Westford Chainsaw Mill — and the Amazon Alternative

Chainsaw mills are a small market with a lot of regional brands, and Westford is one whose distribution has never been wide. The design is essentially standardised — an adjustable frame that clamps to the bar and rides on the log or a guide rail — so the choice is about size and build rather than concept.

How it works

The mill clamps to the chainsaw bar and sets a fixed distance between the bar and a flat reference surface. For the first cut, that surface is a ladder or a straight board laid along the log. After that, each new cut references the flat face you just made.

Slide the mill along, and the saw produces a slab of consistent thickness.

What it demands of the saw

More than most people expect, and this is where mills get a bad reputation.

Engine size. The mill scored here specifies 50cc or larger, and that is a floor rather than a recommendation. Milling wide hardwood with a small saw means the saw runs hot, cuts slowly and wears out fast.

A ripping chain. Standard crosscut chain is ground to sever fibres across the grain. Milling cuts along the grain, and a ripping chain — ground at a shallower angle, typically 10 degrees — cuts far faster and cleaner. Using crosscut chain for milling is the single most common mistake.

Filter and lubrication discipline. Milling generates enormous volumes of fine sawdust at full throttle. Clean the air filter constantly, run generous bar oil, and stop to let the saw cool.

The waste

A chainsaw kerf is around 8 mm. A bandsaw mill’s is closer to 2 mm. Over a log, that difference is boards you do not get.

For slabs and occasional milling, it is an acceptable trade for a tool that costs a hundredth of a bandsaw mill. For production, it is why bandsaw mills exist.