in time. This is difficult and creates additional inconvenience at work.
For such work, you can make sawhorses for sawing firewood with a chainsaw using your own drawings. This device has a mechanism that prevents the chainsaw chain from jamming. Convenience and advantage of the device:
- there is no longer any need to turn the log over;
- chain clamping is completely eliminated;
- the sawyer has both hands free to control the chainsaw;
- the machine can be held in place with one foot;
- productivity increases dramatically.
If you have the necessary materials and capabilities at hand, then it’s worth making such a product yourself. The benefits of its use are obvious. Making a trestle with your own hands, regardless of the chosen material, will make the cutting process easier, increase its productivity and save time.
DIY Instructions
Sawmill from chainsaw Ural
Before starting work, a drawing is selected or created, or at least a sketch of the future product. It is advisable that the dimensions of at least the main parts be indicated. This will make the work much easier and faster. It will be possible to immediately cut the workpieces to length, and then begin assembly.
The general appearance and capabilities of the future unit can be selected and seen both in practice, using the example of band saws or chainsaws, and on the Internet in numerous videos on this topic. When choosing options according to the type of which you plan to make your own version, it is better to choose the simplest ones, with a minimum of complications and details.
This video shows the simplest device of this type. We see a pulling cable that the operator winds with the help of a handle, ensuring that the chainsaw is pulled along the log. But at the same time it is clear that the operator not only tightens the cable, but also simply moves the unit by hand. Obviously, a sawmill of this type can be made either with such a broaching device, or in an even simpler version, without it. Then the chainsaw is moved by hand.
The main requirements for any design and material:
- Sufficient strength.
- The absence of large backlashes when the working unit moves along vertical and horizontal guides.
It should be remembered that excessive strength makes the entire structure heavier and more expensive, and too tight a fit of moving parts in the guides eliminates backlash, but can lead to jamming during operation.
Having experience, you can start work without a drawing, or with a simple sketch - a sketch. Work without a drawing is carried out blindly, and unexpected errors often emerge. In addition, all dimensions will have to be remembered or written down on paper. And recording dimensions indicating the location of parts automatically leads to the creation of at least a simple sketch.
After selecting or creating a drawing (sketch), the blanks are assembled. A set of necessary rentals, fasteners and other necessary parts is assembled.
Next, the rolled metal is cut to length, and the blanks are assembled until the entire structure is ready.
We recommend watching the video below for more details on how to make a sawmill from a Ural chainsaw. The author talks in detail about all the manufacturing steps and also gives dimensions. We recommend watching this useful video.
Mini sawmill from Shtil chainsaw
Such units are assembled in exactly the same order and principle as using chainsaws of other brands. But there are a few differences.
The dimensions and shape of the modern Shtil chainsaw are completely different from those of Soviet chainsaws. Therefore, when attaching the chainsaw itself to the frame, fasteners of a different shape and size are used.
When designing, the power of the unit is taken into account. For example, the Shtil MS 880 model with a power of 6.4 kW (8.7 hp) with a bar length of 70 or 90 cm can cut thicker logs of great length. Consequently, in order to use the unit to its fullest, a frame of greater width and length is designed.
How to make a Logosol type sawmill based on the Shtil MS 660 professional chainsaw is shown in the video below. The manufacturing stages are not described, but how it is constructed and the operating principle of the main components is clear.
Portable sawmill from Druzhba chainsaw
When manufacturing a sawmill using this unit, the features of the model are also taken into account. For example, the less powerful “Druzhba 2” is suitable for trimming thin gauges (understock) and does not require a wide and powerful bed. “Druzhba 4” is capable of sawing larger logs, and this is also taken into account during the design.
If the bed is being prepared for any chainsaw, it is advisable to choose a size that is medium in length and width. The mounting location of the power unit must be designed in such a way that a chainsaw of any size and power can be mounted without problems.
We also recommend reading an interesting article about what other useful things can be made from a Druzhba chainsaw.
We recommend watching an interesting video about what type of sawmill can be made using the Druzhba 4 saw. The author talks about how its device works, the principle of operation, as well as the nuances of making it yourself.
How is it different from a jigsaw?
The main and most important difference between an electric hacksaw and a jigsaw is the different purposes of these tools. We can say that the electric hacksaw is designed to destroy, and its younger relative is designed to create.
Most often, an electric hacksaw is used to quickly cut material, mainly in straight lines. It can easily cope with structures of any shape and any material. Cardboard, wood, gypsum fiber, metal, concrete, glass, ceramics - this is just a small list of materials that can be cut using an electric hacksaw. This type of work is typical for dismantling and other relatively rough repair work.
