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Once the mill is humming like a top, the sawmill workers will turn their attention to related projects.
"We're going to put an ell on the building to house planers, a shingle mill and more steam equipment," Chuck said. "And we have a tomato stake machine we'd like to set up, and a steam engine generator set we want to put in a building. And down the road sometime, we'd like to put in a museum, for antique saws, logging equipment and chains."
In the meantime, the crew continues fine-tuning the Frick.
Portable Leffel Powers Sawmill
The James Leffel steam engine that powers the Florida Flywheelers' sawmill operation is called a portable, but at 14,000 pounds - seven tons - it doesn't do too much scooting around.
"She's a heavy girl," said owner Dave Sharp, Ft. Myers, Fla., who's assisted by Jeff Smith, Port St. Lucie, Fla. "She's a big portable; it would have taken at least four horses to pull this."
The center crank engine - which has a full 7/16 boiler, and a 42-inch flywheel that runs the mill - is fairly rare. It was built in the late teens in Springfield, Ohio; Dave found it in Alabama.
"They were water turbine builders, and it was a small company," Dave said. 'There's not too many of these around."
Dave is an old hand at steam engines: he has four at home (he leaves the Leffel at Flywheeler Park).
"I've been playing with steam as a hobby for about 14 years," he said. "I know enough to be dangerous."