When I was in University I worked weekends in a sawmill as an oiler and millwrite helper. The headrig (main saw) was similar to what you describe. Only two wheels but about 8 feet in diameter. The logs were floated into "the well" and were hoisted up on chains to the "deck" where they were pulled onto the carriage which drove them back and forth across the saw. As an oiler we used to grease the main bearings every 3 months so you climbed up into the wheel being very careful not to cut yourself. One of my jobs as a millwrite helper was to pull the support structure for the carriage back into the mill. The pounding of the carriage was pushing it out into the lake. They ran a couple of what looked like 40 or 50 foot pieces of 2" ready rod up through the structure and handed me a 3 foot crescent wrench and told me to start tightening.
30 years later I was working in an office building across the harbour from a metal scrap yard. The company ran out of old growth timber and they scrapped the mill. I could see the headrig wheels up on the scrap pile for several weeks. Weird feeling.
Brian
30 years later I was working in an office building across the harbour from a metal scrap yard. The company ran out of old growth timber and they scrapped the mill. I could see the headrig wheels up on the scrap pile for several weeks. Weird feeling.
Brian