2008
During the last week in May and the first week in June the old turbine and pipe was removed. The old tree growth below the dam was cut down and removed and a general cleanup completed.
During the following week, the footings for the new sluiceway were poured and the timber framing to hold the sluiceway was built.. The next step was to decide what to use for the trough. It was decided that the old 30" penstock would be recycle. Many cutting wheels and a lot of sparks later, four nice sections were taken to the welding shop to attach the bolt on connections, water control valve, and the in-feed and out-feed sections made by Alliance Custom Fabrication in Belleville. All this was then painted and taken up to the Mill the following Friday where a group of eight volunteers were waiting to manhandle everything into position and bolt them together.
OnSaturday, a hole was cut in the old header tank, the in-feed trough installed. When the the main valve was opened, we had a working water wheel. Several adjustments were made in the following days and two days before Heritage Day (2008) a pine log was brought in. The O’Hara Sawmill made its first sawdust in 38 years. The Heritage Day demonstration did take its toll, though, on some of the old wooden linkages. Some have since been replaced and the remainder will be done in the Spring of 2009.
2009
The sluiceway has been stained.
The log carriage drive gear has been repaired.
The saw blade has been sharpened, polished and reinstalled.
