Game Changer: New Sawmill on the Farm
Over the next year, we will be preparing and practicing for our biggest project likely of our lifetime. We will be building our own home from logs harvested right here on Kowalski Mountain. They say building a house is one of the biggest tests of a marriage, most people bicker over fixtures. We will literally be building from the ground up, selecting the trees, and preparing them for construction. With any task, the right tools make the job a whole lot easier. For this mammoth task, the sawmill is one of the tools that make not only building our house possible but also opens up a world of possibilities on the homestead.
The Choice: What to Buy?
Philip spent weeks researching sawmills, watching videos, and comparing the pros and cons of the available options. He finally settled on the Woodland Mills HM130MAX Woodlander. This sawmill can handle logs 30″ in diameter and cut 29″ wide finished boards. While the sawmill will be permanently housed under a pole barn, we purchased the trailer. When we plan any large construction projects, we will be able to cut lumber on-site, rather than haul large amounts of lumber across the property.
Delivery Delays
Philip ordered the sawmill in October, with an estimated delivery date in November. Our sawmill was built in Canada, unfortunately, port and rail congestion led to a four-week delay in shipping. Once notified that our mill was on its way, Philip would have 3 days to get to Kentucky to receive the shipment.
An Early Christmas
The sawmill arrived at Kowalski Mountain on Monday, December 20th. Due to several days of rain, the delivery truck was unable to drive down to the barn to unload. Philip met the driver at the gravel pad near the road and they unloaded the pallets onto Philip’s trailer. From there, Philip would need to unload the sawmill by himself using the bobcat.
The entire shipment weighed 2199 pounds! The largest pallet weighed in well over 1000 pounds. Thankfully Philip operates the bobcat like its an extension of his hand. Due to his tree work experience, he expertly manages the ropes, chains and straps to load and move the sawmill. Since the bobcat is not tall enough to lift the load over the side, he did a little shimmy to move the load from the side out the rear of the trailer.
Breaking the Sawmill In
This trip to receive the mill was a quick one. With Christmas coming, Philip didn’t take time to assemble the sawmill. Be looking for future posts regarding the assembly and the much anticipated first run with the Kowalski Mountian Sawmill.
Watch Philip Receive and Unload the Sawmill
About the Author: Barbra-Sue Kowalski grew up on a small hobby farm. She was always drawn to farm life, however, she was stuck in an urban life far from her roots. Barbra-Sue was a single mom for 13 years, raising her 3 children on her own. She met Philip in 2018 and they married in 2021. Between the two of them, they have 5 grown children and 5 grandchildren. These empty nesters are following their dreams! As they both turn 50, they are building their off-grid homestead to live the life that they dream about. Learn more about Philip and Barbra-Sue here. Contact them here. To leave a comment on this post, please scroll down.
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Building your own house!!! I’m so excited to follow along and watch your progress. That is such a huge undertaking. Wow!!
YES! Its going to be our biggest build of our life! We’re building a small guest cabin first to practice.
How exciting! I can’t wait to see the work!
Building your own house with your own lumber is such an amazing feat! You’ll have so many great memories when you look at the house you built with your own logs. Very cool journey!
Great content! Keep up the good work!