How 2x4s Are Made: Sawmill Tour

[@basic9254]

Would love to see the process Home Depot uses to put the bowing and cupping in before sale. 😂

[@kylehurley5994]

You made me chuckle

[@driveman6490]

It's proprietary, but I've heard they only hire the best bowers and cuppers in the business.

[@craigdutton6072]

Lol iv had some flat stock door jambs my wife returned home with they had a twist like a propeller lol 😂

[@somethinburnin]

My buddy spent over 3K there on 2x's for a 12x16 Sugar Shack. Had to sort A LOT of board to find something workable. I spent $3750 and bought a Woodmizer LX25 and a 15 pack of blades. Guess who got better lumber with 23 Acres of mature NNY white pine and Hemlock :)

[@clintonadrian4958]

Easy! They put them inside a warm and dry building in a tight pile so that only the top layer dries very quickly and the underside of the board stays moist thus warping! They also take measures to make sure that every board in the pile warps by selling to customers who only want two or three boards at a time ! There you go!

[@mattreynolds8741]

I drive by this mill every day on my way to and from work. I love watching action in the yard from mornings to nights. Roseburg is a great town, I could have lived any were in the US and have but I chose Roseburg over all of them. Roseburg Forest Products is great company with such a high standard. Thank you Essential Craftsman for making this video for people that are not from Rosebuurg.

[@swillk1]

Great video Nate! I can only image the size of the maintenance crew that it takes to keep all this specialized machinery running. Great insight into the process.

[@Skeletors_Closet]

It’s prolly only 3 guys that sit in a trailer and are overweight and get mad anytime you tell them they have to work. 😂 Just my experience from maintenance slobs and millwright wannabes 😂

[@JohnNaturkach]

@@Skeletors_Closetmills I worked in always had top notch millwrights. All depends on the company you work for. In one mill I worked at a millwright could do everything. That included electrical work, welding and even the plumbing. Another mill I worked at had separate millwrights ,welders and electricians. Because of Unions. Etc.

[@mechanicspecial]

After helping to build several sawmills in Oregon, my grandfather, Dennis Allen, worked to build the "original" Douglas County mill in the mid-50's, then went to work there, eventually retiring in the late 1970's. I teach wood shop at Hamlin M.S. in Springfield and will use this video to show students how lumber is produced. Now if you could do another video showing how plywood is made... Great videos, and proud that you are from my hometown! Thank you!

[@markmalone3025]

My life is better after watching this video. Great job.

[@stevevandermeer1958]

I was raised in Arcata, California in the 50's and 60's. I've seen my share of logging trucks and breathed the wood ash from the "tee pee" burners. I was 16years old and my dad's friend who worked at a mill that produced two by fours, got me a summer job called, "pulling on the green chain". After all, cutting to size and grading, we would pull the lumber off the green chain, called this because the lumber was still wet and very heavy. Four of us would pull, stack, band and the loader would take it away to the yard where it would "air" dry. Acres and acres of lumber stacked 20 feet tall. Real hard work. What a great learning experience, and I made a few bucks also. Watching this video and seeing how much the computer has changed the process for the better is amazing. Now, if we can just get all the tree huggers and politicians out of this industry it will be even better. By the way, my little brother hauled logs out of the Redding area to the mills on the coast, sometimes only two loads a day because of the distance. Up at 3am home at 7pm, tough job.

[@ctdieselnut]

Thx for the tour. Places like this are wonders of the industrial world. Its what allows stick framing to cost what it does, and go up as fast as they do, and not 3+ times longer/more expensive. Those forklifts that unload a whole semi in one bite are impressive too. Must feel like the king of the world operating something that powerful.

[@jacobmiller5834]

Have you seen that video where during unloading somebody's log truck gets flipped?

[@joshhannaford2382]

Appreciate the video. My dad has been a sawmiller for 37 years in the south. Brings back a lot of good memories of when I used to help him. Especially walking on the wood sawmill floor

[@countrycraftsman5110]

I have been wiring sawmills for 40 years as a construction electrician. And i am still impressed with the whole system. The innovations just since I started have been amazing.

