Total of our experience-Sawmilling

[aksawyer]

My father had a tie mill in our back 20 acres where I grew up as a boy pushing saw dust and listening to the guys stories.Worked there until finished high school,then went to work for Biose Cascade at a large production mill.Stayed there until the shut downs in the early 80s.Moved to Alaska in 82 and went to work at a small building supply yard that had its own circle mill,ran that head rig until 90n when moved back to Idaho to try the mills there again.That did not work out and moved back to Fairbanks,been running our own mill and firewood business since.I also travel all over the state trouble-shooting and repairing a vast variety of mills.Training:Certified log scaler,finish lumber grader-WCLB,welder-manufaturer,currently have 13 of my own built mills in the alaska bush.

[Chico]

I started grading tropical HW shorts when I was 12 also went to Nos La on the WE to help grade and tally for Robinson and Citco they had a place in Chalmette La on tre docks where the lumber came in from overseas they'd unload it and in the meantime we would grade it and reload it as soon as we got a load they also used trucks  so it was a little easier to keep up with it.I worked for Weis Fricker Mahogany co My old man ran the mill I started sawing at 15 on a left handed  bandmill that still had a blocksetter on the carriage  Carriage was pulled by a 12" steam shotgun feed .You had to give hand signals for the next set and if you couldn't see him I had a small whistle I would toot for the signals. we had for and reverse just no setworks had a 9 ft bar tturner with 150 # of steam The largest log I ever sawed was a mahogany 8 ft across and 32 ft long and it took a while  ;D It was an old lineshaft mill built in 1898 all babbit bearing all steam driven most of the parts at that time were made in the blacksmith/machine shop They still ricked the wood pulled it out with old tricycle allis chamers and ricked it by hand when it was close to dry they put it in the steam kilns and then loaded all rr cars by hand they loaded very few trucks. All the logs came in on ships and of course I got the good jobs I had to tally string and boom logs then ride the booms in while walking them and watching for sinkers and if I found one I had to out a chain dog in and dog it to another log so we wouldn't lose it Well after all the embargo crap then they blocked it again after we found a way around it She shut down  then went to a pine mill  Alger-Sullivan until things got slow then I just moved around some Back then a sawyer of my age had a hard time making folks beleive you could do it It was still Black magic back  Then I sawed at sev small HW mills Then the old man went to So America  for Nickey Bros  out  of Memphis  Then of course he needed a flunkie So they talked me into going down there .WE went to a hole in the jungle called Intacoatiera Brazil The closet civilization And I use the term loosely was Bogota Columbia first Stayed for about 8 yrs then they moved the miklk and while they were moving it We worked for Gilbert Out Ala and  WV. We out a mill iup in a town called Abatatuba Brazil  rt off the amazon on a river called the Rio Negro We stayed the for about 7 yrs it was another hole in the jungle closet town was Belem about 90 miles away only way to get there was plane or boat. We also traveled to Ecuador Argentina all over the inteirior of Brazil buying lumber and logs WE also tried to help some of the smaller mills when they had electrical or maint probs saw probs and the such It made for a lot of good will I really enjoyed my time down there BUt it'was hard on the old personal life But thay's the way it goes. Well I left there and camre back to the states and went to work for Coastal lbr until they built a ply wood pant where I was at and wanted to send me to diff mills to train and trouble shoot I'd done killed two marriages and decided I'd try to save the third  so I worked in Ala and Tn for the rest of my carrer I still do a little trainig Grade sawyers or help out some of my friends if their sawyer needs a vac. or they get stuck between sawyers I'll help them for a short while also do some installation  J8st can't stay away from that sawdust altogether I've got a little over 4o yrs in the sawcab, millwrighting grading mill management you name it I've prob had to do it one time or another BUT I loved to saw anw if I was able I'd saw full time still today Well sorry for the book
Chico

[Papa Bang]

I grade sawed in large mills (all band)mainly on the west coast. I started sawing at 18 and quit when I was 33. My wife and I have had a business unrelated to saw mills but in 08 I could no longer resist and bought a Kara circle mill (those round saws are very strange) Now we are trying to figure out how to sell what we cut.

Papa Bang

[DR Buck]

It would be interesting to see this overlayed with the age of the sawyers. 

[Chico]

I'm 57 and have sawed prob close to 200-250 millionBd ft combined H#W and pine
Chico

[RockyMountainSawyer]

new here but i've been sawmilling in one way or another for about 5 years. first bit was slabing logs free hand with a 460 magnum, loved it so much i purchased an lt40 manual from family member who had lost ambition, now i'm gearing up to log and mill full-time come May  8)

[Holmes]

I'm 57 and have sawed prob close to 200-250 millionBd ft combined H#W and pine
Chico

Hi Chico  I'm 60 and I just sawed my first 200bf , I probably won't catch up to you. Holmes

[woodyone.john]

If it was all bulldozed into a corner about 7, but that would be over about  20 years! cheers john

[redbeard]

3 years of taking logs to another local sawyer and building projects with wood. And two of those years watching every DVD made of our sponcers  mills and others. I have more  media hrs than hands on milling hrs. 7 years of actual operating time so I submitted 10. 

[LOGDOG]

It'll be 20 years in January .... actual milling using my own equipment.

[ladylake]

 Just over 10 years  over 2 million bf.    Steve

[petefrom bearswamp]

13 years all part time.
Pete

[sigidi]

 :christmas:

and how many years we up to now Jeff?

[GAB]

Sawing experience - I'll be starting year 9 in Feb.

