Across the globe the use of mobile sawmills
has exploded for various reasons: they provide
profitable diversification, and they permit
the establishment of semi-industrial timber
processing at dramatically reduced costs.
In the UK mills are in use ‘across the
board’, by cabinet makers, farmers,
large estates, mobile contractors
and even large volume production
sawmills. Increasingly the forestry
contracting fraternity are utilising
the technology to find more profitable outlets for round timber.
For those who are thinking of
joining them, in this article we take
a look at the alternatives available.
Wood-Mizer
Wood-Mizer have sold 35,000 mills
worldwide, and these are increasingly being deployed in full production environments. In eastern
European countries in particular it is
common to find mills running three
shifts on a seven day week.
All Wood-Mizer mills employ the
Wood-Mizer narrow bandsaw system, which is widely used by other
makes of sawmill and which delivers
high levels of accuracy, fine sawn
finish, and yield.
The product range starts with the
entry level LT15, which at just under
£4,000 offers an affordable introduction to sawmilling. The range
extends through the first mobile
model, LT20 with an 800mm log
diameter x 6.1m log length capacity
at £9,500, to the largest LT70 which
is essentially a mobile high-production mill with 950mm x 8.4m
log capacity at around £29,000.
Wood-Mizer sawmills are becoming
widely used in this work, where the
simple operation, accuracy, productivity and low running costs are
imperative. And when owners need
to upgrade to a more productive
machine in the Wood-Mizer range
they are finding the high trade-in
value of their used mills really helpful. James Andrews claims that with
eighteen years of UK experience
in timber conversion, Wood-Mizer
machines are suitable for every level
of production required. He says his
team can provide business start-up
advice to ensure an easier entry to
the world of value-added timber.
Wood-Mizer 01342 850999
Bamse and SMG
In addition to the Swedish built
Bamse range of sawmills and profilers Cumbria based Lakes Lumber
Equipment are to introduce a low
cost Canadian manufactured portable bandmill and a portable board
edger to their range of products.
The SMG Champion narrow kerf
bandmills are built by a small company in Quebec. The base model
has a 13hp Honda engine, hydraulic
blade tensioning, 6.4m (21’) bed
length giving a effective cutting
capacity of 5.2m (17’) and a maximum cutting diameter of just over
800mm (32”). Various options are
available: 7.3m (24’) bed length,
1.2m (4’) bed extensions, electric
start petrol engines up to 25hp,
electric motor power up to 11kW
(15hp) for those who wish to keep
the mill static, grinders and setters
for bandsaw maintenance, loading
ramps and also a trailer option. It is
hoped that the base model bandsaw will be priced around £4,000.
The edger will normally work
alongside a sawmill and is capable
of finishing slabs up to 635mm
The British designed and made Autotrek.
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Wood-Mizer LT40HD.
(25”) wide and producing boards
of between 50mm (2”) and 400mm
(16”) in width with its TCT sawblades and 13hp Honda engine.
Electric versions are also available.
Edging boards in this manner greatly increases the productivity of the
sawmill as it essentially only has
to concentrate on through and
through cutting of the sawlog into
slabs, which greatly reduces the
number of times the log needs to
be turned.
The popular Bamse range of sawmills will continue to be available.
They have a heavy duty, stainless
steel box section track and a galvanised steel frame, which has cutting increments of 1mm. The base
model with a 6m (20’) track can
handle log weights up to 1200Kg
which approximately equates to a
log dimension of 5.6m (18’) by
700mm (27”). Models are available
up to 9m (30’) long if desired. The
6mm kerf saw chain can be powered
by either chainsaw, 4-stroke petrol engine, or 415v electric motor
and is available with both manual
and auto feed systems. Adding the
Bamserouter system to the sawmill
unit means that dimensioned timber can be cut from the sawlog and
then a profile can be added to it
for a given market/application as a
single process. Two different profiles
up to 200mm (8”) in width can
be accommodated at once in the
router unit which typically allows
profiled sections for the building of
log cabins, summerhouses, sheds,
decking etc. to be easily produced.
