Sawmilling for Phil

[PDW]

Sawing A Ponderosa Pine - YouTube

I like the size of the tree.

Many years ago I built a PTO powered circular sawmill on a *much* smaller scale, so I've always had a weakness for the things. Steam powered one is pretty neat.

PDW

[simonl]

Pretty amazing to watch. It never stops amazing me how fast they get those big massive flywheels going, they must be so well balanced. Not many second chances in such a place if you weren't concentrating!

Hey whats with the TCT blades? That's cheating!

Simon

[Steamwhisperer]

Fantastic Peter.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, "I was born in the wrong time".

Phil

[Bryan]

Whassat? Speak up, cain't hear ya!

[Steamwhisperer]

Actually Bryan, i believe you may be right.
I would probably be stone motherless deaf either from the sawmill or battery house.

Phil

[RayG]

Great video. Steam power is magic to watch..

I worked on control systems for sawmills, very similar in size and operation, mostly redgum sleepers, you'd see logs that sort of size every so often. For the really big logs they had a special breakdown mill.
The one in the video doesn't have side-shift for the return stroke, to move the log sideways as it goes back past the saw.

Ray

[Stustoys]

Sadly I dont think workcover would even have to get out of their car

Is there water running onto the top blade?

Stuart

[Steamwhisperer]

Sadly I dont think workcover would even have to get out of their car

Is there water running onto the top blade?

Stuart

Bahaha. Workcover and steam engines...they don't even want to 'drive' past anymore

[PDW]

Sadly I dont think workcover would even have to get out of their car

Is there water running onto the top blade?

Stuart

Yes, the water acts as a lubricant in the cut. If you've ever seen a Lucas mill working (I hired one a few years ago to cut up some blue gum logs) you'd see they have a tank for the water, usually with some soluble oil in it to help prevent rust.

Work Cover wouldn't like Lucas mills either... they'd hate the one I built. Even I think sawmills are damn dangerous places.

But - you have to love all that metalwork and the piping in the steam powered mill.

One of these days I'm going to build a bandsaw mill powered by one of my ancient Lister diesel engines.

PDW

[texx]

i worked in an old sawmill in the mid 80'S cutting cypress , i remember one order we got for some big section timbers for a local builder , the fellers brought in this huge big old pine and we thought we would be able to cut the larger stuff for this order out of it .it was the biggest log we had ever handled , close to 4 foot across on the biggest end and not much smaller at the other , anyway it was all hands on the log dump and on the skids to handle this big dude , we stuffed around with this log for a few hours and had it over the spot saw a couple of times to break it down then we milled it and we got not one usable stick of timber from it half a day wasted .this log came from a ridge and had wind twist in it that didnt show up until it was sawn . every bit that got thrown onto the docking bench fell to bits when it landed . never even got a 3 be 2 out of it .

johno

[Abratool]

What a wonderful view of log sawing.
Timber framed building, lots of plain bearings, steam driven machinery & winches, sliding cross heads, flat leather belt drives,rail tracks & more. Outside calipers hanging on the wall.

The smell of steam & sawdust, does it get any better than this.
Probably Imperial measurement, to go with it !!!
Like Phil, I think I was born in the wrong era.
regards
Bruce