All summer I have been helping an old Sawyer clean up his land. We were planning to be partners and he would teach me everything he knew.
We spent four months cleaning up his land. Long story but someone was using his property as a garbage dump and the township put pressure on him to clean it up or pay large daily fines.
So I worked hard and we got it done. I had some videos where I was demolishing a mobile home with nothing but a hammer and a pry bar. I got a lot of salvaged materials from that which I have been using in other projects so there was at least some payback.
The plan was for him to run the mill and teach me everything he knows. I bought a 1936 Sears Roebuck circular sawmill made by Foley Belsaw and a couple tractors to run the mill. The tractors are both Ford 8n models. One will power the mill and the other has a front bucket which will help load logs onto the mill.
I bought these from the old Sawyer. Three years ago I bought a Mil-Rite chainsaw mill from him which I have been using at home. This is a chainsaw mill with rails like a standard mill which makes it unique. I plan to use this mill for live edge slabs or logs which may have metal in them in order to protect the larger mill from damage.
Now that the land is cleaned up and ready for business, the old Sawyer says he will not invest a cent into it until after the elections. Things are getting a big shaky no matter which side you are voting for these days. With Covid19 in the air and elections uncertain, he says we have to wait.
If things go south, he will head north.
But I have a family and a homestead to take care of and I cannot wait that long so I have returned back to making videos and repairing small engine equipment once more. I will continue and see what comes.
I will most likely bring home the Foley Belsaw which is a 44 ft long sawmill. This can cut a 22 ft long tree into lumber in minutes with the right power head.
Next year we can see how things go for the commercial sawmill business. For this winter I will saw out my own lumber and build things in my wood shop for sale.
You can watch the video here:
