My father needs a sawmill

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Joined
Nov 11, 2011
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Marietta, Ga
Let's see if I can do this, from post 22 in the "Mulberry" thread:

"I can't provide any pictures, but my father has a grandfather-style clock that his uncle made for him out of mulberry over 30 years ago. My great-uncle has been dead about that long. The wood is a golden yellow, as they say, rather like hedge. I have no idea what may have been used as a finish on it. It may have yellowed over the years.

My great-uncle had a circle saw mill and built a series of those clocks out of various types of wood grown on his farm and locally. All of the 2 x 12 floor joists in my parents' house were cut there from one cottonwood tree. As I remember, my dad had to split the log with a chainsaw (McCulloch, and heavy) to get it to fit through the mill.The sawmill was a sideline to farming, mostly wintertime, I think.

The mill got sold at his estate auction; I have no idea where it went, except that it went some distance. Now my dad is to where he either wants to buy a sawmill, probably a band mill, or get someone to come in with one. He is taking out some trees that we planted ~40+/- years ago. Black walnut and some pines. I'm going to start a new thread."

This is a shelterbelt that may have been a fence row once upon a time, but was widened and planted with the above-mentioned trees. There could be somewhere between 40 and two hundred trees, maybe, to come out. I really don't know. The forester recommended giving them another 20 years, but after a dry year, he has decided to remove them to let a center-pivot run freely through there. I haven't seen the trees for a few years, or that end of the farm either. It's just not the same as when I grew up there, These trees are about all that is left of the way it used to be.

My dad has always wanted a sawmill. He turns 88 this month. He says his mother always told him there were two things he should stay away from: carneys (carnival workers) and sawmills. He would not take any advice or suggestions from me; that's one thing I have learned over the years. My son and I, when we went up to visit last year for their 65th wedding anniversary, took an Alaskan and sawmill and offered to demonstrate chainsawmilling, and to invite my uncle and some other people who might be interested to see it. He wasn't real interested in the demo and didn't invite anyone over. We did it, but didn't really expect it would be something he should start doing, just thought some folks would be interested in watching it.

I know he doesn't need to buy a sawmill and start milling at his age; I'm not sure he would accept that idea. When I told my son that Grandpa was thinking about getting a sawmill, he said, "I could go up and help." Grandpa is in northwestern Illinois, we are in northwestern Georgia. Enough already. Post this thing.
 
I don't understand where you want this to go. I would think ideally you would like to locate someone with a portable band mill in the northern Illinois area to bring it buy and leave it for a while. The 40 to 200 trees and center pivot needing room is that your 88 year old father's wishes. A band mill especially one with a stationary operator station seems pretty safe compared to a circle mill that can send embedded metal out as projectiles.
 
Oh, well, I don't know that I expect this to go anywhere. My dad will do whatever he decides to do. I am not about to buy a sawmill like Leroy in Kansas suggests, (but if Leroy wants to buy me one...) Just that there is a situation here that you all might like to watch develop. There are four of us that will be inheriting someday. None of us lives any closer than 500 miles. It just isn't the place we grew up on. Everything has changed. I wonder if we have any sentimental attachment to the farm as the farm is now. Someday we may inherit a used bandsawmill, too. Or maybe we won't.

I sometimes think my parents have decided that since "you can't take it with you," they just aren't going to go anywhere. And this is why buying a sawmill "and go make grandpa happy!!!" would not work either. My dad wants to be in control. And he will be.

I just thought it was amusing that my thought was I would like to have a couple of those black walnut logs and my son's thought was to go help saw them.
 
I can tell the difference between milling at age 45 and 55. Can't imagine being productive milling at age 88. Really suggest that he bring in somebody to do the milling. Maybe someone to drop all those trees too. Where in Illinois is he?
 
I think the brothers who are renting/farming the land (and have been wanting the trees out of there for years) are already cutting the trees. I'm guessing my dad will probably buy a mill, try a few, maybe twenty, logs, and then get someone to come in with a mill to finish if there really are that many. It will be just as much work to stack and sticker the lumber as to cut it. And that depends on him figuring out where to store it. Many of the old farm buildings are gone; what's left is full of what they have accumulated over 60+ years living in one place.

And someday (15 - 20 years?) we will inherit the farm, the mill, the lumber and everything else.

He is in northwestern Illinois. If I get too specific, there just might be someone who could recognize us.
 
Abbott, I wish I could offer you advice, but what I can offer is empathy. My father is the same age, and also has big ideas, not realizing that his physical & mental condition make them impossible. Fortunately, I live nearby, and we can work together on the sawmill and cutting firewood. The challenge is to keep him safe and feeling that he is contributing to the effort. At 60, I'm not as young as I used to be, either, and when I get to his age will probably be even more stubborn and unreasonable (family trait). Fortunately, walnut is a very durable wood, and the logs will still have good lumber in them ten years from now. Anyone with aging parents has a lot of tough decisions to make. I wish you luck, and hope that everything works our well.
 
Locust Cutter, what mill are you thinking about? If you want to check out a Norwood mill, you're welcome to come over and try out mine. Bring your own logs, or you can help me mill whatever is on the deck.
 
Locust Cutter, what mill are you thinking about? If you want to check out a Norwood mill, you're welcome to come over and try out mine. Bring your own logs, or you can help me mill whatever is on the deck.
I may have to take you up on that, as I definiitely like the idea of a mill, but have zero experience with one to even know what to be looking for spec wise...
 
I may have to take you up on that, as I definiitely like the idea of a mill, but have zero experience with one to even know what to be looking for spec wise...
I don't know how close you are to them but Timberkings fab shop is located in Kansas City, MO. You can see their mills in action and see how they are built. I have a 1400 and I am very pleased with it.
 
Crestline, I've never seen forks on a log arch like the one in your profile picture. Great idea for moving boards & slabs!
 
To me it sounds like the OP is more worried about his inheritance than his fathers wishes.
Crestline nice arch. You need to post more pics of it.
 
No, just stating facts. My father will do what he decides to do. He doesn't much take advice or suggestions from me. I wasn't asking for advice, because it would not be put to any use. I'm in no position to and my dad wouldn't take it from me.

To me it sounds like the OP is more worried about his inheritance than his fathers wishes.

I'm not sure how you got that impression, nk14zp. I mention that we will be inheriting whatever there might be, sawmill, logs. lumber or trees. I think I talked more about not feeling there is a heritage, rather than an inheritance. He will do with it what he wants and live as long as he can. i5 to 20 years is possible. My father is quite capable.

I'll be talking to him on his birthday later this week. If there is any further development in this area, I'll let you all know about it.
 
I ended up purchasing a harbor freight sawmill recently and was rather impressed for what it is. I purchased it using a coupon ontop of the already discounted price, just over $1500 to the door, I think you would be hard pressed to build a similar mill for that price.
 

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