MILL AND DRY LUMBER YOURSELF

TWO AFFORDABLE CHAIN SAW ATTACHMENTS MAKE IT POSSIBLE

- CHAD BEATY

If there's one thing more satisfying than building something with wood, it's building something with lumber you milled and dried yourself. You don't need a giant band saw mill to do that. All you need is a milling attachment for your chain saw. Attachments come in several styles and sizes to suit various saws and sizes of stock.

MEET THE EXPERT

CHAD BEATY IS A MASTER TECHNICIAN AND AN IN-HOUSE CHAIN SAW EXPERT AT NORTHERN TOOL + EQUIPMENT.

MINI EDGING MILLING ATTACHMENT

1 SECURE THE LOG

This edging attachment operates with your saw in a vertical position. Roll the log up onto smaller logs so the chain doesn't dig into the ground. Use a log peavey to roll the big logs onto the smaller ones. Wedge the log into position so it doesn't shift as you work.

2 INSTALL THE MILLING ATTACHMENT

Carefully read the instructions for your specific attachment, and then fasten the attachment to your saw's bar. Three setscrews secure this one to the saw's bar.

3 ATTACH THE STRAIGHTEDGE

For this attachment, you need to fasten only one 2x4 to the top of the log. "Use the straightest 2x4 you can find for this. The 2x4 acts as a guide, so the straighter the 2x4, the straighter your cut will be," says Chad Beaty of Northern Tool.

4 MAKE THE FIRST CUT

Start up your saw and begin the first cut. Go slowly and let the saw do the work. Since you're working vertically, it's not necessary to slip shims into the kerf unless the piece you're cutting off wants to bind. Just make sure that first cut piece will fall safely away from you.

5 MAKE SUBSEQUENT CUTS