[@patricksalter5412]

My wife and I moved up to Myrtle Creek in 2015. Drove by the mills MANY times and often thought how much fun it would be to get a tour. We moved back to Southern California to be closer to our kids. What happened next was taking that tour with you guys! Thanks for that. Now a tour of the plywood mill out past Riddle would make another great video, lol. BTW, we were there for the open house of the spec house. Good times.

[@mackfisher4487]

Thanks Nate, excellent video it makes me think of trees as a blessing to us and with proper management will continue support and house our families.

[@beven4852]

Called on this mill for many years. Met a lot of great people. Lee is one of the best!

[@rjtumble]

Nate, cool tour. Towards the end, when there were guys sorting the boards, do you remember (if you asked) why they were flipping some of them over? It was amazing that they'd be able to discern anything about the boards, given how fast they were moving.

[@frankenz66]

Checking for the number, and size of knots to the foot. Experience speeds your judgment skills up. I have worked in both hardwood and softwood mills and can vouch for that. In the 1980's I worked in an oak sawmill setting. I was the preliminary grader and stacker. The owner hired a college degreed lumber grader to grade after me in the evening. I was a relative newbie at 19, but he paid that guy a lot of money to pull out maybe 2 to 3 boards I had missed out of an entire semi-load of lumber stacks. The reason they did that was because the company that bought his A-grade lumber would lower to the B- grade price on an entire stack of lumber if ONE board was below the grade it was supposed to be.

[@alecharper515]

Watched this before my morning dog walk. I remember touring this part of Oregon. Beautiful country. What a clean and impressive operation. I now have even more respect for what goes into making a 2x4 and shall never complain about lumber prices again! Thanks for posting this.

[@mosheshpinel3108]

This video brought back memories. In the early 70s, I worked the stud mill at Gustina Brothers lumber in Eugene, OR; 5, ten hour days. I pulled and stacked studs and occasionally graded them. When the forests were shut down in the summer, I swept the whole yard, dug out bark from under a packed debarker deck, and cleaned under the log peeler building. In the winter I also pull Dry Chain, veneer that came out of the dryer.

[@metallicalloy]

Awesome video. Thank you for the tour.

[@PaulMikna]

The machinery used to do all this is just amazing! Thanks for sharing this tour with us!

[@kaniapermadani4443]

Excellent! This video taught me so much about sawmilling. The way you handle those massive logs is impressive. The video quality is top-notch. I'm eagerly anticipating more content from you. Continue sharing these fantastic videos!

[@johngoold1218]

Fantastic video. Seen sawmills in the hills above my town for years and now I understand what the "WigWam" burner was that we'd see on our way to the snow. Nice to see what they do today.

[@Z-Bart]

I've lived right next to a lumber mill for 25 years. Love them guys and gals.

[@dwats250]

I've always loved your channel. But as a saw filer, this one is especially awesome. Thanks for sharing!!

[@CHenry1951]

Excellent, it really opens one's eyes to how lumber gets made......pretty impressive.... Thanks

[@Paul-dc6sp]

That was really cool to see how that operation works and how they use the bark and sawdust.

[@dalerounds4036]

Great video of a modern sawmill in action! 40 years in the building trades and just recently toured a domtar stud mill in Canada. Amazing how much automation and science goes into the lumber making of today!

[@JohnSmith-lv8xk]

The best place I've ever worked !! You don't know what you have until it's gone.

[@SawmillJourneys]

Amazing! I love seeing the transformation from logs to lumber. The way the logs are cut with precision is impressive. Great insights into the sawmill process. Looking forward to more content like this. Please keep sharing these awesome videos!

[@SawmillJourneys]

Outstanding! Watching the whole sawmill process is fascinating. The precision in handling those logs is unmatched. I learned something new today about sawmilling. I can't wait to see more videos. Keep bringing us more amazing content!

[@SawmillJourneys]

Incredible, the details in 4K are breathtaking! Impressive to see that huge walnut log transformed into high-quality timber with such skill. Awesome craftsmanship!

[@katieprince7954]

I drove log trk an dumped lots at DCFP a user friendly mill!! Love the mill employees Great video

[@donaldgarmon7368]

Thanks Nate for another great and informative video! It would also be interesting to your viewers to see a tour of a plywood mill if there is one close by. It is good for people to know how the products in our homes and buildings are made. Thanks Again, and "Keep Up Your Good Work!"

