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advice needed regarding buying mill

Started by Streamy, October 24, 2012, 10:24:13 PM

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Streamy

This sawmill is for sale near where I live and I am not sure how to evaluate the pros and cons of buying it.  I am hoping some of you might be willing to share some of your thoughts on the matter.

I have been thinking about getting a sawmill for a while now.  I have researched the band saw mills which cut wide boards on stationary logs, and also the more expensive ones with the turning blades that cut dimensional lumber. 

This saw mill is different though.  It looks more like a professional make, with a stationary blade which the log is moved alongside of.  I know it would need a power supply, and also I think the seller said a pulley is missing.  Otherwise he says it is in working order.  The seller is asking $2000.

I am own a piece of undeveloped forested land.  My desire for a mill is to be able to make any lumber I need for building a house, sheds, garage, etc. 

What should I be considering in this decision?  Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.  I have not posted here before, please let me know if I did not do it correctly.  I am trying to add photos to this post, but not sure it will work. 

Thank you all.

Streamy

I did add the photos to my gallery if that helps.

thecfarm

Steamy,welcome to the forum.  I have no idea how mechinal inclined you are,but some of those mills may need something to keep it sawing true all the time.Pulley missing? Not an odd size it is? Or is it missing because it don't cut well and can't be tried out first? I don't like to be that way,but eyes wide open and buyer beware at times.
Pictures,almost there, https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,56957.0.html
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

thecfarm

Now that I see the mill,



 

I think it's an old circular miil that someone here will know what kind and what pulley you need.Looks like new sawdust there too.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Streamy

I put up three pictures.  I have not gone to see the mill in person, these pictures were sent to me via email.  I also reread the email and the seller says he sold "the pulleys" so possible all of them?

I could learn to be a lot more mechanically inclined than I am right now.  I'm not completely helpless. 

beenthere

Streamy
Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

Pull up a stump, as there will likely need to be some long discussions to help you along with this plan, and our members do so willingly. There are no stupid questions, so ask about what you don't understand.

It is a circular sawmill, and there is some good basic reading that should help you in this .pdf.
The names of parts and things here should help you along.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/misc/circsaw.pdf
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

thecfarm

By the way,I checked out your profile and noticed that you was a women AFTER I posted. I thought i was replying to a man. I only looked at your user name and never noticed the pink icon.  :-[  Before I dig myself in any deeper I will stop,  :D
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

WDH

I you are looking to build a house and outbuildings with lumber off the sawmill, a good used manual bandmill will not cost too much more, will be ready to go, and you will not have to hunt pulleys.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Streamy





 

Ha ha, no worries about the female thing. 

I have been looking for used saw mills, mostly on craigslist, and here too.  Is there anywhere else I could be looking? 

Thank you for the link, I will be reading it.


beenthere

From the pics, the mill looks to be in fair shape and running. The fly in the soup may be what was stripped off it and sold (which would be unfortunate, but may have been worth good money whereas the remaing parts of the mill not so much to the buyer).

I'd suggest locating a working circular sawmill near you in WV and paying them a visit to see how this mill operates. You won't be the first woman to figure out how to run a circular mill.
Not sure what thecfarm was embarrassed by, as your gender shouldn't have any effect on the responses.

Getting new pics when you see the mill, will be great for discussion .
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Streamy

It would be a good idea to get a professional sawyer to look at it for sure.  The original ad said that buyers "could watch it in operation".  Since then of course he has sold the power supply and the pulleys.  He said he has a new mill he wants to replace it with and seems in a hurry to sell.

The price seems good.  There was a used band sawmill for sale in Kentucky that was being sold for asking price $4200.  It was too far away for me to get to at the time, but $2000 seems much better. I have no idea what a power supply would be, much less cost, so I have to research a little more. 

I was wondering, has anyone here ever used a circular sawmill?  And if so, what are the pros and cons vs a band sawmill, for example. 

Yes, I would prefer to not have to locate and replace parts.  That is daunting.

I think me being female is an issue to an extent.  I am, in some ways, more timid than a guy would be.  However, I am determined.  Building a house is something I want to do for my kids, as much as myself. I already own the trees.  I think a sawmill turning them to useable lumber would be a great use.

I'm grateful for any advice.

beenthere

To help you out, at this point don't pursue this $2000 deal.
At least don't jump at a chance to buy it, regardless how much of a hurry the seller is.
Take your time. The right mill for you will show up.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

WDH

I agree with BT.  That is a lot more complicated process than you need unless you were going professional.  A used Woodmizer LT15 and you could hit the ground running for example.  Other brands of manual bandmills like Timberking, Norwood, or Eazy Boardwalk would do fine too. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Ianab

QuoteI was wondering, has anyone here ever used a circular sawmill?  And if so, what are the pros and cons vs a band sawmill, for example.  I was wondering, has anyone here ever used a circular sawmill?  And if so, what are the pros and cons vs a band sawmill, for example. 

One of our members is currently rebuilding a mill similar to that, I think he's had pretty much every part dismantled, rebuilt, re-manufactured, painted and polished by now.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,58233.0.html
It's quite a saga, and if you have a read there it might give you an idea of what  you are getting yourself in for.

Now those circle mills certainly can cut some wood, but as the others suggest they might not be the best option for you. They aren't really suited to solo operation, where a modern band saw or swing blade mill can be operated alone, and has much less of a learning curve, with parts / technical support is only a phone call away.

Spend some time looking at the various mill manufacturers pages over on the right. Things like the LT15 etc come up for sale used from time to time, and would probably suit much better, for a similar amount of cash.

