If I were to open a business with a sawmill, I think I would be inclined to call myself “the Sleepy Sawyer.” It’s a name that makes sense. I think sawing logs is all I would do, day or night.
It is a possibility, you know. I did actually put a hobby grade sawmill on order and could do some light jobs to earn some of the money back. It is hobby grade, but it is large, and has a decently powerful motor to do the cutting. It is a Woodland Mills HM130Max. I did not get the trailer option, but instead got a bed extension that will allow me to cut longer logs with ease.
There is not much to say about it. It is a big bandsaw. I looked at Woodmizer, and I ran through the checkout process. What bothered me with it the most was that as I got to a total with a sensible breakdown. I would then press to the last step before putting in the card number, and it would suddenly raise the charge by $150 with absolutely no explanation of what it was charging me that amount for, and it being past the point of anything that should be charged. Woodland Mills simply did not do that, and charged half as much for shipping. It is made in Canada, so not America, but at least it is on the continent. I think we are allies, unlike all the stuff for sale at Walmart.
So, what’s a fella to do with a sawmill? Well, the first plan is to go get some wood for it. I have that all sorted out so long as the status quo has not changed. Then I need to build it a house. If I am successful with that, then a house for the log splitter would be great. Then the wood that I intend to saw and dry will require a house, too. As will the logs I intend to split. If that does not give me enough practice on sawyering, then I am not cut out for this at all. Ideally, I will then begin to collect lumber for future projects. All the sawdust will go to the compost bin. Scraps will go to the woodstove. That includes branches and the like. Lumber will be available to sell, or to use in my woodshop on furniture and other projects around the house. I like to think of myself as similar to Maddox Restaurant which has next month’s meals standing in a field that is only separated from the building by a butchery.
Is it my dream sawmill? For the price it is. What it lacks in hydraulics, my tractor has. It has an electric start. I have added a piece that raises and lowers the blade head with a motor rather by a had crank. Reviews have said things like “this is by far the best upgrade I have done to my saw,” and “saves a lot of shoulder pain.” Given my state of arthritis, I think it best to go ahead and do that. I added some blades, and the tools to sharpen and set the blades. With the extension on the bed to make the cut capability longer, I think I am pretty set for having spent the same as the second to entry level mill at Woodmizer. Plus, it promises to ship from the warehouse in about a week, whereas Woodmizer says three weeks or more. That should get me to work by the time spring becomes real.
So my next big task will be to empty the trailer out and go start collecting the wood I intend to put on the mill. Maybe excess lengths would be a good place to start collecting next year’s firewood. I will need to build a foundation for the mill once I figure out where I can put it and not disrupt Missus at work, and access the sides necessary to do the work from loading, cutting, unloading, storing, and cleaning up the sawdust. It would be ideal to cut and spray the dust straight into the compost heap. I have not got any of that worked out yet, and the mill may end up across the street.