Homemade bandmill guard designs what works and what doesn't!

Kbeitz · March 27, 2016, 04:04:19 PM

I can adjust my dogs in or out with split collars.
I got around 2" of adjustment.

Ga Mtn Man · March 27, 2016, 08:08:51 PM

Quote from: valley ranch on March 27, 2016, 01:59:34 PM
Thank you Mtn Man, It's the fixed stop I'm not sure of. I don't know if that stop is usually put right under the blade guide or further in toward the center of the track. Yes, I do not want to limit the size of the log by putting it too far in.

I was referring to the log(side) stops, the ones you can raise up and down, as shown in your pics.

valley ranch · March 28, 2016, 01:24:09 AM

Well, I tacked them on and made a couple cuts. I should have moved them in a bit more, same as you. I cut off the end of a bolt that was touching and removed a bolt, as I had one on the other side, BUT just too close to the flange of the Roller Guide.

You can see it's just too close, I'll have to cut them off and have another go, move them in farther, I was thinking a quarter inch. You think more?

Kbeitz · March 28, 2016, 07:43:20 AM

Remember that what your cutting wont allway be flat. Sometimes knots stick out before the first cut.

gww · March 28, 2016, 08:29:47 AM

Valley
Yours are like mine are now. I wish I had moved them in two inches more. Like I said earlier. If you have a wide log you can always lower them out of the way and use wedges for that one or two cuts to get a cant. It would be better only having to worry about it on exceptional logs compared to having to worry on most every log.
JMHO
Cheers
gww

Ps Mine are like yours now, it doesn't stop me from cutting something almost daily but it does slow the cutting down due to more manipulation on each log then would be needed.

valley ranch · March 29, 2016, 12:18:47 AM

Trying to decide if I should grind em off and move them in a bit or lay a board against them. I could flip a coin to help in the decision.

This sure is fun, gosh! I like it.

I'm not gona ask what a Split Collar is.

Kbeitz · March 29, 2016, 06:51:42 AM

gww · March 29, 2016, 11:29:23 AM

Valley
My view is if you are in the mood do it now and don't do the board in front of the stop thingy. I find that all the little flaws on my mill are thought about almost daily but I find if I can just keep using it they just bother me but not enough to do anyting about it. I ground and moved lots of things till I could get my mill cutting. I have several things that would not take a lot of work to make my mill better (like extending it and moving my stops in) but can't get motivated to make it better and just keep cutting like it is. I am not on a schedual and just cut a little each day no matter how long it takes. It could be so much better. So if you are a procrastinator like me you might just want to get it better to begine with. It is yours and you will be proud of being able to cut boards whatever you decide but better is better.
Good luck
gww

valley ranch · April 01, 2016, 03:10:35 PM

Greetings, A Procrastinator I can be, BUT I am also a compulsive excessive. While I can and have pushed things to the side, if I'm on to something I must get it done.

You however are correct in assuming that I'm not on to moving the stop receivers at this time.

I'm pondering reworking the track so that the carriage wheels are riding on the upright of the Channel Iron runners or finishing this track as a stationary track as is and having a track on a trailer as well.
Now that I've typed this I'm thinking: It makes less to have two.
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Is your mill stationary or portable, do you have one track or two?

valley ranch · April 01, 2016, 03:14:34 PM

Right now the wheels are running on a piece of angle welded to the horizontal of the large angle iron.

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gww
Just looked at your mill, I see only one blade guide?

gww · April 01, 2016, 10:15:17 PM

valley
I have two blade guides. They were made and shiped and given to me for free by a member named leggman and my mill cuts 100% better because of him. I hardly ever move them closer then about 20 inches apart but sometimes have to move them further apart for the really big logs.

My mill is stationary though I can't believe it would be hard to put on a trailer and move anytime I want. It is not that heavy and is attached to 8x8s. I am always scared to do anything to it when it is cutting good. It is funny what a small thing can do to make it cut good or bad. If my guides come lose enough where you can just barily see it it makes a big differance then when they are solid as a rock.

My track is what looks like a barn door sliding rack. It is a U shaped peice of metal. My plastic wheels ride on top of a ridge on one side of the U.
The U fills up with sawdust but never seems to affect the cut.

Good luck on your build.
gww

valley ranch · April 09, 2016, 09:39:30 PM

Hi, Same here, MagicMan Sent these guides I'm using. Bless um.

Are you using that mill on a regular basis?

gww · April 09, 2016, 11:47:08 PM

Vally
If you are asking me if I am using my mill alot. Depends on what you call alot. I cut probly 5 logs last week. I spead them out about one log a day though I did cut two logs a day for two days. Two logs added up to about 70 board foot so they are not large. I just continually piddle at it and pretty much cut a few days a week with lulls sometimes but not often. I saw the thread where magic gave you the guides. That was very nice of him. The guides that leggman made for me included all the mounting hardware for my mill and made a new mill of it. It is cutting very well right now. I have built a pavillion, shed, cedar chest, several bee hives, an outhouse, some raised bed gardens and two swingsets counting one I did today. It took me a year to cut for the things I have built so you see that I am slow. I have a 14x14 lean too that will only hold about 4 more logs worth of stickered wood. I figure it up and the days I cut I end up with about $20 bucks worth of wood if I charged thirty cents a board foot. I would starve if I had to count on it but am retired and must be hooked.

I have no comparisent of wether my mill does good or not compared to a bought mill as I still have never seen a bought one in action except on you tube.

Of the stuff in the lean too, I will have lots of waste with rot in places and just drying defects. The board are coming off the mill good though just getting poorer logs. I am the true one man show from the woods to the finished board and truthfully did 80 percent of the building of things alone. I am putting my antiscocial streak to good use.
Cheers
gww