renewal of an old mill

geericks · August 08, 2011, 10:53:54 PM

Thinking about what I am about to write, I hope it is not too long.....

I remember tail-sawing for my grandfather and uncle when I was a young teenager. They were farmers that sawed lumber for profit in the winter months. Then came High School, sports, college, marriage, kids, (life) and I seldom thought of the old mill. It slowly fell into disrepair and disuse and began to rot away.

While my dad was living we had a fall family threshiing (oats, not people). It took a lot of work, binding the oats, shocking, loading wagons, and threshing. We used our steam engine (Advance 1916) and a Huber thresher and had many good smiles and pictures. We had thought about cutting lumber with the steam engine but it was hard to get the engine to the sawmill and rebuilding the sawmill was too much work according to my mother and dad. After my dad died my son suggested we rebuild the old sawmill and cut lumber instead of threshing oats. My uncle said it was too much work and not enough profit. But we were not about profit. So we decided to move the mill to our property to make it easier to get the steam engine to the mill. We jacked the mill up, put skids under it, pulled it out of the old mill shed, and dragged it cross country to our place. The curves took a little extra elbow grease.

Over the next year, in our "spare" time, we started rebuilding the mill. First we leveled and marked the site using a transit.

We then dug holes for the concrete pillars for a base.

We made sure everything was square and true and filled the holes with concrete.

the picture was supposed to be rotated >:(

Then we moved the old mill into position on the pillars and squared it up.

A lot of the wood had to be replaced. Almost all the base bunks were rebuilt. We put a roof over it and gave it a new coat of paint. We were then ready to cut lumber for our family get together in early October, 2010. We brought the steam engine over to the mill site.

Belting up a mill to a steam engine is a tricky operation.

And then we cut lumber!!!

And of course all good events need to end with a little fiddle playing....

(yup, that fiddle is made of Black Cherry!)

And now finally.....a question. We are having trouble with the flat carriage feed belts slipping. It take way too much effort to get the carriage to feed the log. I notice that Dave_ had posted a picture of flat belt feed works that is identical to ours. Any suggestions from anyone. Ideas on where to net new belts?

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and story. Look forward to hearing from you all.

geericks

beenthere · August 08, 2011, 11:05:29 PM

geericks
Welcome to the forum. Great story and great pics. Many thanks.
Quite an accomplishment to get the steam hooked up to the mill and sawing.

Look forward to more of these experiences.

Some video with the sounds of steam power and saw blade singing would be great too. 8)

No splitter behind the saw blade?

Maybe need an idler on a weight to hold down on the belt? Seems I've seen that.

buildthisfixthat · August 08, 2011, 11:11:31 PM

nice restoration on the mill and the engine lot of work but fun to do and well worth the effert good for another 100 years

geericks · August 08, 2011, 11:35:05 PM

No splitter.....It is high on my priority list. The mill never had one and slabs and boards coming off was always the concern of the tail-sawyer. My uncle told me that one time a slab caught on the blade, swong over, and KOed my grandfather who was at the sawyer position. Knocked him right to the ground, blood coming out of ears and nose. My uncle thought he was dead. In a little he groaned, got up, and started sawing lumber again!! I dont think I am made of that stern a stuff, but it is cool to know it is in my ancestory!

bandmiller2 · August 09, 2011, 06:53:30 AM

Geericks,enjoyed your photos,I ran a mill with an old AB Farquar boiler and Ajax engine for a number of years.Unless someone has tried to line up a steamer with a mill via flatbelt they have no idea of the hassel,I made the final adjustments with a heavy jack.I'd keep your Belsaw feed works origional,usally the problem is old stiff belts or legnth.Are the belts leather or rubberized fabric.?Leather can be softened with neatsfoot oil.Conveyer belt many times is a good substitute,most pits and stone crusher plants have it around.Do you know who manufactured your headsaw.?Time spent tweeking your feed works is time well spent as its all your control of the heavy log and carriage and serves as brakes too. Frank C.

ljmathias · August 09, 2011, 07:18:05 AM

Great story and pictures- thanks for taking the trouble to put it up. We greatly appreciate it (I know I do) and wish you the best of luck getting the mill up to speed and reliable. I run a bandsaw so I can't help any on your questions, but hang in there, someone will...

Lj

Chuck White · August 09, 2011, 07:22:40 AM

Great story and pictures.

You will all remember the events for years to come.