This facility opens up higher value
markets, whilst still having the facility to produce the normal ‘square
stuff’. The Bamserouter is also available as a free standing unit which
can work alongside conventional
sawmills.
Lakes Lumber 01931 716726
Lucas
There are over 200 Lucas Mills in the
UK, with 6300 mills sold worldwide
www.forestmachinejournal.com
into over 75 countries. The saw
frame assembles around the timber
very quickly, no tools required, and
is adjusted easily to suit both timber
and site location. The model 613
has a 6” cut, is powered by a 13hp
Honda petrol engine, and is very
light to move around. Model 618
is powered by an 18hp Briggs and
Stratton engine. The most popular
is the 827 model with an 8” cut,
powered by a 27hp Kohler electric
start petrol engine.
Latest developments allow the
mill head to rotate in situ to produce
a 16” wide cut. All models have an
electric sharpener supplied as standard and are available with a slabbing attachment for through and
through cutting and weatherboard
cutting device.
Lucas Mills offer estates and contractors the ability to maximise the
use of their timbers onsite without
the need to move the timber and
therefore save on costs. Also from
Fuelwood is the Laimet which is a
circular sawmill, operating in static
or mobile mode, able to cut soft
and hardwood into a range of sizes.
Blade cost are very low as the same
blade can be sharpened hundreds
of times. Three models are available.
The 100 is of lighter construction
than the 120 or 130, with a maximum blade size of 1000mm. The
120 is proving to be the best seller.
An optional Topsaw upper blade
unit makes it possible to saw up to
800mm diameter logs.
Fuelwood (Warwick) 01926 484673
Alaskan
The Alaskan sawmill from Emak Ltd
can be used with an Efco 171, 181
or 199 professional chainsaw, fitted with a specialist ripping chain.
Mounted onto the chainsaw bar,
the Alaskan is easily manoeuvrable
around the tree trunk, allowing you
to work around it, rather than having to constantly reposition a hefty
weight. Consequently, as it needs
just a little more space than the tree
Forest Machine Journal 8/04
itself, it can be used in difficult or
close environments. Also available
are an oiler kit, helper handle and
saw chain grinder/sharpener. There
are five sizes of Alaskan sawmill
ranging from 24” to 56”, weighing
from just 7.7 kg. The popular 36”
mill is priced £170 plus VAT. The
Alaskan Mini Mill is ideal for use in
conjunction with the larger mill. It is
ideal for edging, special angles and
cutting building logs.
Simple to use, slabbing rail brackets are required to make the first
cut, plus the rails (many use simple
lengths of spare wood). These are
then removed to saw the remainder
of the log any width, from as little
as 1”.
Emak UK 01543 687660.
Lumbermate
The Lumbermate 2000 portable
bandsaw mill takes just 20 minutes
to set up by raising the log-bed
with a braking winch and removing
the quick release axle to lower and
level up the bed. Operated by one
man, this mill can handle logs up
to 31” in diameter and saw boards
up to 24” wide. The low sawmill
bed enables one person to load
timber up to 13’ safely. Extensions
enable 40’ logs to be handled.
Hand-feeding the saw-head allows
the operator to easily judge the best
speed for cutting through knots
and dense heartwood. The strong
steel frame is made from rigid 60
x 200mm twin debossed steel rails,
which are galvanised for life-time
rustproofing. Cutting depth is easily
adjusted, and because the sawhead
is moved manually, the feed rate
can be quickly varied for hard or
knotty wood. The sawmill sits on
the ground to give an easy working
position and less fatigue. A trailer
package is also available.
Charterhouse Richmond
01428 661222
Jonsered
Jonsered’s SM 2196 bandsaw mill is
equipped with a 13hp four-stroke
engine from Honda. The sawmill is
based on a new concept whereby
the bandsaw is started and stopped
with a combined clutch and brake.
