on-site sawmilling and timber conversion information ... - The Chilterns

ON-SITE SAWMILLING
AND
TIMBER CONVERSION
INFORMATION PACK
TRANSNATIONAL WOODLAND INDUSTRIES GROUP

ON-SITE SAWMILLING
AND
TIMBER CONVERSION
INFORMATION PACK
Acknowledgements:
For everyone who provided useful advice in developing this information pack, namely:
Mike Furness, TWIG Project; David Jones, Forestry Commission; Andy Mason, Forestry
Commission; John Morris, Chiltern Woodlands Project; Ulf-Dieter Pitzing, TWIG
Project; Russell Rowley, SWA; Gervais Sawyer, Buckinghamshire Chiltern University
College; Jim Walker, Chiltern Woodlands Project
Loren Eldred,
Chiltern Woodlands Project,
September 2000.

On-Site Sawmilling and Timber Conver
ersion
Contents:
1. Introduction:
i The aim of this sawmilling pack
ii What is On-Site Conversion?
iii Why Use On-Site Conversion?
iv Adding Value
v Profits
2. How you can utilise your wood
3. Forestry Machinery
i Types of Mill
ii Extraction Equipment
iii Other Machinery
4. Practical Issues
i Site Factors
ii Milling
iii Technical Aspects
iv Legal Considerations
v Health and Safety
vi Provision of Information
5. The Economics
i Costs of Different Operations
ii Total Value
6. Case Study: Mobile Sawmilling Demonstration of 02.12.99
7. Glossary
8. Bibliography
9. Lists of Useful Contacts
Plate 1. A mobile sawmill can add a new dimension
to your woodland management
L. Eldred, Chiltern Woodlands Project

1. Introduction
i
The aim of this sawmilling pack
This pack is intended to illustrate to woodland owners how they can use a mobile
sawmill to process their timber. It is not designed as a technical document but to
provide an introduction to one important way of raising revenue from a wood. Owners
can find out more about the process by contacting sawyers and woodland owners who
have used mobile sawmills.
ii
What is On-Site Conversion?
On site conversion is cutting felled timber into useful products within the wood. Using
a mobile sawmill for on-site conversion is one way to do this. Other ways may be to use
a firewood processor, woodchipper or a bark peeling machine. Which method of
conversion you use depends on what products are required and the material available.
iii
Why Use a Mobile Sawmill for On-Site Conversion?
On-site conversion can:
• Add value to your timber for sale.
• Can make small parcels of timber saleable.
• Convert material for your own use.
• Do away with road transport costs to and from a commercial sawmill.
• Produce many different items such as planks, beams, gateposts, flooring, featheredged
cladding boards and so on, which can be used around your estate. This
can provide considerable savings as it cuts out the need to buy raw materials
from elsewhere.
• Allow unusual timber, character or sizes to be cut.
• Assist the management of your wood.
• Allow specific trees to be processed into specific products.
• Produce valuable by-products such as sawdust that you can use yourself or
sell on as a product.
iv
Adding Value
Adding value by one or more of the methods to convert timber is a way to balance the
cost of managing a small woodland. It can:
• Increase returns from felled timber
• Reduce expenditure on bought-in wood products
• Give the satisfaction of a known timber provenance

• Provide satisfaction in using one’s own timber
• Stimulate other woodland management
• Encourage other local enterprises/wood uses
• Encourage local resource sustainability and produce benefits for recreation,
landscape and the natural environment
v
Profits
It may be possible to generate profits of 200-300% through mobile sawmilling if the
timber is sold. A standing tree worth £10 may increase to £150 if planked and if air
seasoned may increase to £300 or more (figures from the Mobile Bandsaws leaflet by
the Oxfordshire Woodland Project).
Plate 2. Using a mobile sawmill in your wood can not only convert
timber into useful products, but provide satisfaction in using your
own timber
L.Eldred, Chiltern Woodlands Project

2. How you can utilise your timber
Species Uses Durability
Ash Framing, flooring, internal joinery, floors and Not durable as
furniture. Smaller diameter useful for tool handles. exterior wood
Gates if treated.
Beech Interior joinery, furniture and floors. Not durable as
exterior wood
although will take
preservatives well.
Birch Furniture and floors. Not durable as
exterior wood,
unless treated.
Wild Furniture, cabinet making, kitchen workshops, Semi durable as
Cherry high-class joinery and panelling. exterior wood.
Sweet Fencing posts, tree shelter stakes, beams, Durable as exterior
Chestnut furniture wood
Hornbeam Charcoal, splitting wedges, traditional for gear
teeth in water mills, turnery use.
Not durable as
exterior wood.
Larch Fencing posts, tree shelter stakes Semi-durable as
exterior wood.
English Structural work both interior and exterior. Durable as exterior
Oak Floors, stairs, furniture and panelling. Gateposts, wood. (Sapwood
cladding boards for barns and beams for susceptible to
construction. May be used green in construction powder post beetle
but requires careful sawing & carpentry to avoid infestation).
problems on drying.
Sycamore Joinery, furniture and floors. Timber showing Will perish out of
good figure is especially valuable.
doors unless
treated.
Yew Decorative work, carvings and veneers. Durable as exterior
Small diameters used in turnery work.
wood.
(Source-British Grown Hardwoods The designers’ handbook,
TRADA Technology 1996)
However, with the use of chemical treatments some timbers
can be used out of doors which may not have been used in that
role in the past.
Plate 3. Planks and beams produced with a mobile sawmill
J.Morris Chiltern Woodlands Project

