iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Jackson Lumber Harvester in Perkinston, MS

Started by fishpharmer, March 02, 2010, 11:17:35 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

fishpharmer

Down in Perkinston, MS a fella named Tim Garrison sells woodmizer sawmills.  He also is a bit of a collector.  He took time to show some folks at the gathering an old sawmill he recently acquired. Tim says it was one of the first portable sawmills.   It had Jackson Lumber Harvester, Brewton, AL  on the side of the frame.  Thought you folks might like a look at it.  Anyone know anything about a mill like this.










See the tree grown into the mill in this pic. The writing was on the top rail to the left of the tree in this last pic. 
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

Magicman

Now, that alright.  That third picture also showed a happy pickup with a WM hooked to it's rear bumper..... :D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

fishpharmer

MM, that was the same lt28 in the pics from my other Perkinston, MS post, packed for the road.  Not so sure if the pickup was happy, but the driver was. ;)

Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

Larry

A guy up the road a bit has two...his have most of the paint still on em.  He saws a lot of landscape timbers...and calls them real sawmills compared to us bandmill operators. ;D  BTW, Jackson is still in business.


Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

fishpharmer

Larry, that's neat, you think you could put a pic or two on here of those mills.  Yes they are still in business, I just looked at the website...
http://www.jacksonlbrharvester.com/history.html

They probably could give Tim some info on the mill, may not be as old as we thought.
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

bandmiller2

The Jackson is quite a mill the sawyer rides on the carriage reaches over to dog the log.The feed is a legnth of manilla rope around a drum.Great rig if you like to travel and don't get motion sickness.Their quite fast and will cut alot for their size ,and portable too.A fella I used to know in Maine made his living with one,he had an old one ton flatbead with a 471 detroit lashed down to the bed.He towed the mill with the truck and belted it up to the detroit.Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

JeffsJeep04

Hey Fellas,

Yes, Jackson is still alive and well! I work for them doing the website (hope you all enjoy!). I've also done some installations, but only of the biomass burners and drying setups for shavings.

Anyway, I can be a of a little bit of help on that. The company was originally in Mondovi, WI. They moved down to Brewton, AL in 1945 because of a steel shortage from the war. The first mill was built sometime in the 30's, most have told me '32. In the beginning Clinton Jackson built one for himself and would go saw on site for people. He built a few more, but they were all owned by Jackson and leased out. The chairman of the company still has one of these mills and he still saws with it. It's really something to see it run! The company was officially incorporated in 1944, so that very well could be an early mill. I can't find exactly when the company moved back to Mondovi, but if my memory serves me, it was in the 50's. I know by the early 60's we were back up here in the great white north.

Anyway, it's great to see some interest in the old machines! We do still build 'em, but with the building industry slow down, the demand for lumber has (as I'm sure you all know) slowed down. The shaving mills are selling faster then we can build 'em, so it keeps us plenty busy. Keep an eye on the website, I'm sorting through lots of old things and trying to get everything back up to date. Lots of used equipment to put up that some of you home-builders might be interested in.

Oh, and one more thing. We've got some video on our youtube site (there's a link on our webpage under the "sawmill" tab) of an old portable mill running.

fishpharmer

Great first post Jeff!  Welcome to forestry forum we are glad to have you. 8)
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

backwoods sawyer

Good to have you here Jeff.
Just the other night a spent a shift watching a set that is very similar to the stationary mill in the video, only a bit larger. They were sawing 26' logs up to 42" and running a bandsaw rather then a round saw, they had three horizontal edger's rather then two and they were sawing full taper looking for VG clear wood. Quite the set up for a small mill.

Fishpharmer, The owner of the mill had started out back in the 50's with a portable version of the sawmill that he has now. He would take the mill out to the logging site, he said it was quite the process to move the mill operation, as it had a resaw, edger and green chain. It took three motors to run the whole thing, and a log truck to move it.
Backwoods Custom Milling Inc.
100% portable. . Oregons largest portable sawmill service, serving all of Oregon, from our Backwoods to yours..sawing since 1991

Magicman

Welcome to The Forestry Forum, Jeff.  It was very interesting to read your account of the history of this mill.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

JeffsJeep04

Thanks for all the warm welcomes! I'll update with any more info as I find it.

