The Story Of Alvin King – Successful Portable Sawmill Owner

If you want an example of portable sawmill success, take a look at Alvin King, who operates a portable sawmilling business just outside of  Rochville, Indiana.  He is a prime example of a sawyer who has managed to maintain a successful business, despite the changing times.

As a member of the Amish community, Alvin used to help out on his family's farm.  However, he found himself with a lot of spare time in the winter months.  That caused him to get into the sawmilling business.

When Alvin first started his own lumber business, he didn't have much equipment and he only cut pallet stock.  However, if that was all that Alvin did then he would have gone out of business long ago.  Instead, about three years ago, Alvin invested in a hydraulic portable sawmill from Cook's Saw.

Alvin soon begin to see his business changed.  He now had the ability to cut larger logs in more different ways and at a faster pace.  He soon began cutting cants and doing custom cuts.

Alvin also realized that he could save a lot of money by having his blades sharpened regularly.  However, he didn't want to outsource that work.  So, he bought blade sharpening, flattening and setting tools from Cook's Saw too.

New and improved machinery has allowed Alvin King to stay in business, no matter how the economy or the lumber industry changes around him.  Would you like your portable sawmill business to be as successful as Alvin's?  If so, visit www.cookssaw.com to learn how to make your dream into a reality.

Why Bandsaws Are The Most Popular Portable Sawmills

There has always been a bit of a debate amongst sawyers regarding whether circular saws are better than bandsaws.  So, if you're looking for a portable sawmill, how do you know which is best?

Well, years ago circular saws were preferred.  Bandsaw blades tended to be a bit more flimsy and unreliable.  They also didn't cut through the lumber fast enough.  So, it's no wonder that people tended to prefer the traditional circular saws.

As with many things, though, technology and new designs have changed all of that.  Today's portable sawmills are primarily bandsaws.  Newer bandsaw models are built to be lasting and tough.  Thanks to stronger motors and cleaner sawmill designs, modern bandsaws cut through lumber much faster than they used to as well.

Circular saws can sometimes cut with a bit more precision, of course.  However, when it comes to large lumber operations, speed and uniformity are usually the more important factors.  That's why many sawyers are choosing portable bandsaws over circular saws, or at least making sure that they have one of each.

Portable bandsaw mills are also popular because they create less waste.  Their cuts are more precise.  That means that sawyers can get more usable cut lumber out of a log.  That is a money and resource saver.

Do you want to learn more about the benefits of portable sawmills.  If so, just visit www.cookssaw.com for some useful information.  Cook's Saw has been a leader in the portable sawmill industry for a long time.  Therefore, they can easily help you to choose the perfect bandsaw mill for you.

Diversifying Your Portable Sawmill Business

Owning a portable sawmill business can be tricky, especially in today's tough economic times.  Can you really get by on cutting just pallet stock?  Of course not!  That's why diversifying your portable sawmill business is so important, but exactly how do you do that?

Well, nobody understands diversifying the portable sawmill industry better than Alvin King.  He owns a portable sawmill business and he knows that business changes with the economic times, and even with the time of year.  That's why he has diversified his own portable sawmill business in many different ways since he started out.

Alvin began his business by using a manual mill to cut pallet stock.  Well, he still cuts pallet stock, but he uses a hydraulic mill from Cook's Saw to do it.  Not only that, but he also cuts cants, resells certain lumber without cutting it, does custom cuts and does his own in-house blade flattening, setting and sharpening.

There are several great things about having a diverse portable sawmill business, as Alvin knows.  One of those things is that you can keep up with the changing times.  Another is that you'll never be bored.  There's always something new and interesting to do at Alvin's mill.

What Alvin likes the most since he diversified his portable sawmill business, though, is that he has top-notch equipment, which is all provided by the folks at Cook's Saw.  So, do you want to be a diverse sawyer like Alvin?  If so, visit www.cookssaw.com for some great equipment and tips.

Taking Care Of Your Portable Sawmill Blades

When it comes to taking care of portable sawmill blades, few people do it better than the folks at Cook's Saw.  They have the perfect tools for the job.  However, using those tools properly and wisely is up to the individual sawyer.

If you feel comfortable with the idea of sharpening your own portable sawmill blades, you can find some great sharpeners at Cook's Saw.  However, you should know that you won't just need a sharpener.  Actually, sharpening portable sawmill blades is a three-step process.

The first step is sharpening.  A sharp blade is an efficient blade, after all.  Yet, even the sharpest blade won't work well if the teeth aren't in alignment and the blade itself is bent.  That's why you can ignore steps two and three, which are flattening and setting the blade.

For some sawyers, the thrill of operating a portable sawmill is as great as the annoyance and agony of trying to sharpen their own blades.  It can seem impossible to achieve that perfectly efficient blade that all sawyers dream of on their own.  If that's how you feel about the process, you can certainly outsource the work and send your blades elsewhere to be sharpened, flattened and set.

On the other hand, you might be more of a hands-on portable sawmill user.  If that's the case, wouldn't you love to find your own equipment and do all of that yourself?  If so, visit www.cookssaw.com to learn how.  It could save you from buying far too many replacement blades.

Manual And Hydraulic Portable Sawmill Benefits

If you have decided to get a portable sawmill, the next decision is which type to get.  The two main choices are manual portable sawmills and hydraulic portable sawmills.  Each choice definitely has its own distinctive benefits.

Manual Mill Benefits:

One of the biggest benefits of a manual portable sawmill is that it is usually small and easy to transport.  It is a portable sawmill in the truest sense because you can take it anywhere.  That includes on your own property or to a friend or neighbor's property.  In fact, you could become the go to person that takes care of your entire neighborhood's lumber cutting needs.

Another benefit of a manual portable sawmill is the price.  Although it is still a large investment, hydraulic sawmills cost a lot more.  So, if you are on a tight budget, you may need to start out with a manual mill.

Hydraulic Mill Benefits:

A hydraulic mill also has a couple of major benefits.  One is that it can cut much larger logs.  Therefore, it will allow you to pick from a wider range of starting timber.

The other benefit is that a hydraulic mill has more power than a manual mill.  Therefore, it can work faster and it tends to be a bit more accurate.  So, if you intend to start a full time lumber business, it would be a good choice.

Are you interested in seeing a complete pros and cons list for both manual and hydraulic portable sawmills?  If so, visit www.cookssaw.com for more information.  That way you can make a completely informed decision.