Agricultural Machinery Specialist Committee 1969

Abstract

Over the next fifteen years, the volume of exotic soft woods available in Kenya will double every five years. For various reasons it is likely that. the caw mills used to convert this timber will be relatively small, labour intensive units. The equipment required to operate such mills is simple to design. and manufacture, and could be manufactured in East Africa. In this paper, specifications for two basic machines are drawn up, one a conventional circular saw heading, the other a more complex double log edger. If sufficient interest is shown in either of these' projects, the University College, Nairobi would be prepared to undertake the design of one of the machines. The possibility of using a double log edger to produce sawn planks is outlined as this might lead to improved timber quality and high conversion ratios at the expense of producing odd sized planks.