Rick cuts his wood on a Peterson WPF, creating both dimensional timber and slabs with the help of the clip-on slabber attachment.
“I don’t use anything close to what the machine is capable of in terms of speed cutting or boardfoot/hr, but if I want to cut slabs I can, if I want to cut dimensional timber no problem, and when the timber is dry or just out of the kiln, I can flatten them in no time.”
He utilizes a range of Peterson accessories to maximize the versatility of his mill, which is one of the standout features the WPF offers.
“I can even do the bulk of my sanding with the sanding attachment. For me it’s not the swing blade system that I bought it for (good as it is) it’s the different machines it replaces, chainsaw sawmill (the root of most of my back problems), bandsaw mill, planer thicknesser (for big slabs), and it’s so much easier on my back.”
Ultimately he decided on a Peterson mill after seeing one live, as it was much easier on his back, and because of the size of trees he often comes across, bandsaw mills were out of the equation.
“I also chose the WPF because of general feedback about not just the quality and versatility of the machines that Petersons produce, but also the backup.”
His favorite thing to create is dining tables, due to the significance they have in people’s lives. However, his all-time favorite creation was a bench he made for a local café, which came together exactly how we’d envisioned.
Currently, Rick is crafting a large conference table, with matching chairs. It will feature charred and textured pine beams as a frame, with four oak slabs from the same tree surrounding it. This will be complimented by elongated copper bowtie joints as accents.
We can’t wait to see this project, and many more, come to life with the help of our Peterson WPF! You can find more of Rick’s work by clicking here.
