Building my mill...

Kbeitz · May 08, 2015, 10:51:17 PM

I'm going to replace the Winch for the carrage lift with a worm-gear Winch. As of now if you let go of the handle when cranking it unwinds if you don't lock the one way leaver. Reaching for a spinning handle is not what I want to to....
Worm gear winches will not spin back with a load on it... You need to turn the handle if you want it to move.

Kbeitz · May 08, 2015, 10:54:33 PM

I probably would not need to do that because one of my wheelchair motors will be driving the winch.

gww · May 08, 2015, 11:01:33 PM

The wheel chair motor solves you problim. To your point of the locking mechanisim. I have lost my grip and got busted in the knucles while trying to get control. Wormgears are more expensive though then the cheep boat winch. I do relize that out mills are going to be at differrent levels of the milling spectrom. The boat winches work well for the manual bottom line mills.
gww

Kbeitz · May 09, 2015, 05:42:44 AM

Quote from: gww on May 08, 2015, 11:01:33 PM
The wheel chair motor solves you problim. To your point of the locking mechanisim. I have lost my grip and got busted in the knucles while trying to get control. Wormgears are more expensive though then the cheep boat winch. I do relize that out mills are going to be at differrent levels of the milling spectrom. The boat winches work well for the manual bottom line mills.
gww

E-bay now has them for $40.00 ... Cant beat the price... Wish I knew that first hand.
Seems like a great deal for holding the carriage. I think I'm going to put one on my truck crane.
The only thing I don't like about them is it take forever to get the cable out.
On my truck crane I like to release the cable and run with it. Maybe I'll look around to see if they make
one that has worm drive and quick release.

gww · May 09, 2015, 10:01:40 AM

My problim and not yours is I find it imossible to spend $40 when I already have something that will work, "good enough".
gww

Kbeitz · May 10, 2015, 11:03:51 PM

Today I got my new winch on and got the motor sitting about where I want it.

Ox · May 10, 2015, 11:32:59 PM

Very cool! I'm on the lookout for a deal on some of those gear motors.

Georgia088 · May 10, 2015, 11:50:34 PM

Question: I'm in the process of building a mill and have been reading yours. How does your mill compare prior to the cook blade guides vs after? Much difference?

Thanks!

Kbeitz · May 10, 2015, 11:53:45 PM

Quote from: Ox on May 10, 2015, 11:32:59 PM
Very cool! I'm on the lookout for a deal on some of those gear motors.

A lot of them come into the junkyard... When the battery's die and they see the cost of them they junk the chair.
I've seen them for years but I have just found a use for them so I'll be NOW watching for them.
You can buy controllers for them off E-bay for only $14.95 and free shipping.
I'm not sure if I'm aloud to post a link but if your interested shoot me a PM and I'll send you the link...

Kbeitz · May 11, 2015, 12:02:21 AM

Quote from: Georgia088 on May 10, 2015, 11:50:34 PM
Question: I'm in the process of building a mill and have been reading yours. How does your mill compare prior to the cook blade guides vs after? Much difference?

Thanks!

My mill has not even cut it's first log yet... I don't want to get it dirty until it get painted. But I would think everything would be much better with them I know they are not a cheap item but from what I read they still don't last forever. So if they ware out they must be doing some heavy work load.

Ox · May 11, 2015, 10:31:54 AM

An old timer told me once "If it moves, even a little bit, it'll wear out eventually."
I would guess the Cooks guides have replaceable bearings like the Woodmizer guides do.
After all, they have to build them too, right?

pineywoods · May 11, 2015, 12:11:38 PM

Some info on wheel chair motors. Good for lots of diy projects. The gear box is usually a worm gear reduction. There should be a lever of some type sticking out of the box. It dis-engages the gears so the chair can be pushed without power. Bearing will be heavy duty types, the shaft sticking out the side is actually the axle for main drive wheel, has to support half the weight of chair plus occupant. There is a small electric disk brake built into the back of the motor, works backward from what you would think. Apply power to release the brake. A safety gadget to lock the wheels when stationary. There's 2 carbon brushes which are about the only wear items, easily replaceable. The design is permanent field magnets, reverse the power leads and it runs in the other direction. Normally 4 wires, 2 smaller ones are for the brake, other 2 to the motor. The controller in the wheel chair would work just fine on a sawmill. That joystick is actually coupled to 2 separate contollers, one for each motor. Output is variable speed in either direction..
I'm quite familiar, with these units, wife has 3 operable chairs that I keep running, and my mill uses one in a homemade auto clutch.

