Typically, a sawyer would require multiple mills to efficiently produce dimensional lumber and large slabs. However, Peterson’s found an innovative solution to this dilemma, the clip-on Slabber attachment.
Imagine the ability to switch between your swing blade and a chainsaw mill with just four bolts. That’s exactly what Peterson’s clip on slabbing attachment allows for.
Not only is this attachment available for Peterson’s ASM, truly making it the most efficient and versatile portable sawmill in the world, but it’s also available for the WPF and even our Hobbyist mill, the JP.
Slabbing can be an extremely lucrative way of selling timber, as British Sawyer Mike Savil has discovered.
Mike purchased a second-hand Peterson Winch Production Frame (WPF), and ordered the complementary clip-on slabbing attachment, enabling him to cut slabs up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) in diameter.
He quickly discovered the high demand in Dorset and Hampshire for the capability to mill slabs over a meter wide. In this area, good quality wide Oak or Walnut slabs sell for well over UK£1,000. Mike has also milled various other types of soft and hard woods, such as Giant Redwood, Burl Oak, Walnut and Lebanon.
With large bandsaws being very expensive, and the Alaskan mill’s demand on one’s back and shoulders being immense, Mike is finding success in this profitable niche with his Peterson.
Today Mike is a skilled craftsman who takes pride in his work because of the time and detail he puts into each project. He operates a one-man business and uses the help of people at the milling site when handling large and heavy slabs.
Mike attributes the demand for his services largely to his Peterson Sawmill, which can handle log sizes that are simply too big for other portable sawmills in the area. Mike is regularly contracted to a local commercial sawmill, cutting their oversized logs into slabs with the clip-on slabber.
“I’m impressed with the accurate cuts I can get with my Peterson mill,” says Mike. “Being able to make precise adjustments to the blade makes all the difference.”
“It really is a remarkable machine that can take on any job. I have used a Norwood bandsaw in the past, but I prefer working with a swing blade because it’s much more hands-on. You get a feel for each individual piece of timber that you cut as you work through the log, as opposed to turning the log all the time to square it off.”
If you’re interested in getting a clip-on slabber for your mill, get in touch today!
