C O V E R
Six 'Harleys'
ready for a
ride
16
S T O R Y
ceased while they awaited them from a
sawmill.
Almost inevitably, this led to the
decision to saw their own timbers to
their own, rather special requirements
when they wanted the timbers and in
the medium term at reduced cost. The
price of logs was fairly low, anyhow.
After some research they homed in
on Wood-Mizer's small-to-medium
band sawmill, the LT20B. Hydraulic
loading was unnecessary because
several materials handling machines
operated on the estate but the
Schlenstedts and their friends did want
the as-standard powered log feeding
capabilities. Another attraction was the
price of the mill: €10000.
Now, when battens, boards, planks
or beams are needed, they put a log on
the sawmill and saw it to required
shapes and dimensions and continue
their work without unnecessary breaks.
The mill was intended to solely
serve their own needs but now, a year
later, fifty per cent of its time is taken up
with sawing timbers for customers. This
presents a whole new aspect to the
estate's activities as well as income.
Wood-Mizer recently developed the
LT20B by combining the attributes of
two of its mills – one small, the other
small-to-medium. It aimed to meet
specific requests from some of its
WOOD-MIZER TODAY SPRING 2011
customers who operate the small mills
for something more rugged and having
more functions without recourse to a
larger, more costly version.
The Schlenstedts' 'chunky' LT20B
will move to an old, large, extended
stable block with room for mill, forklift
truck and logs. The mill's first outside
contract was to saw 100 m³ of pine.
In the long term the family aim to
achieve complete independence, selfsufficiency and reliance on their own
stables, gardens, solar power and
income from contract sawing and
firewood.
Almost all men dream of a HarleyDavidson and the Schlenstedts have
several in a shed as well as a nicelyrestored Norton – plus an old MZ/RT
hanging from the ceiling in Bastian's
bedroom!
The Dark Forces bikers meet twice
weekly in their club house, a restored old
building on the place. Twice yearly, they
throw a big party for 300-400 guests and
the air vibrates, the estate rocks and
mead flows. The next such 'thrash' is on
27 November.
A man needs a task in life and
appropriately, as a knight's proverb says:
Siegen kommt nicht vom Liegen (victory
doesn't come from reclining). All his
family agrees with that and Sylko
Schlenstedt is a happy man.