Alaskan small log mill field notes
The Alaskan small log mill
only takes a few minutes to attach to a chainsaw.
It's been years since we've
used it. The main thing I remember is needing someway to clamp the log
down so it wouldn't move while I operated the chainsaw. The plan at the
time was to either build a small structure or fix up a corner of the
barn. We got lucky and found someone giving away an old trailer and
decided a recycled home would get us on the land a year or two sooner
and a lot cheaper.
There's no doubt it would
feel groovy to sit back and look at a structure knowing you built it
from a downed tree, but I'm not sure the longevity would compare to
store bought and kiln dried wood? I guess it would depend on the tree
you start with and the level of craftsmanship.
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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.
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I have never used an Alaskan mill, because a friend has a potable bandsaw mill. I always wondered how much gas the saw would use. I have built log homes in the past and ripping logs lengthwise for door and window openings takes a lot of power.
I think a person could build a quality building, but I would be tempted to hire someone with a sawmill instead. If I was 20 again that might be a different story.
Sounds like you've got a quality friend.
I suspect you're right about hiring a sawmill being the better approach if you were doing serious building.