Dolmar Slab Saw

[Larry]

Here is some pictures.

http://www.talaricohardwoods.com/logyard.htm

Anybody know who sells them?  Capacity?  Maybe a member that has actually seen or used one?

I did a google and came up with zilch.

[Jeff]

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=23043.0   

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=19786.0

[Larry]

Should have know to do a search right here first. :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[

So...who we gonna commission to build the first one?  FDH get your smoke wrench fired up. ;D

[Jeff]

Thats not far from Ron Wenrich. We could probably talk him into going for a photo visit. ;D

[Fla._Deadheader]

I've been to that website a number of times.  Doesn't look like a terribly hard project to build one of them rigs.

  Problem I see is, guys are wanting something like that, but, won't pay the price. It would take a steady supply of biglogs to keep that thing paying for itself.

  Of course, cost + and it could be done.  : ;D ;D  Anyone interested  ??? ??? ???

[Brad_S.]

As stated in the threads, there is such a saw available commercially.
http://www.lmsaws.com/chainsawlog.htm
Last I knew, it was about $30K. Watch the video, it will make all you "slab" (really a flitch) lovers drool.

[woodbeard]

Hmm.. the links to the threads seem to have been messed up by the yooperishness, eh?
:D
There's also a very interesting woodmizer mill in the pictures- looks like it has been modified quite a bit. The whole carriage appears to have been replaced, actually. Those wheels are way bigger than stock WM, and uncovered!!
Also looks to be totally hydraulic powered.

[Ron Wenrich]

I don't see a lot of difference between that and any other slabbing saw.  They have that loop over the top that adds stability to the saw, and they also have a bar that you put inside the log to prevent it from closing on the bar.  It also looks like they are running an electric motor off of a gen set.  I wonder if it has some sort of automatic feed.

One of these days, I'll make it down there.  We've sold him some sycamore logs in the past.  He likes to talk, so I should think of making a day of it.   ;)

[Ianab]

The one thing that Dolmar mill can do that the Peterson / Lucas slabbers cant, is split a big log in 1/2 for Quartersawing.
I guess the huge steel arch would cut down the portability of the machine a bit compared to the alloy frames of the newer machines. But no reason you couldn't make a hybrid version with an alloy truss in place of that heavy frame.

Cheers

Ian

[Fla._Deadheader]

I would think, a thin box tube would be stout enough. All it really does, is, hold the bar up, as has been said. It could be made with flanges that bolt together. It would be AS portable as a Peterson or Lucas, only more capacity. Doesn't have to be curved, exactly. Just make it in 4 pieces, with a little more height to compensate for the curve, EH ???  Peterson or Lucas track would suffice for the rest of the machine, and it could be  power fed as is the Peterson ASM or any woodmizer or other. Doesn't HAVE to be hydraulic  : :

  Who wants to front the cash for the prototype  : ;D ;D ;D

[Furby]

STOP GIVING AWAY MY PLANS Harold! >:(

I need the $ AND someone to do the welding for me. :

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Well Furb, ya snooze, ya lose.  :D :D :D

[Furby]

Send me some $$!

[Haytrader]

Hey Harold,

Try Rox. She is some kind of princess and has a pile of cash.
Anywho thats what she said.

[Fla._Deadheader]

Haytrader, That's right.    AND, Roxie's my buddy. 

  HEY ROXIE.  :D :D

[Ianab]

I would think, a thin box tube would be stout enough. All it really does, is, hold the bar up, as has been said. It could be made with flanges that bolt together.

I think with the long bar you would want to be able to keep a bit of tension on the actual bar, like a bandsaw blade. Probably doesn't need as much, but you want to be able to keep the bar from wandering as much as possible.

But yes it should be able to be fabricated with a lighter truss type design.

Cheers

Ian

[Warren]

I gave this some thought last year when the original thread came up.  I'm with FDH, it would not be so difficult to fab something similar.  Think of a rigid Peterson /  Lucas style frame fab'ed out of steel box tubing, LT15 type ratchet up/down wheels & axles, hitch on the front, leave the back end open.  You could back the unit right over the log, set it down in place (lower the axles) and start sawing.  An 84" GB / Alaskan type saw set up on roller guides for the cutter.  Rig a simple hand powered (rope capstan) feed system also similar to the LT15.

My issue is around here, I only see a 1 or 2 big logs per year that are of the quality to justify such a set up....    Would look "cool",  but not economical....

[Fla._Deadheader]

For the most part, I agree with Warren. However,  : :,  Anyone with a Peterson system, just use wider spreaders for the tracks, and have the "other" mill ready to just drop onto the tracks and start sawing. Half of the system is already built in the Paterson track system.  ;)

[urbanlumberinc]

I gave serious thought to building my own hydraulic slab saw, but had a heck of a time finding the hydrailic motors to turn the chain any more that about 6k rpm.  The key to building a sweet slabber is one that would be able to maintain 10k rpm with loads of torque.

[Ianab]

Put the sprocket on an idler shaft and belt drive it from the motor? Would let you have any sprocket speed you want and belt drives are pretty efficient.
But then unless you have a good hydralic drive anyway, just mounting an electric or petrol engine on the slabber is probably easier.

Cheers

Ian