help needed for sawdust collection on a swing blade or a twin blade

[CaseyK]

Trying to come up with an idea of how to collect the sawdust from a swing blade while in the horizontal position and /or the horizontal blade of a twin blade. Since the horizontal blade travels the width of the log as it cuts i cant encase the blade with a guard on the bottom to direct the chips into a dust collection tube.

Any ideas?

[larrydown60]

How about something in the of a down draft system??

[leroy in kansas]

I've looked for a solution to this problem often. Esp. when I'm scooping the sawdust. I've toyed with the idea of using a portable shield, made of a framework covered with clear plastic to contain the spread and use a flex hose to suck into a cyclone over a trailer. It should work given enough area for exhaust in the enclosed trailer. Just like a bag collector

[Kbeitz]

What you need is a PNEUMAFIL.

[longtime lurker]

At Rottock we were built atop a slight rise. We had cut into the side of the hill to form a pit 14 foot wide between the twinsaw and the main mill floor, and the excavation sloped upwards under the deck of the twin, with posts to support the mill, mill deck and a mesh floor. Sawdust went down through the mesh and theoretically slid downslope to the floor of the pit, or went sideways into the pit, or hit a wall the far side of the pit... This is all theoretical of course, mostly it hung up under the deck or went over the wall but it kinda sorta worked if you helped it out a little.

Chipper discharge also went into the pit out past the end of the twin, and The pit was cleaned out with the loader.

Gotta be a better way...

[Ron Wenrich]

I often thought that setting these mills on a grate or mesh would be the best way of funneling the dust under the mill.  Using a trough system and a barn cleaner would get rid of the dust. 

Mills like Mobile Dimension or Mighty Mite have a sawdust discharge chute.  I've only been around one of those mills, and it did a pretty good job of getting the dust to the side.  From there, you can remove it either by loader or by conveyor.  Conveyor can take it to a common point.  A dust drag would probably work pretty well and is relatively easy to build. 

[pineywoods]

How about a herd of sawdust eating goats ?
Or the Tom Sawyer approach, convince a sibling that cleaning out under the mill is a special kind of fun, and only a privileged few are allowed to do it.
 
Seriously, since you were wise enough to build your log bunks raised off the ground, a curved deflection shield to divert the chips downward into a V shaped trough with a chain and paddles in the bottom. As wide as your mill is, might have to resort to 2 troughs side by side. That would take care of bark also, which is a big problem..

[Gasawyer]

Where would you come up with the chain and sprockets for the dust/chip drag? I have been thinking of something like this for my slabber when it is setup at home and for my band mill too. Does the trough have to be metal or would wood work? With a deflector on the slabber it drops the dust in an approximately foot wide strip. On my swing mill I have thought of a tarp hung from the beam would stop most all the chips, will have to try and see next time it is used. Do not know if there would be too much dropping when the blade is further away from the beam.  Good luck on your project!

[Kbeitz]

Agg chain....

[Ron Wenrich]

My first dust drag was made from old corn picker chain.  But, there probably aren't too many boneyards around anymore for old ag equipment.  You can get chain from any ag store.  You might have to make your own paddles.

You don't need much of a trough.  I always had my bottom down on the dirt and the sides made from a 1x6.   The side ramps should have metal on them or it won't slide all that well into the trough.  Below is a wide version of a dust drag that I had built for a circle mill.  We had very little room to put in a drag to take away dust and move it to a barn sweeper.  You wouldn't need one this wide, and could run off a single chain.