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Another build thread... JoshNZ

Started by JoshNZ, August 04, 2019, 08:52:44 PM

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Hilltop366

Quote from: JoshNZ on October 28, 2019, 04:34:50 AM
I found a spare day today and did a bit of playing around trying to figure out these legs. Still...

Came up with this. The lengths of the tubes need to be cut to suit and it needs to be foldable I think. No use making a mill portable and then having it bottom out on anything but a tennis court.

I turned a length of acme thread, with a 16mm shaft and M16 thread at the top, then secured it in the larger tube free to rotate. I'll probably get rid of the second nut and roll pin the first one, which will be used to torque the leg up and down. The inside tube has the nut welded to the top and just rides up and down.

Don't know if I like it or not. Can't believe I'm still hung up here. 2 months to build a mill, 1 month to build the legs?..



 


I did weld some new pockets about 6" in and have since gone around and welded handles to the end of the adjustment bolts. Otherwise I've been stalled. Lacking inspiration and just generally busy.
Could add one more tube that the whole leg drops in with a spring loaded pin and some holes in your current outer tube (may need to add a thicker piece of metal for the holes) then you could lift the legs up out of the way for good ground clearance for transport.


ManjiSann

Haven't had the time to read the entire thread but what I've seen I really like! 

Posting so I can find the thread to finish it when I have the time. Some day I hope to build one!

Brandon 
Poulan Pro 5020AV, Husky 390XP

Magicman

Quote from: Hilltop366 on October 28, 2019, 09:39:32 PMCould add one more tube that the whole leg drops in with a spring loaded pin and some holes in your current outer tube (may need to add a thicker piece of metal for the holes) then you could lift the legs up out of the way for good ground clearance for transport.
The Wood-Mizer FAO's have 3 sections.  The bottom (inside) section drops down and is pinned with holes through the second section.  The top of the second section contains threads and is then screwed down.  The threaded rod is of course attached to the top of the outside section.  Three telescoping sections makes the FAO short for transportation.
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

Hilltop366

Yep, same thing, only different.  :)

JoshNZ

I heard back from surplus center, $120 worth of stands to my address, just a wee extra $460 for freight  :o don't know why I bothered asking.

So I'm back to fabricating something like what I've got here, and adding swivels.

I got distracted with repairing an old wood clamp I inherited maybe a decade ago, it was snapped at the end of the thread and had no foot. I built up a mass of steel on the end of the thread with the welder then ground a ball on the end with drill+bench grinder. Turned a foot, and a handle, and blued/punched on there. Jeez lathes are cool  8) they should be standard issue at birth.



 


 

My dad and I have been doing a bit of work on his boat, he's upgraded his anchor winch to an auto capstan, I've been keeping a close eye on the old one sitting there not gaining any attention  :)
It'd make a much better motor to drive the lead screws but I guess it's a shame to dissemble a functioning winch. Not that I really need a winch


 

Crusarius

Wouldn't be a shame at all. The shame is something sitting collecting dust and not getting used when you have a use for it.

JoshNZ

Is there any useful function for a winch on the mill? Not if I take a tractor everywhere I go probably...

I finally knuckled down and smashed out the jack threads. It actually wasn't so bad at all I did the shafts in maybe 3 hours and the nuts in 1. I was doing the first shaft with hss slowly under coolant, then had a light bulb moment while texting a friend about it and thought to myself why aren't I doing this fast, with carbide. I couldn't do the lead screws like that cause the shaft hanging out the headstock got out of kilter but I didn't have that prob here.
Long story short they're all turned at about 900RPM, gave myself a big relief to stop at the end with the foot brake. Fast carbide is Def the way I'll thread from now on!




 

 

My only concern is I only have a 2mm shoulder holding the weight. A thrust bearing would be better but they're about $20ea. I might weld a collar on but probably not now.

Will be one nut on each thread on top of a washer and the nut will be secured with a roll pin flush with edges. I might raise the stop that the shaft snugs up against too, to get some more weld on it. The weight will be hanging off a weld but I think 8" of bead around it should do ok.



 

Magicman

Very nice.   smiley_thumbsup  Slather them thoroughly with white grease.   ;D
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

JoshNZ

What's your guys gut feeling on using 3mm wall tube for swivel mounts for these legs? It's the only tube around I can find that telescopes and even then it needed a quick skim with the lathe.

The outside is say 50x3mm, inside obviously 44x3mm now. Would only be a stub, just long enough to fit two locating pin holes at 90 to eachother.

Otherwise it's back to the steel shop for another couple hundred bucks =/

 

Crusarius

That will be fine. you have plenty of surface area to spread the load.

