New home for M14 Foley belsaw

Lambee10 · December 14, 2011, 08:10:04 PM

Levi- I did the same as Greg. Put a level against the blade to line it up.
I added a roll table and a temp log deck and will try to get pictures of them. I may pop one of the adjustment on that piece so you see it.

I would like to see log deck ideas from others. I am glad I did not dig holes or anything yet as I need it wider than what I have and a little further away from the sawyer station.

The owners manual (yes the last owner kept the manual and actually found it) shows a quick view of a hinged log deck that can be lifted up near the frame so a person can walk in there. Can anyone share picts of what they use? ???

Greg- I am open to ideas on the saw dust. I saw a blower system on one site that blew it into a trailer.

bandmiller2 · December 14, 2011, 08:36:04 PM

Lambee,sawdust blowers are handy but pull alot of power right off the top.If you have a large engine or electrical service fine,they can also be noisy.A sawdust conveyer is quiet and requires squat for power.Belsaws owners manual is good info especially the flip up log turners. Frank C.

captain_crunch · December 14, 2011, 10:43:53 PM

here is how my Spltter Ah er sail in these parts looks

I use conveyer under mill to move sawdust to shed we use lots of sawdust with cows and horses so mine is in shed

captain_crunch · December 14, 2011, 10:52:57 PM

one more look not good pic

bandmiller2 · December 15, 2011, 06:43:25 AM

Splitters are of two types bar type shown and disc type that turns,boath do the job of keeping the newly cut board from pinching the saw.They should be flush on the log/cant side and a little wider than the saw kerf.Frank C.

bandmiller2 · December 15, 2011, 07:21:01 AM

Lambee,The log deck should be the same hight as the carriage.I use two3' pieces of oak to roll the logs on the mill then remove them to walk by.My two flip up turners are mounted on short sections of phone pole burried deep to just clear the carriage knees.You won't go wrong if you follow Belsaws directions.Your mill will be more pleasant and less tiring if you build a wood deck to work on,one thats a little springy,it will keep you off the cold muddy ground.Don't be too neat leave a little sawdust around the mill foundation will keep the frost from going deep.Frank C.

Lambee10 · December 15, 2011, 07:55:31 AM

thanks Bandmiller- I will leave sawdust around so I look busy not because of frost line. Our frost line consist of whats on the windshield in the mornings here. If we get a lot of frost and they close schools. :D
I think the PTO shaft is somewhat homemade. It was run from a Farmall M and that was connected full time. I need to use my tractor so I am looking to replace it with a telescoping version. That should save a few cuss words.

CC- I like the conveyor solution. I have stalls and other uses for the dust so I need to think on that more seriously.

By the way: good looking set up APM.

apm · December 15, 2011, 09:21:42 AM

If you're powering the mill with a tractor PTO, the dust removal gets a little more tricky. On an M14 the tractor is directly in front of the mill, right in the way of where you'd normally come out with a dust chain. I use a dust chain on mine, but had to run it out at an angle to clear the tractor. It requires a little imagination.

A guy named Tripp used to post on here some with an M14. He had the most elegant solution for a dust chain I'd ever seen. You can see his stuff on YouTube. Just search Belsaw sawmill. You can just see the dust chain beside the tractor in these pictures.
Greg

captain_crunch · December 15, 2011, 01:02:08 PM

Looked at Belsaw Mill on youtube and wow there is a 5 second(cheap camera) vidio of ours when we first set it up Dont do link thingy well But is called Crunch Family's Rebuilt Circle Mill 8) 8) 8)

Lambee10 · December 15, 2011, 02:25:49 PM

was that you?

I saw that when I first researched the M-14.

reride82 · December 15, 2011, 06:33:38 PM

Lambee,
If your log deck isn't permanent yet, how do you have it built? I have been thinking about the log deck as well but I figured having it a little mobile would be better at first as well. My sawyer's station is mobile at the moment, well as far as my hydraulic hoses and wiring to the engine will reach anyways...

Captain,
I like the idea of a conveyor for the sawdust. I have a blower but not any real way to power it. I don't have electricity to the mill yet and trying to get power off of the engine to the blower would be tricky unless I went hydraulic which I think would be a little too much on my hydraulic pump. But with the conveyor system I think I could use a low speed hydraulic motor and thus solving the problem. Has anyone ever used a grain elevator(chain with cups or paddles) off of a grain combine for sawdust removal?
Levi

bandmiller2 · December 15, 2011, 08:32:57 PM

Levi,you can use almost anything for a sawdust conveyer,anything that will handle grain should work.I've always used fire hose because it was available.Just run the end of the conveyer below the leading edge of the saw the sawdust will build its own trough to the conveyer belt/chain. Frank C.

bandmiller2 · December 15, 2011, 08:40:48 PM

Levi,you were asking about a log deck that is movable.For my bandmill that is portable I made two super heavy duty 8' long saw horses from oak same hight as the mill with two removable pieces of oak so I can walk between the mill and log deck.I can load 4 or 5 logs and have room to stack boards that need edging. Frank C.

reride82 · December 16, 2011, 11:55:31 AM

Bandmiller,
Thanks for the info. I was thinking something like an upside down T for bases for each 'sawhorse' and make two of them for my log deck. I'll take a closer look at the grain elevators and see how tight the clearances are. I would imagine with some of the debris that comes off the mill, I should probably get rid of the outer tin that is on the elevators and just use the chain and paddles. Am I correct in this thinking?
Levi

Lambee10 · December 16, 2011, 04:29:52 PM

I like the idea of the sawhorses...

