I love going to Europe. Visiting all the historic buildings, encountering timeless works of art… it’s such an inspiring place. I am particularly fascinated by what inspiration is behind many of these historical works of art.
It was usually some sort of event or hardship that captured the artist and prompted them to create their work. Don’t get me wrong, I am not an artist, but I do have a lot of admiration for what many famous artists have created. Artists have to look at the world through what I would call a fresh set of eyes. In many cases, they point out the obvious that the rest of the world seems to have overlooked, such as a bitter irony of our culture or customs. When the artist points it out, many people get an “A-ha!” moment. The sawmill industry provides these moments as well.
The “A-ha!” moment in our industry comes when we discover what the actual problem is in a sawmill. In the art world, Michelangelo painted figures on the Sistine Chapel that point at the Pope. In my world, many times the subject being pointed at is a simple, yet critical, piece of material called a sawguide.
I have heard many people say that the most important thing about a sawguide is the cost. This may be true if you are buying a simple hunk of aluminum or steel. Aluminum and steel are very basic materials, and for some reason that is all many people see when they look at a sawguide. They are overlooking the fact that this simple piece of aluminum or steel can single-handedly make or break your sawmill. A sawguide can either bring great productivity and prosperity to a sawmill and its community, or it can cause a sawmill to run in the red, bankrupting the mill and its community.
In this way, a sawguide is similar to a work of art. It can inspire our “A-ha!” moments. Just think that by making the wrong choice in sawguides, you can cause either extreme prosperity or bankruptcy and closure. It really puts things into perspective.
Now this item, previously thought of as a “simple piece of aluminum and steel” begins to have value and significance. Now we can no longer use the words “good enough” to describe sawguides. This simple piece of aluminum and steel sets the tone for the future of a sawmill. It must be right! It must be accurate. It must be properly manufactured. It must take into consideration babbitt pockets, alignment, the best durable coatings, proper cooling ports and many other elements. It needs to take all these things into consideration in order for it to function properly in a sawmill.
I have simply seen too many sawmills to count suffer because they have not yet had this “A-ha!” moment. Many of them no longer exist today. If a sawmill tolerates inaccurate sawguides, then they will have constant problems and poor productivity, eventually leading to financial failure.
Art is precious and has value, as do sawguides. A properly manufactured sawguide can make a sawmill more money, like a precious painting can make its owner a lot of money, and should be treated accordingly. Remember: a bad painting has no value to anyone.
Just remember that collectors of good art buy pieces that have value. Sawmills that look at sawguides as pieces of aluminum and steel do not see the value of a precious component, and therefore will not reap the rewards of their investment. Don’t be on the wrong side of sawguide history.
Author: Udo Jahn
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