Another build thread... JoshNZ

[Crusarius]

do I need to anchor my carriage to the bed by means of a wheel under a rail on each side or is it safe enough with the weight of everything riding on the angle iron?

I think most mills just use gravity. I added a bent piece of 1/4" plate just for piece of mind. After having the blade dive on me after zinging the backstop I wondered what would happen if the blade rose suddenly. Would I then be scrambling to find something to lift the carriage back onto the bed?

[Crusarius]

The guard idea looks nice. One thing I found with my setup was I liked having the guard open so the wheel was exposed. Made putting a blade on quite a bit easier not having to squeeze your hands into the guard to get blade where you want it. so my hinges are about 4" in from the ends and the round part is part of the front guard. I also found I like very little space behind the blade. When I had to much space back there it was to easy for the blade to jump behind the wheel and it is a very bad word trying to get it out from behind them! Not to mention accompanied by many other bad words!

Unfortunately I was looking through my gallery and could not find any pictures of what I tried to describe. Currently the internet at home is dead so I cannot get you anything till next week.

[JoshNZ]

I've drawn my guards to be 100mm thick, I guess that's too much if you want less than more clearance behind the guards? 100mm isn't that much mind you. I could always do a big bevel cut across the front of the guard door if I do want it open, with a circular saw. Beauty of working with aluminium!

I took the carriage off the bed yesterday and thought I'd quickly flip that axle over to see what I get for blade clearance. Thought it'd be a 10 minute job  >:( sheared the nut off the leaf stack bolt while reversing it and bla bla... 2 hours later.
Anyway.
Hopefully it has enough clearance I think if my last cut is higher than 15mm then I'll clear it. That's with a brand new full tread R13 wheel on it which I'm still yet to source a pair of. I could go low profile and that'd clear the bed completely but I think I'd have to pay for that. Thinking I'll do mudguards hinged at the back and wing nuts at the front so before milling you'd just remove the nuts and swing the mudguards off the wheel. Maybe have a red sticker on them haha...



 




Of course I can't get the mill under the first bay door now haha... But that's not a big problem.

I noticed the carriage twitching a bit in that test cut hence why I asked about anchoring it to the bed, but I'll put my faith in gravity I think.

I've been scratching my head about legs for a while, I'm thinking something similar to the log back stops but on the outside, and with holes that locate for a pin every 30mm or so, then a threaded foot to take up the difference between the pins. So you'd set the pin closest to the ground then wind the foot out the rest of the way. Any kind of conventional jockey post requires bevel gears or worm drives or whatever. I have to do 8 of them at least  :-\

Hoping to add 40mm pregalv tube on the cross members for bunks and get guards cut and folded next week. Then we should be into it!

[Crusarius]

I just used 8 12" trailer jacks I cut and modified to fit my application. Top wind. Worked better than I expected them to. but unfortunately I welded them to the bed just a tiny bit to high. I have 1 jack that my guard hits on the last cut. Just barely.

[JoshNZ]

I just can't see how a top wind would work the handle would have to clear the bed therefore be in the way of the bed. Hence the thread at the bottom. Same idea but bottom wind I suppose

[btulloh]

Remove the handle and weld on a nut. Adjust with a drill or impact. Eight jacks is a lot of cranking. 

[Crusarius]

They work. I just wish I mounted them 1/2" lower.

[Crusarius]

THe nut would then be in the way  I thought about doing that but decided I like the cranks. I think I just need to modify my guard to clear it better. Or I cut that one off and move it down 1/2"

[btulloh]

I'd rather pull a trigger than crank.  :D

Carry one of these for emergencies:



 

Interference can be solved. 

[Crusarius]

Interference can be solved. 

The guard hits not the blade

[btulloh]

I apologize. I thought we were talking about Josh's jacks. My mistake. 

[JoshNZ]

Still, what's 8 jack's cost you  :-\. I'd be a long time waiting for 8 second hand jack's cut from the same jib to come up. Looks like they're about $100 each.

Remember with pins there won't be much cranking, I'll drop the whole leg on the ground then just wind out the play between the pin.

[Crusarius]

Surplus center 18.99

https://www.surpluscenter.com/Truck-Trailer/Trailer-Components-Hardware/Trailer-Jacks/2000-Pound-15-Travel-Top-Wind-Round-Tube-Trailer-Jack-28-1939.axd

just watch out for shipping. It kinda hurts. But still cheaper than jacks elsewhere.

[JoshNZ]

They won't show me shipping until I place the order but I bet it'd be half the price of them all again, + some import tax. I'll just get started building  :'(

[Crusarius]

yea. for 6 of them shipping was $65 if I remember right. but it still ended up being quite a bit cheaper than anything else I could find. I would also check ebay. They may have good deals there.

You do not need 10k jacks when you have 8 of them and an axle with springs to spread the load. I do not typically rely on the axle though cause I prefer it to not touch the ground, or barely touch the ground.

[JoshNZ]

International shipping for something that heavy would be at least 4x that I'd say  :-\. I've still not done any legs haha. Really procrastinating on that one  :D

Managed to weld up a little bracket for a tote tank this week. It's the only place it could go I didn't want it on the exhaust side and this was really all that would work on this side.



 


 

I might see if I can find some tread plate to rivet to the frame. I thought maybe plywood but don't want it soaking up fuel.

