Blade Sharpening

[Nick Walkley]

Hi I have just bought a sawmill. It is a old custom built machine that has been in our district for about 50 or 60 years. Unfortunatly I have come by it by way of estate sale and know one really knows much about it. I spent the day on it yesterday greasing and checking bearings and then run it for a few hrs, it appears to operate well.
I am a self employed General Engineer so mechanical things are in my nature and I have been cutting firewood comercially for the last 8 years so I am very comfortable will trees generally. What I don't know about is sawmilling.

This unit is driven by a tractor pto. It has a sliding table that moves the log through a blade that has about a 20" - 30" cut. The table is powered by a take off from the blade drive to a gearbox that has 4 forward gears and a reverse (Zephyr) and the clutch is a flat belt that is tightened with a lever.

I have very little experience with blade sharpening but obviously it is critical to efficient operation. The guy that owned it was saw doctor so I am confident that the blades wont have been "messed with".  I have been told by the seller that it may have a sharpening jig and spare blades to go with it and he is having a hunt. Can anyone offer any advice or recommend a resource to get myself up to speed with sharpening. any other "top tips" will be read with an eager mind also.
This mill is something I have wanted to do since I worked with my father on our old Pederson Unit as a boy so I am rearing to get into it.



Nick

[bandmiller2]

Sounds good Nick,where are you located.Sounds like it could be a modified Belsaw,but then again all circular mills operate pretty much the same save for swing mills.Theirs scads of information in past posts.How big is your tractor to run it and whats the saw diameter.I'am a fine one to ask for pictures as I haven't figured that out yet but it would be helpfull. Frank C.

[Nick Walkley]

Hi Frank

In Palmerston North New Zealand, Down Under.

I am not sure about the size of the blade but at a guess it might be 50 or so inches bottom to top, it has a usable cut of around 22".

The tractor is a David Brown. I am not sure what model yet because Mother Nature has painted the whole thing orange but I believe it is about 65hp.

I will Get some pics up as soon as I have some and have worked out how   ???

Nick

[customsawyer]

Welcome to the forum.

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Nick Walkley.