The New Bandmill That I Built

[mike_van]

The only other thing on my mind is that 1/2" acme Bob - It just seems light for the massive head weight you're going to have. I know acme will lift huge ammounts compared to V-thread, I used 2 on my mill, 1 1/8" I think, with brass nuts too - Mine picks a 10 hp electric, two 24" wheels, plus the metal, etc.     I never looked up specs for acme, but I'm guessing you did or used what one of the factories use?  Much better to "lift" the head with acme rather than "push" it.

[getoverit]

I saw an old electric "scooter" type wheel chair for sale the other day for pretty cheap, and all I could think about is to use those electric motors for travel on a sawmill. I dont see why they wouldnt work for the lift on a headrig too.

[rbarshaw]

The only other thing on my mind is that 1/2" acme Bob - It just seems light for the massive head weight you're going to have.

There are 4 of these, i did check the specs. and came up with a factor of 3 beyond what was needed, but should check that again as I don't remember the numbers now.

[rbarshaw]

I saw an old electric "scooter" type wheel chair for sale the other day for pretty cheap, and all I could think about is to use those electric motors for travel on a sawmill. I dont see why they wouldnt work for the lift on a headrig too.

could work, I used an old windshield wiper motor on my last mill for that, i already have some hydraulics for this tho'.

[Don_Papenburg]

If you still want to saw a larger log  but not a swing head . Make the main head frame adjustable  .  Then all you would have to do is slide it out to full extention to saw and retract it for transport.  Use a hydraulic cylinder for the job and put in a large pin at full extention and then at retract for travel. 

[rbarshaw]

If you still want to saw a larger log  but not a swing head . Make the main head frame adjustable  .  Then all you would have to do is slide it out to full extention to saw and retract it for transport.  Use a hydraulic cylinder for the job and put in a large pin at full extention and then at retract for travel. 

Good idea, still need to beable to adjust the band tension.
Anyone got any ideas about useing a hydraulic cylinder to mantain band tension and to retract the bandwheels to change blades?

[StorminN]

Hey getoverit,

Those electric scooter and wheelchair motors can be very useful. I use a motor from a Rascal scooter to power the lift on my Mobile Dimensions mill... so that little electric motor is lifting about 1,000 lbs.

I've also got electric wheelchair gear motors that run the sawdust conveyors next to my mill. I power all three of these motors off of two 12V deep cycle batteries wired in series for 24V.

Here's a pic of the Rascal lift motor. I use one of those switches from a cheap 12V winch for the up / down control.



-N.

[MattWatson]

If you still want to saw a larger log  but not a swing head . Make the main head frame adjustable  .  Then all you would have to do is slide it out to full extention to saw and retract it for transport.  Use a hydraulic cylinder for the job and put in a large pin at full extention and then at retract for travel. 

Good idea, still need to beable to adjust the band tension.
Anyone got any ideas about useing a hudraulic cylinder to mantain band tension and to retract the bandwheels to change blades?

Check out this mill: http://www.serra.de/index.php?siteid=58

It looks like they use a telescoping head with hydraulic cylendar to tension the band

[bandmiller2]

When I built my bandmill thought long and hard how to raise and lower engine and band.My mill is a four post type I mounted a vertical hydraulic cylinder with double sheve set up to give me two inches travel for every inch the ram moves.cables are run around commercial overhead door pulleys .Hyd cylinders and cables are good enough for bucket trucks and aerial ladders good enough to raise and lower a  band head.Very easy to adjust with eye bolts smooth operation really little to go wrong.

[Haytrader]

One of the features that my E Z Boardwalk has is a garage door spring to help lift the head. It is raised and lowered with a hand operated winch very easily.
Maybe you could incorporate a spring on yours Robert, to assist the acme rod.

[scgargoyle]

1/2" acme should be fine, as long as the weight is hanging from it. If you 'push' the weight up, by anchoring the acme at the bottom, they may want to bow from the compression. I'll be following this thread closely, as I'm planning a sawmill of my own, although on a smaller scale. I just picked up a neat 13 hp 2 cylinder liquid cooled Honda engine for another piece of the puzzle. Now all I gotta do is find someone throwing out a decent set of band wheels....

