DIY Scrap Iron Bandsaw Mill

[RetiredTech]

We get a very little really cold weather in south MS. Severe cold for us is the low 20's for more than a few hours at a time. If we ever had the ground freeze more than a fraction of an inch it would be like a new ice age for us. bon_fire

[RetiredTech]

I would not worry about full support under the rails. I don't know if you get cold and freezing in MS but if you do I definitely would not do full support. Having full support will allow sawdust to build up around the frame causing rot and rust. if its only supported every so many feet you will have much less issues with piles of slimy sawdust.

Sawdust buildup shouldn't be a problem. My property is on a hill. The sawdust will discharge on the downhill side of the mill. I hope to capture most of the it to compost for the garden and raised beds. The mill will be on pilings similar to the ones it's sitting on now except larger. Each post sitting on a concrete pad. What I had in mind was something like a timber frame sitting on top and pegged into the posts. There would be two long timbers under the runners of the frame and every bunk would have a shorter beam fitted into the long ones. That should keep the weight of the logs off of my too thin tracks.

[RetiredTech]

it could make some nice wall paneling

That's an idea. I have a couple unfinished rooms that could use some paneling.

[Crusarius]

oh you will get sawdust buildup. all it takes is a log  I have a very similar setup and still get piles of sawdust built up on my mill.

[RetiredTech]

It is prone to twist, etc. as it dries. I would not use it for framing lumber but it could make some nice wall paneling.

I won't get to work on the mill today, I'm helping a family member move some shop equipment from Natchez to Pickneyville. I would like to get a little more information about sawing paneling for inside walls. Would I just flat saw the whole log? How thick would it need to be? Would I need to cut a tung and grove or maybe a ship lap edge? What's the best way to cut the edge? Table saw or router? You really got my minds wheels churning with that one. What about that sweet gum we were talking about? If I can get it dried flat would it make a good interior paneling and stay flat?
  It will be a while before I can actually saw it, just trying to get it in my mind how it's supposed to work.

[RetiredTech]

oh you will get sawdust buildup.

At this point I'd love to have that problem. That would mean the sawmill was finished and rolling out lumber.

[Magicman]

I would like to get a little more information about sawing paneling for inside walls.

Generally spiral grain species such as Sweetgun, Sycamore, & Honey Locust will dry flatter if quarter sawn rather than flat sawn but of course the 2" slabs that I pictured above were flat sawn.  The SYP and ERC paneling that I used in my Cabin Addition was flat sawn and tongue & groove.

[RetiredTech]

Magic,
  The cabin addition looked great. I was hoping to find out how you cut the tung and grooves for the paneling. Looks like you outsourced that portion of the operation. I could probably cut ship lap grooves on the table saw with a dado blade. I see there are tung and groove router bits on the market. Would that be an option for a room or two of paneling, or would that be too much work for a router and/or the bits to hold up to?

  Anyone else have any experience with a home spun tung and groove option?

[Magicman]

I cut all of the T&G with my router:  LINK

And nobody said that it was going to be easy: LINK

In your defense, that is a very long topic with 43 pages and 841 replies.  It was easier for me to find it because I kinda knew where they were by looking at the building progress.

[fluidpowerpro]

I recently built something and tried shiplap for the first time. I don't have the equipment needed to do tung and groove but I do have a cheap HF table saw so all I needed was to buy a dado blade. I was happy with the results and will likely use shiplap again in the future. With shiplap you do have the option to still but each piece against each other or you can leave a groove between. It all depends on how wide you cut the step and how you nail down. 
I would try it and see if you like it. 

[Magicman]

I have done several building projects with T&G lumber that was made on my tablesaw with only a dado blade.  Three passes and done.

[fluidpowerpro]

Guess I never thought of it but ya, I guess you could do tung and groove with a dado blade.....

[RetiredTech]

I cut all of the T&G with my router

 Sorry, I had to read through it in several sessions. I must have accidently missed that page. But, that's exactly what I was looking for.

