Amazing Tools #7: The Circular Swing Blade Mill

I like that. Very cool!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

There’s a few company’s in aus that make these. One is called a Lucas Mill and its absoloutley huge in austrailia. I’m surprised you guys haven’t seen them in the US before.
Just about every saw miller that I know has at least one of these. There allways doing demo’s at the ww shows.
they come with slabbing attachments too,which is basically a huge chainsaw bar.

-- BRODY. NSW AUSTRALIA -arguments with turnings are rarely productive-

Petersen and Lucas Mills ar very popular here in Australia.. Also have the bandsaw mills..
Check out here

-- Drink once, cut twice. New website up.... lazylarrywoodworks.com.au

Very interesting, thanks.

-- spanky46 -- Never enough clamps...Never enough tools...Never enough time.

Those are pretty sweet on the big logs. You should check out one can do with a slabber attachment on a big walnut crotch.

-- My Etsy store: http://jtcwoodcrafts.etsy.com

Thanks, Gary. Those are some interesting sawmills.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

WOW! nice large logs and a very effective way to make short work of them…

-- "The worst day fishing is better than the best day working!"

Interesting videos Gary, Thanks

-- Whether You Think You Can or You Think You Can't, YOU ARE RIGHT!!!

I used one in australia called a lewisaw it was just great. Two men could pack it into the bush and pack out finished cut lumber

-- jim nevada

One of the mills here is a swing mill that we use mostly on dimensional stuff . We employ a dedicated slabbing mill for wide specimens , two band mills for general stock , and an alaskan mill for really long timbers . Each mill type has its’ strong points and its’ weaknesses .

Looks like an amazing tool.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

I told the wife that I want one, but I don’t think she’s having it…

I don’t dare ask the wife for one of these

-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI

I’ve seen this type of mill before, and that sawblade in the first one would scare me senseless!

I think we’ve all thought about how great it would be to saw our own lumber, but I can tell you that there is no such thing as “free wood”. I helped a guy once on his bandmill and we were slabbing some walnut. A 3” thick slab that was 20” wide (give or take) and 8’ long took 3 guys to carry and stack. Wet wood is heavy.

It cured me of wanting to cut my own lumber very quickly :-)

Great videos. Thanks for posting

-- Steven

Seems you guys in Australia in particular know all about these.

socalwood – I had a feeling you’d either know what these are, or actually have one in your inventory. You didn’t disappoint!

Steven – that is one massive slab in my book.

-- Gary, Los Angeles, video game animator