SAWMILLING IN THE NORTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15055, 26 July 1912, Page 9

SAWMILLING IN THE NORTH.

NEW KAWAEAWA INDUSTRY.

An event of great interest to the Bay.of Islands district was tho beginning of work on Monday, July 15, at tho now sawmill erected by the Kauri Timber . Company about two miles west of Kawakawa. That company purchased tho timber on Motatau No. 2 Block, and the Maoris made a condition of sale that a mill should bo put up in the district. Mr. R. A. Hall sold the landabout 17 acres— also arranged • for securing water from a fall on the north sido of the main road, which gives over 901b pressure to the square inch. The Bay of Islands County so far has been for the most part out of the running in the bush and sawmill work. Now, however, people passing in the .train have, had evidence of a change in the preparation of the siding and the erection of the mill, and also tho making it a flag-station under the name of Waipuna. On the main road the erecting of the manager's house, the cookhouse, and a number of cottages give evidence that many years' work is expected. | Of course, the main interest centres in the ! fine mill. The building, substantially put : up, is 160 ft by 40ft, with the working" floor 10ft up from the ground. The logs are hauled up by a powerful winch and rolled over on to a travelling bench. One man travels on this bench, another man works tho levers, so that with the greatest ease the log goes:, on to a fino band-saw, which takes off any desired thickness, from thtf thin board to a thick flitch. One remarkable part of the work, to an old sawmill hand, is the smooth surface of tho cut as compared with that of the old bret/kingdown saw. The band-saw has teeth on both edges, so that in coming back again another'cut is made. The boards, ai cut, fall on to rollers, and at once begin to travel towards the yard ; but as they pass are watched, and if not perfect, arc dealt with by other saws. The whole working is such that the old sawmill cry of ''main strength and stupidity" is gone. Very little strength is needed, and there- certainly is no stupidity. When it is required to turn the log it is a bit uncanny to see a lever lift itself with no apparent supervision, extend a further long, strong hook, and turn tho biggest log as well as the smaller ones. Two other levers again, apparently, acting "on their own." —rise up and put it into correct line on the bench, and tho slicing goes on again. The capacity of the mill is about 20,000 ft per day, and totara, rimii, malai, and kahikatea will be dealt with, as well as kauri. The local demand for timber in this rising district will be considerable. At Opua tho wharf affords ample provision for shipping, and the site of the mill on the railway was fixed partly having regard to the mileage rate for hauling, as between the bush and tho harbour. One appliance at the mill must not be forgotten. Tho removal of the'sawdust has always been a trouble, and the poor mortal straggling in semi-darkness under the saws, trying to keep the place clear, has had a hard time. Here a galvanised iron lube, about a foot in diameter, and extending for about 30 yards with an upward slant, provides the 'means for blowing the sawdust away clear of tho workings. In this case it is very wet, as a jot of water falls on the saw as it passes through tho log. Verily, if labour is dear in New Zealand there are those capable of devising machinery to economise it.