Asking details for home-made bandmill

[eamassey]

Hello,
First posting on this site.  I am building a bandmill, and have a few questions that might help me plus may have general interest.  (I am very favorable to WoodMizer, and may wish I had bought rather than trying to build, but too far along to quit this time.)
Questions?  I bought Browning brand 18.75" OD "B" single sheave, do you use a regular flat-top B-57 belt or is there any special that is better?
Blade quides --  any comments on the relative merit of Cooks vs. Woodmizer vs. homebuilt. 
Blade bottom support-- I thought I might use solid Carbide pads, comments?
Blade tensioning--- I will have air to the sawhead, so thought I would use air-over-hydraulic-  anybody done this?
Finally, my general mill design is upside down, that is, the sawhead hangs from rails, rather than comes up from low rails.  Anybody tried that?
Other general design features: air clutch, air brake, twin 7-1/2 single phase for blade power, head lift and carriage traverse by DC vari-speed, I expect to emulate "Accuset" functions, plus- thorough a PLC/encoders (or linear transducer). 
I would try to post drawings and/or pictures if there is interest.
EAMassey

[woodbeard]

Welcome to the forum!

Sounds like a fun project.
I believe the Keener-built sawmills are arranged that way.

[edsaws]

On my mill I used the 18.75 OD pulley from surplus center and B56 standard V belts from here. http://www.mcmaster.com/itm/find.ASP?tab=find&context=psrchDtlLink&fasttrack=False&searchstring=6187K148
They were a pain to get on but they work good. They also have a slight crown to them, which helps with tracking the blade.

[joelmar10]

Here's the link  http://www.keenerbuilt.com/

[eamassey]

Thanks, I checked out the "Keenerbuilt" site.  Yes, he has one with the sawhead suspended.  I am going a lot further than he did.  Two reasons-- I am building non-portable, and I don't need or want to sell saws.  I know I am overbuilding compared to anything that would be produced to sell.  For instance, my top support rails are new WF 18x35 beams---30 feet long.  I will have about 26 feet length capability.  My carriage and sawhead is up to 1250 pounds. 

[D._Frederick]

eamassey

You should use a "A" size Vee belt pulley with a "B" size belt, using a "B" size pulley with a "B"size belt may result in the belt riding too low so that the band touches metal.