Lookin for a sawmill

[redneckdan]

Does anyone know of a saw mill in the western UP area? I'm looking for rough sawn kiln dried ash or hickory.

[ktw]

You could start off with Northern Hardwoods/Rossi there in South Range. The other mills in your area are A & J Penegor in Twin Lakes and Erickson Lumber in L'Anse.

We don't have any Hickory in the Western UP, and I don't know of many mills cutting ash, either. You might have better luck with one of the mills down in Wisconsin.

- Besse Forest Products Group, Gladstone, MI (conglomerate with multiple mills in the UP and Wisconsin, their local mill is in Baraga)
- Kretz Lumber, Antigo, Wisconsin
- Park Falls Hardwoods, Park Falls, Wisconsin
- North Country Lumber, Mellen, Wisconsin
- Snowbelt Hardwoods, Hurley, Wisconsin

-ktw

[BruceB]

Ah, you fellers bring back family memories.

My maternal Grandfather was born in Pequaming, which was a town set up by Henry Ford to provide quality lumber for the Model T production line. Mother was born in Hancock and lived in Houghton with her folks (and so did I) until Dad returned from his Canadian Army service in WWII, finished his degree in mining engineering, and moved us to Canada. My relatives are all over the UP, many of whom I've never met. Just to hear the Yoopers here talk of the unique names and places, takes me back to my childhood.

[ktw]

My maternal Grandfather was born in Pequaming, which was a town set up by Henry Ford to provide quality lumber for the Model T production line....

My office is in Alberta Location, another one of those old Ford Motor Company sawmill towns. The view out my window is of the old Ford sawmill.

A "Location" in the UP is a place that used to be a town, but due to our chronic decline in population since about the 40's, no longer measures up to that lofty standard.

We used to export minerals. Then we exported timber for a while. Now we export educated young people.

-ktw

[redneckdan]

yup, but this export is thinkin of stickin around fer a while.

ok, if I can't find ash, can you recommend another wood that steam bends well with reasonable strength and weight? I making a frieght tobbogan. Kinda like this. http://www.ntsled.com/html/our_sleds.html#HAND

[nighthunter]

Dan ... Oak steams and bends well. I'm pretty sure it is a common hardwood in your are.
Nighthunter

[redneckdan]

yup, red oak is common, but I'm told pin oak is not. Every time I say some thing like "wonder if I can knock that thair pin oak over with my truck", Jen lectures me on winter vein distruction in certain tree species due to water freezing and what not. How heavy is red oak? I will be using this for winter camping ala the hand hauled toboggan method. Read "A Winter Wilderness Companion" for more info if you wish.

[garandsrus]

Dan,

Another vote for Oak.... You will probably need to rip thin strips and then laminate them together to get that much of a bend.

John

[ktw]

ok, if I can't find ash, can you recommend another wood that steam bends well with reasonable strength and weight? I making a frieght tobbogan.

We don't have a lot of White Ash, which is one of the the furniture/tool handle woods. We do have a lot of Black Ash, which is what the native americans used for making snowshoes, tobbagons and baskets. Problem is, it's not a widely used commercial species today.

If you strike out on Black Ash at the sawmills, you might try one of the custom sawyers. There's a Dale Venema out in Ontonagon. You might also want to check in with Dave Stimac here in Alberta. Dave is an MTU employee with a large woodworking business on the side - he buys a lot of rough-cut, custom sawn lumber and has better contacts in that market than I do.

-ktw

[waksupi]

If you are looking to "bend a sled", go out and cut it fresh. I've used ash as it works about the easiest. You can easily split a long piece with a wedge and a froe. Once you have it split and rough shaped, it can be pounded with a wooden mallet, to separate the growth rings. Once separated, the ends can be heated, and put on a form to dry in the desired shape.

[ktw]

If you are looking to "bend a sled", go out and cut it fresh.

You are much more likely to find a couple of green, black ash logs at one of the local sawmills that you will kiln dried black ash lumber.

If you want to cut your own, the guy who manages the MTU school forest is Jim Schmeer. His office is in the Forestry buidling there in Houghton.

-ktw

[dragonrider]

Got to www.Lumberfinder.com
stick your zip code in and it should come up with places in your area.

[SharpsShooter]

I bent a sled once when I was younger.........took me several weeks to heal.


SS

[redneckdan]

i bent up my sled last year...poor snowmobile hasn't been the same since.


I contacted besse forest products, erickson's lumber and Northern Hardwoods. Beese doesn't deal in less than 1k board feet, erisksons ain't got ash. Northern Hardwoods has ash but nothing cut at the moment. I happend to be talking to the lady in charge of mill operations, a fellow avid snowshoer, and she said she would pull some strings for me and get me some kiln dried black ash.

[redneckdan]

i'm not actually going to bend the full toboggan loop in the nose. I'm figuring on about 8" rise over a 14 inch run. My dad has a fully equiped carpetry shop at home and I'm planning on doing the work when I get back home, its just hard to find wood locally so I might as well get it here and take it back home.

[KTN]

How about laminating plywood?


Kaj

[mparks]

How long of a piece of ash do you need? I have several staves of I believe white ash put up in my shed cut last winter. They're about 7' long for making self bows. You're welcome to a few. They were shellaced at the ends to avoid checking and the bark is still on.

[redneckdan]

I need ten footers, six inches wide minimium. Nothern Hardwoods is cuttin me a deal for 20 board feet of select grade kiln dried black ash for 1.50 a board foot. 20 BF is enough for at least 2 toboggans and a couple sets of snow shoes. I already have a pair of Iverson michigan style 'shoes. The lacing is okay for trails but no where near fine enough for off trail.

[PatMarlin]

Go to the Forestry Forum, and ask. Yee shall receive. There's a ton of sawyers there.

I run my own mill.....

[Ivantherussian03]

I have seen a good many sleds, and built one. Hickory can carry the heaviest of loads. I use mine in the winter a bunch. I have some pictures; I will look around for. They simple to build, the technology in building simple and straight forward. Hickory is way better than plastic, and fiberglass. I will post pictures of mine, if i can find them. If you seam two boards, one oak, and the other hickory, when bending them the oak will always break first, all other things equal.