My temp log deck looks like something from Dr. Seuss. It has rail ties on top of cut logs on top of bricks. solid but very temporary.

bandmiller2 · December 16, 2011, 08:53:49 PM

Levi,I would try the grain elevator as is I've never had trouble with "big stuff" in the sawdust,you could always modify it later if there was a problem.Frank C.

bandmiller2 · December 16, 2011, 08:57:54 PM

Lambee, the saw horses I made used a 4x8" oak beam and oak 2x4" for the legs everything drilled and bolted using all thread. Frank C.

Lambee10 · December 18, 2011, 11:45:34 AM

thanks Bandmiller

I got an issue with my mill that I hope someone can help me on.

As I run log or cant through the saw it starts off well and straight but it starts pushing the setworks back so by the time it gets to the end it is much thinner than it started. I finally mounted the saw gauge that comes with the foley belsaw and I can watch it as it moves down the track and it will move down (or farther from the saw) as it passes.

Bottom line is I cannot get straight cuts. I set the lead per the manual and checked for level.

I am somewhat machanically inclined but new to milling so I may have to ask to clarify some of the terms.

thanks..

beenthere · December 18, 2011, 12:29:09 PM

Lamb
Do you have Stan Lunstrum's circular saw book?

Can read pdf here, and it will give you good info on mill setup, inclucing terminology.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/misc/circsaw.pdf

captain_crunch · December 18, 2011, 01:25:28 PM

First thing I would check set first knee even with gear notch (say 2 or3) on carrage make sure they are all in same alignment next on each knee there is a C shaped clamp with 2 1/4 in bolts with lock nuts held to knee by 2 3/8 thru bolts that you loosen then set friction on carrage drag they are kinda fragile and if knee gets clobbered by log will bend not keeping enough drag on carrage settings. Also never flip cant against knees they are not strong enough for this

Lambee10 · December 18, 2011, 06:20:37 PM

CC- I know what you at talking about. The gears are aligned but I was afraid to put to tighten the c channel to tight. I do have some slop in the movement. Is that friction piece and the gear set the only thing to keep that from sliding backwards?

Been there- I should have asked for that for Christmas... I will check it out

bandmiller2 · December 18, 2011, 09:00:41 PM

Lambee,I know you set the lead acording to Belsaw but its not an exact thing and possibly you don't have enough.The vibration of the carriage as it moves down the track tends to contribute.I don't own a belsaw but there should be a way to tighten the setworks so they don't move as easily.The back of the saw should just tick the face of the cant on gigback,if it makes consistant marks that a sign of not enough lead.Good form to check for side play on the carriage mah have to shim the wheels. Too much lead will tend to pull the cant away from the last clamp. Frank C.

apm · December 19, 2011, 09:23:39 AM

Hi Lambee,
If you've got the board splitter set too tight up against the cant it will put pressure on the feedworks and force them back. As they push back, the saw runs out and makes the cant even tighter against the splitter and compounds the problem. Make sure your splitter is not rubbing hard against the cant by sawing into the log a foot or so past the saw, then shut everything down and check the splitter.

Good luck!
Greg

Lambee10 · December 20, 2011, 10:17:25 AM

Thanks for the things to check. I just read an updated post for Saw Tooth maintenace for Yooperdirt and there were good points on there also. I do need to learm more on teeth maintenance and sharpening. However, I think the lead may be my first check and elimination.

that post also covered the saw leads and I think I will pop the old plugs out and once I get new ones cut and oiled.

When I did adjust the lead last weekend I did not check the board splitter. I was looking at too many other things....

Looking forward to a 4 day weekend so I can see this saw in the daylight! 8)

Thanks again, keep the advice coming and Merry Christmas to all of you.

Lambee10 · December 25, 2011, 07:58:47 PM

Bandmiller- I went back and re set the lead a little more and then ran a level along the blade to see how even it was to the board splitter and it was a bit off. (thanks apm). I lined all that up and started looking at the set works. when the handle is released and set back against the stops so I can move the carriage forward the little gizmo that sits in the gears raises up and does not touch any of the gears. I can grab the set works and push it back. That, I think was my problem with not getting straight cuts. As the saw pushed throught the log it pushed the whole deal back away from the saw. I did some adjusting and tightening and ran some junk wood through it and low and behold it was the same dimension on the front and the end.

I am trying some better stuff soon and will see if is still works but thanks for the advice and help.