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Another build thread... JoshNZ

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

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btulloh

Looks good, Josh.

I think a "natural" painter is the result of a lot of experience.  Every time I paint something I learn that there's a lot of distance between me and a real painter.  But getting it protected is the real goal, and if looks good from 25 feet, it's a good job.

That thing would be quite a challenge to paint for me.  Maybe with a rotisserie  I'd stand a chance, but still a challenge.

Did you flip it over to spray the bottom or just deal with it?  

Looks good in the picture, which is what matters!!
HM126

JoshNZ

I sat it up on its side with axle stands and painted half way across the bunks, then flipped it and did the same back the other way.



 

Does mean it has to be touch dry before I can handle it ~20min with this paint also means no wet edge to continue off.

I get a do over anyway. I needed more paint than I realised and the paint shop had run out of the enamel I was using and talked me into buying enough 2 pot to start again, so I'll key it all and go over with 2 pot. I think I do need the harder wearing stuff, the enamel wasn't going to cut it.

Thanks for the comments all the same =)

btulloh

HM126

frazman

Have you thought of painting the underside with a undercoat or rock guard 
of some sort being it will be towed around ?

VooDooChikin04

I can attest to frazmans thought!  My last dune buggy I built,  was undercoated with hercules roll on truck bed liner as well as all the suspension components. Still holding strong after 6+ years of abuse.  

I have a strong suspicion you won't be doing much offroading with your mill, but who knows ;) 

RAYAR

No need to undercoat. You have to be careful with the type of undercoat you use. Some types that dry like a paint eventually start to lose adhesion and allows moisture to be contained and the metal will corrode very fast afterwards and hidden from view until it starts to fall apart.

Once or twice a year, just take a wire brush in one hand and a spray can in the other and do touch ups. Step back a few feet and it looks great. :)
mobile manual mill (custom build) (mods & additions on-going)
Custom built auto band sharpener (currently under mods)
Husqvarna 50, 61, 254XP (and others)
96 Polaris Sportsman 500
2006 Ranger 4X2 w/cap, manual trans (430,000 Km)

VooDooChikin04

@RAYAR  dude good point!  Some undercoating is solevant dissolved plastics which then form a plastic coating. I could totally see loosing adhesion and water collecting.  Awesome! 

RAYAR

Quote from: VooDooChikin04 on May 05, 2020, 01:48:38 PM
@RAYAR  dude good point!  Some undercoating is solevant dissolved plastics which then form a plastic coating. I could totally see loosing adhesion and water collecting.  Awesome!
I looked at a van one time that was undercoated with a brand name undercoating that was all pealing off and there was nothing left of the frame. I don't think this company is around anymore as I haven't seen any advertising from them in a long time. They had a yellow shield for an emblem and their name started with 'Z' ;)
mobile manual mill (custom build) (mods & additions on-going)
Custom built auto band sharpener (currently under mods)
Husqvarna 50, 61, 254XP (and others)
96 Polaris Sportsman 500
2006 Ranger 4X2 w/cap, manual trans (430,000 Km)

Crusarius


frazman

As I mentioned, just a thought but one has to do some homework.

JoshNZ

I'm not too worried about the underside of it anyway, the odd chip won't worry it too much and it'll need the odd tidy up as mentioned.

I got it all scuffed and the 2 pot on it today. Way nicer to spray and already looks richer and thicker. Glad I bit the bullet. I was worrying I didn't have enough paint but actually when you have 20% catalyst then 20% of that in thinner, you have a lot more product than what's in the can!

Nasty stuff though. I bought a respirator and could still feel my heart racing by the end. Do pro painters use activated carbon or so you need to get your air from somewhere away from spray site 

JoshNZ

Well the 2 pot coat is hands down an improvement. Day 1 of a (up to) 7 day cure and it's already harder than the enamel. Heaps better surface finish.

I'm brushing down everything else now. Awfully painful this phase of a build =/.



 

 

Crusarius

Painting is always the worst part!!!!

But in the end its worth it to make it look good.

charles mann

It took about 2wks for my enamel to dry hard. Im guessing to much moister in the air or their mixing chart is wrong. I mixed well and let sit for a few min before each batch i sprayed and i used 1 measuring cup for paint, 1 for catalyst and 1 for the first batch with thinner. The sec 2 coats i used paint/cat only and sanded each coat with 220 grit. 
But now that stuff is like a dillar shell. 
Temple, Tx
Fire Fighting and Heavy Lift Helicopter Mech
Helicopter and Fixed Wing Pilot

JoshNZ

Well that's it for the painting, I could see the finish line in sight yesterday afternoon and couldn't help but leap. Glad to see the end of it! We use these lights under the kiwifruit when harvesting sometimes when we get in the crap, they worked quite well.



 

 

Remind me not to paint my next mill if I ever build another xD.

I'm really impressed with the 2 pot caprithane, the saw beam looks as though it'd shatter if you dropped it! It's hard as heck and feels plasticy almost.
The different colours are breaking up the green nicely, I think it should look good. Not that that matters but nice bonus.

All I have now is assembly and setup, I would say I'm counting down the final days but our next bout of harvest is just around the corner so I'd I'll reserve that comment for later



 

 

JoshNZ

Well I'm gonna call it finished here xD.



 

I don't think I'll change much, am finding it a real pleasure to use and it's pretty addictive when it's easy.
But some final thoughts for future home build readers... I wish I'd included a lube tank before finishing. I had blade pitch buildup rear it's ugly head for the first time yesterday and blade dived. I got it free and the pitch buildup was so hard/thick I had to use a razor to clear it. I ended up finishing the job with a spray bottle full of diesel, I could see pitch building up and then a quick squirt and it turns back to smooth shiny steel in a matter of 2-3 seconds, and rollers/blade quietens down significantly. It must soften it enough that it gets dragged off the blade in the cut. So if you're ever going to saw soft/pitch wood, include a dripper setup =/. I might weld an alloy tank and bolt it to it somewhere.