3. Forestry Machinery
i
Types of Mill
Static Mills – several types are widely used and are either circular or band saw mills.
Static mills may be a small saw bench used on a farm for occasional use or a larger saw
used at a timber yard.
Conventional circular saw benches are widely used by many people to convert timber.
They are reasonably simple to use but the saw has to be carefully maintained to achieve
the best results. Maintenance of the circular saw involves both tensioning (which needs
sawdoctor expertise) and sharpening (relatively easy for a trained operator). The depth
of cut may be a restriction.
Circular Double Slabbers are simply two circular blades mounted on the same bench,
which make two cuts at the same time. This decreases the time to convert a piece of
timber but requires lots of power to run two blades at once. It can process short lengths
of timber quickly but has diameter limitations. They have fewer teeth compared with a
circular saw, sometimes as few as six. Usually two operators are required for the
double slabber.
Vertical band saws are used at most timber yards and can process logs over 25cm
diameter and 2m in length. The bandsaw blade needs sharpening after several hours
work. Band saws produce a thinner cut than other types of mill (down to 1mm thickness)
and can work faster. They have a low energy requirement.
Mobile Sawmills
Mobile sawmills are the type of mill that a small woodland owner is likely to use.
There are many different models on the market from small, portable saws to trailermounted
saws. Mobile sawmills are useful for cutting round timber over 25cm in diameter
and 2m in length. Power can be from the mill’s own engine, or from a tractor power
take-off. Some of the sophisticated versions use a hydraulic system to load the timber
and turn it to meet the saw. Most require just one operator although a second person
can help with the loading and unloading of the logs and timber products.
Plate 4. Chainsaw mill in action
Forestry Commission
For more information on the different mobile sawmills models available and a
comparison of their performance, refer to the Bibliography and Useful Addresses at
the end of this pack.
Chainsaw mills are the cheapest types of mill to purchase. These are very effective at
producing minor amounts of timber on site for the small-scale user.
They are portable and easy to set up. Although cheap to buy, they are
slow and more waste is generated because of the wide cut of the chain
and are therefore not suited to producing valuable timber. The chain
will have to be filed to a new profile for ripsawing and sharpening the
chain can be a long process because the chainsaw has to be first
dismantled from the mill. The chain tension will need checking as
sawing progresses. Technical versions are available where the chainsaw
is attached to an aluminium frame and is wound along on a rail. These
types of mill have the advantage of making the chainsaw a more versatile
tool from felling the tree to converting it. You must ensure that you
have a current chainsaw certificate and have been properly trained.

Mobile bandsaws have a fast cutting speed, a narrow saw cut and low
energy demands. Many weigh about a tonne, are towable behind a
four-wheel drive vehicle and take very little time to set up, sometimes
only 10 minutes. Narrow or wide bandsaws are available. Narrow
bandsaw blades are able to take several resharpenings and are disposable.
Wide bandsaw blades require sharpening by a skilled sawdoctor and are
extremely accurate in their cutting. Mobile bandsaws are the most
common mobile sawmill for hire and can cut logs as large as 90 cms in
diameter into products ranging from beams to veneers.
Mobile circular saws are generally very compact to transport and can
process timber quickly. Trailer-mounted, modern high speed circular
sawmills are the fastest cutting mills for small diameter logs and are very popular in
Scandinavia. The saw sits within a carriage unit which runs on rails either side of the log
and is pushed or wound through the log. Two-cut circular saws can swivel through 90°
to cut in the horizontal and the vertical planes while the log remains at ground level.
Due to this sawing method, there is no requirement to turn the log as with mobile
bandsaws which cut in one plane. The depth of cut is limited compared with a bandsaw,
so in order to saw wider pieces such as beams, the saw can be reversed for a second cut.
Metal rails can be joined on some models enabling very long logs to be sawn. Mobile
circular saws generally produce a wider cut (kerf) than mobile bandsaws. The Blossom
Double-Slabber is a type of mobile sawmill that uses two circular
blades at once. It has been designed to process low-grade, small
diameter timber originally for use in Welsh small woods and produce
products like flooring boards and fence posts.
Plate 5. A mobile bandsaw
making the first cuts through a log
Forestor – Standrange Ltd
Mobile sawmills are best hired in when you have plenty of material to
process. To purchase one of these can cost between £5 000 to £30 000
(chainsaw mills cost less), so for processing small amounts such as
three logs or more, hiring a mobile sawmill with an operator is more
cost effective. Hiring a mobile sawmill can cost between £200 – 280
per day. All types of sawmills require skill and care and should not
be operated without proper training.
Plate 6. A portable circular saw which cuts
horizontally on the forward run and vertically on the
return. Forestor – Standrange Ltd
ii
Extraction Equipment
In some cases, it may be possible to bring the sawmill close to the felled trees. If this is
not possible, the timber will need to be extracted to the milling site using a form of
extraction equipment.
For small-scale extraction on an undemanding terrain, tractor-based machinery is
adequate. Single drum, 3-point linkage winches are often used which can cost just
over £1000 and can enable the logs to be pulled to the loading or working area. A
skidding cone can be fixed in front of the logs to prevent them from digging into the
ground when being winched. Logs can be attached to a skidding bar on a 3-point
linkage and driven out behind the tractor although cleaning the logs after extraction will
be necessary to prevent damage to the saw blade during processing. Small, handportable
winches are useful across shorter extraction routes and difficult terrain and

