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The Lumber Smith Portable Sawmills |
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Look What Our Customers Are Saying About Lumber Smith Portable Sawmills!From Robert (Clarksville, TN) Eddy, I just read my first Lumber Smith newsletter and wanted to send you an update about the saw I purchased. I have had the saw for about 3 weeks. The initial setup was pretty straight forward with the detailed instructions that were sent along with the saw. My first project was to cut up 3 cedar logs I acquired from a neighbor. It took a little practice, but I was able to rip the logs into some nice 1x6 and 1x4 boards. About the 3rd or 4th pass into the 3rd log, I started to get a vibration. I shut off the saw and realized the weld on the blade was letting go. On initial set-up, I used the blade tensioning tool as directed, so I felt like this may have been a premature failure of the blade. The teeth were still plenty sharp and I had been keeping the blade lubricated while cutting. I had a little difficulty setting the saw up the second time around when I changed blades. I had to do quite a bit of adjustment on the idle wheel to get the blade to track correctly. After reassembling the saw, my next problem was with the set screws on the drive pulley. They don't seem to want to stay tight. It seems to be a constant that after two or three passes I need to stop and check the screws. On initial set up, I ran the saw a little, then retightened the screws and they seemed to be ok for the rest of the first log. On the second log, I noticed a little movement on the drive pulley and re-adjusted and re-tightened the screws. After changing the blade the screws just don't seem to stay tight and the pulley keeps moving. I spent a great deal of time making sure the blade is tracking true but the pulley still wants to move. This, so far, is my only disappointment (the set screws). All in all, I am very pleased with the saw and am enjoying my sawyer hobby. My friends think it's neat that I'm able to use the logs for more than fire wood. I have a nice stack of cedar drying in the garage and look forward to building an outdoor potting bench for my wife. I will send pictures when the project is finished. I thought of a suggestion for the newsletter, The Sawyer Monthly. Thank you for a fine product. Comment from Eddy Whichard, Lumber Smith Sales Manager (9/20/09) From time to time we see the drive wheel migrating off the drive shaft. We recommend using LocTite to secure the wheel. LocTite is now shipped with every saw. From Lester (Leavenworth, IN) Hello Eddy, Yes the LocTite seems to have done the trick. I haven't had to put it back on since I applied it. I have never seen it used in that way before. I always used it just to lock bolts or nuts. I am impressed with the amount of work that little engine will do on a tank of gas. I haven't gone through 2 tanks of gas with it yet. I am thinking I will tackle that big cedar that you see lying on the ground just beyond the saw track. It is a good size, the butt log is pretty straight is about 18-20 inches at the stump cut even thought I had to cut it off about 4 ft up because it has a fence in it. That is all for now. Thanks for your help and support. Hello Eddy, I received the blades today. Thanks a lot. It was just in the nick of time, I was on my last blade. I have been sawing up the cedar; the track seems to be settled in now pretty well. I only had to re-level the track a little once in the last couple of days. The lumber stack continues to grow. I have had or been involved in a lot of projects in the past that I could have put this machine to good use on. I am going to put it in the garage for the winter after next week and head south until April. I will resume making siding then if the Lord is willing. Thanks again for your help and support. It has been a pleasure doing business with you. I will recommend your product if the occasion ever arises and I think they are capable of handling it. Les Robert (Hollytree, AL) Hi Eddy, Robert (Archer, FL) I started carving as a small hobby years ago. After I retired from the U.S.
Government where I worked at the V.A. Hospital as a Air Conditioning and
Refrigeration Mechanical Engineer, my hobby became full-time. I wanted a
Bill (Valley Cottage, NY) Hi Eddy, From Victor (Raeford, NC) Eddy, From Ed (St. Joseph, MO) Eddy, Here are the pics of our first cutting with the Lumber Smith mill. It wasn't too bad. We assembled it in our shop and just hauled 2 logs up there so we could work on them later (after dark). My brother Harvey is running the mill in these, I ran the camera. Sorry, but some of the pics are blurry. Each of those 2 logs weighed at least 300 lbs. It was all I could do to load them by myself. I wanted a test run and I gotter done.. lol. When we get the other set of double wheels we are going to rebuild the tracks for 2 - V's instead of one V and one L. We show some 1/2" plywood strips on the wood in a couple of pics. That is how we kept the stacks inline when we set one board atop another, for the last cuts. By putting the screws into the lower board we didn't get close to cutting them. With shims the plywood will 'squeeze' the 2 together. At least it worked real well with a sharp blade. We finally had to readjust the engine to get the blade to stay in place. (comment from Eddy – Ed mentioned our motor bracket here and suggested a second brace, we're thinking). All in all, the Lumber Smith will do all we'd hoped for. We are both very inventive and will add features as we become better acquainted with the work. I'm already thinking I'm going to install car trailer hitch cranks to replace the one's we bought for the height adjustment. We have a butt load of walnut to go but the weather