The equipment detailed below would be suitable for use at the community level. References have been made to this appendix.
1. Horizontal Frame Saw. A single blade reciprocating saw with a simple carriage with dogs. Cost is approximately US$ 10 000-20 000. Power consumption is between 10-25 kw. This machine particularly lends itself to the conversion of large diameter logs. It can, however, also be used for smaller logs if few cuts are made (squares, flitches).
2. Vertical Frame Saw. This is the traditional saw for Austrian conditions and is the one upon which the Austrian sawmilling industry was built. It is easy to maintain and suitable for logs up to 1.0 m diameter. It is slightly higher in cost and has approximately the same power consumption as 1.
3. Scandinavian Rack Bench Circular Saw. This saw is very suitable for converting plantation-grown trees up to a diameter at breast height of approximately 35 cm.
4. A new type of saw suitable for small-scale operations is being developed at present. If tests prove successful this could supercede other types.
All these saw types could be manufactured locally.
These types of mill require some sources of energy. While electric energy from the grid is available in most cities, it is not normally supplied to rural communities and fossil-based fuels, such as diesel oil, are often beyond the means of villagers. The solution would be the use of a forest product - wood waste. Two possibilities, among others, present themselves:
a) a wood-based power plant, such as a boiler and ‘steam motor’ supplying the sawmill and the village with electric energy. This would be a substantial investment,
b) an old-fashioned ‘locomobile’ which is still manufactured in some countries, notably in Brazil, and which is relatively cheap but very uneconomic in its fuel consumption.
