Head Lift?

[ladylake]

Newguy
I have a timberking B20 which uses screws and a electric motor to lift the head.  I oil them a couple time a day with 80-90 gear lube, works good.  They have a collapesable cover over the screws that really folds up good. I'd give Timberking a call and see how much you get them for, maybe the whole screw assembly too.  Steve

[newguy]

Steve,

How many hours have you got on the mill?  Any sign of wear in the nuts?  Do they run a belt or chain direct off the motor to the screw?  I am assuming there is no gear box.

  I am planning on using an alloy steel screw with a bronze nut.  I think it should work fine.  Machine tools are built that way and last a long time before the nut wears.

Craig

[ladylake]

Craig
It has 260 hours, the treads on the rods still look like new. I can't see the nuts. I read on a forum somewhere where B20 owners were wearing the rods if they didn't oil enough so I oil at least twice a day. It has a good sized electric motor (about the size of a 1-1/2 HP AC motor) going into a gearbox which drives a chain loop around both screws. I'm guessing the screws are turning 100 to 200 RPM, slower when really cold. I use lighter oil when it's cold.
Steve

[D._Frederick]

Swede,

I would stay with the chain type log turner, it is a proven design and is used  on high production mills with either band or circle saws and is used on most of the small portable size band mills. They do require a hydrualic cylinder and motor to operate.

New Guy,

The screw lifts are trouble free when they have a bronze nut and are oiled every time the mill is used. The screw lift is self locking so your sawhead is not going to fall if a chain or cable breaks. On my mill, I used a 1/2 hp ac gearmotor to drive the threaded rods, I wish I had used a permanet magnet dc gear motor so that the lift rate could be controlled better. If you use a fixed speed it is hard to stop for setting cut depth if the speed is too fast, if it is too slow you wait to long raising the cutting head to full heigth.

[newguy]

Steve,

Thanks for the info.  I think I am convinced that is the way I will go.  I was originally going to use a chain set-up like WM.  The problem is, my head gained about 150 lbs when I decided to go with the Kubota diesel.  I would have to have a gear reduction of about 100:1 to pick up the weight, gets kind of spendy getting a gear reducer that size.  The screw solves that problem and it sounds as though you guys are having good luck with screws.


D. Frederick,

I will be using a 3/4hp. 12VDC motor with variable speed control to raise the head as well as drive the carriage.  

Thanks for all the input.

Craig

[Swede]

D_Frederick;

Yes the chain type is more sophisticated, I can roll the log klockvise and counter clockvise. But i can´t get place for it inside the frame or need 2 cylinders for enough angle rolling a square.
On the other hand,  I´ve not found place for the Forestor type either......yet. It looks  good, a bow with spikes on  external face. One cylider and a spring. : Gravity of the log makes the bow turning.. Looks siple and fast but I´ve not seen it working.

Swede.

[rbarshaw]

Ya know--- some pics of these here log turners mentioned above shure would be nice  ;D ;D :P ;D ;D

[Fla._Deadheader]

rbarshaw, the chain turner, mentioned above, just picture a very small ditch witch digging bar. It has a slight dog-leg in it and the teeth are actually heavy loops that protrude about 2" or so above the bar. Wouldn't be that difficult to build. Just takes some room amongst the other stuff down inside the opening in the frame. COULD use a ¾ HP 12V motor that reverses.

[Swede]

I want to use a 50cc hydraulic motor IF I build a reversing chain turner. Perhaps easyer to handle with a reduction gearbox 4:1 or 5:1. Think it would get the right speed and more torque with my 5cc pump.  :P :

Fla._D; I´m still drawing on that Forestor turner type. Have no aluminium stripes but two  broken blades......... :D :D  ;)

Swede.

[GF]

On my chain turner I used a 80 pitch chain, then cut some teeth about 1" high from 1 inch thick stock and welded them to the links about every 10 15 links apart. I then use a hydraulic ram to raise and lower and a hydraulic motor with a flow control valve to control the speed.  On the head raising and lowering the hydraulic motor also has a hydraulic motor with a flow control valve.

[pinecone]

Newguy

Building a mill, is alot of work, takes planning, and lots of patience.  I just finished my mill with the help of a friend who has made 22 others.  Mine was no. 23, he thinks.  I put in about 275 hours, himself about 80.  Many people don't believe I built it.  I have no previous machining experience or much welding time in.  It looks factory made.  Precision on every measurement is paramount.  My mill is fully manual and fashioned after a Enercraft/Baker with quite a few modifications.  My head uses a chain/sprocket and cable system.  As far as what it is worth, I can get 2.5x what I built it for.  Would I sell it? No, I built it so I could build my timber frame buildings.  I have no previous experience at timber framing either,  but its something that I will enjoy doing just like the building the mill.  Getting good advice is extremely valuable and this site does offer that.  As far as log turning goes, I turn my logs by hand, it's just a part of the sawing.  
Good luck, and I hope you complete your mill.

[newguy]

Hey Pinecone,

Sounds like you built a nice machine.  Got any pics?   Way to go, you seem to have the same attitude as I do.  What I don't know I learn, I have found most things are not rocket science.  A little patients and mechanical aptitude goes along ways towards building what what you want.    

I have countless hours of design time and around 100 hours of actual building time in mine (so far).  I still have a ways to go but it is coming along.  Mine is a hydraulic machine.  I am powering it with a 27hp Kubota diesel, the hydraulics, carriage and head drives are 12VDC, running a 200 amp alternator off the Kubota.  

Good luck with your mill and thanks for the encouragement!

Craig

[GF]

Once you get to a point where you want to test cut a log, it will be all over with, you will not be able to stop cutting.  It sure is nice to set back when its completed knowing you built the entire system and know every part inside and out.

Good Luck

[newguy]

GF,

Thanks.

I hope to get to that point by the end of June or maybe July who knows.  I was hoping for the end of May but that didn't happen.

Do you cut full time with yours or just part time?

Craig

[GF]

I just cut part time with mine.