ISSUE 97 SPRING/SUMMER 2016 US $3.00
The leading magazine for the portable sawmill industry
BUSINESS BEST
CONTEST! Call for Entries
Reclaim & Salvage
PLUS: MAKING A DIFFERENCE
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FROM THE CEO Dear Fellow Sawyers,
Richard Vivers, CEO Wood-Mizer LLC
Welcome to the 97th edition of The Wood-Mizer Way Magazine. This year marks an exciting time for the Wood-Mizer family and I hope you will enjoy all we have to share. Within this issue you will find information announcing our new sawmill manufacturing facility, highlights from our inaugural “Personal Best” Contest in Europe, groundbreaking new products, and as always - success stories from sawyers all over the world who are either making a living or making a difference with their Wood-Mizer sawmills.
Throughout the following pages, you will hear from forward-thinking businesses who are reclaiming, salvaging, and rescuing wood from the waste stream. The group in Maine, the young team in British Columbia, and the artisan in Florida, are only a few Wood-Mizer sawmill owners around the world who are achieving success in the marketplace. Their collective ability to identify profitable means for making the most of these underutilized wood products is admirable on every level and I commend their environmental responsibility and their resourcefulness. I’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to enter this year’s Business Best Contest, which has always been a personal favorite of mine. Whether you are effectively running an industrial sawmilling operation or a small custom cutting business, I look forward to hearing all of your successes and reviewing the winning operations alongside the Wood-Mizer team. In addition to making a living with a Wood-Mizer sawmill, there are also a large number of individuals throughout the world who are making a difference in the lives of others. From the missionary in Zambia reducing poverty to the gentleman in Ohio returning troubled men to the workforce - there are an increasing number of people making a difference in the world with their Wood-Mizer mills every day. Wood-Mizer also continues our dedication to serving others as demonstrated by our recent missions trip to Costa Rica for employees and their families. My hope is that you will enjoy these inspiring accounts as much as I have. Wood-Mizer is committed to continuously improving and expanding our product offerings, and we are pleased to introduce our new line of log splitting equipment along with a revolutionary dust-removal Vortex blade for sawmills. These new products are just a few examples of how Wood-Mizer will continue improving our equipment and our services to satisfy your sawing and lumber needs from forest to final form. I would like to take a moment to formally announce the opening of our new sawmill manufacturing facility located in Batesville, Indiana. This new 79,000-squarefoot facility provides many state of the art features that increase our production efficiency as well as provide the best quality working environment for our employees. When our first sawmill was manufactured in 1982, it was designed to provide a safe and efficient method for one person to process lumber from a round log. Today, tens of thousands of our mills are in operation throughout the world, but our commitment to quality and dedication to serving you has remained the same. Throughout the past 34 years, we have continued to build sawmills one at a time for each and every one of you that has a dream to build a project or your own business and I am truly blessed to serve our ever growing Wood-Mizer family that is making a difference in so many ways.
God Bless, On the building site last summer with Wood-Mizer COO, Darryl Floyd (right).
EDITOR
Deanna Bunten
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Chase Warner 317.808.0818 – cwarner@woodmizer.com
ART DIRECTOR Janine Axsom
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jennifer Alger Paul Dykshoorn Paul MacDonald Jacob Mooney
Etienne Nagel Jack Petree Simon Petree Chase Warner
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Elizabeth Caudle Angela Morse
CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Cara Marcy
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Wood-Mizer welcomes your tips, stories, and comments. Please understand, due to the high volume of mail received, we may not be able to respond personally to each letter. Submissions become the property of Wood-Mizer and may be edited for publication.
REPRINTS AND PERMISSIONS
To order reprints of the magazine or request permission to republish an article, call 317.271.1542 or email editor@woodmizer.com.
CONTACT US
8180 W. 10th Street • Indianapolis, IN 46214 www.woodmizer.com 317.271.1542 • 800.553.0182
SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES
Chase Warner – cwarner@woodmizer.com
ON THE COVER: The Vancouver Urban Timberworks team salvages locally sourced wood with their WM1000 sawmill. Read more on page 10.
Richard Wood-Mizer supports environmentally-friendly business practices and sustainable forestry initiatives in the forest and in its printed communications.
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The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2016
CONTENTS
Departments 4-5 Wood-Mizer Newsbriefs 16 Blade Corner 25 Meet the Rep 24 Customer Service Corner
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29 Board Foot Clubs 30 Upcoming Events 31 Wood-Mizer Locations
Reclaim & Salvage
Making a Difference
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By discovering a profitable method to reclaim antique heart pine from historic buildings, Marc Poirier of Longleaf Lumber is providing wood with a résumé throughout the world.
Developed by missionary philanthropist, John Enright, a co-op style honey initiative is taking off in Zambia and improving lives for the 10,000 individuals already involved.
Wood with a Résumé
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Bee Sweet Honey
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Sawmill Program Helps Men Return to Work
Ray Hall of Hartville Lumber and Millwork Co. is helping hundreds of men get back into the workforce with his sawmill program - Men’s Challenge.
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Salvaging Vancouver Urban Timber
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Vancouver Urban Timberworks utilizes their WM1000 sawmill to produce liveedge slabs and custom wood furniture from locally salvaged wood.
Java City Camphor Lives On
After the beloved Java City Camphor tree was removed for safety reasons, Far West Forest Products helped preserve the historic Sacramento, California tree.
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Resurrecting the Past, One Tree at a Time
Sawyer and artisan Robert Hughes rescued wood from the world’s fifth oldest tree - The Senator.
Mission Minute - Costa Rica Hear first-hand accounts from the Wood-Mizer mission team’s recent travels to Costa Rica.
2016 Business Best Contest Call for Entries!
Win your share of $12,250 in prize credits, enter your commercial sawing or 2016 business custom cutting business today! AWARD
BEST
2016
business BEST
CONTEST
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NEWSBRIEFS NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN BATESVILLE, INDIANA
In 1982, the first Wood-Mizer portable band sawmill rolled out of a small shop in rural Indiana. Today, Wood-Mizer is pleased to announce the opening of our new manufacturing facility in Batesville, Indiana. This new, expanded facility was built to improve workflow processes, install faster fabrication equipment, reduce lead times, and create excellent working conditions for all of our production employees – all with you in mind. You will receive even higher quality, more durability, and better availability on Wood-Mizer parts and equipment than ever before.
NEW VORTEX DUST-REMOVAL BLADE Introducing the new Wood-Mizer dustremoval blade! Resulting from a dream by Wood-Mizer Blades Specialist Chris Vogel, the Vortex blade’s revolutionary design clears the dust from your cut unlike any other blade on the market. Patent Chris Vogel pending and trademarked for its groundbreaking design and results, the Vortex blade’s ability to leave only a trace amount of sawdust will forever change your expectations of what’s acceptable from a dust-removal blade. See the difference yourself and try the WoodMizer SilverTip Blade with Vortex dustremoval technology available in 1 ¼" x .042" in 10 degree. Call 800.522.5760 to order!
NEW! WOOD-MIZER FS500 LOG SPLITTER Wood-Mizer is excited to announce the addition of log splitters to our diverse line of wood processing equipment. Although we plan to offer a variety of models, we expect the portable mid-size FS500 Log Splitter to be our most popular. Ideal for bundle wood or firewood businesses, the FS500 features 29 tons (42 tons optional) of force, splits wood in both directions, and produces up to four cords of firewood an hour. SEE BACK COVER for more information.
OUR SUPERIOR SUPPLIERS We recognize that our suppliers provide us with the products and support which enable Wood-Mizer to be the world’s leading sawmill manufacturer. Because of this important role, Wood-Mizer’s Purchasing Team honored our top suppliers at the CREST Awards. To establish the winners, each of the suppliers were evaluated on customer service, overall quality, delivery, cost management, and value-added support. The Wood-Mizer CREST Award stands for Corporate Recognition Exemplifying Supplier Tenacity. Congratulations to the following CREST Award Winners: Billman Trucking Key Electronics Dexter Axle Peer Bearing
CREST Award Winners (L to R): Tanum Arnet, Jerome Billman, Billman Trucking; Jake Borens, Dexter Axle; Chris Browning, Tom Hardy, Key Electronics; Tyler Thornton, Bob Cooper, Jonathon Dishaw, Peer Bearing.
