I am proud of the fact tthat your company was so instrumental in my youth, and how it helped lead to the creation of The Forestry Forum who you have to graciously supported all these years. 😀
I own a original bell saw from the 40s, i also got a 1994 m14 also, i can assure you that when timber king started building the m14 they screwed ever thing up, including telling people they could hook a pto from a tractor to the mandrel one thing bell saw warned to never do. On the metal frame m14, no way you can follow instructions and it work, they did not allow to install blade guide, so you must install blade out from frame not allowing outer bearing to set tight against saw collar like bell saw did, log dogs on carriage will ratchet beyond edge of carriage creating a death trap. Last cut has to be 4 inch cut instead of 2 inch cut. Board splitter is so far beyond blade it is another death trap, last mill i bought killed a guy in TN. because of the board splitter. As some one who has owned and ran bell saws for over 50 years, i can tell you who ever designed this all metal m14 mill i got was a idiot, with no saw mill experience. And over looked ever safety detail the original bell saw had. Who in there right mind would design a carriage where the log dogs would extend past the edge of the carriage. The original bell saw was a good machine. The m14 was a night mare, and requires modification to even be safe to run. If the guys building the things would of ever put one together they should of knew all the mistakes they made. Sad part even today to many you tube videos of people running these mills that never read or studied the original bell saw instructions, tying high horse power tractors direct to the mandrels. I have bought and restored and sold many of these mills, including a couple where the blade broke the mandrel or warped the frame from to many hp applied to mandrel. After timber king stopped selling replacement parts for the bell saw, my self i would never buy a timber king band mill and gamble on them supplying parts in 20 years.
@@dwightcheck B H Payne in GA made there blades. 25 years ago i was there getting blade hammered, and the guys where going down memory lane. Talking about all the bell saw blades they had made over the years. They knew them blades inside out. Can not say that any more, they are all gone now, and the guys now well lets just say i am not impressed by there ability to hammer a blade right. But they got the prints to make the correct blade for a bell saw.
@@cliffclark6441 I'm sorry you haven't had a good experience with your 30-year-old M14 sawmill. Of course, there's a lot here we'd politely disagree with. Worth noting we stopped making the M14 in 1998 -- at this writing that's 26 years ago. We supplied parts for many years following that. But with the machine out of production, they had to be made in smaller batches. That meant higher costs and prices. We got many an outraged phone call about the prices of the parts! Maybe you were one of those guys with his hair on fire. :) So we were in a catch-22: we were producing parts that people said they wanted but wouldn't buy because of the price. For that and other reasons I don't know of many -- or really any -- companies that maintain parts stocks for products that have not been in production for 26 years!
Greetings from alaska. I have lived your dream. My family and I moved to alaska in 1969 to live on a home site in the trapper creek area. The moose, bear and salmon were as thick as could be, this was a boys dream. We all lived in log cabins that we had built on site. In1982 I was able purchase a foley belsaw the m 14 all steel model with a 46 inch insert tooth blade for 2300.00 and a twelve inch planer. I still have both unites at this time. The mill has been in storage sense 1989.These are great mills, I do like your history information on these mills. And I too have a 444 marlin lever action rifle.
There is a site on the net, where you can down load the old literature including all the operation instructions, if you got a bell saw i highly recommend reading and understanding the original instructions put out by bell saw. They even put out a monthly magazine.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. We had a Belsaw mill at the time you are speaking about. Dad was not in the construction field but he had dreams, I had 3 younger brothers and not much help. A couple of old farm tractors for spinning the belt, no hydraulic help at all. If I can dig out a photo, I'd like to send you a copy. Stay in touch, and good health to you and yours Shawn McKenna inNJ
Shawn, check out my website, www.forestryforum.com it is the largest sawmill discussion board in the world. Our gallery has well over a quarter million photos. :)
The bell saw farmers mills where so common,and about all you see today, did you know they also built a full size mill like a frick 00. Seems few people know about there big mills. Worked on one in NM. and seen one on the net a few years ago. The carriage was set by electric motor. About all i remember about it. That was in 1974.
What an amazing trip down TimberKing's memory lane! We're so proud of this heritage -- now four generations in the business.
I am proud of the fact tthat your company was so instrumental in my youth, and how it helped lead to the creation of The Forestry Forum who you have to graciously supported all these years. 😀
I worked for J,R Prewitt & sons back in the early 70s , the company that manufactured all of the Bell Saw products .
