homemade bandsaw mill, help

[Magicman]

Thank you Sir for the tour.  I love the homey atmosphere. 

[gww]

Ox and magic
I turned into a monster now that I have figured out how to transfer pictures from my cell phone :D.  Magic,  "Homey" is a very diplimatic way to point out rustic, thrown together, piecemeal, etc, etc.....

It is all fun and aparrently will never be done but what the heck.  It is being used quite a bit lately and is useable as it is, but it still will probly never be done.  I can say that I helped on all most all of it and also that my little rickity home made saw mill provide the wood that was the basis of it all.  The swim deck will be bought wood but I don't know if that is because of a fear of rot or cause my family was feeling sorry for me having to cut too much. 

I built my little michine shed and then hit a slump due to the heat and only now started to move again.  I still have some logs but the thought of restacking my stickered wood that was tore apart during the building is making it hard to get back to it.  I either have to restack or built new bases to stack my wood on before I start cutting again.  My logs are going on the second year of being on the ground and so I guess I will find out if they are starting to degrade again.  I only have about 4 or five band blades left and then I will have to make a decision on wether I feel I have built all the things I wanted and am done or if I get new ideals.
Thanks for looking.
gww

[Magicman]

Actually I was being honest.  Some places display a sense of being sterile and stuffy, while others have a sense of warmth with a welcome atmosphere.  I prefer the latter.   

[gww]

Magic
I will say that I am amazed at how good it really did turn out.  It is on a north facing hill which puts the sun behind you making it cooler.  My uncle used the backhoe and cleared out the woods and mostly by accident it the parts of it came out spaced in really handy spots.  I am the least appretiative of out door things out of my family and if it were mine it would be a john boat and that is about it.  The rest of the family love sitting out doors and drinking a few beers and swimming and such.  I did find that the young kids just love the beech.  I wish I would have took a picture of the tree right in front of the concreete pad that got hit by lightning.  It would have been bad sitting there when it hit.  It tore bark the full lenght of the tree and threw it everywhere including all over the pad where we sit.  I figured it would be used a few times and then poeple would be tired of it but so far everyone wants to go there to get together all the time.  It does have air conditioning but everyone just stays outside and we use a couple of fans.  I agee that it is pretty "homey"  but think that luck or intuition made it happen that way more then looking over a whole site and planning it out.  I can't believe how nice it really ended up being.  It is my brothers dream and my mom spends the money and also has lots of ideals/jobs to be done.  I am just a grunt that complains when they want a little extra to see if they really want it.  I thought a couple of things were more work then they were worth while doing it but in the end after winning some and losing some the overall site turned out unbelievably well for what we were working with.

Still have some big sliding doors to ad light to the center of the trailer if we ever get them put in.

I actually love/hate the work but am proud of my part.

Thanks magic for your kind words.
gww

[Ox]

I'd like to try out those hanging chairs.  Where do you find those at?  Then I'd like to sit on that upstairs porch/balcony and see if I can spit on peoples' heads.     Kidding of course.

MM said it better than I could have.  Some peoples' ideas of a camp is so sterile it makes you uncomfortable to be there.  Then the other camps are very welcoming and you feel right at home!  Real nice place there, bub.  Seriously.

[thecfarm]

Looks good.
My wife has one of those chairs in her Women Cave. Ocean Job Lot. Just a close out place,never know what they will have for stuff like that. We was just there last Thursday and did not see a chair like that.

[gww]

ox and thecfarm
I don't know where the hanging chairs come from.  My brother likes them and they seem comfy but I must drink too much or something, everytime I lean sideways it feels like I am going to fall out of them.

I have found that the upper deck seems to be used very little.  It seems to be more of a place to hang out when there are only one or two of you around.  I think a lot of us are older and don't love the steps and the real young ones can't be trusted up there, just in case.

