The Mill Transformed Trees into Highly Prized Lumber

The Mill Transformed Trees into Highly Prized Lumber. Deschutes Pine Was Well Known Across The Country. , From the woods to the Deschutes River, the log was hoisted by the bull chain into the mill from the river to the log deck. It was then directed to the band saw in one of the three head rigs, where the process began. It was the head sawyer's job to determine the best way to produce the highest quantity and quality of lumber from each log. This was a critical job and he was, understandably, one of the highest paid employees of the mill. At the direction of the head sawyer, the boards were sawed from the log as it was rolled for the best cuts. The clearest cuts with no defects were the highest valued lumber. , The boards were then conveyed to the edger which would remove the bark and square the sloped edge referred to as the wane. Each piece then went through the trim saw where the boards were cut into even lengths, in two foot multiples. Can you imagine the noise inside the mill? The sawyers had to communicate by precise sign language to avoid fatal injuries. , The mill was powered by steam created from burning the sawdust that was produced as a by-product. The powerhouse, with its three smoke stacks, was operated by a three man crew, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. "When I was a kid, the black cinders were all over town. You couldn't hang your laundry out to dry because they would get covered with cinders." Dave Miller, Maintenance Superintendent, Last Plant Manager. , Each band saw was a blade that consisted of a loop of sharpened steel that stretched vertically over two heavy iron wheels. The circumference could be as large as 52' weighing 250 pounds, depending on the head rig. With the mill working around the clock, the saws had to be changed, maintained and sharpened many times a day to keep up with the workload. A nail, railroad spike or bullet in the log resulted in the immediate halt and change of the band saw.