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The forest, saw and machines

Sawmills and Papermaking

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2nd floor
Permanent exhibition
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Sawmills powered by water power were in operation from the Middle Ages and represented the first industrialization. Timber, planks and wood were for many hundreds of years some of the country's most important export items, with a heyday in the 17th century. From the end of the 1800s, paper, made from wood pulp, became an important export product.  

The Norwegian forest industry currently produces 11 million cubic meters of timber annually (2021) and is the world's fourth largest exporter of sawn timber. One of today's challenges is to utilize more of the waste for CO2-neutral heating and the production of biofuel.

Norwegian mechanical industry produced machines and equipment for the sawmill and wood processing industry both in Norway and abroad. An important manufacturer of sawmill machinery was Myrens Verksted by Akerselva, established in 1848. Different types of turbines and saws such as frame saws and circular saws were built here, and entire factory facilities were designed. The exhibition shows frame saws and circular saws produced at Myrens.

Museum educator and boy who makes paper
Boy pointing at paper hanging to dry
Wooden frame that is lowered into a tub of pulp
Wooden frame that is lowered into a tub of pulp
Boy with paper press
Girl hanging up a handmade sheet of paper
Boy pointing at paper hanging to dry
Close-up of paper

Recycled!

Activity

Resirkulering er viktig for miljøet og handler om å gjenbruke materialer til å lage noe nytt. Visste du for eksempel at gamle T-skjorter kan resirkuleres til papir?

I utstillingen finner du en papirmaskinen fra 1930 som ble brukt på Alvøen Papirfabrikk i Bergen. Den produserte papir av tremasse, men også tekstilfibre for ekstra kvalitetspapir brukt til dokumenter og pengesedler.

Every weekend we invite you to various activities at the museum. This is how you can learn about resource use in a practical and fun way.

See what's happening at the museum
Paper machine
Towards the end of the 19th century, it became common to produce paper from wood pulp
Close-up of paper machine with the text 1930 and Escher Wyss & Ravensburg
Paper machine used at Alvøen Papirfabrikk between 1930–1981
Frame saw that cuts planks
Frame saw used at Sanne & Solli Bridge near Sarpsborg between 1860–1925
Museum educator and boy who makes paper
Handmade paper from T-shirts
Close-up of paper machine
Industrialization led to cheaper paper production
    Two young people in the sawmill exhibition

    Norwegian machines

    History

    The mechanical grinding devices for grinding timber into pulp were developed around 1900. The machine in the exhibition was produced in Oslo by Myrens Verksted in 1917.

    Myrens was one of several mechanical industrial companies that specialized in the production of machinery for the sawmill and wood processing industry. The hydraulic press at the top of each pocket presses the timber against the grinding stone. The tank below collects the mixture of wood pulp and water which is sent on for further processing.

    Frame saw cutting a log

    From riser saw to frame saw

    History

    Oppgangsaga was put into use in the 16th century, and made it possible to use water power for the production of planks. This led to increased utilization of the timber and increased production.

    Increased exports made the sawmills important sources of income for Norway and created large fortunes for the large forest and mill owners. The frame saw was an improvement on the simple riser saw in that it had several saw blades in a frame which made it possible to saw several planks at once.

    The frame story in the exhibition was used at Sanne & Solli Brug near Sarpsborg from 1860 to 1925.

    Bildekreditering:
    Museumsbilder med barn © NTM / Gorm Gaare
    Bilder av maskiner © NTM / Håkon Bergseth

    See also

    The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology

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    Kjelsåsveien 143
    0491 Oslo
    Org. nr.: 979676832

    Tel: 22 79 60 00

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    pdf Fotografering og filming på museet(82 KB)

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