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Another ID question and advice

Started by crzipilot, February 02, 2015, 05:29:52 PM

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crzipilot

I am new here, but have been on the outside looking in the past month or so.    Found the website after my FIL informed myself and BIL that he was getting the old family sawmill and wanted to move it to his property.   He wants to get it up and running again,  hasn't been run in about 10 yrs.   

He and the uncles say it's a frick as best as they can tell,  and we got half of it moved,  the husk, carriage, rollers.   Have to get the track, and power plant (International Harvester U6).   

Looking at all the components there isn't any names etc,  but there are stampings with part numbers  and they all begin with a S.   Haven't been able to find anything to reference back what the manufacturer is.   

It has a 56" blade.   It has 3 (?) heads on the carriage.    Spacing between the heads is 69" and 44".  the carriage itself is 14' long.  The length of track is 50'

The mill was rewooded about 20yrs ago, and unfortunately needs to be done again.   If seen the posts suggesting to use Doug Fir or SYP,   but we've also started talking about using metal possibly for lifespan. 

So does anyone have any suggestions on furthering the discovery of what mill we have?  It's been in the family I believe since it was new,  and they say they think they remember it being bought around 1940 maybe. 

I do have a few more pictures and get some more, if that would help.






















beenthere

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

Pls add your location to your profile (click on your name). 

The mill looks in reasonably good shape.

To help with your venture, here is a good pub about circular sawmillss and many things that are common to them.

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

crzipilot

Thanks, I downloaded that a month or two ago.   Lots of good info.   I also found the frick parts manual and such.    Nothing I can see coincides with the cast numbers on all the parts.....

kelLOGg

Ah, Charlotte, my home town. Where about are you?

Good luck on getting the mill running.
Bob
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

crzipilot


Well I'm on the south side by carowinds,  hoping to get a little more south into SC here soon.   The mill and the land is just outside of boone.   Valle Crucis / blowing rock area.    The great grandfather had a big farm up there that got divided up between the 13 kids.   Between the FIL and all the uncles and Aunts there's about 300 acres they have.  Only developed part is where they built their houses,  the rest is untouched and plenty of timber for the needs we have, etc...

Ron Wenrich

The dogs don't look like a Frick.  Neither do the setworks.  Considering your area, Meadows is a popular brand.  I ran one a good number of years ago, but I don't remember the dog setup. 

The wood on the husk doesn't look to be too bad.  They usually lasted a long time since they were out of the weather and up off the ground.  Plenty of mills have been converted over to metal.  You have to watch getting your track on metal and that the guide track doesn't get pulled when you weld.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

crzipilot

Great I'll start looking into meadows mills see what I can find.    The wood did look in ok shape,   But when picked up turned out to be rotten inside.  Some areas just had the outside completely in tact with nothing inside the piece of wood

kelLOGg

Quote from: crzipilot on February 02, 2015, 10:20:34 PM

Well I'm on the south side by carowinds,  hoping to get a little more south into SC here soon.

I grew up on the south side. But that was in the 40s and 50s. Looking at a map today you'd think I grew up in the heart of it.
Bob
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

apm

It does look like a Meadows. They're still in business in Wilkesboro, right next to you in Boone.

Greg
Timberking 1600 now

crzipilot

I saw a thread on here,  can't find it right now.   But the guy had what he thought was a meadows,  and an old timer corrected him and told him it was a Turner.    He looked to have the same dog setup that this one has. 

ddcuning

It looks like a Meadows to me. When I got my Frick, it had an extra set of Dogs that did not fit my mill. I sold them on EBay and found that they were Meadows. The dogs had an arm on the back side of the dog that locked into a notch to hold the dog secure. I can't tell from the pictures if these dogs have that lever arm on the back side. The husk to me looks the same as the Meadows that I have seen.

Good luck, it is a rewarding project to get one of these old circle mills going. I can attest to that.....if I ever get mine done!  :embarassed:

Dave C
We're debt free!!! - Dave C, Nov 2015

crzipilot

So by the original posting date it's been a number of years.   The mill has sat where out it after disassembled.   

Is there any market for these?   Does anyone buy these?

Thanks 

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