First Time Sawmill Build (Partial)

[SelcosSaw]

Well i've gotten enough done that I think I need to update this group.  Small things really but they did take some time to figure out and fabricate.  I'll say this I have a lot more respect for folks who do metal fabrication for a living.   

Here are my raise and lower pieces. I have them temporarily welded into place and because I ordered the metal too short so I am waiting on new metal to arrive for the top pieces that hold the bearings in place. I need them to stick out 6 inches further so I can move the bar across the front of the mill out so the motor does not run into it when its raised up.  



 

This pic above shows the chain tensioner and also you can see the bar that gets in the way of the motor as it comes up.



 

I did weld this in place and will cut off the part sticking down.  It works pretty well for a home made jobby.

I also used the same design on my motor mount tension devices .





Do you all think that 5/16" bolts are strong enough for the motor or should I go buy some 3/8" or larger?  They seem to hold ok but I think this diesel will vibrate quite a bit.





I made the slots way too big, it was not easy to cut them with grinder 1/4" thick metal.  But a 4" thin cutting blade worked then I cut across them and broke them in half and pushed them down and up until the metal broke. I probably should have used the plasma cutter but thought I could pull this off with less fire and mess. Ha Ha Ha

I mounted the motor and have the belt in place and the clutch. Soon very soon I'll do a motor run test without a blade on it.





 

 

I need to really get some paint on this soon too. Rust is forming.   I did raise and lower it all the way up and down with success and now I am working to get some kind of motor setup from an old travel trailer. I will use the motor for pushing out the slide if its strong enough. I'll read up and see what others have done in this area.

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

[SelcosSaw]

I do have a question though, are the log stops supposed to be even with the innermost saw blade roller on that side?  In this case its on the right side of the mill as you stand at the back facing forward.  Its also the roller that is fixed in place and the other one is movable in and out.

Now as I consider it, if the log was to reach beyond that point then the carriage would NOT be able to move down the tracks so I guess I answered my own question.  

I want to have some kind of automated raise / lower on the log stops too so I can set them from the back of the mill before I start cutting rather than have to walk down and set them each time.

[Ljohnsaw]

Now as I consider it, if the log was to reach beyond that point then the carriage would NOT be able to move down the tracks so I guess I answered my own question.

If you look at my latest re-build, you'll see that I made my carriage wider than my track along with my guide wheels.  That way I can load a big log and start slicing off the top to get it down to a manageable cant.

I want to have some kind of automated raise / lower on the log stops too so I can set them from the back of the mill before I start cutting rather than have to walk down and set them each time.

But how are you going to clamp the log without walking down the way?  Are you planing on hydraulic clamps?

[Crusarius]

When I built mine I wanted maximum cut width so I put the guide wheel in line with the backstops. That was a huge mistake. Imperfect logs (normal logs) stick out just a little passed the backstop and cause me to have to stop and move the log to get past that point. I later fixed that and moved the head 2" over to clear. I sometimes still hit parts but I can muscle passed them for the most part.

My backstops are rotating type and are all connected together. I use a trailer jack welded to the frame to raise and lower all of them from the end of the mill. One day I may add a motor and a wireless controller but for now this works and I do not have to walk all the way down both sides to lock everything in place.

[SelcosSaw]

But how are you going to clamp the log without walking down the way?  Are you planning on hydraulic clamps?

Sorry it took me so long to get back on here.  I plan to use a manual single location that will raise all of the log stops at the same time to the same height.  Im not sure this is a good idea yet but its where I plan to go. Maybe later I'll get some hydraulics going.

I'll take a look at your build and see if I can figure out the best place for the stops I see good logic in leaving a little wiggle room for log bumps and stuff but that will directly impact my wide of cut too.  

[SelcosSaw]

I later fixed that and moved the head 2" over to clear.

I like this idea, but I think it will drop my cut width from 32" to 30".  Since I bought the sawhead its set at 32Max and I have not figured out how to make it wider even though I have 47" free between the carriage walls.  I would like to fix that later on to make my cuts wider but right now I doubt I'll even get a 30" log up on this thing.  Its getting closer though just takes a lot of effort to really focus and keep moving. Waiting for small parts or blades is the worst each item can take 10 days and delay by that much as well.

[SelcosSaw]

First I want to say thank you to everyone who has the patience to watch and comment on a build post.  I know it takes time and I appreciate it so much. I am trying to take more pics but its hard to stop welding or grinding or cutting to take them so I will keep working on that.

I do have two questions though.

First, its already too late to do anything about this, but I need to know for future reference how to keep metal from doing the bend under heating thing.

In this pic you see my cross bar and my sliders that go up and down the mast.  I had my nephew weld the final welds across the 1/4" plate and they bent on both sides of the cross member. You can sort of see it in the pic.  I thought that metal was thick enough and had already been tack welded so it would not bend?  Is it a policy that I need to only weld 1/2" strips at a time and do many small passes?  I am afraid this will change the design due to the expectation that those would be flat and the nylon plastic would ride flush to the metal.  I think it still may slide ok but I hate to cut them off and buy new metal and stuff.  Very frustrating or sure.



 



 

Second question:  Is there enough room between my blade and the log bunks?  There is just under 1\2" between the blade and the bunk.  I think most people end up with 1" of space but my log bunks are just more of the same metal that I have been using dropped on top of the rails and it would be (lazy) awesome if I could get by without having to cut them down to make more space.  It would leave my final cut kind of useless, but I am ok with that as long as the blade does not hit the bunks.  What do you all think about this?





 



 

[Crusarius]

After moving the head over 2" I extended the sawframe to allow me to run a 158" or 176" blade. that got my 2" back and then some

I have 48" between the uprights. it is not for a 48" log. It is for a log that has sweep or a crotch I want to saw. I have maxed out the width on mine plenty of times. But I have done it cutting curved benches.

[Crusarius]

first of all, most newer welders think you have to full weld everything. This is very untrue. The good majority of the time you only need to stitch weld everything. Full weld just concentrates way to much heat if not done correctly.

The proper way to weld is short bursts in varying locations. After years of experience I have gotten to the point I can weld one side and have it bend, but then flip it over and weld the other side and it will straighten out flat. It is a very fine art that is not something very easily learned.

The best way to prevent heat warpage is to do small stitch welds on short bursts.



Second, you have plenty of clearance. the blade does not hit, right? I have 5/8" clearance to my bunks, but I also have 1/2" points welded to the bunks for clamping cants. So that means I only have 1/8" clearance over each of those.

Here are the points I am talking about.



 

[Ljohnsaw]

Before you cut your plate apart/trash it, give this a try.  Run a bead (weld) on the opposite side where you welded to the tube.  Do one and take a look.  If not enough or only moves the one side, then run a second bead over the other one.  When you weld (and heat up the metal), it will expand some but when it cools, it seems to contract more then it expanded.  This may work to get your part close enough.  When done, you can angle grind off the beads if they are in the way and the plate will not bend back or do anything.