In preferred embodiments the invention includes a transverse board conveyor, a
board extrusion portion, a marking station, a sawing portion, and a plurality of
board feeding portions, all of which are controlled by a process controller. In
such preferred embodiments, a bunk feeder and magazines feed boards serially onto
the transverse board conveyor and are conveyed in a direction transverse to the
length of the boards. The boards are individually deposited into an elongate receiver
of a board extrusion portion to be conveyed longitudinally. A carriage in the receiver
transports the boards past an end detection station, past a marking station, and
to a sawing station. The marking station prints desired indicia at selected positions
on the board such as by an ink jet printer without physical contact of the printing
mechanism with the board and while the board is moving.