June 18, 2026
In the Wood-Mizer documentary-style series, we explore the real lives behind the timber industry. Welcome to the Scottish Highlands, where we spend a day with Keith Threadgall — a sawmiller and Wood-Mizer service agent. In this episode, you will discover how a mobile sawyer works, carrying out on-site sawing jobs directly at the customer’s location. Keith shares practical advice and reveals the finer points of operating and maintaining a mobile Wood-Mizer sawmill.
Early in the morning, Keith heads into the countryside for another sawing job. Behind his Jeep, he tows his LT70 bandsaw mill with an extended bed.
Preparing the Sawmill for Milling
After arriving on site, Keith disconnects the sawmill from the vehicle and prepares it for operation.
“When you arrive to do a contract sawmilling job, you're hoping to be in a reasonably level, flat site,” says Keith.
Wood-Mizer sawmills are designed so that the saw head travels along a monorail track, meaning a perfectly level foundation is not required. Adjustable support legs make it quick and easy to level the bed. Keith moves the saw head forward and backward along the track, checking that it feeds smoothly.
Next, the bandsaw blade is installed onto the blade wheels. Before leaving for the job, Keith loaded several types of blades into his vehicle, each with different tooth profiles and set angles designed for different wood species.
“Generally, establish what you're going to mill first. Whether it's softwood or hardwood depends on the type of blade,” advises Keith.
After installing the blade, it is essential to apply the correct blade tension.
“The tension is very important. It's got to be at the correct tension, so that you produce good quality cuts in your sawmilling. If it's too low, you potentially could end up with some wavy cuts. If it's too high, you're putting too much pressure on the bearings, blade guide rollers, and could create a blade breakage as well,” explains Keith.
At this point, the sawmill is ready for operation. The entire setup procedure usually takes around 20 minutes.
Log Handling
Today, Keith starts with a large-diameter oak log. The customer uses a forklift to load the heavy log onto the sawmill bed — a process that also requires proper technique and coordination.
“You would get the customer to load the log onto the log loader, which then would lift onto the sawmill.”
Then the hydraulic functions of the Wood-Mizer sawmill come into play.
“The machine has side supports to stop the log rolling over the other side. And then you have a turner to turn the log. On the LT70 sawmill, we have a claw turner which allows you to turn the log to where you want to start milling it. And then you clamp it up,” explains Keith.
“If it is a tapered log, we can raise the tapered end, so that we're cutting with the grain along the length of it.”
“On this machine, we have two hold-down clamps, one at the front and one at the back. So if you're cutting longer timber, you've got it clamped in three different positions,” Keith demonstrates.
Using the Control Panel / Wireless Remote
“Also, with this mill, we have a wireless remote, which means that you don't traditionally walk along with the machine. You can stand back from it and walk round about it. So your visibility is better cutting bigger logs. And I use it also to assist to help customer lift off boards if he requires.”
Sawmilling
“On this mill we have a debarker. It does help to clean a lot of the dirt and stones off the side of the timber. It helps prolong the life of the blades when milling dirty timber”.
As the first cut begins, Keith carefully adjusts the feed speed depending on the wood and cutting conditions.
“When you start cutting, you want to enter the log slowly and then speed up to a speed where the machine is happy working — you want it just singing along. If you see that you're coming along and getting close to quite a large knot, you may want to slow your speed down a bit just to give the blade a chance to go through it. The knot will generally be a lot harder than the normal grain of the log”.
Large timber also requires patience when handling finished boards.
“If you're cutting big timber, big boards which are quite heavy and thick, you may need a bit more time to slide them off and onto the log loading arms. And then the customer can come with the forklift to get them off.”
AccuSet 2
Keith’s LT70 is equipped with the AccuSet 2 electronic setworks system, which automates head positioning during sawing.
“This machine has AccuSet 2 on it. So it has 16 different programs you can input into it of multiple different sizes. It also has auto down and auto up. So if you're starting a log, for instance, you would put it into auto down at the desired size you wanted to mill — for example, 50 mm. So when you raise the head after finishing the cut, you would come back to the beginning and just flick your drum switch to come down, and it would automatically drop 50 mm including the kerf of your blade as well. And then you would start cutting again rather than the operator using the manual scale or calculating it manually.”
Routine Maintenance
At the end of the day, Keith demonstrates the routine cleaning and maintenance procedures that prepare the machine for the next working day.
“After each day I finished milling, as long as it hasn't been raining and it is dry, I have a leaf blower that I use to blow the worst of the sawdust off the machine and all around it. And as you're doing this, you can sort of cast your eye over the machine and do quick checks and see anything that needs to be done for the next day before you arrive at the next place.”
“At the end of the day, I will take the blade off. I don't agree with leaving a blade on overnight because what you find is that the resin on the belt sticks onto the inside of the blade. This can potentially cause the blade to come off the next day, especially if you've been milling resinous timber, because the blade can stick to the belts on the blade guides and blade wheels.”
“Clean the inside of the housing where the blade runs at the end of the day. Make sure it is clean and free of resin and sawdust so that you're starting fresh the next time you put a blade on.”
The work of a mobile sawyer is about far more than simply operating a sawmill. There are no bosses and no subordinates — you are independent, you work outdoors, and you help people bring their projects to life. It is the grit, the craftsmanship, and the quiet dedication that turns raw logs into usable lumber. More than just machinery, this is a story about skill, patience, and pride in the trade.
Learn more business tips on mobile sawmilling from Keith Threadgall: Mobile Contract Sawmilling in Scotland.
***