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New Guy with my Sawmill Build

Started by Jimmysmill13, December 16, 2015, 06:08:33 PM

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Jimmysmill13

This is a saw mill I have been building over last couple months. I would like to see what you guys think and if you have any good or bad point on the mill. I still need to attach the motor and add some blade/wheel guards. 


































Magicman

Hello Jimmysmill13, and Welcome to the Forestry Forum.  Adding your location to your profile will help with questions.

Pictures must be loaded into your gallery and posted to your reply from there.  Review the Picture Posting thread at the bottom of the home page.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Kbeitz

I'm sure everyone would love to see pictures of your build.
I just this year made one my self.
So ask any questions.
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

Den-Den

The pictures look great.
A couple of questions:
* What band speed are you planning?
* How fast will the guide bearings be spinning?
You may think that you can or may think you can't; either way, you are right.

Jimmysmill13

Quote from: Den-Den on December 16, 2015, 07:15:14 PM
The pictures look great.
A couple of questions:
* What band speed are you planning?
* How fast will the guide bearings be spinning?


I am look at around 4000 to 5000fpm, I will have a 13hp engine.

I am not sure what the speed will be on the bearings at this point.

Magicman

That is the way to do it.   8)

My question is also about the blade guides.  Maybe it is the picture angle, but be sure to give the blade teeth plenty of room in front of the guide rollers.  You want to avoid any chance of the teeth contacting the rollers and removing set.

Congrats on the pictures.   :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Jimmysmill13

Quote from: Magicman on December 16, 2015, 07:43:56 PM
That is the way to do it.   8)

My question is also about the blade guides.  Maybe it is the picture angle, but be sure to give the blade teeth plenty of room in front of the guide rollers.  You want to avoid any chance of the teeth contacting the rollers and removing set.

Congrats on the pictures.   :)

Thanks Magicman, I see what you are saying about the blade guides, and I will have to make some adjustments and allow more space for the blade teeth.

dustyhat

Looks like your well on your way, the thing i will critic is the base where the track wheels are needs to be longer, motor weight ,wheel covers, and other weight, with the saw up high cutting a log it will probly be top heavy front to back. other than that it looks like a very good start.

Jimmysmill13

Quote from: dustyhat on December 16, 2015, 09:31:57 PM
Looks like your well on your way, the thing i will critic is the base where the track wheels are needs to be longer, motor weight ,wheel covers, and other weight, with the saw up high cutting a log it will probly be top heavy front to back. other than that it looks like a very good start.

Thanks Dustyhat, I agree and I may end up having to adjust this. I have put close to 200lbs on the motor mount at it's highest point and believe it or not it's very stable. The reason for the shorter stance was to maximize the sawmill base as its only 13' long. If you take notice to the side wheels on the base rails this also was added to help control any instability witch has worked out nicely.

dustyhat

There was a guy on here that was having trouble with sawdust clogging up his acme thread, and causing it to bind up. cant remember what he did , but maby he build some kind of brushes to keep them cleaned out. you might want to think about that :)

sawmilllawyer

Sawmill build is looking good. Welcome to the forum.
Stihl MS-361, MS-460 mag, Poulan 2150, 2375 Wildthing.

Ljohnsaw

Jimmy,

You nailed the picture posting thing 8)  Really nice, clear pictures.  Having just completed my build, I see some things that may need attention:

Awesome track!  Your track looks like it is flat on top - you will need a scraper/brush to keep the sawdust from building up and causing you trouble.

You have a really nice T-handle that looks like you will be using it for your blade tension - NICE.  However, it is also on the side where you have the motor/drive belt.  You will want your drive belt to remain constant tension.  Maybe you will address this with a spring-loaded idler pulley?  Or, swap out the bolt you have on the idle side for a T-handle as well.

I made my own blade guides like yours.  The minute I added water-lube, the bearings ceased up.  I'm guessing water brought sawdust into them.  I ended up buying Cook's guides and they work great.

On your vertical guides, did you put some wear plates/Teflon in there?  Would probably help it move smoothly.

Do your guide bars stay in alignment with the blade (more important vertically, not so critical front to back)?    You want to be able to consistently cut square but if one side of the blade leads the other, that doesn't matter so much.  On your blade guide bars, you have hex bolts - consider either welding on a T handle or replace with handles you can work without tools like this:

  You want to keep the guides up to the wood and being able to do it without tool is much nicer.

