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Belsaw build

Started by glendaler, May 30, 2018, 03:24:52 PM

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moodnacreek

Glendalerl, yes, lifting the pawl at times.  Also put the feed outboard. There has to be a way to make a better setworks, ofte tthought about doing something with a large rachet  wrench.

Babylon519

Quote from: Don P on June 11, 2018, 08:46:44 PM
That pawl is a wear item we should probably team up and have a run of them made. I have I think 3, the one on the mill is about ready to be welded and ground, If I hold my mouth just right it grabs most of the time, the other two have been welded once and then worn down again.
x2. Mine is pretty rounded too. Add me to the order!
- Jason
Jason
1960 IH B-275 - same vintage as me!
1960 Circle Sawmill 42"
Stihl MS440 & a half-dozen other saws...

glendaler

10 month time gap but there's more progress lately, gathering some momentum. After thinking long and hard about my plans, I changed from the 10 ft carriage, 30 ft bed with six legs to saw 14 ft lumber to the standard 6 ft carriage, 18 ft bed with 4 legs to saw 10ft lumber. Less material, less hardware, less walking, smaller footprint, smaller building, and the only time I've needed longer than 10ft lumber was to build this sawmill. More progress to come very soon.


 
Belsaw A10 circle mill,

Trapper John

Thanks for returning, was wondering about your progress.  Your frame looks good.  I think you made the right decision for keeping your mill that size.  My M-24 has a 16 carriage, 3 headblocks  and it came with a 48" blade.  Its just a hobby mill for me, thank goodness, and I thought it would handle bigger logs than it can.  I can't imagine what the engineers at Belsaw were thinking.  Sixteen feet of extremely light carriage, a 1.75" arbor, a 48" saw, a 6" flat belt for prime power.  Let's get real.  But anyway, I am learning a lot and I think I can make my mill meet my meager needs.  Keep us posted on your progress, you have a real old timer there and your work is beautiful.

jimparamedic

very interested keep up the pics

Hilltop366


moodnacreek

Watch out for the set wheel getting loose on the shaft. Back before lock tite  I slit mine and welded steel bars in the spoke area, drilled and thru bolted to shrink on shaft like a john deere 2 cyl. Still tight to this day.

bandmiller2

I think half the circle sawyers in this country got their start on Belsaws. Two of my friends ran Belsaws and I learned to run a mill with their instructions. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

glendaler

Thanks guys, the carriage is on the second floor of my shop and the lighting is terrible but here it is. Needs some more paint but 90% done.


Belsaw A10 circle mill,

jimparamedic

looking good it will be well worth the effort

Babylon519

Quote from: glendaler on April 04, 2019, 10:35:57 AMNeeds some more paint but 90% done.
:)
International Red?
- Jason
Jason
1960 IH B-275 - same vintage as me!
1960 Circle Sawmill 42"
Stihl MS440 & a half-dozen other saws...

glendaler

Ford red actually.

End plates and top plates on, arbor notches cut, feed works sitting near where they'll be.


 


 
Belsaw A10 circle mill,

moodnacreek

You are doing a beautiful job but are you going to use those plain bearings? I hope not.

glendaler

Quote from: moodnacreek on April 04, 2019, 07:21:07 PM
You are doing a beautiful job but are you going to use those plain bearings? I hope not.
I sure am.
Gotta use whatever time you can find so I picked up an LED tripod work light, 8400 lumens. Got the carriage bolts into the legs through the beams so the structure is officially done. Bringing the arbor to work with me to move the pulley in my press to line up with the tensioner properly. Hoping to have arbor, feedworks and tensioner mounted up this weekend.


