Easiest Way to Level a Woodland Mills Portable Sawmill

Check out the block method that I use and consider to be the easiest way to level a Woodland Mills portable sawmill. With the block method you won't need a measuring tape and the setup time is quick. All you'll need for the block method is 3 blocks of wood, a string line, a crescent wrench and level. With these tools you'll be able to make your portable sawmill bed level and flat both lengthwise and side-to-side. Follow the steps I show in this video to improve the quality of your dimensional lumber cuts as I've been doing for quite some time. Also check out my tips for mounting the bed of your sawmill and my experiences with my current setup. With a bit of patience and some know-how, you'll surely be cutting beautiful lumber with a high-degree of accuracy real soon. Thanks for watching everyone! Be sure to check out my playlist showing all kinds of other videos dealing with my Woodland Mills HM130 shown in this video.

[@Arnickification]

I love your videos, you don’t over explain everything you’re doing or tell a bunch of stories to lengthen a video.

[@Lucas-pv2wn]

Holy!!! I just did the string method on my sawmill, and that was 40 times easier than trying to use a long level. I don't know what I was doing. Thanks for the information!

[@sawingwithsandy]

Great to hear I could help Lucas

[@practicallyIndependent]

Great video! Thanks for sharing. This is very helpful.

[@Living716]

Thanks for the tips, really helped.

[@Tat2Power]

Great video! Thanks for posting.

[@tonynason3101]

Thanks, Sandy another great video!

[@sawingwithsandy]

Thanks Tony

[@joeyrutherford1790]

Thank u my friend great help

[@roberthudson31]

basic down to earth, keep the i vids coming please

[@sawingwithsandy]

Thanks Robert!

[@HOODS]

Great video man. I hope this helps those who need to hear it.

[@sawingwithsandy]

Thanks!

[@allenchancery4847]

Thanks again

[@donfrance3]

We are doing the same with our sawmill. Thank you.

[@sawingwithsandy]

Hope all goes well Don

[@danielf996451]

Really enjoy your videos as I prepare myself for my 130 max Dan from Alaska

[@sawingwithsandy]

You'll really enjoy sawing! Hope things go well once you do get it. Thanks for watching Daniel

[@cameronbuttigieg9060]

Oh wow, up until this video, I thought you were down in the states. I've got an HM130Max up here outside North Bay. Your videos have been pretty handy. Makes me feel better knowing you're in Canada too. Similar conditions.

[@lr22same47]

Just set mine up, took me about 2 days to get it level. Learned a lot while doing it. I used 2 4' levels and went section by section. One end to end and one side to side. I added 2 extensions and used 2 20' 8x8s, came up shy by 2 legs and they gave me all the problems. I appreciate your videos, thank you for sharing.

[@sawingwithsandy]

Anytime

[@lumberjill6598]

I've watched several of your videos on this subject and never get tired of it. Hoping when I get a sawmill, this process will be embedded in my brain. What is your favorite brand of coffee?

[@bobsickinger6017]

Great video Sandy...this solved my problem of hourglass shaped timbers. My bed was level but not flat. This video was far more helpful than the tech support at Woodland Mills

[@bwillan]

It's hard to beat the simplicity of a string stretched between two points and a block to check for things being flat (or in the same plane). You do offer the best solution for setting up your mill in an environment that has to deal with freeze/thaw cycle, and that is having two beams that span the length of the mill for it to sit on (I was thinking railroad ties). The best option for a permanent installation would be pouring a concrete pad.

[@sawingwithsandy]

Concrete for sure is the way to go. That may be in the works for me

[@mikeleslie706]

I put my woodland on a old section of crane boom and welded the adjustable legs to it. Once set, the blade stays level with the bunks. Can also move the mill with tractor or put on a trailer if i want to take it somewhere. Thanks for the videos.

[@makingawesome8730]

Dude I'm about to order a sawmill I'm just doing my due diligence first trying to figure things out. This is the first of your videos I've stumbled across but it's gold. I'll be checking out your other milling videos to see what else I can learn. I need to know about keeping the mill on a trailer vs on a foundation.

[@sawingwithsandy]

Glad you like the video. I think there’s good arguments for. Ith a trailer and a stationary setup but it’ll depend on your situation and equipment availability, log locations wtc

[@heyyoubuddy6749]

Hey buddy how are ya? Great video I like that you use a string and a block as a gage. Easy to see and use. It’s funny check several times a day to see if you put up a video, I’m hungry for knowledge of how to run a sawmill. I think I want to use the sawmill to make a wood heated sauna. Also want to make a small cabin down by the stream, maybe put solar if I can or a couple batteries precharged? Any way thanks as always for the great content

[@stamlerk0413]

I'm just going to just use my N2 transit level to setup my mill. I think this should work pretty well. has anyone else used this method?

[@jeremyscott6641]

Had a real head scratcher with one section of track long story short one end was dipped down other was level and it wouldn’t adjust properly so I narrowed it down to the connecting plate under the two rails, was out 1/16” which doesn’t seam like much but when tightened down it caused the one rail to dive hard, ground it flat and was all good.

