Old Mill Down The Road

[The WoodButcher]

Hey All, I was out plunder'n today and came accross this old mill about 5 miles from the house :lol: I have heard about it but today was the first time I really saw it. I like it This guy is set up really nice. Log table is cool. I didn't have a tape measure but it looked like it would saw about 25 maybe 30' and thats track behind the blade. Very clean operation. 8)

:saw:

 

[Gotcha6]

Is this mill on NC84 @ Wesley Chapel? I know a Winchester that lives there in the grading business.

 

[LeftyTom]

I like that tire/blade brake. :wwink:

 

[Gotcha6]

Look closer. That's the input shaft. It's coupled to a PTO shaft for a tractor. Also acts as a slip clutch to the blade. If it binds the tire will smoke.

 

[jeff...]

Wow I think I've seen just about everything now take a look at that tire with the drive shaft to attach to a tractor PTO now that my friend is ingenious. Even though I did see one of those old mills powered by a ford pinto was the funnest I've seen 40 MPH in 2nd gear is what speed sawed the best :lol: Wished I had brought my camera so you all could laugh like I did.

 

[JackLeg]

Randy, all that mill needs is an old 1020 McCormick tractor pulling it! Reminds me of my younger days! (MUCH younger!)

 

[McRabbet]

This mill is very similar to the very first entry in our listing of NC Sawyers for Region I: D & D Sawmill Services just east of Hendersonville in Dana. They have an old 6 cylinder truck engine running theirs and have a very similar carriage and 4-foot blade on theirs. Also very similar is the cable system out to a pole at the side to pull sawdust out to a pile. I watched Dan and Dave Workman operate their saw for about 2 hours last year as they cut up some large logs. It is an amazing operation and while they are old units, they still do lots of heavy duty work in the hands of experienced operators. Wish I had some pics to share.

 

[Steve W]

I remember seeing, back in the 70s, a Model A Ford that was pulled out of the woods after spending time as the power source for a sawmill.

The guy who found/bought it poured some kero through the crankcase, slapped a new distributor & plugs on it, attached a battery for the ignition and cranked it over. It started after sitting at least 25 years in those woods.

 

[Ivey]

I like old sawmill. This looks like a nice one, well kept. Thanks for sharing Randy..

 

[RobD]

Also very similar is the cable system out to a pole at the side to pull sawdust out to a pile.

Is that what the cables are for? I'm curious, how does that work?

 

[McRabbet]

Is that what the cables are for? I'm curious, how does that work?

If you look at the pictures again, you'll see that the looped cable (it is actually a chain) runs out from the pit under the saw blade out to the large pulley on the dual poles at right angles to the saw. IIRC, the one here in Dana has some small cross pieces attached to the chain that drag a small amount of sawdust each out to where the chain rises toward the pulley and they drop their small load of sawdust -- primitive, but it works well! The pile can get as high as the line of the chain all the way to the return pulley.

In looking at the pictures again, I swear this is a brother unit to the one here in Dana, complete with the log carrier, cramps to hold them in place and the mechanism to adjust the saw cut depth. You really need to see one of these in action, but wear ear protection!