 
Belsaw A10 circle mill,

bandmiller2

Glen, I hope in your country you can still get creosote or other effective wood protector, that frame is just too pretty to succumb to the ravages of rot. The later B'saws used flange type pillow block bearings that were a big improvement over the Babbitt, you could retrofit if need be. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

jimparamedic

As long as the babbitt bearings are in good shape and properly maintained the will do a good job and last a long time 

moodnacreek

I understand it was done that way [even by me] but on machines that have sat always seem to have a rough shaft.   Ball bearings work so good on a light mill and run very cool and no oil can in one hand will sawing and watching for other problems.

glendaler

The shaft is still nicely polished and will be oiled properly. Part of what I do for a living is grind crankshafts so I have quite a bit of knowledge in this area. I'd like to keep it original because if I was going to put ball bearings on it, I might as well machine myself a bigger diameter shaft, then I might as well switch it all over to v-belts, or hydraulic feed, make a better carriage, etc, etc. I'm bad for snowballing projects and instead of ending up with a simple product I have a half done complex one and quit. The major point is to saw wood with an old mill and have fun while doing it. There's a local babbitt expert that does all the old model A engines in this part of the country so I could get them redone too.

Quote from: bandmiller2 on April 06, 2019, 06:46:48 AM
Glen, I hope in your country you can still get creosote or other effective wood protector, that frame is just too pretty to succumb to the ravages of rot. The later B'saws used flange type pillow block bearings that were a big improvement over the Babbitt, you could retrofit if need be. Frank C.
One of the first things on the list is a building for this thing because I agree, I have alot of time and energy and pride now in this frame. I've been on the search for a fallen barn to salvage the steel roofing from but I think people have scooped most of it up.

Belsaw A10 circle mill,

glendaler

Got the feedworks installed, I was a little wide so had to take the brace off and pull in with a clamp. Got the arbor installed. Put the front bolts in first, then put the blade on to make sure it was square or a bit of lead with the bolts in the middle of the slots before drilling the back holes. Extremely close to square up and down as well but will have to wait for the carriage for final adjustment there. Ready for the belt tensioner but the previous owner must have had the feedworks closer to the arbor than me, the belt's too short. Some other belts came with the mill I'll have to check lengths.




 


 
Belsaw A10 circle mill,

moodnacreek

Glendaler, I understand you keeping it original . Surprised you found it in good enough condition to just polish. As I use old sawmill equipment almost full time, I couldn't wait to get rid of babbit and so I passed my feelings to you but I respect what you are doing.  We have an automotive machine shop 2 miles from here and they weld up and grind cranks, there are very few of these shops left. Keep up the good work.

jimparamedic

You are going to have a great mill and it will be fun to use. And it will make a great product for you to use. Just rememder you are working with wood so a 1/16 to an 1/8 inch is ok. I have a friend that is a millwright and when we built his house he started trying to make every thing to a 100 thousand. but he finilly figured it out. The big thing is just have fun and enjoy

glendaler

Thanks.

Yeah I have to guard against that alot. Anytime I get into a carpentry project the machinist part of my brain goes nuts. I was surprised at the variance from some local places I sourced wood for this mill from though. That's what high production gets you I guess, and if it's going to be planed after I guess you only have to be so good. But if I can't get better than what they're putting out I'm chopping this thing up for firewood.
Belsaw A10 circle mill,

glendaler

In the original instructions from Belsaw in the 1930's it says to set the carriage up so it travels about 1/2" from the blade. Is this normal and what holds true today? I'd like it as close as possible to have support for the last board with a spacer board behind. Would 1/4" be so close that the blade might hit it if it wobbles?
Belsaw A10 circle mill,

moodnacreek

1/2" is standard. Any closer could cost you the teeth and show you a ring of fire in a minor wreck. The saw guide should prevent this if is stout enough. If you touch the wood being sawn or drop a shingle , from a damaged log, between the log and the saw it will heat fast and send the rim [teeth] from side to side mostly towards the carriage and if sawing, saw a curve, again into the carriage if it can.    Always wear eye protection when sawing. I got knocked out once. Even more important; never let anything fall between the saw and the spreader and if you see this starting to happen, get over to the side fast because it's coming at your face.     Getting the lead right and the filing of the teeth is critical. The teeth must be filed straight across and have equal corners also the hook angle like new teeth.      Keep us posted.

glendaler

All good advice, thanks. One thing I noticed in the countless videos I've been watching is people make a nice big table right along side the blade to catch the boards but they tend to stay standing up on this table instead of falling over onto it, so they sit there rubbing the blade, or small pieces get caught between the saw and the table. I plan to have nothing at all next to the outside of the blade to stay away from this and just have a couple angle pieces so the cut pieces fall well clear of the blade.
Belsaw A10 circle mill,

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