Modifying bandsaw to use as a bandmill - ideas please

[Coach]

I salvaged this from the scrap yard.  Is all cast iron, heavy duty.  Has 23" wheels.  Fine working condition, guides, bearing, table, covers, etc.  Everything there except the motor.

What my plans were, was to make a bandmill out of it.  I was going to cut off all the stuff I figured to be excess weight, such as the base.  And then I thought to mount it horizontally on a track. 

However, there is so much weight there, I'm thinking maybe not such a good idea.   So any bright ideas from you guys?  Leaving this as it is standing, could a guy fashion something simple that'll allow a log to be milled without too much effort?  Some roller system and just roll the log along?

[Larry]

Maybe this video will give you an idea.  I don't think Laguna makes it anymore.

Laguna video

[LittleJohn]

That is one cool little machine in the video.

I think it would be a very nice set up for a person who is doing atypical/VERY custom sawing, I feel that would work great for short, small soft woods.

Gets me interested in looking around for some old iron at the junk yard again.  ;D

[Den-Den]

Looks like a nice band-saw.  If you don't need a shop band-saw and are determined to use as a mill, my suggestion is to:
* Use the wheels and possibly the tension/tracking adjustment parts as part of a horizontal band mill
* Keep the table for future use on a router table or ??
* Sell the remainder as scrap

[mason44]

I built this in about 6 hours, works very well

 

[mason44]

Clamps are flipped around for loading in pic, i built for resawing


 

[Coach]

Thanks for that.  Looks simple enough to build and should give me some idea of how it could be done.  How do you reposition the log after taking off a slice?

[mason44]

If you look at the bolts on flat part of angle guide they have notches in them,  loosen bolts, slide and retighten

[golddredger]

I did the same thing. I use my bandsaw to bandmill conversion all the time. Works perfect. I made new blade guides. Added an extension in the middle so it uses standard size 13' 2" x 1 1/4" cooks or wm blades. Powered by a 1950's wisconsin 9 1/4 hp gas engine with belt drive. I had the beef up the drive end of the cast iron and also had to build a new adjust/tensioner as the original cast pot metal just broke right away under the higher blade pressure. I can cut 27" wide slabs 20ft long logs. Will handle about a 29" log. Here is some pictures.

[bandmiller2]

Coach, no reason you can't use it. Only thing the throat limits the size log you can mill. Will the wheels handle 3/4 or 7/8" wide bands.? Frank C.

[longtime lurker]

Heavy is always better in any mill. Less vibration and less movement and less likely to break things and all that.

Heres a tube vid of a big Stenner resaw set up as a rack bench:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBwFRlq2tFY

I've also seen a 6" band resaw set up on a reversing belt system like our circle resaws - for me that was immediate and irreversible lust at first sight.

[Coach]

Coach, no reason you can't use it. Only thing the throat limits the size log you can mill. Will the wheels handle 3/4 or 7/8" wide bands.? Frank C.

The wheels have a width of 1.5".  With the table and guide in place, there is a 17" throat.  Removing the table gets you to 20"