Where Hardwood Comes from 6, log carriage
Bill Tindal, E.TN
>Part 6 the skid way and log carriage
I'm headed to Mt. Rogers in VA this morning to hike in what I hope are blooming Rhododendron. What may be the most interesting part of this series I will post Sunday PM. Then I will describe the main saw and the strategy for converting logs to lumber and why you hardwood supplier doesn't have 8" boards.
The next picture was taken at a different small mill. The lighting in this mill is better for showing the log carriage. This mill does not debark logs, which is very uncommon, but the skid way and log carriage are typical, though the carriage is less automated than typical (it is a small mill). Logs are carried to and dumped onto the live skid way in front of the main saw call ed the �head saw� I suppose because it is at the head of the process. This picture shows some walnut logs on the skid way chains. The crescent shaped pieces of metal in the foreground hoist the log onto the saw carriage with a hydraulic cylinder.
In the old days the skid way was just a slopped ramp. The sawyer and a helper rolled the logs up the skid way and onto the saw carriage with cant hooks. It took great strength to roll large logs. One day while I was at a mill someone bet the sawyer that he could not pick up a hickory railroad tie he had just sawed. The sawyer hoisted it to his shoulder with ease and then danced a jig for good measure.
