Gloucester Services

[Billhook]

8 hours ago, Timber Futures said:

We use and AutoTrek - built in Devon by LogLogic - one man operated, 6.5m bed, 1.2m width capacity and can self load up to a 4 tonne log. Uses 4" wide stylite tipped blades - very nice machine, super accurate cut.

We bought a second hand Trekkasaw back in the 1990s but I think it had been abused and never seemed to cut without a wave so sold it and bought a Lucas 8 inch

I believe the team at Trekka saw went on to make the auto trek as it looks familiar  on the video

 

 

[topchippyles]

I looked at a video and the machine looked very bulky to the newer ones 

[Timber Futures]

The Trekka was a design inherited by LogLogic, can’t remember the chaps name who originally built them, but they developed it into the current machine. I started out with a Trekkasaw which I still have - converted the beams so that it can cut 8.5m lengths, still have it in a barn but not used much now. Wavy cuts - took a while to discover the cause, can be several things, most common is the blade not being absolutely parallel to the direction of travel. The guide bearings allow adjustment for this. The Lucas is a great machine, LogLogic were agents for them - we used to demonstrate the AutoTrek alongside a Lucas Mill at the APF on LogLogics stand.

[openspaceman]

28 minutes ago, Timber Futures said:

The Trekka was a design inherited by LogLogic, can’t remember the chaps name who originally built them,

Paul Elsey, he emigrated to America and died shortly after. He bummed a piece of ash from me to see how the mill cut. Last time we met was before Google and he was designing telephones I think and promoting a search engine agglomerating thing called secret squirrel.

 

Very hard work running the trekkasaw and I had lots of trouble winding the handles in sync. It cut better than the Woodmiser.

 

My mate never let me loose on the Lucas some 30 years after I had used the other mills and by then I was 65 and found assisting him a real struggle.

 

A chap call Atkinson took trekkasaw over and his salesman , Richard Slatem, went on to found Fuelwood Marwick.

 

I think Robin Carter of Milland Fine Timber next owned them and he sold the business loglogic. 

[Timber Futures]

Thanks for this openspaceman great to hear the history, Paul Elsey had some good insights into what creates a high quality finish on milled timber. When we first started out milling with the Trekka it was challenging, mostly because we new very little about the tree end of timber, being cabinet makers and joiners. We ended up modifying the head on our machine with extended handles and few other little tweaks. We got over the issue of miss winding the elevating handles - whoever f**ked up the most bought the beer. 
 

After about 4 years of milling with the Trekka we needed a more productive machine, still with a mobile capacity. We hired in several mills with operators to see how they managed, including the big Wood Mizer. All the mills were good a managing certain timber, but the best all-round performer was the AutoTrek - the Wood Mizer has a faster throughput with softwood, but can’t match the consistently fine finish of the wide blade set up. LogLogic produce some great kit - good solid British engineering.