And... The backstop clearance issues I mentioned already. I'll build some inserts to permanently set into the outside pockets which will offset the cant holding toes maybe an inch, to give the guide a bit more room.

Otherwise I'm pretty happy. Thanks for all the advice/thoughts/banter along the way. Hopefully the last of my posts in this topic and more in the today's happy customer thread xD. And none in the did something stupid thread =[]...

JoshNZ

This Oldman pine was the first timber off the saw since going back to work. A friend of mine works with smaller stuff a lot so we spat a bunch of that out.


 

 

The last of the pine I didn't really know what to do with, I started sawing slabs to take more dimensional stuff with, then thought I'd leave them as slabs, and then decided to cut some thick legs in hopes of a heavy rustic bar type project. I wondered if anyone knows... 150x150mm square posts and 90mm thick slabs, must take years to air dry, several even. Do you just wait or do you use it wet and bolt it so it can't move as it dries?



 

 

Crusarius

Quote from: JoshNZ on June 17, 2020, 07:06:11 PMThe backstop clearance issues I mentioned already. I'll build some inserts to permanently set into the outside pockets which will offset the cant holding toes maybe an inch, to give the guide a bit more room.


I made this same mistake! I know better for next time.

RAYAR

Quote from: JoshNZ on June 17, 2020, 07:06:11 PM
Well I'm gonna call it finished here xD.



 

I don't think I'll change much, am finding it a real pleasure to use and it's pretty addictive when it's easy.

And... The backstop clearance issues I mentioned already. I'll build some inserts to permanently set into the outside pockets which will offset the cant holding toes maybe an inch, to give the guide a bit more room.

Otherwise I'm pretty happy. Thanks for all the advice/thoughts/banter along the way.
Nice looking mill you ended up with Josh. There are things that weren't planned just right, but a few mods and you're good to go. Great accomplishment on your part.
mobile manual mill (custom build) (mods & additions on-going)
Custom built auto band sharpener (currently under mods)
Husqvarna 50, 61, 254XP (and others)
96 Polaris Sportsman 500
2006 Ranger 4X2 w/cap, manual trans (430,000 Km)

JoshNZ

Had a great day earlier this week I think this kind of day is exactly why I built this mill. A friend of a friend had two trees hidden in the bush, and when I saw them I figured neither were getting milled. Long story short somehow this guy rustled up 7-8 pairs of hands to come around and inch by inch with a bunch of ropes and strops we hauled these logs out, through dense bush on about a 45 degree bank...

Think it's the straightest prettiest stuff I've had on the mill yet.

Few photos and a little vid below. Bit naughty in the vid I guess, I walked past the sawdust chute, is this a no-no? I've found people watching seem to always stand on that side, I imagine if the blade snapped and the stars were in alignment it could sling it out that gap. Do you stop people standing near the chute?

Anyway, I had a few more woes with the mill - the worst of which I think I am burning up my clutch. It is a 25hp rated clutch and 22hp engine. I let the owner at it after milling the first log and he ended up pushing a bit hard and missed hearing the blade slow down and stall, clutch let out a bit of smoke obviously. It appeared a lot weaker after this. My worry was the engine RPM didn't bog a whole lot, still maybe 2500-3000RPM with no output on the belts.
I'm wondering if you guys think it is up for it, 25hp rating or not. Is there anything I can do to help it? Is snapping open throttle or slowly engaging better for clutch life? I'll get it off and take a look at the shoes.

I had a grub screw back out of one of the lead screw sprockets, so only one shaft was turning which was nearly a disaster too, lots of yelling as the beam went up on one side only. I think I'll go over the mill again with permanent loctite.




Crusarius

Those aren't logs. They are solid pipes!

*DanG that would be nice.

Looking good.

JoshNZ

Hah Def didn't regret not building a toe board that day

JoshNZ

I'm gonna have to pull the legs off the mill and go back to the drawing board. Too much play in every direction, and too weak.

I mentioned in another thread a loader dropped a pretty heavy log on the mill accidentally today. Pinged off the end of silage forks. Wrecked my wheel, bent 2 legs and just about tore a 3rd leg right out of its mounting. It really got a thrashing today.

They're way too light anyway - it's a problem I saw coming. Am wondering about ideas for something way more sturdy and no slop. Feel free to weigh in.

I'm thinking telescoping legs only, with a big pin and a massive foot. No swivel no rotation, socket is welded to the frame and can't move. Which means I'd need something to take up the distance between pin holes which I guess has to be at the bottom. Which isn't good.. anyone got a solution with all of the good ideas and none of the bad lol

Crusarius

I ended up just using 8 trailer jacks. 4 on each side with the swivel mounted to the side of the rails.

I have done just what you explained with my tractor and have not had any issues. I also have a tendency to use the side of the mill when I cannot lift the log to get it on the bed. I lift the log as high as the tractor can then drive it into the side of the mill and it usually flips up and over the side. So it has held up to quite a bit of side load.

One thing I did think about was putting the trailer jacks at an angle so they would triangulate and cut the wiggle down. But I think the wiggle actually helps prevent damage.

JoshNZ

I want to get rid of that wiggle, I don't like it at all. Makes the whole thing feel more flimsy than it would be sitting on blocks. I don't think it does you any good either, it might give you a little bit of leeway absorbing a smaller hit but if the hit is going to be bigger/longer all it does is add the mills weight to the impact on the legs when their wiggle room runs out, so to speak.

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