I visited Dixon Millworks, inc.

[Tom]

My sawmill broke today and "Raymond" wasn't in the the shop this afternoon.  Everybody that came in and ask for a part or a rebuild or anything was told "Raymond's not in".   Seems Raymond had to go across town to see about a ram on a hoe and they didn't know when he would get back.   The whole shop had stopped.  

I left the hydraulic motor I wanted repaired and went back to the port.

While gathering my things to go home, it was about 3pm, the fellow that owns the flooring company invited me to go across the street to the port and meet Richard Dixon.  I jumped at the opportunity.

Dixon Millworks is located on the grounds of the port in Jacksonville and is a long open shed-like building that has been enclosed.  He has some big forklifts outside that would lift a full Baptist Church and one of those saws that is used to cut full stacks of wood in the corner.  They were straight line ripping the pine that I've been sawing.  One guy ran the saw and one the waste stack and stacker.

He has a vertical bandsaw in line with this equipment that uses a 7" and 8:" band.  I even got to see the filing room.  There were bands hanging from the ceiling and stretched out on the grinder.  He has a welder and annealer that he puts the stellite teeth on with and a band hammering table.  On the wall is his collection of boards with nails that claimed blades.

We went through his office and on the way I was shown a new office he is building for his wife.  It has bright yellow Cypress ceiling and Yellow pine walls in horizontal t and g with v grooves.  The wainscot is vertical 3 inch boards representing South American woods and they are all dark.  .

Out the other end of the building I watched his planer/moulder being prepared for what he called 105.  It looked like Novelty siding to me having the grooved front and a ship lap on top.  After watching a bit of that run, we returned to the front office where I met his wife.  It turns out that she knew who I was but had never met me.  She had my name and phone number pinned on the wall over her desk and said she had given it out to several folks.   One of my customers had given it to her when he got his cypress milled.

It was a pleasant visit and want to go back real bad.  I could draw up a chair, out of the way in a corner and watch for hours.  It's not often I get to see someone else cut wood.

Pictures will have be made for y'all to see this planer mill.  Perhaps it is like all the other planer mills in the country but it is the only one of caliber I've seen on my side of town. :D

I want to go back :-/

[Minnesota_boy]

Tom,
You need a trip to the west coast to visit Pacific Lumber Company's mill in Scotia, California.  They had a self-guided tour, so you could spend as much time as you wanted at each area.

[Tom]

That souinds like fun but an awful long way off. :D

I got the "Owners Tour".  :D :D

He was proud of the operation and I was enjoying every minute of his description.  We discussed a few sore points that we had both experienced.  It was fun to talk to someone who had walked the same path I am walking.  

Scotia, California, eh?  That would make a nice trip.

[Tillaway]

Well I hate to say it but that one is now shut down.  The Scotia mill was Palco's big mill for the old growth Redwood, and large logs.  Its been shut down for about a year or so I think.  They have made major investments in the small log mill in Fortuna and last time I was in the area they had a contractor with a MD set up in thier Carlotta log yard cuttin a steady diet of cull Redwood logs, old growth slabs, chunks and general debris.  You should have seen some of the boards coming out of there. 8)

[D._Frederick]

Tom,
Does that blue machine of yours not have a hydraulic filter on it? For the time you have had this mill, I would not think that a hydraulic motor should fail. The hydraulic motor mfg's advertise the MTBF of 10,000hrs.

[Tom]

Yes it does on the return to the tank.  The cap is not dust tight and there might be some contamination from there.  I tend to think it might be from starting and stopping the head so frequently and suddenly.  Not knowing anything about the "shock" damage that could be done to seals I assume that this is hard on them.

I don't know if another filter on the input side of the motor will allow enough fluid to pass but I am seriously considering putting one there.  I have made arrangements for the "hydraulic expert" who repaired the motor to go over the mill and explain to me everything and how it is supposed to work.  There are a lot things that I don't recognize or understand.  He has volunteered to make suggestions if he sees something that may be done better too.  I'm looking forward to it.

[dail_h]

   Tom,
   Next time you talk to Mr Dixon,ask him if he is the Richard Dixon from Atlantic Forest Products in Edenton N C ,if so I used to work for him.

[D._Frederick]

Tom,
 On your blue mill, there should be  a relief valve for your hydraulic motor, its called differential poppet relief valve. When you put you control valve in the neutral position when the carriage is moving, the motor turns into a pump. This valve bleeds the pumped fluid off , reducing the shock on the hydraulic motor. This safetly valve may be set too high causing damage to your motor. Try adjusting it, if you have one , so that your carriage coasts a little.

[Tom]

Thanks Mr. Frederick.

I've got a passle of valving in the general vicinity of the H.Motor.  It was supposed to be used by the setworks.  I'm not sure which one does what.  I have  about three more days left on this reclaimed-timber job and then I'm going to visit Raymond.   I'll be sure to ask him about it.  I'm sure that he will know what and where it is.  

Thanks for the info.  The head definitely doesn't coast at all.  At least it doesn't coast such that it is noticable to the human eye.  I have had instances when the head would free wheel when I put it in neutral and not stop at all.  It's not under power when it does that but it's unnerving.  Perhaps that is an indication of that valve.