cost around £1000 including wire cables and strops. Purpose-built timber
trailers with hydraulic loaders mounted on them are more expensive
(around £8000) but are useful in larger woodlands. Extraction using
horses, a mini forwarder and trailer, or a pedestrian-operated machine
could be considered. These three latter examples do not cause the ruts
that may occur through using heavier, tractor-based machinery cause little
compaction and are more manoeuvrable. Most forms of extraction may
cause some damage to soft or wet ground, hence extraction is preferable
in dry conditions.
Plate 7. A mini-forwarder being
used to haul out timber
M. Furness, TWIG
iii
Other Machinery
Using a mechanical firewood processor is a practical way to convert reject pieces of
timber into something valuable. They cost below £1000 and can process the material
near the felling area.
Peelers and pointers are
also available which can
make fencing stakes.
Shredders and chippers
can convert surplus
material into a useful
product for mulches or
woodchip heating
requirements. Some of
the equipment is available
for hire to the woodland
owner. Various forest
management shows are
held every year in the UK
and are an ideal place to see mobile sawmills and other machinery in action.
Firewood processors can also add value to wood and there is a range of different
types available. Plate 8 above shows a small portable version (M. Furness, TWIG)
and below, Plate 9, a tractor mounted version
(L. Eldred, Chiltern Woodlands Project)

4. Practical Issues
i
Site factors
Most broadleaf trees should be felled in autumn or winter when the sap is down. If
felled at other times of year, staining can result and decrease the value of pale timber
such as sycamore and ash. Felling outside of autumn or winter may disturb wildlife.
Beech should be processed soon after felling as it can be affected by fungal attack once
felled although spalted beech may fetch a reasonable price for its use in turnery or
furniture.
Extraction is preferable during a dry or frosty period in winter as tracks can easily be
ruined through the use of heavy machinery during wet weather. Provision of a hardsurfaced
track so that the vehicles and machinery can move right up to the timber in the
wood will assist extraction or milling work. There should be enough space for the
mobile sawmill and vehicle to turn around. Extraction routes should be planned before
felling begins.
Wherever possible, logs should be moved without skidding them along the ground as
stones and mud can become lodged in the logs and damage the sawblade. Also ensure
the logs have no nails, fencing staples or wire in them for the same reasons. If the log
has supported a fence and has to be sawn, ensure that the side of log which held the
fence is marked clearly for the saw mill operator to see. Be wary of trees adjacent to
bomb craters as shrapnel can be embedded in trees. A metal detector should locate any
metal embedded in the wood although a quality one may be costly to purchase. The
bark should be removed from the log at least on the side where the sawblade enters the
wood. Using a pressure washer is a modern alternative to blast out stones and grit from
the log. Many commercial static sawmills will refuse to cut small timber parcels unless
they can be assured freedom from metal contamination.
ii
Milling
It is vital to know your timber size requirements before the logs are felled or planked
up. If you plan to sell the wood, then it is vital to know your markets before hiring in
a mill. If the timber is processed to the wrong dimensions, it can be worthless or end up
as firewood. A cutting list should be drawn up to give to the sawyer. Allow for timber
to shrink as it dries. An experienced sawyer will be able to incorporate shrinkage into
the cutting dimensions. If shake is discovered in the wood as it is being milled, ask the
sawyer’s advice on how best to utilise the timber. Allow for waste if the timber is going
to be planed rather than left rough sawn such as 1/8 ”(about 3mm). It may be useful to
contact local sawmills and ask for the prices per cubic foot for the various timbers they
have.
The sawyer’s time is your money. It is important to be organised and ensure the sawyer
spends the maximum time sawing rather than moving timber around. If necessary,
provide labour and machinery to help the sawyer with the moving of timber but be
aware of safety regulations.
At an early stage, discuss the log stacking area with the sawmill operator to assess
whether the site is practical for their machinery. Your stacking area may be situated in
the woodland or at a yard depending on the practicalities of processing the timber. The
stacking area should preferably have a hard surface and at least one day’s worth of
millable timber should be stacked. The logs should be as straight as possible and crosscut