As far as keeping your ACME threads free of sawdust, I would slip some PVC pipe over it.  Make the pieces just long enough that they fit when all the way up or down.  Hang the bottom one from the ACME nut.  The top one will just rest on the nut.  Hopefully, that will cover all the thread you will be actually using.

Keep in mind that you are going to want to operate your mill from the idle wheel side so you are not getting covered in sawdust!  Did you have to flip your blade (turn it inside out)?  Your rotation is opposite from most mills I've seen.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

redprospector

Welcome to the forum Jimmysmill13!
I won't repeat what's been said. What I will say is, nice job. I like the way that you have your pillow blocks spread out. I got mine too close together, and have to replace shafts way more often than I'd like. I would recommend putting some split locking collars on the shafts to keep them from being able to move.
The only other concern I have would be for the carriage wheels. It looks to me like you used idler pulleys. I don't think they will hold up long. But I've been wrong before.  ;)
1996 Timber King B-20 with 14' extension, Morgan Mini Scragg Mill, Fastline Band Scragg Mill (project), 1973 JD 440-b skidder, 2008 Bobcat T-320 with buckets, grapple, auger, Tushogg mulching head, etc., 2006 Fecon FTX-90L with Bull Hog 74SS head, 1994 Vermeer 1250 BC Chipper. A bunch of chainsaws.

redprospector

Quote from: Jimmysmill13 on December 16, 2015, 07:29:12 PM
Quote from: Den-Den on December 16, 2015, 07:15:14 PM
The pictures look great.
A couple of questions:
* What band speed are you planning?
* How fast will the guide bearings be spinning?


I am look at around 4000 to 5000fpm, I will have a 13hp engine.

I am not sure what the speed will be on the bearings at this point.
If the OD of the bearings is 1 1/2", and your blade is traveling at 5000 sfpm, your guides will be spinning at about 12,732 rpm. That's pretty dog gone quick.
1996 Timber King B-20 with 14' extension, Morgan Mini Scragg Mill, Fastline Band Scragg Mill (project), 1973 JD 440-b skidder, 2008 Bobcat T-320 with buckets, grapple, auger, Tushogg mulching head, etc., 2006 Fecon FTX-90L with Bull Hog 74SS head, 1994 Vermeer 1250 BC Chipper. A bunch of chainsaws.

Kbeitz

Wow... Looking good.
I also think that you will need a spring-loaded idler pulley on your belts.
When sawing the belts will warm up and start to slip. I use a back idler
on my setup spring loaded and it really made a difference.
I also used Cooks bamdsaw guide wheels and they work great.
I also use the 13hp engine. Don't put to much set in your blades and
you will be good with that HP. I bet that like me you will be making a
bolt on extension soon.
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

justallan1

Jimmy, welcome to The Forestry Forum.
Great looking build so far. I will agree with ljohnsaw on your blade tensioner, but it wouldn't be a big deal to use the other wheel for your drive wheel and flip your blade inside out, from the looks of things.
Just a random question, did you already flip the blade inside out to make it saw the direction you are showing in the pics? I ask because both mills I've had they come to me with the teeth going the opposite of what you show. I don't know if it matters a bit, just curious.

Ox

Your mill looks nice and very rugged with many well-thought-out things on it.  Takes longer than you think, huh?  :)
The only thing that stands out to my eyes is your driven shaft, not the idle shaft.  The pulley to be driven by the engine is quite a ways away from the pillow block bearing.  I'm afraid you're going to have shaft breakage problems.  I'm thinking somehow the space between the pulley and the outboard pillow block needs to be smaller.  I would also recommend using red locktite on all the pillow block bearings.  Smear it all over the shaft and the set screws.  This will keep them from constantly loosening up.  This is for use with the cheap Chinese bearings.  The expensive US bearings probably won't have this problem.  Use heat to get the loctite to let loose for repairs if needed.  The guide bearings you're using are used by many mills.  They wear out pretty fast but are cheap and easy to replace as well.  Keep some gear oil in/on the ball bearings inside and they'll last a good long while.  Gear oil is a high pressure, high shear load oil with lots of sulfur in it (hence the smell) that uses that sulfur and a sacrificial wear surface that gets replenished using more oil on the next revolution (in an oil bath gearbox).  If you have any more questions, this is the best place to get them!  I'm not aware of any other place on the internet with a collection of so many smart, capable men from so many walks of life.  Collectively, we can do anything.
Nice looking homemade mill, buddy.  You have really nailed alot of the common problems with homemade jobbers.
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Ljohnsaw

Quote from: justallan1 on December 17, 2015, 09:25:26 AM
Jimmy, welcome to The Forestry Forum.
Great looking build so far. I will agree with ljohnsaw on your blade tensioner, but it wouldn't be a big deal to use the other wheel for your drive wheel and flip your blade inside out, from the looks of things.
Just a random question, did you already flip the blade inside out to make it saw the direction you are showing in the pics? I ask because both mills I've had they come to me with the teeth going the opposite of what you show. I don't know if it matters a bit, just curious.

