Breast bench attachment for our mill

[Ernie]

WE thought that you may like to see the breast bench attachment for our mill.







Why is it called a breast bench?

Alf and Ernie

[Paul_H]

Ernie,
is that some kind of tablesaw attachment for the mill?

[Jeff]

Since I'm a dummy I'll ask. I'll also ask, what does it do?

[Ernie]

It is used for resawing  ie cut off the wane if that is the word for bark along the edge to give a narrower board.  We put it on for making stickers.

Ernie

[Doc]

Looks like it would be good for removing fingers and hands quick like.

This is a wag, but I suppose you could use it to narrow up boards.

Doc

[HORSELOGGER]

Why is it called a breast bench?


Maybe beacuse that is where the board will hit you if it kicks back ??? ;D

[Jeff]

I see what looks like a splitter and a saw guard, is there an anti-kickback mechanism incorporated?

[sawmillsi]

G'day guys,

I know that 'breast bench' is the commonly used term for a saw like that in a sawmill here in Australia. Maybe you kiwis have just used the same term.

Looks real good - is it aluminium? It looks nice and shiny. Have you used it yet? Does it work well?

In Australia, i've heard some 'ol timers tell me that when they were benchmen, they would teach the new guys how not to use a breast bench by feeding a stick into it from the wrong direction - bad stuff happens!!!!!!!!

A guy got killed late last year here in Australia (not far from where I live) from a lump of wood coming off a breast bench and going though him.

What kinda motor you got? What size?

Simon

[Ernie]

Hi Si

It is indeed an aluminium breast bench as an attachment for our mill.  25hp Kohler engine.

All we have cut so far are some fillets 20mm X 25mm.  We had some pine 150 X 50's about 5 M long , I started them through and Aflf pulled them the rest of the way, Really fast cutting, lots of fun.

Jeff

The only anti-kickback is Alf pulling the boards from the other side, I'd hate to use it on short bits.

Ernie

[Furby]

Would it be possible and/or a good idea to make one for it?
Seems to me it could be done and worth the effort.

[Ernie]

Furby

We are open to suggestions for a design as we know very little about it.

Thanks

Ernie

[Furby]

Well I was thinking of an overhead arm that a spring loaded arm or two could swing down from. The spring loaded arm would be out on an angle and have the bottom rounded with notches cut in it to bite the wood.
Would have to find a pic to explain it better. Maybe someone around here has one they can show.

[sigidi]

Ernie,

Anti Kickback - my table saw has this type of thingo...




There are one of these mounted each side of the blade , just in line with the riving knife. It is pivoted on an axis  (black dot) with a spring holding it down in the direction shown (black arrow) this holds it to the timber, not a very heavy spring but just enough so when you feed timber through it holds to the surface. You feed timber the direction of Red arrow and then if any kickback occurs thent the 'device' bites into the surface and doesn't allow it to fly back at ya.

Now if no kickback is present and the spring is light enough gauge then you don't get any marks on your timber and all is cool. In the event of a kick then you will get a small surface mark where a tooth has bitten in - but on rough saw stuff this is no issue anyway.

This should work for ya Ernie - oh the tooth thing is made of 2mm plate steel.

[Ernie]

Brilliant, Thanks guys, I'll make something like that up, Its better than a stake through the heart.  That would put an end to my vampire days :D :D :D :D :D

Ernie

[Furby]

Thanks Sigidi!
That's more or less what I was trying to describe.

Ernie,
One thing to watch for is how you build and attach the arm that the anti-kick backs are swinging from, it needs to be pretty solid. With that amount of horse power, a kick back could rip the anti-kick back right off and send even more things flying.
Just something to think about.

[Ernie]

Thanks for the warning Furby