carefully into required lengths leaving square and clean ends. The logs should be
stacked with their butt ends together on 15cm high bearers to keep them off the ground
and help with handling. There should be adequate room around the stack to enable the
sawmill to work efficiently particularly if the mill has to be moved due to sawdust blow.
Also, consideration must be given to the stacking area for the sawn timber which will
take up more space than the unsawn logs. Again, an adjacent level site is needed and
the intention should be to prevent double handling so each log is moved just once
from the saw and onto its drying location. Contact different mobile sawing contractors
for quotes and ask other woodland owners which sawyers they have used. After that, it
is up to the sawyer to get on with processing your timber.
iii
Technical aspects
Unless you are using heartwood oak for timber buildings, making roof shingles or
selling to green woodworkers, the timber should be dried before it is used for its intended
purpose. Air drying is a lengthy process and both the species of tree plus the size of
timber will reflect how log it has to be dried. Oak, for instance, has a much higher
moisture content than ash so a thick oak board will take longer to dry than an ash one.
Timber will shrink as it is dried and will shrink around the circumference more than
from the centre or radially. If the timber is to be used inside a heated building, it should
be kiln-dried to lower the moisture content even further otherwise splitting
will occur as the timber dries out too quickly. This will mean lowering
the moisture content to around 10%. The timber can be taken to a
commercial kiln for which there will be a cost to transport the timber
and dry it.
Plate 10. It is important to
stack timber carefully to help
the drying process
J.Morris,
Chiltern Woodlands Project
The aim is lower the moisture content to around 15-25% and stacking
the timber correctly will help this process. To measure the moisture
content of your piece of wood, a meter can be purchased (see List of
Useful Contacts for details). The stacking site should not only be level
but the stack should be covered from the rain and out of direct sunlight.
A suitable site for air seasoning sawn timber would be on the north side
of a barn where the timber will dry out slowly. The lowest timber must
be kept off the ground on bearers laid flat and level on the ground. As the timber is
stacked, it should be separated from other timber pieces by stickers (thin pieces of
softwood) to provide sufficient airflow through the stack. An adequate number of
stickers should be used to prevent the timber planks from bending and enough weight
placed on top of the stack to avoid warping. Stickers are usually 15-20 mm thick and
placed about 0.4 – 0.5 m apart. The top of the stack should be weighted and the ends
preferably strapped to avoid warping. An exception is sycamore which is ‘end-racked’
or stood up on its end between slats screwed to a wall as this prevents staining. It is
important to spend time in stacking the timber evenly and neatly especially if it is to be
sold. The appearance of the stack can help achieve a good price.
Sealing wax can be used on the ends of the timber to prevent it from drying out too
quickly and splitting. If splits occur the timber will lose some of its value as the ends
will be waste. An emulsion of wax can be sprayed onto the ends of the timber using a
knapsack sprayer if the timber quantities are large enough.

iv
Legal Considerations
Felling licences – if more than 2 cubic metres of material is felled, then a felling licence
from the Forestry Commission is needed. This may be as part of a Woodland Grant
Scheme (WGS) contract. Owners may fell up to five cubic metres per calendar quarter
without the need for a licence as long as no more than two cubic metres are sold. Please
consult your local Forestry Commission office for more advice.
Tree Preservation Orders and Conservation Areas – if these exist on the woodland
then permission must first be obtained from the relevant local authority (usually the
district or borough council) before any woodland management begins.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserves – Consent must be
obtained from English Nature before any woodland management is undertaken.
Felling should avoid the bird-nesting season in the spring.
Greater care and consideration should be taken when felling near or adjacent to public
highways including public rights of way and permissive access, other ownerships and
easements.
v
Health and Safety
It is good working practice to carry out a risk assessment on your woodland and
woodland management operations.
Chainsaws, sawmills and other forestry equipment are potentially dangerous and sufficient
training in their use must be ensured. Check that your contractor has undertaken
recognised training.
Use appropriate personal protective equipment (ppe) when carrying out woodland
management whether it is yourself or a contractor carrying out the work. A reputable
contractor will wear the correct safety gear at all times.
Fresh green wood is very heavy! Avoid backstrain when handling green wood by
using human or mechanical help.
Respect your neighbours’ requirements when using noisy machinery, especially if
your wood is adjacent to domestic properties.
Ensure the milling site is separated from livestock, the public and children. Temporary
fencing may be needed.
Ensure timber is stacked neatly and safely.
Ensure any arisings from the woodland operations are disposed of in a safe manner.
By-products like sawdust, bark and chippings may even be valuable as a product.
Avoid pollution of watercourses and do not disturb other areas of the site unnecessarily.
Avoid damage to sensitive areas such as important wildlife areas and archaeological
remains.
Public Liability Insurance – An appropriate level of cover should be taken out. The
Small Woods Association runs an insurance scheme for woodland owners. You could
also contact an insurance broker who may be able to offer a similar scheme. Ensure that
your contractor has sufficient public liability insurance.

vi
Provision of Information
If your wood has public access, then it may be sensible
to install temporary signs before any woodland
management goes ahead. Such signs are compulsory
for safety reasons and to comply with local authority
permission. It is useful to reassure the public at an
early stage that the work is part of a long-term plan to
benefit the wood so they become used to seeing work
happen. The signs should be simple and state the type
of work to be carried out, why it is being done, its
duration and a contact name and number. Some of the
people reading the signs may even be interested in
buying the products that you make from the timber.
Plate 11. Positive signs can help you with your woodland management
J.Morris, Chiltern Woodlands Project

