New sawmill...

[oosik]

The reason I find this so interesting - I know of very little like this in all of Ea WA. Everything comes from elsewhere and is sold at local lumber yards or big box stores. The ability to mill lumber to your own needs is unique. Not even the most exotic custom built homes in our area can say any of the lumber came from this area. Let alone, say, that the walnut siding, in the rec room, came from local mills.

 

[/pine]

This is going to be a fun and interesting venture...I would not have tried this on my own (old dog, new tricks)...luckily my partner has been doing it a long time, his dad and older brother have both owned similar mills....we also have an array of commercial grade planers, shapers etc...

Other than the equipment for moving, handling logs etc...and you have a mill...the biggest commodity is space (even better if it's close to level)...here in the mountains we are really working in tight quarters and level areas get filled up fast...

I'm going to be moving the mill as soon as I can get some pads poured and I move the (firewood) splitting operation to a nearby out of the way location...

A few things on the wish list are some hydraulic log manipulators...and a fast and furious debarking technique...

One thing I have taken note of since we ordered the mill is...it changes the way I look at trees...!

And finally...I'm looking forward to seeing how tough black locust is to saw...it is abundant here and in most cases will long outlast pressure treated pine etc. for typical applications...

 

[oosik]

Ha, ha - "...it changes the way I look at trees...!" You mean it turns the mighty oak into a quaken aspen.

 

[TnAndy]

Solar kilns have been in use for many many years, they work just fine, just a little slower in getting the moisture down...

SR

Solar is slower, but you get a better lumber most of the time.

Problem with conventional high temp kilns is they want to get the MC (moisture content) down fast.....time being money to the big guys....and you get drying defects like case hardening. Ever rip a 2x4 and watch it bind on the saw blade as the kerf squeezes shut ? That is case hardened lumber....the cell structure in the wood collapsed because it was dried too fast. You'll find this in a LOT of the big box store lumber.

Solar dries at lower temps, and allows the lumber to 'relax' at night with lower temps. Slower as SR said....but better for the lumber quality. I have in mind to build one as one of my 'round-to-it' projects.

 

[SirReal63]

Very jealous, if I had a timber base here I would be sawing my own. I managed a sawmill/treating plant for several years and been in the forest products business all of my career. At our sawmill in East Texas we used steam driven kilns to get the benefit of slow drying wood without the wait. If it had been economically viable to air dry we would have, quality was of more importance than quantity for our wood, but cash flow demanded turning product so the steam kilns were only offline for maintenance.

I am envious of you, it is a dream of mine that will never be fulfilled.

 

[Stimw]

If you haven't found it yet you need to check out- www.forestryforum.com
Any/every question you might have will be ask and answered there!
There are some SERIOUS Sawyers there and a bunch of amateurs too. A really good group of people.
I bought a HF Mill about 4 years ago and have had a lot of fun with it.
I haven't had time for it because I was moving and working on my new property for the last year.