Alaskan mills or chainsaw mills are used by a wide range of people to enjoy the ability to turn fallen trees into logs and their own timber. Outdoors people, lawn owners, crafty people that want to make things from their own wood, builders and DIY enthusiasts are able to create what they need from the logs they have. If you love to make things from wood, whether art pieces, cabins, sheds or any other project having a mill and Alaskan mill rails is a great way to have a part of the process from the very finding or felling of the tree, to turning it into logs and lumbar and then using it to create something. Here are the basic steps on using a mill like a professional!
Step One – Set up the mill and first cut
The reason for your Alaskan mill rails is to get an even and level surface for the cut. After that first cut, you can use the long as the guide for the next ones. Logs are uneven so you need to put on the rail guide to get an accurate first cut. To make sure you do not waste your log take some time to mount the slab rails exactly as they need to be so that they act as a level when you attach the rails to the log you want to cut. Run the chainsaw mill along the rails to get the first layer complete and then you are set up for the rest of the cuts.
Step Two – Making the second cut
Now you have a nice and even surface flat to the mill you can work out where the second cut needs to come in from, either the bottom of the log or the top. If you are cutting logs to create beams or lumber then it should be from the bottom of the log where it has not yet evened out. If you are milling lumber that is partially complete then decide what thickness you want and go in from the top.
Step Three – Using the sawmill to create finished lumber
If you are using the Alaskan mill to create finished lumber then you have another cut to make, a final third cut. You need to adjust the log so it is now at 90 degrees and put back on the rails you took off after the first cut. Use a carpenter’s square to make sure you have the perfect right angles and then create the third cut into the side so you end up now with three even surfaces. The log remaining can be turned into finished boards.
Conclusion
There are more setups you can try and as you learn the technique and become more adept at using your Alaskan mill you can take a look at what the additional steps might look like. But for a basic cutting guide on milling lumber yourself, this is what it looks like.
