Rough Cutting Logs On Lovcation

[gondarman]

I have laid my hands on some beautiful long old mai talian thong logs. Want to use them for boat building. Most of the problems I faced during my first building projects came down to inaccuracy in the materials, caused by inferior logging, rough cutting, drying and sawing. That is why I have set up that whole process myself. Drying kiln, sawmill, complete woodworkshop with table saws, planers, thicknesser etc The missing link in the process starting from the logs is having them cut into rough boards on location. The way I have seen the Thais doing it is not what I want. They slice them parralelly overlength with a giant chainsaw with the result that the grain is running everywhere, the boards are not the least straight and causing alot of waste material.

I would like to have them cut with i.e. a portable bandsaw and roll them a quarter round for every board so the grain will run the same way on every board.

Saw them using these particular bandsaws in Australia and Canada. They loaded them on a pickup truck, assembled them on to the log and cut beautiful boards. There is a crane and some excavators on the location which I can use so lifting and rolling is not the problem.

Wonder id there are any saw millers in Thailand using this or any other system to fill in this missing link and meet my needs of an accurately processed hardwood

Would appreciate help or advice of any kind to solve this particular problem

Regards

Arthur

Surin

[oldsailor35]

Dont know about Thailand Arthur. I suppose it depends how much money you have to spend, but i know that there are several companies manufacturing some good reasonably priced portable timber mills here in Australia. Both for professionals and hobbyists.

[WatersEdge]

I know that a big band mill exists here,

because I saw a sharpening shop delivery truck

The freshly sharpened bands were around 3 inches wide,

and folded it's hard to estimate,

but perhaps 12-15 feet long

Having a love for anything related to a saw mill,

it caught my attention first because I'd never expected to see it,

and secondly it was huge.

I saw this in the area of Chai Nat or Uthai Thani,

an hour or so north of Bangkok

in traffic on the main highway, is it 32?

Here in Mae Sot we have several circular saw sharpening shops,

with blades almost as big as I've seen in North Carolina.

Perhaps 50 inch?

I've not seen bands while driving past those shops.

Some years ago I inquired of a logger / sawyer friend in Montana,

about the cost of a portable band mill.

He said $15-20,000 for a decent used mill .

I decided for that kind of money I could weld fab an even nicer one,

and not have to pay shipping and import tariff on it.

I think it would be cheaper to build a stationary mill,

and leave the concrete behind if you ever had another location in mind.

Unbolt your rails and carriage and move on.

[gondarman]

I know that a big band mill exists here,

because I saw a sharpening shop delivery truck

The freshly sharpened bands were around 3 inches wide,

and folded it's hard to estimate,

but perhaps 12-15 feet long

Having a love for anything related to a saw mill,

it caught my attention first because I'd never expected to see it,

and secondly it was huge.

I saw this in the area of Chai Nat or Uthai Thani,

an hour or so north of Bangkok

in traffic on the main highway, is it 32?

Here in Mae Sot we have several circular saw sharpening shops,

with blades almost as big as I've seen in North Carolina.

Perhaps 50 inch?

I've not seen bands while driving past those shops.

Some years ago I inquired of a logger / sawyer friend in Montana,

about the cost of a portable band mill.

He said $15-20,000 for a decent used mill .

I decided for that kind of money I could weld fab an even nicer one,

and not have to pay shipping and import tariff on it.

I think it would be cheaper to build a stationary mill,

and leave the concrete behind if you ever had another location in mind.

Unbolt your rails and carriage and move on.

Yeah WatersEdge, one would more likely see a thing like that in your area. Here in Surin the natural environment has never had many trees. Originally something like a prairie and now mainly rice land. The good logs I am talking about have come down the river many years ago from central Thailand I guess.

You are right. I checked on prices a few years ago as well and came out with similar quotes, but I googled a bit recently and you could buy a good new complete portable one for about 6,000 USD now. Milling 26-30 inch dia. and standard length about 16 ft. With the possibillity to lengthen the track to any length. The tracks I could weld easily here, but the carriage and running parts I would not trust myself making a good job. I have got a new honda engine already to mount on it and even a 12 hp electric motor, which would do even better.

I am sticking to the bandsaw idea. It is a bit more hazardous working with a bandsaw compared with mounting a chainsaw, but for owning a chainsaw that size one needs a special licence here. I was told that it is because they dont want just anybody to be able to take down trees.

My best bet would be finding a miller who would rip the logs the way I want them. Otherwise I would have to find exploitation for the investment and I have already got so many projects on hand

[gondarman]

I know that a big band mill exists here,

because I saw a sharpening shop delivery truck

The freshly sharpened bands were around 3 inches wide,

and folded it's hard to estimate,

but perhaps 12-15 feet long

Having a love for anything related to a saw mill,

it caught my attention first because I'd never expected to see it,

and secondly it was huge.

I saw this in the area of Chai Nat or Uthai Thani,

an hour or so north of Bangkok

in traffic on the main highway, is it 32?

Here in Mae Sot we have several circular saw sharpening shops,

with blades almost as big as I've seen in North Carolina.

Perhaps 50 inch?

I've not seen bands while driving past those shops.

Some years ago I inquired of a logger / sawyer friend in Montana,

about the cost of a portable band mill.

He said $15-20,000 for a decent used mill .

I decided for that kind of money I could weld fab an even nicer one,

and not have to pay shipping and import tariff on it.

I think it would be cheaper to build a stationary mill,

and leave the concrete behind if you ever had another location in mind.

Unbolt your rails and carriage and move on.

I know that a big band mill exists here,

because I saw a sharpening shop delivery truck

The freshly sharpened bands were around 3 inches wide,

and folded it's hard to estimate,

but perhaps 12-15 feet long

Having a love for anything related to a saw mill,

it caught my attention first because I'd never expected to see it,

and secondly it was huge.

I saw this in the area of Chai Nat or Uthai Thani,

an hour or so north of Bangkok

in traffic on the main highway, is it 32?

Here in Mae Sot we have several circular saw sharpening shops,

with blades almost as big as I've seen in North Carolina.

Perhaps 50 inch?

I've not seen bands while driving past those shops.

Some years ago I inquired of a logger / sawyer friend in Montana,

about the cost of a portable band mill.

He said $15-20,000 for a decent used mill .

I decided for that kind of money I could weld fab an even nicer one,

and not have to pay shipping and import tariff on it.

I think it would be cheaper to build a stationary mill,

and leave the concrete behind if you ever had another location in mind.

Unbolt your rails and carriage and move on.

Yeah WatersEdge, one would more likely see a thing like that in your area. Here in Surin the natural environment has never had many trees. Originally something like a prairie and now mainly rice land. The good logs I am talking about have come down the river many years ago from central Thailand I guess.

You are right. I checked on prices a few years ago as well and came out with similar quotes, but I googled a bit recently and you could buy a good new complete portable one for about 6,000 USD now. Milling 26-30 inch dia. and standard length about 16 ft. With the possibillity to lengthen the track to any length. The tracks I could weld easily here, but the carriage and running parts I would not trust myself making a good job. I have got a new honda engine already to mount on it and even a 12 hp electric motor, which would do even better.

I am sticking to the bandsaw idea. It is a bit more hazardous working with a bandsaw compared with mounting a chainsaw, but for owning a chainsaw that size one needs a special licence here. I was told that it is because they dont want just anybody to be able to take down trees.

My best bet would be finding a miller who would rip the logs the way I want them. Otherwise I would have to find exploitation for the investment and I have already got so many projects on hand