Palco Fortuna Sawmill

Our next stop was at The Pacific Lumber Company's Sawmill in Fortuna.

Lasers scan the logs and lumber so computers can determine how to process them to optimize the volume and value.

Graders sort through the lumber to determine the proper grade of each piece and how it should be processed further.
This is a close up of a machine sharpening the band saw. These saws are replaced every few hours.
Band saws (such as the one being worked on here) are sharpened and inserted into the head rig which squares off the logs and produces cants (larger timbers) which are further processed by gang saws.
Band saws.
The giant slabs which the head rig cuts off of the sides of the log go into an edger which takes the rough edges off and produces a nice piece of dimension which cuts it into proper lengths.
The log loader unloads the log trucks and feeds the logs onto a chain heading for the de-barker and cut off saw.
De-barked logs come up a giant conveyor into the mill.

And of course, no visit is complete without a picture in front of a log pile!