Lewi saw

[Rocal92]

Gday from Australia!
Just new here, I'm after info on a mill called a lewi saw, it's a portable circular saw set up built in the 90's my father purchased one and has sat in the shed for years. I've got it out of the box and looking to use it in the bush. My only problem is sharpening the blade, there's a 7.2v makita grinder with it that is now obsolete is there a clamp on sharpener that is able to be used?

Many thanks on any info

Rog 

[Ben Cut-wright]

Lewisaw.com appears to be a current website.   

Welcome.  Your *personal message is familiar.  BG

[Ianab]

That website belongs to David Lewis, who probably made the mill the OP has. He sold the business to one of his staff, but it was later shut down due to health issues. David appears to maintain that site to provide assistance to owners of existing mills. He would certainly be your best contact for advice. 

The sharpener for my Peterson is basically a 12V chainsaw grinder, with a flat diamond wheel as the sharpening stone, and a jig attached to sit it in place on the blade, It can be adjusted to suit the different blade sizes. But it's something you could fabricate if you can't find any other options. 

[Rocal92]

Thanks very much for the responses! I'll try David again

[Hilltop366]

Greetings from Nova Scotia.

What is the issue with the 7.2 Makita?

 

[barbender]

On the Lewisaw website, it said the 7.2 Makita was inadequate from the beginning but was all that was available for the purpose.

[jpassardi]

Welcome!
I get a smile out of you guys from down under: "Gday" and in the "bush" 

[Rocal92]

Can't take the Aussie out of the Australian I guess!

Nova Scotia! How's your winter been there mate?

Yeah those first 7.2v angle grinders weren't much chop from the start, I see there are batteries for the grinders on eBay labelled "vintage" 😂

[Hilltop366]

Been pretty mild with little snow on the south/west end were I live, the other end about 700 kms away has had some record snow fall this past month.

[Rocal92]

What depth of snow would you usually get there over winter? Been a very mild and wet summer in southern aus where I am

[thecfarm]

Rocal92, welcome to the forum.
Never heard of one until now.
Kinda looks like a peterson or lucas mill.

[longtime lurker]

David Lewis sold out to Ecosaw who were based in NSW (Bellingen rings a bell but anyway somewhere there)

Ecosaw went under or something and sold the production rights to D&L Timber Technologies in Canada. I remember seeing a D&L version of a Lewisaw on their old website maybe 10 years back although I'm not seeing it there now.

I'd suggest it's worth an email to D&L to ask about it. There's a couple of guys on this site run other D&L sawmill models. All D&Ls swingblade designs show a lot of design similarities to the original Lewis powerhead/gearbox design but very much uprated and updated

Another mob who may be able to help were Narapawei in PNG who were agents for Lewisaw back when. There was a heap of Lewis's went to PNG because they are perfect for humping up jungle clad mountains on a man's back. 

Best man portable saw design ever IMHO. I'm too old for that stuff now but it was an adventure a couple decades ago.

[Rocal92]

Thank you sir!
Yeah that's right, apparently the Lucas family, who make the Lucas mill got a few ideas from the Lewi saw.

Posted by a longtime lurker, you're a wealth of info thank you very much I'll check it out, I think the eco saw fella got a crook and that was about it. I'll google d&l now, I've nutted out the machine itself I'm just trying to find something to sharpen the tips properly

[Hilltop366]

What depth of snow would you usually get there over winter?

It's all over the scale as little as 50 cm and up to 200-250cm rarely over 300.

Over the last 5 years it averaged around 140cm but being a 2 kms from the ocean here there would be a bit more inland even a few kms.

So far this year it shows 51cm, it usually melts off several times a year sometimes the same day it will start off as snow and change to rain lots of temperature fluctuation.

-8c this morning then +8c tomorrow.