Anyone milling in a tropical climate?

[Stuart Caruk]

We're headed back down to Roatan (30 miles off the north coast of Honduras) again in January. I'm seriously considering moving there if we can work out some of the logistics for setting up a significant project down there. I've been asked if I could bring down the equipment to set up a portable saw mill, and while I've done a bunch of milling on my LT35 hyd, I'm not sure how well a sawmill would stand up in the tropical climate.

I've also gotten used to having access to my log loader, tracked bobcats and forklift, and it would be impractical to get them down there (at least to start). HAs anybody ever actually run (successfully) a small mill in a 3rd world country with limited resources?

[fishpharmer]

Member crtreedude has an operation in Costa Rica.  A former member, may he rest in peace, Jim King had a sizeable operation in Peru.  You may want to search their posts.  There are others as well that do/have milled in various tropical areas around the globe, good luck.

[black]

What is it you want to know, is it the sawmill vs the temperature and moister conditions, the people conditions or the financial profitability? I don't understand your question.

[beenthere]

WM, if I recall correctly, got its start with 3rd world in mind. There are swing mills that are possibilities as well.

[Stuart Caruk]

It's one thing to park a sawmill outdoors (even under cover) in the Pacific Northwet. Everything sweats certain times of the year and keeping the rust at bay is an ongoing challenge for machines that are not store in a climate controlled building.

In Roatan there is no climate control. It's warm and humid, and a small island surrounded by  salt water. I'm actually curious if the mill would hold up just parked under a shed, or if it would turn to a rust bucket in no time.

I aready no about the issues of security, theft, getting fuel, getting logs etc.

Well, actually... getting logs would be far easier if I could float them around the island and bring them to the mill. Any further ramifications to cutting trees that have been floating in slat water? For sure it's not going to help the rust issues.

I'll seek out the suggested posts. Thanks for the tips.

[Nomad]

     Stuart, do you envision being able to leave the mill in one location and always bring logs to it, or do you think you'll need to be able to move it to the logs?  (I'm assuming you're talking about a location with nothing passable as a real road.)
     If the mill will be mostly stationary a manual bandmill might make sense.  Manual because I assume labor is much cheaper and available than repair parts. 
     If you're talking about transporting the mill using animal or people power, I'd strongly suggest a swingblade mill.

[WV Sawmiller]

Stuart,

    Good luck. I'd check with WM and make a list of your concerns and talk with them.

    Do you have the gasoline or diesel engine? I'd sure suggest the diesel in the tropics as I'd bet it is much more readily available but you mentioned you have already addressed the fuel issue. I'd also suggest a bigger mill than the LT35 for work there. How about sharpening blades and getting spare and replacement parts? How about support equipment?

   Hope it all works out for you.

   

[Compensation]

WM, if I recall correctly, got its start with 3rd world in mind....

Lt15 Papua New Guinea, dismantled and hauled up the river on canoes. I remember the display at WM in indy talking about versatility.

[4x4American]

I feel like it might raise hell with all the electronics on the mill...I would for sure cake all connections with di-electric grease.  I talked with a WM rep about using di-electric grease on the connections and he didn't see any problems with it.

[teakwood]

I am in Costa rica and have my own saw mill(small, all manual), works great. it will oxidize  a little bit more because of the constant humidity, although i have no saltwater nearby. Do you speak Spanish? your "gringos" will get almost every time a worse  deal if you cant defend yourself in spanish

[Ianab]

The tropical jungle is the reason that some mills are built from stainless and alloy. They are used extensively around the Pacific Islands and with the manual mills there is no electronics to worry about.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I never have but I think I got a taste of it in the South this year.

[longtime lurker]

I'm in the wet tropics of Australia, and have also milled in the south west Pacific.

Rust is par for the course. Paint everything you can. If the paint wears during use - rails etc - put a coat of grease on it.

Use tinned wire at  all times. Rewire before you go because electricians get scarce. Put dielectric grease on electric fittings, then seal the boxes. Sikaflex is your friend.

Figure out how you're going to get logs from bush to mill. Many tropical hardwoods are dense and don't float BTW... but if they do how are you getting them from high tide mark to mill? Sand is the enemy of saw blades.


Look, there's a million things you need to work out... from sourcing trees to where and how you market the lumber. Everything costs more then you expect except labour, everything takes longer then you think especially labour, and the best advice I can give is to go look at the ground yourself before you do anything.

[Sixacresand]

Good luck with your equipment in Roatan.  I never heard of Roatan and read about it on Wikipedia. Interesting.