Portable Sawmill

[Autocar]

For the last five years or so I run a portable frick mill at a old fashion farmer days. The 54 inch blade is vibrating bad but still saws ok . I have it shimmed up where it set's on the ground but can't seem to locate where it comes from. Driving it with a flat belt from a tractor. Any ideas? I fell that it is coming from a poor foundation but so far haven't solved it. This time when they brought it out of storage they flipped the carrage off the track and bent one axle plus bent a H beam in the carrage fram. I figured it would of screwed the lead up but evrything runs the same as last year. I ran one other portable mill and we set it on rail road ties which gave it a pretty soild foundation,and plenty of mills bolted to cement pillars that ran smooth as butter.

[fishpharmer]

Autocar, I can't answer your question.  I can welcome you to forestry forum.  Glad to have you.

[bandmiller2]

Welcome Autocar,has the saw been tensioned in the last several years,?or possibly it has a kink in it.Its tough to set up a temporary circular mill especially with flat belts they seem to get a sympathetic motion going wile their flapping that transfers to the arbor and headsaw.First thing I'd do is have the saw checked by a hammersmith and wile its off check the collars for runout. Does the old frick have babbit or antifriction bearings??Probibly best to replace the bent carriage axle,anything that imparts motion to the mill will cause the saw to chatter in the guides.Frank C.

[mcfcfan]

Welcome Autocar,

I would have to say the same as bandmiller2, blade needs tensioning.
If it makes a zinging sound (is that a word) when exiting the log it will need tensioning
Good luck Lee

[Magicman]

I can't help you with your circle mill woes, but I can say Welcome to The Forestry Form.  There are many experienced folks here that can help you.  Good luck.   

[BBK]

.........ground but can't seem to locate where it comes from. Driving it with a flat belt  from a tractor. Any ideas?

We have run mills since the '50's with flat belts and farm tractors. If the husk is not anchored solidly the vibration through the pullys will transfer to the saw. The same goes if the mandrel bearings are a bid loose. Grandad figured out it also helps to have a counterweight on the mandrel too. It helps keep the RPM steady and limits the vibration transfer form the belt and pullys.

[Autocar]

Thanks everyone on the welcome it is nice to find a site where it is logging and sawmills only. I believe I figured it out this morning I sawed a few logs and it started again and this set a alarm off in my head ,here to find out the bearing just behind the saw collar was getting hot and transfering the heat right into the saw blade. So I left it turn real slow as I pumped grease inthe bearing I guess there was to much dust /ect. in the bearing race . So the rest of the day it did pretty good. Everything is babbit bearing shimmed with wood that has gotten rotted so it's a trak to keep it sawing good.  ;D

[bandmiller2]

Kinda makes you appreciate what the old timers had to go through,every part of the mill affects the outher parts,sometimes hard to find the root cause but heating the plate is sure one of them. Frank C.

[Fred]

Welcome to the Forum Autocar!   I really miss my old circle saw.

[Autocar]

For me circle mills are the only way to go I like the four head block mills that rip back and fourth ! I always wanted to build a hydraulic cylinder long enough to push a carriage fast and as smooth as butter. For sure there alot of fun but at the same time alot of hard work.  :D

[bandmiller2]

Autocar,sometime stop by your local fire barn when their drilling with the ladder truck many of them use a hydraulic cylinder and some creative reeving to multiply distance from a shorter cylinder.Kinda like a block and tackle backwards. Frank C.

[captain_crunch]

How well are your saw guides set ?? over a cig paper clearance and they wobble