preparing the timber, workbench part 1

Turning a birch log into big timber for a carpenter workbench using a self-made Alaskan style chainsaw sawmill. As i love to use traditional handtools and usually avoid the noise of machines, i have been hesitating uploading this video. But, i have to admit, that in some cases, it can be a pleasure to work with machines. Like when turning trunks into timber and specially when working mostly alone. This sawmill is quite simple to make yourself! May this video give you some ideas for it! Some additional hints: - It is worth to use a chain designed for cutting along the grain. It gives a flatter cut and decreases the necessary power of your saw. In this video i us a big Stihl. But i have also cutted many timber with my old Husquarna 254 using the same sawmill. - Whatever chain you use, it should be well sharpened! If you wonder how birchwood (the other two pieces in the picture of the storage are alder) has this nice grain? The log has been laying for a while allowing mushrooms to enter the wood and start there job of decomposition and design. It just has to be dried before the structure of the wood got weak. It is bit tricky to find this right moment. Maybe it is experience or just flow and trust which can help you to find it out... The birch is perfect, maybe, for the alder it has been bit late. We will se, when it is dry!