OUR INDUSTRIES.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 76, 20 September 1879, Page 2

OUR INDUSTRIES.

SAW-MILLING-.

KIWITRA MILL.

The Kiwitea Saw-Mill was erected about two years and a half ago, by Mr. Peter Bartholomew, the pioneer 9aw -miller of the Manawatn. To this gentleman the Bawmilling industry is indebted fo^ its first introduction into our then Province, and now Provincial District, he having been the first to establish saw-mills m Foxton, Palmerston, Feilding, Halcombe, and Ashurst. Some two or three months ago he entered into partnership m the business of this mill, and the firm is now P. and J. Bartholomew. The mill is situated m tho midst of a fine mixed bush, about- three miles from Feilding. A wooden tramway extends from the mill to the Feilding Station, and as the intervening country is almost a dead level, without .any creeks to. cros3, tho portion of the tramway m connection with the mill>. has been constructed at a comparatively light cost. On the other side of the mill, however these necessavy adjuncts have proved more serious undertakings, as they have to cross the Kiwite* River, rendering an expensive bridge over that stream, h'neiispensnble. Leaving the Rnilwuy station the tramway ; skirts -the Kitnbolton road for nearly a oouple of miles, find then branches off to the left. That from the mill continues m the same direction, and then branches. off to the right and left, the former crossing the TSimbolton Road again into a splendid totava bush. The mill, though so for from the railway, is sfcill advanfcagobus.ly situnted m several respects, and could have been worked by means of water power, as the Kiwitea, which flowa within three hundred yards of __ifc_»rr~cn~6~l.llt) IHI 1 HlUb, umni-rii'* 'il.lltil vi. oimiu twenty feet., after taking a Ur-go bend " O mes bnck within about the same distance on this side, and thero is a good fall from one heel of the bend to the other. Advantage, howevei% has been taken of this, and a small race, partially covered brings a continuous flow of water fvom the river to the mill, This passes directly underneath the saws, and 'carries away all the sawrdust, which m othor millalroqariei one or more hands for its removal. The mill is the best appointed one we have yet noticed. The main shed, exclusive of engine house and blacksmith's shop, is 70 x 50, The vertical frame is 9 foot 6x6 feet ; and the bench one of the improved travellers, taking the logs, when cut, on the Hitching skid. Here we noticed a Bimple contrivance which does away with a great deal of labor. The outside stringers are fitted with numerous srnnll rollers above the surface, over which the flitches nre moved with the great est^ane on the ripping bench. This is also a " traveller," from the foundry of Mr. E. W. Mills, of Wellington. The Bench is 80 feet long filled with douMe rollers at regular »n---tevuls, the " travelling " portion — that on which the flitches are placed — being 36 feet long, worked by mentis of rack and pinion. The axle is filled with three drum?, the centre one being; a fixture, and revolving with the axle, while the other to revolve on the nxle. lUach of- the. latter has an endless band passing round a diuvn, the drums working m opposite directions, and according a? either of the bnnds is "-shunted" on to the fixed flrnm of the axle, forward or backward motion is imparted to.fche, " traveller," When a flitch is placed on the traveller, and ad- . justed to the required disme.nsion, a lever is touched and away it goes un,til the cut is fmUhiul, whan a turn of the lever, shi nt,s fcho other bane 1 on to the drum of the axle, and back it comes to hare the process repeated until the flitch is finished. Tho work is performed with great expedition, a board 14 feet long nnrl 18 inches broad being sawn off 1 m 14 seconds while one of the same length, but only 8 inches wide is rattle;) off m 5 seconds. At the roar of tho main shod is the engine house, nnd blacksmith's Rhop, under one roof, 2,0.x. 60. The engine — the most, complete one we have seen — is a W-iznntal one of: 15 horse-power, but working up to 65, with Turner's patent expanding gear. This is a vcrv ingenious contrivance ; a description of it., however,,, without diagrams 'would be. unintelligible, so wo shall not attempt it. By its mcins a portion of the steam is cut off when the, engine, though m motion, is riot rioins work, so that po more m used than if actually required. The. boiler 14 x 5, is a Cornish one, with galloway f nbe,3; tlv 1 was to stream being uHlned m heating the water. The bla"k smith's shop is fl'ted with a saw-punching machine for re,-tee.t.hius; the saws. When the. teeth are ' worn down, the suw is placed on the ma- . chine, and with a half turn of a powerful screw a piece is taken out. with a clean cut, each rut after this forming a new tooth. By this means the, tedious process of filing is done away, with, and a great, saving of time effected, as what would take a mnn more, than, an hour, to file is. done m a second. In a lean-to at the side of the main shed is the planing and tongujng and grooving machine. This is one of Roger's latest improved ones, and will plane boards 2 feet wide and 3 inches thick, and tongue and groove 1000 feet of. JJ-jnoK or 1500 feet of 12-inch boards per hour. The out-put from the saw-mills is from 40,000 to 50,000 feet per' week. The proprietors have. £00 ac?e3 freehold land/ The. hush is mixed, consisting of totara, rinm, inntni. an^. white pine. One. portion is the finest; piece, of fcotara buch m the district. % There are, twenty-two hands employed, many of whom; reside m Feilding, and for tke , accommodation - of others some half dozen cottages have been erected. The value, of the plant exclusive of the land \fNftout •■;-•. ■-•-*■