Portable sawmill by Allinson — 1920s
Photographs and history is courtesy of Alasdair Cameron, Ross-shire who took the photographs at the Nairn Show in 2014.
‘The mill is operated and exhibited by J F Nesbitt who always has something of interest to demonstrate at the Nairn Show and this outfit was made by H Allinson of Patrick Brompton, North Yorkshire, in the 1920's.
It is unusual as the steel bench has double flange wheels running on steel rails with the usual rack and pinion drive. Here the saw is powered by a Fordson Major, always a favourite in the woods as a robust tractor with a side mounted belt pulley.
The two bales of straw are for the safety of the public if anything flies off from the blade. One of the images shows someone at the riving knife end waiting with a wooden wedge most likely to drive into the saw kerf and keep the sides of the log being cut from closing up and binding on the blade.