What happens when a band breaks.

Bibbyman · July 04, 2003, 03:19:28 PM

I get a little nervous when I see some pictures of some of the home built mills and there is little to no shielding around the blade. Also, when I see pictures of other mills running with the guards off.

I've had some WM owners advise the first thing to do is to knock the fingers out of the sawdust chute. Not me!! I'm glad WM beefed up the dust chute blocks on the newer modes. Some of the finger guards on our older mill were bent from the times it had to stop blades from pooping out the chute.

Here is a blade that broke on us today. A lot of it ended up outside the shield. A lot was shoved down the chute and caught by the fingers.

Take a close look and you'll see the blade almost completely outside the shield.

The blade may well have shot out the dust chute had it not been for the fingers.

Broken blade trying to make it's way out the dust chute.

Fla._Deadheader · July 04, 2003, 03:25:49 PM

Good post Bibbyman. We have only broken 3 so far, and they were still stuck into the cant.The loose end sure flopped around in the housing before it wedged behind the wheel-tire. First time, we thought the mill exploded. :D :D :D :D

sawwood · July 04, 2003, 03:33:21 PM

The first time i helped Ron cut he had a blade brake and i
sure jumped when it did. I would hate to see what would
happen if there where no guards to cover the blade. Take
care Marry when you remove thoes broken blade they still
can hurt you.

Sawwood

inspectorwoody · July 04, 2003, 04:21:26 PM

Band breaks....

I tell ya what I bet it is scary with the portable mills but if at anytime you guys can avoid being around when a band goes on a McDonough rig like ours, do it! ;) It is the loudest most heart wrenching sound a man could ever hear and when she goes, she goes...usually little to no warning. I have never had one come off the wheels on me but was in the cab when one come loose on our other sawyer. It come off the wheels and laid down across the carriage and cut into the side of the cab

When I destroyed a band, they found pieces of the teeth etc. clear across the mill!

Be careful and make sure your guards etc are in place. If it wasn't for the hood over our bands, I can almost bet somebody would have been killed.

On our web page you can see how close our edger and the pre-positioner deck is to the line bar. Thank God we haven't lost a band on the line bar for quite sometime now!

www.wlumber.com

ARKANSAWYER · July 05, 2003, 07:11:30 AM

What happens when a band breaks around here is my hat hits the ground and a few choice words are said. &$#*&$#&(@(b #@$(*#$ s^*$#@*. I really hate it when you are in a large cant like a 16 by 20 and the blade is stuck inside. It is hard to get the covers off and get the blade out. from around the wheels. I have had the idle wheel keep spinning for a while only to find a tooth cutting a grove out of the v belt. Need to carry a spare v belt.
ARKANSAWYER

woodhaven · July 05, 2003, 09:47:40 AM

In my shop when this happens on my wood working band saw or my metal working band saw the first thing I do is be still for a moment and watch for blood. I learned years ago that I see blood before I feel the pain.

Furby · July 05, 2003, 08:53:51 PM

:D :D :D :D :D
Yeah that's true, it takes a few seconds to feel the pain. ;D

ElectricAl · July 06, 2003, 11:57:53 AM

Here is a recycled photo of the B-57 belt that puked out the little door.

We're not sure if the band broke and cut the belt, or if the belt broke then broke the band. Regardless we were down for a while fixing.

dail_h · July 06, 2003, 12:11:55 PM

I have to agree with the Inspector-Once and onec was enough, when I worked for Atlantic Forests, one our big 8 in resaw bands broke,and came out.The end hit the floor,and went snaking through the mill before going airborn.Talk about chaps steppin n fetching,that was the most scary thing I think I ever saw.Don't want to be around that sort of excitement anymore.
We all fuss and growl about guards and saftey procedures,but you only have to see one mangeledup guy to appreciate them.I hate'em,but I use"em after 33years working, still got all my fingers and toes an stuff.

inspectorwoody · July 06, 2003, 12:29:25 PM

Last Thursday (July 3) the head rig sawyer went home sick and I got the chance to saw for a few hours. Boy was it nice to sit in the ac after being stuck out in the humidity and heat! Rolled a log on the carriage and noticed the end closest to the band was barber chaired so I did what I thought was best to position it and dogged down ready to go. Well as I started in slow, the band grabbed the log and

I about wet myself! Luckly I was able to keep the band on the wheels and backed out of the log with out any major problem. Re-positioned the log and away I went. Found out it was a brand new band and the first band I destroyed was also brand new! I think I am cursed by new bands!

ohsoloco · July 07, 2003, 02:05:47 PM

The new ones always find the metal, woody :D

Bibbyman · July 12, 2003, 07:13:48 PM

It was the nicest day we've had this summer and Mary and I just blew it. We went to the Mark Twain's Old Thrashers convention in Paris, MO. This time instead of running the circle mill with one of their steam engines, the sawyer had a bandmill built by EZ welding that is located somewhere north of Paris.

The mill is pretty much an all-manual affair. I think it has a Honda engine of 18 or 20 hp. A couple of features of the mill were the "angel cut" – the sawhead set at 10-15 degree angle than normal. The backstops were on the right side instead of the left – so the blade cut would enter the "sawn" face instead of the bark side.

When the sawyer got ready to saw, he cautioned everyone to stand away from being inline with the blade. On closer examination I could see why.

The blade is shielded on top and front but has no shielding on the bottom at all as well as no shielding on the back of the idler wheel side.

One clever ideal was the "ladder" affair on the inside of the middle bunks. They were handy to stick a cant hook or pry bar into to push the log or cant up against the backstops.

Three guys working to get cant turned and clamped. And, no, that's not Bibbyman (although he's a snappy dresser) with his back to the camera.

"The Sawmill Professor Himself" (On the back of his shirt)

EZ · July 13, 2003, 04:52:57 AM

Guess I'm going to have to change my puter name.
EZ

Fla._Deadheader · July 13, 2003, 05:20:36 AM

Why ??? You might be famous and don't even know it. :

:D :D :D :D

Bibbyman · July 13, 2003, 07:11:39 AM

Easy there EZ,

EZ (in the case of the sawmill) is the initials of Eli Zimmerman, the Mennonite that built the mill. They have welding shop to add to their farm income and built a "homebuilt" mill for their use and have built a few for others.

He does have a PU truck and telephone. I don't know if he has a PC.