Our speaker this month will be WPW member Don Phillips, who will be providing a tour and demonstration of his 36″ band sawmill (yes, sawdust will fly!) and kiln/shop. We’ll meet first at the sawmill (for reference, ~50 miles from Bill’s shop) where Don will talk briefly on some basic details of how logs are sawn (for yield, or quality, or type of cut — plain, quarter, rift) and will then fire up the mill and demonstrate how it works.
After the sawmill tour, we will drive to Don’s shop (~15 minutes) where Don will then talk about the steps necessary to kiln-dry wood and explain how his shop-built kiln works. The kiln may be open for loading (so that we can see the interior) or closed (under fire), depending on where Don is in his drying schedule. Don will also provide some brief remarks on the kinds of local woods that he cuts and dries, and answer any questions we might have.
Don will also have lots of wood for sale, most of it being live-edge slabs (which can be used as dimensional lumber if you so choose). As many WPW members already know, Don does an excellent job of milling and drying wood, so this may be an opportunity to find that perfect board for your next project. There will be at least one large van at the site (Bill James’ work van), so if you purchase wood that won’t fit in your car we can get it to Bill’s shop for later pick-up.
Sawmill address: 258 Stone Church Road; Grindstone, PA 15442
Shop address: 612 Bitner Road; Dunbar, PA 15431
We have announced this meeting over the summer so that people can try to organize carpools. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN CARPOOLING, add your information to the spreadsheet at the link included in the emailed notice.