complete corley mill resting in the woods..pics to come

[bigred1951]

where i live theres an old mill up my road kinda in the woods. It has run since before i was born. got to thinking about it today and went up there n walked around and took some pics. So from what i know its a corley carriage all steel, wood track, corley edger and a couple other things i dont know what they are.the old 65/66 chevy dump truck there under the conveyor the date on the plate is 83 so im assuming the mill shut down around then. about a year ago one part of the roof finally collapsed but i tryed to take a couple pics of what is under it . i know the owner and from what ive been told over the years is that his dad owned and run it with a full crew. then his dad passed away and he ran it for a little while longer until a guy got his arm cut off there and i guess it shut down not long after that. No power units its all run on electric motors but of course somebodys took alot of the wiring. I took some pics and am gonna try to get them put up here sometime tonight. Hope you all enjoy and give some pointers on to what some stuff is and any thoughts you all have

[fishpharmer]

Neat stuff, first mill I ever had the chance to watch was a circle mill.  Liked mill's ever since. 8)

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Sounds like your on a winner sounds like everythings there  ;)   ;D 8) 8) Corleys still runnig and can supply parts for all their mills too http://www.corleymfg.com/About.htm Are you talking to the current owner about buying it I would say you could prob swing it by saying if you can get it and rebuild it and saw some lumber for him when he needs it he might just give it to you if he has had it sitting for 30 years  ;)

Whats your plans ??? cut firewood and work for others and such and get the mill back into action over time ?

Regards Chris

[bigred1951]

been trying to upload the pics but been having trouble. even read the step by step how to but when i would click add photos nothing would show up in my album. so im still trying

[bigred1951]

 

  

  

  

  

    

  

  

  

  

  

 

[thecfarm]

There is it. You just about killed my dail up connection,but it made it.  ;D
Great job adding some space between the pictures too.  8)

[bigred1951]

finally got the pics uploaded. pic 2 i dont know what it is but the conveyor goes straight from the saw to there and it has a little saw there and another conveyor that goes up into the bed of the dump truck. and pics 3 and 6 shows where the roof collapsed and i dont know what is uder it.. its kind of hard to seem them but there is 2 more small saw blades there and a chain system that goes out that looks like it brought lumber or logs into the mill or out after going through the 2 blades which i guess cut the boards to length..hope you all like

[Sawdust Lover]

Thats cool! Doesn't look like it would take to much to get that mill up and running again. The truck might have to go.

[bigred1951]

the mill wouldnt take much id assume to get up and running..some grease here and there and sweat lol. and of course either have to find a motor or rewire everything to the electric motors. the truck would need to go its a 65/66 chevy and its pretty well sunk in haha. the tags on it dated 83 so that gives you an idea of how long everything been sitting. i did have to "borrow" ;) some chrome headlight visors off it though to put on my old truck in my pic lol

[Satamax]

Pic two is most certainly a "pantograph saw" of some kind for cuting stuff to lenght.  And pic 5 looks like a gang rip saw.

Gee mate, ask the owner to repair the roof and use it!  ;D

[bigred1951]

the 5th pic is the edger its pics 3 and 6 that im not to sure of..theres just 2 chains that go on out away from the mill with 2 blades and the beginning of each chain. the owner priced it all for i think 6 or 7 grand a while back. but i think thats a little pricey for it all unless the land came with it haha. i know he could care less about it since its been sitting there for almost 30 years and ive never once seen him there and he lives not even a mile away.

[Satamax]

3 and 6, to me that's a kind of log deck.

[Sawyerfortyish]

Pic 2 is a swinging slabsaw. Slabs from the mill would be pushed down the rolls cut in firewood lengths fall on the conveyor that loaded them on the truck. I think pic 3 are of a double end board trimsaw and 6 is either a feed deck or a deck to carry the trimed board away. The carrige is backed up to the log deck  in pic 7 waiting for the next log to be loaded on to saw. So im sure pic 6 is not a log deck

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

It looks the goods  ;) ;D ;D 8) if you can get it for 4 or 5K you would still  be doing well and if you could swing a deal where you can fix him up over time once you have it up n running even better Mate  ;) ;D as it is all there and as you said It will need Some TLC but it looks like it is still pretty servicable the Electrics will be the main thing to suss out for a start Is there still power to the site and the transformer still energised  ???