being what it is this time of year, we doubt that we'll get too far until March. I'm NOT going to load anymore 300 lbs logs! Thanks, Ed From Mary (Dover, AR) My husband and son are really enjoying the sawmill thanks. He also wanted me to tell you this is the very best Christmas present he ever got!! I am sending you more pictures. I took a video but for some reason my camera has been taking choppy video. I am hoping to get my walls paneled with the nice cedar they are cutting. I hope these pictures come through ok. Thanks again, Mary From Jack (Missouri) Eddy, From Jim (Alabama) Eddy, From Steve (Minnesota) Eddy: These are photos of my wife's greenhouse in Big Lake, Minnesota made from beams cut by my Lumber Smith. Most of the lumber is cut from Red Pine, Minnesota's state tree (you can see Red Pine in the background). The support beams are 7" X 7" and the center joist supports are 7" X 5". Red Pine cuts very nicely, especially when it's still wet. The Lumber Smith made quick work of the pines, which range from 60 to 80 feet tall and are about 50 years old. The trees were dragged to my Lumber Smith by a small Ford tractor. As a result, I had to shave the bark off the trees with a draw knife on the end of each log that had contact with the ground because of sand and small rocks, which became embedded while being dragged along the ground. Steve Big Lake, Minnesota From Rich & Josh (
Connecticut) Eddy, My photos: My first log (oak), satisfaction after finishing first 12"X12"X6', some tamarack logs to be made into 1"X12". Did you ever see the Watlon's on TV back in the 1980s? The father had as old truck and ran a sawmill. I couldn't believe how well the mill cuts. It uses no gas. The original blade is still going great! I'm still admiring my work! Comment from Eddy (Lumber Smith Sales Manager) - I'm ready to forget about the mill and take a ride in the Ford!!! From Steve (Oshkosh, WI) Hi Eddy Got your news letter . Recently I have made some bird houses with wood cut on my saw. I put a hand hewn finish on most of my work even the bird houses . Steve From Larry (Raymond, WA) Thanks for the prompt response, Eddy. I've been doing a lot of sawing since I purchased a Lumber Smith, now on my sixth and last blade, and only on the third gallon of gas. Two blade breaks and a set of burned- out backside bearings were probably due to inexperienced friends pushing too hard. I don't offer the saw to friends anymore. Four of the blades were the defective XXX brand, which cut unevenly with lots of vibration, and broke fairly quickly. The two Starrett replacement blades you sent have done better. I have learned to sharpen more often with the Dremel, and check adjustments frequently. Thanks for building a great tool. Appreciatively, Larry From Ron (Tobin Lake, Saskatchewan Canada) Eddy I had been looking for a small portable sawmill for quite some time, when I read the Farm Show magazine I found what I was looking for. When I received the saw I was amazed how small it was. After setting it up (I put LockTite on the set screws) and some fine tuning, I cut into a 16 in. diameter log and was very satisfied how it performed. I am presently cutting some 5 by 6 and 3 by 4 in. lumber for my railing on my deck. Some neighbors came over and were very surprised to see such a small sawmill cut so straight. Now they want some different size lumber cut. I can also cut large logs in half for benches. The track was easy and inexpensive to build and portable to take into forest. Ron From Lester (Leavenworth, IN) Hello Jerry: Thank you for your inquiry about the Lumber Smith Band Sawmill. My experience with the Lumber Smith has been very satisfying. I am presently sawing ½” x 6” lumber for siding and it has been a little jewel. The versatility of it compared to other smaller machines is far superior in that you are not constrained by the fixed length of a prebuilt track. It is easy to adjust for length and you build your track for the longest cut you expect to make plus about 4 feet. I built mine with a 20 foot track so I can expect to be able to cut approximately 16 foot lumber with it. The only experience I have had with other band saw mills was a large Wood Miser and although it had a lot of bells and whistles as well as size/price, the end product is no different. If you will be sawing logs that are approximately 22”-23” or smaller, it would be very difficult to find a machine that would do a better job. You can load it by hand if you do not have a lifting device which gives it a good advantage over larger machines. The design of the Lumber Smith is such that it is stable when fed at the proper speed through the work piece. Any saw will be unstable and subject to blade wobble if you push it through too fast. You determine the speed with the force you apply to it. The saw dust is purged down through the track if built to specifications and instructions, which will be provided if you purchase one of the saws. Like any machine, it must be cleaned periodically for best performance. I find that a quick brushing with a corn broom a couple of times during the day to remove debris is adequate. The Lumber Smith is designed to be very portable, make professional grade lumber in the woods and bring back only the lumber, not the mess. The only weakness is with the operator if he/she gets careless with it and lets the track get loose at some point which will give you malformed lumber. The track has to be kept straight and level at all times in order for the product to be straight and consistent. I hope this helps you and gives you additional insight into the Lumber Smith. One larger plus for the Lumber Smith that I considered was the fact that it is made in the USA but is very competitive with foreign saws. Please do not hesitate to contact me again