My brother in law has a freind visiting from kokomo IN and so we went out today and drank a few and they played guitars and we tried to sing.  Now I am roped into going back tommorrow and starting on laying the decking on the swim dock.  My brother is hoping for some usefullness for his kids 16th birthday but he has to work.  Us retired guys (Me and my uncle) are going to do a little bit and maby surprize him a bit.  We wont finish it or anything but might get some decking on it.  My view is my brother needs to do a little of it anyway for the pride factor since it is his but he does have a job and only has weekends.

Another party for my 16 year old nefew saterday.  I like staying home and my family is pretty close and so I am getting drawn out pretty often. 

I sometimes wonder about my energy level compared to the rest of my family.  They seem to keep things going all the time.

It is all good though.

It is all worth it due to moms excitement.  She has bought the pontoon before the lake was built, a kyak, paddle boat, rubber raft, fish food and on and on and on.
Its all used stuff but you won't even have any open water left the way she is going.


I was there today and still forgot to take a pic of the lightning struck tree.  I might be "off" but found it impressive.  Could have been bad had we been there. 

The tree just reminds you who is really in control of life and luck.


Anyway, thanks for your attention.
gww

[Czech_Made]

Slice of paradise  ;D

Thanks for sharing.

[gww]

Czech
Thanks for looking.
gww

[gww]

Last project getting close to being done.  I can't lie, I haven't helped since the lower floor but thought you guys might be interested in a close to done picture.


 


They would like to be able to tie it out where the balloon is in the middle of the lake.


 
Thanks for looking.
gww

[Magicman]

I love seeing pictures of your piece of paradise.

[gww]

Thank you magic.
gww

[gww]

Update
Well the recoil start broke on my new motor.  I am intending on asking those who sold it to me if they will send me a replacement under warrenty but also ordered on off ebay for $40 cause it happened on sunday and I am cutting siding for my michine shed and didn't want to do with out. 

Man it is thin stuff they made the recoil starter out of.  Two of them probly won't go to waste as cheeply made as they are.

I did find a way to keep it going though it wont last.  I drilled a hole and drove a screw through the case and then made a loop in the spring band that was broken also that would catch the screw.  So far so good.

I am having one other problim.


 

My logs have layed around for awhile and my chickens have figured out that I release bugs while cutting.  They are not afraid of the motor sound and I almost cut one of the suckers heads off (didn't touch it but).  If the rooster is around he will get a whole bunch of birds around.  I run them off and then they will sneek up behind me and be jumping in between the rails.  It is really slowing me down and I was already pretty slow.  Its a good thing I am just playing. 

I am still building the shed with whatever comes up log wise.  I have been to lazy to go and get more logs.  I think this one is some kind of hickory.  Probably not good siding but I am betting it last till I die and then some.  If it doesn't then it doesn't.
Well time to contact the people that sold me the motor.  I do really like this motor compared to the 9 horse one.
Cheers
gww

[dustyhat]

Gww, one of these days i would like to meet you ,you sound like a down to earth kind of feller. your the only one i know having that kind of trouble. maybe you can make us all some chicken and dumplings :D

[gww]

Dusty
It will have to be chicken and dumplings and I should be making more of it then I am cause I sure am not getting any eggs right now.

Some of the chickens are getting old and should have been culled but somehow they have become sorta pets.  Go figure. 

You never know, you might be going through my area some day and decide to stop.  I am usually home cause I stay here and piddle and don't go out too much.  I have been retired going on 3 years and can't seem to get over how fun it is to stay home.  That may change someday but if you come to Rosebud MO now you will catch me here and would be welcome to boot. 

I tell every body to stop by if they need a laugh. 
Cheers
gww

[gww]

Catastrophic failure today with my jack shaft.  Since it was on water pipe, I am surprized I cut so much wood with it.  The water pipe finally sheared.


 

It took out the tire also.

I bought a tire at orslens for $27 and took it to my uncles who has a tire changer.  Bought a 2.5 inch pully to put where the 3.5 inch pully is now and just ran strait from the motor with no jack shaft.


