Slowzuki's mill progress.

[Danny_S]

I just thought I would post a couple of pics I have. I finally got some paint on it and some more general work done...I have just about everything I need now for the head. I hope to get it done soon.


I made these carrige locks so I wouldnt have to use a strap all the time to hold it in place while travelling.






I welded a link on the pole to hook my "S" hooks on my safety chain to so they would'nt drag in the mud when It is on a 4wheeler or something like that.  I was half proud of that idea.. ;) :D
The grey primer paint will be covered with a dark blue.

[Percy]

Heya Buck
Lookin good.....What kind of power are you installing?? If you are lookin for input on that subject, Id say get a 20-25- hp unit if you can swing it.. Today I watched my buddy with the 13hp Honda and if he had another 8-10 hp, he'd kik butt. He uses .045 X1.5 blades and they cutt real strait but the feed rates are too slow for that blade, he says he wants to put a  25hp on the MSG, Food for thought anyways.

I admire /envy anyone with the tools/know how to build somthing like a mill.
Way to go Buck. 8) 8)

[Fla._Deadheader]

Yes, I agree. Lookin good. What length logs ya plan on cuttin??

[Danny_S]

Thanks fellas.. I have a 13 hp to start with and hope to go to a bigger one later on.  It will cut 12' just the way it is and I am building 2 - 2 1/2' extensions for each end that will let me cut 16'.  I will build them a little later,, I just want to get the head put together and get it up and running..

[Neil_B]

You'll be debarking and sawing in no time, Buck. Keep at it!

[Paul_H]

You're doing good Buck. 8)

[Jeff]

Buck, what'll ya take for her, just the way she sets? ;) ;D

[Danny_S]

Hey fellas, thanks for the comments!  Ya know Jeff, I was kinda figurin what I got in er' and I dont have an exact tally but I only have about $575 into it, less the motor and first blade. I have everything now to finish it, except for the time.I will get some time tomorrow actually to start mounting bearings.

 I have lots of time in it but I dont count that as $, If I enjoy doing something I dont count my time. BUT....I dont think I could sell it for any reasonable price right now, a man bottles up alot of pride when ya stand back and look at the beast ya have created!!!!   :D  

I scrounged alot of parts and traded stuff I had for this and that, quite a wheeler-dealer if you will ;)  Everything is like new and strait and true though. It will all come together soon

[Danny_S]

Hey guys, I need an opinion...... I have these 2 cast iron sheaves, and you can see in the picture that one is heavier looking than the other. Well, it is, not by alot, maybe 10 lbs. I can't see where this would cause any malfunction in the way it would work would it ???  I still need to buy the taperlock bushing for the right one. I guess I lied earlier when I said I had everything to finish... :

[D._Frederick]

Buck,
I would use the pulley with the less weight on the idler side of your band mill, it would cause less stress on the blade when starting.

[Danny_S]

After I grinded my brain about it, I kinda thought I would use the heavier for the driven pulley. That way the heavier momentum will still pull the blade, as if it was on the other side it might want to push the blade if you hit a big knot or something like that.  Does that make any DanG  sense whatsoever?

[slowzuki]

I'll have to pick up Danny S / Bucks thread from here pretty soon!  By the end of the week it should be in my yard instead!  

Jeff, I feel a little bad because I don't think Danny's getting much for his labour at the price I'm paying.  Maybe I'll get to saw some logs for him someday to make up for it!

Danny has done a great job on the bed, everything is built top notch using welded flanges that were then bolted into place to prevent distortion.  Much better job than I would have had the patience for!

I'll be picking up on the carriage, probably undoing some of the chainsaw mill mods he had to do.  I think I'll go with double shear on the bandwheel shafts like Linn Lumber does and will likely buy guides for it to save messing with them!

Power is probably gonna be a 10 hp electric if I can keep the starting current down.  May use a 2nd pony motor to start it.

I have both a hydraulic cylinder and an airbag to choose from for tensioning.  The air bag is rated up to 1200 lbs but I don't know how much force the blade really needs.

Ken

[Danny_S]

She's all ready for ya boss.....


.

[slowzuki]

That's a beauiful sight Danny!  I picked up a convertor box tonight and will wire it up tomorrow night.  Want to shoot for Thurs night?  Thanks for waiting out in the rain for us to show up the other night!

Gotta weld some safety chain loops onto Gillian's hitch, wouldn't wanna lose her!  I'll bring some straps to hold the extra steel onto the bed.

Hope to be milling by Mid July 8) 8) 8) 8)
Ken

She's all ready for ya boss.....


.

