Sawmilling Process | Kiln Dried Lumber Process | Custom Millwork Process | Material Safety Data

Sawmilling
The legacy of sawmilling at Bailey Wood Products dates back to 1928 when founder Howard Bailey began logging and sawmilling to pay the mortgage on his newly purchased farm. The operation has remained on a portion of that piece of property today. Much has changed since those early days. The equipment has become much more modern. The one thing that has remained constant is the care that goes into producing well manufactured lumber at Bailey Wood Products. The Bailey name has been known for decades as a source for great hardwood lumber and friendly service.

The process begins with timber that is harvested primarily from private woodlots. Our suppliers are SFI ( Sustainable Forestry Initiative) Trained Loggers. Our other non-native species are purchased from wholesale importers. We also purchase selected logs from other mills and other veneer and log buyers to be custom sawn on our mill for special needs. We also carry a few species of lumber that are FSC certified.

Our logs are purchased based on the net volume of board feet they will yield when sawn and their respective grade. The grade is determined by the amount of clear defect free sides each log has. After grading they are sorted based upon species and length in our log yard for storage prior to milling.

Prior to milling each log is debarked on our log debarking machine. This is done to remove all of the dirt and debris that got imbedded in the bark as a result of harvesting. This step is key to maintaining a sharp blade on the sawmill. We also generate a raw bark by-product that is sold for landscape mulch. After debarking each log is checked for an imbedded metal with a metal detector. This is a safe guard against blade damage and extends cutting life of each blade.

Upon completion of debarking and metal detection, each log is ready for processing on our 36” double cut bandsaw. The sawyer processes the log to yield the clearest lumber and highest grade with each saw pass through the log. When certain dimensions are required the computerized setworks aids the sawyer. We also produce flitch cut slabs that are stacked in a boule (their original orientation in the log) for book matching or other special needs. We also quarter saw certain species for the stable lumber it produces and to bring out the beautiful figuring and grain. The bandsaw mill is capable of sawing logs 4’ to 24’ in length. This allows us to produce shorts from crotch sections and other figured short logs all the way up to long timbers.

After being sawn to the desired dimension, thickness, or specially sawn for grade and figure the resulting lumber is edged and trimmed. We also produce live edge lumber where the natural edge of the piece is retained for table tops or other specialty applications.