David Groth · Customer story

From redwood logs to something lasting.

For nearly ten years, artist David Groth has used his TurboSawmill M10 Auto to turn Northern California redwood logs into buildings, decks and lasting timber projects.

Explore David’s craftsmanship
Redwood buildings nestled among trees and flowering gardens beside a pond on David Groth’s property.
01A life built around timber, on California’s redwood coast.

The reason to mill

The timber was
already there.
So were the ideas.

On the redwood coast of Northern California, David Groth had spent decades building with timber. When he first wrote to us, he described eight redwood buildings on his property, built over 40 years, and an ongoing need for repairs, replacement decks and new structures.

He had already milled around 10,000 board feet with an Alaskan mill. With more projects ahead, he wanted a continual lumber supply and a mill suited to working on his own.

Nearly ten years after choosing his TurboSawmill M10 Auto portable sawmill, David recently sent us these photographs of a building he and Julie created using redwoods from their property.

“I don’t have to push a mill carriage back and forth all day, saving my energy for work on buildings.”

David Groth · From his original review
David and Julie’s two-storey redwood building with solar panels, surrounded by a garden beside a pond.
02Built by David and Julie, using redwood from their property.
Warm timber flooring, vertical wall boards and flowing sculptural timber balustrades in the building’s upper level.
03Timber given a personal touch through thoughtful design and craftsmanship.

One building. An investment returned.

With just this one building the mill way more than paid for itself plus we’ve replaced 30 year old decks and built additional small buildings.

David Groth
From his recent update to Jake

The value keeps growing with each project: timber for a new building, replacement boards for a deck, and a mill ready for the next idea.

Why David chose TurboSawmill

A mill that fits
the way he works.

David’s requirements were practical. He wanted to work with the logs on his property, manage the milling himself, and still have energy left to build.

01 / LOG HANDLING

Bring the mill to the log.

He wanted to position the mill beside a log, move additional logs with an arch and ATV, and have access from both sides.

02 / INDEPENDENCE

Work on his own terms.

Working mainly alone, David chose an automated mill that met his need for a one-person milling operation.

03 / AUTOMATION

Save energy for building.

Removing the repeated push of the saw carriage helped David keep his energy for turning that timber into finished projects.

The next chapter

More timber.
New possibilities.

Now David is installing a slabber, preparing to explore another side of his redwood supply.

For anyone with access to logs and the time to mill them, his work offers plenty of inspiration. Add patience, skill and imagination, and the timber on your property could become something you’ll enjoy for years.

Watch David milling redwood on YouTube ↗

Meet the maker

David Groth.
Artist. Sculptor.

David’s creativity extends beyond the buildings on his property. Watch him milling redwood into dimensional lumber with his TurboSawmill, then explore his sculpture and other work on his website.

Visit David Groth Sculpture

What could you build?

Start with the logs you have and the projects you have in mind.
Explore the TurboSawmill range and find your starting point.

Explore portable sawmills

Editorial by TurboSawmill. Photographs supplied by David Groth. Story drawn from his original review and recent update. David’s experience relates to his M10 Auto.

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