Would like to build a Circular Saw Mill

[San Agustin]

Friends in the woodworking passion,

I live in El Salvador, and need to build a Circular Saw Mill.

Wood-mizers are sold here, but alas out of my price range.
We are a small decking lumber processing outfit and need to rip
2x6 lumber only, so no need to have a lowering and raising mechanism for the blade.

Normally, guys here make a suitable frame (subject to interpretation, as in the 3rd world)
mount an electric ...HP electric motor with a double pulley on it, then a pillow block
underneath the frame with a 1" arbor for a 16" Freud saw ( at least that's what I have)
as a spare for my Big Makita Beam Saw 5402NA 16-5/16-Inch.
The wood is fairly soft, so I don't know if this blade will last long or die.

[San Agustin]

Cont...

my humble request, is, anybody have plans for a more 2nd world saw, what HP required, and pulley dimensions.

Thank you for your kind reply.

Regards, Alberto

[nativewolf]

Welcome to the Forum.  Traveled a lot but have not seen plans for one.  Could you import an old manual saw from the US?  I am not sure that a regular 16" blade will hold up to the constant cutting, I think you'd spend more in blades than it is worth but maybe some other circle mill guys will respond.  

There are lots of abandoned mills here in the US and you could import one if you have friends here that could inspect and ship down to you. 

Another option maybe to get a small woodlands mill, they are much less expensive. Another option could be to get the turbosaw model of swing blade circle mill that takes a large chainsaw motor for a power source.  

But to answer the original question.  No idea for plans on building a circle mill.  

There are lots of plans on building bandsaw mills.  Have you looked at any of those?

[Ron Wenrich]

Sounds like you are looking for a resaw.  A band saw would give you a bit better yield than a circle saw.  Depending on what length you're sawing, you could get one with a fairly small footprint.  You would have to find someone to sharpen blades, but if they're selling Woodmizer, they're probably selling blades and maybe a sharpening service.  

To make one, you would need a band saw head.  I have no idea of the cost, but there are some plans on the internet that make give you some ideas.  You would also want a moving table to put the wood through the saw.  The addition of a hold down would prevent kickbacks and keep the piece in place.  Here's an example of a resaw:

Baker A Band Resaw with a powered Slide Return - YouTube

[mike_belben]

What exact operation will this saw perform?

what species and size of logs or cants?  


What power source do you want to use?


What access to parts and metal and metalworking machinery do you have?


have you acquired any of the parts for the project or is this the very beginning stage?


It would be helpful of you could link an example video or images of a commercial machine that you would like to clone, so we can disect its construction.  


Selecting gear and pulley sizes is a consequence of achieving a certain surface feet per minute [sfpm] in the material being cut and the ideal sfpm will differ from one material to the next.  So you need to start with that target cutter tooth speed and select the components that will deliver this speed.

[San Agustin]

What exact operation will this saw perform? Cut decking material 2 x 6

what species and size of logs or cants?  Semisoft wood, tropical : Enterolobium cyclocarpum,
other tropical hardwoods, ancient stock from the early 1900's. All recycled lumber


What power source do you want to use?  Electrical 220V 60hz


What access to parts and metal and metalworking machinery do you have?   Endless


have you acquired any of the parts for the project or is this the very beginning stage?  No


It would be helpful of you could link an example video or images of a commercial machine that you would like to clone, so we can disect its construction.  I can obtain a photo


Selecting gear and pulley sizes is a consequence of achieving a certain surface feet per minute [sfpm] in the material being cut and the ideal sfpm will differ from one material to the next.  So you need to start with that target cutter tooth speed and select the components that will deliver this speed.

No Idea on speed required, but the makita saw does a great job

Thank you Mike!

Regards, Alberto

[San Agustin]

Welcome to the Forum.  Traveled a lot but have not seen plans for one.  Could you import an old manual saw from the US?  I am not sure that a regular 16" blade will hold up to the constant cutting, I think you'd spend more in blades than it is worth but maybe some other circle mill guys will respond.  

Thank you for the welcome! Too expensive to import, it has to be a homemade project.
I have seen them at other locations here, very rustic.

There are lots of abandoned mills here in the US and you could import one if you have friends here that could inspect and ship down to you.

Another option maybe to get a small woodlands mill, they are much less expensive. Another option could be to get the turbosaw model of swing blade circle mill that takes a large chainsaw motor for a power source.  

But to answer the original question.  No idea for plans on building a circle mill.  Will have to copy something local

There are lots of plans on building bandsaw mills.  Have you looked at any of those?
Bandsaws are too complicated for our purposes, and too expensive.

Regards, Alberto

[Don P]

Parota?
What is the size of the recycled lumber you are starting with?
Do you hit metal, old nails, bolts? Dirt?

[San Agustin]

Guanacaste is the soft wood. Balsam is the hardwood. No dirt, nails etc.

Dimensions: 6 x 6 or 12 x 6. always 6 inches in height,
widths vary as cut by chainsaw on the softwood.

[moodnacreek]

Some confusion here. In U.S. sawmill of most any type are used for sawing logs freshly cut from stump. That's not to saw you could not resaw cants on any of them. The smallest circle mill with a small diameter saw could work. I once saw a Meadows with a 10' x 24" carriage. The cheapest way would be an old Bellsaw.

[Don P]

That's probably more kerf and less precision than he needs. The blades for the Makita beam saw are typically crosscut rather than rip but the concept would work. I'm wondering if a gang rip type of setup with 2 lower blades on one shaft and 2 blades on a top saw shaft would handle the 6x6 or 6x12's up on edge. A short table, fence on one side and vertical roller ahead of the blades opposite the fence would break them down in one pass. I'm guessing a planer is following the rip?

Guanacaste is usually marketed as parota here, elephant ear tree is another common name. 

[Ron Wenrich]

Having cants cut in the woods is very similar to an operation that a past member had in Peru.  He dealt in tropical hardwoods.  It seems that yours is a bit softer wood than some of the other tropicals.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're not necessarily looking to be sawing logs.  It brought to mind a Kara type sawmill.  It uses a circle saw, and operates using a fence for thickness and a hold down to keep the cut in line.  It uses a split bed.  Here's one in Mexico

Kara F2000 Mobil Sawmill in Mexico - YouTube

On the same vein, here's one that is homemade.  There's a lot of safety issues with this mill.  But, the basic idea is there.  I would suggest a better feed system.  You could also use a smaller saw.

Tractor Powered Sawmill in operation - Cutting Planking Oak - YouTube