As milling goes from strength to strength across the world, lockdown has seen forgotten projects given a new lease of life. This has resulted in not only some incredible end products but also a strong and much-needed support to mental health during such a turbulent year. Here, we take a look at Norwood’s range of sawmills.

WHAT makes milling a go-to for so many people? Sawmill manufacturer Norwood Sawmills reckons it’s the uncapped potential and versatility that, quite literally, allows dreams to become a reality.

The team at Norwood says it has created a sawmill range that is built on three staple principles: innovation, quality and integrity. The first company to develop affordable personal band mills, Norwood is the only company to focus entirely on this class of sawmills. Since launching the first LumberMate, other companies have followed suit, selling their own lines of personal band sawmills, but only as an afterthought to their main focus of hydraulic mills, Norwood says.

Every Norwood is built in the USA and Canada, with original mills from 1993 still running today. Many of these are operating two 8-hour shifts a day, milling even the hardest exotic hardwoods in Africa, South America and Australia, Norwood says.

READ MORE: Forest Master lands at LJX

Today’s current line-up of mills from Norwood includes the PM14 (14” capacity chainsaw mill), LumberMan MN26 (26” capacity bandsaw mill), LumberMate LM29 (29” capacity bandsaw mill), and LumberPro HD36 (36” capacity bandsaw mill).

The LumberPro uses twin double-plated debossed commercial-grade steel rails in its wide-track log deck. Debossed steel is much stronger and more rigid than flat, unformed steel. Combined with the boxed front and rear-end frames, this log deck is described as offering greater strength, stiffness, lighter weight and, ultimately, greater structural integrity.

Norwood removed all the middle supports from the LumberPro’s log deck, then loaded 10,000 pounds of logs in the middle. Nothing adverse happened! The build quality and construction speaks for itself, the manufacturer says.

Norwood’s cutting head is designed to eliminate any bounce or sag. The fully supported four-post design is fortified with structurally engineered reinforced 2” x 5” precision-extruded vertical guides, heavy gauge 2 ½” structural tubular steel rear vertical mounts and front horizontal stabiliser bar. This, Norwood says, means the LumberPro manages higher load inputs for better milling with more accuracy and control.

Industrial-grade powder coating is said to protect the sawmill better and longer than old-fashioned spray-paint, which can chip, scratch and rust.

Norwood has the only sawmill (LumberPro HD36) that can take you from manual to hydraulic whenever you are ready. Even its manual-only models have more optional attachments and time-saving upgrades than any other brand, Norwood says, with upgrades and options able to be added at a time to suit you.

Norwood says its philosophy is to remove the need for replacement parts and it designs and manufactures all components for trouble-free reliability.

If you would like to know more about the Norwood Sawmills range, contact Andy Dudley at Global Recycling Solutions directly on +44 (0)7764 986912 or e-mail him at AndyDudley@globalrecycling.eu. Alternatively, you can reach him in the Aftersales department on +44 (0)1476 568384, option 3.

Forestry Journal remains dedicated to bringing you all the latest news and views from across our industry, plus up-to-date information on the impacts of COVID-19.

Please support us by subscribing to our print edition, delivered direct to your door, from as little at £69 for 1 year – or consider a digital subscription from just £1 for 3 months.

To arrange, follow this link: https://www.forestryjournal.co.uk/subscribe/

Thanks – and stay safe.