carriage wheels and axels

[NMFP]

For those that have rebuilt a carriage and changed the wheels to a v groove caster type for a circular mill, how have you attached your axels to the carriage frame?

I am considering using pillow block bearings with lock colars each side and then attaching the wheels with lock collars to eliminate any side to side play and have near perfect alignment.  I have purchased 3" wide 8" v groove casters to ride on 2x2 angle iron, roof top style.  Any suggestions to consider?

Figured as long as I am rebuilding, I might as well upgrade and make things the way i want them, if financially possible.

Any thoughts?  Pictures help alot sometimes with suggestions.

Thanks,   NMFP

[beenthere]

Have a look at the wheel shape to rail shape of circular sawmill carriages, shown in this link to a good circular saw handbook (Fig 54). Might see how they are designed to better handle wear over time, whereas the angle iron and v-grooved wheels may not be the ticket for long term.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/misc/circsaw.pdf

[lyle niemi]

My carridge has pillow block bearings, Im thinking they should be fine

[bandmiller2]

NMFP,those 8" "V" wheels will work fine.Pillow block bearings bolted to the carriage with the collars set up tight.Boath wheels on the same axle should not be fast to the shaft,one usally the side not guiding the carriage should turn on the axle.With one wheel free they don't have to be the diameter prefectly.Use say 5/16" or 3/8" thick angle and support it well.I ran a mill with "V" wheels for years and did not notice any wear on the angle or wheels.My mill had "V" one side and flat wheels on the outher.Frank C.

[Tripp]

NMFP,
I would Think the pillow block attachment for the axels would be fine. The v groove wheels could work fine, but their shape causes me concern. It would not take a whole lot of wood chips and dust packing in the grooves of the wheels to cause the carriage to lift or get bumpy, while going along the track. Good track sweeps could eliminate this problem though. I have been sawing alot of sticky Georgia pine on the meadows mill. Sometimes we get a few pieces stuck on the wheels that must be cleaned off.

Tripp

[bandmiller2]

Never had any trouble with sawdust on the rails.Made the classic cleaners two blocks of oak slightly wider than the wheels, Vee on the bottom to ride the angle, Vee point to clean the wheel held togather loosly with two steel straps.I drilled the top of the blocks for oil. Frank C.

[NMFP]

Thanks for all the ideas.  I am planning on using 1.25" axels so I hope that I am building this thing as strong as possible.  Have you used single pillow block bearings on each end of the axel or are they doubled up?  Meaning, one on each side of the axel or 2 on each side.  I am building this thing better than it ever was new and want to have everything planned out correctly.

On another note, any ides of where to find a 3-4 groove sheave for the end of the madrel?  I have a flat belt pully but want v groove for my application.

Thanks everyone!!

[bandmiller2]

NMFP,two pillow block bearings per axle,one on each end.You don't want to buy a large multi groove "V" pulley [sheve] very expensive.I would check junk yards mayby you could get the pulley and belts off a large air compressor as the long belts are not cheap ether. Frank C.

[NMFP]

Ok, in my area, I am not sure where I would look for old air compresors or anything of the like.  Scrap prices, natural gas activity and so on have forced alot of stuff out of here permanently.  Are there any members in the forum that would possibly know?  Please let me know  as my resources here are limited.  Good idea though on the air compressor.

[bandmiller2]

NMFP,if you can find a co. that rebuilds and works on electric motors they usally have pulleys kicking around.Gravel pits that wash sand or crush stone,they never throw anything out.Mineing equipment co.'s or circular sawmills in your area.A sawyer must be a scrounger. Frank C.

[ddcuning]

I replaced the babbitt bearings to pillow block on a friends Frick mill a few years back with bearings from Grainger. The bearings I bought were extended with a set screw so that you could drill a detent in the axle then screw the setscrew into the detent to keep the axle from moving side to side. That worked well and we sawed on that mill for another 4 years with no issues.

Dave C

[NMFP]

Dave:

That is exactly what I am going to do with this mill.  Probably have designed the carriage too well but I would rather have a heavy strong carriage instead of a weak and flimsy carriage. 

I only have 3 head blocks so I am thinking of shortening the carriage to 14' from ther 18 that it currently is.  No need to drag the carriage back and forth for wasted space.

Did you use lock collars then on the inside and outside of the axels to lock the wheels perfectly without side play?

Thanks,

NMFP

[ddcuning]

We had the original cast iron wheels from the Frick carriage. We bought new axles and put the pillow block bearings on the shaft then pressed the wheels on the axle. This way, there was no play between the axle and the wheel.

Dave C