A Trip Through the Veneer Mill by Dave Bilger
Michael (the President) let me wander around & this is what I came up with.
I met plenty of really friendly people & watched as they performed their duties....
1) The Saw Mill. This is where I started. It is up the hill - attached above the plant. Of course this is a very critical part of the operation as it is where the logs are processed. |
2) The Log Yard. This is adjacent to the Saw Mill and contains the high quality veneer logs. They are kept fresh and wet with a sprinkler system until they are ready to be cut. |
3) The logs are loaded into the De-barker where the bark is removed & then they travel up the conveyor chain into the Saw Mill. |
4) Up in the mill, these freshly de-barked logs are staged awaiting their first cut on the saw. |
5) They are loaded up in the band mill - ready! |
6) This is the large band saw ready for action.. |
7) The first cut is taken to true up the log, as the sawyer determines the very best place to cut the log in half. A laser beam helps as the sawyer rotates the log... |
8) The critical cut is made and will determine the quality and yield of the produced material. This is a very critical step & the Sawyer has been with the company for many years... |
9) The half log is just ready to fall, as the saw is ending it's cut. This is a high grade cherry which will end up as beautiful architectural veneer. |