TESTED: Carter Bandsaw Log Mill
Above: The Carter log mill provides a bandsaw carriage for out-of- round sections.
Review and photos: Damion Fauser
Renowned company Carter recently released this bandsaw accessory in a move likely to appeal to many home-based woodworkers looking to recover useable stock from small log sections and other odd-shaped pieces.
The 660 x 260mm melamine-faced MDF base is flat and reduces friction on the table surface, and the 660 x 125mm steel fence is both rigid and tall enough to support pieces of a reasonable diameter. The fence is laterally adjustable to account for cut width and seats securely in place with two locking screws. The whole accessory comes with a steel 3/4" mitre track bar that has adjustable set screws for tuning to the mitre track. Some European machines have different sized mitre tracks, so the user can either mill their own guide bar, or simply run the mill against the factory bandsaw fence.
The workpiece is secured in the mill at one end with a serrated end jaw that can be adjusted to account for different lengths, and at the other with a toothed and pivoting jaw face on a threaded rod. The pivoting nature of this jaw allows for the securing of pieces that aren’t square and flat on the end, but my recommendation would be to take care when preparing your workpiece – the flatter the surface and the squarer it is to the long axis, the more securely your workpiece will be held while cutting. Both end jaws are height adjustable to account for different sized and shaped pieces.
Showing the workpiece secured in the mill at one end with a serrated end jaw.
Maximum workpiece length that can be secured inside the locking jaws is 560mm. Maximum diameter will be influenced by factors such as bandsaw resaw and throat capacity, and the physical prowess of the user as well as the physical capacity of the accessory, so some discretion is advised in this regard.
I tested this mill by taking some cuts on a very rough piece of spotted gum that I’d prepared for the test with a chainsaw and an axe. In quick order I had two reference faces that I could then use at the factory fence to take subsequent resawn boards.
This is a well-designed and made jig that will appeal to those who like to source their own boards from firewood and local trees.
Review tool supplied by Gregory Machinery. For more information and pricing see www.gregmach.com
Damion Fauser is a Brisbane based furniture designer maker who also teaches woodwork classes. See damionfauser.com