Greetings From WV

[junkyarddawg00]

Hello my name is Brad, I'm from Palestine, WV.  Recently acquired an m-14 Belsaw... unknown vintage.  I've worked on mills since I was a teenager, and have sawed since I was 22.  Looking forward to learning from everybody on here.

[ARKANSAWYER]

Welcome and we like photos.

[HOGFARMER]

Howdy,I am a farmer from Ohio.  Also have a farm in Guernsey County Ohio about 50 miles from Wheeling, WV.  My mill is a Foley Belsaw M-14 as well, have to finish setting it up as soon as I can find time.  What size blade are you using and is your an all steel mill or wood framed?  Mine is all steel.

[EmannVB]

Hello Brad!

Practically neighbors; I'm over in Brooks- between Hinton and Sandstone.

[junkyarddawg00]

Thanks for all the welcomes guys.  My mill is a standard wood frame, with a 46'' saw.  I haven't even got it home yet.  I have a 318 Dodge engine I plan to power it with, with direct drive from a tire to the flat pulley.  I've been looking around here for a few days, unregistered, and I have already found a wealth of knowledge on these little saws.

[Magicman]

Congratulations on the saw and Welcome to The Forestry Forum......

I sawed lumber and we hauled it to War and built a food mission.  Later we also made a few trips to Bradshaw helping with another building.  Those towns are down in the Southern tip of your state.  Small world.

[riverswamp sawyer]

Hey Brad
I am new here also..... been reading posts for a while though.
Some very knowledgable folks here. I worked for many years with a circle saw like you describe except ours  had a 52" blade. If ya use the flat belts be carefull with em when they break  ya dont want to be any where near the pulleys.

[bandmiller2]

Welcome Brad,we're all ready to help on your project.If your mill is set up at its prescent location take pictures of everything before you dismantle it.Even save bad wood you will need to replace as it will help make up the new pieces.Choose a sidehill location [should be no problem in WV] as you can roll the logs from the ground to the mill and still have clearance underneath the mill.Read some of the hundreds of past posts on this subject. Frank C.

[Tripp]

Brad,
Welcome to the forum. Good to have another Bellsawyer among us.
Tripp

[tractormanNwv]

Welcome from Barboursville, WV  . You've Came to the Right place for Knowledgable Folks.

Jim

[fishpharmer]

Welcome to a great Place.

[captain_crunch]

Welcome to another Bellsaw owner maybe we can start evening the odds some ;D ;D ;D Ifn I don't get burnt at stake for this most fellers here use power hack saws converted to cut lumber here. Just had to say that but after watching the band mills saw work they are the modern way to go But I am into the OLD WAY mode myself
Brian

[backwoods sawyer]

Hey Captain_crunch  I sent a guy up your way, he is looking for barn siding and wants that rough look. My hacksaw was just cutting a we bit to smooth to match up with the rest of his barn.
Every mill has its use as long as it is being used. Welcome junkyarddawg00.

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

and Welcome to the Forum Brad/Dawg  and it sounds like  you have abit of expireance to share already aswell mate ;) ;D ;D 8) 8) 8) 8)

not a bad score on the mill and you can allways convert er over to a steel frame if you want to and the 46" saw will take care of most of what you would come by asfar as log dia is concerned

Regards Chris

[r.man]

Not wanting to go too far off topic but how would a manual Belsaw compare to a manual bandsaw in production. I know that there are many variables and each saw has its strengths but if you picked an average group of logs of a species that neither has trouble with which would be faster and would it be close?

[bugdust]

Hey Dawg, Bugdust here in Wyoming County. Always good to hear from Wirt County. You're not far from my hunting lease in Calhoun County (Grantsville.) I've been sawing down here since '97 on Woodmizer mills. Seems everyone is wanting lumber these days. Just finished sawing out a picnic shelter for my church, and wrapping up 75 - 2"X8"X12' for another customer. Once that order is filled I have to begin sawing 7" siding for two other customers. Good luck on your mill setup and waiting to hear from you soon.

[Peder McElroy]

Welcome Brad, it's nice to see somemore Belsaw people here. I Agree with what Brian said. I have a Belsaw M-24 with a 40" blade on a wood frame and it is great. Peder

[captain_crunch]

Hate to admit it but belive the band mill would win if not it would get more boards out of same log. Also looks like they work good cutting irregular shaped trees. then there is the portability issue. My set up is kinda like a museum. In the 40's and 50's there were these little pony mills up about every draw. In fact mine sets on an old mill site I can dig around in dirt up there and find dirt that had been turned to an almost volcanic state from the heat of the slab pile fires. Our next addition hopefully will be a small Donkey(yarder) that was once steam powered but converted to a gas engine and maybe a treated power pole that we can rig as a spar tree. My wife kinda figures I am headed for a place with padded walls : : : But I just have a soft spot for the OLD ways
Brian

[junkyarddawg00]

But I just have a soft spot for the OLD ways
Brian

I feel the same way.  I had a woodmizer once, it was an lt40 with a hydraulic side loader and turner.  But we sold it and bought a 00 frick, the mizer was just too slow.  I've had an American since then (its set up up the road and saws awesome).  I sold it a few years back and went back to the "real world" to work in a factory.  But with economy as bad as it is around here, jobs are getting scarce.  And with a tie yard 10 miles up the road, I couldn't fight the itch anymore.  I got the mill home, its sittin on concrete blocks in the field right now until I can get it set up.  I will take some pictures later on, hopefully I can figure out the forum picture hosting.

[brooksmill]

Welcome:  Glad to hear from another hillbilly.  I'm from Grant County,( Petersburg. ) Been sawing on the side for 5 yrs. and plan on retiring from my real job at the end of May and go at it full time.  Love to smell that sawdust.  I use a WM Lt40 hyd.

[bandmiller2]

The speed of a circular mill is dependent on your power,if you got the ponies you got the speed.Belsaws were designed to cut at a moderate rate with a low power engine.Friends of mine started their milling business with a belsaw.They got fustrated at the feed rate so changed things around to cut at gig back speed of course they had a big diesel.Boath mills with competent sawyers the belsaw would pull away from a bandmill in production,a heavy handset circular very much more.Bandmills will do much more work per horsepower in fact you can run a bandmill with the poney engine used to start the circular mill diesel.Frank C.

[Qweaver]

Welcome to the forum Brad.  I'm just north of Weston in Lewis County.  We've been sawing on a WM Lt15 for the past 5 years.  Just moved up to an LT28.  Best of luck to you with your saw.
Quinton

[EmannVB]

Hey Dawg, Bugdust here in Wyoming County. Always good to hear from Wirt County. You're not far from my hunting lease in Calhoun County (Grantsville.) I've been sawing down here since '97 on Woodmizer mills. Seems everyone is wanting lumber these days. Just finished sawing out a picnic shelter for my church, and wrapping up 75 - 2"X8"X12' for another customer. Once that order is filled I have to begin sawing 7" siding for two other customers. Good luck on your mill setup and waiting to hear from you soon.

Hey bugdust, I flew into your neck of the woods today.  Landed on the football field in Oceana... Been into Pineville a couple times in the last week.  Next time you see the HealthNet 5 helo in town, stop on by and say hello!
~Mark