where to get dust chain

[apm]

Hi Everyone,

First post, but sure have enjoyed reading through the archives. I'm a dyed in the wool circle sawyer, glad to see so many others, here. I had an old Meadows #2 for years and several years ago retired to a Belsaw M14. It's much easier to work alone if necessary. Sawing is just a hobby for me. I've been at it over 30 years. Makes a guy feel old, just to type that.

I'd like to change the routing of and increase the length of my dust chain. I got what I'm using now several years ago surplus somewhere, but it's the typical square style chain with welded on paddles. I don't know where to find more, or even what to ask for. Anybody got any ideas for me?
Thanks!

Greg

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forum

Farm stores should still carry that chain. Sounds like corn elevator chain, or similar, with square links.

What farm stores do you have locally?

Look here
http://www.agrisupply.com/product.asp?pn=11371

for "detachable steel chain".

[Slabs]

Baun Hydraulics out of Omaha(the old Baum Iron Co.) has the Ag chain.  Don't know if the pitch is compatible.  They probably have the cogs too.


www.baumhydraulics.com

[Tripp]

Tractor Supply carries several sizes of detachable link chain but it is very pricey. If I remember correctly the large link chain was around $9.00 a foot several months ago.

I was able to scrounge some off of an old silage wagon. Detachable link chain was used on many old farm machines. Might be a good place to look.

Tripp

[Ironwood]

I have found a TON of old chain from old manure mechanisms in barns being demo'ed. FYI. They are fairly heavy, and would work great for sawmill dust.


Ironwood

[jimparamedic]

As said  before old farm equipment. Hay elevaters is what I have been using, along with manure spreader chain, just cut the rivets and weld or bolt on what you want for paddles

[Chico]

Motion Ind or Dixie prob has it also you can prob get it at Grainger all in the KNoxville area or up in Kingsport/tri cities area
Chico

[bandmiller2]

Welcome Greg,what do you power your belsaw with??Tell us about your mill.Frank C.

[apm]

Thanks, guys, for the help. The link to agrisupply looks like exactly what I've got. At those prices I'd sure like to find some surplus again. I believe what I'm using came from an old manure spreader.

I rebuilt the old Meadows mill from scrap when I was 19. I worked as a machinist and was allowed to use the shop where I worked after hours to make mill parts. My wife and I sawed together, mostly poplar and red oak. We'd take on any kind of work in those days, tobacco sticks, locust posts, barn and house patterns, you name it. Then she got into that womanly habit of having babies, nine altogether, and wasn't very available for milling any more. Good help, at least as good as her, was impossible to find. Over a period of several years, she secretly put away milk and egg money and surprised me by mail ordering a new Belsaw because she'd seen the advertisement as a "one man sawmill". I didn't have a clue until it showed up! She didn't order a saw with it, according to her she would of had to save too much longer and she was excited to get it on order. I had a couple of saws with the Meadows and when I sold it I only let one of them go with the mill. I kept an old 48" Hoe with 36 teeth and modified the Belsaw to use that. I sawed with a diesel power unit on the Meadows, a 1939 International hand crank. Start on gas then when warmed up switch to diesel. It used a ton of fuel and was overkill for the Belsaw so I made a power unit from a 1953 GMC pickup with the 250 straight six, pulling a flat belt. That worked OK for a few years, then we moved to Pennsylvania and I couldn't justify moving the old clunker truck, so I converted the mill to PTO drive and pulled it for the next several years with a John Deere 2010 diesel. The horsepower of the JD was marginal for the saw I was using and was always a fight. I'm now using a 40" saw that came new with another Belsaw mill, 40" with 24 teeth and pulling it with a Zetor 52 hp diesel tractor. What a difference! Sawing is fun again. My mill is the three headblock carriage with the steel frame. My four sons have all learned to saw on it and enjoy it as well. Moved back home 12 years ago, set the mill back up again and finally a couple of years ago built a shed over it. Still saws true lumber, just not able to handle very big logs. Sawing is much more fun as a hobby than it is as an income.
My sons and I started a CNC production machine shop 7 years ago. Sawmill parts are easy to come by now! We've been running 3 shifts for several years now, and are blessed to still be busy, in spite of the economy. We do mostly military work, now, and that hasn't slowed down much.

Ironwood, if you've got a notion to sell any of that chain, would you get me some details?

This forum is great!

Greg

[bandmiller2]

Great story Greg,what did you use for a foundation for the Belsaw?We have several members with Belsaw that can't quite get by the foundation thing.For my own mill I used sections of treated utility poles set on cement burried below the frost line,so far so good mill is holding level.Right now I'am using a Simonds 44" b pattern headsaw and have yet to find a log too big to mill,bigger is not really better when it comes to saw maintenance and keeping it tensioned.That said I have an old Diston 48"I want to try.Frank C.

[apm]

Frost line is not much of a consideration around here. I buried railroad ties so that their tops were even with the top of the ground and the steel base of the mill sets right on the ties. That makes everything just about the right height and it hasn't moved appreciably in 10 years. When I originally set it up, here, I shimmed between the ties and the steel base with asphalt shingles to achieve level and it's held up great. It has survived four boys learning, which could be classified extraordinary abuse :D

Greg

[Chico]

Gregg Call TRi state auction over below Kingston they usually have some experienced parts over there or knows who does James Savage has a lot of stuff too I don't know if he's with Tri_state or not Good Luck
Chico

[rpg52]

I've been trying to come up with chain too, not too much luck yet.  I talked to a fabrication shop, they said the modern version is "conveyor chain".  Comes in lots of sizes, 2060 is ~1.5", a common type.  I figure it would be $3-500 new, got to find some old farm equipment to scrounge it off to get it more reasonable.  The old flat type is getting hard to find anymore.
Ray

[Woodchuck53]

Morning Greg and Ray. Haven't been here in a while so am skimming the text, but found yours of interest. I dismantled several grain combines over the years and have use there elevator chains on repairs and (extendsion)? my on dust chain. Easy to seperate and space the tire paddles out and rehook. Bought most of the complete combines for under 200.00 come and get them. Hope this is what you are looking for. Chuck

[rpg52]

Thanks Chuck, I'm going to have to get to farming country and find a combine junkyard.  I'm a bit too far away to consider visiting.   ;)
Ray

[Ironwood]

APM,

Sorry man sold it all to a high end chandelier manufacturer to hang his work from, rusted to perfection. Looked great.

        Ironwood