General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

metal

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

N/A

Width

N/A

Height

N/A

Thickness

N/A

Weight

300.0

Diameter

274.0 cm

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Forestry

Category

Lumbering

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

SIMONDS

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

British Columbia

Period

Presumably used after 1951, and until 1982.

Canada

Blade from Mill No. 4 at Chemainus, B.C.. Built in 1925 by the Victoria Lumber & Mfg. Co., Mill No. 4 was bought c. 1944 by H.R. MacMillian, and operated as a MacMillan business (becoming, after 1951, MacMillian Bloedel) until 1982, when it was closed and dismantled. In 1984 a new and modern mill was built in Chemainus: as of 2001, it was still in operation. In social and economic terms., Mill No. 4 represents the apex of industrial development in Chemainus, in a sector of paramount importance to both the community and the province. Maximum production was 1 million board feet of lumber, over a 24-hr period, with three continuous shifts employing a total 1000 people. (The current mill employs 150 people and processes about 450,000 board feet a day) Mill No. 4 was also a part of an industrial continuum with roots dating back to the pioneer period of settlement on Vancouver Island. The very large sawblade reflects the remarkable scale of the forest industry in British Columbia, since it was the size of trees being harvested that distinguished logging operations there, from those in the rest of Canada. (Ref. 1)

Function

Used in tandem with another blade of equal size, to cut logs of up to 10-ft diameter.

Technical

This head saw blade probably operated in tandem with another blade of equal size, one above the other, in a frame known as a "husk". It was capable of handling logs up to 10-ft in diameter, conveyed on a logbed running on train rails. (Ref. 1)

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

"SIMOND" stamped into each tooth of blade. "MACMILLAN BLODELL/ CHEMAINUS DIV./ BOX 540 CHEMAINUS/ SAWMILL DIV./ CHEMAINUS/ B.C./ ATTN: M. HESS" printed by hand in yellow grease pencil on back of blade. "983.45.451" printed in black marker on wooden frame.

Missing

At least 3 teeth missing from blade.

Finish

Metal blade and teeth are heavily corroded.

Decoration

N/A