Shingle Mill Video

bandmiller2 · April 13, 2009, 06:49:04 AM

Good show Jason,the blade is cutting well and the new tractor has enough moxie.I don't think their is a more vicious machine than a shingle ,mill requires complete attention.A shingle mill keys in nice with logging,you cut your logs out of the pine and their is usally 16" between the nodes at the top of the tree for shingle blocks.Pine makes a decent shingle but should be stained,they wont weather pretty like cedar.Their is not much worse than shingle blocks that are freash dripping pitch,gums up everything,I like to let the pitch turn white.If you wait too long the Dang borers will perferate em.If I'am working around a pto joint I'll take an old towel and let the joint snatch it,about 6" will flap around and warn you when your getting close[do at your own risk].

woodbowl · April 13, 2009, 10:16:19 AM

How do you folks in the north deal with pine shingles? Do you dip them in a treatment or put them on straight? How long do they last? Here in the south, pine is out of the question unless it is treated. Our wood of choice is cypress.

Jeff · April 13, 2009, 10:47:50 AM

I've never seen pine used here in Michigan, although they may, but we have Northern White cedar growing in pockets overmuch of the state and you can't ask for a better shingle material then that.

jason.weir · April 13, 2009, 10:50:42 AM

Quote from: woodbowl on April 13, 2009, 10:16:19 AM
How do you folks in the north deal with pine shingles? Do you dip them in a treatment or put them on straight? How long do they last? Here in the south, pine is out of the question unless it is treated. Our wood of choice is cypress.

Everyone does it different - there are plenty that are put up dry, some are stained after and I know a few who dip them and let them dry before being put up.

What I'm using is Eastern White Pine probably different from what you've got down south - not really that rot resistant, won't last very long in a moist environment.

I will put mine up plain - let them dry for a season and then stain them with Uncle Larry's famous walnut stain.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,11906.0.html

Up here Cedar is a better choice but harder to come by unless you go to the big box store and pay $60 a bundle..

-J

bandmiller2 · April 14, 2009, 06:28:31 AM

I bought my shingle mill from an old man ,he showed me white pine shingles his father put up many years ago all dried out and thin but no rot.He said the man that puts up pine shingles will never have to replace them.He also said they are no good on a roof.Cedar is the premium product if'en you have it .When shingles dry the thin top shrinks more than the butt,if your fussy they will need to be trimmed and rebutted hence the trade term.If they are stacked toe to butt and dried then edged they are much square-er.Modified my cams to make a 3/4" butt nice effect and quite stable.Frank C.

Chico · April 14, 2009, 08:51:16 AM

Nice job I love to see those old machines run kinda feel a kinship to em ;D Sometimes I think we get ahead of ourselves in the newer is better dept but unfortunately you have to keep up with technology or get left in the dust :-\
Chico

StorminN · April 15, 2009, 09:28:01 AM

Quote from: jason.weir on April 12, 2009, 08:13:35 PMI'd like to have a brake or at least a remote pto shut off. The new tractor has a electronic pto switch so a cable and pulley wont work. We'll see what I can come up with..

If the PTO switch is electronic, it should be fairly easy to tap into that circuit and run a cable with a switch or maybe even a wireless remote...

-Norm.

NHHillbilly · April 15, 2009, 08:35:21 PM

Very nice setup. All excited to show a freind of mine that collects old tractors and wants one. Showed him the video and He said your name and Even said he had a chance to run that mill with his Farmall A. So Jeff Mellett Says Hello.

jason.weir · April 15, 2009, 09:24:11 PM

Thats great, small world - Jeff's Farmall did run my mill up at the "I love old tractors" show in Woodstock, NH last summer.

http://www.waterestcampground.com/events.htm

You can just see the rear wheel of the Farmall

I believe Jeffs a cousin of the guy who hosts the show - Ralph Bradley.

Jeff also sharpened and set the blade for me, glad he got to see the fruits of his labor.

I believe it was the first shingle blade he had ever done and what a wonderful job he did.

Jeff should be a member here I know he's got valuable knowledge and experience

-J

Hilltop366 · April 15, 2009, 10:26:18 PM

It may be a bit far for your friend that wants one but there is a shingle mill in Nova Scotia listed on Kijiji under Halifax there is also a stave mill listed as well.

