New Type of Sawmill coming???

[Dennis Peacock]

Just read about this sawmill that appears to be primarily aimed at woodworkers who need/want a small sawmill. I've been talking to Peterson Sawmills (Aaron) over the last several weeks about the Peterson line of sawmills and now it appears that they have come out with a smaller sawmill. It's called "Skillmill" and can be seen here. I'm not a salesman....just someone who's been researching sawmills for a few years so I can get a sawmill for my own use one day.

This one appears to use a standard 10" TS blade, 110V power, 1.5HP Electric motor and will also hold the Alaskan Chainsaw setup for slabbing type work. I'm trying to find out the price at this time. I know that they will be showing these off at some of the woodworking shows starting around October time frame. I don't know about you, but I thought this was pretty cool thing, especially since they carried the whole sawmill with a "mini-van"..!!!!

Again, I'm NOT affiliated with Peterson, just someone who's been researching sawmills.

[Jim Dailey]

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for the link. Very interesting little mill. I looks very flexiable all though limited in capacity due to the small 10" blade. If it swings around completely for a double cut as easy as the larger Peterson mills, than it has a lot to offer. Plus the chain saw slabber is a real bonus.

I was interested in the Peterson mills myself but the deal breaker at the time was the plummeting value of the US dollar to the New Zealand dollar. Thus I looked for used equipment already in this county. I end up with a large Lucas mill setup with a Kohler engine thru the sawmill exchange (I believe it is www.sawmillexchange.com ) for about half of what the Peterson would have cost me. If you are patient, there are good buy available.

Thanks again, jim

[Frank Fusco]

Neat, but the 10" blade is very limiting. Even in the demo video it doesn't look up to the task.

[Ian Abraham]

I've had a good look at the mini-me swingmill here in NZ.

It does work very well, although it's limited in it's cut size and log size (I'm used to an 8" cut Peterson). The double cut (8") is no problem as the blade has 2 riving knives, meaning you can cut with either side (travelling in opposite directions of course) You can also cut one large board from each log by flipping the partly sawn log over and cutting from the other side, leaving a full width slab.
Dont expect it to do everything a full size Peterson or Lucas mill will do, but as a cheap portable sawmill for the hobby woodworker it's definately an option. A lot easier to use than a chainsaw mill or pushing logs thru a workshop bandsaw.

Cheers

Ian

[Steve Clardy]

Guess I'm spoiled after having a woodmizer for over ten years. [Since sold it]

Anything less I guess I don't consider a sawmill

[Layla Robinson]

Hi there,

I am the Project Manager of the Skillmill, and am also a friend of Jake, the designer, I would like to address some concerns in regard to his new mill.

Basically, the purchase of a sawmill depends on your needs, there are, of course, different size motors, motor types and blade sizes. The 10" blade is not a drawback.

Accessible logs are getting smaller and smaller, i.e. in America, Europe and Australia. Why have a 24" blade to cut 8" stock out of a 12" log for example? The Skillmill will still cut 8" boards out of a log this size.

Why push around a huge blade and huge motor to get something that is achievable on this, a much smaller scale?

The double cutting principle is as easy as cutting 4x dimensions out of the log. There is no removal of guards, no turning the head around... just straight off the log.

Some advantages of the Skillmill over a larger machine are:
half the kerf of a larger machine, the smaller blade will not kick the log around, resaw with ease, and visual safety (blade no larger than a handsaw).

The electric benefits:
smooth cut, quiet, simple and efficient.

Other advantages:
angular adjustments give a whole new spectrum of possibilities.

For those who wish to use a mill for full-time commercial purposes cutting large logs, spending from $10,000+ is justifyable. However, for those who wish to cut wood part-time for their own use, or to compliment a business or hobby, that kind of money is a high price to pay.

Enter The Skillmill: available in the US from the beginning of October, at a cost of around $3900 (+ sales tax if applicable). I will be bringing some mills over to do a US Roadshow, covering at least 4 woodworking shows on the east cost, with plans of another couple on the west. (I'm excited!! ) The price is truely phenomenal for what you are getting. It is incomparable to anything on the market.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post, any questions, let me know.

Frank Fusco: I was wondering if you could let me know how the website video footage made the mill look like it wasn't up to the task? It could be something to do with the clip itself, so we will need to remedy it. The people who are actually operating the mill in most of those clips, are visitors to our exhibit site at the largest Ag. show in our country. They are people with no experience and who had never run a sawmill in their life, or even thought they could. It was great fun actually, to see ladies in their 80s having a go, with ease. I assure you, I can push it through a log easily, with manicured fingernails and all! hehe

Dennis Peacock: The Skillmill is a 230v, 3hp electric motor (Dennis, I am assuming you got this info from the website? We will clarify the specs accordingly, thank you for bringing this to my attention). The US is 60HZ.

