Sawmills

jerseydave · October 08, 2006, 02:37:43 PM

Hi all, new here.

Looks like a great place to learn.

I was hoping some of you might have experience with the small homeowner sized sawmills.

I am thinking about buying a TimberKing bandmill.

I have 28 heavily wooded acres in TN and was thinking about building a post and beam home eventually.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Dave

glenn kangiser · October 09, 2006, 12:05:25 AM

I hope you got the e-mail I sent you, Dave in reply to yours - if not let me know and I can send the information again.

Mine is a Wood Wizard made in Mountain Ranch by Joe Borden. It is available from Northern Tool and Equipment also. He will make an extended model if you are dealing direct with him. It is a little under $4000. Blades were under $25.

Mine has an extra extension to cut 20' logs up to 30" dia. Manual push through allows you to feel hard or tough spots or when the blade needs to be replaced. Using lots of water lube with clean logs you will get about 100 to 300 board feet of 1x material between sharpenings- it can vary -- a bit of dirt or a rock can take a blade out immediately.

Too tight breaks blades - too loose breaks blades and wanders.

Some of the more expensive saws have a blade tension indicator - I don't know how well it works.

Note that I have his phone number if anyone needs it - I deal direct with him.

October 09, 2006, 05:06:46 PM

Yes Glenn I did get your email reply.

Thanks.

I'm just in the early stages of serious consideration that someday I may possibly ponder the eventuality of maybe buying a small mill someday.

translation: I'm attempting to convince the wife to let me spend several thousand dollars.

As I said I have the land, the trees, and the yearning to make a huge pile of sawdust, I just have to have it all fall into place before I make the purchase.

I'm hoping to get down to the property for a few weeks this winter, rent a machine and start the initial driveway along with some grading in the area where I'd like to build a small cabin.
Realistically though, I'll probably just build a descent sized shed at first (to sleep in at night, and store tools when I'm away) along with an open sided shelter (pole supported roof) to dry some wood in after it's cut.

After all this is done I might have softened the wife up enough to allow me to ponder the mill even more seriously.

I've owned the land for a little over a year and I'm itchin to get started on something, no matter how small or trivial. I have a need to get down there and do some work (can't stop thinking about it).
That's something I guess most of you can relate to.

Thanks again for the replies,
I'm hooked on this site already so I guess you folks are stuck with me.

Dave

My arse is stuck in a truck in NJ, but my mind is meandering the mountains of TN

glenn kangiser · October 09, 2006, 09:57:45 PM

We're glad you're here Dave. I saw on your other posting you drove concrete truck. I've poured about 300 slabs - or been in charge of them while my guys did it. It's a real pleasure to work with a good driver as that mud is rolling off the back of the truck.

If you have time to watch, you may find a good used sawmll somewhere. There is a sawmill exchange on the net that keeps track of used sawmills.

I like the one I have - simple - no hydraulics or cranks or other stuff to mess with. I move my logs around with one of my crane trucks - that way I don't need anything on the mill to handle them. A tractor - loader - Bobcat, forklift etc. can all do the job also as well as a jib crane or other ways. When you get ready we can share ideas.

If you are lusting after a sawmill now, it won't be long before you'll be trying to convince the wife that you need all kinds of other toys.

desdawg · October 09, 2006, 11:20:36 PM

I too have been pondering a small mill of the homeowner variety. I have been looking at the Norwood mills http://www.norwoodindustries.com/products.aspx?cID=1002&catID=Sawmills. The Lumberlite 24 is the least expensive and runs about $3000. of course then you can start adding accessories, larger motor, band sharpener, extra bands, etc. ad infinitum and of course shipping to get it to your location. Norwood has a forum that I like to visit. Mill owners participate so you can get a look at their opinions, problems they run into, etc. For the most part Norwood seems to have some pretty pleased customers. I believe Northern Tool also handles Norwood Mills. I think it would cost a lot less if I were to ponder my navel rather than ponder a sawmill.

October 09, 2006, 11:28:32 PM

Joe has property in AZ, desdawg -- maybe he could build one and deliver it. It cuts a bit bigger logs than the Norwood - look s similar.

jerseydave · October 10, 2006, 07:24:27 PM

Glenn you may have misunderstood that post you spoke of.

I said I've been driving a mixer for 20 years....... I didn't say ANYTHING about being "good"...LOL

I already have a list of other "toys" floating around in my head. Dozer, backhoe, Lull etc. etc.

I'm still trying to find a way to break the news to her gently.

glenn kangiser · October 10, 2006, 08:00:06 PM

Must be good, Dave -- if you weren't you wouldn't have driven 20 years.

Maybe you are just persistant - another good trait though.

The reason I got the Lull forklifts was that they were half price of comparable Gradealls etc. 15995 for one 17995 for the other. They still do the same job as the others.

Amanda_931 · October 10, 2006, 08:38:34 PM

I love forklifts. But the kind I've mostly used were dreadful on uneven ground--only one of the two "rear" wheels powered, for instance, on a stand-up reach truck. The people on one of the training videos said that the three-wheelers of the variety that the brick delivery people use were no more likely to turn over than that the four. The guy who delivered a few pallets of block was good, but not terribly happy about my property.

But those guys are huge, especially the one I clicked on randomly. And expensive. I'd hope to build a house for what they want for some of this model. And I guess I don't really need to put 10,000 pounds 40 feet in the air.

http://www.forkliftaction.com/marketplace/details.asp?currency=&clid=43410

October 10, 2006, 08:46:15 PM

Beauties there , Amanda. If you do go 40' up -- just remember that the center of gravity is very small when that thing is all the way up -- leaning to the side a bit can tip one over in an instant. Keep the seat belt fastened and don't try to jump off if it goes over. That is a very good way to get smashed. Actually - if you dump one of these over it is likely you will sustain some pretty major injuries if you are on the bottom anyway you do it. :'(

Amanda_931 · October 10, 2006, 10:01:31 PM

Oh yes. As far as I know all of those things are pretty notoriously tippy.

(the did want us go get off the reach trucks if they were going over--this was a matter of one step in a direction nothing was likely to go)

No suspension (my chronically stiff neck might date from this, but I suspect that it just didn't help any), and we weren't supposed to take them outside (all the second shift people working in, well, narrow aisles, did--day shift didn't, we all could use the sit-down jobs, but....) and compared to even the oldest and raggediest of the sit-down machines, the controls worked crudely. And if someone confronted me with one tomorrow, I wouldn't assert that I could handle it until I found out which direction the steering went--both directions were possible, at least on the Crown machines.

I have a lot of experience with electric vehicles.

picture from here:

http://www.bigjoelift.com/html/products/fliftstd.html