[Firebass]

One of the features that my E Z Boardwalk has is a garage door spring to help lift the head. It is raised and lowered with a hand operated winch very easily.
Maybe you could incorporate a spring on yours Robert, to assist the acme rod.

Now That's a good one.  I like my hand crank up-down.  Its very fast and is easy to use.   One thing I noticed at last years logging convention in Salem Oregon was that most the mills with winch's or hydraulics for lifting the head were a bit tricky to get the carriage to stop at the exact measurement.  I watched one mill (very Common) go back and forth to get height set 5 times before the operator said "Good Enough" .   I could easily make my mill hydraulic or electric but I don't think it be as fast as manual.  Currently my only drawback to manual up-down is it's a bit of work to lift the head for a new log.  Down is effortless.   But then again, I'm a huge fan of keep it simple.   


Firebass

[Don_Papenburg]

I would think that if you had spring tensioners  on the band wheels that would do the job as the clinder was extended. Then the tension would  be released as you pulled it in for transport.  The reason for the pin is to keep it in place incase of a hose leaking. or a seal.     Another way to use a cylinde for tension would be to install a grease zerk on the back end and pump it up with grease to get the proper tension.  Many crawler tracks are tensioned that way.

[Furby]

Firebass, I can't really see from the pics you have posted, but it don't look like you have any springs on your mill head?
A simple setup like the Norwoods and some other mills have with a torsion type garage door spring, will allow you to set the torsion of the spring so as to create almost neutral weight on the head.

[jrokusek]

..............Now all I gotta do is find someone throwing out a decent set of band wheels....

How about trailer tires?   ;)

[Firebass]

Firebass, I can't really see from the pics you have posted, but it don't look like you have any springs on your mill head?
A simple setup like the Norwoods and some other mills have with a torsion type garage door spring, will allow you to set the torsion of the spring so as to create almost neutral weight on the head.

Furby

No, I dont have a spring on mine.  But I sure do plan to do it now.  I actually had that thought a while back but I just blew it off ...   After your post I'm going to do it for sure ;D 
It's really funny how you think you come up with a good original idea and there's already a bunch of really smart people out there allready thought it up or have a better one.

Thanks For the Tip

Firebass

[Furby]

If you need pics, I can get you some if you can wait a couple days.

I've got my mill set so it's just a touch heavy going up, in order to keep it from creeping a little while I'm trying to lock it on the mark.

[Firebass]

Thanks For the offer on pic's but dont knock yourself out on it.  My mill travels 72" bottom to top And it is fairly heavey.  It might take a couple of springs.  Here's a picture that might show my lifting tubes they are 1.8" diameter.  I should be able to find a spring that fits.

http://www.ssindustrial.net/winch.jpg

Firebass

[Furby]

The setup I have has the spring horizontal.
I'll get those pics. ;)

[thecfarm]

Just depends on how the up and down stop was designed to keep the head inplace.My head will stop where ever I want it every time and stay there.No doing it 4-5 times either.I have found out at most of those shows they really should have someone that knows how to saw wood run the mills.Not the guys that know how to design and build them.Like the machine shop that build mine.They could have some lessons on useing a peavey for staters.They are a nice bunch of guys and I tell them that if they handled logs the same way they build mills they would be out of business.   ;D I was kinda like that at first too.Just have to trust the mill and yourself too.

[mike_van]

The acme thread won't creep, at least I've never seen it. They make house jacks with it.  My setup uses a 1/2 hp  ac motor, it runs a right angle drive [about a 20/1] from a commercial overhead door which is # 40 chain to the first lift rod, which in turn is # 40 chain to the other one. I set them up for 2" of bed clearance 10+ years ago, nothings ever moved. Except me, I move a little slower now.  :D

[rbarshaw]

Got my two band wheels mounted today,  8) still need to align them tho' :P . I have been working on this thing for over a year now, just a few min. here and there, feels like I'm finally making some progress. Too dark now more pics tomorrow.

[ronwood]

rbarshaw,

It's good to see you building another mill. Is your first one still running?

Ron

[rbarshaw]

rbarshaw,

It's good to see you building another mill. Is your first one still running?

Ron

No, the old one tried to saw a log to big for it and got bent out of shape.

[rbarshaw]

 
I now have both bandwheels in place and the engine close to final position, I will beable to cut a 36" wide board.