5. Economics
i
Costs of different operations
It is very difficult to put prices to the costs of converting timber because there are so
many variables. Factors like quantity and quality of timber, the sawing costs, use of
other machinery, the health of the timber market, the skill of the sawyer and the distance
to transport the products will all determine the final cost. Activities which can be
costed are felling, snedding, crosscutting, extracting, sawing, seasoning and delivery/
haulage (if not for own use).
It is possible to achieve profits of 200-300% provided that you are selling quality
hardwood to a known market. At the Mobile Sawmilling Demonstration of 02.12.99.
(See 6. Case Study):
• A three-metre long oak log took under 10 minutes to convert to a beam with
a value of £40.
• If the sawyer can make seven of these an hour, then the value of the seven
beams is £280.
• Minus the sawyer’s hourly rate of approximately £40/hour
• Then the value of the beams is £240/hour or £1800/day.
Please note that:
o
o
o
o
o
You may need to pay for haulage costs if the timber is to be sold on.
You should allow for drying time.
Labour may be needed to assist with stacking the timber.
Machines can break down!
1/3 of the log can be lost as waste when sawn
Three examples of sawn timber prices*
• A 4 x 4” x 8ft post in untreated hardwood: £15
• A 12ft half-round rail: £3.60
• A 6ft. pointed half round stake: £1.80
Waste sawdust can be processed into fuel pellets, pet bedding or have uses in pottery. If
used for heating requirements, it is worth about £50 per tonne delivered and equal to
13p/litre (heating oil equivalent).
* All prices for untreated hardwood, excluding VAT. For products in softwood, divide
prices by half. Year 2000 prices.
If you intend to sell your timber, one of the
latest ways is through ‘Woodlots’. This is a
national ‘exchange and mart’ type of
publication that is free to advertise in. The
sawmill contractor may be able to assist in
selling the processed timber.

ii
Total value
Woodland management has to be concerned with more than trying to make a profit and
must look at the total value of utilising timber from your wood. By beginning to manage
the woodland, it can be brought out of neglect and develop a use for the future. Many
woodland owners feel personally satisfied to initiate work in their woods and ‘make
things happen’. It can be satisfying to produce practical items like gateposts or cladding
for your own use on your land from your own trees. It can bring improvements to the
landscape and produce locally manufactured and sustainable materials. It can educate
local people about woodland management. Utilising trees for milling opens up areas
within the wood thus letting in more light for both ground flora and naturally-regenerating
trees. By-products are generated like sawdust which can be used as a fertiliser or pet
bedding material if clean and bagged. It can stimulate the local economy by using local
forestry contractors.
6. Case Study:
Plate 12. Demonstrations like this one at Horseleys Green,
Bucks can encourage woodland owners to consider the use
of mobile sawmills in their woods.
J.Morris, Chiltern Woodlands Project
Mobile Sawmilling Demonstration – 02.12.99.
A mobile sawmilling event was held in December 1999 to demonstrate to woodland
owners the practicalities of using mobile sawmills and to generate interest in adding
value to woodland products.
Twenty-six people attended the event at Horseleys Green, near Stokenchurch,
Buckinghamshire to watch contractor, John Ayres demonstrate the use of his Woodmizer
sawmill to convert timber into saleable material. A three metre long oak log was
converted into a square beam for construction use in less than
ten minutes. Four cuts of the saw increased the value to this
item from firewood worth £2.00 to a new value of £40.00. Beech
planks were sawn for flooring for the owner’s use.
Costs for machine hire tend to be around £35 per hour plus the
labour costs for an operator and their assistant. John Ayres uses
a hydraulic lifting arm on a timber wagon to load the logs onto
the saw bed.
John Ayres was pleased to provide answers to questions on mobile
sawmilling after the demonstration. Half of the people attending
the demonstration were students from Buckinghamshire Chiltern
University College Forest Products degree course whilst half were
local woodland owners and managers interested in the use of
mobile sawmills in their woods.
The event was arranged by the Chiltern Woodlands Project as
part of the Trans-national Woodland Industries Group (TWIG)
project.

7. Glossary
Air-drying
All-Terrain Bike (ATB)
or quad bike
Bearer
Cross-cut
Firewood processor
Forwarder
Kerf
Kiln drying
Mobile sawmill
Moisture content
Natural regeneration
Traditional way of seasoning wood outside which can take twelve months or more
depending on the type of wood and the thickness
Small, four wheeled vehicle based around a motorbike and
used over cross-country
Strips of wood a timber stack rests on
Cutting wood across the grain
A machine to split wood into firewood
A forestry machine which can transport cut timber out of the forest – usually a tractor
with grab & trailer
The width of timber removed by a saw as sawdust
Using a heated kiln to season wood for interior use
A machine that can be taken on site to process timber
The amount of water in the wood
Trees & shrubs grown from the seed of surrounding parent plants
Pedestrian-controlled A small, powered machine which can be used to extract timber where tractors cannot
machine be used
Personal protective
equipment
Ripping
Saw doctor
Sealing wax
Shake
Skid cone
Skidding
Snedding
Sticker
Sustainability
Thinning
Veneer
The safety equipment necessary to be worn when carrying out work such as
chainsawing
Cutting along the grain
Person who can maintain and repair blades for circular and band saw blades
A wax applied to end grain of drying timber to reduce splitting
A split defect in felled timber
A lightweight, conical device fitted to front of timber bundle when hauling out
Dragging a log behind a tractor
Removing the branchwood from log leaving flush surface
Thin pieces of softwood used to separate drying timber in a stack
Using resources prudently to allow for their replenishment
Removing trees to make space for others to grow
Thin strips of wood peeled off a large log by a thin blade. The most valuable timber used
on high quality cabinet making.

