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Sawmill training manual

Started by GeneWengert-WoodDoc, March 05, 2013, 08:33:54 AM

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GeneWengert-WoodDoc

Is it snowing and too cold to work?  Have a cup of coffee and enjoy this booklet--a US Army training manual dated 1993 that has some great pictures of equipment.  Is this a modern, maybe top secret, future mill?  Will this put Lucas and WoodMizer out of business?

http://library.enlisted.info/field-manuals/series-2/FM5_488/CH8.PDF


If you want to see the entire manual, which includes forestry, scaling, logging, etc., the index is at
http://www.enlisted.info/field-manuals/fm-5-488-logging-and-sawmill-operations.shtml
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

dboyt

Looks a lot like the "portable" Belsaw I worked with back in the '80s.  Sawed a lot of lumber with it, but I was always uneasy around it.
Norwood MX34 Pro portable sawmill, 8N Ford, Lewis Winch

Kansas

I think they ought to toss the manual and get a Lucas or Woodmizer, or similar mill. In all reality, does the military really mill lumber? I don't see it top secrect, but I did find the way the way they sawed intriguing. 20 years ago, bandmills were just really getting going. I don't know when Lucas and similar mills came into being. Seems to me that now, if the military found itself in a hostile place and needed lumber, there would be far better mill options for mills.

francismilker

Who knew the military had their own sawmills!  I guess they have to be capable of self-sufficiency on the battle field.  That wouldn't be too bad of a MOS would it?  Wonder what it would be called and what type of unit one would be attached with?

I actually liked that manual because it gave me an upclose look and tutorial of how a blade mill works.  I'm not fast enough to understand the inner workings of a blade mill from watching youtube vids but this worked for me.

Thanks for posting it.
"whatsoever thy hands finds to do; do it with thy might" Ecc. 9:10

WM LT-10supergo, MF-271 w/FEL, Honda 500 Foreman, Husq 550, Stihl 026, and lots of baling wire!

POSTON WIDEHEAD

The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: francismilker on March 05, 2013, 05:02:03 PM
Who knew the military had their own sawmills!   

Going back in time to when our Navy ships were made of wood.....the state of S.C. had so many acres of timber set aside for ship building.
This is still in affect today. S.C. keeps timber tracts ready at all times for military use.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

tyb525

Woodmizer also has a very informative manual they give with each mill.

I think the most informative of all though, is the sum of the knowledge of each sawmill operator on this forum.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

beenthere

QuoteS.C. keeps timber tracts ready at all times for military use.

SC does, or the Navy(Fed) does? Curious why the state would take that initiative.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Ianab

NZ army Enginneers unit has some Peterson sawmills. One of their common "missions" is disaster relief or peace keeping in remote places around the Pacific. Timor / Solomon Island etc. No hardware stores, so what do they do if they need to fix a bridge? Break out the sawmill and cut some beams and deck boards.

From the army recruiting page

QuoteThe primary role of a Field Engineer is varied and exciting. Your purpose is to maintain the Army's ability to move and manoeuvre on the battlefield without interference from hostile forces. You will provide the Army with combat engineering support and be skilled in the areas of explosives, bridge construction and demolition, field surveying, mine clearance, booby traps, explosives search, boating, water supply, tree felling, sawmill operation, minor construction, rigging and small engines.

I imagine this would be a pretty common function for Engineers in most armies?

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

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: beenthere on March 05, 2013, 06:23:44 PM
QuoteS.C. keeps timber tracts ready at all times for military use.

SC does, or the Navy(Fed) does? Curious why the state would take that initiative.

It's Federal land and Federal owned. It's BEENTHERE before we were ever thought about.  :)
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Kansas

Seems to me the Continential Congress set aside timber for masts for ships. And if I remember right, Woodmizer had something to do with cutting one of those for a restoration of a ship. I remember it in an old woodmizer way magazine. I can't remember what state though. Seems like it might have been Virginia.

beenthere

The Navy Yard in Boston had a WM for the rehab of the USS Constitution, and that possibly was written up. May have been others used for similar rehab of the tall ships too.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

WDH

With all respect to circle mill operators, it would seem that a portable bandsaw mill like a Woodmizer, Timberking, etc. would be much more user friendly in a military context where mobility is important.  The military is all about mobility. 
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

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

I am sure that OSHA would find some safety issues, but maybe all the guards are removed for clarity.  The mill in figure 8-3 is very close to what we had where I worked in 1961.  It did not have guards in the belt area.  We did not have ear protection.

