A mini-mill for harvesting free logs
AccuRight Log Mill from Carter
We get plenty of storms in the Midwest that knock down trees, and some folks cut the wood and stack it next to the road—free for the taking. I like no-cost firewood as much as anyone, but I have an even warmer feeling for free lumber.
Carter’s Log Mill has helped me transform redbud, hickory, mulberry, and more into boxes and other projects. The jig assembles quickly, and every component is impressively heavy-duty. The end clamp immobilizes the log
(23-inch maximum) against a stop, then you adjust and lock the carriage onto the base for the first cut. After that cut, rotate the log 90 degrees and reclamp. These cuts give you two flat, perpendicular faces–one for the bandsaw table and another for your regular rip fence.
I sometimes coat the ends of the logs with latex paint and let the wood partially dry until I have the time and inclination to mill them. Use the widest rip blade your saw will take. If you want to cut green wood, buy a blade that resists clogging.
—Robert J. Settich
