Mill makers, how do you raise and lower your blade?

[brdmkr]

I know it is asking alot, but I am thinking (A really dangerous thing) about different ways to manually raise and lower the saw head.  I have really only seen a couple of manual mills in person and was wondering if any of you guys had a pic of your home made mechanism that you wouldn't mind sharing.

Simplicity is going to be key as I am not much of a welder (I am pretty good at blowing holes  :D ).

Thanks in advance.

[jrokusek]

Shelby style winch.  Turn the thing til' your arm is numb and you can make a 5/4 board.  Doesn't need to be "locked" into place, however.  Other pic's are from underneath and on top.  Self explanatory.  Mount the winch lower on the machine so you don't need to stand on your tip toes like I do.

Jim

[jrokusek]

The welds look better in person.  Trust me   ;)

[DanG]

Mike, I think I kinda-sorta might know what you got in mind.  I've still got that idea we started talking about last time you were here.  I've devoted a little bit of cogitatin' time to it since then, and I just might have a solution, or at least the beginnings of one.  We'll need to get your mill down here to see if we can match my idea to it. ;D

[bedway]

If you check my pics, mine uses acme threaded rods and a crank for verticle adjustment. Theres a place not far down the road from me where a couple old fellows work on nothing but DC motors etc. Im gonna have them rig me up a set up to power the head up and down.,,,,bedway

[Wudman]

I use Acme threaded rods as well (5 TPI).  It is a four post design with one threaded rod on each side suspended in a pancake bearing.  An Acme nut is welded to the carriage.  A length of roller chain connects a sprocket on each of the two rods to keep them in time.  You'll notice a steering wheel on one side for minor adjustments.  A 3/4 inch nut is welded to the other sprocket for raising or lowering long distances.  I use a Milwaukee cordless drill for this.  It works very well.  The whole set up is simple and rock solid.  No slop in the system at all.  I like it.

[mike_van]

I use Acme rod too, 5 tpi, 1 1/8" dia. It runs in large brass nuts that are captive in the frame. In the photo, you can see an AC motor, it runs a r/a gear drive that has a sprocket to one Acme, then that Acme is chain & sprocket to the other Acme rod. I use a drum switch to raise/lower. About 34" of height adjustment.  All the Acme rod runs in flange mount pillow block bearings. 

[eamassey]

I'm building---nothing cut yet.  I used ACME 10 threads per inch, fixed acme thread, powered nut on each side. Sprocket and chain to join the two sides. Powered by a 3/4 horse 180V DC.  Easy to put a digital display of blade height on this style.

[brdmkr]

This is pretty interesting.  I would have figured that some sort of winch and cable approach as in jrokusek's post would have been a more common approach. 

[easymoney]

i use a 12 volt winch to raise and lower my blade. one of those cheapies like harbor freight sells. it works fine for me.i am too old to use the armstrong method if i can figure an easier way

[Trent]

Acme threaded rods linked by #40 chain. The rods have 8 threads per inch, so each revolution is 1/8" (easy math). Powered by 12 volt DC gearmotor. Pics in the gallery. 

[Fla._Deadheader]

I would have figured that some sort of winch and cable approach as in jrokusek's post would have been a more common approach.

We built with the same style winch in 2002. Been working fine ever since. Get very fine setting control.

[Modat22]

I originally used a hand winch, Kinda hard to see in this photo but its the only one I took. You see the winch on the left and see the cable path over to the right side thru pullys over old ugly's head.



After hand cranking this for awhile, I wanted something faster and easier and switched my setup over to a duel chain setup. it lifts and lowers fast or slow and its accurate without using acme screws.



Here's a free wheeling lower sprocket that allows the chain to push or pull the saw head up or down.



I have a word document in my gallery that gives the schematic layout for my lift motor, showing pully sizes, HP, lift ability etc. Disreguard the inverter listed on there, I use a baldor 180v motor controller.

Good luck

[gharlan]

well I am far from an expert on this matters but the raise and lower method on my norwood works great. they incorporated a garage door spring  to act as a counter balance just like with a garage door. It moves without much effort. If you would like I will be happy to take a few pics of it and post them for you see.

[Fla._Deadheader]

We like.  : ;D ;D ;D

[brdmkr]

We like.  : ;D ;D ;D

Yep.  Uh Huh!

[gharlan]

 
this pic was taken laying down under the saw head. it shows the counterbalance spring for the head. you should be able to see the same spring mounted on the wall over a sectional garage door.

this is a view from the operator side. the counterbalance spring is around the shaft right behind the lifting wheel.

this last pic shows the cable coming across from the lifting wheel and attaching to the saw.
This garage door mechanism works great for this saw. the spring can be wound tighter to give more lift or looser to give less. I do not know how much the saw head weighs. I know with wider and heavier garage doors they add another spring to add additional counterbalance. But this would take more width which is not available on a saw. So i worry if a head is quite heavy this may not give enough lift assist. I hope this helps and i am sorry I am not better at explaining it. I do think that if you can look at a garage door you will see how it works. I also bet any local business that installs garage doors will have what you need and could give a demonistration

[Fla._Deadheader]

Excellent photos. Thank you  8) 8)