WOOD-MIZER LEARNING CENTER Introducing the Wood-Mizer Learning Center! Learn about topics from Starting a Sawmill Business and Understanding Blades to Sawing Tips and Marketing Your Business all in one convenient location. Visit www.woodmizer.com/ learn (www.woodmizer.ca/learn) for more information.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Join more than 400,000 fans following Wood-Mizer on Social Media to stay in the loop on upcoming shows, amazing projects, and inspiring stories from owners just like you! Follow Wood-Mizer and join the conversation on any of these Social Media Networks:
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The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2016
NEWSBRIEFS WOOD-MIZER EUROPE - MY PROJECT CONTEST Inspired by Wood-Mizer’s long-running “Personal Best Contest” in North America, Wood-Mizer Europe launched the “My Project Contest” as part of their 25th anniversary celebration in 2015. In total, forty projects were submitted from 11 different European countries. Here are some highlights from the inaugural contest: FURNITURE CATEGORY WINNERS 1ST PLACE
2ND PLACE
3RD PLACE
Silvano Caveglia, Italy Interior cabinetry & stairs, made from wood cut on his LT15 sawmill.
Sven Brackmann, Germany Outdoor reclining chair made from timber cut on his LT20 sawmill.
Michal Kanuk, Slovakia Bed and bedstands made from timber cut on his LT40 sawmill.
1ST PLACE
2ND PLACE
3RD PLACE
La Solane, France Treehouse made from wood cut on their LT40 sawmill.
Zygmunt Koss, Poland Wooden house renovation with timber cut on his LT20 sawmill.
Floris Verbon, Netherlands Timber frame building made from timber cut on his LT15 sawmill.
1ST PLACE
2ND PLACE
3RD PLACE
Sven Brackmann, Germany Pirate playground made from wood cut on his LT20 sawmill.
Thomas Meder, Germany Deck & bridge made with timber cut on his LT10 sawmill.
Jeremy Harper, UK Timber frame arbour made from timber cut on his LT40.
BUILDINGS CATEGORY WINNERS
OTHER PROJECT CATEGORY WINNERS
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Reclaim & Salvage
Wood with a Resume By Chase Warner • Photography by Samara Vise and Mark Ostow
When the longleaf pine was nearly logged into extinction after the Civil War, the finest heart pine lumber produced from the tree was transported north to construct homes, factories, and warehouses during the Industrial Revolution. Due to the species’ strength and stability, most of the original 19th century buildings still exist today but, unfortunately, many of the structures are being demolished and much of the heart pine they were built with is discarded. By discovering a sustainable and profitable method to reclaim heart pine and other antique wood from historic buildings, Marc Poirier of the New England-based Longleaf Lumber is providing wood with a résumé throughout the world. Starting out as a carpenter and general contractor for high-end renovations in the 1980s, Marc salvaged wood from demolition jobs in order to match clear quartersawn heart pine floors throughout historic homes in Boston. At the time, he was painstakingly re-installing reclaimed planks because he was unable to purchase or produce the antique lumber that a lot 6
The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2016
of renovations required. “It was way too much work,” said Marc. “I knew I wasn’t the only one with this problem, there had to be a way to manufacture fresh-milled heart pine flooring.” In 1997, Marc decided to create his own reclaimed wood flooring business and established Longleaf Lumber in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In the beginning, Marc learned all he could about flooring mill production while his wife, Alice, handled everything else the startup needed. “I still remember our home-made kiln and pushing piece after piece of reclaimed heart pine decking through a little tabletop planer,” said Marc. “We started on a budget.” When the business started, Marc realized Longleaf could improve their overall efficiency and production and purchased a Wood-Mizer LT40 Hydraulic sawmill. “The saws had a great reputation for quality and durability,” said Marc. “Another important part of the decision was that [Wood-Mizer] parts and service were readily available. That’s big.” A few years later, Longleaf expanded and moved their millwork
“I still work in the mill every week … Not because I have to – our guys in [Berwick] Maine are so excellent at their jobs – but because I like it and it keeps me in touch with the production and quality of material that’s coming off our lines.”
operations to a larger space in Berwick, Maine and purchased a second sawmill to keep up with demand for their products. Longleaf has continued to grow significantly throughout the past two decades, beginning with a handful of employees and now employing twenty full-timers. Today, the company offers flooring, paneling, beams, tabletops, and custom millwork from a variety of species including reclaimed heart pine, American chestnut, oaks, white pine, hickory, maple, walnut, and others. On a day-to-day basis, Longleaf runs their successful salvage, millwork, and retail operation from their two locations in Berwick and Cambridge but the entire process begins with Marc and the task of discovering high-quality salvaged wood from demolitions. “Finding wood is one of the most important parts of the job, as reclaimed wood varies tremendously in quality,” said Marc. “If there is too much paint or oil, too many nails, or the wood is too rotten, shakey, or twisted, you can take a big loss
with your waste factor.” To ensure quality, Marc scouts buildings before demolition and is often on-site during dismantling to see that the reclaimed lumber is not broken or damaged during loading. “I enjoy the history of the buildings I visit and survey for lumber,” said Marc. “I get the chance to see incredible beams in old barns, heart pine-framed massive mill complexes, and learn the history of the buildings in the area.” In order to continuously supply the business with raw materials, at least one demolition project is always in progress. From demolition to finished product, Marc is actively involved in every aspect of the Longleaf operation. “I still work in the mill every week,” said Marc. “Not because I have to – our guys in [Berwick] Maine are so excellent at their jobs – but because I like it and it keeps me in touch with the production and quality of material that’s coming off our lines.” After the reclaimed wood reaches Berwick, Longleaf de-nails each piece by hand, which Marc points out is the most time-consuming stage of reclaiming lumber. When all nails and metal are removed, the reclaimed material
is milled on their two Wood-Mizer LT40 Hydraulic sawmills that run at least 10 hours each day. “The hydraulic turning capabilities allow us to saw around defects and optimize cants,” said Marc. “This is big when cutting quartersawn and other specialty products.” The milled wood is then kiln-dried on site and either sold as roughsawn
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“Knowing that we’re able to keep waste materials out of the landfill and satisfy customers with [reclaimed] products is the most rewarding part of creating Longleaf.”
lumber or crafted into tongue-and-groove flooring, paneling, mantels, countertops, bartops, tabletops, shelving, or moulding. Many of the products such as tabletops, stair treads, and assembled millwork are made completely by hand to ensure each piece’s quality and grade meets Longleaf standards. “Our most popular product is our #1 clear quartersawn heart pine flooring,” said Marc. “We’re one of the only places in the world where you can get a true clear quartersawn – I mean no knots, custom lengths and custom widths.” Longleaf specializes in reclaimed heart pine flooring, expertly milled in seven different grades, including #1 and #2 flatsawn, #1 and #2 quartersawn, #3 rustic, skip-planed, and naily buckshot. For every reclaimed piece, Longleaf dedicates a minimum of three graders to inspect each board - and the quality shows. “We have a lot of dedicated employees that really look out for defects in the material – at the de-nailing station, on the Wood-Mizer, at the ripsaw and planer, and after it has been molded,” said Marc. “We work really hard to make sure every single board is the quality that the customer expects.” In Cambridge, sales take precedence. Working closely with homeowners, 8
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contractors, designers, architects, restaurants, and commercial businesses, Longleaf provides tailored services to each and every customer based on their specific needs. “It’s a very personal experience for customers, as we help them pick out boards for small projects, do custom cuts, and more,” said Marc. “We ship zero waste material in our milled products, so that wins us a lot of repeat commercial and residential customers.” Word-of-mouth referrals are a large part of Longleaf ’s ability to expand their customer base without spending a great deal on marketing and advertising. “Nothing beats a solid, personal reference from a satisfied customer,” said Marc. “That’s not something you can’t win with a good marketing program, it can only come from making your customers happy and treating them with respect.” As far as advice, Marc says, “Hire good people, work as hard as you can, and ship the highest quality product possible.” In addition to their entire business model being built around the environmental advantages of using a recycled product, Longleaf also implements sustainability in their daily operations, using tactics such as biodegradable soap to wash trucks, biking to work, and going paperless with their
product brochures. “I would love to see us get to a point where we consume zero fossil fuels,” said Marc. “We’re installing solar panels on our new building, but it won’t cover all our electricity consumption.” For the future, Marc plans to install more renewable energy generated on-site and find a way to lessen their reliance on diesel fuel for their trucks. “There’s a better way,” said Marc. “The economics just have to work for us.” Longleaf continues to grow by providing salvaged and reclaimed wood from the Eastern United States to people all over the world. “Twenty years ago, half of demolition lumber went straight to the landfill and the high-end lumber demand was being filled by exotics and fresh-felled trees,” said Marc. “Knowing that we’re able to keep waste materials out of the landfill and satisfy customers with [reclaimed] products is the most rewarding part of creating Longleaf.” By identifying a need and working tirelessly to maintain quality throughout all aspects of the business, Longleaf Lumber is poised for continued success in the reclaimed wood industry. For more information, visit www.longleaflumber.com.
