Building a new mill

illmill · March 03, 2013, 09:12:21 PM

I have been looking on this site for awhile for ideas to help me with my project, and I have found this site very useful. My Dad told me about this site, and he has helped me quite a bit, too. That being said, a couple of years ago I bought a very tired band mill. After I finally got it running last summer, I discovered the frame is a pretty good setup, but the carriage is a combination of bad design and worse fabrication. I decided to start over with a new carriage. I salvaged the band wheels, blade guides, and carriage wheels. It will be powered with a 65 HP v-4 Wisconsin.

This is the new carriage I am working on:

This is the lift system I have built: Hydraulic winch coupled to a shaft. Cable drums spool to all four corners. Adjustment is in the eyebolts.

Next, the blade tensioner. I used a single line brake master cylinder to pressurize a mini ram.

Put new v-belts on the band wheels. What a difference in tracking!

Added blade guides:

HaroldSiefke · March 03, 2013, 10:19:38 PM

Nice job 8) What size band wheels and blade do have on there? I'm just curious. How much of a distance between the blade and where the motor sits? I am thinking on building one to but I want to have the full distance between top of blade and bottom of blade to saw. Good pictures ;D Keep them coming...

beenthere · March 03, 2013, 10:20:56 PM

illmill
Welcome to the Forestry Forum.
Good job on the pics, and the mill is looking good. Will be interested in the final tuning to see it cut wood.

justallan1 · March 03, 2013, 10:31:18 PM

Welcome to the rum, Illmill.
Looks like a good project. Please keep us updated. Great pictures.
Allan

thecfarm · March 03, 2013, 10:38:39 PM

illmill,welcome to the forum. Must know a little about hyds by the looks. Must know a little about shooting deer too. ;D

illmill · March 03, 2013, 11:29:18 PM

Harold, wheels are 19", 158" blade. Wheels are 49" center to center. The saw head frame is in plane with the engine mount. I think that is what you were asking? Was in Montana last summer, loved it.
My deer collection grows slowly. If I am lucky, I add one every year. I'm not always that lucky. Can't beat bowhunting whitetails in KS. I am still learning on the hydraulics thing. This will be all hydraulic. Carriage drive, dogs, loader arms, turner/ clamp.

Po-Jo · March 03, 2013, 11:43:35 PM

"Must know a little about shooting deer too" thats what I was thinking, awesome deer, looks to be a nice rig in the making also

bandmiller2 · March 04, 2013, 06:07:20 AM

Welcome Illmill,I'd say you have a pretty good handle on things,and the skillset to do it right. Frank C.

ARp · March 04, 2013, 08:44:32 AM

Looks like a labor of love. Awesome shop!

Allen

HaroldSiefke · March 04, 2013, 09:42:39 AM

That real is a great looking project you got there. I can't wait to see it saw some lumber. Do you have plans for how to build hydraulic back stops yet? If you do would you mind sharing? That is what I'm currently working on now and could use some good ideas. Hal

roghair · March 04, 2013, 12:56:27 PM

Welcome illmill, looks promising. Keep the pictures coming!!
I see the head is going up and down on all 4 posts. Does that work fine? I would be afraid the head has to be too horizontal to prevent sticking on one of the posts, even with cable to each corner; or do you have enough play on the posts? I can imagine the advantage of your design is that the weight of the (heavy) motor is balanced on the square head rather than applying torque on 2 tubes around 2 posts.
I am also building my own mill and found out the sawdust is clogging on the wheels and the track. I solved it this way, but next time I would make someting like WM did with the LT15; cover the track and the wheels. Maybe something you can think of.

Good luck, it's rewarding and fun building your own mill.

illmill · March 04, 2013, 04:22:43 PM

That real is a great looking project you got there. I can't wait to see it saw some lumber. Do you have plans for how to build hydraulic back stops yet? If you do would you mind sharing? That is what I'm currently working on now and could use some good ideas. Hal

I've already done some work on my stops. I will take a picture when I get a chance. Haven't decided how well they will work yet.

illmill · March 04, 2013, 04:29:28 PM

Quote from: roghair on March 04, 2013, 12:56:27 PM
Welcome illmill, looks promising. Keep the pictures coming!!
I see the head is going up and down on all 4 posts. Does that work fine? I would be afraid the head has to be too horizontal to prevent sticking on one of the posts, even with cable to each corner; or do you have enough play on the posts? I can imagine the advantage of your design is that the weight of the (heavy) motor is balanced on the square head rather than applying torque on 2 tubes around 2 posts.
I am also building my own mill and found out the sawdust is clogging on the wheels and the track. I solved it this way, but next time I would make someting like WM did with the LT15; cover the track and the wheels. Maybe something you can think of.

Good luck, it's rewarding and fun building your own mill.

