To make a board from wood, you don't always have to use a sawmill service. In addition, it is not always possible to bring a log out of the forest - for example, when access is hampered by boggy ground. A sawmill service only pays off from a certain quantity onwards and also requires the material to be moved from one place to another. In your own forest a sawmill would pay for itself - especially if a decent, powerful chainsaw is already available in the household. Chainsaw mills can broadly be divided into two: stationary and mobile.

Chainsaw mills usually use either electric motors (of sufficiently high power - preferably from 3.3 kW upwards) or 2-stroke petrol engines. It is also possible to use 4-stroke engines, but to achieve the correct chain speed they must have very high power (over 20 horsepower) or the chain speed must be increased with gearing. In addition, powerful 4-stroke engines are also quite heavy and therefore rather unsuitable for mobile sawmills.

On sawmills it is recommended to use a special saw chain designed for ripping wood along the grain. The cutting teeth of this saw chain have a smaller cutting angle (10 degrees), as a result of which the sawn wood surface is smooth and does not need much finishing. Such a saw chain is produced, for example, by STIHL in its Swiss chain factory and they can be assembled together in different lengths. This chain has a 1.3mm chain gauge and a 3/8P chain pitch. When cutting with the correct chain, the load on the saw and the material loss are smaller thanks to the narrower kerf. This chain can be fitted to all chainsaws - if necessary, the rear drive sprocket and the guide bar must be replaced.

When it comes to sawmills, generally either home-made or industrially made sawmills are in use in Estonia and around the world. The advantage of a home-made mill is its low price, but the downsides are possible inaccuracy and heavy weight, which is why they are usually not easily movable. Below we introduce Logosol's sawmills in more detail.

1.1 Logosol

Logosol sawmills is one of the market's leading sawmill manufacturers, with over 25 years of experience. They produce quality mobile sawmills with a 2-year warranty and a 2-month right of return, which are known for their efficiency, safety and quality. Moreover, these mills also have a solid second-hand market. When buying Logosol mills you can keep scaling up - start, for example, with a small jig and then buy more and more rails. Or make an informed decision straight away and get a complete mill. The advantage of the latter is greater productivity, better accuracy and time savings, since setting up is faster compared with using a jig attached to the saw. A Logosol sawmill can in principle be fitted into an estate or hatchback car. Below, more about the different models.

1.1.1 Logosol Big Mill Pro

For large logs there is the two-rail Logosol Big Mill, which allows you to cut boards up to 135cm wide. The log length in standard equipment is 2.7 metres - it can be extended with additional rails. The guide bar is fixed at both ends - this ensures a straighter cut. Quick to set up between cuts. The Big Mill Pro has high cutting accuracy. You get wide cuts, accurate to the millimetre, along the whole length of the log. The system includes the Big Mill LSG with two Timberjigs, the Big Mill Basic fittings, extended supports that hold two guide rails on each side of the log, and two additional, stronger mounting plates for the log ends. A suitable chainsaw for the mill would have a power of no less than 9 horsepower. From the STIHL range, for example, the MS880. The BigMill LSG PRO consists of: 1 Big Mill Basic, 1 additional TimberJig sawmill, 1 additional 2.75 m guide rail, 1 LSG set, 2 end-mounting extension bars (90 cm or 120 cm), 2 additional mounting plates, 1 extra guide-rail mount. Log diameter: 135 cm, with the guide-rail guide 105 cm.

1.1.2 Logosol M8

The Logosol M8 sawmill is a standalone sawmill that is also mobile. The logs are placed on two sawing supports that can be moved up and down. One end of the log is held in place with a toothed support bar. The saw moves on a straight guide rail and saws the log very accurately. The M8 sawmill is best driven with a chainsaw. The typical saw is the Stihl MS660, which, with its seven horsepower and thin bar, cuts the sawn material quickly and leaves a smooth cut surface. With such a machine you can saw a 15 cm thick beam at 5 m per minute. The large automatic-feed electric saw Logosol E8000 doubles the speed, and with a band saw you can even saw at 15m/min. In the standard set you can saw logs up to 5.1 m long - it can also be extended. Without an additional guide-bar support you can saw logs up to 60cm in diameter - you can also fit a longer guide bar, but then the cutting accuracy starts to suffer. The M8's biggest plus is its light weight - only 65 kg.