2015 Personal Best First Place—Homes LT40 Hydraulic owner Nathan Shewchuk
DISCOVER HOW DOING MORE WITH YOUR WOOD-MIZER SAWMILL CAN TURN YOUR DREAMS INTO REALITY. Countless Wood-Mizer sawmill owners have built their dream projects with help from secondary processing equipment including edgers, resaws, kilns, and specialized attachments for their mill. Open the door to more possibilities and projects with the ability to create beams, columns, posts, stair railings, shingles, siding, and more with Wood-Mizer Secondary Processing equipment. DO MORE with your mill and Start Building your Dream Project.
800.553.0182
| woodmizer.com
Canada: 877.866.0667 | woodmizer.ca woodmizer.com
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Reclaim & Salvage
SALVAGING VANCOUVER URBAN TIMBER By Paul MacDonald
Vancouver Urban Timberworks all began when the now 27-year-old owners, Eric Savics and Danny Hagge, first started hanging out skateboarding in their teenage years. Danny explains that even back then, the woodworking bug had bit while in school. “When I was in grade eight, I would be trading in all my breaks for woodworking classes,” says Danny. “It was all supposed to be a hobby—it was never my intention to have a sawmilling business.” After high school, Danny practiced carpentry 10
The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2016
for four years and bought an Alaskan Chainsaw Mill which led to the startup of Vancouver Urban Timberworks in 2009. “Danny pointed to a construction site where hardwood trees were being taken down and told me that this was happening every day all around Vancouver—that really got my interest,” says Eric. “The next thing I know, the driveway
of the house is stacked with slabs and lumber from urban wood. With the Alaskan Chainsaw, we were cutting wood non-stop, filling up the yard of the house—it looked like a lumber yard in our North Vancouver neighborhood.” They decided to do a feasibility study, contacting local arborists to get the big picture story on what was being done with urban timber. “We got some really interesting information,” said Eric. “We went to the forestry department at the University of British Columbia and
got some information about what was coming down in terms of urban timber. Then we went to retailers and looked at what they were getting per board foot. At each step along the way, we were getting more excited about the potential to move forward.” And move forward they did by setting up a small shop in an industrial area of North Vancouver. “When we were operating the mill from the house, we were getting sales from Craigslist. We had inquiries from furniture manufacturers that wanted high quality, large slab, large diameter soft and hardwoods. We were selling wet slabs—and that prompted the move to the shop, too, because we needed a dry place to store the wood.” They quickly had their new 2,000 square foot shop full of dry timber from their first big kiln load. “When we had a fully stocked
shop of dry materials, that’s when the furniture inquiries really started coming in,” explained Eric. “A lot of customers were coming in and asking if we could build what they were looking for, like a big live edge board table. Danny and I looked at each other, and we said, well, let’s just do any project that comes in the door—let’s just try it. We weren’t hesitant—we jumped on it.” So in addition to offering hardwood and softwood cut from urban timber, Vancouver Urban Timberworks also offers customers help with the design and build side, and have since done a broad range of furniture designs for customers.
Vancouver Urban Timberworks is working on setting up its own kiln operation, but the really big news for the company is the new sawmill it has set up at its satellite facility in Squamish, 40 miles north of Vancouver. The Alaskan Chainsaw Mill had served them well, but it was clearly time to ramp things up, so they installed a Wood-Mizer WM1000 sawmill—the first to operate in Canada. The WM1000 headrig is designed to break down large hardwood and softwood logs with a capacity center cut of up to 67" and uses 2" to 3" thin-kerf narrow bandsaw blades which provide more material recovery. Durable and easy to use, the band sawmill features a saw head with a massive throat opening that moves along a twin-rail frame. The oversized blade wheels on the WM1000 reduce stress on the blade and the long woodmizer.com
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blade length gives longer cutting time between sharpenings. With the WM1000, logs can be sawed into half, quarters, or cut into manageable cants for resawing and the operator safely controls all cutting functions while standing on a platform that moves with the head. The WM1000 was a good fit for the move forward Vancouver Urban Timberworks wanted to achieve as a business. “We really needed to move on in terms of equipment—with the Alaskan Chainsaw Mill, we were running every single slab by hand,” says Danny. “We knew that to run an efficient business running wide material, we needed a proper sawmill. And we did not want to just buy something a bit better—we wanted to buy the best. When we saw the WM1000, we knew it was the saw for us.” Wood-Mizer’s long history, and its record of supporting customers, were also convincing factors in their choice— as were the capabilities of the WM1000. “Before the WM1000, it seems that a lot of companies were refurbishing really old saws and old carriage mills, with some interesting equipment fabrications being done,” says Danny.
from log to lumber,” Eric says. “When we first started out, we would pick up anything the tree service people would offer us. But now we understand urban wood better.” For example, twists or a crotch in a tree can be a sure sign of trouble. “Half of it might turn out to be firewood or a slight crotch could result in rot through the whole center of a log. We now know more about what to avoid.” The
shop and showroom in the Vancouver area, to complement the Squamish production facility. They’d also like to expand the online sales component of the business. “We always thought that people would want to physically see the material they are buying, but that is not necessarily so,” says Eric. “That could definitely open up a new revenue avenue for us.” Their six years in business have not been without challenges, but their slow and steady approach has paid off. “We have had hiccups,” says Eric. “But I think the reason the setbacks haven’t
“We knew that to run an efficient business running wide material, we needed a proper sawmill. And we did not want to just buy something a bit better—we wanted to buy the best. When we saw the WM1000, we knew it was the saw for us.”
“So when the WM1000 came out, everyone in the slab industry was really excited—it is an affordable, quality, great production mill for a medium volume business.” The two partners report that the WM1000 has worked out very well and from the research they’ve done, they don’t expect the WM1000 to require much in the way of maintenance. “From what we’ve heard from other people running the equipment, such as Goby Walnut in Portland, Oregon, the saw is almost maintenance-free.” Most of the time, the maintenance is focused on the bandsaw blades, which is so important, says Danny. “If you maintain a sharp blade with a proper set, you’re going to cut straight.” In the past, they’ve often used their CNC equipment in North Vancouver to level material. “But with the cutting we’re doing now, the wood looks like it has come out of a planer,” says Eric. “It’s all about a sharp blade and the set—it’s quite the art,” he added, noting they have set up their own blade sharpening and setting equipment including a Wood-Mizer BMS250 blade sharpener. “We’re still learning every day on the best way to deal with our product, 12
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whole area of drying such large slabs of wood has been an interesting challenge. “We’re not talking about drying 2 x 4s or large timbers and beams—the science of drying that type of wood has been figured out pretty well,” says Danny. Sometimes there might be some imperfections in the wood, but that is often welcomed by the woodworkers who are buying it, as they are producing artisan products, such as custom furniture. As far as they’re concerned, twists and cracks add character to the wood. With the new sawmilling equipment in place and working well, Eric and Danny are starting to think about the next step for the business, which would likely be setting up a larger woodworking
buried us is that we are quite deliberate and analytical in the moves we make. Everything we do has been backed by a ton of research, due diligence and a lot of conversations between us.” And there have been a lot of conversations with people in the industry, who Eric and Danny both note have been very generous with their time. The support they have received, along with their efforts, will pay off, they believe. “All of our patience and hard work together is going to build this sawmill to be a pretty well-known custom sawmill in the Lower Mainland and British Columbia,” says Danny. This article was edited in length and published with permission from Logging and Sawmill Journal.
Reclaim & Salvage
Java City Camphor Lives On
In 1886, 9-year-old George H.P. Lichthardt planted a camphor tree on the corner of what is now 18th and Capitol Avenue in Midtown Sacramento, California. As the camphor grew throughout the years, it got to see the city streets change from dirt to pavement and the vehicles change from horse drawn to motorized. It also saw the corner turn into a bustling street with many stores and pharmacy businesses coming and going. While it was a pharmacy, legend states that escapees from Folsom State Prison attempted a robbery and stray bullet ended up in the wall of the building. The camphor even had a street-side view of the grand opening of the original Java City Coffee House in 1985 and has since been known as the “Java City Camphor”. The Java City Coffee House became a hub for artists, authors, and poets to discuss literature, politics, and current events. The discussions frequently ended up outside under the massive canopy of the ancient camphor. ”That was the hip epicenter of city in the late 80s,” said local historian William Burg. “Many 24 hour poetry marathons and discussions of music and writing would take place there.” Over the years the tree began to succumb to verticillium wilt and sadly had to be scheduled for removal to ensure the safety of the buildings and people in the surrounding area. There was such
By Jennifer Alger, Far West Forest Products
an outcry from locals who had loved the camphor tree through the years, the officials decided to delay the removal to allow for a proper farewell celebration of the landmark tree. A yellow ribbon encircled the base of the tree at the final farewell as city residents gathered to say one last good bye. Many said goodbye in silence, while others with tears flowing told stories, read poems, and shared various memories they had enjoyed under the Java City Camphor in its more than 120 years of life. At the time of its removal it held the title for the oldest Camphor Tree in Sacramento. Woody Biggs from Woody’s Urban Forestry Products brought a log to us at Far West that was about 13 feet in length and nearly 6 foot in diameter that he was able to salvage from the mighty camphor tree. Woody has a mill that will cut average diameter logs, but knew he would be wasting a piece of history if he were to cut this beautiful treasure down to fit onto his sawmill. He decided it would be best to bring it in to us to mill on our Wood-Mizer WM1000 headrig and preserve the Java City Camphor so that the slabs could be enjoyed for years to come as dining and conference tables. If you are interested in seeing pieces created to capture this tree's history, check out Far West Forest Product's camphor offerings at www.farwestforest.com. The Wood-Mizer WM1000 is designed to saw very large logs including hardwood, softwood, and tropical species. The WM1000 breaks down large logs with a capacity center cut of 67" and uses thin-kerf narrow band blades that measure 2" to 3" wide. Call or go online for more information.
