I have been looking at these portable band-sawmills for years now and after LOTs of consideration and thinking, planning, etc. have come to these conclusions:
- The chainsaw mills that I have (the mini-mill and the slabbing mill) are ok for what I want.
- The chainsaw mills waste a lot of wood and are far slower and harder to use than the band-sawmills, but I have concluded that I am only interested in making beams and cants from trees - not boards!
- Bandsaw mills work well - but you would need to NEED lots of lumber to make them worthwhile. I am not going to build a large compound or going into the wood-working business (or running a small lumber mill business).
- I can probably get by with just the chainsaw-mills that I have for my lumber needs for fine wood IF I get a large-ish bandsaw. I am looking at a grizzly right now. Although this model doesn't have a foot brake. I might get the next model up (with a foot brake).
- In any case, no matter which mill approach I adopt, I will need a planer and a jointer to do fine wood work.
- I think I can get dad's old delta planer fixed up and running with a set of shelix blades - its fairly small planer but I don't plan on making massive pieces of furniture! The shelix replacement is NOT cheap - about $450!
- Tony Huffert has a Sunhill SM-204 8" jointer that I can get for $400! It will need shelix blades as well. Its model info: Sunhill SM-204 (note that sunhill company is gone and product is no longer supported). However, there are shelix blades that I can use - for $350). Note that I have to pick up the jointer before Jan 7(?) with my trailer to get this deal from Tony.
- Other plans I have are to buy all of dad's woodworking stuff from mom. I have a list that I am making to make sure siblings are ok with the purchase. The only thing that I really want is dad's planer. everything else I either don't need or don't want. Just getting the stuff out of the garage so that it doesn't get lost in the estate. Also, I think I can get the auxiliary tools for a good price from her, which may save me some time in buying them piecemeal as I need them.
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