Fla._Deadheader

 Here's one running in Florida.



 

 

 
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

beenthere

Tough to watch anyone around an unprotected PTO shaft like that.  :o ::) ::)

And I know, used to do it all the time. Also saw GPa with his clothes ripped off and about never to walk again.

Good friend of mine ran a Jackson portable around southern WI in the 50's. Until recently, had a neighbor who always talked about him arriving to saw on the farm. Said "I'll be there at 6 to saw, and have three guys to help". He would show up at 5 am, and have the mill running with a log to saw promptly at 6 am. Farmers would think they and the hired man would keep up with his sawing. The farmer said before noon, they would call for more help from the neighbors because they couldn't keep up.  :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

bandmiller2

Welcome jeff,been looking at an old lumber harvestor not far from me in the woods,kinda in tough shape, its an early one I can tell from the style of the wheels and tires.It one that they owned and leased, came from around NY city.For their size they will really put out.Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Ron Wenrich

I used run one of those portable Jackson's.  It was a newer model from the '70s.  They will cut a lot of timber in a day, and Jackson makes one of the easiest mills to fix.  You don't need all types of expensive parts from the manufacturer.  You can buy many of them at the local shops. 
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

KPT

This mill is bullet proof! Anybody with doubts follow the thread "Old Jackson Lumber Harvester" started on May 25, 2009. After 35 years in the rain I cut it out of the brush, freed up the mechanics, converted to PTO and was working in 3 days. See photos.
KPT

bandmiller2

KPT,glad you brought the old jackson back fron the dead.How do you go about turning the log on the carriage.Do you have any problem with the roap drive?? Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

KPT

Frank
I use old motor oil to lube the bunks, clutches, chains, and the sets. I used to clean the rust off of the capstans before operation and I did have some problems with the rope slip/grab. I started painting motor oil on the rope for preservation and discovered the capstan/rope problem was solved. Now I just paint the capstans with a fresh shot of oil and away we go. I might not win a prize at the county fair for tidy but I'm happy with the results.
Used motor oil, a monkey wrench, and a hammer will keep this saw going.
KPT

KPT

KPT

fishpharmer

KPT, I just looked through your picture gallery.  That's a really cool looking mill.  I don't need any more projects but would love to have something like that to play work with.

Your mill looks much newer than the one in Perkinston, MS.  And I thought I should mention that those AL mills probably work better if you eat some grits before sawing. :D ;)
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

ljmathias

Fish: that was funny!  Everybody down South knows you don't eat grits before sawing, you smear 'em on your rope for better gription... and the soles of your boots, and on the tractor wheels and...

Lj
LT40, Long tractor with FEL and backhoe, lots of TF tools, beautiful wife of 50 years plus 4 kids, 5 grandsons AND TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS all healthy plus too many ideas and plans and not enough time and energy

KPT

The Perkinston mill looks the same as mine with a few small differences. JLH told me that my mill was probably built prior to 1956 but my serial number (SN 458) was one of the few missing records. Most likely sold to the US Army.
Do you happen to know the SN of the Perkinston mill?
KPT

fishpharmer

KPT, I don't have the serial number.  I do remember it having Brewton, AL written (welded) on the side of the carriage.  I think I remember Tim Garrison saying that he watched the mill cut lumber when he was a kid. 
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

bandmiller2

KPT,I asked about the rope because old Herbie that had the Jackson in Maine said it was grabby without the drain oil on rope.Seemed to me the carriage travels about 20 MPH.Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

KPT

Herbie came to same conclusion with the drain oil for the rope. Good to hear.
My mill (SN 458) was made in Brewton, AL also.
I don,t know the speed but with every thing tuned up and proper power its quick. I have no experience with other mills but I believe one of the advantages of this JLH unit is that its easy to slip the rope capstan and compensate for log size, power plant, dull blade, bind, etc.
I also as a kid (14) watched the 2nd owner cut RR ties with this saw.
KPT

Thank You Sponsors!