I own a original bell saw from the 40s, i also got a 1994 m14 also, i can assure you that when timber king started building the m14 they screwed ever thing up, including telling people they could hook a pto from a tractor to the mandrel one thing bell saw warned to never do. On the metal frame m14, no way you can follow instructions and it work, they did not allow to install blade guide, so you must install blade out from frame not allowing outer bearing to set tight against saw collar like bell saw did, log dogs on carriage will ratchet beyond edge of carriage creating a death trap. Last cut has to be 4 inch cut instead of 2 inch cut. Board splitter is so far beyond blade it is another death trap, last mill i bought killed a guy in TN. because of the board splitter. As some one who has owned and ran bell saws for over 50 years, i can tell you who ever designed this all metal m14 mill i got was a idiot, with no saw mill experience. And over looked ever safety detail the original bell saw had. Who in there right mind would design a carriage where the log dogs would extend past the edge of the carriage. The original bell saw was a good machine. The m14 was a night mare, and requires modification to even be safe to run. If the guys building the things would of ever put one together they should of knew all the mistakes they made. Sad part even today to many you tube videos of people running these mills that never read or studied the original bell saw instructions, tying high horse power tractors direct to the mandrels. I have bought and restored and sold many of these mills, including a couple where the blade broke the mandrel or warped the frame from to many hp applied to mandrel. After timber king stopped selling replacement parts for the bell saw, my self i would never buy a timber king band mill and gamble on them supplying parts in 20 years.
@@dwightcheck B H Payne in GA made there blades. 25 years ago i was there getting blade hammered, and the guys where going down memory lane. Talking about all the bell saw blades they had made over the years. They knew them blades inside out. Can not say that any more, they are all gone now, and the guys now well lets just say i am not impressed by there ability to hammer a blade right. But they got the prints to make the correct blade for a bell saw.
@@cliffclark6441 I'm sorry you haven't had a good experience with your 30-year-old M14 sawmill. Of course, there's a lot here we'd politely disagree with. Worth noting we stopped making the M14 in 1998 -- at this writing that's 26 years ago. We supplied parts for many years following that. But with the machine out of production, they had to be made in smaller batches. That meant higher costs and prices. We got many an outraged phone call about the prices of the parts! Maybe you were one of those guys with his hair on fire. :) So we were in a catch-22: we were producing parts that people said they wanted but wouldn't buy because of the price. For that and other reasons I don't know of many -- or really any -- companies that maintain parts stocks for products that have not been in production for 26 years!
Greetings from alaska. I have lived your dream. My family and I moved to alaska in 1969 to live on a home site in the trapper creek area. The moose, bear and salmon were as thick as could be, this was a boys dream. We all lived in log cabins that we had built on site. In1982 I was able purchase a foley belsaw the m 14 all steel model with a 46 inch insert tooth blade for 2300.00 and a twelve inch planer. I still have both unites at this time. The mill has been in storage sense 1989.These are great mills, I do like your history information on these mills. And I too have a 444 marlin lever action rifle.
I don't have a 444 any longer due to 5 shoulder surgeries. I shoot a marlin 35 rem here in the U.P.
Seeing that key tag was worth watching the video. Great bonus!
I have some of the same literature but newer. Thanks for putting these on a modern form.
Most welcome Paul.
There is a site on the net, where you can down load the old literature including all the operation instructions, if you got a bell saw i highly recommend reading and understanding the original instructions put out by bell saw. They even put out a monthly magazine.
great video , I have been sawing for 30 years now and my first mill was a Timberking M-14.
Timberking! Timberking is a sponsor of our Forestry Forum. :)
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. We had a Belsaw mill at the time you are speaking about. Dad was not in the construction field but he had dreams, I had 3 younger brothers and not much help. A couple of old farm tractors for spinning the belt, no hydraulic help at all. If I can dig out a photo, I'd like to send you a copy. Stay in touch, and good health to you and yours Shawn McKenna inNJ
Shawn, check out my website, www.forestryforum.com it is the largest sawmill discussion board in the world. Our gallery has well over a quarter million photos. :)
Very cool stuff Jeff !
Great video, I really like the history of sawmills and the lumber industry.
I got some interesting stuff that I have no idea yet how to present. Like an old logging camp log book, and an old ccc camp memory book.
It’ll come to you in time I’m sure
The bell saw farmers mills where so common,and about all you see today, did you know they also built a full size mill like a frick 00. Seems few people know about there big mills. Worked on one in NM. and seen one on the net a few years ago. The carriage was set by electric motor. About all i remember about it. That was in 1974.
@@cliffclark6441 I did! You should check out my website forestryforum.com lots of old sawyers, and young, on there.
Still running one.
Awesome! Do you have any info on PB Yates machine works by chance
Sorry, I do not.
Hi I was wondering is it possible if you got them to get a copy of the Bellsaw maintenance operating and parts book.
Wana sell that rifle