# Interesting swing mill design



## BobL (Apr 4, 2010)

Interesting swing mill design from Peterson. It's been out for a while and discussed on down under forums - just thought I'd throw it in here as well.

http://www.turbosawmill.com/
Their website is still being tidied up but there's enough on there to get the idea.

Cheers
BobL


----------



## TraditionalTool (Apr 4, 2010)

BobL said:


> Interesting swing mill design from Peterson. It's been out for a while and discussed on down under forums - just thought I'd throw it in here as well.
> 
> http://www.turbosawmill.com/
> Their website is still being tidied up but there's enough on there to get the idea.
> ...


Bob,

Looks interesting, lots of videos on youtube. Here's one, not sure if it will embed on this forum, if not here's the url.

http://www.youtube.com/v/NcnrvGRvYY8

<object style="height: 344px; width: 425px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NcnrvGRvYY8"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NcnrvGRvYY8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></object>

Looks pretty cool, take a cut in both directions.


----------



## KiwiBro (Mar 20, 2012)

To bump this up the heap some, this concept is intriguing and it's a shame these guys have to prove themselves all over again. I tip my hat to their willingness/ability to differentiate/innovate their way out of any potentially litigious holes with some quite clever ideas. It's been interesting to note the apparent development and subsequent substantial silence (hard to find much about it) around the 'counter saw' concept they had going on a while ago. Perhaps I'm looking/listening in the wrong places but the silence on what was quite a promising idea makes me wonder if they were chasing rainbows or sailing too close to the wind with it? 

Still, these guys are well worth a serious look at the fieldays this year if they will be there and certainly worth keeping a 'watching brief' on the development of their products and how said products hold up in the hands of customers.

I don't think anyone in their right minds could question the experience, competency, or tenacity of the guys behind turb-o-saw.:cool2:


----------



## Can8ianTimber (Mar 20, 2012)

I have spent some time watching their videos. I like the design because it is a lot more open than a lucas mill. I owned a lucas mill for about 6 months and I liked it but I felt like I was always ducking under a beam or walking around something to get from one spot to another. That was largly because I ran it solo so I could only cut so many boards before I had to go stack them or deal with the scrap wood. If I was focused on making smaller boards I would buy a turbo over a lucas or peterson. 

Has anyone here ran a turbo?


----------



## brookpederson (Mar 20, 2012)

What's the price difference between this and a Lucas mill? Cool design, I'd love to have one.


----------



## KiwiBro (Mar 20, 2012)

brookpederson said:


> What's the price difference between this and a Lucas mill?


I'd say it's quite significant:
12" AUTOMATED MONO RAIL SWINGBLADE SAWMILL


----------



## KiwiBro (Mar 20, 2012)

Can8ianTimber said:


> I have spent some time watching their videos. I like the design because it is a lot more open than a lucas mill. I owned a lucas mill for about 6 months and I liked it but I felt like I was always ducking under a beam or walking around something to get from one spot to another.


It looks like a hazard-free access for log loading, no risk of hitting any ends or posts/rails.
The counter saw option they flirted with some time ago had a 'best of both worlds' feel about it, and in the right timber I could see that producing some serious volumes, without the miller being locked into a psuedo twin saw configuration if the log/wood/cutting list didn't suit it.


----------



## KiwiBro (Mar 20, 2012)

BobL said:


> Interesting swing mill design from some Petersons.



I don't know the full story, but I bet it's not a pleasant one. If I'm wrong on this it would be great to be corrected, but Carl and Jake Peterson are behind this turb-o-saw, not the 'estranged' (to an outsider wondering what went on) Petersons global sales LTD that make the peterson sawmills that Carl and Jake used to be involved with. Seems like there was an almighty bust up a few years ago, helped perhaps in no small part by the litigation between the old Peterson company and the Lucas' that went all the way to the Supreme Court (Lucas' lost, their patent deemed invalid and therefor no claims of infringements thereof could be levelled at the old-liquidated- Peterson company or Carl personally), at no doubt considerable expense to all parties involved, and now the dust has settled, the turb-o-saw can shine.

Frankly, I'm still a bit miffed the skillmill got shelved as I had high hopes for the 'lil' electric that could', but that's a whole different thread.


----------



## Turbosawmill (Mar 22, 2012)

Hi guys,

Just to answer some of your questions...

We have taken many sales of our swing blade unit with some very happy customers over the last year or so. 

Our swing blade...

From an engineering point of view it’s simpler to make; one gearbox, one blade, reduced weight, maximised hp.

From a user point of view; 12"x12" standard cut, 12"x24" double cut, easy blade maintenance, quicker sawing. Most importantly you have more versatility.

In saying all of this the Counter saw does have the best of both worlds. But I've opted to consider this concept dedicated to much larger sawmilling operations along with log decks, in feed, out feed, stackers and sawdust removal. I can see this technology becoming a very productive head saw but obviously will come with a larger price tag. I build to order and should someone have interest in the CS in a large scale situation I can build it. But until that day comes or until I find some time to build this unit I'll be focussing on our swing blade. The second blade simply adds more choices to the sawing process to create short cuts such as removing the waist on the sides of the log quicker, by reducing wasted runs.

In conclusion our current swing blade has all the advantages of the CS unit plus a bunch more. The added cost did not justify to me the benefits of a couple more operating functions unless the sawyer is producing significant numbers and small short cuts make big differences.

Gavin in Australia is sawing Iron Bark sawing full 12" vertical and horizontal cuts, the saw has so much power you can hardly hear the engine reduce RPM!

I had finally seen this for myself while staying with a customer in Cairns. The Kubota is a nice motor! 

The PLC, Kubota, 12" cut swing blade is a sweet mill and believe this will become our flagship saw. Owners of the PLC unit have been the happiest as we all know accuracy is a big deal with portable sawmills.

I would highly recommend keeping away from the court system as it’s a lose lose deal for sure. LOL

Cheers.
Jake.

PLC info... 
http://www.turb-o-saw.com/PLC.html

Swingblade info... 
http://www.turb-o-saw.com/sitebuilder/images/THE_SWINGBLADE_DESIGN-1-795x1023.jpg


----------



## KiwiBro (Mar 25, 2012)

*Thanks Jake and welcome to AS.*

My counter saw interest was more from a low/no-tension high production capacity option I thought it may open up for tSaw (I hope you don't mind the abbreviation but I'm lazy) owners.

Essentially, and it's possibly a crazy idea, I thought about the marginal or only just profitable stands of pine all over NZ that either don't get harvested in all but the boom years (which is ironically when the property/rights owner finds out he/she can't get a crew in there b/c everyone else - usually bigger forest owners- have them on contract already), or are so marginal the owners get to the end wondering if it was worth the grief. 

I was wondering if a counter saw optioned tSaw sitting on the landing followed by loading kiln-bound (rather than mill or port-bound) trucks would be worthwhile for these marginal jobs that still require a decent production capacity in order to not choke the landings up too much. If it actually would work out better for these types of stands, that are marginal (or need certain lumber specs the main mills can't be bothered with), then perhaps it also opens up the option of the owners waiting until forestry crews are off contract and actively looking for work, which has got to be a cheaper option for the owner and also helps the crews retain work and staff in times that might be tough, thus smoothing out the highs and lows the industry is notorious for.

The log truck operators may not like the idea but if it makes it more profitable to keep the logs out of the export stream and instead export lumber or sell the lumber domestically, then perhaps it's a worthwhile option for NZ inc overall.


----------

