Useful sawmill mods

[Bandmill Bandit]

Just had a breakthrough moment on the mod that saves about an hour ish worth of mod time.

will do pictures in series to show how to it

[Remle]

Bandmill Bandit

Absolutely an out standing mod for the jacks. Can't wait to see the new pictures. I see a trip to the local salvage yard in the near future.

[ronwood]

I would make it so that the pin is removable so that if you have an issue with the  jack or it  needs lubercation it could be removed.

Ron

[Ga Mtn Man]

I think I like yours even better than the the jacks I did and yours cost a lot less!

[Bandmill Bandit]

Yup Ron that was my thinking too and that is what I did.

Will be pics tomorrow but I think I just cut mill set up time in half if not more and I can jack that thing off the ground about 4 inches in about 2 minutes and it is stable. Have a concept in mind for the 2 middle ones on the head side too if I need em.

I wouldn't cut lumber with wheels off the ground but for tire change or brake service it is wonderful. First jack took about 4 hours total. the next 2 took 3 ish hours wit ha whole bunch of interruptions with all the pieces cut for the fourth one.

May fit a 1/2 bolt to the jack drive so i can use a 3/4 inch socket to operate the jacks instead of the rod. Saw dust packing in those holes would be a pain.

WOODMIZER take NOTE! You saw it here first! 8) Just kidding Marty but I have a real good idea for a factory option that would use the same idea.

It takes longer to cut the old stands apart for modification then any thing.

.

[scsmith42]

That's a neat idea.  I've been thinking about something similar for my Baker.  One challenge is that two of the jacks are right in-between the axle's and access is a real challenge, especially at the end of the day when the supports are buried under a foot or two of bark and sawdust.

[Bandmill Bandit]

OK here goes step by step. If I missed a picture or 2 I will come back put them in.

I have one of the 4 straight left to assemble and the 2 with the offset still to do. I have them figured out too.

Stab tube Mod!

#1 Cut the bottom plate off and clean it up to weld to the bottom of the jack.


  

#2 Cut 2.75 ish inches off the tube


 

#3 Drill 3/4 inch jack pin hole 1/4 turn from the holes in the jack. I used a 3/8 pilot hole.
 


 

#4 Drilling the 3/4 pin hole which finishes the stab tube prep.



 

Jack Prep!
Couple of things to Note on the jacks.
The jacks come in 10, 20 and 30 Ton models. All 3 have the same lift stroke which is about 12 ish inches. Of course I wanted to use the 30 ton jacks just cause I am too german to use anything less than the biggest and bestest. The first one I did was in fact a 30 ton. My Son came by to grab the RV and took a 10 ton and shoved it inside the 2 inch square tube. Decent fit but just a bit loose. but a lot easier to deal with than the cutting that I did on the first one.

The difference in the jacks is that the 10 ton has a barrel size of 1.9 inches and the 20/30 have barrel size of 2.1 inch.

Ok heres the pics.



    


1) Jack parts ready to assemble!  I had them all cut ready to go.



 

Assembled jack.
Note the notch in the top tube 1"x 1" to allow for welding to the top of the stationary tube of the jack.


 



Setting up a jack on the mill.

completed parts ready to install.

 


Stab tube in place ready for jack.


 

Jack in place ready to set stab tube height.


 

Setting stab tube height.


 

Fine adjustment.


 

Done.

The transport position is pretty cool and you will never have tubes filled with rotting saw dust again. 

[beenthere]

Clever mod. And looks like it will be good reason to have some Bluecreeper handy. ;)

[Bandmill Bandit]

Did some cutting and trimming this evening on a couple of pieces of aspen that are going to be kitchen benches for my DIL. 4 FAOs in place! 1 Of the 2 center jacks on the bench in the shop.

I thought I was on a different saw mill. I cant believe how much more stable the fine adjust out riggers make my saw mill and how much easier and quicker it is to get set up. No doubt at all now about doing the 2 middle ones.

IMNSHO. I don't think the mills should be offered for sale with out the FAOs.   

[drobertson]

Heck of a good idea!  thanks for sharing, 

[FarmingSawyer]

Finally got sick of dropping the band shield keeper bolts in the sawdust or forgetting to grab them before I put the shield down after a blade change. So I made them permanent. Now if I drop something on the sawdust and loose it I can replace it cheaper/easier or with a nail temporarily.....

