"I started buying timber to dry and sell forty-five years ago. My first purchase for the woodworking workshop was a steel circular saw bench that I had to power with a tractor," says Stephen.
His timber fever soon led him to Wood-Mizer. In 1996, after booking a demonstration with the local representative, Stephen witnessed Wood-Mizer’s equipment performance live. A Wood-Mizer representative, showed me how the sawmill operated at the local Brunswick show," recounts Stephen. The sawmill that Stephen set his eyes on at that show was a far cry from how he was processing wood. He was struck by the narrow band blades that sliced through logs with ease. Stephen was equally impressed with the patented cantilever design. This unique design featured a sawhead supported on only one side with the other side open making sawing odd-shaped logs, logs with large knots, and even curved logs possible. "From there, I ordered one and never looked back."
In 1996, Stephen bought his first Wood-Mizer sawmill, the LT40 Hydraulic model. Equipped with a road-ready single axle trailer ready for the bush, this mill proved to be mobile and easy to set up and be sawing in minutes. Plus, with the cantilever design, Stephen had trust that as the sawhead traveled along the monorail system, even on uneven terrain, he would get accurate cuts. Furthermore, the high-performance hydraulic log-handling capabilities gave him a new level of productivity and efficiency that helped grow his operation. He experienced so much success that he expanded his business by purchasing a second LT40 in 2000.
Not only did Stephen find the LT40 Hydraulic sawmill profitable for his business, but he also discovered that Wood-Mizer sawmills had higher resale value than other brands. With this in mind, he made a strategic decision to sell one of his LT40s and purchase a newer model in 2008. By doing so, he ensured that he had the newest model available at his disposal and maximized his return on investment.
Logs were mainly sourced from local farmers with windblown trees and from the Forest Products Commission, which regularly auctioned off logs. "With the Wood-Mizer LT40 sawmill, we milled everything from small branches to large logs," Stephen explains. "We primarily milled the best five hardwoods: Jarrah, Marri, Blackbutt, Sheoak, and Tuart, but there’s nothing you can’t mill with it."
With Wood-Mizer thin-kerf technology, sawmillers can achieve higher total timber recovery, reaching up to 80% compared to conventional wide-kerf saw blades that typically yield 50 to 60%. When dealing with valuable hardwood timber, this increased recovery can translate into significant financial gains. This efficiency is crucial for maximizing the value of every log. "Once sawn, we would stack the timber and dry it in our shed to add more value, dress it if necessary, and sell it by auction or directly to the public. Contract sawmilling was also a large part of the business," Stephen continues.
"Most of my clients are backyard woodworkers, farmers, builders, and even myself!" Stephen laughs. "I can always find various ways to use a good piece of timber."
"Right now I’m in my sixties and I pick and choose what I do, but twenty years ago, my wife Leonie was sharpening blades while I was in the bush operating the mill up to five days a week without stopping," Stephen reminisces.
"The productivity of the Wood-Mizer sawmill is awesome, but what I truly loved was the time at home I gained by having it," says Stephen. "The sawmill has been a partner rather than just a machine, and Leonie and I have had a great life largely because of it."
As for future plans, Stephen has no intention of selling his LT40 anytime soon. "I plan on keeping it around for a while even after I retire from what has been a great career in the timber industry."
