For many years I though about getting a chainsaw sawmill. My friend Rob, who I consider a small engine guru, always warned me against the impulse. He would generally make a scoffing noise and say something about cooking the rings of my saw. I was never sure what that meant, but it didn’t sound good.  Rob moved away a few years ago, and until a few weeks ago his distain for chainsaw saw mills had stuck with me. I purchased a Granberg Alaskan Small Log Mill from Amazon for $132.73. Assembly was pretty easy. Those who don’t like to read/follow directions will find assembly to be difficult. The only aggravating part was attaching the mill to the chainsaw.  The weight of the saw and the awkward size and shape of the mill makes clamping the mill onto the bar a three handed job.

Using the sawmill was pretty straight forward. I built a guide from 2X4’s for the first cut. After the first cut the flat surface made by the first cut acts as the guide. I have milled 4 logs so far, and have been happy with the lumber
produced. The lumber has all been of a consistent thickness and had a decent surface.

Using the mill is hard work. Processing one log leaves me sore and tired the next day. I believe that having the
logs at waist height, as they are in the images provided by Granberg, would make the process much less physically
taxing. I think Rob’s apprehension about overheating a chainsaw are also true. I have been careful to allow my saw to
cool off between cuts.

The major downfall of this mill is the toll it takes on the operator and chainsaw. Overall I would rate this chainsaw mill as a useful tool. Being able to cut lumber to custom lengths and thickness will be useful for a host of turning projects. I would recommend this product to any other wood turner, just work slowly and be patient.

Last modified: June 5, 2018