looking at a mill

[mikes47jeep]

Hi all,

I am looking at a mill, it is a S&H Sayre Bro's mill produced in Montrose PA

Right hand mill, 52" blade, #3 teeth

It seems like a good mill, 100% complete, very solid, and operational until about 5 years ago, when the power unit kicked the bucket

I inspected the mill last week, and made a deal for it

Moving the mill doesn't seem like its going to be too bad, however there is one issue

The carriage is an old rack & pinion drive, this makes the drive rack on the carriage about 34' long

I am just wondering are their any advantages to a rack & pinion drive?

I know they are slower, but are they more accurate? More durable?

Best regards

Mike

[paul case]

about the mill i dont know but i can say,

welcome to the forum.

pc

[Carpenter]

     My first thought was what are you doing looking at the mill?  You should be moving it and sawing on it!  Do you mean that the rack and pinion is actually what moves the carraige down the track?  Most handset mills have a rack and pinion gear that advances the headblocks and a cable drive.  I see no reason why a rack and pinion drive would not work, it just seems like a lot of expensive parts could wear out.  And a cable drive is so smooth.  But, if the mill is sound and it odviously worked when it was in use, it may be worth running again.  The best saw is the one that is cutting lumber, and welcome to the forum.

     Post some pictures.  Whether you buy the mill or not we are always interested in pictures of old mills, especially unusual old mills.

[Magicman]

mikes47jeep, I'm not a circle man, but I can welcome you to the Forestry Forum.   

[mikes47jeep]

Thanks for the welcome

I'll get some photos of the mill up after I resize them

To carpenter
Yes there is a gear drive the moves the carriage past the blade
No cables on this mill

It's a pretty cool set up, I've been told the old rack & pinion drives are actually pretty rare.
Most were cut down, and converted to cable drive

[Magicman]

I'll get some photos of the mill up after I resize them 

Photos have to be put into your Gallery first.  You may not have to resize them as the Uploader normally does that job for you.

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

and first off Welcome to The Forum Mike  ;)   ;D 8) 8) I have only seen pics of rack drive mills and have mainly worked on cable and chain feedworks type mills  ;) but if has been running fine till the motor gave out it should not be a hard task to get it all into operation again im looking forward to pics it may well be a knight mill as they had rack drive as std  ;)

Regards Chris

[mikes47jeep]

heres some photos

[Carpenter]

     Evidently, it's been sheded.  That's a huge plus.  It looks like the wheels are on the ways and the carraige must have a piece of track under it.  I've seen one other mill like that, in a museum.  Pretty neat, very unusual.  What a difficult decision to make.  What you have there is a piece of American history.
     Parts are going to be difficult to find.  But, on the upside you may not need any parts as the mill is complete.  And, parts for any old handset mill are difficult to find.  What are your goals with the mill?  Is the guy that used to run it still alive?  He could probably give you a lot of advice. 

[mikes47jeep]

The old timer that used to run it is still around, and he said his father used to run the mill, so lord knows how old it actually is

And you are correct the side of the carriage that is near the blade has a piece of track to ride on the wheels, and right next to the track is a cogway, that drives the carriage past the blade
The other side is the same as a cable driven mill, with the wheels riding on the track

I bought the mill on a handshake right now, payment on pickup

At this moment the only thing keeping me from getting the mill home is finding a way to move the 34' long carriage

Ill have to call in a bunch of favors

My goal is to cut some lumber for personal use, cut some more lumber as a hobby business, and I always loved old machinery

Mike

[Dave_]

Great project Mike!  Keep us posted with pictures as you progress.