Sawmill build

TreeStandHunter · December 03, 2018, 09:00:34 PM

I have a question for everyone. I recently purchased a doall 26" bandsaw for hardly nothing...I honestly have no need for it. Would it be possible for me to flip this sucker horizontal and use it to build a sawmill? Thanks for any and all info!

Woodpecker52 · December 03, 2018, 09:45:51 PM

I have seen them done, a lot of work not a lot of success. Need to compare what you have to what a band sawmill looks like. You will need a mill bed, system to raise and lower head, get bandsaw down to the bare essentials etc. If you like to engineer things go for it, but understand that it is just as fun to start with the real thing and improve on the original design etc. I know of no bandmill or bandsaw that can't be improved on horizonal or vertical.

TreeStandHunter · December 04, 2018, 05:04:45 AM

Thanks woodpecker, I got the saw for $100 and have already began building the track, It's going to be a trailer unit. Since I got it so cheap and it has 26 inch wheels on it I was hoping to save some fabrication time and just dismantle the saw like you said down to bare bones and hopefully reuse the majority of it. Seems like the only thing I will have to improve will be the blade guides. Once the track is finished I can't see it being that difficult to build a carriage for it to ride on, I Will be using Acme rod and a wheelchair motor to power it up and down

Crusarius · December 04, 2018, 08:36:56 AM

how are the bearings? sealed? Wonder how they will last with wet logs?

Woodpecker52 · December 04, 2018, 09:05:53 AM

Sounds like a doer, its these type of projects that keeps the mind young, I am excited for you and that can do American spirit! By the way wheel chair motors look like the best way to go, I may change my mill to them as well.

TreeStandHunter · December 04, 2018, 09:21:12 AM

Crusarious they are sealed. I will keep a close eye one them once I get it functional, this is a heavy industrial bandsaw I can't imagine it won't hold up to weekend sawing.

Woodpecker, my brother in law got in a motorcycle accident in 2008 and has been in a chair since, he has gone through 3 or 4 electric wheelchairs in that time and my father in law is retired from the shop, he is also a hoarder and has kept all of the motors and drive assemblies off the chairs after the batteries have wore out. I can't tell you how many times I have told him he's an idiot for keeping all that crap over the years...you can imagine the look he gave me when I asked him if I could use one of the motors for this mill haha