It doesn't matter which way you run your blade (as long as the teeth are cutting ;)).  The important thing is that the drive wheel is PULLING the blade through the wood, not pushing it!  What you have should work just fine.  Your wood will just be left-handed :D
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Jimmysmill13

Quote from: ljohnsaw on December 16, 2015, 11:40:42 PM
Jimmy,

You nailed the picture posting thing 8)  Really nice, clear pictures.  Having just completed my build, I see some things that may need attention:

Awesome track!  Your track looks like it is flat on top - you will need a scraper/brush to keep the sawdust from building up and causing you trouble.

You have a really nice T-handle that looks like you will be using it for your blade tension - NICE.  However, it is also on the side where you have the motor/drive belt.  You will want your drive belt to remain constant tension.  Maybe you will address this with a spring-loaded idler pulley?  Or, swap out the bolt you have on the idle side for a T-handle as well.

I made my own blade guides like yours.  The minute I added water-lube, the bearings ceased up.  I'm guessing water brought sawdust into them.  I ended up buying Cook's guides and they work great.

On your vertical guides, did you put some wear plates/Teflon in there?  Would probably help it move smoothly.

Do your guide bars stay in alignment with the blade (more important vertically, not so critical front to back)?    You want to be able to consistently cut square but if one side of the blade leads the other, that doesn't matter so much.  On your blade guide bars, you have hex bolts - consider either welding on a T handle or replace with handles you can work without tools like this:

  You want to keep the guides up to the wood and being able to do it without tool is much nicer.

As far as keeping your ACME threads free of sawdust, I would slip some PVC pipe over it.  Make the pieces just long enough that they fit when all the way up or down.  Hang the bottom one from the ACME nut.  The top one will just rest on the nut.  Hopefully, that will cover all the thread you will be actually using.

Keep in mind that you are going to want to operate your mill from the idle wheel side so you are not getting covered in sawdust!  Did you have to flip your blade (turn it inside out)?  Your rotation is opposite from most mills I've seen.

Thanks for all the good info,

I didn't think of saw dust building up on the track, I will add something to control that issue as well.

I will be adding a spring loaded idler pulley and I haven't come up with a design yet but I think I am also going to have the motor be able to slide for belt adjustments. 

I do like your T-handles and will be welding some handles on to the bolts at some point.

The blade guides I do like so far but they have not been proven yet since I have not been able to run it but I have looked at the cooks and if this fails I will purchase a set. It will be an easy retrofit.

The blade guides do stay in alignment. I made the guides adjustable in every direction if for some reason they become out of alignment.

The acme thread on this mill was not my original design. I originally had a cable and pulley system and I just couldn't get it to balance out properly and I had a lot of binding so this is actually design number 3 and I wish I would have started with the acme thread originally. It would have made everything better. This is the other reason you see the acme thread to the rear of the mill instead of being centered. I plan on using some vacuum cleaner hose to help keep the dust out of the treads.

I will be operating the mill from the idler pulley side and pushing forward. The engine shaft would be facing me and the motors shaft rotation is counter clockwise so the blade will be moving to the right as the teeth direction indicate. I may not fully understand you last question on this so let me know if that makes any sense at all.




Jimmysmill13

Quote from: redprospector on December 17, 2015, 12:03:38 AM
Welcome to the forum Jimmysmill13!
I won't repeat what's been said. What I will say is, nice job. I like the way that you have your pillow blocks spread out. I got mine too close together, and have to replace shafts way more often than I'd like. I would recommend putting some split locking collars on the shafts to keep them from being able to move.
The only other concern I have would be for the carriage wheels. It looks to me like you used idler pulleys. I don't think they will hold up long. But I've been wrong before.  ;)

Thanks!

I did put some collars with set screws on do think this should be a split lock instead?