Kbeitz · May 11, 2015, 03:53:41 PM

Quote from: pineywoods on May 11, 2015, 12:11:38 PM
Some info on wheel chair motors. Good for lots of diy projects. The gear box is usually a worm gear reduction. There should be a lever of some type sticking out of the box. It dis-engages the gears so the chair can be pushed without power. Bearing will be heavy duty types, the shaft sticking out the side is actually the axle for main drive wheel, has to support half the weight of chair plus occupant. There is a small electric disk brake built into the back of the motor, works backward from what you would think. Apply power to release the brake. A safety gadget to lock the wheels when stationary. There's 2 carbon brushes which are about the only wear items, easily replaceable. The design is permanent field magnets, reverse the power leads and it runs in the other direction. Normally 4 wires, 2 smaller ones are for the brake, other 2 to the motor. The controller in the wheel chair would work just fine on a sawmill. That joystick is actually coupled to 2 separate contollers, one for each motor. Output is variable speed in either direction..
I'm quite familiar, with these units, wife has 3 operable chairs that I keep running, and my mill uses one in a homemade auto clutch.

One tough little motor... Just keep the water off them...And don't EVER hammer on them. The magnets cant take the shock. Question Pineywoods... How well do you think this controller will work with the wheelchair motors ?

pineywoods · May 11, 2015, 07:08:08 PM

K, that controller should work just fine. The weak link is usually the printed circuit runs on the back side of the board.If that gets to be a problem, solder a piece of solid wire over the runs. Wife's first handicap mobility was a 3 wheel scooter with a similar controller driving a 2 hp 24 volt moter, belted to the rear axle out of a riding lawn mower. DanG thing would climb up over a curb with her on board. Looks like everything is self-contained, I see a plug with 2 wires which probably goes to on/off switch. Other 3 wire plug goes a standard 2k pot for speed control. Is it reversable ?? I used a dpdt relay to reverse hers..

Ox · May 11, 2015, 08:27:57 PM

Really, really good info here guys. Thanks for sharing it! :P

Kbeitz · May 11, 2015, 09:14:34 PM

Wow...Yea... Thanks for the info... The controller in the picture was really made for an RC toy car... They are really tough on those things so I thought it would be a tough board...

Well every time I go to the junkyard my plans change.
Today I found 10 more wheelchair motors.
The one I decided to use to lift the carriage has double gear reduction and it runs real slow.
This makes it so I don't need a huge sprocket on the winch.
I tested it on 12 volts and it works.
I had a little trouble getting the brake to kick off with only 12 volts but it did work.
I will also have a controller on the lift motor.
I'm not sure if I will put in a double throw double pole toggle or a relay for my reverse.
I like the idea of relays because then I can put limit switches on the travel and I already have the relays.
Here is a picture of the motor gearbox I ended up using.

Kbeitz · May 11, 2015, 09:20:20 PM

Also with the winch shaft sticking out from the chain cover I could put a crank handle on it and release the gearbox to move the carriage if I had a power failure.
I'll be able to put a seat on this thing and ride along with the cut....
I dont think that will ever happen...

Kbeitz · May 11, 2015, 09:44:21 PM

I got my 24 volt Alternator in today... easy one wire hookup...

gww · May 11, 2015, 09:44:59 PM

K
A very ambitious build.
Good luck with it. I am very glade you are posting pictures as you go.
gww

Kbeitz · May 12, 2015, 03:00:03 PM

I got the carriage track motor installed today...

gww · May 12, 2015, 05:00:57 PM

Will you have a fast return or the same speed both ways?
gww

Delawhere Jack · May 12, 2015, 06:21:34 PM

Quote from: Ox on May 05, 2015, 11:46:20 AM
Cool! I wish my area had better junkyards.

I feel your pain..... :( The old "dig around and find what you need" salvage yards are a thing of the past around here.

Ox · May 12, 2015, 07:03:05 PM

Delawhere Jack - You bet. It's all from scumbags who got something from the yard and sued. The big one around here simply will not even entertain the thought of you buying something you need from them and have it leave the yard. I've got one good ol' boy over the hills and hollers but his selection is quite limited. It's mostly, well, junk.
He does have a big old logging truck with crane boom and grapple that runs. He used to load scrap with it. Says he'd sell it to me for $2,200. Probably be a heck of a deal if I had the funds. It'll need some work and TLC of course but it's all there.
Maybe someday.