[@9HighFlyer9]

My grandfather was a millwright at a plywood mill for a couple decades. He took me on a tour a couple times.

[@will6258]

Such a phenomenal video. Would love to see other areas within the field of construction materials that are being produced in such a sustainable way. Thanks for the great content.

[@twestgard2]

I live in the Yellowwood forest area in southern Indiana. We have very little softwoods like you have. Ours is all hardwoods. Interesting to see how much is the same and what’s different.

[@RossNanfito]

Best sawmill tour ever. Ever! And I've seen them all.

[@gradyshades6535]

You did a great job with this Nate, your enthusiasm is infectious, your sense of when to speak and when to observe is very appreciated. Your “good work” is showing, keep it up. Thanks.

[@inthefiber5097]

Great video! I worked at a Lumber Yard out of High School and unloaded so many of these lumber packs from Railcars. It was a good job for a young guy. Most of our Lumber was Canadian if I recall correctly.

[@ronaldkovacs7080]

A renewable resource that provides the energy used to process it. Total green!

[@ironwoodbrand]

This is a really high quality description among lots of superficial content, thanks!

[@Captain1981.]

Lots of improvements since I worked there 20 years ago. Good video

[@vasuhardeo1418]

wow, this was an awesome vid, thx for sharing the process

[@kevincorbin6273]

This brings me back, I went on a field trip to Weyerhaeuser in Washington state when I was a Cub Scout

[@slpeteyAZ]

My Grandpa worked his whole life at a sawmill in Heber, AZ. What a cool video.

[@Windh1984]

Wow amazing they use all of the tree to run the plant and make the product, even electricity. Thank you for sharing.

[@KeeferT]

Long time viewer. I almost never comment but I want to say that I enjoyed this video more than I have anything in a long time. Great job!

[@ebk304]

I really love this I worked in a re manufacturing mill & I loved it. I would love for you to do a more in depth video on the mill!

[@Timothylaing]

This is the best tour of a saw mill I have seen. Amazing. Going to share with my students

[@PhotonFlightTeam]

Thanks Nate. "wigwam burners" brought a rush of nostalgia for me.....I was instantly hoping to see one in action as part of the video. (sigh) everyone should search out a look at one, just to see a bit of history. nice intro into your house framing videos coming up. well done. Darrell

[@mikespain8655]

This is one efficient mill!

[@284Winchester]

My dad worked in a plywood mill for about 20 years. Thanks for this video.

[@dabruscar]

This is absolutely fabulous. My kind of heaven. Thank you so much Nate.

[@dannysulyma6273]

Seeing the efficiencies of a large mill does make it easy to see how my one man band mill cannot compete on price. I spend more time with each board then they spend on a whole trees worth of logs.

[@sfcvelasco2412]

Great video. I wish it was longer.

[@EightWheelsRollin]

What a great video! Living in Washington State, this really hits home for me. Logging was/is such a big part of the economy and area I grew up in. Thanks!

[@LifeontheMoose]

Awesome video. Living near sawmills for the last 30 years, I thought I knew more! Good stuff.

[@probuilder961]

Excellent video & narrating! You sound a lot like Marty Staufer of "Wild America"

[@JaronPope]

Ahh, reminds me of when I was able to go on a tour of the Stimpson Lumber Mill in Gatson with my father before he passed away. Great video.

[@davidhaynes3126]

I get your point regarding the efficiencies from burning bark, it’s cool. Like why not ? but smart folks started making steam for operations years ago. The wigwams buddy’s talking about, for sure existed because building co-generation systems aren’t sawing lumber / peeling veneer.

[@geckosethpe]

great video! the sawmill process is amazing to see it run on a scale this large.

[@jonathanhansen1222]

Excellent video! One of the best I've seen on the milling process. Great work, guys!

[@garethmcmahon9769]

Excellent Nate, wood a wonderful natural product given to us by our Good Lord.

[@MattsAwesomeStuff]

Top 5 videos you've ever made. Well done Nate.

[@wranther]

Very nice, informative, and enjoyable video! Thank You! -Bob...

[@michaelcarroll991]

Love hearing more from you nate.

