Bandmilling Logs into Lumber

Frequently Asked Questions

I get emailed alot of the same questions so I think it's a good idea to answer the most popular ones here. Hopefully, this will shed some light on the in's and out's of Sawmilling with a Bandmill.

• What is custom onsite sawing?

My sawmill is portable which means with little or no site preparation I can bring the sawmill to you and custom saw the logs from where they lie.What needs to happen prior to me showing up with the mill is the logs MUST be stacked at a clear and level area so I can set up the mill and operate it in a safe and efficient manner.This is imperative for bandmilling. If I have to move the logs additional fees will be incurred.

• How do you saw logs to lumber?

I use a Hudson 30" Portable sawmill, which is an accurate and effective way to custom cut lumber, slabs, posts, beams and mantles,just to name a few.

• How big of a log can you saw?

We can saw a log that has a diameter of 30" and a length of 17'. The head rig's throat or throat cut will not cut anything thicker than 30" across. However,the length is infinite. Meaning,if you need 18' long beams/boards or longer, and you have the logs, than we can fabricate and construct a track to accommodate the sawing of such. This is costly and negotiated well ahead of time.

• Where do you get your log's to saw?

Storm felled trees, lot clearing, forest thinning, and privately owned wood lots are just a few avenues, which lead to the reclaimed trees we saw. I encourage everyone to call us prior to burning any logs. The wood will be salvaged and put to much better use as custom sawn lumber.

• Do you "Share Cut"?

Share cutting basically means that you do not need all the lumber from the logs being cut or you do not want to pay me for the bandmilling. So, I will cut the logs and take a portion of the lumber to pay the salaries and expenses incurred thoughout the job. This is not always cost effective for me as the expenses do add up quickly and the lumber will need to be dried before offering for resale. This will always depend on the quality and amount of the species being offered. Every job is unique and this will be discussed and negotiated well ahead of time.

• How long do I have to wait for my logs to get cut?

I'm usually never out more than 10 days but this depends on a few variables. Weather, job size, species of custom sawn hardwoods being cut, are you bringing the logs to me or am I bringing the mill to you. These variables do come into play so care must be taken when scheduling. If you bring your logs to me on a trailer you can leave the trailer and I will stack the lumber on it as I'm cutting. I'll call you when I'm finished.

• Will you cut a tree down in my yard for the lumber?

NO! I can refer you to a reputable, licensed and insured "tree feller".I work with several and they are accustomed to the way I need the log pile stacked and staged prior to sawing. The tree's need to be felled, delimbed, cut to log length and staged in a level and accessable area for me to set the portable sawmill up for sawing. The ideal area is 20' x 50' with the center 15' x 30' near level. If I need to level an area for the mill additional fees can and will be incurred.

• What kind of mess will be left when you are done?

The Bandmill I use for sawmilling has a very thin kerf so wood dust is minimal compared to circle saws and such with thicker blades. There will be a pile a sawdust that I'll rake into the surrounding grass (this turns to compost anyway) and the slabs you can burn at your own free leisure. Make sure you talk to the appropriate authorities for getting a burn permit if required. The slabs can make exceptional firewood for the wood stove or fireplace.

• The BIG Question... How much lumber can you saw in a day?

This is a good question however loaded the answer may be. There are many variables which affect the end result.Condition of logs, placement of logs, species of logs. Do I have a helper to remove the slabs of wood? How many blade changes have we had? The type of mill does play a role but from what we've noticed with our system we can still maintain a high rate of productivity in comparison to other comparable rig's.We have had many days of 1000 bdft when cutting 8/4 but when cutting 4/4 the rates decrease sometimes drastically. Having a loader on site increases our cutting time substantially.