 

Put that little idler pully on so that I could use my origianal belt insted of buying a new one. 

Finished cutting up the 6x6 cant that was on the mill and so far all systems go.
Cheers
gww

Ps the forum tool box puts me at either 5000 foot per min.  or 5500 foot per min.  Probly a little fast but not so fast that I can't play a small amount with rpm and not lose much.

[Ox]

Good job fixing and keeping going, gww.  That big belt don't like going around that little pulley on the engine much, does it?         You're right about playing with the RPMs.  The trick is keeping the RPMs as constant as possible through the cut which I'm sure you already know.  Heck, sometimes I edge a few boards at just above idle, just enough to keep the clutch engaged, and get a kick out of seeing a good cut at slow speed.

[gww]

Ox
Broke another belt today and so I bought an inch shorter and it still bounces a lot and I am wondering if I should have went 2 inches shorter.  I moved the pully out a little and then back alittle and it isn't lined up great but I never do great if I can get it to work.  Got another big hickory on the mill so it should be a good test.  My motor is not perfectly square but may end up working for a minimalist.  I was getting zero slippage that I could see or feel even with the longer belt and it is cutting exelent so if I get it to stay on I should be golden.

My wood is more expensive now due to the two belts, tire and new pully, but it is all good.  The only belt adjustment I have is the tilt motor so if I break another belt I will get an inch shorter and try that.

When I am cutting the 3 inch batton I almost have to run or idel the engine down cause it just flys though the small stuff.  It is a little slower on the big hickories though :laugh:.
Thanks for looking.
Cheers
gww

Ps the bad thing about a belt coming off is there is that really nice sharp blade there to chop it into peices half of the time.

[mazdathumps]

Hey guys, first comment... I'm sorry, but I've glanced over all 29 pages on this post... Can someone please direct me to the comment(s) where the original problem, wavy cuts and such, was solved (page number, etc.)...

Just fyi, I have the same issued with my saw... It's also homemade and cuts wavy like described... I will post pictures of mine as soon as I have a chance

[gww]

maz
First of all, welcome.

I can't tell you exactly what fixed the problim cause I did so many changes.  When my blade gets dull or a bearing goes out in my guide or if one of the guides gets lose or a weld breaks, I can still get wavy cuts and lastly some logs due to stress in the logs are just impossible to cut well.

All that said, I believe the turning point was when I got the wheels level as I could with the track and then when I got the guide and put a strait edge on the blade its self right near each tire and then measured down to the log deck (bars the log sit on).  The measurement from the strait edge down should be the same in the front of the blade as it is down from the strait edge to the log deck in back.  At that point, you know your blade is traveling paralel with your track.

Member magic man of this forum has a picture of this process but I looked though his gallory of pictures and he must have a million of them and so I can't really point you to it.

I believe there are other critical things like drive belt slipping and such that could affect the wave also but if you have a sharp blade and a well aligned blade compared to your track, You will have eliminated those as being bad and then can look furture.

If you don't understand what I am saying please ask and I will try harder to make it clear.

If you started a thread of your own and maby posted a picture of what you are working with, there are some very smart people here that may be able to help you like some helped me.

If you don't and want to know more from me cause I did do a lot of things to get mine going.  Keep asking here and I am sure we will get it going well enough.  I am sure others may chime in here also but am also sure that your questions will be welcome no matter how you go about it.