Basicly you have a complete mill Carrige,Edger, Rollcases and a Chopsaw and Double End Trimsaw and it all looks to be in pretty servicable condition Mate

The saw thats at 90 degrees to the rollcase with the conveyer to the truck is a Pendulum Docking Docking Saw (Chop Saw) looks like they where using it for docking firewood to length and trimming rough ends  ;) as Sawyer stated  ;) Pendulum saws are bloody dangerous things and what the fella prob lost his arm on I have used afew open ones like that one over the years and they are prob the machine that worried me the most in a mill  Now you can make them pretty dang safe with a good mest and 1x1 tube guard that covers the saws open travel over the rollers for about 2' on each side Mate

Regards Chris

[Meadows Miller]

I would also go for the land its on too and I would go and have a good chat to him about what you want to do Mate  ;) plus the fact its just up the road from you means your not going to be wanting to shift it home like if it was 50mi away you could have that site for the rest of your life Mate  ;) ;D

[Corley5]

Good looking old mill.  Too bad it isn't being preserved  :( :(  There would have been a tag on the husk with a model and serial number.  It may or may not still be there.  It looks similar to a #5.

[bigred1951]

corley5...where on the husk would the tag be at? ill go back up there maybe tomorrow and look and see if i can find it for you..there isnt any electric to the site anymore thats why i think it would just be easier to find an  old engine to power it at first. the guy would sell it all but hes one of them people that thinks every thing he owns is gold and asks the double price for it all haha..i can see it from my house when i walk out to the mailbox so its very close about a 2 or 3 min walk...if there is any more pics of anything there you all would like to see just let me know and ill get em for ya..thank ya all

mike

[Corley5]

Standing at the stick it should be to the left around the corner of the husk.  Should be.  That's where they are on my #5s but they're left handed.  It should be on an outside husk timber if it's still there 

[bigred1951]

ok ill look tomorrow and let you know..i know this is a stupid question and im sure plenty have people have asked but what is the difference in a left and right hand mill and how can you tell which is which..we can use this mill as an example if you can tell just from pics..ill take a couple more pics tomorrow to..anything you would like to see

[beenthere]

bigred
Here is a link to a circular mill "handbook" that may be of interest to you. It is .pdf so you can thumb through it.
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/misc/circsaw.pdf

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Mike its good to know your name now Mate  ;) You have a Right Hand Mill there vs if it was a left hand mill you would be standing on the other side of the husk facing the outfeed end R & L mills are called that because when your standing at the sawyers position facing to outfeed end of the mill the carriage is on either your Right or Left hand side Mate  ;)

I have always felt more at home on a RH Mill and a little dicky on a Left Hander I dont know why it just dont feel rite to me even though I am left handed  But hell they all cut bloody timber ;) :D :D :D ;D 8)

Regards Chris

[bigred1951]

corley5..well went back up there today and there wasnt a tag on the husk that i could find.. but i did take a couple more pics for you guys hope to get them up tomorrow.. in the one pic i have up of one of the extra saw blades hanging on the wall how come the blade has holes in it all the way around it and none of the others do?.. well i shall get the pics posted tomorrow..until then comment away guys...mike

[bigred1951]

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

[bigred1951]

well guys got some more pics put up.. sorry if they a little blurry i dont know why sometimes my phone takes good pics and sometimes it dont.. got some of the mill and of course a pretty good looking guy if i do say so myself haha...enjoy

[WH_Conley]

The old mill looks good to have set that long. The guy I won't comment on. ;D I think I have the twin to that swing saw.