800.553.0182 I woodmizer.com Canada: 877.866.0667 I woodmizer.ca
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Reclaim & Salvage
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RESURRECTING the past, ONE By Jack Petree and Chase Warner
Editor’s Note: Robert Hughes’ award-winning project in the 2015 Personal Best Contest impressed us so much that we followed up with his once in a lifetime project – rescuing wood from the world’s fifth oldest tree – The Senator.
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TREE AT A TIME
Rescuing historically significant wood and seeing unwanted “waste” wood turned into true works of art are both passions of Florida sawyer and artisan Robert “Bob” Hughes. According to Bob, his Wood-Mizer LT40 Hydraulic sawmill plays an integral role to satisfy his endless drive to resurrect the past, one tree at a time. After working at Florida Power & Light for 27 years, Bob retired and decided to fully pursue his woodworking passion. Bob bought his first portable sawmill in 1997 and started his own sawmill business and woodworking shop, The Ole General Store, in Geneva, Florida along with his son Tim. The family-owned “wood-rescue” business specializes in reclaimed wood and custom milling of rescued Florida hardwoods, but the business has grown over the years to also offer lumber sales, kiln drying, slab wood cutting, river-recovered wood, exotic lumber and more. In recent times, Bob has raced the trash truck to recover hurricane destroyed Cuban Mahogany, rescue African Mahogany from the burn pile, uncover long sunken river logs, and more. However, Bob’s rescue of a lifetime has been the recovery of heritage wood after the destruction of one of the world’s oldest and largest living trees.
When “The Senator Tree” began its life near what is now Longwood, Florida about 3,500 years ago, King Tut was 50 years away from occupying the Egyptian throne! Throughout its storied history, the large cypress has been admired by people from all walks of life. By the turn of the 21st Century the majestic old giant had become recognized as the world’s fifth longest living tree and had been a local landmark for hundreds of years because of its massive size. All that history could have ended in 2012 when a woman lit a fire inside the tree. The Senator’s hollow trunk acted like a chimney and in a few short hours, the tree’s long and historic life ended in a blaze of destruction. In another sense however, The Senator lives on because the people of Seminole County and dozens of artisans like Bob Hughes refused to allow it to die. “I contacted Seminole County after the fire and helped them realize that something more could be done with the tree’s future, something other than the landfill,” Bob comments. “Our business is built around rescuing trees, saving what is left of them and turning them into something. Saving The [Senator] promised to be, and was, the most wonderful woodworking project I have ever been part of.”
1. Bob Hughes (right) and son, Tim, with their Wood-Mizer LT40 Hydraulic sawmill. 2. Only small pieces remained to work with after The Senator Tree burned down in 2012. 3. Historical photo of the once largest cypress tree in the US - The Senator. 4. The Senator Tree once stood at 118 feet at its location in Longwood, Florida. 5. A guitar crafted from rescued wood pieces of The Senator Tree. 6. An artisan woodburning a commemorative piece. 7. Commemorative plaque for The Senator Tree.
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6 The Ole General Store, with their well-known community reputation and experience milling recovered wood, was one of only three companies chosen to rescue and commemorate The Senator Tree’s remains. In cooperation with Seminole County officials, Bob acquired half of the wood remaining after The Senator burned for use in creating works of art memorializing the majestic old tree. “My WoodMizer’s precision clamping and thin kerf capabilities made our task with the ancient tree possible,” Bob continues. “This wood was too precious to lose to a big kerf. The Wood-Mizer’s thin kerf and excellent clamping capabilities allowed for very precise cuts.” Ultimately, 100 pieces were created for Seminole County from that material that included tables, guitars, picture frames, commemorative pieces and more. “We worked with a total of 13 artists plus my son Tim and
myself,” Bob says. “Tim and I turned in 82 pieces of Senator art. Friends and fellow artisans created the rest.” The rescued pieces of The Senator Bob had to work with were natural with bark on one side and burned on other. The largest pieces were 8” to 10” thick 48” wide and 10’ in lengths. “For all the pieces of art, we went with the natural shapes of the wood,” Robert explains. “In some cases we needed to mill up to three edges for some of our tables and picture frames.” With an expertise on the sawmill along with his creative and resourceful woodworking skills, Bob was able to save another piece of history. “How can I ever, in my lifetime, be able to top this project?” said Bob. “The Senator Tree was a very special tree for Seminole County. 3,500 years is a lot of history to lose. Today, in part because of my Wood-Mizer, The Senator lives on through art.”
The Senator FACTS: Native Americans in Florida used the Senator Tree as a landmark for a special meeting site. In 1926 a vicious hurricane passed through Central Florida topping forty-seven feet from the top of The Senator reducing its height from 165 feet to 118 feet. Florida’s great bald cypress was nicknamed “The Senator” in honor of State Senator Moses Overstreet who donated the tree and some surrounding land to the people of Seminole County in 1927.
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In 1929, President Calvin Coolidge and his wife dedicated The Senator with a commemorative plaque. Cloned seedlings of The Senator have been planted in order to preserve its history through new living trees.
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BLADE CORNER
By Simon Petree, Green Leaf Forest Products hen you’re operating a small business, it doesn’t take long to realize the difference between just getting by and making a profit comes from paying attention to the “little things.” Over the past fifteen years I’ve found that some things I never even thought about when I started my portable thin-kerf sawmilling business have popped up and played an important role in allowing me to survive and then grow my business. One of those “little things” is something I once spent thousands of dollars per year on- sharpening bandsaw blades. Today, thanks to some
truly revolutionary technology WoodMizer offers, I’m saving about $300 or more per month by sharpening my own blades. When you’re looking to be profitable, $300 per month can be a big deal! 16
The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2016
Anyone who’s sharpened blades for very long remembers that, until a few years ago, blade setting and sharpening was a laborious and time consuming job with results not always being as consistent as might be hoped for. The revolution, at least in my world of portable band sawmilling, was the introduction of Wood-Mizer’s CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) grinding wheel and the blade sharpeners and setters to make use of it. CBN is one of the hardest materials known to man, second only to diamonds. Used on a grinding wheel it far outperforms the technology we used to have available for sharpening blades; it lasts longer than old wheels did and, more important to me, it keeps its shape for the life of the wheel. No more having to constantly dress the grinding wheel to the profile of the individual blade every time you want to sharpen a blade. In my case, I bought a CBN wheel and retrofitted my old WoodMizer blade sharpening equipment to accommodate the wheel. The new technology was a real step forward for me and things only got better when Wood-Mizer brought out its own blade sharpening and blade setting equipment. The key to the CBN sharpening approach is that WoodMizer has shaped the wheel to exactly the profile of Wood-Mizer’s blade and,
the wheel stays that way. The grinding wheel doesn’t have to move through the profile of the blade to do its work. It just moves up and down, sharpening the entire tooth in one movement. At a minimum, sharpening a sawmill blade today using a CBN wheel is 50% faster than the same job in the old days and the simplicity of the modern machinery makes it an easy job to learn. Those of us who did our own sharpening years ago usually had to do the job ourselves to ensure it was done correctly because it was complicated. Now, I know several fellow sawmill owners who have their kids or employees do the sharpening. A sawyer can now spend more time sawing and less time on the blade sharpening and that means more time to be making money when the money is there to be made. Little things really do mean a lot, especially to a small business owner like I am. Pay attention to enough small things and, eventually, you might end up with something big! Simon Petree owns Green Leaf Forest Products near Lynden, Washington. He is currently working on a book aimed at sharing the lessons he’s learned milling more than five million board feet of lumber, timbers, slabs and other products during the fifteen years he’s been in business.