8. Bibliography
• Adding Value to Farm Timber paper, Marches Woodland Initiative
• Adding Value to Farm Wood May 1997, Forestry & British Timber magazine
(taken from Technical Note below)
• Adding Value to Farm Wood, Forest Research Technical Note 21/96
• Caring for Small Woods, by Ken Broad 1998. Earthscan Publications Ltd.
• Evaluation of the Blossom Double-Slabber Portable Sawmill, Forest Research
Technical Note 23/98
• Evaluation of the Lucas Mill, Forest Research Technical Note 6/98
• Harvesting, Extraction & Processing of Low Grade Broadleaves: Case Study,
Forest Research Technical Note 25/96
• History in Chiltern Woods, 1999, Chiltern Woodlands Project
• The Jonsered 600+ Chainsaw Mill, Forest Research Technical Note 5/98
• Laks Sawmill, Forest Research Technical Note 10/98
• Mobile Bandsaws Information Leaflet, Oxfordshire Woodland Project
• Mobile Sawmills leaflet, Anglian Woodland Project
• Small Wood Information Pack, National Small Woods Association,
• Woodland Owners Handbook, Coed Cymru
Addresses for bibliography:
Anglia Woodnet, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2SG
Chiltern Woodlands Project, 8 Summerleys Road, Princes Risborough, Bucks HP27
9DT
Coed Cymru, The Old Saw Mill, Tregynon, Newtown, Powys SY16 3PL
Earthscan Publications Ltd, London
Forestry and British Timber, United Business Media, Miller Freeman House, Sovereign
Way, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1RW
Forestry Commission, Technical Development Branch, Ae Village, Dumfries, DG1 1QB
Marches Woodland Initiative, Forestry Commission Offices, Whitcliffe, Ludlow,
Shropshire SY8 2HD
National Small Woods Association The Cabins, Malehurst Estate, Minsterley, Shropshire,
SY5 0PF
Oxfordshire Woodland Project, Cultural Services Dept, Holton, Oxford OX33 1QQ

9. List of useful contacts
Contractors: Mobile Sawmills
Contact Name Address Phone No. Role
John Ayres Woodlyn, Wycombe Road, Stokenchurch, Bucks, 01494 483366 Mobile sawmiller and
HP14 4NF
contractor
Martin Drew Trenoweth, Watery Lane, Clifton Hampden, 01865 407675 Mobile sawmill and contractor
Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 3EJ
Patrick Hart 3 Taylors Road, Stotfold, Hitchin, Herts 01462 731095 Mobile sawmill
Marcus Mason, 120 High Street, Waddesdon, Aylesbury, Bucks, 01296 651524 Contractor with chainsaw mill
Heathfield & Mason HP18 0JF
Rob Perry Thames Valley Arborists, 101Chapel Hill, 0973 261539 Mobile sawmill and tree
Tilehurst, Reading, Berks RG31 5BX
surgery
Martin Wright Pang Valley Charcoal, 01189 714057 Mobile sawmill and charcoal
makers
Contractors: Static Sawmills
Peter Barnes Barnes Branch, Brook Street, High Wycombe, 01494 525761 Sawmill & timber merchant
Bucks HP13 5HR
Beaumont Forest Burtley Sawmills, Hedgeley Lane, Windsor Road, 01494 675226 Sawmill & timber merchant
Products Ltd. Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 2SE
Blenheim Estate Combe, Witney, Oxon OX8 8ET 01993 881206 Sawmill fencing & timber
Sawmills
merchants
Bouchier Fencing Ltd The Yard, Goring Road, Woodcote, 01491 681265 Sawmill and fencing
Henley on Thames, Oxon
NR Cox The Sawmill, Scotts Common, Checkendon, 01491 680671 Sawmill & timber buyer
Nr. Reading, Berks RG8 0TH
Kenny Earle Glendale, North End, Henley on Thames, 01491 638624 Sawmill, timber merchant &
Oxon RG9 6LQ
forestry contractor
Eynsham Park Cuckoo Lane, North Leigh, Witney, Oxon, 01993 881391 Sawmill & timber merchants
Sawmill
OX8 6PS
D. Layton Layton Timber, Pyrton Hill, Watlington, 01491 613222 Sawmill & timber buyer
Oxon OX9 5DF
M. MacKrory, Nettlebed Sawmill, c/o Cherry Dene, 01491 575723 Sawmill and forestry
1 Elizabeth Close, Henley on Thames, (home), contractor
Oxon RG9 1RE 01491 642033
(mill)
Narcot Timber Narcot House, Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks 01494 872550 Fencing, planking and rough
Services
cut timber
Simon Wingrove Bluebell Sawmills, 82 Kingsmead Road, 01494 530650 Sawmill and tree surgery
Loudwater, High Wycombe, Bucks HP11 1HY

