To learn more about portable sawmills I visited a former furniture carpenter, Christer Engström, who owns a Woodmizer LT70 hydraulic portable sawmill. He mainly travels around to forest owners to process their logs in their own yard.
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Most timber in Sweden is produced by large sawmills like the one described in this article. Portable sawmills is a theme where my knowledge is limited. For me, those do not really fit in the frame of forestry. Nevertheless, a portable sawmill could be a very good extension of your private forest management to make it more profitable. Sawn timber is better paid for than logs.
When I visited Christer, he was standing at home processing his own logs. One part of his business is to sell sawn timber. To make it more rational he is part owner in a drying kiln so that he can sell sawn timber ready-to-use.
Production with Christers Woodmizer
He produces 1 – 2 cubic meters of sawn timber per hour depending on the type of logs (species, dimensions, lengths) and whether he works alone or has someone helping him to remove and stack the sawn timber after processing it.
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Christer Engström and his Woodmizer.
Here are some more photos and a film from my visit at Christer´s.
The LT 70. You can theoretically process logs up to a diameter of 1 meter. However, according to Christer, 95 cm is more realistic.
The mill can handle 6,5 meters length but can be extended.
With a computer, you can set the dimensions. You can have four different programs with settings between which you can switch with just one keystroke.
The log is static and the band saw moves over it. The operator has to walk along the side to keep track of the controls.
The controls for the hydraulics.
The Woodmizer LT70.
Here is a link to the manufacturer’s home-page.