The operator works from the righthand side allowing the shavings
to be discarded to the left. The
bandsaw can handle logs up to 70
cm in diameter. This sawmill can
be supplied complete with a fullyautomatic grinding machine for the
bandsaw blades.
Jonsered 01453 822382
Pezzolato
The Pezzolato Timber Queen HD
models available are fully hydraulic
narrow blade bandsaws. They are
available in both mobile and static
Forest Machine Journal 8/04
versions and can be equipped with
an electric motor or a diesel engine.
They can cut trees up to 80 to 90
cm in diameter and 6m in length.
Medium diameter logs can be managed with no problems.
Options include saw blade sharpening machine, disk debarker, board
edger and complete range of larger
machines for wide bandsaw blades
to cut up to the largest log diameters.
SL Sawmill Machinery
01389 751154
Autotrek and Peterson
The Autotrek is a British designed
and built, heavy duty ‘Wide Band’
sawmill with a cutting capacity of
1.3m x 6.5m, ideal for contractors
and professional foresters. Features
include: a 67hp diesel engine, ‘Wide
Bandsaw’ technology with 101mm
wide blades with optional stellite
tips (remain sharper in abrasive timbers) to allow all timbers (including
greenheart) to be cut accurately
and efficiently up to 1000mm wide.
(Narrow blades are less suitable for
sawing large diameter hardwoods
and cannot be stellite tipped.)
The mill can be set up in less than
10 minutes, and is fitted with heavy
duty adjustable log-decks, digital
measuring including kerf allowance
and absolute height from log bed.
All log handling (up to 4 tonnes) is
done by hydraulic operation controlled from one position, and sawhead travel speed is also controlled
by operator. The Autotrek can be
supplied either as a static or mobile
version equipped with twin braked
axles with Land Rover wheels and
tyres.
The Peterson Sawmills are the
original ‘swing saws’ suitable for
tree surgeons, estates and ‘green
oak’ fabricators etc. They claim the
following features and advantages
over other swing saws: single ended
sizing for more accurate and faster
sizing, easy double cutting without
turning round the mill (up to 20”
Serra Sawmills received a medal for their innovations at the KWF Show.
wide), refined blade/tip technology for faster and easier cutting,
easily extended tracks for longer
lengths, stainless steel and aluminium components – virtually rust free,
easy swing’ blade change over and
horizontal sizing wheel. They have
Honda engines and a diesel option,
upgradeable cut sizes and motor
options and outputs from 4-8 cubic
metres sawn per day.
Loglogic 01884 243699
Serra
The Serra range of sawmills are available through Marshall Agricultural
Engineering.
The band saw head of the Bavaria
SL 110/130 as well as the SPS (storage programmable control system
especially programmed for mobile
sawmills) have recently been awarded the KWF-Innovation Medal.
The SL-series has been operating
with the variable saw head Bavaria
SL130 model, for logs up to 130cm
in diameter, since January 2003 and
was joined by the Bavaria SL 110
(for logs up to 110cm diameter) in
November 2003.
The large space (50cm) above
the saw band enables the user
to saw logs with extremely large
diameters. The clamping system is
also cost effective as you can saw
smaller diameter logs with shorter
saw bands which are lower priced.
The cut has close tolerances as
the guideways of the band saw
are very close together. Feed speed
is electronically controlled, and if
it becomes too great, the system
brakes in order not to decrease the
engine speed of the saw motor,
so preventing the saw band from
oscillating. The SPS also handles
the positioning, prevents the saw
band from sawing into metal, stores
sawed log volume and saws fully
automatically on demand.
Serra also presented additional new developments at the KWF
Show: a laser which indicates the
first cutting point on the log, a
second pre-cutter which prevents
the band saw blade from damage through stones and sand and
lastly a new basic frame for the SL
130 with more ground clearance,
increased rigidity and many re-engineered details.
Marshall Agricultural Engineering
01892 770788
(Left) The
Bamse saw
enables
profiles to
be cut, for
instance for
log cabins.
(Right)
Lucas Mill
at work on
a big log.
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