The log in this figure would be loaded on the far right beyond the picture.  The present position of the carriage is after a log has been sawn. 

Did you notice that one person would stand behind the tracks and carriage (to the far right) and when the carriage returned, he would move the setworks.  The dogs were manually set.  The carriage is fed by the person on this side of the mill--the sawyer.  He was in charge.  A third person also turned the log with a log peavy, and helped with the dog setting. A fourth person would off-bare the slabs, lumber and cants.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

captain_crunch

Strange critter Not Belsaw fer sure But millitary generally has better tools than us But interesting sawing pattern part 1/4 sawn(vertical grain) and riff sawn
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

beenthere

This manual was likely written in the 30's, give or take a few years. Then updated in the 90's as indicated.
Not written for any particular mill, but in general to be applied to several mills available prior to WWII. That's how I see it. Others may see it differently.
And the sawing pattern shown in Fig 8-13 was how to handle oversized logs that the sawblade wouldn't reach through in one pass. Don't think it was meant to be a pattern for 1/4 sawn, but just to break a large log down to size. And that method works quite well.
By no means is this manual complete, as it is very general.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

scsmith42

I'm not an expert, but the sawmill appears very similar to an old Frick 00 model.
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

sparky

I joined the Fort Snelling Military Museum in Minneapolis, MN when I found that they had an Army issued sawmill with nobody having any sawmill experience. I was a very rugged unit with a 60 inch blade and a 6-cylinder diesel power unit. It was mounted on a semi-trailer along with an edger that was powered from a second diesel. I was told it was the last operation Army sawmill. I have some technical information as well as some photos of it. It was far beyond Belsaw in construction. It was the most well built sawmill I have ever seen!

There was a supply trailer that went with it. It contained five spare blades, ten chainsaws and cabinets filled with spare parts, teeth, etc. We were unable to put it into operation as the Army Historical Society that had ownership recalled all of the equipment. We had a dozen operational tanks, as well as trucks and related gear. We would put on a show for the public including the crushing of a car with a tank. Our announcer would describe the history of each piece as we demonstrated it's maneuverability . We are in the process of disbanding as we lost all of the equipment that we had been restoring and manintaining for many years.
I'tnl 2050 with Prentrice 110, Custom built 48" left-hand circular and 52" Bellsaw right-hand circular mills, Jonsered 2171, Stihl 084, and too many other chainsaws. John Deere 3020 and Oliver 1800 with FELs. 20" 4-sided planer and misc.

hamish

Surplus DOD sawmills are still being sold today, as warehouses get cleaned up, and installations deem them surplus.  They are still in the system, just not very active. 

An invaluable tool to have in the toolbox, just a shame the art of it went to the wayside.

Chainsaw use is still prevalent in many Pioneer and Engineers establishments in many armies and the use of mills is also active albeight most have gone to BSM or swing type units.
Norwood ML26, Jonsered 2152, Husqvarna 353, 346,555,372,576

bandmiller2

That booklet is surely a reprint,Its helpfull to recognize the parts and type of mill.I know the Navy had a massive wide band mill on the base at subic bay Phillipines.Have heard it came back home when the base was closed.Good thing the huge base had one of the last old growth forests on the island and it would have been too tempting to have a mill that would handle the massive sized timber. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

RedLeg

Doubt they've been in the active inventory for decades... Most likely were Corp or EAB (Echelons Above Corp) assets working in the Theater or COMMZ.  Here's an interesting link to Army Sawyers in WWI...

http://www.foresthistory.org/research/WWI_ForestryEngineers.htm#photos

http://www.20thengineers.com/ww1.html
Leif
Retired U.S. Army
2010 Lumber Smith Elite and Track Kit
Shopsmith Mark 7 PowerPro

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