[Jim Andrew]

Dennis, I looked at swing mills, think Peterson is the best of those, as it is
the only one that will swing around and cut a slab from both sides of the log, but I wound up buying a slightly used Cook mill, built in Alabama. There are good small mills built in Arkansas, MR Sawmill for example, that
can be powered by electric motors, and at low cost. Swing mills cut a
little faster, but you are limited to the width of slab. What I read about
Cook mills is that they cut about the straightest of the bandsaw mills.
A neighbor of mine has a LT 30, and I just got tired of wavy boards, and
decided to get my own. Jim

[Mark Rios]

I'd bet $55.68 that Stu could make one for half the price or less, while drinking sake at the same time.


I was going to tease more about the saw and what some have said so far and other stuff that I know nothing about but then I noticed that the rep was a woman, from New Zealand and probably totally hot so I'll just let this one go.

[Steve Clardy]

Dennis, I looked at swing mills, think Peterson is the best of those, as it is
the only one that will swing around and cut a slab from both sides of the log, but I wound up buying a slightly used Cook mill, built in Alabama. There are good small mills built in Arkansas, MR Sawmill for example, that
can be powered by electric motors, and at low cost. Swing mills cut a
little faster, but you are limited to the width of slab. What I read about
Cook mills is that they cut about the straightest of the bandsaw mills.
A neighbor of mine has a LT 30, and I just got tired of wavy boards, and
decided to get my own. Jim

Does your neighbor do it part time, full time?

How long has he had the mill? How old is it?

Sounds like he hasn't learned the mill yet if he's getting wavy boards.

[Layla Robinson]

I'd bet $55.68 that Stu could make one for half the price or less, while drinking sake at the same time.


I was going to tease more about the saw and what some have said so far and other stuff that I know nothing about but then I noticed that the rep was a woman, from New Zealand and probably totally hot so I'll just let this one go.

The Skillmill is certainly a baby compared to our commercial type mills, but from the feedback we have had from previous enquiries, it is what some people wanted. An extremely portable, affordable option. So we made it. ... and I can proudly say, that all our purchasers to date are very happy with their mills.

Hey Mark, we will be in San Mateo at a Woodworking show from 27-29 October as part of our US Roadshow. I see it's not far from where you are in Modesto, so you can come and see the mill for yourself. I'll even enter you in our Roadshow competition draw to win one.

[Frank Fusco]

Hi there,

I am the Project Manager of the Skillmill, and am also a friend of Jake, the designer, I would like to address some concerns in regard to his new mill.

Basically, the purchase of a sawmill depends on your needs, there are, of course, different size motors, motor types and blade sizes. The 10" blade is not a drawback.

Accessible logs are getting smaller and smaller, i.e. in America, Europe and Australia. Why have a 24" blade to cut 8" stock out of a 12" log for example? The Skillmill will still cut 8" boards out of a log this size.

Why push around a huge blade and huge motor to get something that is achievable on this, a much smaller scale?

The double cutting principle is as easy as cutting 4x dimensions out of the log. There is no removal of guards, no turning the head around... just straight off the log.

Some advantages of the Skillmill over a larger machine are:
half the kerf of a larger machine, the smaller blade will not kick the log around, resaw with ease, and visual safety (blade no larger than a handsaw).

The electric benefits:
smooth cut, quiet, simple and efficient.

Other advantages:
angular adjustments give a whole new spectrum of possibilities.

For those who wish to use a mill for full-time commercial purposes cutting large logs, spending from $10,000+ is justifyable. However, for those who wish to cut wood part-time for their own use, or to compliment a business or hobby, that kind of money is a high price to pay.

Enter The Skillmill: available in the US from the beginning of October, at a cost of around $3900 (+ sales tax if applicable). I will be bringing some mills over to do a US Roadshow, covering at least 4 woodworking shows on the east cost, with plans of another couple on the west. (I'm excited!! ) The price is truely phenomenal for what you are getting. It is incomparable to anything on the market.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post, any questions, let me know.

