Hello all you wood meisters. I'm new to the forum. Reside in the BC interior and have recently purchased a Victory chainsaw mill with 18 ft. capability. Using a Husky 394 XP powerhead. Happy with the product it produces and being dirt is a problem with my raw logs felt a chainsaw mill would be better suited to my needs for producing timbers and cants. Kind of interested in purchasing a used bandsaw mill to turn the cants into dimensinal lumber and have searched the web looking for a site that has a classified section but not too successful so far. Anyone know where to look? I'm an early retiree that works only when I darn well please (not too often in cold weather :D) and it doesn't take much to convince me to shut down and go fishing. Interested in a bandsaw mill that doesn't take a genius to maintain and the simpler the better. VBR
Ken
I think the sawmill exchange is probably the best know website to look. http://sawmillexchange.com/
Welcome to the forum. This is the best place for information once you get your mill, or for that matter, almost any other reason. ;)
Most of our sponsore listed to the left also usually have info on used equipment.
http://www.sawmillexchange.com/
Ya beat me to it Jeff but just barely ;D :)
I was just looking around on the sawmillexchange and they've got some pretty good deals on circle mills some even come with power units 8)
There ya go Sloken, get yer self a circle mill and ya know help is just a few seconds away. Corley and I are both Circle Sawyers. :D
8) Thanks Fella's. Like this Forum allready. I could spend the next week just reading the archived messages. Great stuff for a newby that has more enthusiasm than knowlege on cutting lumber. Thanks ever so much and your site will be getting a lot of hits from this neck of the woods. VBR
Ken
Sloken, you might check with a neighbor you have here on the FF. The fella is Paul H. He lives around Pemberton, BC. He has a MD model 127 and has been cutting lots of timbers as well and smaller dimensional lumber. ;D
Welcome Sloken! 8)
If you can read all the archived photos in a week, you must be one heck of a reader!!! ;D
This is THE place for the info you are looking for........whatever it may be! ;)
Pull up a chair and stick around.
Hey Jeff, what is the difference between a Handset Circular Sawmill and a regular 1-2 man Circular Sawmill?
Not necessarily any difference within the bounds of your question.
A handset mill, at least in my judgment, means that the set works, the mechanism to set the thickness of the lumber, is run manually, and the dogs, which hold the log secure to the carriage, are positioned, set and secured manually. On the mill that I run, these functions take place at the touch of a button or flip of a switch.
A circle type mill, that is a mill with a head rig and a moving carriage, do not lend themselves very handily to working with just one person. I am sure its done, but for the work involved, and the safety considerations, its not a good idea.
Double Cut mills and Peterson Mills, are Circle saw mills but of a totally different variety, both can be ran by one person, again, a lot of work, but still use a circle saw technology. Big difference is the log stays put and the saw moves.
I bought a mill through Sawmill Exchange and was pleased with how well he cordinates the transaction.
Dana, what is that process? If you find a mill you are interested in, does sawmill exchange send you more information? Or does the sawmill owner? Does everything go through Sawmill exchange?
Av-,
The hand set mills that sawmill X has are the large blade (4-5 ft.) that require all sawmill functions to be done by hand. They have a hand level that the sawyer pulls to advance the log for the next board to be cut. All log dogging, log turning, log loading, and board handling are all done by hand. They require at least 2 to 3 men to operate.
The 1 & 2 man saws that sawmill X has are mostly the Mobile Dimension and the Mighty Mite mills. These mills the saw travels instead of the log. They have a big blade (3ft.) that is vertical and two or more blades that are horizontal. They produce a board for every trip down and back of the saw carriage.
QuoteNot necessarily any difference within the bounds of your question.
A handset mill, at least in my judgment, means that the set works, the mechanism to set the thickness of the lumber, is run manually, and the dogs, which hold the log secure to the carriage, are positioned, set and secured manually. On the mill that I run, these functions take place at the touch of a button or flip of a switch.
A circle type mill, that is a mill with a head rig and a moving carriage, do not lend themselves very handily to working with just one person. I am sure its done, but for the work involved, and the safety considerations, its not a good idea.
