Old Time Milling and Sawing Machines

[Jeff]

I wanted this topic area to encompass more then just one machine. I figure as we add them we can change the subject line for an individual post to help find something again. I will begin with a bowl milling machine.

[Jeff]

Wooden Bowl Mill

Have you ever seen a bowl mill? I would think this is a pretty unique operation. It was run by belt and tractor. The Maple lumber being used was stored in a galvinized trough like you would use for horses. The fellow running the machine said it needed to soak before the operations began.





Here is a picture of the "Pressure cooker" the bowls went into as soon as they are milled. They go in for 20 minutes. The gentleman running the mill said that the moisture is forced out of the cells by the steam and pressure and this is said to keep the bowls from cracking as they dry out.



Here is a picture of some of the bowls on our living room window sill. I forgot to remove them from the plasic bag we brought them home in for 2 days, thats what the spots are from. I guess I started a generic spaulting process. They sure started to mold quick!




Short video clip of bowl mill in action

[woodman]

Jeff doze it cut bouth sides at the same time and then pop out of the slab.

[Jeff]

Mechanized Crosscut saw




Short video clip of Crosscut saw in action

[Tom]

that's really neat.  I wish you could have shot both sides of the lathe.

[D._Frederick]

Out here in are neck of the woods, before the chain saws got popular, the farmers had a saw called a dragsaw. There were 2 major mfg. : Wade and Vaughn (sp). They had a 2 cycle single piston engine and were water cooled. My folks had a Wade and had cross-cut blades up to 7 ft. With a 7 ft blade you could cut a 5 ft log. They were practical on log from about 2ft diameter and larger.  They weigh about 200lbs and were hard to move about in the woods. When cutting 4 ft or larger logs, a saw could keep 2 men busy splitting  16 inch fire wood.

[Frank_Pender]

I have three dragsaws and a fourth that is run by the pto of a small tractor.   But I SURE  would like one of those bowl mills.   Anyone have an idea of where I could get one of those marvelous little tikes? ;D 8) 8)

[Jeff]

The bowl mill cuts from both sides, leaving only a thin layer of wood at the brim of the bowl. They were removing the bowls with one rap with a wooden mallot.  I must say the steaming and pressure must work well. The bowls are absolutley saturated and dripping when they come out of that pressure tank. I put mine on a window sill at home where they have been subjected to breezes and sun and none show any sign of splitting or cracking.

I am surprised I have never saw this mentioned when people are talking about preserving wood turnings.

[CHARLIE]

Woodturners are always trying different things to try and keep wood from splitting as it dries. One thing talked about in AAW magazines is boiling the bowls which might be doing the same thing as the pressure steamer...just slower. Another newer method being tried is to soak a bowl blank in a 6:1 solution of water and dish detergent.

That bowl turning mill is neat and is great if you were in the business of making a lot of salad bowls fast, all the same shape and size. Quite an operation. I'm guessing that soaking the wood before cutting lubricates the fibers so they won't tear as easily. I wonder how often they have to sharpen their cutting bits......and how they do it. : :

[Jeff]

I really wanted to talk with these guys more, but there were hundreds of people watching, and when ever the bowls came out of the steamer they were mobbed. You were only allowed 1 bowl per person, but Tammy and I and my son and his friend each got one at 2 bucks a peice.  Watching that day was a challenge. It was stormy and the wind was blowing down the side of that barn acrooss the mill and right at the area we could watch from. We all looked like dust monkeys. :D

I really wish that I could have spent some time talking with them fellers.

[Corley5]

Did you notice anything different about the sawmill at Buckley?  This was the 1st year I noticed it.  Since the mill is an 1870/1880 vintage it is probably the reason.  The stick works the opposite way from most mills.  To make the carriage go ahead you push the stick forward.  To make it come back you pull it back.  I wonder how many sawyers this old mill ate?

[Jeff]

Greg  Could it be in set up that somethign got reversed? if thats the way its run it could still eat a sawyer. My next door neighbor. (Who is originally from East Jordan) says that his cousin and Uncle were working on that sawing crew. I dont know if either was the sawyer. When I was there they had 4 guys just turning the log.

Do you know any Olstroms up that way? Neighbor is a rep for U.S. Tobacco. He was working up in the flea market in the Skoal tent.

[Corley5]

Olstrom isn't a name I recognize.
When I was watching them saw they had five people there.  An older gent who was apparently the trainer/supervisor and 4 other guys who were taking turns running the stick and turning logs.  They made one pretty serious miscut.  The slab could have been resawed into a 2x8 and a 1x6.  The old fella just  shook his head and looked disgusted.  One of those times when you want to push them out of the way and do it yourself.  I don't know if the stick could have been hooked up backwards or not.  It sure looked dangerous to me.  I could just see one of them getting hooked on a knot and drug into the saw.

[Don P]

Quite awhile back Ron W made a comment about some of the old saws having a reversed stick, and he made the same observation, so I'm guessing it was hooked up correctly just early engineering. I was at the steam show in Sycamore IL back in '95, somehow have managed to miss it ever since, they were running a mill on steam there also.