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SUPER CHARGE YOUR OPERATION WITH THE WOOD-MIZER SUPER70 SAWMILL 800.553.0182
| woodmizer.com
Canada: 877.866.0667 | woodmizer.ca © 2016 Wood-Mizer LLC
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17
Making a Difference
BEE SWEET HONEY By Jacob Mooney and Etienne Nagel
Developed by missionary philanthropist John Enright, Bee Sweet Honey, a co-op style honey initiative, is taking off in Zambia, and improving lives for the 10,000
individuals already involved. orn to Methodist missionaries, John Enright has spent his entire life living and working in Congo and Zambia as a pastor, teacher, pilot, and pioneer of sustainable economic development projects. He was raised speaking several tribal languages and has a thorough grasp of African culture. The Enrights were forced to flee Congo at the beginning of the war that began in 1998. They rebuilt their ministry near Ndola, Zambia, where they run an informal vocational school, children’s school, and pastor’s school; among other varied programs. Their Kafakumba training complex was built to be a central hub for positive change in Central Africa. John works alongside locals to build businesses that are profitable, reproducible, sustainable, and not fully dependent on his future involvement. Starting with an initial concept, John and his colleagues develop the business ideas themselves and work to create a solid model. John’s successful business 18
The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2016
projects so far are Tilapia fish farming, growing aloe vera, banana plantations, livestock, and a woodworking shop. Although John has experienced success with these projects, his honey project is defying all expectations for growth. The project is based on a coop business model, and produced 100 tons of processed honey in 2014, with 200 tons in 2015. Interestingly, the idea for the honey project grew out of the woodworking business. UTILIZING LOCAL TIMBER A huge problem in Africa is the misuse of natural resources. Timber is being exported at an alarming rate with very little of the real timber value improving the local economies. In Central Africa, the biggest threat to timber stands is not foreign markets, however – it is charcoal production. “Starving villagers are far removed from the world wide environmental debate,” John reminds us. “They are forced to find every means possible of
feeding themselves and their families. In order to convince the Zambians to preserve the forests and natural resources, we must demonstrate how it is their best interest, both long and short term, to preserve the world around them.” Another complication is that finished timber for use in construction or woodworking is traditionally processed by a few large and inefficient sawmills running outdated equipment. Poor infrastructure makes obtaining timber difficult and expensive for locals that lack disposable income. In the early 1980’s, the inventor of the Wood-Mizer portable sawmill, Don Laskowski, donated a sawmill to John’s
mission work. The small sawmills install easily in remote areas and allow anyone to produce their own timber easily, efficiently, and locally. John was able to establish a small workshop to produce local timber, doors, and windows that were affordable to the community, thus demonstrating that wood is a valuable resource people in Africa can use to better their lives significantly, without resorting to exporting the logs or converting them into charcoal. John’s idea for the honey project resulted from brainstorming what could become of the timber scraps from the woodworking shop. Again, he sought to find a higher purpose for an undervalued resource – scrap lumber could be used to build beehives. BEE SWEET HONEY COMPANY The beehive project was started more than eight years ago. They learned a lot in the first few years, like how to hang the hives in trees to reduce the risk of theft and contamination by termites and honey badgers. They also worked on the design of the hive to maximize honey cleanliness and ease of collection. “What we’re trying to make is a beehive that is Africa-friendly,” John explains. “So the beehive is very different from a beehive you would see in America or Europe.” As they settled on a hive design that would meet the range of challenges they encountered, they began experimenting with how to organize the business model. Gradually, they developed a co-op business model to maximize the number of people who could benefit from the business, but also guarantee quality control and streamline distribution efforts of the final product. “When we started out, we made a lot of mistakes,” John recalls, “But we have slowly gotten to the point where the system works. We call it a microfranchise. The villager does what he can
do, we do what we can do, others are doing marketing, and everybody wins.” Bee Sweet Honey Company participants are villagers who are given a set number of beehives, and their principle responsibilities are to bait the hive and ensure it is not stolen. John explains that the ideal number of hives to be operated by a single individual is 25, but that some are operating as many as 250 hives. The new beehives owner signs a contract which explains their mutual responsibilities clearly. John’s team visits the participating villagers twice a year in spring and autumn to harvest the honey and pay the participants based on the quantity of honey harvested. In 2014, more than $100,000 was paid out to participants. More will be paid out in the future as new hive owners bring in their first harvests, and others grow their existing number of hives. “We do not do beekeeping; we only do honey-gathering,” John shares. “As long as there are bees going in and out, you harvest it twice a year. It is a simple system, but then it allows them to send their kids to school, to put a tin roof on their house, and to have a decent living.”
Missionary philanthropist John Enright
‘AFRICA FRIENDLY’ BEEHIVE PRODUCTION John employs 18 full-time workers in the beehive production workshop. Each hive costs approximately $20 to produce, all costs considered. The wood used for the beehives comes from the wood workshop and from cheap scrap logs that are locally sourced. The logs are split in half on the Wood-Mizer LT15 sawmill and then run through resaws to produce boards of consistent thicknesses. The fresh boards are then cut on chop saws to the required lengths. John insists that the importance of the small sawmill cannot be overemphasized. “All of this stems from the fact that the Wood-Mizer sawmills are giving us quality boards, cut to specific specifications, which allows us to make these hives. None of this would be possible without the sawmill. It is an essential link in a chain that has now become a substantial benefit to thousands of people.” During the dry season, the boards are laid outside in the sun to dry out for two days, and then they are placed in a vertical jig and are glued on-edge to form the side panels of the hive. “The bees don’t care if it’s pretty,” John laughs as he demonstrates the gluing method. The panels are trimmed to their final dimensions on a table saw. Then the various components are packaged for shipment. Final assembly of the hives is done after shipment to reduce shipping costs. A metal jig is included for easy assembly of the hives on site, and then the assembled hive is secured together with recycled metal wire. The hook that hangs the hive from the tree branch is made of recycled rebar sourced from nearby mining companies. A simple rope pulley system enables the hives to be raised and lowered from the ground, eliminating climbing.
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GROWTH AND FUTURE Although Bee Sweet has been producing honey for their local Zambian market for several years, they hope that real growth and greater profits will start when they obtain organic certification for their honey from the European Union, opening up international markets for the honey. As of the summer of 2015, more than 10,000 individuals from all over northern Zambia are participating, and more than 50,000 beehives are now in the field. They have found that each hive will produce approximately 33 pounds of honey annually, which adds up to a lot of honey by the end of the year. Over one hundred tons were harvested in the spring of 2015, and it is hoped that much of it will be sold internationally, with the remainder being sold locally for lower prices. “The honey project is unique,” John remarks. “It allows a very simple person to produce organically certified honey that can be sold all over the world. [They are] now creating organic honey and organic wax, and being paid accordingly – not charity. Very exciting! Our share of the revenue goes into the foundation that then launches projects somewhere else and many other projects that we have launched – schools, clinics, and things like that.” Currently, John’s workshop is capable of producing components for more than 200 hives each day when 20
The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2016
timber supplies are available. They would like to be able to produce 500 a day, so they purchased a new WoodMizer TVS twin-vertical sawmill that will help them double capacity. “We would like to see other organizations take this technology,” John shares. “I could see the beehive project becoming a huge creator of wealth, empowerment, and a huge blessing throughout Africa.” John shares that there are groups replicating the honey project in Honduras, Ethiopia, Congo, and Malawi.
They are currently experimenting with several other business ideas designed for rural people. People who do well with the beehive program can then expand into additional business programs. “Africa needs people to realize they are living in the garden of Eden,” John says. “This is a place where they can not only survive, but thrive! People are catching that vision.” Visit www.beesweetltd.com for more information.
WIN YOUR SHARE OF $12,250 IN PRIZE CREDITS!
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PRIZE CREDITS* Industrial Sawmills 1st - $4,000 2nd - $2,000 3rd - $1,000
Hydraulic Sawmills 1st - $2,000 2nd - $1,000 3rd - $500
Manual Sawmills 1st - $1,000 2nd - $500 3rd - $250
BEST CONTEST
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BEST AWAR D
HOW TO ENTER
STEP 1 Enter your business online at woodmizer.com/bbest or by mail STEP 2 Include at least 6 photos of you, your equipment, products, facility and employees STEP 3 Submit online or must be received by July 31st, 2016
RULES TO REMEMBER
• Current US and Canadian Wood-Mizer sawmill owners are eligible to enter • Your business is active and your sawmill is operating at least 15 hours per week • Enter by July 31st, 2016 *Credits can be used towards the purchase of any Wood-Mizer products, parts, or accessories. Credits have no cash value, are listed in U.S. dollars and are valid for one year. **Completed entry form and all required photos must be received by July 31st, 2016 to qualify for entry prize. Limited quantity available.