[@richielittlewood867]

Very nice presentation

[@Nyllsor]

Very intresting! Always wanted to see this. Great filming, interviewing and editing!

[@davidmatke248]

Keep up the good work!

[@niveknospmoht8743]

Always enjoy watching videos like this

[@BarnaRábai]

This is so amazing! I am in awe.

[@shaunybonny688]

Fascinating video. Amazing operation.

[@choimdachoim9491]

Much appreciation for a really great video!

[@ackack612]

THAT was informative and interesting. Well done.

[@dk3062]

In Canada we call Wigwam burners Beehives. A relic of my youth. When my family drove out to the BC interior for camping we saw a lot of these.

[@rhohoho]

So cool! Thanks for the inside look.

[@kylemanausa2315]

Very cool to see that operation!

[@tylermundy7985]

Super interesting! Great video

[@jacobmiller5834]

Great job on the production. Humans are amazing. Would have been cool to touch on maintenance and also the economic ups and downs.

[@lheigert]

Great video, i live in the Great Northwest and pass lumber mills often, nice to learn more about what they do

[@bobkat1663]

Great show, love seeing lumber mills.

[@michealdchastain3637]

Such a wonderful thing to see! Having been raised in a logging/milling family (between Valasetz and Willamina), it still amazes me!

[@Gzus]

That was really cool! So neat that those boards were created so close to where you live!

[@joyona7430]

WOW!!!!! THANK YOU!!!! BRILLIANT!!!!

[@peterwhite7428]

Great video. Great fiddle music. Old time. Love it

[@davidhaynes3126]

I liked the double band saw set up.

[@jetenginethrust863]

Cool video, thanks for sharing.👍

[@larryohara6513]

That was a great video! I did not know how techie cutting 2x were.

[@garrett6371]

I was going to agree with you, Nate. Your new house looks small. Then at the end of this video I was reminded that it will be a two-story home!

[@keithosterkamp6207]

Great video. I worked in a walnut lumber saw mill as a temp over 30 years ago. Looks very familiar minus all the laser technology being used now.

[@KyleHarrisonRedacted]

Outstanding tour! I.. really can’t imagine the tinnitus that workers around 10:48 must experience after a while thought even with hearing protections 😂

[@jeffreyspilker2209]

I love watching this kind of content thanks

[@jeremycampo5495]

Great video, Never really saw how logs are turned into lumber , I've only seen it in books. Very cool!

[@two-sense]

So much romance with wood framing. ICF has none of that, but now that I'v built one and live in it, I'd never go back.

[@rustyshackleford5060]

Keep up the good work

[@americanangler94559]

Good episode. I remember when California had sawmills starting in Santa Rosa and going all the way up to the Oregon border. They're long gone.

[@royreynolds108]

Simon Bentson built a sawmill in San Diego to cut logs into lumber for the Southern California building boom. It was less expensive to build up rafts of logs, tow them to SD, and cut them than pay the freight on the cut lumber from Oregon.

[@284Winchester]

9:40 that is absolutely amazing.

[@brianteunessen85]

Very cool ! Thanks for the tour

[@mikelongo4689]

Very Cool. Great job!

[@erichill5208]

Very interesting video. A behind the scenes look at how a tree a log becomes lumber. I like mechanical machinery and the entire saw mill process is fascinating 👍

[@beadmachine1]

Awesome video! Need more Like it...

[@patrickdean4853]

Good video. I’ve been in this industry for many decades and I am always impressed by the throughput of these mills. I recall one from the 90’s that was producing 500,000 per shift with two shifts per day. Now, I’m sure they can do more. Here’s the crazy thing. You can go to Sweden and see sawmills and operate with only three people per shift. It’s all completely automated.

[@PeopleAlreadyDidThis]

Hi Nate. I heard overtones of your dad and Mike Rowe in your voice today. There’s still a wigwam burner standing in the trees a couple of miles from here. I believe it was a basket factory in its time. There used to be a tumbledown shed nearby containing a couple of machines and some basket stock.

[@dougmay4396]

Went to work at Klamath Lumber in Chiloquin 1970. Three days out of highschool. Worked stacker, green chain & planer chain. Sure has changed. Impressive!