[sigidi]

with 338 votes a total of 3741 years

[Meadows Miller]

Thats ALOT OF LUMBER  ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D 8)

Regards Chris

[woodandtractors]

I started out picking up stickers in the field where lumber had been drying for a year until it was packaged for shipment when I was 13 yrs. old. (1964) This was part-time after-school work to help my dad.Continued doing odd jobs around the mill(Lane tractor mill powered by a 4-71 Detroit,Tower edger and trimmer),also filled in as needed sticking/packaging,running trimmer,debarking(later) until I left for 2yrs. after graduation from H.S. Worked a while as a mechanic after trade school,drove truck for 6 yrs.,then went back to work for dad full-time in May 1977-it's been full-time since then so I'll only use the last 36 yrs.
Mike

[thecfarm]

woodlandtractors,welcome to the Forum. Still have the same mill in use today?

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, woodandtractors.   

[woodandtractors]

thanks for the welcome,guys.
None of the old equipment is there now. It was all traded in late 1977 when Ireland Lumber Co. moved to the other side of the property. All new building(roughly 35'x 100',plus an ell over the debarker and another over the greenchain)with all electric machinery-HMC rosserhead debarker and Morbark 48'' Chip-pac from the old mill, used HMC mill frame,husk and topsaw,HMC AC40 carriage with air dogs,verticle edger,20' 2-saw Blanchard trimmer,vibrating slab conveyor and various rollcases and lumber transfers. This mill burned on a Saturday in Feb. 1995,fire started in furnace room(yes,we had heat!) and we lost everything but a forklift and a Trojan wheel loader. Some insurance,but only about half the loss was covered.
Dad was sure he wanted to rebuild,so we started planning a new mill with a few improvments.We re-used the old foundation and all new HMC equipment and made the new building 72'x110',replacing the previous ells with poured concrete so as to have a standard pitched roof and less snow hanging up in the roof valleys. No oil furnace in this one-small space heaters where needed,the extra floor area in the green chain area was used for lumber carts and keeping the loader and forklift undercover at night. This mill burned down Nov. 10,2007 with the cause listed as "accidental". My nephew had been "managing" Ireland Lumber for 5 yrs. as Dad was being a caregiver to my mother(both in their 80's) during this period.Said manager decided not to rebuild(over my objections) citing the poor state of the industry and not enough money to rebuild. Several months later we found that he had been siphoning off money since he took over in the office and the business was broke and in debt at the time of the fire. The insurance money paid off the debts,my folks wouldn't press charges on their grandson,and I was on my own.
I borrowed money from a friend and bought a used(68hrs.) Baker 3638 bandmill and Baker gas-powered edger. I have one helper and we saw lumber when there's no firewood orders to do.
Mike

[loggah]

Mike, Glad to see you made it on,i knew who it was as soon as i saw woodandtractors. Don

[Hud-Son Forest Equipment]

We fall into 65 years. This company is now 4th generation at Hud-Son forest with Dan Hudon Senior starting up the business in 1965 and selling Ross bandmils in the early 70's with his son Dan Jr. The family experience with forestry dates many years before that as Dan Seniors father got him involved as young boy at 7 years of age. The name of Hud-Son's mills comes from Dan Seniors father, Oscar, making the Oscar line of portable sawmills have true meaning to the family business and made in the USA. Currently, 3 generations of Hudon's still work daily for Hud-Son Forest in rural upstate NY!!!

[torqueporting]

I grew up along side construction equipment and sawmills. My grandfather owned an old wooden carriage and husk. He always said it was "rough" cut and planers were invented for a reason. He passed when I was ten but I will never forget sitting on the skidway watching him saw. His power unit was a diesel mack engine. Stepping over the driveshaft always scared the crap out of me.

My uncle was in the process of building a mill at the time of my grandfathers passing. This mill was full foundationed, generator powered, lane husk, home built carriage (hand operated but some hydraulic controls), green chain, debarker, 2 sided edger and planer. Because of fire threats the building had no heat and heat was the enemy in his eyes. He had seen too many mills burn from heat sources. As a young boy I hung over his shoulder and helped where I could. Mostly I ran wrenches. Actually my uncle unknowingly taught me fractions by asking me to fetch a 9/16 wrench.  As years went on he would say we can either work on it or run it when it came to equipment failures. Every item was fixed with the least expense.

I worked at the mill part time him from the age of 16 to 32. He had plans to sell the mill summer of 2008 and retire but passed away winter of 2007. I assisted my aunt as best possible by operating the mill for five years until she decided it was time she sell in 2012. The land value far exceeded the value of the mill operation.

After my uncles passing I slowly repaired, when needed, breakdowns we bubble gummed for another day. The saw dust pipe had about an inch of duct tape and numerous 1/4" board pieces patching holes right above the blower. I never did replace that section. Every time it blew out I added more tape and boards thinking my uncle would be proud!  There was so much to do with little funds and time but I did my best.

I miss the sound of a circular saw and my brother and I purchased a belsaw. The blades condition was beyond ill and is in New York having life hammered back into it.  It is a 2-1/2 9 gauge. Not the best but it will bring some lumber. Plan is to purchase a simonds or Payne F 7/8 gauge in the coming years.

My production will never compare to what my uncle and I could produce but I will be able to hear the familiar sound that puts my mind at ease.

[thecfarm]

torqueporting,lots of memories in that post.   ;D  Thank you,I enjoyed reading it.

[torqueporting]

torqueporting,lots of memories in that post.   ;D  Thank you,I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you for the words. There are many more fond memories which most are down right funny.