A jigsaw is more suitable for more precise work with flat surfaces and it is more advisable to use it in cases where shaped cutting is required.
Another major difference is the shape of the instruments, which determines their capabilities. The elongated body of the electric hacksaw and the rather long blade allow you to make cuts in the most inaccessible places, where it is simply impossible to get to with a wide electric jigsaw.
Thanks to its design and flexible blade, a reciprocating electric saw can cut down protruding elements flush with the wall, which a fairly wide jigsaw cannot boast of. An electric hacksaw can be used to cut “in weight” without any problems; for an electric jigsaw, a flat surface is required to ensure that the working area rests firmly on the material, in order to avoid breakage of the tool.
Thus, when you need to decide which tool you need: a reciprocating saw or a jigsaw, first of all you should clearly define the intended tasks.
An electric hacksaw is less demanding in terms of operating conditions and can work in the most extreme conditions. Even beginners can easily master it. The tool is capable of making fairly even cuts, but, nevertheless, is more suitable for rough work.
A jigsaw in the hands of a master becomes an unsurpassed tool for cutting out shaped elements, but it requires more skill and has limitations in its capabilities.
Ripping chains
The tooth shape of any cutting blade for longitudinal and transverse cutting of wood is different. The same applies to chainsaw chains. In a hacksaw or two-handed saw for regular cross-cutting, the tooth is located straight, at 90 degrees (along its axis) to the blade.
In rip saw blades, the tooth is inclined forward. Chainsaw chains for rip sawing have a different sharpening angle. You can find such chains on sale. But they are required quite rarely, so there is not a large selection of them on sale. We have to search. In addition, among the variety of chains for different models and brands, choosing a suitable chain is even more difficult.
When such a chain cannot be found, the old ones are resharpened for cross-cutting. In this case, the sharpening angle changes from the usual 30 degrees to 10, sometimes even 5 degrees (almost perpendicular to the axis of movement of the chain).
Sawing along the grain (lengthwise) of chains with both (30 and 5 degrees) sharpening angles will be at approximately the same speed. But at a sharper crosscut angle of 30 degrees, the chain tends to find places in the wood with the least resistance between the fibers and unpredictably pull the cut in that direction. As a result, the tire may bend, make a crooked cut, or jam.
Safety precautions
A chainsaw is a dangerous tool that requires caution and attention. The use of additional devices significantly increases the risk, since when sawing the cutting tool is not visible, which lulls the vigilance of an inexperienced worker
It is necessary to ensure complete safety when moving the carriage; install all handles at a sufficient distance from the moving chain. In addition, you must comply with all standard safety requirements when working with a chainsaw:
- work only with a working chainsaw;
- Do not refuel while the tool is operating;
- refuel the chainsaw outdoors or in a ventilated area;
- do not smoke while refueling and working;
- carry the chainsaw only after it has come to a complete stop in the case;
- Start a stalled chainsaw only after removing it from the cut;
- monitor the actions of assistants so as not to accidentally injure them;
- use personal protective equipment - glasses, gloves, headphones.
The requirements are simple, but allow you to maintain the health and ability to work for yourself and your assistants.
A DIY chainsaw carriage significantly expands the capabilities of the tool. It becomes possible to produce different types of lumber, and the accuracy and precision of work increases. However, at the same time, the danger of using the tool increases. All homemade carriages and other devices pose a risk, so people without the proper experience and skills are not recommended to undertake the manufacture of such devices.
You must correctly assess your capabilities and level of knowledge, the degree of danger and responsibility of such work. If the user has sufficient training and experience, the process of making a carriage will not take much time and will allow him to obtain a useful and convenient device.
Ready-made frames and mobile attachments
The modern market offers many options for frames for such sawmills, from the simplest clamps (attachments) costing about only 3,000 rubles. to frames similar to a band sawmill at a price of about 50,000 rubles. The latter are rather flimsy-looking structures with a high probability of vibration during operation. There's nothing complicated about it. It is quite possible to assemble such a structure on your own if you have available materials.
If you use more powerful rolled metal, the structure itself will be much stronger and more reliable than that offered at a fairly high price.
The simplest attachment for longitudinal sawing.
Alternatively, such an attachment can be used as a ready-made unit when assembling a homemade sawmill. It makes it possible to vertically raise and lower the cutting set relative to the log. All that remains is to organize the movement of the nozzle along the horizontal guides of the homemade frame.
Mobile carriage for longitudinal cutting of logs based on the Husqvarna 142 chainsaw
The author of the video tells how he made a mobile carriage for longitudinal cutting of logs based on a Husqvarna 142 gasoline saw. With this saw and carriage he sawed through a very large volume of material and built an entire house. The video contains everything you need to make the device yourself. We recommend viewing, very useful.