I have done several building projects with T&G lumber that was made on my tablesaw with only a dado blade. Three passes and done.

 So the router was the better way to go?

[RetiredTech]

all I needed was to buy a dado blade.

 I've never made any shiplap, but I have used a dado to build some drawers and some simple baseboards for an old house we once lived in.

[Magicman]

So the router was the better way to go?

No, but it is OK for short/small projects.  

I made the T&G on all of the SYP that I used for flooring and wall paneling in the living room addition.


 and


 
The Ash flooring that I used in the bedroom addition was done by the mill shop.  By then I was wanting to finish in the quickest way possible.  To me, that flat sawn Ash is some purdy stuff!!

Those two projects rolled into one took about 5 years.  

[RetiredTech]

The Ash flooring that I used in the bedroom addition was done by the mill shop.

That's probably where I got the idea that you had outsourced the tung and groove process. I bet I missed a page or two.

[Magicman]

Yup, when I thought about the Ash flooring I knew what you had seen.  My mind at that time was on the initial living room addition which was all SYP that I milled the hard way.

[RetiredTech]

  FF has become my go to destination when I have a few minutes of internet time to spend. So much information to take in. I love reading all the diffferent build threads. I always learn something new.
  I read a few threads on sawing wood shingles. That got me thinking about my sawmill/container/tractor shed build. Can anyone tell me from experience how long oak or pine shingles would last on an open pole building? I'm over 60 now. Can't imagine the Good Lord has that many productive years left for me here.
  I really need to finish my mill, too many projects are pilling up in my mind.

[Magicman]

I would only use heartwood White or Post Oak for shingles.  Sassafras probably could also be used.

Old growth Heart Pine and Heart Cypress was once used but we don't have any of that anymore. 

[RetiredTech]

  How long would expect an oak shingle to last? I've seen where people are cutting wood shingles for projects, but no long term data on how they hold up. We may have a few Sassafras. I know there used to be some here, but I don't know of any right off. I guess you could apply a sealer to shingles like you would a deck, but that would require re-coating every year. I'm already past the point of wanting to climb up on the roof every year.
 My Uncle grew up on this place. He said the black locust were used for fence posts before metal post came out. We stopped raising cattle 15-20 years ago. The old fence is in pretty bad shape now. But, you can still find the top section of locust post hanging on the wire. I guess that's why they're so scarce now. I remember going to the neighbors property with Grandad when I was a kid to cut some locust for posts.
  I hope to get back to the sawmill build tomorrow. Today will be spent processing wild hog for the freezer.

[Magicman]

I can not answer about longevity but using White/Post Oak or Sassafras and especially treating them each year, they certainly should last as long as conventional shingles.

I'm shooting from the hip because I have no experience with wood shingles, but am intrigued.

[RetiredTech]

 A couple pictures of the blade guides as they are right now. Sorry for poor camera work. I'm very disappointment with the way the  moveable guide works. I plan to redesign this when the mill is operational.



 I may try adding a bearing to run on the back of the beam behind the top 90 to help remove the play at the blade.

[RetiredTech]

  These are the old cast wheels with needle bearings. I was not satisfied with the amount of play in the bearings so I only mounted them temporarily until I could find replacements.








  These are the replacement ball bearing wheels. I plan to weld or bolt these rolling plates under the existing mill feet after I cut off the old cast wheels. I didn't get to weld the wheel brackets today. Everything is just sitting in place. Hopefully I will have a chance to weld up the wheel sub-frame and get them attached to the mill Tuesday. For some reason life keeps interfering with my sawmill time.

[Crusarius]

With the current cast wheels is the blade going to hit them?

With the new wheels is your blade going to hit them? if not is the bed going to have to be up another 5" to clear the wheels?

[RetiredTech]

With the current cast wheels is the blade going to hit them?

The blade will clear the wheels alright but it is a little close. I do think I'll probably need to raise the bed though. My minimum cut is going to be over two inches.