Double Cut mills and Peterson Mills, are Circle saw mills but of a totally different variety, both can be ran by one person, again, a lot of work, but still use a circle saw technology. Big difference is the log stays put and the saw moves.
I was just wondering cauze I noticed on the sawmill exchange they were two different catagories, and I guess I thought the terminology kind of lent itself to one and the same. Thought I was missing something here. I am not familiar at all with circular mills, run a bandmill and a chainsaw mill myself. I have a ton of questions about a circular mill though, have you got the patience to explain a few? :D
Sure, If I don't Ron W runs almost an identical rig as I do. I can probably even dig up some old threads somewhere with photos.
This might answer a few questions. Short video of me sawing
https://forestryforum.com/media/cmc.mpg
Jeff,
Trying to remember, but I belive the Sawmill Exchange sends the info. Brian is really easy to work with and even after I had all the info I needed over the phone, he still sent it to me as well.
My advice to anyone with questions, is simply give him a call.
Brian is sure a great guy to work with! I bought my mill through SawmillExchange. I just called and he gave me the guy's phone number. Me and the seller did the rest. I still get a Christmas card from Brian every year. :)
Jeff, The process is like was described. I checked out the listings on the website and then called Brian for the particulars on the ones I was interested in. He does a good job recommending which piece of equiptment will fit your personal requirements. From there he gives you the phone # of the seller and you deal with him direct. The commision for the sale is the sellers responsibility. There are no fees to the buyer. If someone dosen't have internet access he will fax or send out info as well.
Jeff, that is one neat process that you have going there. I have never been inside a commercial sawmill, at least not where the actual sawing takes place. The speed and automation of your outfit is down right astonishing. Just out of curosity, do you allow visitors to your mill?
The mills that I have been to strictly forbid anyone in the mill house, they didnt care how savy you were or who you knew around the place.
I even made my wife come take a squint at that video of yours, all she said was, "that is really neat, and no you cant have one. You got plenty of sawdust out back as it is"
Sure, I have guests whenever I want. Usually the boss is glad to give the nickle tour of the whole place if he is there, usually thats the good way to do it because when I am there I am pretty much tied to the saw cab. I love having visitors. It makes my day go by quicker.
We dont let people wander around unsupervised, but I have never saw a time when somebody wanted a tour that they were turned down. :)
Well, I just might have to drop in on you then. We are hopefully moving this spring to our new home in TN, and after the move have some time to travel. My wife has family in your neck of the woods, and would love a chance to go up there. She until this past summer has never been outside of Alabama and Mississippi. Has never seen snow, ice, or anything cold.
Man, is she in for a surprise with the winters you all have up there....
Tell her that she better take her own Grits. They don't know what they are up there. :D
Your telling me! When my wife and i were dating, I lived in the Pacific Northwest, she lived in MS. She sent me a box of grits to try. I had no idea how to cook them, and to ignorant to read the box. It was a box of several different flavored ones. I was going on a camp out with a bunch of kids from the YMCA, and I brought the grits along to show the kids. Not thinking I dumped all the packets in the pot and cooked em up. Cooked em a little to long as it turned out. Fed em to the kids, and tasted a bit myself. Needless to say we decided that grits were for Southern folks, and we would stick to the rainbow trout we had caught that morning, along with our oatmeal.
Also made the mistake of not cleaning that pot right away, had a devil of a time chipping that stuff out later that afternoon.Tried a little bit on a hook later that evening, the fish didnt like em any better than we did. :D
Plan it around the pig roast! The count down is to the left...
Jeff,
That is the first I've seen that video. WOW ! You sure do follow the KSIW method of sawing. Approx what was the diameter of those logs ? I can see why your neck is wore out by the way the camera was panning back and forth. Who did the camera work ? Next time I'm up there, I would like to see it in person. Thanks for the video.
VA-Sawyer
I would guess the first log around 10 inches and the second one about 14. Tammy was running the camera and yep, thats the reason my neck is wore out. :)