Video about the nozzle from the store
You can see what kind of devices they sell in the store in this video.
Self-assembly of a disk unit
The work begins with the acquisition of the necessary parts, assemblies and components. Then you can begin assembling the frame. Metal pipes and high-strength guides are used, which are attached by welding. The next step is to assemble the carriage.
A powerful engine is required to rotate the metal disk, so in most cases a gasoline version is used. The working elements of the unit are connected to the engine through special holes.
This usually happens using a chain drive, but in this case the sawmill will not be able to operate continuously for a long time - the drive will constantly overheat.
A rapidly rotating saw blade is a source of increased danger, therefore, during installation, all risks should be taken into account and all safety conditions must be observed.
How to work with a homemade device correctly
The safety rules when working on such devices are the same as for any woodworking machines. The operator and bystanders must not approach the cutting blade. It is undesirable to work tired, with reduced reaction. Common sense should be used. Clothes should be buttoned and pulled up, without loose hems that could get caught in the chain.
If there is a wide spread of sawdust, you should wear safety glasses. When working for a long time, it is advisable to wear headphones to protect against noise.
Technical features:
- Do not put pressure on the cutting unit. The saw advances as sawdust is removed from the cut, without effort.
- Do not use chains with dull teeth or tires with worn grooves.
Care and maintenance of the entire chainsaw is the same as for normal cross-cutting use. But they are more careful to ensure that the engine does not overheat due to prolonged operation.
Kinds
Attachments that can be used to cut various materials are also used to perform many operations. Each type has unique properties and design. To cut rough material, cutting attachments are used. This device has the shape of a disk with a cutting edge. Usually there is a solid cutting part, but there is also a segmented one.
To cut various materials such as wood or drywall, saw attachments are used. Their peculiarity is that the cutting part contains special teeth. They can be of different shapes. The attachment also has a saw blade for making straight cuts on plain and laminated boards. For grinding workpieces with a metal, concrete and wooden base, a grinder attachment is used. Using this attachment, you can easily clean the surface of the old layer of paint. Sanding wheels can also be used to remove the primer.
Cleaning devices consist of a circle. The edges of the circle are made of metal wire. Often such circles are used to remove rust and other contaminants from a metal area. In most cases, such attachments are needed to prepare pipes for painting. If you need high precision in your work, then you need to use a grinding attachment with a frame. Polishing attachments are used to smooth surfaces. They are most needed after sanding. These attachments have disc categories. The disc can be felt, felt, or have sanding wheels. Velcro is used to secure them to the device. Thanks to this property, you can quickly change attachments.
It is also necessary to mention the grinder attachment for Chinese gasoline saws 45.53 cc. see. It is suitable for gasoline saws such as Chinese, Forza, Champion, Forward, Breit and others. The attachment is suitable for cutting metal, stone, grinding and cleaning surfaces. And you don’t need to use electric grinders. This attachment will be necessary when working in places where there is no power supply.
To prepare the nozzle for use, you need:
- remove chains and tires;
- remove the sprocket and install the pulley;
- install the belt and secure it with the side cover;
- tighten the belt.
The nozzle has technical features:
- grinding and cutting wheels with dimensions from 182 mm;
- the fit has a size of 23 or 24 mm;
- clutch cup with a diameter of 69 mm;
- The weight of the nozzle itself is 1.4 kg.
Option for making a simple sawmill based on a chainsaw
The first version of a homemade sawmill is quite simple, so anyone can implement it, spending no more than a couple of hours on it. To implement this method you don’t even need a welding machine, so let’s get started. Initially, we prepare the necessary materials:
- Hollow steel beams measuring 5x5 cm and 1 meter long. The number of such bars is 6 meters (it all depends on the length of the tool tire)
- Connecting elements in the form of fastening bolts with a diameter of 8-10 mm in the amount of 10 pieces
When all the components for manufacturing the device are ready, you can begin.
- First you need to make a lattice base from steel bars
- The size of the base is equal to the length of the tool bar
- This base is a guide when sawing logs
- To secure the tool and adjust it, two bars are fixed perpendicular to the base
- At the ends of the bars that are attached to the base, you need to make clamps to secure the chainsaw bar with eyes through which the chain will move freely
As a result, we get the following device, as shown in the photo below.
Specifically for the manufacture of this sawmill, a welding machine was used, due to which the costs of connecting elements were reduced. However, it can be done without welding, but using a drill. You can decide for yourself which is better, but in the end we get an expansion of the functionality of a useful tool in the household - a chainsaw. How this type of sawing equipment is made is described in detail in the video.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=SxZ8u1hunb8%3F