Good luck
gww

[gww]

maz
Post 103 of this thread has a picture of one way to put a strait edge on a blade so that you can measure in front and behind it.  I will admit that I just put a 2 foot level on my blade making sure it is not on a tooth that has the set facing up.  I then put a strait edge (piece of aluminum from a storm door)  on my log deck and then measure from the bottom end of the level to the strait edge laying on my log deck.  I try to get the exact measurement in front of the blade and in back of the blade.
Good luck
gww

[Ox]

mazdathumps - gww just gave a quick and easy way to make sure your blade is parallel to the bed/deck of your mill.  It's the same method I use and it's given me good readings.  This measurement needs to be as perfect as you can get it.  I'm talking within a 1/16".  At least this is how picky I am and I'm able to saw straight lumber except in red pine that's been down or dead for a few years.  The slightly punky wood and row after row of growth knots always gives me wavy cuts from the different densities of the wood.  Going from soft to rock hard, pitchy knots will throw a blade around every time.  The only way I can get straight cuts is to go so slow it drives you mad.  I'm talking around maybe a foot or foot and a half a minute.  Good luck and let us know how you make out.

[mazdathumps]

Thanks GWW and OX... Very helpful... The reason I ask about this is the fact that I have many variables that could be the cause of my blade wandering (wavy cuts)...

First I will check for blade being parallel to log bed.  That seems simple enough (and i'm thinking I did this when I build it all, but will do again)...

Here are my other obstacles:
1) Drive wheel is on the left and pushes the blade through as compared to pulling the blade through. This I plan to change.
2) My drive belt had a little play in it also, so that has already been fixed.
3) Being that I'm using a 5hp Tecumseh, I'm using RPMs to replace the lack of torque, therefore I upped by 1/2" the size of my drive pulley on the engine, hoping to get a higher blade speed at the same or less RPMs.  These pulley sizes were key when I built my mill, because I knew that the 5hp engine was so small and would by bogged down very easily.  I did math for days and even built a calculator on Excel to figure pulley sizes and blade SFPM based on RPMs.  Hopefully this will improve the rate at which my bogged down 5hp engine pulls the blade through the wood. (maybe it was slowing the blade down too much, to be short)
4) My bearing guide assemblies were crap since day one.  I think I understand that the blade is not supposed to ride on the guides, but rather use the guides to correct a wandering blade (correct me if i'm wrong on that)... I used a plastic gift card as the space between my blade and guide bearings.  These are already removed to be rebuild and adjustable on the mill.
5) My final obstacle is the 5hp engine mentioned above... I assume the higher the HP, the faster and more fluent the cut?? Not sure about this one...

Now that my dirty laundry is out there  8) , is any or all of this relevant to the wavy cuts? lol If i'm going to tear the whole thing down to fix one thing, I want to fix it all...

Thanks in advance for any help and comments... People around my town think i'm nuts for even trying to build this mill...

[pineywoods]

Pushing the blade through the wood just don't work.. The guide rollers should definitely put pressure on the blade. Most of us run a 1/4 inch down force. Normally 1/8 gap between the back of the blade and guide roller.

are your guides a flanged roller or another bearing ? Of all the adjustments you can make, I find the relationship between the guides and the blade to be the most critical...

[Ljohnsaw]

4) My bearing guide assemblies were crap since day one.  I think I understand that the blade is not supposed to ride on the guides, but rather use the guides to correct a wandering blade (correct me if i'm wrong on that)... I used a plastic gift card as the space between my blade and guide bearings.  These are already removed to be rebuild and adjustable on the mill.
5) My final obstacle is the 5hp engine mentioned above... I assume the higher the HP, the faster and more fluent the cut?? Not sure about this one...

Now that my dirty laundry is out there  8) , is any or all of this relevant to the wavy cuts? lol If i'm going to tear the whole thing down to fix one thing, I want to fix it all...

Thanks in advance for any help and comments... People around my town think i'm nuts for even trying to build this mill...

These are your two biggest problems.

The blade guides should be adjusted so that the back bearing surface is a hair off the back of the blade when running.  When you start to cut, it will likely touch as you push through the log.

The blade guides the should apply 1/4" to 1/2" of down pressure on the blade.  This keeps the blade at the angle (flat) to the log and thwarts the upward movement.

5HP is just too small.  When the engine bogs, the blade will wander - end of story :-\  A 10hp would be a minimum with 15-20hp being your target.