The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1893-10-18
a MODEL SAW-MlIL,
HUMAN HANDS SUPPLANTED by
STEAM, IRON AND STEEL.
"A Shining Band of Toothed Steel
Cuts Through the Log at tho
Rate OF 10000 Feet
Minute.

every afternoon attracts Cll visitors
within hearing distance by line zip
and buzz of the saw going through
log, The man who is there at that
hour may see log sliced into boards
and laths quicker than he had ever
dreamed vas possible, unless he has
rubbed saw.dust out of his eyes on the
Menominee River.
Visitors to the saw-mill ascend the
narrow stairs expecting to see a huge
circular saw crunching it's way through
n log. He does not know that the
days of circular saws are numbered,
md in this age that boards are cut bv
band saws, until he sees the shining
belt of toothed steel cutting through
the log at the rate of 10000 feet a
minute as the carriage moves forward.
As he follows the process he notices
that the wood is only handled by n
man from the timo thnt the log is
placed Mt the foot Of the haul-up until
the finished boards OF laths drop to
tho floor.
Steam, iron and steel have sup.
planted hands in the saw-mills of TO.
day. The log is brought up on an
endless chain from the ground, which
represents the pond level. As it comes
to the head of the haul-up it strikes a
bumper which, by means of n lever,
turns steam into the cylinder Of the
Upper, which automatically throws
the heavy chunk of wood to the
deck, an inclined platform down
which the log rolls against a steam
log stop Sawyer Finnegan has his
eye upon IT and rs it lands against the
stop he puts his foot upon small
treadle and the steam fairly hurls it to
the carriage. Finnegan then moves 4
lever aud up from below n huge bar of
steel with movable teeth on it springs
into view. IL Is the steam ''nigger"
which drives its faugs into the log anCf
turns II until il is properly placed for
the saw.
The setter. Norman Watson. is on
the carriage on the other side of the
log. His duty is TO manage the feed"
each time so as to get the proper
thickness of the board. Few persons
entertain even a lurking aspiration for
his position after they have seen him
lerked forward and back before the
band saw u dozen times.
Speed is everything in sawmill.
From start to finisb the consuming de.
sire Of every man in sawmil is 10
act nj the earlies, possible moment
The log IL scarcely set before the saw
yer, who stands beside the saw, pulls n
perpendicular lever. The setter on
the carriage seems to take firmcr
grip on his levers and rods. and.
zip, tho band saw is slicing of n
rah' Another movement of the lever
and the carriage, which has been NOV
ing forward at lightning speed. shoots
buck with a roar. Without the loss of
iifth of second il springs upon the
cav again, and while the "zip' is still
ringing in the ear the carriage returps
again. This thing is repeated until the
log is cut up
As the carriage stops visitors cazo
upon Watson, the setter, with GREAT
admiration and wonder how he main.
tains his place. The carriage is oper.
eted by steam feed M IL is called
\ cylinder thirty-two feet long and
nine inches In diameter lies OH the
hoor. From II projects piston rod
which is connected with the carriage.
Quick acting valves at each end of the
cylinder operated by lever in the
sawyer's hand admit steam at high
pressure through three inch OPEN
ing. In this way the carriage is moved
forward and backward and can be
stopped instantly at any point By a
slight movement of tho lever. The
carriage moves on truck wheels which
rest on steel rails. Asit returns to its
starting point it also moves sideways
away from the saw blade hye. eighths
Of on inch. This offset" gets rid Of
any danger from slivers striking the
blade. The carriage moves thirty feet
each time, or sixty feet round trip
IL the mill raE ten hours the carriage
would travel seventy miles, carrying
logs mp and down the track.
The band saw has twelye-inc
blade which would stretch out forty
eight feet if cut. II travels over two
eight-foot pulleys at the rate OF 10, 600
feet minute or 40 miles an hour.
just above the log stream of water
falls on each side of the blade for the
purpose of keeping the saw from be.
coming hot.
The first cut from the log makes