Well done.

fishpharmer · August 09, 2011, 07:25:52 AM

Wonderful story and pictures. Thanks so much for sharing (and not scrapping the old mill). 8)

mad murdock · August 09, 2011, 08:10:16 AM

Welcome to the forum gerricks, that is one topshelf job you did on that old mill!! thanks for the pics and story, cutting with steam is a dream I have. Too cool for words 8) 8) I am sure you will get it all tweaked just right, so it will be cutting like never before.

thecfarm · August 09, 2011, 08:13:02 AM

geericks,now that's a story. Got any more? I'm on the edge of my seat. Nice pictures too. I know that took a lot of work. You got me on the cross country part. ;D I really thought you was going cross the country. I hope you are some proud of what you have done with that mill. And a steam engine too.

Buck · August 09, 2011, 08:21:18 AM

Welcome! and thank you for sharing. I look forward to you being here with us.

dukndog · August 09, 2011, 08:31:23 AM

Welcome to the FF and for sharing your story!!

DnD

Bro. Noble · August 09, 2011, 10:06:26 AM

We're sure glad you joined the forum and told/showed us about your mill and engine. Give us more ;D

You sure made that look easy, but I know there was a lot of sweat and sore muscles involved.

You mentioned it is tricky to belt up a steam tractor. It sure helps when the engineer was raised with steam. I remember a great uncle trying to teach Dad to start up a belted engine. Dad would throw off the belt every time he tried to start up and I had to put the belt back on----it weighed a ton >:( Uncle Amos finally started it up with ease when he saw that I was about to drop :D :D :D

You are doing what a lot of us have dreamed of doing-----thanks for sharing.

redbeard · August 09, 2011, 12:00:41 PM

Wow! Great project lots of thought and preperation good job. Thanks

jimparamedic · August 09, 2011, 12:31:33 PM

Becareful with the feed belts they move the carriage back and forth and they also are the transmission that controls the speed of the log as it goes through the saw. If you feed to fast through the saw it will hang in the log or throw the belt. Not to forget that it can also over heat the saw and run out. Most feed belt were made of camel hair or other natural fibers the belts should slip or things get torn up

Bro. Noble · August 09, 2011, 12:36:47 PM

Ozark Machinery (www.ozarkmachinery.com) in West Plaines, Mo. has or can get about any kind of flat belt you can imagine

apm · August 09, 2011, 01:21:18 PM

What a wonderful story! You've got to love the old Belsaws and the guys who make them productive. Thanks for making the effort to share it with us.

Greg

sandhills · August 09, 2011, 01:41:52 PM

I would also like to say welcome, and thank you for the pictures and the story behind them, very interesting.

Banjo picker · August 09, 2011, 04:58:28 PM

Welcome ...enjoyed all of it.... 8) Can you play Road to Columbus???? Tim

Peder McElroy · August 09, 2011, 06:31:38 PM

A splitter is a must!!! I know the hard way,one day while sawing by myself a 2x12 x 16' almost took off my head. It flew right past my ear. The cut lumber fell into the saw blade and came @ me sooooo fast.
Be safe.
Peder

wood monger · August 09, 2011, 07:08:27 PM

I have an old friend who has an old circle mill, Most everything is belt driven, he uses belt dressing if the belts are too dry or slick. I think the carriage is moved with a cable that is wrapped a few times around a shaft, do you have enough wraps around the shaft with the cable?

inspectorwoody · August 09, 2011, 07:48:20 PM

Welcome to the FF

Great story and pics! 8)

Neat to see another ol' mill up and running.

Great Job!

sealark37 · August 09, 2011, 08:31:57 PM

A true inspiration to those of us who have roots in the country and love old machinery.Thanks for posting,and Welcome. Regards, Clark

r.man · August 09, 2011, 09:34:42 PM

Loved the story and the pictures and agree with your logic. Money and profit are not everything in life and considering the normal activities in life that waste money and time the lumber you produce is valuable just because of the participation of your family. The use of the traction engine is icing on the cake. I certainly remember hearing about belt dressing but I am not familiar with the conditions it was used for. The last time my family thrashed was around 1980 and we used an International W6, borrowed for the extra horsepower. I do recall my father digging in the rear wheels when he was happy with the alignment of the tractor.

whiskers · August 09, 2011, 11:45:39 PM

Welcome Geericks, That's a great project you and son are building. Thanks for sharing, we're anxious for more. Tractor Supply carries flat belt, reinforced rubber seems like it's 12" wide by 1/4"thick. They also have clipper lacing and the vise to install the lacing. My mill uses 4" carriage drive belts and after sitting for a while the surfaces rust a bit causing the belts to grab a little until the rust wears away. Afterwards there's little effort to advance the carriage so I'm wondering about the adjustment /alignment, possibly something binding or maybe a crossed cable from the reel to the carriage...