# Making lumber in 1927



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Silent film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o19NzzxBhKo&feature=youtu.be


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Man that was one heck of a tough life, those ole boys were tough as nails. It was amazing at how many men it took to get the lumber from start to finish.


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## MrZ2u (Feb 1, 2015)

Imagine how much easier life would have been had it been two years later when "Festo" introduced the first portable chainsaw in 1929...or was that Sthil 1929...or was it Dolmar in 1927...dunno. In any event, I think we all know which one was the more expensive


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

What struck me was the gang rip machine. I wonder what the liquid was they lubricated the blade with and why.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

That was a dangerous job. Especially the water workers. Was that a bandsaw mill?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

hwebb99 said:


> That was a dangerous job. Especially the water workers. Was that a bandsaw mill?
> 
> View attachment 134225
> View attachment 134233
> View attachment 134241


Yes it was a bandsaw mill. It look like it had a blade about 3 to 4 inches wide. I saw a film onetime of a modern mill like that the blade had teeth on both sides and would cut a board on the return trip.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> I saw a film onetime of a modern mill like that the blade had teeth on both sides and would cut a board on the return trip.


I have seen those mills before. How do they guide the blade?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

hwebb99 said:


> I have seen those mills before. How do they guide the blade?


I have no idea. I've never seen a band mill other than TV. When I was a kid I worked at a mill that had a circular saw for a couple weeks. That is the extent of my experience.


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## hawkeye10 (Feb 18, 2015)

Doing that kind of work is a very dangerous job. A long time ago I worked in a flooring mill in Nashville. You would not believe the people with missing fingers and worse. There was one guy that had many scars across his chest. I was told he been pulled across a planer. I don't know how that happened.

Seeing those horses pulling logs reminded me that mules would drag logs out of the woods to where they were to be loaded. The mules did the pulling with no one with them. They pulled the logs down and went back on their own. I didn't see this happen but it was told to me by folks that know.

I enjoyed the video very much. It always amazes me what people did with so little.

Don


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

I wonder how many men never made it out of the woods?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

That sawmill I worked at was as dangerous as the one depicted on the film. They had me stacking lumber as they cut it out of the log and the first cut off the log that had bark on it I was suppose to throw it on a fast moving conveyer belt right behind where I was working. There was no railing or anything in front of the belt and the trash wood thrown on the belt would run into a wood chipper. If I fell on the belt I don't think I could have stopped myself from going into the chipper. Here I was barely 18 and working in a place like that.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> What struck me was the gang rip machine. I wonder what the liquid was they lubricated the blade with and why.


They use a detergent solution, it keeps the blade from getting gummed up with sap. it also lubricates the blade when cutting dry wood.


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