for any further information you can think of that you would like to have about the Lumber Smith Sawmill. Sincerely Les From Rich (Shelton, CT) Hi Jerry, In regards to your questions about the Lumber Smith saw mill, I purchased mine last January. The main reason I bought this particular unit is that I can transport it myself in my pickup truck (I am 70 years old). I have used it the first couple of months I had it cutting both soft and hard wood and find that it cuts both real well. I have a lot of experience using Alaskan Chainsaw mills and this cuts much quicker, smoother, and it uses no gas at all compared to the Alaskan Chainsaw mill, plus it's very quite. I am not too familiar with other brands of band saw mills, so I can't make any fair comparisons. I am in the process of gathering logs so I can mill them over the winter. Your question about the sawdust getting in the track is not a problem because there is a space for the sawdust to fall through on the track that is in the direction that the teeth throw the sawdust. The strengths of the sawmill are: it's light weight, easy to transport, inexpensive, almost no cost to operate. Rich From Joel (Purcellville, VA) I have owned one for coming up on two years. Best investment I've made in years. I too considered other saws, before purchasing the Lumber Smith. My reasoning then, was portability and ease of tranport and setup. I knew I would be doing most of the work myself, with no help, so I needed something that wouldn't expend all my energy with transport and setup. Once the Lumber Smith is assembled, it will easily fit into an SUV or pickup, loadable with no assistance, and there is no setup. I attended the RICHMOND FORESTRY SHOW a couple weeks ago, and realized I had made the right decision, as it is by far the most portable Sawmill on the market. Every other sawmill I've seen has required a heavy-duty frame setup, before use. I refer to the LUMBERSMITH as the only sawmill on the market with "True Portability." The Lumber Smith also cuts like butter. I have cut 16' long RED OAK at less than 1/4", straight as an arrow. The 93.5" Bandsaw type blade is the similar (or exactly the same) blade used on other smaller sawmills on the market, in fact, a rep from another company recently contacted me to see if I had use for any of their blades. As far as surface requirements, I have concrete platforms that, for me, seems to be the easiest way to maintain straight cuts and efficiently go through logs gathered as inventory. I pull them out of the woods with my truck to the platform. I have built my own ramps, and have used them several times for areas the pickup will not reach. Some people prefer the ramps, or the ramps may be necessary without a level surface. The ramps are constructed with spacers providing an area where the sawdust falls easily under the ramps leaving no obstruction for the wheels of the LUMBERSMITH. There are two ways to acquire ramps, one is too buy the materials yourself, and with guidance and plans from an informative company website, www.lumbersmith.com, are rather simple too construct. Let me just add, ALWAYS follow the detailed and simple instructions offered by LUMBERSMITH and it will always be smooth sailing. Finally, the LUMBERSMITH Sawmill the most affordable. For just over $2000, it comes complete with a lift system that is accurate to an exact measurement, and a drip-kit for longer blade life. I have been very happy with my saw, the friendly and responsive customer service offered, and the cool little community and newsletter, I now feel a part of. Good Luck! From Robert (Hollytree, AL) I tried Alaskan chainsaw mill first and was not happy with the results. I still have it but will not use it unless it is a good log deep in the woods. It waste too much lumber, is slow and uses a lot of fuel. I am very pleased with my Lumber Smith. It is light enough to move around easily and make very smooth cuts. As far as the dust goes, if you build the rails as they show you, most of it will fall out during the cut. It will not affect your cut but you may have to sweep some off occasionally between cuts. If I can help you in any way please let me know. Thanks, Robert From Eric (Wellston, OH) Hi Eddy. I have been working with the mill for a few weeks now & am just becoming comfortable with it. As I had mentioned, the woods I'd be cutting are EXTREMELY hard, such as exotic hardwoods & native hardwoods such as desert ironwood & mesquite. While up north in Ohio, I used the mill to slab some bench seats out of a burly sumac & a giant old redbud. I also used it to slab up a big white oak burl. Though I never had any issues besides blade wear, once I arrived here to NM it was a different story. I begun milling some old log sections & burls that I had been saving for years, to include maple burl, curly red oak, mulberry, etc. Cutting through the mulberry proved to be a challenge but the desert ironwood is where we met doom. I continued to cut two more ironwood logs, a mesquite stump, & three mulberry logs. I have three more mulberry logs left to cut before I am through with all of my old stock. After all of this timber, I have concluded that this little saw is a wonderful tool. It has handled some tasks, though struggling, that I expected to stump the little mill. Eric |
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Bandsaw sawmills are inherently dangerous, and must be handled accordingly. No amount of caution is unfounded. As a condition of sale, Woodwrights LLC accepts no liability for injury to persons or property beyond the purchase price of the saw. Portable Sawmill returns are accepted within 30 days of sale, no questions asked (see our home page for details or call 804-577-7398 to clarify any question about our warranty or return policy). |