S T O R Y
ever". He feels this justifies the LT40,
known as Wood-Mizer's 'workhorse' and
says it has a local reputation for quality of
cut, adding:
"From my point of view particularly, its
hydraulic log loading and manipulation
make it self-contained for a one-man
band – I didn't want to employ anyone.
"It is one of the higher end of smallish
mills and even though I haven't worked it
as hard as some people do it has done
pretty well.
"I like the mono-rail system which,
unlike the dual rails on certain other
mobile mills, doesn't limit log sizes. As
long as it isn't too heavy I can fit an
oversize log on mine.
"The 'Setworks' computeriseddimensions system helps me maintain
productivity and accuracy as it positions
the head for the next cut.
"The sustainability factor inherent in
this mill's thin kerf technology is an
obvious benefit. When I compare it with
my old chainsaw, which loses almost a
board from every four cuts, I remind
myself that the LT40 almost gains a
board! I also find this aspect fulfilling!
"The relatively low cost of the mill and
its ability to saw good quality lumber are
behind my move into adding value to
what I saw", he adds.
Before taking up timber sawing Nick
Houghton trained for three days in Devon
with Stephen Cull, Wood-Mizer's agent in
S-W England and Wales, cutting up 3,000
tree stakes there.
Returning to his yard and workshop
near the 12th-century Wiltshire town of
Malmesbury, he received a request from
a tree management firm to convert a big
beech and a walnut tree to lumber. The
trees, at Dodington Park in Gloucestershire, owned by James Dyson, inventor of
the bag-less vacuum cleaner, had to be
felled because they were a danger to
nearby buildings, and Nick adds:
"The beech was particularly heavy but
the LT40 manipulated it onto the rails
and easily cut the three feet (almost one
metre) wide tree into boards of 24 inches
(61cm) wide x two/three inches
(5/7.5cm) thickness.
"The lumber was then used to make
furniture by craftsmen on the estate", he
explains.
A typical contract recently was cutting
out oak beams for the renovation of a
barn and cottage. Mostly he uses WoodMizer's SilverTip bandsaw blades and
changes them three-to-five times a day
depending on the species cut. Sawing
oak, for example, calls for three blade
changes. He retains the same pack of
bandsaw blades he bought when he
acquired the mill nine years ago,
sharpening and setting them himself
with a Wood-Mizer blade maintenance
package.
Sometimes he gets a job from clients
who are not quite sure what to do with
the resulting lumber so he recommends
cutting it into manageable two-to-three
inches (5/7.5cm) thick 'chunks' that can
be resawn later.
Reflecting on a currently healthy
demand for his services he explains it
par tly through increasing local
awareness about relatively small-scale
sawmilling. Most value now is from
cutting beams, especially for country
estates increasingly aware of the value
of their natural assets. He charges £280
(€311) + VAT for a day's sawing, sells
green oak for £22 (€25) + VAT per cubic
foot and can often mill a 30 cubic feet
tree in 15 minutes.
It is a huge saving for clients if they
actually own the tree and additionally,
they can offset the cos Ё