# A Frick Portable Sawmill



## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Just put up a 'prototype photo essay' teaser of my next scratchbuild -- Which will be sized to go with the Flour City, of course. My model may also have the optional mankiller top saw as well.... if I can find a suitable blade. I left the detail photos fairly largish so others could use them for reference. Yes, I'll be posting a some line drawings, dimensions, and parts sources once I get started. IMO this is one area that ALL scales are lacking a decent kit in. (Woodland Scenics' HO one is cute, but not really very accurate). Frick mills came in 4 sizes 00, 0, 01 and 1. The mill in the pictures is a size 0. They were called 'portable' because they could be dis-assembled and moved from one logging site to the next. Mills of this size were often owned by farmers as well as timbermen, especially in areas with smaller disconnected woodlots, like PA, and Ohio.












http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/sawmill.html


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Some more information--- 

First, links to a cut of a 00 (smallest size) mill http://www.steamengine.com.au/steam/sawmill/frick/pics/frick-00-drawing.jpg and a drawing of same, with dimensions. http://www.steamengine.com.au/steam/sawmill/frick/pics/frick-00-joined.gif 

Next, some basic dimensions of the 0, and 1 sized mills from the Frick catalog. Again, the 0 is the size of the mill in the photos, but the larger 1 mill is the 'proper' size to go with the Flour City. 

Brake horsepower required= 0- 24-50, 1- 50-75 ----- Saw diameter= largest 0- 60", 1- 68" ----- Husk (the box with the feedworks and blade) dimensions= 0- 65"l x 40"w, 1- 108"l x 52"w ---- Mandrell (the asle that holds the blade) dimensions= 0- 2-7/16"d x 66"l, 1- 3"d x 78" ------ Collar *holds the blade= 0- 4-3/4", 1- 6" -------- Standard pulley= 0- 22"d x 10" face, 1- 24"d x 12" face ----- Carriage timbers= 0- 3" x 5", 1- 4" x 6" ----- carriage width= 0-32-1/8", 1- 40-5/8" ---- Wheel diameter 0- 8", 1- 10" ------ Set shaft= 0- 1-11/16"d, 1- 2"d ----- Size of headblock opening= 0-36", 1- 44" ------- way (long frame the carriage rides on) timbers= 0- 3" x 4", 1- 3" x 5" ----- hemp core steel braid feed cable diameter= 3/8" ---- mills were furnished regularly with 10-foot carriage and 35-foot ways, 15-foot carriage and 45-foot ways, or 20-foot carriage and 55-foot ways, as required.

A modern pic of a 00 mill broken down for transport ....










And last a vid of a Frick 1 mill at Kinzers, Pa They're doing more farting around than sawing, but it shows what the various parts on the carriage actually DO


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## pcentral (Jan 3, 2008)

Hey Allen, 
What's next, you gonna start posting train building projects on the Stak? hehehe Just kidding, I'll be watching this build with great interest just like your other recent old iron projects. I wish someone would step up and offer some of this stuff in our scale at a decent price point for those of us who don't have the time to build them. Right now I just don't have the time to devote to any more projects! 

What size of blade would you need for the top saw? I may have something that would work for you. 

Steve


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## James Kuhns (Jan 12, 2008)

I have a model of a saw mill like this on my railroad. It is modeled after the one my grandfather owned and run in the 1920's 1930's and 1940's. I have a couple of large photographs of the mill running in it "hay day". It was powered by an Advance Rumley steam engine. The saw mill ran in the winter, spring, and summer . In the fall the steam engine was used to power a thrashing machine and was part of a crew that farmers contracted to come to their farm and thrash, mostly wheat, sometimes oat and barley. 
The Advance Rumley steam engine still exist and is run each year at the early farm equipment show grounds between Springfield and Republic, Missouri on US-60. 
The show grounds has a saw mill of this type that is run at these events. 
On my railroad the saw mill is "run" by 1 of 5 model steam engines I have but not by an Advance Rumley steam engine as I don't have a model of that engine. 
Micro-Mark has a saw blade that work great for this model. 

James


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Actually, I HAVE put up train stuff on the stak.... (EBT, Strasburg, even live steam models) they liked it. 

My philosophy is the scenic details, and story telling 'mini-scenes' are what really makes a layout interesting. My grandpa preferred the old Lionel 'spaghetti bowl'. Neither is wrong, but personally it seems just a bit odd to spend a lot of hours and money to make a superdetailed logging train, and have noplace but an empty shell for the logs to go /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif 

I found a perfect, if wicked looking, 3" main (real) saw blade at a flea market. It was imported by a place called "Prosperity Tools" in Florida to go on some sort of cut off tool. I've been trying to find a 2" or 2-1/4" one to match.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh, and BTW, I AM willing to build a second one -- if the price is right


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Mik,

That sawmill is nearly a dead ringer to the one I hauled to as a young man. Even the engine--isn't that an international?

There was one difference that may be of interest to some. Your pic shows a pit for the works, but the one I remember was up on an elevated trestle/gridwork. The biggest difference is, the crew had to canthook the logs up an incline to the pickup table. The entire structure (trestle/base) was about the same height as the bed of a 1-1/2T Chevrolet flatbed. FWIW.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Les, yes, it's the same size engine as they used in the TD-18 crawler. 

After about 6 hours of fooling around, a HUSK! 

















Remind me not to use oak again. It was here, the stores were closed, so I used it... but MAN does it take FOREVER to cut with a razor saw! 

AND I found a nice cut of a Frick 01 with a top saw!


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Thanks for the pixes. What is the purpose of the top saw? That's a new one on me.

Les


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

The top saw is so you can cut larger logs.... or, since it sits slightly behind or in front of the headsaw, to remove a few useless body parts from your off-bearer or sawyer if he isn't paying attention. 

Most mills that had them when new lost them over the years because they were rarely needed unless cutting old growth timber. -- even they you could split the occasional really big log with black powder, and quarter saw it much easier than manhandling it into the mill whole.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Okay, thanks. From the artwork, it looked like the topsaw was not running in the same plane as the headsaw.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Gee, has it really been 10 days? Anyway, I made most of the carriage track today. I need to get the 17" pulleys off Ozark before I continue on this, So next I'll start on the carriage track


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## chuckger (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Mik,

Good start on another neat build. We went to Knobels park with the grandson last week and while walking around I saw a Frick steam roller on display. If your interested I'll take some photos the next time we are up there. Dont want to see you running out of things to build.

Chuck


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Deadlines are for missing.... I* wanted* to have this thing finished by the end of July. It's still not.


Here's how it looks tonight. The main frame is pretty much complete except for the carriage cable and sawdust conveyor. The husk still needs the automatic belt tensioner, top saw, and covers.










The carriage was kind of a hurry-up for a show so it would at least LOOK something like a sawmill. It needs the head blocks with dogs made, the knees redone, and the carriage advance mechanism detailed.









More when I get time


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

OK, I found some time.....

Carriage got a handle on the advance lever, dogs and new knees...after I took this pic I decided to trim it in green because the black was obscuring the details. Either is correct.









TOP SAW!!!!!!! It's not quite correct (the frame sides should be arches), but it still looks neat -- jury still out on whether I want to cut a sliver of 3" pipe to make it more "correct"


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Coming together.....

I didn't like the first topsaw frame. This one took an hour or so, but is MUCH closer to prototype. That's one of the great things about Welder cement-- You can pull it apart if you change your mind.










Hey! It almost looks like a sawmill!









Meet our sawyer. His name is Tom, of course


















Remember that big ugly Flour City? I'll use painted ribbon for a main belt










First log!









Next up? A log truck from that spare Mack AC kit.


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