PLUS! Receive 2 FREE
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ENTER ONLINE AT woodmizer.com/bbest
ENTER BY JULY 31, 2016
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Making a Difference
SAWMILL PROGRAM HELPS MEN
A
bout 20 years ago, Ray Hall, President and Owner of Hartville Lumber and Millwork Co., had a dream to create a program for teaching troubled men how to succeed in life by working. In 2012, Ray purchased a 137 acre farm in Ohio with 60 forested acres, a 20,000-squarefoot manufacturing facility, a three bedroom house and a large garage. All of a sudden, Ray’s dream of helping people get back into the workforce started to become a reality. That same year, together with two local pastors, Ray founded Men’s Challenge, a faithbased organization dedicated to getting men back into the workforce. Men’s Challenge seeks to deal with the root causes of poverty by working with men who, for a variety of reasons, do not have a job or steady income. Many of these men perceive themselves to be unemployable because they have never worked, have felonies, or have been out of the workforce for too long. Men’s Challenge helps them overcome 22
The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2016
these barriers by providing free, job-readiness classes to teach men how to find a job, offering support coaches to help men with life issues and workshops to help men develop the skills necessary to find a job. A key to making the Men’s Challenge program succeed is the workshop to train men how to work. So Ray set up a separate corporation called MC Workshops to provide work and training for men who needed help getting back into the workforce. He used his farm facility and part of the 20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility to provide a work place for the men, but the true challenge was providing meaningful work for them to engage in. Ray decided to make good use of local resources by harvesting some of the wood from the 60 forested acres and transform it into viable products. To fill that need Ray chose a WoodMizer LT40 Hydraulic sawmill which provides the versatility to produce lumber of various sizes, whether cutting logs or cants. Today, the Wood-Mizer sawmill with a resaw
RETURN TO WORK attachment is used to cut parts in order to produce pallets and shipping crates from the farm's felled trees and purchased cants. In one day, workers can take a felled tree, cut it into lumber, and produce pallets by the end of the shift. All types of pallets are fabricated, and depending on the type of pallets, the volume of pallets produced ranges from 400-500 per day. All the workers on the Wood-Mizer sawmill and the pallet line are men who have come through Men’s Challenge and have been trained through Ray’s MC Workshops training program. The facility continues to grow and Ray has added a 9,000-square-foot warehouse to store the pallets and other products produced through MC Workshops. He has also installed a kiln large enough to hold a semiload of pallets to heat treat lumber, pallets, and firewood. Ray’s company is licensed to heat treat pallets for export, and about one-third of the pallets produced are heat treated. The company is also USDA approved to kiln dry firewood for transport to most states. The growing demand has caused Ray to purchase a semi-truck and five trailers to deliver the large
By Paul Dykshoorn
amount of pallets produced at the facility. The Men’s Challenge program also continues to grow as Ray has transformed the farmhouse into a housing facility with enough bedroom space to house 11 men. Through a partnership with QUEST Recovery and Prevention Services - a drug and alcohol treatment center, MC Workshops now can provide supervised housing for men who have completed in-house drug and alcohol treatment and need a place to transition into the work world. In addition to working at MC Workshops, the men at the farmhouse also maintain a one acre garden and raise chickens for eggs to supplement their diet. Recently, Ray added two 30 foot by 96 foot commercial green houses, to add capacity for more work training programs on the farm. What began as a dream 20 years ago is now a reality. Today, 436 men have been through the program and nearly 400 have received jobs. Through Men’s Challenge and MC Workshops, Ray Hall is helping hundreds of men get back into the workforce and re-tool their lives.
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CUSTOMER SERVICE CORNER
Fuel Tank Updates Due to new EPA regulations, Wood-Mizer has made recent revisions to our fuel system equipment. In 2014, the regulation changes only affected gas-powered equipment which led to the introduction of a “marine-style” removable fuel tank. In 2015, all equipment was updated to include a permanent fuel tank in order to meet all current regulations and requirements for our engine manufacturers.
Marine Fuel Tanks
The marine fuel tank must be used as the replacement for mills built 2011 and newer that did not receive a fixed fuel tank. There are 3 and 6 gallon options for marine fuel tanks. 1. The 3 gallon tank (PART #: 074644) will fit directly on the fuel tray that came on mills originally produced with the Pre-EPA fuel tank. 2. To retrofit your mill to use the 6 gallon tank (PART #: 074643), you will also need to purchase a new tray assembly. CUSTOMER SERVICE ALERT: Marine fuel tanks are not vented until they reach an internal pressure of 5 psi, therefore these tanks are known to “swell” when they heat up. This is common as these tanks are designed to swell, but FOLLOW THESE STEPS when using this style fuel system: • • •
Don’t fill above line indicator. Avoid fuel spray by relieving all fuel pressure within the tank prior to disconnecting or connecting fuel fittings. Release pressure by slowly loosening the fill cap and waiting for the pressure to fully release. Avoid engine flooding or fuel spillage by disconnecting the fuel line from the engine when not in use or during transportation.
Exclusive
Wood-Mizer Way Online Offers
We’re excited to introduce a new section in our online store making it EASY TO FIND common parts to keep your sawmill equipment PERFORMING AT ITS PEAK. Conveniently order belts, blade guide rollers, CBN wheels, edger blades, and more within our NEW COMMON PARTS section!
SAVE 10%*
on all items in the Common Parts section of our online store now through September 30th, 2016. Visit woodmizer.com/parts to order with ONLINE PROMO CODE WMW97 • • •
Convenient online ordering 24/7 Quickly find parts for your equipment Fast and simple checkout with easy reordering
Blade Maintenance Tips
Although Wood-Mizer offers the easy-to-use ReSharp Blade Sharpening Service, sharpening your own blades can provide plenty of benefits to your operation. For those who have your own blade maintenance equipment, here are a few tips to keep your blades in top shape.
TIP All Blade Sharpening Equipment Make sure you don’t grind the face of the blade too hard, always setup the wheel to begin sparking ¼ to 1/3 of the way down the face to avoid wheel damage.
1
2
3
4
TIP BMT250 Tooth Setter It is not necessary to “zero” the “setter gauges”. It is most important to adjust the setter gauges (3 & 4) to read what the “Set Master Gauge” (1 & 2) values are. TIP BMST50 Blade Sharpener and Setter If the setter points are hitting the teeth when indexing, widen the clamp space by adjusting the nut on the inside of the setter lever.
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The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2016
*Only available when purchased online at woodmizer.com/parts. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discounts.
PLUS 20%*
OFF!
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Made from special hardened steel and feature 28" or 48" steel handles with rubber grip. Use ONLINE PROMO CODE WMW20% Now thru 9/30/2016.
*Only available when purchased online at woodmizer.com/canthook. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discounts.
MEET THE REP
®
SPEND MORE TIME
Justin Coleman
SAWING ®
Customer Service Representative Newnan, GA
Leave the Sharpening to Us!
For the past year and a half, Justin Coleman has been helping sawmill owners maintain their equipment and has enjoyed every minute. Justin’s position as a Customer Service Representative in Georgia consists of sawmill sales, training, maintenance, service calls, and demonstrating equipment at events throughout the year. “What I like best about working for Wood-Mizer is the fact that we really care about our customers’ needs,” said Justin. “It really feels good to be able to pass on what I have learned and see how it helps them with their hard earned investments.”
®
®
re-sharp.com
800.244.4600
Available in U.S. Only
®
JUSTIN’S SERVICE TIPS:
2016 SERVICE LOOP SCHEDULE
1. Keep spare belts and bearings on-hand for your specific mill to avoid any downtime
SEPTEMBER
2. Keep a bottle of Automatic Transmission Fluid near the mill to lubricate chain wear points and moving parts to avoid wear
OCT.-NOV. Missouri & Arkansas
3. Keep the blade lubricated, there are many different mixtures you can use instead of straight water
Ohio & Michigan (excluding the Upper Peninsula)
To schedule an appointment, call:
HURRY!
800.579.7797
Space is limited.
Available in US only. Dates are subject to change
800.579.7797 the GO PRO with Wood-Mizer
PRO SAWYER NETWORK Membership Benefits List Your Business Online, Gain New Customers Demo Your Mill, Earn Credit Dollars Receive Exclusive Membership Materials Learn Tips for Business Success
www.woodmizer.com/pro
I woodmizer.ca/pro
Although he has enjoyed helping numerous customers, Justin’s favorite service call was at Tom’s Cypress in Florida when he got his sawmill up and running and received a handmade cypress jewelry box as a thank you. “Another one that stands out is a customer here in Georgia that Tim (Horsley) and I helped assemble his mill,” said Justin. “The customer was so happy he gave Tim a great big hug!” Happily married and father of three children, Justin enjoys building computers, drag racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway, riding bicycles, and spending time with his family. “I would like to thank everyone I work with at Wood-Mizer for everything they do to make this such a great place to work,” said Justin. “I would also like to thank our customers for backing us so we can continue to provide a great product for them!”
