Fisher & Davis Sawmill

[tfoley]

     One of my earliest memories are of my Dad running a sawmill to cut enough lumber for
a corn crib he was building.  This was in 1960,  and the sawmill has just been setting.  It's always been my intention to rebuild it when I had the time and money.  I don't know if I'll ever have enough time or money but I need to start this project before it deteriorates in further.
     The sawmill is a Fisher & Davis Inc.  St. Louis.  Apparently they eventually got out of making sawmills and started building car bodies for GM.  I hoping someone here has information about this sawmill.  Any information would be appreciated.

[ronwood]

tfoley,

Welcome to the forum! Sorry I can't help you with the sawmill.

Ron

[JimBuis]

tfoley,
Welcome!!  Hang around awhile.  Someone will come up with some information about that mill for you.

Jim

[beenthere]

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like an very interesting project. Whereabouts (in general) are you located?

Pics would be just great!!  Please......

[leweee]

Welcome to the forum tfoley. ;D

Sounds like a rare breed for sure.

LINK

That site was not much help  : but may be a spot to start. :P

[Tom]

when I first started reading the message, I figured you must be a Foley of Foley and Belsaw.  I was deflated pretty quickly.  :D

If that saw isn't made anymore, you may still be able to get parts that will work.  Lots of those mills used very similar parts.   There are probably members right now googling away and looking for that mill's history.   

Sometimes you have to go where the plant was located and ask folks, face to face, what happened and where the company went.  Someone may have bought them out. You migh even get help through the Chamber of Commerce of the area.

If it isn't made anymore, you may have a real collector's item when you get it refurbished.

[UNCLEBUCK]

Welcome to the forum tfoley , my books show fisher&davis started about april 18th 1891 in st.louis with their new direct-acting set works . April 18th 1891 issue of "the age of steel" was the publication .

Jump ahead to what I think you have is a Fisher & Davis No.2 mill ,says designed for the average sawmill installation, capable of swinging saws up to 60 inches, it offered a headblock opening of 44 inches. Built of heavy duty compnents, it used 6x6 timbers for the carriage and  6x12 inch timbers in the husk. The mill was built with a belt feed and a friction reverse .

One other fisher & davis mill is older and made of select quality norway pine and has heavy x bracing that is evident in the design of the carriage which also had massive steel headblocks , so if you dont see x bracing in your carriage made from norway pine then I believe you have the no.2 !     Hope you show it off ! U.B.

[UNCLEBUCK]

Just one other note that if all the pieces are still there for your sawmill it really does not cost very much to get that puppy humming . If you can get time to show pictures of it I bet it looks better than mine and more efficient too  8)