Have any of you ever seen one of these mills??

[Developer]

New member, first post.  ;D

With the wealth of knowledge on this forum, I am hoping that one of you know something about this sawmill.  I have NOT been able to find anything, anywhere, about it online. 

I have been searching for weeks for a sawmill that I wouldn't have to wait months or even a year to get.  Then I ran into this little gem in the rough in barn down the road.  I haven't seen any mill with a "captain's wheel" to move the head back and forth down the length of the trailer.  You don't push this one when you cut, you turn the wheel.

It was manufactured by Whiteaker Enterprises, Inc.  out of Lafayette, Indiana.   Brand name is Board Maker (tm).  It has a Model Number and Serial Number stamped in a substantial and impressive thick plate. Model M-2.12 Serial looks to be KKD 877 RB.  The guy I'm getting it from says he believes he has the original manual that came with it.   I am anxiously waiting to it!  It's missing some blade guides and will most likely need a new motor was well.  It has an old 10hp brigs that won't start.  Not sure it's worth the time and aggravation trying to get it going, and fighting with it constantly down the road.   I'll just slap in a 13hp Predator with electric start for 400 bucks and be done with it.  

In the one photo, there appears to a set of blade guides, but they don't seem to fit, and don't seem to be oriented properly even if they did.  This mill never had a lubrication/blade cooling system, which I thought was odd.  So I could use some advice on what to do there.  I am considering getting the Cooks blade guide retrofit kit for this mill. 

Below are the photos I have taken so far.   Any information or advice is greatly appreciated.



 

 

 

 

 

[Southside]

I think I would be checking patent infringement cases to find out what happened to the manufacturer. 

See no reason why it won't cut lumber for you. 

[Joe Hillmann]

Because of the log clamp style and Indiana, I would wonder if it is any relation to early woodmizers?

[Southside]

Log clamp, head shape, wear pads on the vertical mast all look very Woodmizery. 

[LogPup]

Maybe this will help. He passed away in 2015. If you look on google maps at 403 Jefferson st, Lafayette there are two mills out behind the shop.

[Brob1969]

It looks like a cool old mill.  I would go for more HP than the 13HP.  That frame looks like it is robust enough to handle 18-24HP.

[hunterbuild]

I put the 13hp predator on my mill. I'm very happy with it. That looks like a good basic saw. let us know how it go's.

[thecfarm]

The captain wheel is different, but those smaller WM has a crank you turn to move the head.
Can't really tell how thick the frame is, but it's a deep one!!

[47sawdust]

Looks like someone raided the dumpster out back of the WM plant.

[hamish]

Log clamp, head shape, wear pads on the vertical mast all look very Woodmizery.

Or perhaps is it the other way around.......
Doesn't really matter, its a cool mill, and its new owner will be glad to mill some lumber with it.  Most of the details mentioned are not patented.........thus completely irrelevant.  

[Woodpecker52]

Don't really understand the two ship like wheels?  Is this a manual mill?  will be interesting to see a video of it running.  Looks like an interesting restoration and unique piece of sawmilling history.

[Cruiser_79]

It looks cool, and I prefer old heavy duty machines instead of new cheap made machinery when they are the same price. And it's more fun to get something old running and working to your needs! :laugh: