Total of our experience-Sawmilling

[Jeff]

Lets try to figure out how many years of experience and knowledge this forum offers in certain areas. Lets start with sawmilling. I'll add a couple other polls as well.  We'll start adding all the numbers together and displaying it somewhere on the forum as we get data, and updating it periodically as more people participate in the collection of the information.

When answering the poll, round to the nearest number, either up or down, what ever is closest. It would be just to much for the poll if we added an option for every year. What we will come up with by rounding will be a very accurate number for our total.

[LOGDOG]

Done deal Jeff. I've got 16 but rounded down to 15. This is a great idea. Looking forward to the results. 

LOGDOG

[Jeff]

There we go. I needed to round up one year. together we achieved perfection.

[peterduncan]

Is rounding up 1 months experience to year fair?

[Jeff]

Just been a few minutes and we are already at around 160 years.

[Ron Wenrich]

Do we want years or Mbf?  I've got 25 years or 60 million bf.  I wonder if we reach a billion bf.  Maybe a dual poll?

[ellmoe]

   Well I round up to 25. Who's got 30?

Mark

[Daren]

I only have 5 personal experience...but I have spent most of that 5 here soaking up knowledge, learning from others experience. I learned stuff here I did not have to learn the hard way, invaluable really.

[Jeff]

   Well I round up to 25. Who's got 30?

Mark

That would be me. I started on the head rig at Oneal & company Inc in 1979, sawed there until they closed in 1984 after a pallot company named Northland Industries bought us and broke us. I went to work at Billsby Lumber the very next day as Head Sawyer. I worded there for over 20 years, I then bought my bandsaw from DouginUtah. Actual experience is 29 years. Rounded up 1.


Ron, yep, years.  Board feet wood be a different subject for sure. I reckon I'm upwards of 80 million using a 3-4 million a year average. Sawing all that aspen really boosts the numbers.

[Corley5]

I started hanging out at Grandpa's mill when he sawed as soon as it was set up.  That was sometime in the early 70s.  I was always dissappointed when he sawed and I wasn't able to be there.  I've been sawing with the mill myself since he passed away in 2001 but ran it bit under his supervision also    I don't use the mill much these days as I've got too many irons in too many other fires right now.  I checked five years 

[Jeff]

We are at over 400 years of experience already.

[Don P]

I just ran into the same quandry as Greg over on the log and timber poll. There's pics of me on scaffold with a hammer and apron on at 8 years old. I just checked 20 years over there. Man it feels good to be 28 again  .

[Jeff]

I would say that Greg's experiences with his granddad are applicable. You don't have to be a sawyer to have milling experience and knowledge. As an example I'll betcha Bibbyman's granddaughters have more experience then many wood-mizer owners when it comes to the way things are actually done around a mill.

[Bro. Noble]

Well maybe I should change mine from 15 years to 150   I'm a 5'th generation sawmiller   I remember being at my Grandad's planing mill in Reding California around 1947.  That's the year we moved back to Mo.

[maple flats]

I spent just a little time at a mill my sister's FIL owned during the early 70's but basically my experience is from 2003, getting my logs sawed by another and then buying my own mill in 05 because he was too slow. I checked 5. Still working on my first million BF, and a long ways to go on that.

[Jeff]

554 years experience now.

[Dave Shepard]

I've had a few days at the mill pulling 16' hemlock flitches that felt like 554 years.


Dave

[Mooseherder]

The only Mill experience I have is with the machine that put the dogears on the fence boards and cleaning the de-barker pit.  The headsaw was about 20 feet away though.
Other than that I took apart a complete milling operation a couple years ago for future use.  I will have to become a Millwright in the future to keep it going I'm sure.
I took credit for one year.

[Part_Timer]

I have 6 and zac has 3 so we marked 10.

[Ernie]

The first 15 of my 20 years was all with an alaskan chainsaw mill and should really count for about 100 compared to my "real" twinsaw.

[Wildflower]

Up to 705 years experience now.

[Don K]

I've got about 3.5 yrs so I rounded up to 5. Like Daren,I have learned alot hanging out here. I figure it gives me a leg up on a sawyer with comparable time but not having the Forum as a knowledge base.

Don

[ladylake]

6 years here, only hit the log stops once in a while now.    Steve

[bandmiller2]

I've been at it from back in the eighties,but it has never been my only scorce of income.I enjoy building mill machinery as much as using it.Once your a sawyer you never look at trees the same way,people wonder what I'am looking at,just figuring the board feet.Frank C.

[Jeff]

Over 1000 years of experience at this point in the poll and less then 2.5% of our members weighing in so far.

[LOGDOG]

That's just plain staggering!  Keep the numbers coming folks.

LOGDOG

[TreeBones]

20 years total, starting with Alaskan Mill, 18 years band mill.

[Chuck White]

All of my experience is on Wood-Mizer mills.

I started out tailing my FIL's 1992 Manual WM about 3.5 years ago, and this spring, my wife and I bought our own mill.
We usually work the mill together.  Haven't gotten her to run it yet.  Says she's too nervous.
She will eventually.

[TexasTimbers]

I was about to select "1" year but realized I bought my LM2000 and cut my first board in 2004. Time flies when you are having fun.

[Tremel]

I cut my first board on a Frick 00 mill when I was 11 years old in 1981 with an Eclipse Portable Steam engine.  So, does that qualify me as having 25+ years experience?   

I've milled on several circle mills (Frick, Bel-Saw, American, and Farquar) until two years ago when I started using a band mill.  I only mill about 5 ~ 10K bd/ft of lumber per year.

[redprospector]

I milled full time from 1995 to 2001, off and on since then. So I just said 10.

Andy

[Jeff]

We are over 1350 years of experience on the poll. 

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

I started sawing when I was 13yo (Im 1 of the lucky ones that knew what i was born to do) after naging Dad to build me a CSM based on a logosol m7 to cut DF , Radiata Pine and local Hardwood. brought my 1st new bandsawmill at 15yo and built my 1st circular 44" flattop sawmill at 18yo and went into sawmill management at 20yo and did my own milling on weekends I  also managed H/Wood kilns for 18 months drying  60000bft per day . Ive been lucky enough to get exp on almost all types of sawmilling equipment. Been back milling for Myself  for 18 months now . And rebuilding Puppa and dads 84 mod # 2 Meadows delux sawmill that was the 1st Meadows sawmill imported into Australia .there is only about 7 of these types of mills (all brands)operating overhere at the moment. my Mate is 2 weeks off
his Morpac mill arriving that I found for him at OSARK equipment MO.Gotta help Him set it up tho (the things you do fo free) 

reguards Chris McMahon ;

I put down 15 years

[gizmodust]

Seems like a few of us started with the Alaskan Mill.  Funny how fast that dust gets in your veins, huh.  With 45 yrs. of experience, I'd be interested in seeing some pics of some of the mills you been around.  I've seen some that you'd swear wouldn't get through a log 

[crtreedude]

Well, I have been involved in sawing wood - but as an owner, not so much as a doer... if you know what I mean. But, if I were to add up all the experience of our workers...

Lets see, we as of last payroll have 63 people working for us now. Of that number, I would say 20 or more have life long experience cutting wood - usually with an Alaskan, but more than a few with bandsaws and sawmills. So, on average, they have at least 10 years, probably closer to 15 as I think about it.

So, if I were to include my workers... say 300 years. I didn't see that on the options though. 

[ARKANSAWYER]

  Well I have worn out a WM so how many years is that?  I have checked my box and upped the total a little.

[footer]

1000 years is awsome! But the 2.5% of registered members is disappointing. Come on guys! How hard is it to vote?

[rl]

I said 5 years    have had my mizer for 56 months   had another brand for 18 months [not allowed to say brand]  before that had a circler mill for year,   gave up on that...before that,built a band mill with snow machine engine ,gave up on that one too......think I should have said 10 years     rl

[Jeff]

Why are you not allowed to say brand?

[york]

ok guys,

I am in with 30 years-got me first mill in 1976-Meadows #1...

Ran this mill on my off time plus weekends-was firefighter city of Ithaca,ny

Had this mill till 93-then got a bandmill-TH,still not sure why they closed down..

Bert

[rl]

why are you not allowed to say brand   had to sign a paper saying I would not bad mouth there mills on any public forum or i would be soued for 15thousand    theres been alot of posts on this site that I would have liked  to replie to ...but didn't dare to                                                      rl

[beenthere]

Just don't bad-mouth the other brand. 

[Weekend_Sawyer]

 I'm in for 5. Was runnin the Norwood last night!
Red oak sure looks nice.

Jon

[Rockfarmer]

How bout 1 day,.. 

[thecfarm]

Rockfarmer,how about telling us more,what kind,new one,HP,hyd,what are your plans with it,do you have logs to cut,what will you be building,what got you started?

[Rockfarmer]

Rockfarmer,how about telling us more,what kind,new one,HP,hyd,what are your plans with it,do you have logs to cut,what will you be building,what got you started?

Maybe I answered in the wrong forum,.. Its just a small Alaskan 24" on a Stihl 045AV Super w/28" bar. I also got the mini and will run that on my husky 365 or Stihl 041FB. So far I have have 7 logs to cut, started the first one yesterday, tried to post pics here but after I got the resizing right and putting them in my album when I go to post them their in the wrong format    Its easier to mill the logs  I'm going to frame a loft in my garage with the wood I'm making, been putting it off for years now. If and when I get that done I'll think about some pine boards  for flooring or maybe some cedar planks for my deck. I dont know,.. I got a lot of pines that are taking up my property and would like to open the sky up for some more productive hardwoods  I'm layed off right now and I like working outdoors, getting some exercise, my cordwood is done for this year and next. I dont even know how I stumbled on this,.. 

[Weekend_Sawyer]

 You answered the right forum and you are in the right place

[thecfarm]

Rockfarmer,thanks for the infro.You got lucky when you stumbled across this site.

[ErikC]

 I said 10 years milling, I think its been 8 or 9 since I got the mill though. I helped chainsaw mill and offbear for a woodmizer and MD at various times earlier than that, but not regularly.

[Quartersane]

If you count the years spent from the time I was a dust-doodler at my grandfather's mill, to the first cedar I butchered when I assumed the role of sawyer on the same mill, until today where I'm a part-timer it should add up to just over 21 years experience in, around and operating a sawmill.  All by the ripe old age of 35 

Actual sawing time I'd put around 15 yrs, but I'll be the first to step up and admit there's a mountain of knowledge I still DON'T have.  This is one of the reasons I'm glad I finally found this forum... can't believe it took this long.

[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  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 

[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