Other Contractors:
John Bunce Pine Ridge Farm, Nine Mile Ride, Wokingham, 01344 771063 Horse logging
Berks RG40 3ND
Andy Burnage 72 High Street, Toddington, Beds LU5 6BY 01525 874273 Timber extraction, coppice
worker
James Dyer 2 Pond View Cottages, Village Road, Coleshill, 01494 721370 Forestry contractor
Amersham, Bucks HP7 0LH
Fountain Forestry Unit 3, Willows Gate, Stratton Audley, 01869 277077 Forestry contractors
Ltd
Nr. Bicester, Oxon OX6 9BA
Mike Harvey 31 Bowness Avenue, Didcot, Oxon OX11 8NF 01235 813619 Forestry contactor
Nicolson Nurseries The Park, North Aston, Bicester, Oxon, 01869 340342 Forestry landscaping advice,
OX6 4HL
contracting service and tree
nursery.
Nick Pitcher Leighton House, Aston Gardens, Aston Rowant, 01844 353660 Timber merchant
Watlington, Oxon OX9 5SY
Henry Rimmer Ferndale Forestry, 52 Shelbourne Road, 01494 452525 Forestry contactor
High Wycombe, Bucks HP12 3NQ
Peter Leybourne 14 White Hart Fields, Quainton, Bucks, 01296 655565 Pest control
HP22 4AT
LJ Reed & Sons Ltd Unit 6, Reeds Ind. Estate, 28 Plantation Road, 01494 721468 Timber merchants
Amersham, Bucks
South Bucks Pyebush Lane, Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 2RX 01494 671921 Timber merchants
Estates Ltd
Charlie Stockwell Stockwells Timber Care Centre, Ibstone Road, 01494 483771 Kiln drying & timber
Stockenschurch, Bucks
merchants
Mick Tapping 13 Highfield Road, Princes Risborough, 01844 345731 Forestry contractor
Bucks HP27 0HG
Peter Whipp Ridgeway Woodlands, 33 Hillway, Amersham, 01494 433944 Forestry contractor
Bucks, HP7 0JL
Woodland Management Advice
John Morris Chiltern Woodlands Project, 8 Summerleys Road, 01844 271315 Local woodland management
Princes Risborough, Bucks HP27 9DT
advisor in the Chilterns
David Rees Oxfordshire Woodland Project, Cultural Services 01865 810206 Local woodland management
Dept, Holton, Oxford OX33 1QQ
advisor across Oxfordshire
Russell Rowley Small Woods Association, The Cabins, 01743 792644 A charity bringing together
Malehurst Estate, Minsterley, Shropshire,
everyone with an interest in
SY5 0PF
small woods.
English Nature Foxhold House, Crookham Common, 01635 268881 For advice on Sites of special
Thatcham, Berks RG19 8EL
Scientific Interest and National
Nature Reserves
Forestry Commission The Old Barn, Upper Wingbury Farm, 01296 681181 Local office for forestry grants,
Wingrave, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP22 4RF
felling licences, advice and
information

Forestry Commission Alice Holt, Wrecclesham, Farnham, Surrey, 01420 23337 South East England Regional
GU10 4LF
Conservancy office for forestry
grants, felling licences, advice
and information (Bucks, Berks
& Oxon for the Chilterns)
Forestry Commission Santon Downham, Brandon, Suffolk, IP27 0TJ 01842 815544 East England Regional
Conservancy office for forestry
grants, felling licences, advice
and information (Herts & Beds
for the Chilterns)
Farming & Wildlife Berks Bucks & Oxon FWAG, Oxon Spires 01865 845152 Whole farm conservation
Advisory Group BusinessPark, The Boulevard, Kidlington, advice and plans
(FWAG)
Oxford, OX5 1FR
Dougal Driver Timber Growers Association 11 Florence Road, 01276 32208 Organisation representing the
College Town, Sandhurst, Berkshire, GU15 4QB interests of the timber grower
and publishes regular
newsletter.
Ian Barrow Barrow & Holding Tree and Woodland 01442 252339 Tree & woodland management
Management, 58 Glenview Road, Boxmoor,
and arboricultural consultancy
Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP1 1TB
Peter Hale Hale Associates, Payn’s House, Oxhill, 01295 688100 Forestry consultant
Warwick CV35 0QR
Geoff Hopwood Oaklands, Little Hampden, Great Missenden, 01494 488346 Forestry consultant
Bucks,
Rod Morrison 1 Forge House, Cryers Hill Road, 01494 716126 Forestry consultant
High Wycombe, Bucks HP15 6LJ
Rik Pakenham Chiltern Forestry, Stoney Lane Cottage, 01844 278849 Forestry consultant
Little Haseley, Oxon, OX44 7LU
Gervais Sawyer Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, 01494 522141 For advice on sawblade
High Wycombe Campus, Queen Alexandra Road,
maintenance, drying,
High Wycombe, Bucks, HP11 2JZ
preservation and mould control.
Tilhill Economic Standhill Court, Little Haseley, Oxford, 01844 279911 Woodland managers and
Forestry Oxon OX44 7LN contractors
Sawmill Manufacturers
TR Autotrek Timber Resources International Ltd, 01428 741349 Mobile sawmill manufacturer
PO Box51, Liphook, Hampshire GU30 7YL
Blossom Design Ltd Blossom Works, New Inn, Pencader, Dyfed, Manufacturer of double slabber
SA39 9AY
Evergreen Mobile Berrymead Farm, Hunston Road, Chichester, 01243 782930 Mobile sawmill manufacturer
Sawmills
West Sussex, PO20 6NP
Forestor Upper Norton Farm, Sutton Scotney, 01962 761622 Mobile sawmill manufacturer
(Standrange Ltd) Winchester SO21 3QF
Jonsered Power Oldends Lane Industrial Estate, Stonedale Road, 01453 820310 Chainsaw mill manufacturer
Products UK, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, GL10 3SY
Laimet Fuelwood Harvesting, Abbey St Bathans, Duns, 01361 840251 Mobile sawmill manufacturer
Berwickshire, TD11 3TX