[Danny_S]

Sure, either tomorrow night or thurs would be fine, Friday night is wrote off for me because I will be loading the truck up to move.... the people moving in are coming late friday night.

You can let me or my wife know for sure tomorrow if you like. Call my home or cell phone whenever..... she can get a hold of me at work as well.

[slowzuki]

Just some updates:

Have a 10 hp single phase electric motor now, made by Kohlbach, bought at Princess Auto.  This thing is heavy at 190 lbs but not as big as I thought.

Emergency kill switch and pushbutton for contactor bought as well.

Going to try the pneumatic tires out.  Using suzuki sidekick front wheel spindles and first piece of the CV joint.  Putting a pulley onto the CV shaft and supporting in pillow block bearings.

Using a slide tensioning on the belt for a clutch.  Could use the disc brakes but I'm worried they will drag too much and rob power.

Once I get home to play with all this stuff I should have some pictures.
Ken

[slowzuki]

Update #2, no pics yet!

Well, a visit to the friendly steel yard has me 140$ lighter!  Darn they sure charge a lot now!

Danny, I sorry to say we will have to say a little prayer for your carriage :'( :'( ;D

It just wasn't going to work with the electric motor!  So I've stripped it and am building a 2 poster.  

First beads should be laid down tomorrow.  I've converted all the rollers to overhung since the carriage will be wider than the rails and hang beside.

I've also abandoned the rubber tires for now, I want to try em on my next mill!  The sheeves can arrive in 2 days, the machine work to use tires would take a week + to get back.

Swede, you'll be glad to know I bought some 1.75" shaft and pillow blocks for the drive side, the idler side will still be 1.25" for now.  The shaft was 14$ a foot

I'm hoping an endmill, my drill press and the cross slide vise will let me put some keyways in the shaft...

Thats all for tonight!
Ken

PS Danny, how the heck did you get the bearings off the garage door spring shaft?  I took the whole darn thing out but I need to swap the bearings to face out instead of in.

[Danny_S]

I didnt think that they went on that hard when I put it together, have to get out some sort of persuader. ;) As for that old carriage, you could just close it in and put a roof on it for the hound. ;D

[slowzuki]

Thanks I'll try out mr. attitude adjuster on em later!  I ended up doing fencing today and it rained so tomorrow will hopefully yield some time for the mill...

Maybe if I built the frame up nice, the squirels would live in there instead of chewing my garage to bits!
Ken

[slowzuki]

Some updates:

Got my control pendant, 10$ and it is waterproof industrial and brand new.


Have all the steel, hey Danny, can you spot your mill head in there?


The configuration the carriage will roll on, these are Danny's rollers changed to an overhung position.  I have to put longer shafts on later.  The mill carriage will run outside the bed rails, hanging from these.


Cutting the carriage steel, the lower "rails" and the uprights.  The rails are 3 ft and the uprights are 4 ft to allow the head to raise just short of 3 ft.  It is basically a 2 post design.



I marked/centre punched the locations for the overhung rollers but didn't get em drilled last night what with having to vote and all.

The bandwheels and drive side bearings haven't arrived, the truck got delayed from Montreal but tomorrow is looking promising.

[Danny_S]

Good to see that your getting some done. Good idea for the rollers, that should work well for you. Cant wait to see the finished product!! I will try my darndest to get ya that other stuff this weekend..

[slowzuki]

Thanks Danny for dropping the paint and signs off this weekend, are you SURE those signs were legally taken down :D :D

The shipping company has officially lost my bandwheels, they were delivered as part of someone elses order a week ago and haven't been returned yet.  The fun thing is they don't know which order, and it might be in British Columbia :

The rest of my bearings came in and I should get some more done tonight.

Here is where is sits, there is a perfectly matched pair but I may have to cut the perfectly square uprights off and move them six inches forward :'(


And I ordered my Cooks Guides a week ago but I taint seen em yet, I suspect the wonders of customs will have em tied up.

[Danny_S]

No one ever stopped at the end of those roads anyway... :D  Good to see the progress, I am building all kinds of mills,.... in my head  ;)

[slowzuki]

Well, my Cooks Guides arrived 8) but they ended up costing be a small fortune :-[

119.95 ea US x2 + shipping convert to Canadian = 361.37$

UPS guy arrives and demands and adds a 93$ bill on top of that.

454.37$ :-/  That is more than I paid for the bandwheels, taperlocks, bearings, shafts, and 1/2 the steel to build the carriage.

I think I've learn my lesson about buying from the states.

[leweee]

I think you have learned your lesson for being a Canadian!!! :D :D :D :