JoshNZ

I finally got around to cutting and drilling the tubes. All the holes line up perfectly, surprisingly  8).

Ive left bugger all tolerance between the tubes, I didn't want there to be any slop in the legs, so I'll spend the next couple of days adding several spots of welds to each tube whenever I think of it. I managed to keep them all inboard, and they're pretty low profile, quite a good addition I think. I was also thinking I'll put threaded rod just above the suspension leaves, to wind down and lock them from bouncing. This must be common practice? Either lift the axle off the ground, or lock the leaves and use it as extra support?

I'll put feet on them, also want to add wooden blocks somewhere for the log clamps to press against during travel. Then paint it. Then I'll call it finished I think. Am I forgetting anything? Mud guards... They're folded and ready to go I think I'm just going to put shafts at each end of the guards that slide sideways into the frame and nut, or linch pin in.



 


 


 




I spent more time fixing my lathe than I did using it this week. One of the gears decided it no longer fit on the gearshaft, and wouldn't shift  >:( >:(. I had to drift the shaft out and the bearings off, and it didn't go back nicely I had to file some burrs away. Might be the beginning of a drawn out end I don't know. Chinese crap  ::)

Crusarius

I wish I had put my jacks inboard like that. I think you will be happy. I am still willing to bet money your going to hate that tongue and it will get changed within the first year of cutting :)

Mill is looking great.

JoshNZ


Crusarius

the trailer tongue / knee buster / I am sick of walking around this thing tongue. :)

JoshNZ

Well I can't weld it to the back of my Ute XD. What do you propose I change it to haha

Old Greenhorn

I have been following your thread all along but I didn't have much to add realizing that I was listening to the big boys talking. It's been a fun ride. I just wanted to say that I wish I had one quarter of you fabrication skills. (I also wish I had a little bit of your equipment ;D).
 You do some mighty fancy work and I hope you take that as a compliment coming from a former toolmaker, now designer.
 Rock on man!
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

Ljohnsaw

Quote from: JoshNZ on November 10, 2019, 07:26:30 PMWhat do you propose I change it to?

Replace the tongue with a receiver or two.  Then you can plug the tongue in when you need to tow and remove it when you are cutting.  Keeps people from stealing your mill!  Also, if you decide to add more track in the future, you could possibly make use of the receiver(s) to attach it.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Crusarius

What ljohnsaw said :)

He was faster than me.

I used a piece of 2.5" about 24" long welded to the bottom of the mill and just have a 6' long 2x2 with a trailer hitch on it. Works great I can get it out of the way when I don't need it and anti theft is a huge plus.

It also doubles as the tongue for my log arch.

JoshNZ

That'd be a real pita to change lol id def shake if you're betting money =p.

You're talking get rid of the a-frame entirely and end the receiver hole at the frame? I have actually been tossing up the idea of having a fold down section that sits on the a-frame, for the carriage to wheel back onto, to free up the whole bed for a log. I just don't know how easily alignment would be, and making the joint in the angle iron seemless.

Greenhorn thanks and awfully nice of you to say! Lucky you can't see any of it close up you'd realise I'm just another backyard hack like the rest of them haha.

Crusarius

Josh if your going to do that with the extension you do not need the transition perfect. The mill will not cut until the rollers are on the other section anyhow. 

I thought about that exact same thing with mine. Just making very light duty fold out extensions so I can have the full 24' trailer for logs.

Be easy to make a fold out section hinged vertically on the corner of the trailer just strong enough to hold the head. Could be 2 pieces on each end of the mill. unfold like a saloon door.

JoshNZ

Yeah it would be easy. Wouldn't need cross members because it will only ever have the carriage on it. I think the hinge would have to be adjustable in height and you'd prob need shims for where the head of it lands.

Still, that only gets me a 16ft log, if I want longer I'll have to do an extension off the back and then, is it even worth it.

The blade will be deep in a cut by the time the rear wheels cross the joint, don't forget that. Might cause a little divot in the wood if it wasn't perfectly seamless.

Crusarius

doubt you will see it unless you have a giant hole.

JoshNZ

Well is 16ft enough or do I want more haha. I don't think I'll ever want to deal with 16ft lengths of timber but maybe someone might.

Got everything welded up, nothing distorted too much it all is snug, pretty happy with it. Walking around on top of it feels like solid ground now. Cranking the nuts enough to jack the side of the mill up takes bugger all torque it's def not going to worry the roll pins.




Crusarius

I said 16' would be big enough so I built mine to do 20. Now I need 23' roof joists.

Just like a shop. It is never big enough. :)

Ed_K

 Friend of mine has receiver tubes on both ends for moving the mill. works good for moving into tight setups.
Ed K

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