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

hackberry jake

I agree with what everybody else has said. What they mean by "power source" would likely be a tractor pto. And unless you have access to a (minimum) 40 hp tractor or so... The price for that mill just trippled. Brand new (first to fart in the seat) entry level band mills are around $4k. Used ones can be had cheaper. Manual mills of any kind will be taxing on the body. Your best option may be to have a sawyer come and mill your timber for you. Or sell the timber and put it towards a house. I wish you the best of luck  :)
https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

Ron Wenrich

Looks like a Frick mill.  From the pics, I'd say that its in pretty good condition.  The wood looks ok, and doesn't look like it needs to be rebuilt.  What other equipment goes with it?  I see there is some sort of log turner and looks to be a blower.  You can run those with a stationary power unit.  An older Detroit would work fine.  Pulleys are not hard to find, especially if they are for the arbor.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

SPD748

Quote from: Ianab on October 25, 2012, 12:41:05 AM
QuoteI was wondering, has anyone here ever used a circular sawmill?  And if so, what are the pros and cons vs a band sawmill, for example.  I was wondering, has anyone here ever used a circular sawmill?  And if so, what are the pros and cons vs a band sawmill, for example. 

One of our members is currently rebuilding a mill similar to that, I think he's had pretty much every part dismantled, rebuilt, re-manufactured, painted and polished by now.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,58233.0.html
It's quite a saga, and if you have a read there it might give you an idea of what  you are getting yourself in for.

Now those circle mills certainly can cut some wood, but as the others suggest they might not be the best option for you. They aren't really suited to solo operation, where a modern band saw or swing blade mill can be operated alone, and has much less of a learning curve, with parts / technical support is only a phone call away.

Spend some time looking at the various mill manufacturers pages over on the right. Things like the LT15 etc come up for sale used from time to time, and would probably suit much better, for a similar amount of cash.

Ian


Hey, I know that guy :)


Streamy,

I agree with Ian, rebuilding an older mill is quite a task. If you read my 'journey' you'll see that I did a lot of things that weren't completely necessary however my mill is as much of a project for my Dad and I as it is for producing lumber. Kind of a 'journey not the destination' thing. If simply sawing lumber were my goal, I would have went with a newer (if not brand new) hydraulic bandmill. That being said, there are few things more rewarding than bringing an old piece of history back to life.

Consider this, an older circle mill will have hidden costs built in. Disassembling, moving, re-assembling, rebuilding, replacing, etc... Then it will almost require two people to safely operate. As others have said, a used bandmill can be had for similar money and be turn key. I'm not trying to talk you into or out of either option. I (along with everyone else here) just want you to make an educated decision. Good luck and welcome to the forum!

-lee
Frick 0 Handset - A continuing project dedicated to my Dad.

410 Deere, 240 Massey... I really need a rough terrain forklift :)

Sawing Since 1-19-2013 @ 3:30 pm
Serving Since 2002
"Some police officers give tickets, some gave all."

Brad_S.

Guess I am not allowed to post a link and the delete button is gone.

Ignore this post. There is nothing to see here folks, move along, move along!
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

bandmiller2

Welcome Streamy,I have a bandmill and have set up two circular mills,and still using one.All good advice given.To compare, a bandmill can be a backyard /hobby operation wile a circular mill is a mini-industrial site and a whole way of life.No reason you couldn't set up that circular mill but its a long hard road.A real solid foundation is required and precise alignment of arbor tracks and carriage.If that mill had a usable power unit running and complete it would be worth the asking price,now its no great deal.A good bandmill with hydraulics could be bought on time, house and outbuildings built and then sold for little less than you paid for it.If your heart is set on a circular mill have at it but it is more complicated than it looks. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

thurlow

Quote from: Streamy on October 24, 2012, 10:55:48 PM
   Is there anywhere else I could be looking?

Not sure what kinda links are allowed, so I won't post one, but you can do a search for sawmillexhangedotcom; click on 'handset circular mills' and scroll down to the bottom.......
Here's to us and those like us; DanG few of us left!

oklalogdog

I have a Foley's M-14 belsaw with a 40" circle blade.  I tinkered around with it for over a year and the blade always drifted in or out when I made a cut.  Now I have a lot of mechanical experience having farmed for a good part of my life but I never could get the thing to saw right.  I finally said to heck with it and bought a Timberking 1220 bandsaw and it was a very good decision.  Plus, the waste due to the kerf is very much less with the bandsaw.
Amateurs built the Ark - Professionals built the Titanic

TK 2000, TK 1220, Belsaw M14, John Deere 7610 with loader, Ford 9N.

thurlow

Have had a M14 w/46 inch blade for a lot of years.  The thing drove me nuts for the first year or so;  every single problem I had was related to the teeth.  It'd saw fine for a few cuts and then the blade would heat up and I'd have to quit.  Couldn't saw for an hour without having to swage/sharpen the things;  I walked away from it many-a-time and came back the next day or next week.  Finally bought a box (100) of hard-chrome ones and they ended my problems............totally.  When they were used up, I bought carbide and will never have anything else, but..........to get the benefit from them, your wood must be CLEAN.
Here's to us and those like us; DanG few of us left!

captain_crunch

Good looking mill but without power plant and haveing to move and reset it will be a major undertakeing. Also a circle mill one of the most tempermental things on planet.My belsaw will cut within 1/8" on 16 ' log but I am always tweaking something to accomplish this.Eventhough I am a circle mill nut without help from old time sawyer(like I had) I would say save pennys and go for a band mill
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

mikeb1079

plenty of good advice as always but i really think in your situation a small bandsaw mill would be perfect.  easier to maintain, easier to setup and can still cut a bunch of lumber.   prices start around 3k and up so not much more than that old circ mill.....

please let us know what you decide!
that's why you must play di drum...to blow the big guys mind!
homebuilt 16hp mill
99 wm superhydraulic w/42hp kubota

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