answersLogoWhite

0

Sawmills were once a common sight in the United States, however heavy deforestation means that they are now located only in heavily wooded areas, generally near tree farms. Sawmills have existed since the development of water and wind power, which enabled large saw blades to cut large logs. Some of the first ever built were built in Germany and England, to clear out the once abundant forests and turn the wood into sailing ships and houses. However, the sawmill did not become common until the invention of the steam engine, since steam engines could power a sawmill off of the wood chips, bark and sawdust created by the mill itself.

The invention of modern sawmills in the 1800s permitted for much of the United States and Europe to become heavily deforested. Once it was possible to cut down and process wood into finished boards on-site, demand for cheap, pre-cut lumber skyrocketed. This eventually evolved into the modern sawmill, which can convert an entire forest of trees into lumber through a largely automated process. The use of automated saws not only saves time and money, it prevents workers from becoming injured by keeping them away from the large blades and spinning machines.

The downside is that this means that all of the logs must be of similar size, shape and thickness. This has led to the development of the modern tree farm. Such tree farms produce trees that are not only identical in species; they are identical in height and thickness. While good for the sawmill, these artificial forests tend to be unwelcoming to wild animals, since they lack biodiversity and the undergrowth must be cleared constantly to prevent fires. Still, the advent of tree farming has largely been hailed as a success for the natural environment, since it permits the demand for wood to be satisfied without creating a need for new forests to be cut down.

Many sawmills are somewhat open to the public. In such cases, they have lumber lots where any person may purchase lumber at prevailing market rates. Persons who know they will be purchasing a large amount of lumber to build a deck or a house can often save money by going directly to a local sawmill.

User Avatar

Wiki User

11y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

Where can a person purchase portable sawmills?

Many online retailers have portable sawmills available for purchase. Examples of these retailers include Woodmizer, Norwood Sawmills, and TimberKing Sawmills.


Where are portable sawmills in Idaho?

18 sawmills in Idaho according to the Idaho Sawmills Directory. An idaho sawmill at this time is one that is defined as producing on a large scale with at least 20 employees or more.


What are the ratings and certificates for When the Hurricanes Visited the Sawmills - 1914?

When the Hurricanes Visited the Sawmills - 1914 is rated/received certificates of: UK:U


What were roman windmills used for?

sawmills


Are there sawmills in the amazon rain forest?

yes


What has the author James C Whittaker written?

James C. Whittaker has written: 'A cost-accounting system for small sawmills' -- subject(s): Sawmills, Accounting


What do sawmills do?

They turn trees into boards.Cut logs into planks of wood.


What did the New England colonies use to power sawmills?

waterfalls


Why did many sawmills located in Wisconsin and Michigan?

They had lots of trees.


What did sawmills look like in colonial times?

Colonial sawmills were usually small operations with two or three people. Much of the sawing was done by hand or crew saws. More intricate mills may have had water powered saws that made factory grade boards.


Where are sawmills concentrated?

A large share of the operations in this category was located in the state of Washington.


Can you woodcut in the sawmills on runescape?

You can train woodcutting in the saw mills, by completing jobs.