Frank Fusco: I was wondering if you could let me know how the website video footage made the mill look like it wasn't up to the task? It could be something to do with the clip itself, so we will need to remedy it. The people who are actually operating the mill in most of those clips, are visitors to our exhibit site at the largest Ag. show in our country. They are people with no experience and who had never run a sawmill in their life, or even thought they could. It was great fun actually, to see ladies in their 80s having a go, with ease. I assure you, I can push it through a log easily, with manicured fingernails and all! hehe

Dennis Peacock: The Skillmill is a 230v, 3hp electric motor (Dennis, I am assuming you got this info from the website? We will clarify the specs accordingly, thank you for bringing this to my attention). The US is 60HZ.

It was able to only take off a tiny slab on initial cut, not enough to make a flat for many logs. Turning and cutting twice to make one cut seems self defeating and excess work. Personally, I would prefer to trailer my logs to a mill and pay for the job. Mills don't charge much and it would take a long time to exceed the expense of the mini-mill. Sorry, that IMHO.

[Layla Robinson]

It was able to only take off a tiny slab on initial cut, not enough to make a flat for many logs. Turning and cutting twice to make one cut seems self defeating and excess work. Personally, I would prefer to trailer my logs to a mill and pay for the job. Mills don't charge much and it would take a long time to exceed the expense of the mini-mill. Sorry, that IMHO.

No apology necessary, sawmilling isn't for everyone. Most of our clients are very passionate sawmillers, and taking their logs to a commercial mill to be prepared, is something they would never do.
Thanks for your feedback though Frank. Much appreciated.

[Mark Rios]

The Skillmill is certainly a baby compared to our commercial type mills, but from the feedback we have had from previous enquiries, it is what some people wanted. An extremely portable, affordable option. So we made it. ... and I can proudly say, that all our purchasers to date are very happy with their mills.

Hey Mark, we will be in San Mateo at a Woodworking show from 27-29 October as part of our US Roadshow. I see it's not far from where you are in Modesto, so you can come and see the mill for yourself. I'll even enter you in our Roadshow competition draw to win one.

MS. Robinson, Please accept my apologies for any misunderstanding you may have inferred in my post.

A member here, Stu Ablett from Tokyo (he's Canadian but it's a long story), has in the past given us a couple of wonderful tutorials on some quasi-inventions that he has made through ingenious adaptations and improvisation. For example he cleared a whole lot full of trees AND milled the wood using only his modified chanisaws and a minivan. Many,many trees. Big, big trees. And he has it all stickered and drying wAAAAAAy up on the roof of his 7 story home in downtown Tokyo. He even has a dungeon where he does his woodworking. He's a pretty handy guy in coming up with different and/or odd ways of getting something done. (And he sells liquor for his normal job....go figure?!) My comment was a tongue-in-cheek inside joke, if you will, directed to those that have read his tutorials and in NO WAY directed toward you or your equipment.


Regarding my second paragraph, I've been in construction for many, many years but I'm only a fair novice at finer woodworking so the best that I can provide to the forum is fourth grade humor, and it's not even very good at that.

You seem to be a very good sport and quite adept at fending off and refuting comments stemming from those leary of your new-fangled equipment; Well done.

I am, in fact, planning to go to the show in San Mateo in October and appreciate your offer and look forward to meeting you and seeing your product.













(Ahh man.........I'm so embarrassed. I'm such a bonehead.)

[Ian Abraham]

It was able to only take off a tiny slab on initial cut, not enough to make a flat for many logs. Turning and cutting twice to make one cut seems self defeating and excess work. Personally, I would prefer to trailer my logs to a mill and pay for the job. Mills don't charge much and it would take a long time to exceed the expense of the mini-mill. Sorry, that IMHO.

Frank.. I'm guessing you are used to how an bandsaw mill operates, where the operator contually flips the log, first to square up a cant, then to remove boards from various faces.
The swingmills work very differently, the log is usually not moved at all and simply sawn from top to bottom removing dimensioned timber as you go. The initial slab may be taken off in several strips to open the top of the log. Then each layer of boards is sawn and removed, edging the log as you go untill only the bottom slab is left.
The 'double cutting' is simply sliding the sawhead across to the other side of the log and making another pass, giving an 8" wide board. No moving of the log or saw frame. Takes 5 secs to set up for the next pass.
The videos only show the mill making single passes, not the whole log sawing operation, but once you see one in use it becomes clear how simple the mill is to operate.

As far as taking your logs to a sawmill service.. fair call
But some of us just like sawing up logs ourselves. And this little mill is an easy / affordable / safe way to do it.

Cheers

Ian

[Jim Andrew]

Steve, the guy has had the LT 30 for years. I think he just trys to get too much out of his blades, and winds up ruining them by overheating etc.
Then he has them resharpened and they are still no good. Jim