A young forester created a job with a Wood-Mizer saw

The young Slovenian, after graduating from forestry school, couldn't find a job in his specialization, so he created his own job - with the help of a bandsaw from Wood-Mizer.

The Slovenian village of Plat is situated high in the Alps, 875 meters above sea level. The clean air, forests, springs and beautiful mountain scenery probably affect the lifestyle of the local peasants - slow, calm and very reasonable. Farming is the main occupation. Almost every family has cows, sheep, poultry and many other domestic animals.

On the wall of the Potocnik's house is the image of St. Florian - the patron saint of peasant houses, which he protects from fires

Gregor Potocnik's parents in the village of Plat also work the land and look after their 20 cows. And, as in many such places, the family also owns a forest of about 35 hectares. These circumstances gave Gregor the idea that his forest could be managed more rationally and with modern methods, and that he could profit from it. Gregor was therefore admitted to and successfully graduated from forestry school.

"Finish something," laughs Gregor, "but I haven't found a job in my major!"

But it is not in Gregor's nature to despair and wait for a better fate. Being in a good mood is a wonderful gift and makes a man happy regardless of his situation. Therefore, such people prefer to look ahead, make plans and implement them.

After working in several places, Gregor saved up some money and as soon as he turned 27 he bought a bandsaw.

The LT20B band saw LT20B is installed in the village of Plat, at the top of the mountain, 875 m above sea level

"In our village, almost all the inhabitants have a piece of forest; they take care of it; the forests are cleared of old, dry trees, badly damaged trunks; and this wood has to be cut because on a farm, especially if you have animals, you always need to build or repair something" - Gregor explains. The subsequent chain of events proved that he was absolutely right.

The ribbon saw purchased by Gregor was produced by Wood-Mizer. It is a world-renowned brand that has been in existence since 1982 and today is a leading manufacturer of bandsaws and saws. The company is American and its European production center is in Poland. In total, more than 75,000 Wood-Mizer bandsaws are active in almost every country in the world.

"I found out that there was a Wood-Mizer dealership only 17 km away from our village, so I went to them, consulted with them and bought an LT20B bandsaw," says Gregor.

Gregor Potocnik produces timber for his own use and for neighbors' needs

The car is designed for small and medium-sized enterprises. The bed is made up of several very strong segments which are placed low, close to the ground, so that the logs are loaded onto the frame by hand with clawed spikes. The cutting head, in which a ribbon-strap is mounted, is equipped with electric motors - the main one driving the rotation of the saw and additional ones - that move the head up and down and back and forth along the bed.

It is not the smallest bandsaw in the Wood-Mizer family (there are also simpler models - the LT10 and LT15), and in Gregor's case it has an important feature - it's remote-controlled. On the control console - electronic positioning system, with which you can set the desired thickness of the planks, and the cutting head will automatically adjust its position for the next cut.

The LT20B bandsaw is equipped with remote control panel

With the help of technicians from Wood-Mizer, Gregor assembled the machine close to home, a little further up the hill. He organized a cozy workspace - an armchair covered with a tent for sunscreen and other weather gear, with the control panel sitting in front. The remote control cable is suspended by a wire stretched between two poles at either end of the car. In fact, the cable is in the air at the side of the car, moves easily and is not covered by sawdust. This way of suspending the cable is called a 'curtain' in Wood-Mizer.

Gregor Potocnik controls all the functions of the bandsaw from the comfort of a chair under a tent, protected from the elements

Gregor now works sitting comfortably in the seat instead of walking along the machine with the cutting head. This comfort has a significant impact on performance as Gregor is less tired and can work harder. For removing the finished plank, he has hired an assistant. Sometimes the customer also willingly helps carry the planks.

The locals are happy to have a bandsaw in the village. They no longer have to haul the logs a long way, and what's more, they not only get the finished timber from Gregor, but also dung and sawdust - all of which are useful on the farm.

And so a young Slovenian forester created his own job. Now he helps others and himself. A win-win situation.

Source: www.woodmizer.ro