The weight was the main reason for going four post, and being able to pull it up smoothly has been my main worry. The carriage uprights are 2" square tube. The sleeves are 2 1/2" square tube, 3/16" wall thickness. Of the four, one is binding a little. I may cut the sleeve from the frame and re-weld it while it is shimmed, centered on the post. I am also thinking the vibration of the engine will help it go up and down smoothly. I will also buff the posts with a wire wheel before I paint.

illmill · March 04, 2013, 05:20:49 PM

Quote from: roghair on March 04, 2013, 12:56:27 PM
Welcome illmill, looks promising. Keep the pictures coming!!
I see the head is going up and down on all 4 posts. Does that work fine? I would be afraid the head has to be too horizontal to prevent sticking on one of the posts, even with cable to each corner; or do you have enough play on the posts? I can imagine the advantage of your design is that the weight of the (heavy) motor is balanced on the square head rather than applying torque on 2 tubes around 2 posts.
I am also building my own mill and found out the sawdust is clogging on the wheels and the track. I solved it this way, but next time I would make someting like WM did with the LT15; cover the track and the wheels. Maybe something you can think of.

Good luck, it's rewarding and fun building your own mill.

I hadn't considered the possibility of sawdust clogging wheels and track. My wheels and track look similar to yours. I like what you did to help with this problem.

illmill · March 04, 2013, 05:33:13 PM

Quote from: HaroldSiefke on March 04, 2013, 09:42:39 AM
That real is a great looking project you got there. I can't wait to see it saw some lumber. Do you have plans for how to build hydraulic back stops yet? If you do would you mind sharing? That is what I'm currently working on now and could use some good ideas. Hal

Here are some pictures of the stops I made. There are two of these, connected with a rod, and will be raised and lowered with a cylinder. I like the concept, but there is too much slop in the setup. I will improve this, or try something different. I am open to ideas.

illmill · March 04, 2013, 05:45:32 PM

Built a tensioner for the drive belts, and got the hydraulic pump mounted, too.

I am going to start on the drive system for the carriage. I am thinking about using a hydraulic feed motor from a wood chipper
Troy

Delawhere Jack · March 04, 2013, 06:00:29 PM

Quote from: thecfarm on March 03, 2013, 10:38:39 PM
illmill,welcome to the forum. Must know a little about hyds by the looks. Must know a little about shooting deer too. ;D

That's what I was thinking. Illmill, you've got the mill thing going just fine, lets see some closeups of the antlers!!

For your stops, you may want to add some adjustment screws to square them up. With the stops vertical, drill holes in the sleeve that the stop is welded to at 12 and 6 o'clock, then weld nuts over the holes. (Make the holes large enough that the adjustment bolts will clear).

Oh yeah, welcome to the forum.

iffy · March 04, 2013, 09:20:56 PM

Welcome to the forum, son. Good post, good pictures. Guess you already figured out on this forum, if there are no pictures, it didn't happen....... :D

illmill · March 05, 2013, 10:08:30 AM

Quote from: Delawhere Jack on March 04, 2013, 06:00:29 PM
Quote from: thecfarm on March 03, 2013, 10:38:39 PM
illmill,welcome to the forum. Must know a little about hyds by the looks. Must know a little about shooting deer too. ;D

That's what I was thinking. Illmill, you've got the mill thing going just fine, lets see some closeups of the antlers!!

For your stops, you may want to add some adjustment screws to square them up. With the stops vertical, drill holes in the sleeve that the stop is welded to at 12 and 6 o'clock, then weld nuts over the holes. (Make the holes large enough that the adjustment bolts will clear).

Oh yeah, welcome to the forum.

That's a good idea. I may try that. Thanks

illmill · March 05, 2013, 10:10:28 AM

Quote from: iffy on March 04, 2013, 09:20:56 PM
Welcome to the forum, son. Good post, good pictures. Guess you already figured out on this forum, if there are no pictures, it didn't happen....... :D

Thanks, Dad. I had no idea there were so many forums in here. Thanks for all of your help.

illmill · March 05, 2013, 10:14:39 AM

I have a question for you all:
If I have an open center hydraulic system, and I want to use a flow control valve to control my feed rate, don't I need a priority type control valve that sends excess flow back to the reservoir ??? Any help would be appreciated.

york · March 05, 2013, 10:43:52 AM

illmill,what i did on my mill,i used a stack valve and for the head feed motor,i put in line from the control section a needle valve,when using the stack valve the oil will bypass within the stack valve,they work good...albert

illmill · March 19, 2013, 05:20:20 PM

I have been working on a debarker. I used an extra hydraulic motor I had, and some dado chipper blades

POSTON WIDEHEAD · March 19, 2013, 05:51:17 PM

illmill......looking at your pictures make me laugh. :D Not at you my friend but I love to see people who have the brains to build something like this.
I can't do this but I'm VERY impressed with your work.
Thanks for sharing and keep it up.

mikeb1079 · March 19, 2013, 10:06:27 PM

illy,

your build looks nice. i started out with mine lifting on all four corners too but switched the design. if you can make it work more power to you but i've noticed that most manufacturers only raise at 2 points to prevent binding. i'm sure that you'll try it out and then tweek as necessary, there was a lot of tweeking on my mill. :D