NHHillbilly · April 16, 2009, 06:40:10 PM

I will let him know about the mill prob alittle far. Thanks though for the info

okie · April 18, 2009, 12:32:46 AM

Oh what fun I would have if I owned one of them ;D. So was that set up built to run like that or is it a sawmill with modifications ???. Please forgive my ignorance there.

bandmiller2 · April 18, 2009, 07:06:12 AM

Okie,they are a purpose built machine.They were quite a few back east years ago,some with horizontal blade called mery go round mills,some built of wood.Chase and Lane were the better of the lot.My Chase came from a burned out factory in Maine used to make thin wood to hold salted cod,no taper 1/4" thick.Most use a spring set blade 36 to 40 "with a collar and tapered to the teeth.They are fun and interesting at a show but it gets old fast,would hate to make a living cutting shingles.Frank C.

okie · April 18, 2009, 01:13:25 PM

There is'nt any taper to the shingles you are making??

Jeff · April 18, 2009, 03:19:54 PM

I think Corley5 should quit making kids and get busy working on this.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,12617.msg176402.html#msg176402

bandmiller2 · April 19, 2009, 06:48:15 AM

Okie,depends what I' am using for cams and how its set.Look at Jasons picture the chunk is clamped between two shafts with star wheels along their legnth.At the end of each shaft is a disc with notches cast into it.Normal shingle their are two notches close togather then a space and two more ,the discs are ratcheted alternating thick thin.My thick butt shingles I just removed some of the notches,thin end the same ,thick end twice as thick.For boxwood use discs with even spacing.Frank C.

bandmiller2 · April 19, 2009, 06:56:20 AM

The older post Jeff just brought up is what we call a merry go round mill,will keep your finger nails trimed.Old shingle makers have trouble ordering more than a couple of beers.Frank C.

Captain · April 19, 2009, 08:27:09 AM

Add me to he list of those that want one...

StorminN · April 20, 2009, 05:00:29 PM

Me too... and I know there are a couple of shingle mills within an hour of my place that have closed up in the past couple of years...

-N.

petefrom bearswamp · April 20, 2009, 05:09:55 PM

take a look at the mankiller on Woodweb under SLR
Looks like BOOOOORING WORK

Sawmill_Bill · July 29, 2009, 03:12:18 PM

Quote from: jason.weir on April 15, 2009, 09:24:11 PM
Jeff also sharpened and set the blade for me, glad he got to see the fruits of his labor.

I believe it was the first shingle blade he had ever done and what a wonderful job he did.

Did he sharpen it using the directions from bandmiller2's thread?

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,28613.0.html

I have a horizonal shingle mill that doesn't work very well because of the hack sharpening job that was done on it. I want to get it right.

Thanks.

jason.weir · July 29, 2009, 05:18:52 PM

Kinda...

As we know, there are 2 basic ways to sharpen a circular saw - rip saw or cross cut saw. Because there are so many cord wood saws out there I think a lot of shingle blades get sharpened cross cut when they should be rip saw.

The guy that sharpened mine put as much hook angle into the blade as his equipment would allow and put just half a tooth set into each tooth. He could not go as far as Frank's instructions but went as far as he could and the thing cuts exceptionally well

Because he used a fixture and a stone grinder to sharpen the blade each tooth and gullet ended up being shaped exactly the same and had the same height.

I believe this and the set had the most to do with how it cuts. I could get a sharp tooth with a file but it would not cut.

Find someone locally that sharpens bandsaw blades and cord wood saw blades - they should have the equipment to do your shingle blade.

Tell them to put as much hook angle in it without going over what Frank posted and do half a tooth set and I bet your problems will go away.

The only other thing to check is the blade itself - every shingle blade I've seen is thinner at the rim than it is at the center and usually has a large collar - mine is 70% he size of the blade itself - it keeps the blade stiff - no flex at all..

Good luck...

-Jason

Sawmill_Bill · July 30, 2009, 10:27:52 AM

Thanks for the reply.

It worked well some years ago before the current person running it "sharpened" it.

I will see what I can do for it.

bandmiller2 · July 31, 2009, 07:02:46 AM

Jason,you have your shingle mill cutting well.Can you slow down the feed a tad I noticed it gains on you,cuts faster than you can edge.The Chase has three speeds if I recall I use the slowest outherwise things happen too fast for this old duffer.Would help on those big chunks.Of course when you get your circular mill running hint hint you can make big cants with most of the sapwood cut off.Nice square cut blocks you can go like gangbusters,and with the bark cut off you can wait till their dry to edge them for those truely square edges.Frank C.

jason.weir · July 31, 2009, 09:59:42 AM

The Lane has 3 feed rates as well.. I've got it at the slowest feed rate.

You're right I can't keep up - never mind going any faster

I usually run the blade @ 1100 rpm - right at the bottom end of the range Lane recommended

I could slow it down some and that would slow the feed as well but I'm not sure what affect that will have - is it like a circle blade and needs to run at a certain speed?

-J