There is an alternative timber procurement strategy for those with their own stand of large straight trees, and that is to make the timbers yourself with a chainsaw mill, essentially an attachment for a chainsaw. There are several different styles and qualities and costs vary a great deal. Here are some choices, with contact information for all of them found in Appendix C:
• The Beam Machine. First, you nail a two-by-four to the log that you want to make into a beam. The Beam Machine is an inexpensive ($40) bar attachment that slides along the two-by-four. Their ad says the “dog-tooth pivoting action takes most of the strain out of sawing because it supports the weight of the saw and provides you with a smooth, leveraged sawing motion.” See Sidebar, on pages 54-55. [4]
