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Installing vertical shaft on bandsaw sawmill.

Started by Freddie, December 02, 2019, 01:43:33 AM

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Freddie

 Hello,

  I cannot find a horizontal shaft engine for my sawmill that I am building. Does anyone out there run a mill with a vertical shaft lawn mower engine.? Could you please show me with pictures or diagrams how you have it set up.? Thank you very much for your help.  Any and all information will be very much appreciated.                            Freddie

JoshNZ

I chewed over this idea a little with a few people here a while back... Right angle gearboxes, twisted belts, and changing the location of the sump pump and carburettor orientation were the three big ideas, that I can remember at least. It can be done I guess. I ended up resigning to a new horizontal shaft engine, I had enough to keep me busy already haha. Be interested to hear what you come up with. A twisted belt is prob the simplest, bit of extra heat and slightly less efficient but I bet not noticeably. Good luck regardless!

JoshNZ

There's a vid of a gokart build on YouTube where a guy runs a v twin on its side. I remember looking into it with a Briggs engine that came up and for some reason it was a lot more complicated than his. Might be worth looking into for the few engines you're seeing come up often?

Nebraska

Might look at running a hydraulic motor to drive the head then your motor could sit off to the. side, in my lurker days I gave it some thought.  I was going to power with a pumpmounted under an older riding mower whose deck was junk but the hydro and motor still were good. I had a reservoir. The other thought was a pto driven pump from my tractor. I just saved some penny's and finally bought my mill.   Welcome to the forum let us know your location and a little more information. 

charles mann

depending the hp of your engine and width of cut, using hydraulic power to turn the band will pull a lot of power from the motor. i contemplated using a hydraulic motor to turn the band, but many on here talked me out of it, mostly bc of drag in the system, and only getting about 70% power from the motor, new, and continuously looses power the older it gets. it was recommended i go with a minimum of 70hp, and finally scrapped the hydraulic route and decided to go conventual method. 
a 1:1 right angle gearbox or even a reduction gb would work, as long as the box is rated for the hp of your engine. 
Temple, Tx
Fire Fighting and Heavy Lift Helicopter Mech
Helicopter and Fixed Wing Pilot

JoshNZ

If I was going to do it again and I had a cheap vertical engine in front of me I'd be quite happy to run double belts with a quarter turn, I think. Maybe do some reading on life expectancy with aligned sheaves vs 90. I talked myself out of it for my build, didn't like its lack of elegance and the efficiency thing, but belts are sloppy crude buggers of things at the best of times. I have 4 belts on mine now, two pairs to and from a jackshaft and at full speed theres nothing elegant about it haha

markdvsmo

I thought about turning an old 20-hp JD rider into a kind of chainsaw slabbing mill, using a harvester bar mounted on rails.  Figured the power transmission would be easier; everything's in the same plane since the bar would 'slice' horizonally.

Figured if I was going to spend money I'd just work on a real mill, though.

fstedy

You should be able to find that horizontal shaft engine easily new at small engines and harbor freight and used on craigslist or your facebook marketplace. might save a lot of hassle converting a verticle.
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

tamarackman

This is what I came up with using a 13hp lawn tractor engine. I'll try to find a completed picture.




Edit: found one.



Woodpecker52

NT has them, also HF has them.  Amazon, Ebay  Granger etc.
Woodmizer LT-15, Ross Pony #1 planner, Ford 2600 tractor, Stihl chainsaws, Kubota rtv900 Kubota L3830F tractor

JoshNZ

Quote from: SPDM on December 02, 2019, 05:13:19 PM
This is what I came up with using a 13hp lawn tractor engine. I'll try to find a completed picture.

That's a chain slabber is it? What kind of feed rate do you get on a log like that, how long would that cut in the image have taken you?

esteadle

Quote from: Freddie on December 02, 2019, 01:43:33 AM
Hello,

 I cannot find a horizontal shaft engine for my sawmill that I am building. Does anyone out there run a mill with a vertical shaft lawn mower engine.? Could you please show me with pictures or diagrams how you have it set up.? Thank you very much for your help.  Any and all information will be very much appreciated.                            Freddie
Have you checked Kohler? 
Most of their V-twin engines have a Vertical shaft version and Horizontal shaft version. 
https://kohlerpower.com/en/engines/engines
Look for "H" in the model number to find the Horizontal shafts. 

JoshNZ

I assume the OP means a second hand one within a budget. Horizontals don't come up too often second hand here either. More ride-ons than everything else combined I guess.

sawguy21

Have you determined how much power you need? Many vertical shaft engines are cheap to buy but by the time you are done you may have spent a buck to save a quarter.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Freddie

 Ok guys, After all is said and done. It sounds like I am better off to keep looking for something around 18 horse power with a horizontal shaft. I live in the lower part of the thumb of Michigan. I started building the mill about one year ago. I have very little to finish. About one month ago, I put everything away and am going to wait for warmer weather.
  I am 75 years old and needed something to do. I am enjoying building the mill but have no idea what I am going to do with it when it is done. I guess I will get a couple logs and practice getting everything working right. I live by myself in the country and just working on this for my own enjoyment. I am concerned about getting nice straight cuts. But, I will keep reading this forum and asking questions. Maybe everything will work out right. thank all of you for the ideas and information. I appreciate it very much.               Freddie

Crusarius

When I built mine I had zero experience with them. It turned out better than I could have imagined.

Have you thought about going electric and using that vertical shaft engine to power a generator head? could be the best of both worlds.

Weekend_Sawyer

I wonder if anyone has ever built one using a motorcycle engine.
- Horizontal shaft
- Clutch
- Charging system
- multiple gears if needed
- comes with it's own gas tank

hmmmm, I like it!
Jon
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

luap

Fwiw I reconfigured a vertical shaft engine into a horizontal just for the fun of it and it was not worth the effort. It worked but longevity was questionable. The reorientation of the governor and main bearing oil supply would not have lasted. For your location there should be a good supply of low hour used snow blowers that would be cheaper than buying just a motor. I am further north than you are and cl has several.

tamarackman

Quote from: JoshNZ on December 02, 2019, 06:57:09 PM
That's a chain slabber is it? What kind of feed rate do you get on a log like that, how long would that cut in the image have taken you?

I since upgraded to a bandsaw mill although I do sometime miss the simplicity of the slabber mill I built. The feed rate is/was about the same as my new 7hp bandsaw mill however the main issue I had with the slabber was the amount of loss due to the kerf.

Wayniac

I built one with a 650 Kawasaki cycle engine worked great but really noisy
wayniac

BtoVin83

I wonder if a friction drive might work? They are used for driving the sled in and out of a circular saw mill.

barbender

Imo, gas engines are cheap enough that you'll spend far more time and money trying to get that power turned 90° than you would just getting a horizontal shaft engine.
Too many irons in the fire

donbj

Quote from: Weekend_Sawyer on December 03, 2019, 12:02:54 PM
I wonder if anyone has ever built one using a motorcycle engine.
- Horizontal shaft
- Clutch
- Charging system
- multiple gears if needed
- comes with it's own gas tank

hmmmm, I like it!
Jon
A Harley would sound nice on a bandmill under load!
I may be skinny but I'm a Husky guy

Woodmizer LT40HDG24. John Deere 5300 4WD with Loader/Forks. Husky 262xp. Jonsered 2065, Husky 65, Husky 44, Husky 181XP, Husky 2100CD, Husky 185CD

sawguy21

old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

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