The Saw Shop

[Osterman.r]

Big shout out to Charlie at The Saw Shop in Northumberland NH. I have been setting up a lane no.1 mill. It has been hit or miss sawing, the 48" saw I had on the mill was unknown and questionable. I called Charlie and asked him to set me up with something second hand. He had a 50" 52 tooth 2 1/2 saw at his shop. He hammered it for my Mills rpm and put in good bits and shanks. I mounted the saw on the mill today and sawed for a few hours. Very happy with the saw. I also picked up a dexter file guid while I was at his shop. Great guy to deal with.

[moodnacreek]

That's good to hear especially since there are very few shops or even men left that can hammer. A couple of years ago a member here put me on to a guy who hammers in his basement after work as a bandsaw filer. I was driving right past his place going to camp and had no idea. Turns out to be top notch and will put the extra time into a saw that others won't. Lucky for me.  I have a whole collection of saw sharpeners and use a Jocky most times because they are fast.                        With the 'new' mill I am learning to use there is more feed than I have ever had so I am trying to feed as fast as possible and stay on line. The saw I am using is the best I have ever had but the fast feed can push it out of the cut if I really lay into it.  The other day I filed with the dexter because it is more accurate than the jocky's and was able to feed even faster. If you run carbide or chrome rig a dexter diamond file in an old hack saw frame and file or stone back and forth [with the dexter rig].  Thanks for posting

[Osterman.r]

Moodna, I have the same feed as your "new" mill. But it's all I know, I just take it easy and try to stay consistent in the cut. I've got a lot to learn. Your "old" mill must have been the heacock feed? there is a century feed husk with topsaw on marketplace now. I'd love to get my hands on it.

[moodnacreek]

The old mill had the standard Lane friction feed/ belt gig, 5" . No. 1 mills had the same in 6". There had been belt feeds at least on the smaller mill. After that the Glover eventually copied and then updated to steel and name changed to Centry by Lane. This was the last word before hydraulic. All these feeds except the std. friction and or belt where expensive to buy new. In 1981 the Centry feed was $ 6500 and a hyd. was $7300 and was most likely used in a mill with 3 phase electric. The Heacock I think is the belt feed/ belt gig or that's what American sawmill and others called. When seen on a lane it has a stick that looks like a n engine crank.

[Osterman.r]

How often do you grease? Saw mandrel, feed pulleys, carriage wheels.

[moodnacreek]

How often do you grease? Saw mandrel, feed pulleys, carriage wheels.

That question cannot be answered accurately. On all the bearings except the mandrel you want to see grease leak around the seals when you do grease. Out door stuff I would say every month to push moisture out. On the saw mandrel I like high quality no.1 or thinner grease, 6 shots every 6 months or more but not more on the saw bearing because it will heat up and warm the saw. With an infrared thermometer you can watch this, after greasing and running and checking as time goes on and learn from that. Some guys do 1 shot a month on the saw bearings. Ball bearings run cooler than roller bearings and over greasing a roller can really overheat it even on a new bearing to the point of ruining it. You won't ever do that on a sawmill as you could never run it. The saw blade would go berserk.