Comments on: Steam-powered Sawmill

By: RenWoodArtisan

RenWoodArtisan — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 13:46:53 +0000

Steam Powered Threshing Bees, Sawmill demos, etc are alive and well in the midwest. They always have vendors and tents with antique tools, too.
Northern Illinois – http://www.threshingbee.org/
Eastern Iowa – http://www.oldthreshers.org/
These are great if you’re a licensed high pressure steam boiler operator AND a woodworking member of SAPFM & EAIA like myself!

By: Jonas Jensen

Jonas Jensen — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:36:53 +0000

Hi Dick,
Thanks for the link, what a fantastic place. If ever had to immigrate, I guess that Oregon would be a nice place to live.
Best regards from Denmark

By: dndculp

dndculp — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:14:40 +0000

There is a large steam powerd mill in Oregon that is trully a working operation.
You can find the picutres and write-up at:
http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/2011/02/25/hull-oaks-sawmill/
It’s really worth a look and a visit if you are in the area. My dad built sawmills and right after WWII we lived beyond electricity, the mill pond was a beaver pond, and everything was run by steam. The fishing and hunting wasn’t bad either.
Dick

By: kleinjahr

kleinjahr — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:53:52 +0000

Whaaat!!! No Sawstop!! OOOh the horror.
Seriously there are several shows in southern Ontario.
http://bruceheritage.com/ Nice one in Paisly.
http://www.essexsteamandgasengine.com/ Has a nice rebuild of a belt driven machine shop.
http://www.blythsteamshow.on.ca/ Never been to this one but hear it’s nice.

By: Jonas Jensen

Jonas Jensen — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 07:39:08 +0000

I really like the system for moving the log so that you make a uniform thickness of the plank. My sawmill has a fence more like a normal table saw, where you are supposed to press the clean cut side of the log against the fence yourself.

I would love to have seen the half size traction engine steam around on the lawn. beautiful work.

By: Steve_OH

Steve_OH — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:22:59 +0000

It’s because steam boilers have historically had a tendency to explode, causing great mayhem.

And yes, there are boiler police, of sorts. The regulations governing boilers and other pressurized vessels are generally taken from the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (there’s a Wikipedia article, if you’re interested).

-Steve (who in a previous life designed ultrahigh-purity gas handling equipment–that had to conform to the ASME Code–for NASA and DOE projects)

By: Sean A

Sean A — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:24:41 +0000

I kept waiting for a Johnny Cash song to break out…

Very cool, though it seems like he never got the memo, “Don’t try this at home”. (^;

By: dmac4870

dmac4870 — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:35:51 +0000

For anyone near southeastern Ontario, the Upper Canada Village, a little west of Cornwall, has an operating water powered saw mill that they use to saw some beautiful wood for use at the village and by the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. A few weeks back, they also had a steam powered saw going, just like the one above. Very cool to watch. I prefer the water-powered mill, myself….the whole building shakes when that thing gets ripping…pardon the pun!

Cheers,
Derek

By: bob_easton

bob_easton — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:30:37 +0000

Traction engines are so impressive! Just try wrapping a power belt around a back wheel of your Ford F-150 and see if there’s enough “umph” to power that saw.

There were 2 traction engines, a large one driving the saw (with a roof on it), and a smaller Case that passes by later.

Do they still have traction engine festivals in the great midwest? I visited one in southern Indiana about 30 years ago.

By: robert

robert — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:20:29 +0000

Very cool. One thing i noticed: the belt was set up to run in a two sided loop. Most times that a long belt is used to connect a stationary engine to a mill or threshing machine, the belt is assembled with a half twist, turning it into a Mobius strip which is a single sided loop. This doubles the life of the belt.