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Making a Difference
COSTA RICA
Mission MINUTE
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The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2016
T
eaming up with Youth with a Mission (YWAM), several Wood-Mizer employees and
family members travelled to Costa Rica to build a structure for housing visiting missionaries in the area. Here are a few first-hand experiences from the mission team’s recent travels.
Dave Meyer Accounting
My wife, Rose, and I went on the trip because we feel it’s important to share the blessings and talents God has given us with others. As James 2:26 says “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Our primary task was to start building a cabin, but we also felled a huge tree, cut and treated lumber, pulled weeds, dug post holes, and cleared brush. The full impact of our efforts won’t be realized until the cabin is completed and used to house missionary couples coming to learn the skills needed to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of the poor in developing nations. Some of my most memorable moments of the trip were experiencing the local food and culture, meeting new friends, strengthening existing friendships, running a sawmill for the 1st time, and literally saving a life. However, the biggest take away for me is knowing that, in a small way, we helped spread the word of Christ to remote corners of the world. The trip was the first opportunity Rose and I have had to share a missions trip experience together without our children and are definitely planning on going on many more. Rose and I went on the first two Wood-Mizer sponsored missions trips. I went on the Poland trip in 1999 and she went on the Ukraine trip in 2000. The experience moved us to start a Sr. High missions program at our church where we are now preparing for our 18th missions trip this summer.
Tim Volz
Continuous Improvement I can say that the Costa Rica Trip was amazing! Sure I was taken out of my comfort zone a bit, because I was eating unfamiliar foods and living in a different culture for a week. Since I have been on other mission trips before I was prepared, but this trip was different for me, because my daughter Savanna was able to enjoy this trip with me! I was able to build a stronger bond with her as we worked as teammates of the mission team. This allowed me to forget all about being out of my comfort zone. I believe the Lord had a hand in how great we worked as a team and allowing us to help others while building friendships with the YWAM staff that will last forever! Recently I was able to host our friend Lukas from YWAM Costa Rica at my house and show him our culture and it was the first time I’ve ever done anything like that. It too was amazing…what a great feeling! Being the Continuous Improvement Manager here at Wood-Mizer, I deal with helping others improve their life at work. This trip allowed me to better understand that we need to get out of our comfort zones in daily life, thus Continuously Improving ourselves….trying to become the best version of ourselves as God challenges us to do! What a blessing it is to improve ourselves while helping others.
Deanna Bunten Marketing
In my heart and in my mind, I always wanted to go on a mission trip to serve others and the Lord while stretching myself spiritually. I really didn’t know where to start because missionary work wasn’t familiar territory for me. The Wood-Mizer mission trip to YWAM Heredia provided an excellent opportunity for both my 16 year old son and I to give our gifts of time and labor. Spending a week together, Evan and I worked alongside each other and our Wood-Mizer team doing many construction projects at the camp that will allow them to further their outreach. We worked, talked, ate, laughed, dreamed, prayed and played. All the while, witnessing not just God’s love at work through the mission, but in our own lives as we received the biggest blessing of time together.
Watch a video of the trip at woodmizer.com/missions
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MATERIAL HANDLING
DISCOVER HOW WOOD-MIZER’S INDUSTRIAL LINE OF EQUIPMENT CAN MAKE YOU MONEY. Wood-Mizer owners around the world rely on our industrial solutions to produce accurate lumber while reducing capital, material, labor, energy, and maintenance costs for their business. Call today for a FREE catalog or design layout and Start Building Your Bottom Line with Wood-Mizer. Canada: 877.866.0667 woodmizer.ca
800.553.0182 | woodmizer.com/bottomline
Canada: 877.866.0667
© 2015 Wood-Mizer LLC
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Request our FREE Kiln Drying Guide!
Four dehumidification kiln systems with capacities up to 35,000 board feet.
KD150
Dehumidification Kiln Kit 300-1,000 Board Feet
Kiln drying is a simple, cost effective method recommended for anyone who wants to increase profits by selling dried lumber. Kiln dried lumber typically sells for a third more than green lumber and eliminates the need for customers to incur costs associated with drying lumber before use.
KD450
Ask about our Commercial Dehumidification Kiln Kits.
KD550
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The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2016
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KD250
800.553.0182
Dehumidification Kiln Kit 1,500 - 4,000 Board Feet
Canada: 877.866.0667 | woodmizer.ca
woodmizer.com/kilns
BOARD FOOT CLUBS
More than thirty years ago, Wood-Mizer established the “One Million Board Foot Club” for sawyers who had successfully cut 1,000,000 board feet of lumber on their Wood-Mizer sawmills. Please join us in welcoming the newest members to this elite group of sawyers. Dana Baetz (British Columbia) Dana’s largest project was cutting over 150,000 board feet for the WYA Point Resort in Ucluelet, BC. Allen Fisher (Pennsylvania) - Allen’s largest project was sawing 120,000 board feet of grade tulip poplar. Allen says his Wood-Mizer Turbo 7 blades “cut like butter and you can really push the saw to the max. I have tried a lot of different blades and this one’s the best.” Robert Jenkins (Prince Edward Island) - A full-time job for 20 years, Robert’s largest project was sawing lumber for a million dollar house and large maintenance shop. Don Dugan (Arizona) Owner of D J Dugan Custom Sawmilling, Don has milled 1 million board feet of lumber with his 1984 Wood-Mizer LT30 sawmill.
Dan Eicher, Custom Cut Sawmill (Missouri) - “My dad bought his 1st LT30 in 1990, and there are currently 8 mills in the family. When I decided to go in business myself, there was never any question what brand to buy! I never dreamed when I bought the mill 6 years ago, that I’d get this far.” Jim Graber, Graber’s Bandmill (Indiana) Jim has reached the 1 million milestone and is still working on sawing ash, soft maple, poplar, walnut, and cherry grade lumber. “I appreciate the excellent customer service from Wood-Mizer.” Marlin Byler (New York) Marlin has been a Wood-Mizer sawmill owner for more than 20 years. Congratulations on reaching this sawing achievement!
Perry Jarva (Minnesota) “I have the great fortune of meeting some of the nicest people and making their friendship a lasting part of my life. The mill is still going strong at 2,860 hours of reliable use and performance. I built a new house, 3 stall garage, wood shed, and garden shed with lumber from the mill. We also built a large timber frame greenhouse for a school on-site for horticulture classes.” Dean Christiansen (Saskatchewan) “I’ve been a sawyer for 16 years, but I bought my first Wood-Mizer two years ago. I’ve sawn over a million board feet with it and it has drastically improved my business and life. I can’t say enough good things about Wood-Mizer mills and the people who make and sell them.”
Join us in welcoming the newest members of the “One Hundred Thousand Board Foot Club”. Congratulations to all the sawyers who have reached this outstanding sawing achievement throughout the past 30+ years. Cory Hill (Pennsylvania)
Aaron Hershberger (Ohio)
Ken Middleton (Ontario)
Neil Stringer (Mississippi)
David Simpson (North Carolina)
Tony Lashuk (Alberta)
Leigh Davis (Delaware)
Dennis Hoover (Connecticut)
Pete Van Vranken (West Virginia)
Will Barnum (Maine)
Alan Wilmott (British Columbia)
Samuel Byler (Pennsylvania)
Pete Handler, Wilderness Tree Farm
Chad Hart (North Carolina)
Brent Lechowicz (Michigan)
(British Columbia)
Jameson Lillie (New York)
Brian Younger (Arkansas)
MEMBERSHIP IN BOARD FOOT CLUBS NOW APPLY ONLINE! Apply for Board Foot Clubs online within your Wood-Mizer Account! 1. Visit www.woodmizer.com 2. Select “My Account” at the top right 3. Sign In or Create a New Account 4. Select “My Memberships” in your account 5. Apply for the Wood-Mizer Board Foot Club! Or call 800.553.0182 to request a mailed application. Canada Customers: apply online at www.woodmizer.ca/club or call 877.866.0667 to request a mailed application.
