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Design me a trailer!

Started by Night Raider, January 08, 2009, 09:17:34 AM

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Night Raider

of course I can't be happy with my new lumberlite the way it is, so I'd like to replace the wood beams with a metal frame on wheels, some call this a trailer.  I'm looking for some advice on how strong I need to build it.  Hopefully some people on here that have built their own mill will have some insight. 
Here is the basic plan, attatch 16' square steel tube or channel under the tracks with an undetermined number of cross pieces and add a couple independent torsion axels for easy removal, and of course a tounge.  The mill only weighs 550lbs and the frame will be supported on the ground in many places for cutting, just like it is now with the 2X6 beams, so the frame needs to be strong enough for support for trailering 16' long and the carriage will probably be locked down over the axels so there shouldn't be too much stress.  I'm trying to use as little steel as possible to keep the weight down, so hopefully 2 people could still move the tracks around without the carriage on it.

I hope there was some fluid thought to this.
Thanks

Fla._Deadheader

Auto Salvage. Get a 1 or 1½ ton truck chassis. Should be flat. Add accessories as needed.
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

iffy

mobile home or travel trailer frame

backwoods sawyer

You will want some way of lifting the mill up so the tires are not holding the weight when milling. Adding 3-4 cross members to put some blocking under each side will stiffen the frame during milling.
Backwoods Custom Milling Inc.
100% portable. . Oregons largest portable sawmill service, serving all of Oregon, from our Backwoods to yours..sawing since 1991

sawguy21

A truck frame will be too heavy, I had a trailer made from the back half of a 3/4t Chev that was virtually useless. Mobile home frame might work.
If you fab your own, stay away from tube, channel or i-beam would be better. The tube will trap moisture and rust out from the inside very quickly especially in your climate.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Ironwood

I thought perhaps box tube woud be best, especially if welded shut, perhaps I am wrong. I would air on the heavy side, but that is just me.  The LM 2000 holddowns are pretty slick, and even though I could fabricate ANYTHING needed I am about to price a few for a custom frame for another project. The galvanizing is sweet, and an effiecent design.

Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Don_Papenburg

If you  are looking for light ,look at aluminum.  Why not make it selfpropeled gut an old schoolbus .  Have one side open awning style .  Load with hydraulics  .  Cut slats in the floor so that dust falls out .  When done sawing drop the awning and the mill is out of the weather.
Frick saw mill  '58   820 John Deere power. Diamond T trucks

Ironwood

Briilliant idea, the awning. NICE. I may use that one.

Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

bandmiller2

NR,if your going to mill on the ground so you don't have to lift the logs keep the wood beams.Get  boat trailer with two angle iron rails and pull the mill on to transport with the trailer winch.Slide off when you want to set up the mill.Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

rebocardo

I agree a boat trailer might be the thing to use, they are designed to be low to the ground, yet tough enough to support a load and are usually designed to have a winch mounted in front. I have turned boat trailers into utility trailers rather nicely. The other thing is the lights are usually mounted high to prevent water damage, so you do not break them when backing into off road areas with brush.

At least in the USA, they are dirt cheap due to the economy, single axles are <$200 on CL.

Night Raider

Thanks for all the replies, a lot of good ideas here.
First off, what's with the changed wording in the posts???
I had thought about a truck frame but I didn't think they were flat and I was concerned about the weight.  The camper trailer frame is a good one, the only thing I was thinking was by the time I made it narrower etc... it would be about the same as building a new one, but I'm still looking into that one.
I do like the bus idea, but probably not too practical at the moment.
I had been thinking of using axels like this http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200335742_200335742
(I won't be getting them from northern toolhttps://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=position"> Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company but it has a good picture)
With a plate I could easily lift one side with a farm jack and quickly drop the axel off and lower the frame to the ground.
The boat type trailer is a clever idea too, I'll have to think through that one.
How heavy would I need channel to be to replace the 2X6's?  What do some of the trailerable home built mills have?

Thanks for all the great replies.

stonebroke

Its yooper night ,yippee

Stonebroke

Meadows Miller

Gday Night Raider

there we go that bloody addiction's allready taking root  Mate it starts as a lill itch every now and then getts Alot worse untill you just gotta scrach it every day ;) :D :D :D ;D ;D

When dad and i built our second Csm  :P ??? 94 i think  :) it was on a  30' 2x6 tube  main frame with 2x6 crossmembers 36 " long every 3 feet under the main frame we added a 3x2 tube 18' long to add rigidity and to mount the fixed axle to  ;)  ;D

This frame became the main frame under my table top circ sawmill about 10 years ago  ;) :D ;D ;D

With your mill id be thinking along the lines of a 20' 6x2 c section or tube with 4x2 crossmembers/logbunks every 2to3 feet or start with 2 in the center and go to 3 after that  ;) for my bunks we just welded a short peice of  2 c section at each end of where the bunk was on the cross member then planed a peice of 3 x 1&3/4 Hardwood to fit into the ends of the section leveld the top added the dogs,squaring armes nad the headrig and presto We had another Mill the 6x2 should be more than enough for the mill frame  ;) ;D

Chris
4TH Generation Timbergetter

Night Raider

I think I've come up with a plan.  Because I don't really like the 2X6's under the tracks I wanted to replace them with steel any way it's not a far stretch to make it a trailer too with some short leveling legs welded to the beams.  For the main beams I plan to use 4" X5.4lb/ft C channel then a 2X2 toung and 1X4 or 2X2 tube cross pieces, the log bunks are already doing alot of the work of the cross braces but a few more won't hurt.
If anyone thinks this is overkill or underkill let me know.

thanks

Sprucegum

Sounds good to me. I would go with the 2x2 cross braces and the 2x2 tongue. If your trailer body is 16 feet long put your wheels about 6 inches back of the 8 foot mark and your hitch balance should be manageble by hand.

Meadows Miller

Gday

Night raider Tht would be the Go Mate  ;) ;D Id be using the 2x4 crosmembers  ;) Or you could mixnmach using both 2x4 as main cross membersevery 4to6' and 2x2s as intermeadiets   ;) ;) ;) with the carriage lockdown if your using a unsprung axle lock the carriage down at the fornt of the mill as there will be less travel when your draging it down the road  :D :D ;D ;D

Reguards Chris
4TH Generation Timbergetter

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