I’ve known Kelvin and his wife Gaylene for many years, as hard working and amiable Peterson owners, who popped into the factory only occasionally. But my husband Chris, has visited their farm and sawmilling site many times. He always comes home excitedly gushing about what Kelvin is doing with his mill, and the massive houses he is building…

Kelvin builds big, and has always hassled us to bring out a 12” mill. So it made sense that he would be the one we asked to test our prototype. “Scrappy” was delivered by Chris last year, and he said the grin on Kelvin’s face never subsided. Lots of feedback was taken on board over the next months, and we built the first commercial model this year. Now it was time to swap them out, do the final field test, and ask Kelvin for some more feedback.

And I had to see it for myself. We were off on a road trip! Told the office we were out for the day, and took Polly too, just in case we could get some footage of  these ‘amazing projects’.

Through the beautiful countryside on a sunny day, I could smell the grass and cows…and as we passed through Te Pahu village, the meat PIES! But we were on too much of a mission to stop and eat. We were here! A looming rustic gate with 8’ posts, protected a sprawling shed, logs, and stacks of timber in various states of aging. You were very aware there was serious timber on this property. We drove through the firewood yard – yep that was just the wee stuff – and up through the secluded tree-lined drive, to the main house and sawmill site. A huge rustic 2-storey building, complete with welcoming motto, had Polly and I oohing and aahing as Chris drove slowly around it. At the back, a ginormous mountain of logs greeted us, and the sawmill site.

Kelvin appeared in short stubbies that I’m sure were from the 90s, tanned muscled legs, and yep, that huge grin still on his face! His gorgeous wife Gaylene also came out to give us all a welcome hug. The rest of the day was a blur of directing and shooting, and after every question I’d prepared, I had upteen more. Kelvin’s history, his home, his work, and the many houses he has built, were all so fascinating. We had a full tour of the first home they built as a family, and even visited one of his more recent modern house builds, complete with extensive glass frontage and supported by incredibly massive beams – the combination of modern sleek lines and substantial raw timbers, was a match made in heaven.

Feedback on Scrappy was honest and real. Then we prepared to put model #2 to the test. Polly set up the camera tripod, and I asked Kelvin to put on his chainsaw chaps. He nonchalantly advised me he does not wear them, and never has. No wonder his legs are so tan. But, I couldn’t shoot anything without all the safety gear, so we spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out where to get him a pair – eventually he managed to find some in his son’s work van. I wish I had recorded his wife Gaylene’s cackling laughter at seeing him in chainsaw chaps!

I’m not going to spoil or repeat the stories of the day – I’ll let Kelvin tell it in his own words. But I had noticed the beautiful staircase in Kelvin’s home, with each step consisting of a 10” board plus a 2” board, to make the 12” width. I got why he needed a 12” mill. I’m just sorry it took so long.

Kerris Browne
CEO – Peterson Portable Sawmills

Innovation from the Field: The Three-Part Video Series Preview

At Peterson Sawmills, innovation starts in the field—tested and proven by the sawmillers who use our machines every day. In this three-part video series, we follow Kelvin Williams of Te Pahu, New Zealand: a skilled builder, sawyer, and long-time friend who has put his Peterson mills to serious work. From crafting homes with his own timber to trialing our very first 12 1/2″  prototype, Kelvin offers honest insights you won’t want to miss.

Part 1: Kelvin has put his Peterson sawmills to proper work.

A skilled builder, Sawmiller, and friend, Kelvin has spent the last few years turning logs from his property and the neighbouring areas, into everything from furniture to million-dollar homes. In this video, he takes us through his first home build, the projects he’s completed, the satisfaction of milling his own lumber, and why he wouldn’t trade the process for anything.

“Trees don’t need to be pretty to make good wood,” says Kelvin.

Watch Kelvin’s story and see what’s possible with your own sawmill.

Part 2: There is no one we trust more than a lifelong sawyer with years of experience to test our new prototype mill under tough conditions. This is Kelvin’s feedback after running our very first build “Scrappy” for 10 months, clocking up 240 hours. He covers everything from the larger blade performance, gearbox heat, speed of cut, new pivot design, and frame reinforcing, to how he stores his mills and what maintenance he does.

“It’s a privilege to be part of the development, and the first to try it out,” says Kelvin.

Watch Kelvin’s full review of Peterson’s 12” prototype mill.

Part 3: Peterson’s official release of the 12 ½” WPF (manual) and the 12 ½” ASM (automated). Our thanks goes to Kelvin for giving us the valuable field testing that we needed to make this happen. Plus our amazing team back at the factory – my husband Chris for leading the development, and his right hand guys Troy Pappon in CAD Design and Aden Te kiri in Engineering and Electrical.

“We are very excited to bring you our latest technology in a swingblade sawmill,” says Kerris Browne, CEO.

Click here to learn more about the official product release of Peterson’s 12½” WPF and 12½” ASM.