Meet Sterling Paradiso, TimberKing owner, sawyer, do-it-yourselfer, and entrepreneur from Washington state.
“Where to start my story? I grew up in and around forests. I live in the middle of nowhere, two hours from civilization, on the coast of Washington state. Years ago, I built a cabin to live in using an Alaskan sawmill. Looking back, I had a lot of idealism but less practicality than I do today
I just didn’t understand why you couldn’t build your own house out of trees so I didn’t worry about permits or anything. This was great for years but now I’m building a permitted house with a heavy timber frame. I’ll be milling all the flooring, siding, and other wood components with my TimberKing sawmill.
Reverence for centuries-old wood
Anyway, where I lived was an old-growth cedar forest that was cut in the 1960’s. They cut the trees and took only the best, straight logs. Some were lifted out by helicopter. They high-graded the wood for shingle blocks and left lots of logs and stumps. They’re still there and some stumps are 20’ across. Cutting into them yields wood of extraordinary character and quality.
There’s tremendous value in wood I’m milling. Not as timber – the value’s in using it in ways that showcase its age and history. Our culture seems to be moving in the direction of valuing the raw character of wood. People have a powerful reverence for old wood these days.
Start with a 6-foot chainsaw
Here’s how I harvest beautiful wood from those centuries-old cedar stumps. First I section the stumps with a 72” chainsaw and get as many big slabs as possible. Then I put everything else that will fit through my TimberKing sawmill. This wood is absolutely unique. Every bit is older by far than our country and some of it is 1,000 years old. The growth rings are so tight you can barely count them. And this ancient wood will last indefinitely.
Having access to this wood was my primary motivation to get a TimberKing. I researched mills for three years, looking at features and options, and I decided your mill – TimberKing – was the one.
I started making furniture like large live-edge tables for restaurants, bars, and high-end homes. One thing always leads to another and I’m now building a brick-and-mortar business for myself in downtown Tacoma, Washington. It’s really two businesses in one: first, it’s a bar filled with extraordinary furniture you can purchase, all of it made from centuries-old cedar. Second, it’s a one-of-a-kind furniture showroom where you can visit with friends, sit, relax, and have a drink.
We have a 13’ bar, 18” wide, made from a single slab of wood 350 years old. I made the bar and tables with my TimberKing. The mill cuts straight and true, and maintains a perfect thickness from side to side and end to end. When wood comes off the mill, finishing it is fast and easy with little, handheld Milwaukee planers.
TimberKing’s 4-post head wins
I chose the TimberKing over Wood-Mizer because I like TimberKing’s 4-post head. I figured Wood-Mizer’s cantilever head, attached at only one side, might flop around and give an inferior cut over time as it ages. TimberKing’s 4-post head is more robust and I was really drawn to the fact you’ve been in the sawmill business since the 1920’s.
Reading online reviews, and especially peer reviews, it was clear your objective is to make the best sawmill you can. It’s real apparent you guys like working with wood and are really into it. Wood-Mizer, on the other hand, seems like they’re just making a product. Just making a way to cut lumber cheaply.
Which model?
Everybody’s got lofty ideas about what they want to do with a sawmill. I wanted a pro-quality, productive mill without spending $50,000 or $60,000. I wanted big cutting width. And I wanted to be able to load logs without a skidder. I was torn about which model to buy until I talked with your dealer in Oregon. I saw the TimberKing 1600 was a good balance for me. With the 1600, I got the 4-post head, log loader, hydraulics, and setworks.
TimberKing’s dealer in Oregon is a TimberKing owner himself. He’d used his mill forever and was very happy with it so he began selling them. He came here for a whole day and showed me how to use the mill. He’s a real character.
I wouldn’t mess with anything else
I can tell you TimberKing’s a good company. They’ve been doing this for almost 100 years (91 to be exact) and it shows. I firmly believe people who are passionate do a better job. Sure, I recommend TimberKing to others. They’re all over the place around here. It’s a great mill, works great. If anything unforeseen comes up, I know TimberKing will help me solve the problem. I plan to have this mill indefinitely. But if I ever want to sell it, I know I’ll be able to.
This mill has paid for itself already. On the bar I’m building, I’d have paid $80,000 for just what I’ve cut with my TimberKing 1600. I wouldn’t mess with anything else!”
— Sterling Paradiso, TimberKing 1600 owner, Hoh River Valley, Washington
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