Mobile Saw
The Lucas Mill is a swivel-saw i.e. it has a circular blade which can be turned to cut in both the horizontal and vertical plane. The maximum depth of cut is 8.5 in./210mm. The saw can make a double-width cut so that the maximum cross-section is 8.5 x 17 in./210 x 420 mm. The saw log can also be squared to larger dimensions.
Accurately and efficiently, it produces square-edged boards, beams and planks up to 8metres/ 26.24ft long from saw log’s up to 5.5 ft. wide. The blade has 5 tungsten carbide teeth which can be sharpened as necessary. There is a facility for sawing feather-edged boards with the Lucas swivel saw.
There is also a Lucas Chainsaw mill – known as dedicated slabber which will mill slabs up to 5 ft wide & 11 inches thick. I will take away any unwanted firewood but will ask the client to deal with the sawdust. I have a metal detector to scan over each log, so taking responsibility for any damage to the teeth.
The working day of 8 hours begins on arrival at the site; includes the set-up time and any manoeuvring of saw logs. The client needs to provide tractor with a loader if there are more than one or two logs.
Pictured above: Slabber Mill
To hire either or both mills with an operator costs £400 per day and £520 for the two mills with myself and a mechanic, this includes travel cost, a flat rate, for up to 20 miles from Madley, Hereford. Extra mileage is charged at £1.00 per mile for the total extra miles travelled i.e. there and back beyond the 20 mile border. It excludes break-time of 3/4 hour.
The saw can be operated by one person but it is preferable to have two, so that the operator can concentrate on sawing while the other can offload the sawn wood, stack it etc. The hand may be provided by the customer, or I can provide the same for £120 per day.
The Lucas was able to accurately saw these tropical hardwoods, Ekki and Greenheart, both amongst the top ten hardest timbers in the world. The customer had bought them from a sawmill which had closed down and needed some very durable floorboards and beams for renovation work.
Greenheart being cut by Lucas
Planks cut by Lucas
Ekki being cut by Lucas
Ekki being cut by Lucas
The Lucas can be extended to saw lengths of up to 40ft ( 12 metres). Here it is shown, used in conjunction with the Alaskan chainsaw mill. Having skimmed a flat surface off the top, the Alaskan is being used to saw 40 no. of 34′ boards to be used in in the construction of a ”trow”, a historic cargo boat which used to be used on the rivers Wye and Severn.
The Lucas was used to saw the 150 x 150 by 10.5m keelson and all the frame pieces, out of oak, at another location. To saw the longer pieces, i.e. more than 26ft, requires two more saw rails, another supportive frame and more labour , therefore there is an added charge of £100 per day.
The trow has been built by the firm Nielson in Gloucester and launched at Gloucester Docks. It sailed on the Thames as part of the Jubilee flotilla.
First cut on Cedar 7ft high, Lucas frame jacked up by 2′. This is the largest one milled so far.
Cedar of Lebanon slab 20ft by 4.5ft by 2″
Chainsawing to narrow the trunk to 5.5′, so the Lucas could fit down the side
Oak in a Hereford back garden in need of milling
Slabbing oak
near Ross-on-Wye
I am covered by a Public Liability Insurance of £2 million and an Employees Liability of £10 million.
Sale of Timber
There is large amount of air-dried timber for sale — oak and ash mostly, scots pine, some walnut, chestnut and wych elm.
To be sawn to order, there are oak, ash, cherry, chestnut, beech, sycamore and scots pine. All the timber is locally grown.