I am not sure if the idler pulleys will hold up either. I did make them easy to switch out if one goes bad. It just a pin and collar holding them in place. It was away cheaper option then rail wheels.

Jimmysmill13

Quote from: Kbeitz on December 17, 2015, 06:30:42 AM
Wow... Looking good.
I also think that you will need a spring-loaded idler pulley on your belts.
When sawing the belts will warm up and start to slip. I use a back idler
on my setup spring loaded and it really made a difference.
I also used Cooks bamdsaw guide wheels and they work great.
I also use the 13hp engine. Don't put to much set in your blades and
you will be good with that HP. I bet that like me you will be making a
bolt on extension soon.

Thanks!

I will definitely have a spring loaded idler

Jimmysmill13

Quote from: redprospector on December 17, 2015, 12:10:51 AM
Quote from: Jimmysmill13 on December 16, 2015, 07:29:12 PM
Quote from: Den-Den on December 16, 2015, 07:15:14 PM
The pictures look great.
A couple of questions:
* What band speed are you planning?
* How fast will the guide bearings be spinning?

With that speed I guess these bearing will not be lasting very long.

I am look at around 4000 to 5000fpm, I will have a 13hp engine.

I am not sure what the speed will be on the bearings at this point.
If the OD of the bearings is 1 1/2", and your blade is traveling at 5000 sfpm, your guides will be spinning at about 12,732 rpm. That's pretty dog gone quick.

Jimmysmill13

Quote from: justallan1 on December 17, 2015, 09:25:26 AM
Jimmy, welcome to The Forestry Forum.
Great looking build so far. I will agree with ljohnsaw on your blade tensioner, but it wouldn't be a big deal to use the other wheel for your drive wheel and flip your blade inside out, from the looks of things.
Just a random question, did you already flip the blade inside out to make it saw the direction you are showing in the pics? I ask because both mills I've had they come to me with the teeth going the opposite of what you show. I don't know if it matters a bit, just curious.

Thanks!

Yes the direction you see is the way I set it up. My though process on this at the time was I didn't know if the drive belt would have issues being that the other side is designed for adjusting my toe. I was thinking I would have some alignment issues. I maybe wrong on this. I guess its going to be trial and error at this point.

Jimmysmill13

Quote from: Ox on December 17, 2015, 09:35:51 AM
Your mill looks nice and very rugged with many well-thought-out things on it.  Takes longer than you think, huh?  :)
The only thing that stands out to my eyes is your driven shaft, not the idle shaft.  The pulley to be driven by the engine is quite a ways away from the pillow block bearing.  I'm afraid you're going to have shaft breakage problems.  I'm thinking somehow the space between the pulley and the outboard pillow block needs to be smaller.  I would also recommend using red locktite on all the pillow block bearings.  Smear it all over the shaft and the set screws.  This will keep them from constantly loosening up.  This is for use with the cheap Chinese bearings.  The expensive US bearings probably won't have this problem.  Use heat to get the loctite to let loose for repairs if needed.  The guide bearings you're using are used by many mills.  They wear out pretty fast but are cheap and easy to replace as well.  Keep some gear oil in/on the ball bearings inside and they'll last a good long while.  Gear oil is a high pressure, high shear load oil with lots of sulfur in it (hence the smell) that uses that sulfur and a sacrificial wear surface that gets replenished using more oil on the next revolution (in an oil bath gearbox).  If you have any more questions, this is the best place to get them!  I'm not aware of any other place on the internet with a collection of so many smart, capable men from so many walks of life.  Collectively, we can do anything.
Nice looking homemade mill, buddy.  You have really nailed alot of the common problems with homemade jobbers.

Thanks!

Yes it is taking me much longer than I was thinking. I don't plan on having it even operational till spring.

The drive shaft is long at the moment but that is because I haven't purchased the engine yet and didn't want to cut the shaft till I had all the final dimension worked out. It should be much short in the end. Yes these are the cheap pillow block bearing so I will put lock tight on as you indicated.

I have some 80w gear oil to use on the bearings.

Thanks again for all the info all you guys have been extremely helpfully. 

Jimmysmill13


Thank you all for the much appreciated input on the mill so far. I will add more photos of the progress but I may not get much more done till after the holidays.

I do have question on the blade tensioning. How do I know how much tension is right for the blade and is there and easy way to determine this or do in need to add some sort of tension gauge for the blade? 

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