Lucasmill, Marlwood Ltd, Court Lodge Farm, Forge Lane, 01622 728718 Mobile sawmill
East Farleigh, Maidstone, Kent ME15 0HQ
manufacturer
Lumbermate Charterhouse Richmond, Weydown Industrial 01428 643328 Suppliers of Lumbermate
Estate, Weydown Road, Haslemere, Surrey,
mobile sawmill
GU27 1DW
Laks Mekaniska AB PO Box 16, S-820 82, Jarvso, Sweden 0046 651 Electrical framesaw and
415 80 circular resaw unit
Pezzalato Calder Wilkinson Ltd, Station Road, Sowerby Agents for Pezzalato mills
Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX6 3LA
Wood-Mizer High Oak Farm, Oswaldkirk, York Y06 5YF 01439 788030 Mobile sawmill
manufacturer
Miscellaneous Contacts
Protimeter PLC Meter House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Bucks 01628 472722 Manufacturers of moisture
meters.
Thames and Kennet Michael Brown, Bracken, Loxwood Road, 01403 752556 Coordinate the machinery
Machinery Ring Ltd. Alford, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8HN ring for this region
The Vale Training Marsh Hill Farm, Marsh, Aylesbury 01296 612201 Independent training
Group Bucks, HP17 8ST providor for land based and
rural businesses
Useful Publications and Associations
APF News APF, 7/9 West St, Belford, Northumberland 01668 213937 Association of Professional
NE70 7QA
Foresters magazine
The Chiltern Wood C/o The Twig Project, 8 Summerleys Road, 01844 271316 A directory of wood users
Directory Princes Risborough, Bucks, HP27 9DT across the Chilterns.
Eco-ads C/o Jonathan West, Vegetation Consultancy, 01730 265933 A companion paper to
69 Grange Road, Petersfield, Hants GU32 3NE Woodlots to promote the
management of land and
wildlife.
Forestry & British United Business Media, Sovereign House, 01732 377543 Magazine for British
Timber Sovereign Way, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1RW forestry.
Woodlots To subscribe: Beacon Forestry, 2A Rutland Sq. 0131 228 4176 An exchange and mart type
Edinburgh, EH1 2AS
magazine to buy and sell
Your regional coordinator: Loren Eldred, 01844 271315 timber and woodland
Chiltern Woodlands Project, 8 Summerleys Road,
products
Princes Risborough, Bucks, HP27 9DT

About TWIG:
This On-Site Sawmilling and Timber Conversion Information Pack has been produced
by the Chiltern Woodlands Project for TWIG.
TWIG - the Transnational Woodland Industries Group – is a European funded project
aiming to revitalise local woodland economies in the Chilterns, with partners in North
Evia in Greece and Trier and Thuringia in Germany.
For information about TWIG contact:
Mike Furness, Project Manager
8, Summerleys Road Princes Risborough. Bucks HP27 9DT
Tel: 01844 271316 Fax: 01844 271319
e-mail: twig@chilternsaonb.fsnet.co.uk
About the Chiltern Woodlands Project:
The Chiltern Woodlands Project (registered charity no. 1002512) aims to promote and
encourage the sensitive and sustainable management of woodlands in the Chiltern Hills.
It acts to encourage owners to care for their woodlands, organises a series of annual
training workshops and is the Regional Co-ordinator for Woodlots in the Thames and
Chilterns region. The Chiltern Woodlands Project is a partner in the Trans-national
Woodland Industries Group.
For information about the Chiltern Woodlands Project contact:
John Morris or Loren Eldred
8, Summerleys Road Princes Risborough. Bucks HP27 9DT
Tel: 01844 271315 Fax: 01844 271319
e-mail: john@chilternwoods.freeserve.co.uk
© Chiltern Woodlands Project
September 2000