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS: One Million Club Members receive: • Personalized Club Jacket • Exclusive Membership Watch • 10% discount on most parts (not including blades and accessories)
100,000 Club Members receive: • Membership Shirt and Hat
HAT WATCH
10% OFF MOST PARTS
SHIRT
JACKET
woodmizer.com
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We saw so you can see. 2016
UPCOMING
EVENTS
woodmizer.com/shows
Canada: woodmizer.ca/shows
JUNE
AUGUST
2
2-4 Farmfest
REDWOOD FALLS, MN
SEPTEMBER 2-5 Brome Fair BROME, QC
5
Indiana State Fair
8-10 Lake States Logging Congress
Small Sawmill Workshop PRINCETON, WV
4 Wood-Mizer Texas Open House KIRBYVILLE, TX 4-5
Mother Earth News Fair -Albany ALBANY, OR
6-10 Wood-Mizer Alaska Timber Frame Class Open House ANCHORAGE, AK
10
Wood-Mizer Alaska Open House
10-12
Saw-Tech Log Expo
16-18
Nat’l Road Chainsaw Carving Festival
ANCHORAGE, AK
24-26 25-26
BANCROFT, ON
ADDISON, PA
Wooden Boat Show MYSTIC, CT
aple Meadow Farm M Festival MAPLETON, ME
JULY 1-5 Southeast Old Threshers’ Reunion DENTON, NC 8-9
Tuckahoe Steam & Gas Show EASTON, MD
9-10 Mother Earth News Fair – West Bend WEST BEND, WI
9-10 Tupper lake Woodsmen’s Days TUPPER LAKE, NY
22-24
Four State Farm Show
PITTSBURG, KS
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
6 Wood-Mizer Georgia Open House NEWNAN, GA
6-7
Festival of Wood
9-11
Empire Farm Days
11-17
Skowhegan State Fair
MILFORD, PA
SENECA FALLS, NY SKOWHEGAN, ME
19-21 NYS Woodsmen’s Field Days BOONVILLE, NY 19-21
Badger Steam & Gas Show
BARABOO, WI
24-25 Hastings County Plowing Match & Farm Show MADOC, ON
24-25 Maine Farm Days CLINTON, ME
TUNBRIDGE, VT
16-17
North Star Expo
22-24
Heart of America Farm Show
GRAND RAPIDS, MN BEGGS, OK
23-25 Mother Earth News Fair Champion CHAMPION, PA
24 Wood-Mizer Indianapolis Open House INDIANAPOLIS, IN
24 Celebrating Agriculture WOODSTOCK, CT
28-30 Timber Processing & Energy Expo PORTLAND, OR
24-28 North Idaho Fair & Rodeo
OCTOBER
ATLANTA, GA
COEUR D ALENE, ID
25-SEP 5 Alaska State Fair PALMER, AK
26-27 Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show 26-28
2-9
DEERFIELD, NH
Fryeburg Fair
FRYEBURG, ME
4-6 International Boatbuilders’ Exhibition (IBEX) TAMPA, FL
STARKVILLE, MS
6-16 Georgia National Fair
Antique Steam & Gas Engine Club Show
7-9 Ozark Fall Farmfest
EDGAR, WI
PERRY, GA
SPRINGFIELD, MO
28-SEPT 5 Windsor Fair
7-9
30-SEPT 1 Expo-Champs
15 Wood-Mizer Maine Open House
WINDSOR, ME SAINT-LIBOIRE, QC
North Haverhill Fair
NORTH HAVERHILL, NH
Note: some events have a fee to attend and require pre-registration. Call 800.553.0182 for details.Canada: 877.866.0667
The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2016
15-18 Tunbridge World’s Fair
29-OCT 2 Deerfield Fair
BEAUMONT, TX
27-31
OSHKOSH, WI
13-15 Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show WOODSTOCK, ON
24-27 International Woodworking Fair (IWF)
22-24 SE Texas Great Outdoors Expo
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Events are being added frequently. Click or call for the most complete and up to date listing in your area.
Paul Bunyan Show
OLD WASHINGTON, OH
FARMINGTON, ME
18-20 Sunbelt Ag Expo MOULTRIE, GA
22
Florida Forest Festival
PERRY, FL
22-23 Mother Earth News Fair - Topeka TOPEKA, KS
WOOD-MIZER LOCATIONS
SERVING YOU COAST TO COAST
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WOOD-MIZER LLC
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GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS
8180 West 10th St. Indianapolis, IN 46214 TEL: 317.271.1542 FAX: 317.273.1011
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ReSharp Services Available
RESHARP TEL: 800.244.4600 2 NORTHEAST Dave Scott 8604 State Route 104 Hannibal, NY 13074 TEL: 315.564.5722 FAX: 315.564.7160 ReSharp Services Available 3
SOUTH Nathan Collins 74 Pine Rd. Newnan, GA 30263 TEL: 770.251.4894 FAX: 770.251.4896
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MISSOURI Will Baugh 9664 Lawrence 2130 Mt. Vernon, MO 65712 TEL: 417.466.9500 FAX: 417.471.1327
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PORTLAND Brett Lottman 24435 N.E. Sandy Blvd. Wood Village, OR 97060 TEL: 503.661.1939 FAX: 503.667.2961
ReSharp Services Available
ReSharp Services Available
ReSharp Services Available
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PENNSYLVANIA Marty & Lisa Parsons 22638 Croghan Pike Shade Gap, PA 17255 TEL: 814.259.9976 FAX: 814.259.3016
11 WISCONSIN Steve Stanke 2201 Highway O Mosinee, WI 54455 TEL: 715.693.1929
12 COLORADO Scott Rogers 7 NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND 100 Tailwinds Drive Buena Vista, CO 81211 Ross & Maureen Clair TEL: 719.966.9320 541 Borough Rd. Chesterville, ME 04938 13 MONTANA TEL: 207.645.2072 Sean Sheehan FAX: 207.645.3786 51 Basin Creek Rd. Basin, MT 59631 8 CALIFORNIA TEL: 406.225.4362 Jim Evans & Jennifer Alger 6980 Camp Far West Rd. 14 EAST TEXAS Sheridan, CA 95681 Jay Durham TEL: 530.633.4316 11606 Highway 96 South FAX: 530.633.2818 Kirbyville, TX 75956 TEL: 409.423.2319 9 ALASKA Parker Rittgers 15 MISSISSIPPI 10661 Elies Drive Tim Hobby Anchorage, AK 99507 1353 Liberty Rd. TEL: 907.336.5143 Lousiville, MS 39339 TEL: 662.617.1841 10 CAROLINAS TEL: 662.803.4332 Joseph & Tyler Whitley 28002 Canton Rd. Albemarle, NC 28001 TEL: 704.982.1673 FAX: 704.982.1619 ReSharp Services Available
ReSharp Services Available
16 CANADIAN HEADQUARTERS Dorian Lavallée 396 County Road 36 Unit B Lindsay, ON K9V 4R3 TEL: 705.878.5255 FAX: 705.878.5355
19 CANADA ONTARIO NORTH Wayne Howarth 2340 Dawson Rd. Thunder Bay, ON P7G 2G2 TEL: 807.683.9243 FAX: 807.767.1123
17 CANADA - QUEBÉC Wayne Picken Brad Charby 34 Rue Nord Waterloo, QC Canada J0E 2N0 TEL: 450.539.1114 FAX: 450.539.4649
20 CANADA - WEST Gary Spottock 4770 46th Avenue S.E. Salmon Arm, BC V1E 2W1 TEL: 250.833.1944 FAX: 250.833.1945
18 CANADA - EAST Mark and Nadine Henley 546 Stewart Hill Rd Upper Musquodoboit, NS B0N 2M0 TEL: 902.568.2980 FAX: 902.568.2518
21 CANADA - WEST (Vancouver Island) Pat Moore & Jay Moore 1124 Clarke Rd Qualicum Beach, BC V9K 1W3 TEL: 250.752.3994 FAX: 250.752.4358
ILT BUTH E IN
USA
Global Headquarters Full Service Offices Full product line and sawmill demonstrations, Full sawmill service, Blades sales, and ReSharp service. U.S. Authorized Sales Center Sawmill demonstrations, new sawmill training, Common blades and parts sales. Canada Offices and Authorized Sales Center (ReSharp Service not available in Canada) Business hours vary by location.
woodmizer.com
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8180 West 10th Street Indianapolis, IN 46214-2400
Return Service Requested Prices and specifications are for domestic customers only and are subject to change without notice. Prices do not include handling charges, COD or sales tax if applicable. © 2016 Wood-Mizer LLC All rights reserved. No part may be copied or reprinted without written permission. Printed in the USA 5/16
NEW!
CALL FOR SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICIN
SAVE BIG!
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INTRODUCING WOOD-MIZER
LOG SPLITTERS Wood-Mizer is excited to announce the addition of log splitters to our diverse line of wood processing equipment. Wood-Mizer Log Splitters are engineered for performance and built in the USA to provide you with the best available product on the market.
Wood-Mizer FS500 Log Splitter shown. WATCH THE VIDEO!
CALL OR GO ONLINE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WOOD-MIZER'S NEW LOG SPLITTING LINE.
800.553.0182 | woodmizer.com/logsplitters Canada: 877.866.0667 | woodmizer.ca