What Does A Lumber Mill Do?

A lumber mill, also called a sawmill, is a facility that processes raw logs into usable wood products like boards, planks, beams, and dimensional lumber.

What a Lumber Mill Does — Step by Step:

1. Log Delivery

Logs are brought in by truck or rail from forests or logging operations.

They're sorted by species, size, and quality.

2. Debarking

The bark is removed using a debarker.

Bark may be recycled into mulch or used as biofuel.

3. Primary Breakdown (Head Rig Sawing)

The log is cut into cants (large rectangular sections) using a circular saw, band saw, or chip-n-saw.

The goal is to get the most usable lumber out of each log.

4. Resawing

Cants are cut into boards or planks by resaw machines.

Sawing patterns may vary depending on lumber grade or market needs.

5. Edging

Boards go through an edger to remove rough edges and produce standard widths.

6. Trimming

A trimmer saw cuts boards to length and removes defects.

7. Grading & Sorting

Lumber is visually or mechanically graded based on strength, appearance, and size.

Sorted into stacks by size and grade.

8. Drying (Kiln or Air-Drying)

Green (wet) lumber is dried to reduce moisture content, preventing warping and decay.

Kiln drying is faster and more controlled; air drying is slower but cheaper.

9. Planing (Optional)

Some mills use a planer to smooth boards and make them ready for sale.

10. Packaging & Shipping

Finished lumber is bundled and shipped to retailers, wholesalers, or manufacturers.

What Lumber Mills Produce

Dimensional lumber (2x4s, 2x6s, etc.)

Boards and planks

Timbers and beams

Wood chips (used in paper mills or particle board)

Sawdust and bark (used for energy or mulch)

Let me know if you want a diagram of this process or information on modern vs. traditional sawmills, portable sawmills, or mill startup costs.