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New kid with an M-14 Belsaw, need help!

Started by robshepler, November 21, 2019, 11:41:20 AM

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robshepler

Good morning!
I have a new to me M-14 Belsaw that was given to me when the owner passed away. I am tickled and very excited about it. This is brand new territory for me, I have zero experience with saw mills or milling. I look forward to any advice that this forum can offer.
First question, how to I hook my Ford 4600 up to a 1-3/4 shaft? I have searched the internet for an easy solution and don't find one .....yet.
I have moved the mill into place, I have poured some footers, I hope to level well and bolt the thing down.
I look forward to your thoughts!

 

 

 

 

 

reride82

Congrats on the mill! When setting it up, use a string line to get your rails flat, straight, and true. This will save you a bunch of trouble later. Make sure your blade is SHARP! Regarding hooking it up to your tractor, if you have a machine shop nearby they should be able to fab up an adapter to  PTO. Otherwise, Use a belt/pulley down to a jack shaft that you can hook to your PTO. If you put your location in your profile, it makes it easier to give advice.

Levi
'Do it once, do it right'

'First we shape our buildings, then our buildings shape us'
Living life on the Continental Divide in Montana

moodnacreek

Bellsaw's have some issues do to poor design and the low cost. Modifications are necessary to get any real work out of one. The feed needs to be relocated and driven outboard with a 'B' pulley instead of the 'A'. There should be a photo of this in my gallery. Consider new mandrel bearings as they should be in perfect shape.  When you rig up a pto shaft you should have a safety device in case you stall the saw in the log; try hard to never do this and when you shut down the pto must coast to a stop or the blade will unscrew. There is alot to learn that is not readily apparent. A cool running, sharp and evenly swedged saw is a must. Be careful.

Oddman

Get a copy of "Circular Sawmills and Their Efficient Operation", it is available free in pdf form. Great read and will give you an idea what is involved when one steps into the circle mill world...

glendaler

PTO driveshafts come in endless configurations, i just bought one with the 6 spline pto on the tractor end and keyed round bore on the sawmill end. Works perfect, i leave it hooked to the mill, back up the tractor and hook up. You should have no problem getting a shaft. Get one with a shear bolt or slip clutch design and that takes care of what moodnacreek is talking about with a jammed saw. I have the older wood bed version and they're a lot of fun, good luck!
Belsaw A10 circle mill,

captain_crunch

I have a M-14 Bellsaw mill my sawmill is drivin with a jack shaft and belt set up this gives you a cushion and slippage safety then a cord and pully set up that allows me to stall tractor engine in case of inevitable trouble and my carriage is driven by hydraulic motor rather than belts 
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

captain_crunch

No luck with pictures if you can get to my gallery lots of pictures of my mill 
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

moodnacreek

So somebody has been there. Most any modification is an improvement. The setworks will be the biggest challenge to try to improve. 

captain_crunch

Downloaded The are weak but improving them would be a huge project my biggest issue was wear in the crude gear and track set up have several ideas you need to roll your logs away from knees not into them like big set works they get knocked out of adjustment easily I have a 1/4 in shim on back knee due to coarse adjustments but with hydraulic carriage drive I can move carriage without saw turning and measure knee to blade distance 
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

Coolrunner

For my set up, I welded a 6 spline on the end of a jackshaft and run 4 belts to the arbor.  Went to TS and purchased a slipclutch that slid right on- with a 6 spline for my slip shaft to the tractor.  I run the carriage with a hydraulic motor and it works really well off my tractors quick couplings.  Not the fastest in gigback but I'm not in a rush. I did spend a little extra time fabricating a cage around the saw with a lexan door on spring hinges for my safety when turning the log.  I post some photos soon.  All the comments I've read here on this thread are right on the mark.    
Kubota M6800, IH434, IH500C, MF130, JDMT,
JD1010, JD410, FarmallA, Belsaw on busframe

moodnacreek

The gig back should be fast. I have never rigged up a hydraulic  motor feed but I think you would have it so it would gig fast and [if left that way] feed just as fast. So a flow control that sends some oil back to tank, gets installed in the feed hose going to hyd. motor. This is not expensive to do.

Coolrunner

Quote from: moodnacreek on December 27, 2019, 09:16:40 AM
The gig back should be fast. I have never rigged up a hydraulic  motor feed but I think you would have it so it would gig fast and [if left that way] feed just as fast. So a flow control that sends some oil back to tank, gets installed in the feed hose going to hyd. motor. This is not expensive to do.
This is true and I may change it this coming season.  I'm limited by the speed of my motor with respect to rpm of tractor.  I did increase the size of my cable drum by 1" and sawing speed is perfect.  My drum is a winch from a fishing boat that the motor directly bolts to.  I can't change that ratio. Enlarging my drum would be the easiest to get the speed up and then, as you say, install a flow valve on the feed direction.  
Kubota M6800, IH434, IH500C, MF130, JDMT,
JD1010, JD410, FarmallA, Belsaw on busframe

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