From our mill-yard stockpile, logs are brought from the log decks to sawmill entrances by a wheeled log loader. The oversize logs that are too big for mainstream sawmill equipment have their own entrance to the sawmill where they are cut into custom order products by the head rig. Cut-to-length logs are fed into the sawmill at a different area, and the small and medium sized tree-length logs are continuously hauled to the Prentice, a stationary machine with a grapple that advances the logs to the feed troughs, at a third entrance.

If we follow a tree length log through the sawmill process starting at the primary log entrance to the mill, we would see what looks like a big mechanical arm and hand working to sort the logs. This machine, called the Prentice, sorts the tree-length logs into two lines; the smaller logs are sorted to feed into a 22” debarker, and the medium ones into a 35″ debarker. The debarkers have spinning knives inside that strip the bark off the log. The log then enters the sawmill and the bark, which falls into a conveyor, is transported to the hog plant, which will be explained later.

Inside the mill the debarked logs are scanned every 16th of an inch with a laser system that sends information to computers and monitors in the cut off saw booth. The computer system can be programmed to make choices on the best cut patterns for the greatest utilization and value from the log. The log is ready for its first cut at the cut off saws. The two separate lines each have a cut off saw that is a 6 foot diameter vertical saw. The small log line is controlled manually by the cut off saw operator to deal with the inconsistent nature of small wood. The saws on the larger line, however, are programmed to make cuts based on the computer made decisions for getting the best value from the log. Automatic photo-eyes at 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 foot intervals control the stops and ensure the log is in the proper position for cutting. Once in position, the log is clamped by rollers to ensure it will not move and it is cut.

Following the cut off saws, the logs are sorted into decks (or bins) according to their diameter to facilitate a better and more consistent flow of logs through the mill. Logs of the same or similar dimensions can be fed from one deck and the machines they are fed into have only minor adjustments to make.

The decks that hold the larger logs are fed into the canterline and the decks that hold smaller logs are fed into the small log line (also known as the Hewsaw or peewee line). Log singulators in the form of step feeders or log ladders individualize logs for processing so they feed one at a time onto a conveyor with an equal distance between each log.