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Hewins Farm-Sawmill and Cider Press

Started by Dave Shepard, March 20, 2008, 10:42:06 PM

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Dave Shepard

I finally got a chance to stop back and get some pictures of the mill and cider press at the Hewins Farm. The operation has not seen use in some time, but the family is working to preserve the building and equipment as a family museum. I offered to help get the diesels up and running and to try and make some lumber, and was taken up on it. Hopefully this summer will see a few fresh boards at the mill.

Planer and shingle mill end of the building.

Walking into the first  building you will find an International UD-14A. I have one, but it doesn't look this nice. ;) It powers a line shaft, and running off of that line shaft is a Chase shingle mill, a single sided planer, a table saw, a four sided planer moulder, and a small gang rip saw used to make the slats for apple crates. I didn't get a picture of the gang rip.



Some of the lineshafting, with the planer and table saw. Everything in this room has a blower to gather the shavings.



Chase shingle mill.



Four sided moulder/planer. There was a whole wall full of cutters and knives for this machine.




Sawmill end of the building.

This sawmill was taken in on trade for a new Forestall by my grandfather. It was sold to the current owners' grandfather in 1970. I found a copy of the receipt, which I gave to the current owners. It was sitting in a box at my grandfathers house for the last 38 years.

International UD-16 power unit. A little unusual, only one I've heard of outside of the IH books. Powering a Lane/Chase sawmill.



The husk, as I believe it is called, is a Lane. You can see the upper arbor for the top saw. It is hydraulic feed.



Chase carriage with an old pine log. There are four backstops with dogs, plus some sort of a drop down dog, which you can see at the very right of this picture.



The back of the carriage. In the very middle you will see three levers, these control the dogs on the three farthest backstops from the sawyers position. Looks to be an owner upgrade.




Cider Mill

I wasn't able to get many good shots of the cider mill, I used up my battery in the sawmill. ;)

Here is the older press. It works like a scissor jack, and runs off of a line shaft. In the right hand corner you can see some of the mats used when pressing. It is loaded from a chute from upstairs. It is at least 8'x8' square.



This is the newer press. It is hydrualic, also running from the line shaft. It uses much smaller boxes, on wheels. The boxes are loaded at the rear of the machine from upstairs, and then slid under the press. There are more elevators and what appears to be grinding apparatus upstairs.




Cinder Block House

Which, surprisingly uses no cinder blocks in it's construction.



Cinder block making machine, in the Cinder Block House. ;)




Dave
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Fla._Deadheader


Very interesting. Nice post.  8) 8)  Thanks
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

DanG

Quote from: Fla._Deadheader on March 20, 2008, 11:08:37 PM

Very interesting. Nice post.  8) 8)  Thanks

Hey, I get to agree with Deadheader about something! 8) 8) 8)
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Dave Shepard

Thanks. :)

I think this mill could be brought back into operation with a can of gas and a couple of good batteries. There are more woodworking machines on the second floor.


Dave
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

beav39

nice pics dave,very interesting.do you know what brand the four sider is?i have a old one ,looks about the same.
sawdust in the blood

Dave Shepard

No, I don't. I'll check it out the next time I am there. They have cutters for all kinds of stuff for it.


Dave
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Dana

Thanks for sharing. They were truely a one stop operation. What caused the farm/business to stop?
Grass-fed beef farmer, part time sawyer

Fla._Deadheader


   :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

 
QuoteHey, I get to agree with Deadheader about something!

  That makes 2 times  :o :o ::) ::) ::) ::) ;D ;D ;D ;D
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Dave Shepard

Quote from: Dana on March 21, 2008, 12:14:44 PM
Thanks for sharing. They were truely a one stop operation. What caused the farm/business to stop?

I am not sure really, successive generations have started their own businesses in other fields. I went to school with the great-grandson of the man who started the sawmill business. The land is still in use as cropland. 8)


Dave
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

StorminN

Hey Dave,

Did you ever go back, and if so, did you ever find out the make of that four-sided planer? It looks like it might be a Hall & Brown? But what do I know?

-Norm.
Happiness... is a sharp saw.

fishpharmer

Give updates when you can.  Its amazing how much was done on those old family farms.
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

Dave Shepard

I'll keep you posted. I usually drive truck for a nearby farmer starting in late May, and we cut the hay off of that farm. It's not far away, about 10 miles, so I may get a chance to stop in before then. I'd like to get the mill fired up, it does it no good to sit idle.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Chico

Good post . Thanks for outting up the pics.I love the old lineshaft  mills I know orogress has to happen but some thing just oughta stay the same imo
Chico
My Daughter My sailor MY HERO God Bless all the men and Women fighting for us today If you see one stop and thank them

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