Also got some guards cut this week. The sheets available were 1200x600 and I overlooked the unfolded dimensions so not all of the tags fit on the sheet, which meant a bit of extra welding. I could really use an aluminium welding lesson I had a hell of a time with it. Sometimes fine and sometimes it would crap the bed. Best I could do was struggle along each seam filling holes and leaving bulges, grind it back, and put a nicer bead on top. The filler just didn't want to flow into the sheet until there was already filler in it it seemed. Below is one of the better ones anyway.



 



 


 

I haven't found hinges yet but this is with the lid just hanging off the guard.



 


 

I don't know about 'feature' any more haha. It's been dragged across the bench that many times and a bit dented it's not quite there but it looks alright I guess. Still have to add the channel to the centre and the standoffs. I'm gonna pull that jack out and wind the pressure relief screw in to the stop. If it stays put I'll prop the bed then cut a log I think  ;D

[Crusarius]

for hinges I just used 2 pieces of tube and dropped a bolt through them. Mine were welded on. That may be a little more challenging with your setup.

[JoshNZ]

Yeaaahhh I thought about welding on a couple of studs to the guard. I've got some ali rounds there I can turn some tube out of. How often do you need to lift them off if they swing right open? Piano hinges would be more secure.

I'm Def not going to have any of the head donking problems you mentioned, each guard would only be a couple lb or so

[Crusarius]

I don't have to lift them off very often but the way mine is setup when it is closed it cannot lift up. The idle side needs the same setup as the drive side.

[charles mann]

Dealing with Al, you might look into piano hinge and using either solids or cherry max rivets. They come in either button head or counter sink, and solids seem to hold better, but cherries are good for blind areas or limited access. 
Dealing with aluminum on a near daily basis, id look into some kind of anti chafe tape/sealant. Plus with dissimilar metals (aluminum and steel) comes faster corrosion. Moisture and electrical current speed that process up. So a good coat of primer/sealant between the different metals is very important. 

[JoshNZ]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Any recommendations for an easily obtainable product?

I'm the sort that would rebuild a car because I couldn't find a barely audible rattle in the dash haha I'm certainly not going to listen to rattling guards.

[charles mann]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Any recommendations for an easily obtainable product?

I'm the sort that would rebuild a car because I couldn't find a barely audible rattle in the dash haha I'm certainly not going to listen to rattling guards.

this is the primer for dissimilar metals.
ZINC PHOSPHATE PRIMERS | Aircraft Spruce
some form of anti-chafing material
3M POLYURETHANE PROTECTIVE TAPE 8672 | Aircraft Spruce or 3M 86 non promoter tape
sealant: https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/ps890.php?clickkey=4275 there is also a 1422 b 1/2 by the same manufacturer and name (pro-seal). 
and for water intrusion on electrical items, or anti-chafe material for say lines rubbing the metal, or line on line, line on electrical type application. 
Robot Check
i know the prices are steep for some of the stuff, but the stuff WORKS. there may be a place in your neck of the woods that may offer it, and possibly at a cheaper rate. possibly an airport that, due to shelf life requirements, may just give it to you. that is where i get mine. once it comes up on expiration, if someone else doesn't want it, i take it hm.
i will be using a lot of stuff that would have thrown away from work (nuts, washers, bolts, adel clamps, wire loom, cotter pins) plus the shelf life material. but i also use it at my own avn business 

[JoshNZ]

I ended up finding a foam rubber tape, I'm pretty impressed with it actually it cost bugger all and it sticks like fury, has a fiberglass cloth backing to it then almost a neoprene foam feel outside it. Folded over each interfering edge. It has a really good feel to it hopefully it lasts.

I was a bit worried about how flimsy and light these guards are. If you caught your shirt on it while it was open or tripped and tried to save yourself you'd prob be tearing the guard off the mill but actually, when it's all closed up and screwed down its pretty solid! I don't think it will wobble or vibrate, certainly won't make noise (this one at least)



 

 

The standoffs work well, I've ordered some star knobs (I think that's what they're called) roamed round town for a while looking for them today the internet is riddled with them but not a store with them in stock.

I've had another small ballsup on the drive side, there's no room for standoffs. I'm going to have to modify the frame or something behind it to add one outside of the rear guard, I don't know.. floor is open on that one?



 

I ended up welding some equal angle extrusion ali to each side of the guard. The hinge pivot had to be further in than on the edge of the guard so that the lips on the lid, that fold over the guard, arced away from the lid rather than straight into it. Tig job went a lot better this time and it's added quite a bit of strength. The hinges are fixed pins but I made sure to get hinges with loose pins. I'll knock the button off one end and they'll be removable.



 


 

[charles mann]

So, during locating the procedure for replacing a grounding jumper, i came across the bend radius for elec wires during movement operations. here is what i came across from our elec manual.

"Ensure the minimum radius of bend for
wire or cable is 10 times the outside diameter of the wire
or cable, except that at the terminal strips where the
wire is suitably supported, the radius may be 3 times the
diameter of the wire or cable. Where it is impractical to
install wiring or cable within the radius requirements, the
bend shall be enclosed in insulating tubing."

Josh, your guards sure do look good. i may go with al too, to cut down on weight, esp for the amount of overhang i'll have covering my band wheels. iv got some 3/16, but not sure how easy it will be to bend it seems to be hardened, so i may have to anneal it before bending.  

[TreeStandHunter]

Those guards look great. That's going to be a very nice mill when finished