Making Lumber
My mill is a 1994 Kasco ll-B powered by a 16 horsepower Briggs Vanguard engine. It is a bandmill, which utilizes thin kerf technology to maximize lumber yield. Maximum log size is 30" in diameter by 16' long. Maximum width of cut is 26". Feed and elevation is electric. Log turning is accomplished by "armstrong power" and a well-worn cant hook.
Nice walnut log
Sycamore log
23" wide boards came out of the sycamore log
Reclycing WRC power poles into 2 X 6's
Red oak log and lumber stickered on a wagon
Red oak lumber ready to go into the solar kiln
Another red oak
180 degree sawing with a small ash log
Big red oak
I got some 26" wide FAS boards out of that red oak
Custom sawing walnut. Log had too much sweep for the length.
Cut these boards off the hump on the walnut.
Customer said he was going to mount fish on them.
Taper sawing a red oak log. The small end of the log is elevated so the mill saws lumber parallel to the bark. This method yields more higher grade boards, a pleasing grain pattern, limited grain runout, and wider boards. In conjunction with 180 degree sawing this method also results in much more stable boards less subject to warp. Taper sawing is more labor intensive, some boards will be tapered, and the cant ends up looking like the Washington Monument. With higher grade logs the end result is well work the effort.
My partner Max. Think he is tired of sawing walnut and really wants to trade his share of the lumber for a truck load of pig ears.