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Two German Dudes Using Nifty Old-School Contraptions to Mill a Log Into Boards

From the time when machines were wondrous labor-saving devices

By Rain Noe - September 20, 2018

in Object Culture

File this under "cool random stuff on the internet." In Germany there's an outdoor museum called the Glentleiten, a sort of Bavarian cousin to Colonial Williamsburg. It's populated with more than 60 traditional buildings filled with folks performing traditional crafts and agrarian activities. But they're also allowed to use old-school (19th or 20th century, by the looks of it) machines.

Two guys work at a sort of primitive bandsaw mill, and are tasked with turning big-ass logs into boards. Logs of that size would be impossible for two men to lift, so they've got a cool series of trolleys, tracks and contraptions they use to haul, position and mill it.

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I don't know how to say "bandsaw mill" in German, but every part of this thing looks so dangerous that it should be called Der Widowmaker.

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The sharpening machine in particular is pretty nifty, and note that they've got a single engine that they use to power different machines at different times by slipping the belt onto different pulleys. Take a look at how it all works:

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Also: Am I the only one who noticed that every time this dude looks at the other dude, he looks like he wants to murder him?

He should also be called Der Widowmaker.

o

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Tom Luczycki

6 years ago

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As much as I love the machines, I equally love the strategic removable post located in the floor between the bandsaw's off-feed table and the dual circular saw's infeed table that allows one person to easily transfer the wood from one to the other.

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Robert F. Sayles

6 years ago

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Lederhosen and a Jaxon Bavarian, appropriate stylistic touches. And the saw sharpening photo for me is a touchstone of the opening title sequences for Twin Peeks, all we need is the creepy music of Angelo Badalamenti, ah?

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Patricio Ortiz

6 years ago

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A decent screenwriter could make a horror masterpiece out of this great short film.

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Peter Hendry

6 years ago

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Bandsäge Google translate

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Eric Strebel

6 years ago

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Wow! ....the hats make the video of course. Oh, the tech is quite impressive too.

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Tom Luczycki

6 years ago

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Also coveting the utility shorts Der Widowmaker is wearing. Where might one score a pair of those stateside?

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