It's not a Cub however...

I have started painting it Cub red.

I've wanted a sawmill for years but just couldn't afford one. So I went on the web and looked at a few pictures and decided I could build one. I had a pile of steel so I started cutting and welding and this is what I came up with.

The engine is a new 12hp Kohler that I already had. It has plenty of power and I'm well please with how it cuts. I had to buy some more steel from a local salvage yard and ordered the drive wheels off the web. The rest I pretty much fabricated myself.
Opening a log is like opening a box of chocolates you just never know what's inside.
Roy

Roy:

Wow! Nicely done. Sooooo... tell us where did you find the plans for this

Roy put some wheels on that rig and bring it up to NC i have about thirty 14ft.pine logs i have been trying to get sawed for a while everybody around here that has a mill like that has set them up permanent i can haul them to the mill but i was hoping to find someone with a portable to saw them at my place.

Jim

Thanks guys, Rudi I didn't have a set of plans, just some pictures I found on the web. There is a web forum that is dedicated to home built sawmill. ( It's been down for the last few days) I went on there and read everything I could about building a band mill and started cutting and welding. I don't do too well sometimes trying to follow a set of plans. I would rather get a general idea of what I want and how I can use the materials I have on hand.
Thanks for the invite Jim. However right now my frame is one piece 20 foot long and would be kind of difficult to move. I know what you mean about getting someone to saw for you. I had accumulated several nice logs and couldn't get them sawed so I figured that was a good excuse to have my own.
Right now I'm having a bunch of fun with it and I have turned out some beautiful lumber. Like i said before opening every log is like opening a birthday gift from your mother-in-law. You have no idea what's inside.
Roy

That is awesome. Good job.
Got any pictures of what you have cut.
Looks like a wood mizer.
Thackery

Do you have any pictures with the guards off?
Im curious about the drive and wheels.

One of my favorite things is seeing somebody use their mind, their skill, and experience to take an idea and make it a reality. In my opinion too many people watch projects on TV, and don't take them on themselves.

Excellent job. Keep us posted !

Last edited by Bob Perry on Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Very nice! I have been looking at mills on the internet also. You are way ahead of me though. Great job.

Thackery, here is a couple of pictures I took last evening with the guards off.
This first one is the driving wheel showing the pulleys with the orange tires.
The orange reel under the saw is just an extension cord with battery maintainer to keep a good hot battery.

Here is the electric clutch off the engine. You can also see how the hydraulic tensioner works.

I have more pictures and smaller details. If you would like them and info such as where to buy the wheels, the bands, hydraulics, rail rollers, etc. etc. I have spent a good bit of time finding suppliers so I'll be glad to share my results with you. Just email me and I'll be glad to send them to you.
Roy

Nice job, I know that was a lot of work, but it will pay off soon as its all done. You can all ways say (Hey, I Built That)

I was able to aquire 3 ten foot saw logs cut on property that belonged to my Grandfather. One red and two white oak. Yielded about 425 board foot of lumber, some is quarter sawn, beautiful. Have pix but having trouble sizing them for the Photohost. Hauled them to the sawmill with the cub on a log arch.

Congratulation on getting the logs from your grandfathers place Dan. Like I have said before you never what beautiful lumber there is inside of a log until you open it up.
I was out last evening dragging logs off my son-in-laws place down to my saw site. These were some he had hired a tree cutter to take down because they were getting rather large and were close to his house. I must confess I was using my MF 135 to move them. These were oak logs about 18 to 20 inches in diameter and about 16 to 18 feet long. A pretty good load even for the MF.
Enjoy your lumber and think about your grand dad every time you use a piece.
Roy

Thanks for the comments Roy. My paternal GF died while I was still a twinkle in my dads eye. I have my Grandads rifle, walking cane and his name.Our home was built by my Dad on his part of Grandma's estate. The logs came off land we had already sold and an uncles portion. Should have cut one of them 12 foot for trailer floor and sideboards. For porch swings and yard cart floor 12 foot would have been wasteful.

Well done. I'm lucky enough to have a cousin with a portable mill. He has set up here once but generally I only have a log or two so I take them to him. Have ash right now, emerald ash borer has killed most of the ash trees. With the price of lumber I take everything I can get. You'll have fun. Vern