What is Circle Sawn Lumber

Throughout time, lumber has been manufactured in many different ways. Depending on how the material is milled, different textures are created on the surface of the lumber, which makes for variations in the visual character and gives each board a unique look. Marks Lumber is one of the few sawmills left in the Western United States that continues to manufacture circle sawn lumber and timbers. Circle sawn texture gives you a more rustic and defined texture on the surface of your rough sawn lumber, making it highly desirable for those trying to achieve that beautiful, Montana look. 

Invention

There are many ways to cut boards, and the process has been refined since the early days of man. The Romans used a reciprocating blade that cut wood in an inefficient back-and-forth motion, much like hand-sawing. A significant breakthrough happened at the start of the Industrial Revolution with the circular saw blade invention.

It is unclear who invented the circle saw blade, but historians typically credit Samuel Miller, who was awarded British Patent #1152 in 1777. Others claim it was invented independently in America by Shaker Sister Tabitha Babbitt in 1810 when she attached a metal disc to her spinning wheel. 

Pre-industrial and Rural Methods

Before the modernization of sawmills and saws, and in rural areas where pioneers were building homes far from any industrial mill, they cut logs using axes and adzes to shape logs into square timbers for their homes and timber framing. Early sawmills were all driven by manpower; to get boards, two people would saw logs using a whipsaw. One man worked above the log, and one worked below. The man below the log was called the pitman, as they worked in a pit, where the sawn log would fall. Sawing boards in this fashion was slow and required some very hardy individuals to make this up and down method possible. Early sawmills called Sash mills adopted this same whipsaw method using mechanical, water, or wind-power but the process was still was slow and inaccurate.

A breakthrough happened at the start of the industrial revolution when the circular saw blade was invented. With the refining of steam power, it significantly increased the speed in which you could cut logs into timbers and lumber. These machines also improved the accuracy of sizing lumber to dimension. When electricity entered the picture, speeds increased yet again and lumber production skyrocketed. 

Cutting the Full Dimensions

Typically when planing a board into, say a 2x4, the actual end dimension is only 1 ½ x 3 ½ which is called a nominal dimension. As sawmills improved their techniques and manufacturing procedure, they could cut boards smaller and smaller to get that nominal dimension. They did not have to cut a full 2x4 to get a finished 1 ½’’ x 3 ½’’ which saved themselves money and material.

Marks lumber continues to cut its boards and timbers to full-size, actual-dimension with its 48’’ circle saw blade. By cutting boards the full dimension, we produce a stronger piece of wood that adds bulk to the appearance. The circle sawn texture gives an old-time look that adds character to your timbers, lumber, siding, flooring, etc. Call Marks Lumber today and get a quote for your circle sawn, full-sized material.

References:

York Saw & Knife: Complete Guide to Sawmills

Calculating Blog: Forgotten History - Wind-powered Sawmills

Wikipedia: The Hierapolis Sawmill

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