Sawmill

[Priemsy]

Does anybody have any information onTrewhella sawmills, manufactured in Trentham Victoria. Bought a break down bench saw yesteday, can't wait to get it going. Looks like I could drive it with the PTO of the tractor with a few modifications. I have a spare diesel tractor motor sitting there, which I'll probably use in the finish. Any advice. comments or information , gratefully received. If anybody is interested, I'll post a couple of pics.

[Pulpo]

I have not heard of the this saw mill.

But keen to see a picture or two.

PTO on tractor is this [point of take off], I have forgotton what it stands for.

Hopefully you have few logs to mill.

Cheers

Pulpo

[echnidna]

PTO means Power Take Off

[Greolt]

I don't know if you meant Trewalla.
I spent some of my youth working a bench in a sawmill by that name.

It might have been Trawalla:confused:

Greolt

[Marc]

Trewhella has been in business since 1887, and was originally started in Australia by two brothers. They went there during the goldrush in Victoria State to find work in the gold fields. Our name comes from Cornwall, where the brothers had worked as engineers in the tin mines.

Having made some money, they bought some land and settled down, only to discover that the property was covered with Blue gum (Eucalyptus) trees and that digging them up was hard work. They invented the first Trewhella 'Monkey' jack to push the trees over, and then set up an engineering works and foundry to make and sell them.

In 1908, the son of one of them, having served his apprenticeship with the firm, was sent back to England to sell their products. He stayed, and set up the English branch of the business which continues to this day.



http://www.trewhella.co.uk/

This is the only company with that name I could find.

[Priemsy]

thanks for the replies. Definately the right spelling. Here are some pics.
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/4384/p10100019ys.gif
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/5918/p10100039fo.gif
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/9577/p10100054wz.gif
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/8769/p10100061oc.gif

[Greolt]

Yep thats the bench I remember. My spelling lived up to Her Indoors expectation:)

I remember that guage. As I recall that knob moves a quarter inch each quarter turn. With one inch notches on the rack.

My hearing remembers it too. No ear protection in those days:rolleyes:

Greolt

[Priemsy]

That's great Greolt. The knob is a bit seized but should come up allright. Just guessing, but did the feed roller have a multi sized pulley to control the speed?

[JohnM]

I operated one of those in a mill years ago too. That one had been modified with a hydraulic motor driving the feed roller, very simple to adjust the speed as required.

If you drive it from the PTO make sure you have the speed right.

Good luck!

[Priemsy]

Thanks for that John, good sound advice.

[keith53]

Looks like you've got a bit of work ahead of you Priemsy. Good luck, hope it comes together..:)

[Priemsy]

It will Keith, have got so much interesting timber on the place,it will have to work Lol.

[Greolt]

Priemsy

The bloke on the guage had a lever just to the left of the roller that controlled forward and reverse.
Only one speed. The bloke feeding and the pull out man both have like sort of saw horses on railway tracks.
The timber goes back and forth.........
Hard to explain you really need to see it all set up and going.

This is not a breaking down saw of course. That comes first, this comes second.

If you ever get over West Gippsland way PM me and I can arrange for you to see this same bench in an operational mill.

Greolt

[Priemsy]

Thanks for that Greolt. Where abouts in West gippsland?? Used to live in the Moe area in my teens.

[Greolt]

Tynong North

[Priemsy]

Tynong North
Geez! That's suburbia now!!!