Hi Tim and others:

I would like to comment on your Sept 10 entry especially in regards to the "First mill" that put out 1,600,000 bd ft in 1 year of sawing.


Our mill an authentic 1864 reconstruction with 1 blade and running for 5 months total production was 25000 bd ft.

Now if you calculate in that it probably was running slower than in the 1800's lets say we double that to 50000 bd ft.

Now they ran the mill approx 10 months then so we double that again to 100000 bd ft

now we add another blade and we double that again to 200000 bd ft

If they ran the mill 24 hrs a day we could multiply that by 3 or 600,000 bd ft

They could have been sawing already squared timber saving the squaring up process which would increase production damatically, and sawing timber long in length and in cross section (lets say no less tan 12" square) I think that we would be approaching their output

In retrospect I believe that a 2 blade Muley mill in good shape and all machinery in new condition--new blades, good head of water, a 20 foot saw frame, 3 shifts of men, would give it a run for their money, 12" or preferrably larger--18" to 24" already squared timber would put you to that production but it would be a monumental effort no doubt

NH