1.1.3 Logosol F2

The Logosol F2 Farmer's chainsaw mill is an easily movable sawmill that effortlessly handles logs up to 60 cm in diameter. In addition, it is so light that you can move and lift it by hand. The frame consists of one-metre sections that fit nicely into a car boot. In just a few minutes you can set up the sawmill in your own back garden or in the forest. The light saw carriage and the four-metre guide rail make the sawmill very flexible and easy to use. The carriage slides smoothly on the guide rail when cutting and can easily be lifted on and off. It is suitable, for example, for use with the STIHL MS391 chainsaw, which has a power of 3.3 kW and weighs 6.4 kg.

The Logosol F2 is made from strong anodised aluminium, which is a material with very good properties. It is a maintenance-free and light sawmill that does not rust and that lifts truly heavy logs without any problems. With the standard length you can cut logs of 3.8 metres. To cut longer logs, the sawmill can easily be extended. It can be extended in half-metre and one-metre increments, and in addition several log lifters can be fitted to handle larger and longer logs while maintaining accuracy. Weighs 52 kg.

1.1.4 Logosol Timberjig

The Timberjig is a patented, weatherproof and high-quality handheld sawmill jig for a chainsaw. The maximum log diameter for making a board with this jig is 60 cm. It is suitable for use with chainsaws of various makes; the optimal recommended choice from STIHL saws would be the MS 391 or STIHL MS 291, or at least a 50cc engine. As comfort and need increase, you can later buy additional guide rails for the Timberjig chainsaw carriage, available in lengths of 0.5 m, 1 m and 2.75 m. If the guide rail is longer than 4 m, the guide-rail support must be fitted to the centre of the log. If it is longer than 7 m, two guide-rail supports must be used. This sawmill/saw carriage is convenient to transport and to carry out work wherever needed. A simple solution that helps to make valuable use of wood even with a smaller quantity of material. If you want to develop your woodworking projects further, the Timberjig sawmill and the Big Mill system guide rails can be fitted to the Logosol Sawmill. Includes: Logosol Timberjig, angle clamps and screws.

Which sawmill to choose depends largely on the volume of work and also on whether the sawmill needs to be used in the forest. It would be sensible to prefer sawmills sold in Estonia, since the importer also ensures the availability of accessories (various jigs and extensions) and wear parts.

The following products are in Saemeister's standard range. https://saemeister.ee/tootekategooria/logosol-saeraamid/ If you would like a quote for a larger mill, write or call us.

WORK SAFETY AND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WHEN WORKING WITH A CHAINSAW MILL

A chainsaw is a dangerous tool - it makes no difference whether it is attached to a sawmill or held in the hand. Usually a petrol-engine chainsaw mounted on a sawmill also needs to be started while held in the hand and only then fitted onto the mill. In addition, there is always a risk that the saw chain may break.

During sawing, sawdust is produced, against which you need to protect your eyes. Since fine dust is also produced during sawing, it would be strongly recommended to use aids to protect the airways as well - especially when working indoors. Unfortunately, in practice this is often not the case.

The required personal protective equipment when working with chainsaws is:

• ear defenders and safety glasses, or a protective visor with ear defenders;

• protective trousers with shin and thigh protection, which ensure the saw chain stops in the event of a cut;

• safety boots or safety wellingtons with chain protection;

• work gloves.

If it is a chainsaw mill fixed to a frame, protective trousers with cut protection may not be necessary. In any case, you should follow the user manual and safety requirements of each specific machine.

In addition, the chainsaw and the chainsaw mill should only be used by persons who have received the appropriate training for safe work. You must also always make sure that the equipment used is in working order and safe for the user. You must also make sure that the saw chain is sharp and intact. Violating the safety requirements can cause an accident. When manually moving heavy loads, which can occur when lifting logs, assess your abilities, lift using your knees with a straight back, keeping the load as close to the body as possible.

The author of the article is Liina Virumäe. Copying the article or parts of it without the author's written consent is prohibited.

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