Running Band Sawmills

A sawmill is a place where logs are cut. Sawmills were greatly improvised with the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century. The first mechanical sawmills were run by water power. But with the introduction of electricity in the 20th century, sawmills are being run by high technology with massive production. The saw mills basically help to transform logs into lumber by going through many processes. Trees are first selected and felled. The branches are then cut and taken to the saw mill as logs. The logs are then differentiated into various species and then sorted by size and end product to be made such as chips, lumber or plywood. The logs are then cut into cants using saws. They are then broken down as resaw or as gang edger. The cut lumber then goes through various processes such as edging, trimming, drying and planning after which the finished lumber, is then transported to the market by shipping.
Types of Sawmills

• Up-down Sawmill

The Up-down sawmill is a Sash-type sawmill which uses a straight saw blade that is held within a wooden frame and is driven with a up and down movement by the mill. The blade and the sash are placed below the floor to keep them well fixed. These sawmills are also called as frame sawmill or the upright saw. The straight saw blades are also known are long saws or mill saws. The pit saw is also used in the up-down sawmill whereby the log is converted into boards by two sawyers using muscle power. A Muley Saw is also used in the up-down sawmill. Here, the blade is made from heavier gauge steel than other saws. The Gang saw has multiple straight saw blades that are held within the frame. The equipment moves with an up and down movement and the boards can be cut through the mill. 

• Circular Sawmill

The circular sawmill has a modern blade. The blade is in the form of a disc that is provided with teeth around the circumference of the disc. The production and the kerfs is higher with the circular sawmill as it can cut lumber in a larger quantity in an 8 hour day than other sawmills. The kerf is broad with a ¼ kerf.

• The Band Saw Mill

The band saw has a blade which is made of a thin metal and the end of the metal is welded together so that it gets a circular shape. The more band saw mill blades have a narrow kerf of 3/32. This thin kerf, helps the band mills to get about 20% more quantity of lumber from each log. 

Part Time or Full Time Work
Saw mills are used for professional work or for hobby purposes. It can be either a part-time business or a full time business. Hence choosing the right sawmill for use is the main option to be considered. If the sawmill is required by a hobbyist, he can invest in a sawmill that requires low cost. The hobbyist can get satisfaction by changing logs into good and neat looking boards that are of good quality and can be used for further work. The process of operating the saw mill requires heavy cost and hence he should be ready to face the expenses before he starts the work.

 

• For a part time work, the financial aspects will have to be considered. However, he gets tax advantages by using the saw mill as a part-time work. But, unless he is able to meet the expenses of running a saw mill, he cannot make use of the saw mill for part time work. The saw mills can be used as a seasonal work as he can work on the saw mill during winter. For the rest of the time, he can work on the farm in the summer. He can also sell the lumber or he can customize his work.
• For a full time work, he will have to follow various legal procedures and follow various financial obligations that he has to present to the government, regarding his costs of production, market outlook, time requirements and cash flow and he should follow a good marketing strategy. His accounting presentations should be perfect and requires professional help so that it follows the legal requirements of a good business.

Circular or Band Saw Mill
While choosing the saw mill, he will have to decide which type of saw mill he requires. He can choose between production and kerf. If he requires more production, he should choose the circular sawmill which produces more lumber, while the band saw mills with a thin kerf is able to convert more lumber out of the log. The cost of the circular mills or the band mills and the cost of the saw blades have to be considered. The requirement of the cuts such as horizontal cut or vertical cut or angle cuts will also have to be considered. The capability of the log size as well as the safety measures to be taken, are other features that have to be considered while choosing the right sawmill.
Portable or Stationary Saw Mill
Portable sawmills can be set up in remote areas or at the logged regions, where sawing is done. The cut lumber is then stored and dried. The end products will have to be towed for marketing. If the quantity is large, the towing vehicles should be heavily powered. The setup time for the saw mill and the takedown time, will have to be considered and the costs involved with this process, have to be factored into. The stationary saw mills have a solid foundation. The production continues nonstop in all weather conditions. The log transportation facts have to be considered, as they are not located where the timber is found and will have to be transported through larger distances for being cut. However, they have a huge production rate and they are large in size. 
There are various choices available while deciding on purchase of a saw mill. The user should first decide his cash resources and his requirement of work before choosing the right saw mill for work. You can click here at http://www.tablesawz.com/portable-band-saw/
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