A Brief History of Sawmills

The idea of using wood as a building material has been around for thousands of years. However, the milling methods and tools used to turn wood into usable lumber has evolved through the years.

Early Sawmills

During the 3rd century A.D., Romans invented one of the earliest kinds of mechanical mills. This water-powered mill was called the Hierapolis sawmill. By the 11th century, water-powered sawmills were prevalent across the Middle East and Central Asia.

In 1593, a Dutchman named Cornelis Corneliszoon, patented a version of the sawmill that contained a pitman arm. This additional part converted the turning motion into an up-and-down one. He patented his version of the sawmill in 1593 and built his first sawmill in 1594. Despite improvements to the sawmill, water was the only thing that could power the saw. The logs still needed to be moved by hand.

The sawmill was introduced to the United States during the colonization of Virginia. Skilled workers from Hamburg, Germany were recruited to teach the colonists how to build and use the sawmill. Metal parts for these sawmills was imported from the Netherlands. By 1706, there were 70 operating sawmills. Because they required water, they were located on lakes and rivers. These sawmills were an important step in the growth of the New England colonies.

It wasn’t until 1810 with the invention of the steam engine that lumber could be manufactured without water power. Improvements in the sawmill industry continued to be made during the Industrial Revolution.

Improved Wood Cutting Tools

There were other improvements as well that were instrumental for cutting wood. One such improvement was the invention of the circular saw. Benjamin Cummins invented the first circular saw in the Unites States in 1814. In 1820, Robert Eastman and J. Jaquith of Brunwsick patented the circular saw to manufacture lumber. Instead of teeth, these circular saws contained square mandrel holes. It wasn’t until around 1840 that circular saws were made with teeth. This was considered one of the greatest areas of progress ever in the history of saw-making.

During this same time, band-saws were also becoming commercially available. One reason for its increased popularity was the thinness of the band-saw blade. Throughout the 20th century, the introduction of electricity made it possible for other inventions, such as the electric handsaw. Edmond Michael invented this tool, which became known as a “Skilsaw” in 1923.

Portable Sawmills                                     

Sawmills, lumber companies, and improved tools made it much easier for the common person to build homes, furniture, and other products. But one more invention would make things even easier. This invention was the first-ever one man sawmill. These portable sawmills were small enough for workers to easily move them and set them up.

One of the first kinds of portable sawmills was called the Belsaw circular mill. The Belsaw company (now TimberKing) manufactured these sawmills from 1929 to 1998. The American Sawmill Machinery Company also manufactured portable sawmills. These sawmills became especially popular during the 1970s. At this time, the country was facing an oil crisis as well as back-to-the-land movement.

In 1982, Donald Laskowski and Daniel Tekulve designed an improved upon version of the portable sawmill. Rather than a circular saw, this sawmill used a band saw, which helped to increase the yield from a given log. The duo called their sawmill the LT30 and patented it in 1984.

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, the demand for portable sawmills continued to grow in the United States and throughout the world. Today, due to the high cost of lumber, many people have resorted to making their own. Because of this, portable sawmills are once again in high demand.