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introduction and pics of my slabber build

Started by DaveM, April 25, 2017, 10:06:16 PM

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DaveM

Hello Forestry Forum! 
I'm Dave.   I've been reading this forum for a while now and figured it's high time I post something.  I have a woodland mills HM 126 which I love.  A friend gave me a 72" chainsaw bar that he had collecting dust and I made an attachment for my bandsaw mill.  Its completely bolt on with no modifications at all to the original mill. 

It's powered by a 12.5 hp lawnmower engine and run with a torque converter cvt setup like on a go-cart.  I didn't quite get the chain speed I wanted so I picked up a 10 tooth sprocket and that did the trick.  it took some tweaking to get the right blade alignment but its cutting straight and true now.  The level you see in the pictures is just there to hold the tip up till the cut starts.  I can't cut the full 72 inches. but can clear 53 inches now.
I cut a maple that was dead for a while and a big cherry crotch.  The cherry has black stain from metal I guess.  I still haven't decided if that's a feature or a defect. 














TKehl

Welcome!

Nice work and ingenious!

Loving the Maple, but every defect is a feature if you accent it right.   ;D
In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent. Loretta Lynn

Magicman

Wow Sir, Congratulations, you have a very innovative setup!  I see that you have been here for a year and a half, but anyway, Welcome to the Forestry Forum.
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

reedco

         Great idea!! Saved alot of work too.
Not many trees

Briankinley2004

Interesting set up. I have an HM 130 and am thinking about buying a granberg mill to make bigger slabs. With the saw it will be close to 3 grand to do 48". I would be interested in learning more about how you did yours. How long does it take to attach and un attach the slab mill if you wanted to cut with the band mill? Where did you bolt the slab motor, etc to the WM.

Briankinley2004

I was also looking at your set up closer. It looks like cables that support the add on are attached to your log bunks. This would keep you from rolling the mill down the track. Do you move the slab and let the mill head remain stationary?

Peter Drouin

 smiley_clapping That's a good setup for slabs, Very good job.and welcome.
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

Brad_bb

Pretty cool.  But with the bar hanging so far out there, how it is to push? Surprised you don't have a helper handle on there and a helper to even out the loading on the log?  I guess if it works it works.  If you're able to post a video milling, go for it!
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

DaveM

Hi guys, thanks for the interest.  The cables aren't attached to the bunks, though it looks that way in one of the pictures.  its a welded up framework that bolts to the front.  I used the original mounting holes for the mill, just used longer bolts. It takes about 10 minutes to remove the attachment.  Really helps to have a second set of hands to lift it off though. 

I use a hand crank winch to move the carriage down the track and its no trouble at all.  I'm nervous having anyone around the mill.  I'm always afraid someone might trip into the thing.  I stand on the opposite side of the carriage to run it.  I'm using .404 ripping chain and found that having the full complement of cutters was too much.  it would really jerk the carriage around.  I ground off two thirds of the cutters and it made a huge difference. 

justallan1

I say awesome job!
I'm guessing that besides the bar, chain and sprocket/clutch assembly, everything else could be found out behind the shed.
For my situation, the only downfall would be that I'd have to bring the logs to it or set the entire rig up at every log due to where they are at and a lack of support equipment.
All in all, I'd say for the right situation it's an affordable addition to what we do.

Magicman

You have the ability to edit and turn the sideways pictures which will eliminate some confusion. 

Also, I find it better to always hold my phone horizontal and with the "start" button to the right when taking pictures and they will always be oriented correctly.   ;)
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

paul case

Good going. That is truly innovative.

I think your cherry log has what is called mineral stain.  Could be caused by metal lower in the log or just by the ground it grew in. I have seen that a few times and never hit any metal. It just doesn't look like blueing from metal in the tree. Could be something else too as I learn new stuff all the time.
I had a log come in yesterday from out in the middle of the woods that has a blue spot in the butt of it. Looks like steel in it but the funny thing is the blue was coming out of it and was just like ink if you got it on you. I had never seen that before. I guess it could be from the time of year.

I also hit blue in a 20' white oak log once. It would have been over 16' off the ground and about 100 rings in. It was lead or at least I never hit steel. Probably some poor shot trying to get a squirrel for supper. Then again I cant be too sure he missed?

PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

DaveM

thanks allen, pretty much everything is easy to find stuff.  the torque coverters are all over ebay.  I got the sprocket on ebay too.  I do find it easier to move the mill to the log since I also don't have any support equipment.  One note on the torque converters.  they're belt driven so you have to be careful where you have the bar lube drip.  I burned up a belt early on when my lube line drained out and soaked the belt. 

DaveM

hmm, I rotated the pictures but now the ones I turned are showing up stretched.   will have to look into that when I have more time. 

Magicman

Yup anytime that you change a picture things can/will happen, but even then it's better to have them oriented correctly.   smiley_dizzy  Thank you.

Keeping the camera/phone horizontal eliminates editing problems.  I would love to see a video of it sawing.   ;D
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

Ljohnsaw

Quote from: DaveM on April 26, 2017, 09:39:51 AM
hmm, I rotated the pictures but now the ones I turned are showing up stretched.   will have to look into that when I have more time.
Dave,
The pictures in your Gallery look fineGreat!  What you need to do is go back and edit your post.  Delete the lines with the pictures info and re-insert the picture from your gallery.  What has happened is the first time you inserted  your picture, the software made the frame size fixed for the picture in the original orientation.  Now that you rotated the picture, it is being squished and stretched to fit that old "frame".
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.

DaveM

ok,  I think I have the pictures straightened out.  there's a little bit of a learning curve to that I see.  Thanks for everyone's help.  I don't have a video of it running yet but I'll get one soon hopefully.  I have some big basswood logs coming that I might slab with it. 

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