[@xpoolguy5406]

I'm like you. Cut until I notice an issue. I spent time recently making my bed flat and level but noticed I was still getting less than desirable cuts over the width of a board. Turned out my mill head was not level and had to make adjustment to the cables used to raise and lower the head. One more step. This is an interesting learning process. Thanks for another good video.

[@sawingwithsandy]

Thanks a great point. Thanks for sharing

[@lostinaveyron2279]

Hi Sandy, you don’t know me but I’ve been following your videos for a few years & just finished putting together my woodland mills HM122. I just leveled the sawmill head assembly, but I wanted to confirm my method because I have no experience so I was wondering if you have a video on that? I haven’t found one yet but I thought maybe it’s worth asking ! Thanks for posting - it’s because of creators like you I now live in a cabin I built with my own hands 😁🙌🙏

[@sawingwithsandy]

Great to hear from you and thank you for all your support over the years! The best way I can explain levelling the sawmill head is to start at one end of the sawmill and work your way to the other end. If you don't have a trailer I often start with the levelling feet extended beneath the sawmill tracks about 2" or so to begin. I begin by trying to level side to side with the feet then once I know my first two feet are level side to side I start moving down the track length wise. I use a string link pulled tight across all the bunks or a regularly level spanning from bunk to bunk to start. The levelling takes a while for sure if levelling for the first time but once you get it I find that there's not a lot of movement. Hope that helps and thanks again for watching

[@lostinaveyron2279]

Oh I meant the sawmill head - I’ve leveled it by adjusting the suspension cables to make sure the sawmill blade is level. If I’m not mistaken the method you mention is to level the track itself. But both the track and cutting mechanisms need to be level & level to each other. Does it make sense?

[@northcountrytrapper5607]

Agreed, a video showing the leveling of the sawmill head,cables and turnbuckles would also be helpful. I would think woodland mills had one but can’t find it and I lost my build manual!

[@mattcampbell4135]

I plan to mount my mill on fence posts driven below the frost level (4-6’) to keep it level/flat. 1 post on each side, joined together with 2x4s on each side of posts and supported underneath, rather than just relying on nails to hold 2x4’s. This should also make it good and solid so rough loading of logs (it’s bound to happen once in a while) won’t knock it out of level. Any thoughts?

[@michaelbradley8508]

Another great video. You and your channel provide a lot of valuable information for the 'sawmill illiterate' like myself. I was on the Woodland Mills web site and I noticed they sell mills without wheels for towing as well as a couple of versions with wheels. From the photos it appears the models with wheels have a more substantial frame. Would these models be less susceptible to getting 'out of level'? Michael from Alberta

[@sawingwithsandy]

Hey Michael thanks for. He long out the video. The sawmills on the trailers would likely stay level assuming you don’t move it’s position. But because of the leveling jacks on the trailer models it’s likely faster to re level the sawmill if you do move it.

[@mikecox7180]

I've been a 1/16 off for a while. Not the bunks but where the trac sections join. I believe its a flaw from w mills . Trying to find a shim now. Took a while to find it.

[@kevinhildum9186]

I just subscribed to your channel. I'm wondering about the stainless steel caps that you have on the bunks did you have to have those specially made for you, I haven't seen anything in woodlands site that has those available.

[@sawingwithsandy]

Hey Kevin! Welcome to the channel. Good to have ya here. Those caps actually came on the sawmill from Woodland Mills.

[@downtownbigcity9552]

Did your stainless steel bunk caps have pre-drilled holes when you installed them?

[@sawingwithsandy]

The bunk caps did have holes that were already there when I got the sawmill.

[@josephperillo7992]

i use a cheaper laser level. i check all points weith one set up works good and accurate

[@sawingwithsandy]

That sure would be the way to go

[@gary24752]

Use a water level to make sure the bed is level.

[@chrisbrauda3503]

What if your mill is on the trailer kit instead of on a ground base how do you get it flat?

[@sawingwithsandy]

Great question Chris. I use the trailer jacks to keep everything nice and flat

[@chrisbrauda3503]

@@sawingwithsandy Thank you for your reply my mill has 6 trailer jacks we check the level each time we set it up. But we been having a problem with the cant being different dimensions from one end to the other maybe as much as a 1/4 of an inch difference very frustrating.

[@user-lo8oz1ru1b]

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉.

[@sawingwithsandy]

Thank you!

[@brianwestveer9532]

Have you ever thought about pouring a concrete slab to set the mill on

[@sawingwithsandy]

I have actually and I think that may end up being the solution soon

[@scor440]

Easiest way is to spend the money on a flat and level concrete slab

[@cameronbuttigieg9060]

Oh wow, up until this video, I thought you were down in the states. I've got an HM130Max up here outside North Bay. Your videos have been pretty handy. Makes me feel better knowing you're in Canada too. Similar conditions.

[@sawingwithsandy]

Yep I’m a fellow Canuck ! Nice to meet you Cameron