Before: 

After: 

[thecfarm]

Thomas must of changed them I see. My keeper bolts holds up the shields on mine.
Have you added inch marks to the log stops?

[FarmingSawyer]

Thomas must of changed them I see. My keeper bolts holds up the shields on mine.
Have you added inch marks to the log stops?

I have added inch marks. Best tip yet. I've also switched the lube tube to the other side and upgraded the valves when I changed the tank.

[Magicman]

Those FAO's are terrific Wes, and to my mind, the two center ones are the most important because the log's weight tends to cause them to sink into the ground and they occasionally need tweaking.  Of course, my ground is soft and has no rocks.

I don't think the mills should be offered for sale with out the FAOs.

I agree.   

[Bandmill Bandit]

Hey Magicman thanks for the compliment on those FAOs.

Yes I am doing the 2 centre ones as well. BUT a friend of mine changed a couple 5000lb crank jacks on trailers he bought to 7500lb electric jacks. The one he took off look like the exact same jacks that WM uses for the FAOs. The only difference is the landing pad on the jack. It is about and 8 inch square piece of 1/4 in plate so I don't think it will be much trouble to modify.

Are you back home already or still driving around the rockies?

[backwoods sawyer]

I should be unloading the camper, but I am sipping on a cup of coffee instead.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,76518.140.html#lastPost

[Magicman]

As Harvey noted, I am home but the phone keeps ringing about sawing jobs.  I looked at a fairly large Oak job this morning.  It will all be live edge slabbed, so hourly rate.

The camper will have to come off this afternoon because I have to saw some Sassafras tomorrow.  1X5 for flooring.

[mesquite buckeye]

Sorry if someone has already done this, but I don't remember seeing it anywhere. Pretty obvious really.

Super Dave et al have complained for years about having to bend up the lock bar when at the lowest position on a manual clamping wood mizer. He suggested cutting a second notch further down the bar to hook the chain, but I was worried that it would weaken the bar. Here is my alternative solution. ;D

  

 

Just a piece of a lintel similar in thickness to the original bar. Sorry about the ugly weld. Had to nurse the acetylene to the last gasp to get it done. :-\

As you can see, now the bar can easily be hooked at the bottom position anywhere along the arc of travel w/o lifting/bending to hook the chain. ;D 8) 8) 8)

While I was at it, I fixed another problem from when I first got my saw. Boy genius Martin "helped" me load the mill with a forklift by dropping a thousand pound log from about 2 feet above the deck onto the clamp. Bent it down about a quarter inch. Also had to pound on the holder thingy below. Anyway the hammering left little bumps along the edge of the cam. Grrr. While I had it home to modify it, I cleaned up the burs and also added a small groove down the edge of the cam parallel to the edge to reduce those lovely cant popped out moments. seems to have more grab, but yet to test it. Sorry, I forgot to get a picture of it. I can take one if anyone is interested. ;D

[Brucer]

That's a useful mod. You're right about notching the bar directly. I could have used that idea 9 years ago. I don't think I'd have come up with it myself because I was trying to figure a good way to operate the clamp from the other side of the mill.

In the end I solved the problem by buying a hydraulic mill instead ;D.

[mesquite buckeye]

 ;D

Can't afford a new one. This one will have to do so I will make it work as well as I can.

I think this will save at least 15-20 minutes every day of operation at least. That really adds up over time. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Cha Ching!!!!! ;D 8) 8) 8)

Or at least it will make it easier to break even. ;D

[slider]

I don't think this has been covered but I would like to share it with some of you.Those that have a drag  back with the guide fingers.I saw from the rear most of the time because I can see the clamp and dogs much better.My mill has a remote console.My problem was loosing the board off the side while dragging back to the roller table.I can't tell you how many trips I have made picking that board up.I moved the second finger in by swapping the spacer to the outside.That put the finger about 1/2 inch from where the dogs are.I can't tell you what a difference this makes.I wish I had thought of this long ago.

 

[customsawyer]

Took you long enough.

[tule peak timber]

Yup ! 8)

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Took you long enough.

:D

[Larry]

My problem was loosing the board off the side while dragging back to the roller table.I can't tell you how many trips I have made picking that board up

On my TK if the loose board is small enough, it drops through a hole in the table and wedges itself, making it DanG near impossible to get back out.  Took me a long time to figure out I needed to plug the hole and adjust the fingers. :D :D  I'm sloooow. :