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DIY sawmill build

Started by Mesquite cutter, March 23, 2020, 08:25:39 AM

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Mesquite cutter

Okay I started my DIY sawmill build.  I started assembling the main beam first.  I tack welded the end and the middle bunks in place hoping to minimize warping of the long beams to a minimum.  After checking the string and seeing that it was straight I went ahead and welded the ends and the middle bunks going to opposing sides to keep the heat as even as possible.  After doing that, I noticed my main beams warped about 1/8 of an inch.  I can deal with that. 

I am hoping that now that my ends and the middle bunks are welded, I can now weld the other bunks and keep the main beam where it is.   For all you DIYers, what are your thoughts on this?

I tried to upload photos but I could not figure out how to upload them.    
Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

Mesquite cutter

Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

Mesquite cutter

Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

Mesquite cutter

Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

Mesquite cutter

Photos are sideways.  Hmmm...
Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

btulloh

Iphone. There's a rotate function in the gallery. You're getting there. Takes a little bit of time to get the hang of the photo thing. Good progress. On the photos and the mill. 
HM126

Crusarius

How long is your bed? Did it bend up or down? Depending on the length that bend will be negated when you support the rails.

your bed looks like 20' I would not worry about that bow. it will probably level out if supported on the ends.

Magicman

Look just above the "CLICK" line and you will find the tools to edit and turn pictures.

Also, if you take your pictures with the phone horizontal with the home button under your right thumb and they will always be oriented properly.  Just a good habit to get into.  ;D

CLICK HERE TO INSERT IMAGE IN POST
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Mesquite cutter

It is 20 feet.  I have supports in the middle keeping it level.  It did bow a bit in the middle but I adjusted the supports in the middle and leveled the main beams before any welding was done.   I measured across the bed after I tack welded and I was off by about 1/8 of an inch.    

My supports are pieces of angle iron with a nut welded on the bottom with a long threaded bolt going through it to adjust it up or down.  Worked like a charm.  
Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

Mesquite cutter

Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

Mesquite cutter

Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

Mesquite cutter

Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

Mesquite cutter

Got them straight.  I just don't know why they come out twice. LOL.  You can see the red string just a bit off on one of the beams after I welded the end and middle bunks.  
Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

Magicman

You can edit "Modify" and remove the extra picture.  Just backspace it off.


 
As information, Wood-Mizer makes their bed rails adjustable.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Vautour

Always nice to see new people building home made saw mills..and plenty of  information on this forum... :) 
the Gospel is WANTED by the people in 52 Countries but made illegal by their Government

charles mann

My first attempt, even with welding a lil at a time and moving around (11 crossmembers over a 20' length), i warped with an 11/16" bow in the center on both beams. I was welding 2x8x1/4" rec tubing. 
My sec attempt, i used 4 steel saw horses made out of 2 7/8" drill stem and 6" i-beam. I came out with less than 1/32" deviation along the 20' span. But i went with 2x6x1/4" rec tubing. It was a $1000 learning lesson. 
Temple, Tx
Fire Fighting and Heavy Lift Helicopter Mech
Helicopter and Fixed Wing Pilot

luap

During the welding process, when the molten steel cools and solidifies, it will shrink, stressing and pulling the adjoining piece.s. In addition to your welding procedure another technique to mitigate this is to peen the weld. One effective tool is an air powered needle scaler or just use the pointed end of your chipping hammer. 

Mesquite cutter

I am almost done welding the bunks.  All are tack welded and some are welded all the way around except the bottom and still have only 1/8 of sideways warpage.  I think I have it supported pretty good to keep it from warping up and down.   What do you mean by "peening the weld"?  

The main beams are three inches wide so I think I will have enough tolerance to be able to move the rail left or right to keep it straight. 

All the steel is 3/16 thick.  Maybe I should have gone with 1/4 steel but I looked at all the specs from the companies like Timberking, Woodmizer and Cooks and they all use 3/16 steel for their main beams.  
Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

Hoopty5.0

Where are you located with a name like mesquite cutter? SW somewhere?

charles mann

Like he said, tap/beat the fresh, hot weld with the chipping hammer or a needle scaler. The finish will look like the surface of a golf ball. Another method (expensive though) is to "sand blast" the welded areas with steel shot, called, shot peening. 
Temple, Tx
Fire Fighting and Heavy Lift Helicopter Mech
Helicopter and Fixed Wing Pilot

Mesquite cutter

Quote from: Hoopty5.0 on March 24, 2020, 03:17:02 PM
Where are you located with a name like mesquite cutter? SW somewhere?
South Texas, Rio Grande Valley area.  
Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

luap

To peen, hitting it multiple times with a punch type tool,  the weld will actually stretch so it will relieve the stress caused by the shrinkage when the molten metal cooled. Usually works best when only one bead of weld has been laid down. Multiple passes can be peened between each bead but it can only do so much. I have only had air needle scalers so I have not researched if there are other types. My work partner could straighten 20 foot long conveyor augers with a torch and a wet rag and a dial indicator so the auger and the bearing journals ran true. He would heat an area hot enough to sizzle when spit upon and then run the wet rag down it and watch the dial indicator. Never was able to pick up the physics of how he did it.

Mesquite cutter

Well here is my finished base for the sawmill.  It only warped about 1/8 or 3/16 of an inch.  

 
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DIY sawmill
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Mesquite cutter

Backyard woodworker. 
DIY sawmill
Youtube:  Retired DIY Guy

Crusarius

you can fix that by putting the rails on straight and not worry about it. I was thinking it was a vertical movement.

Just make sure the rails are parallel and square to each other.

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