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PAGF n PI.Al.NDhALl,«t . YuLAY, vOVhVibbh o, 1W1 The sharp teeth of the four-foot cutting blade are ready for action as Herb Freund positions the wood for cutting into a two inch thick board. The large piece of wood was lifted into place by a crane which was also built by Freund. A mind at work. Herb does most of the planning and figuring for his various undertakings in his head. (Continued from page 1) "After all, who wants to work?" he quipped. The electric clutch which is part of the table that positions the wood to the right width came from an old Chrysler air conditioning unit. The engine that powers the four-foot cutting blade is from a vintage 1952 International pickup truck that sat exposed to the weather for more than 10 years. "I put gas in it and it started right up," Herb said. He noted that it is still mounted on part of the original truck frame. The whole assembly is mounted on a concrete footing for stability. Once the log is positioned on the table, the whole assembly moves forward along two I-beams to the blades. There is a single four-foot blade on the bottom and directly above, in line with the cutting surface, is a smaller, circular blade. This smaller blade is used for cutting logs of a wide diameter. The blades have teeth made of hardened chromium steel and are sharpened with a grinder, he explained. The mill can handle a log 38 inches wide and up to 20 feet long. "Everything is adjustable," Herb said. "I can tilt the tables, the machine, everything." The mill is equipped with a brake and clutch for a quick shut-down if something does not sound right. Herb commented that his son-in-law, Dan Weber, of Freeport, 111., uses a good deal of the sawdust produced for his farming operation. He noted that he could make the mill into a full-time business operation, but added that that was not his intention. tjr/- »"It's something to do in retirement," he said. "It keeps me out of the bars." "My wife said I was acting as if the thing was going to stay -- and it will, for as long as I'm around." Herb said, with a smile. \ fi. ^ ' '* • ' • His Own Sawmill... Goal Of A Lifetime S T A F F P H O T O S / W A Y N E G A Y L O R D Herb starts the International pickup truck engine which powers the large blade. Taking a lot of pride in his work, a smile is a good indication oi the correct cut. Nestled in an almost rural setting near vicHenry. the logs commented that while there is a market for woodcutting, he shown here will soon be cut Into boar' *nd planks. Herb has no interest in making it a full-time business.