Getting slabs off a conveyor

Steve71 · January 17, 2018, 11:18:45 AM

New to the forum

I have a drag back on my mill and have dead rolls that the slabs roll out on. it works good

Now for the problem my employe has a chance to get a good job at a steel mill and I have thought about adding a conveyor to remove slabs instead of hiring another person but for the life of me I can't figure out how to get the slabs in manageable stack

Any idea would be a great help

WV Sawmiller · January 17, 2018, 12:38:56 PM

I don't know what your setup is but in some cases I'd think a cart with sides and a headache rack or plate on the end would work especially if you could angle the front downhill. I'd pull it up under the conveyor and chock the wheels then gravity and the conveyor should do the rest. Of course there will be issues if you are cutting different lengths and such. You'd have to stop cutting to move the cart every time it gets full and empty or replace it with another cart. Of course this would assume a powered conveyor.

moodnacreek · January 17, 2018, 12:54:37 PM

T his is the reason sawmills need to be high off the ground. If you are to the point where you are loading logs to a log deck with a machine than your mill can be high. My lumber conveyer line ends at a separator table 2 sets of kickers; lumber goes l/h on the green chain and slabs to the r/h and fall down on a slab drag [low table with cross chains like the green chain] . the boards to be edged already dropped along side the edger on a scissors lift. this is done with spiral rolls and flag stop. This set up is why I can saw alone.

Percy · January 17, 2018, 01:19:44 PM

What Moon says. Higher the better. I work alone mist of the time too so any mechanization helps with productivity. This vid is from a while back and things have progressed slit since then. I'll take more vids and post but this will give you an idea.
https://youtu.be/TEc7EGkAEto

Steve71 · January 17, 2018, 01:25:45 PM

Steve71 · January 17, 2018, 01:30:50 PM

I have watched that video and the other one of your with the slab rolling down to the pile about 1,000 times. that would be my dream set up I agree completely that live rolls would be better but I have found a few conveyors way cheaper than live roles
I have thought about making a steel slide like a resaw has that returns the can't to be sawed again just a big difference in a 10 lb cant and a 50-75 lb slab

What's your thoughts ?

Percy · January 17, 2018, 05:11:25 PM

I'm assuming you mean like a piece of metal running at an angle steering the slab/cant/whatever off the belt. Works on the resaws. Keeping the belt tracking might be an issue.

Another idea that might work is having small but strong rollers running on top of the belt just down wind of your idler belt support rollers. These rollers would have to be pressin down on the belt just past belt support idlers so slabs would make it over them. Then whatever mechanism you use to trigger these rollers so they flip your slab where you want it to go. I'm a lousy splainer so if I'm not clear, let me know and I'll continue you confound you😄😄

In the meantime, I made this today. First clip is a slab, second is a couple flitches going to edger accumulation table. Next two clips are finished boards going to far accumulator. Last clip is finished board goin to near accumulator. The mud flaps operate the switches. The near one has a switch wit normally open and normally closed terminals. Made wiring easy
https://youtu.be/JfwI-HzbqB4

Steve71 · January 17, 2018, 05:36:31 PM

How about you just sell me that set up
Lol

Very nice set up

nativewolf · January 17, 2018, 05:38:01 PM

Thanks Percy. Very nice

slider · January 17, 2018, 05:51:36 PM

Nice set up Percy.

Percy · January 17, 2018, 06:53:32 PM

Thanks guys. It's built mostly on the cheap using what is on hand.

Getting back to your situation Steve, could you use those rollers you have now but covered with a series of conveyor belts leaving spaces for your kickers/flippers/ whatever you choose
?? Could be powered by one motor using chain and sprockets to connect the conveyor belts together. Just a thought...

moodnacreek · January 17, 2018, 06:54:20 PM

Percy, that's a really good set up using sweep bars. Although I have a circle mill we are both achieving the same results. I only have 1 sweep on the edger. My separator table has lift bars to dump the boards and slabs. I would have done what you did if I had more land. Also it looks like your completely under a roof,thats great.

Percy · January 18, 2018, 11:04:45 AM

Quote from: Steve71 on January 17, 2018, 01:25:45 PM

i can't quite make out what brand of mill that is...?? Looks massive

Steve71 · January 18, 2018, 02:08:10 PM

It started life as a timberking B-20 then I moved the hyd pump and motor to the other end of the mill and moved the hyd valves off to one side so I could have a board drag back on it thats when I started calling it a B-25 that's also when production went way up added a sawdust blower at the same time that has been over a year ago that's why I was thinking of more mods to make it all a little easier

slider · January 18, 2018, 05:30:42 PM

Percy do your kickers work on air ? seems to me that would be much faster than hydraulics . My 70 is currently on the ground under the shelter and I am just before poring a slab under it and my out feed table. You have me thinking about raising it up a bit for future mods similar to what you have done.

I work alone most of the time and big production numbers are not a big deal but less handling on my part is . Thanks for the video.

Percy · January 18, 2018, 06:55:12 PM

Quote from: slider on January 18, 2018, 05:30:42 PM
Percy do your kickers work on air ? seems to me that would be much faster than hydraulics . My 70 is currently on the ground under the shelter and I am just before poring a slab under it and my out feed table. You have me thinking about raising it up a bit for future mods similar to what you have done.

I work alone most of the time and big production numbers are not a big deal but less handling on my part is . Thanks for the video.

yes. They work on air. 2 double acting cylinders for each kicker. I'm on a slab as well and then steel for elevation. My floor is 5 feet off the ground.