unusual bandsaw question

(Hey, this is a serious question so all sarcastic responses are welcome) Has anyone ever turned their 14 inch bandsaw on its side to make it into a mini lumber mill, similar to the commercial units that are- or were- available? I'm thinking taking the table off would be advantageous (it's a 40+ year old Delta Rockwell machine) but I think some type of lower guard protection is necessary. On the other hand, maybe keeping the table would provide a sturdy and significant edge guide. Weight is not a factor as I have a very sturdy joist system to suspend this from and I thought this could be a cheap way to make boards from logs. Thanks in advance,

Marc

Reply to
marc rosen
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I think yer nuts! Would you use a Lie-Nielsen chisel as a screwdriver? It's sort of like whistling while you make love. Even if you can accomplish it, it's very bad form.

DonkeyHody "I'd rather expect the best from people and be wrong than expect the worst and be right."

Reply to
DonkeyHody

That depends on what's causing the whistling.

:)

Reply to
Vic Baron

Marc,

I thought about that before. It seems that you would have to build some type of wheeled carriage for your saw and then a bed with rails for the carriage wheels to roll on. The bed would be simple, but the carriage could get complex if you wanted the features that a bandsaw mill has (like adjustable height, etc.).

I say "Go for it!" .........and then post pictures!

Reply to
Scott Cox

I seem to remember Delta had one that was designed to be used as a milling machine. Had a plastic or fiber glass looking case\cover with handles. 2 people picked it up and set it on the log to follow some kind of guide for the first cut then guided off the top surface. Might have an old magazine with an add or article about it. Joe

Reply to
Joe Gorman

You mean like this?

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for it. Probably save about $3K building your own for fun instead of buying prefab.

Reply to
Epictitus

Aren't you confusing whistling with wheezing? ;-)

Carlos

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Reply to
Carlos Moreno

Yep. Called the "Lumber Company" . Introduced in the mid eighties, Made in Tupelo, MS, had about a 4 year run as I recall.

The only real market for the thing was in an area where a portable saw mill could not be brought in and set up.

Frank

Reply to
Frank Boettcher

Good idea. I'm gonna give that a try.

Reply to
George Max

No sarcasm intended but think it through some more.

If you're sawing "green" you'll need an oiler - the sawdust is damp, sticky and there's a LOT of it.

So - how are you going to keep it from gumming up the works. Upright, woodworking, bandsaw's aren't designed to eject saw dust BEFORE it gets to the drive wheel. And they don't have, because they don't need, an oiler. - the "cabinet" of a WoodMizer type bandsaw isn't as beefy as an upright woodworing bandsaw so you've got a more weight to deal with - getting to the log, setting it up, moving it (rather than the log, which is normally heavier) along the log, taking it down and getting it back to wherever you're going to store it. - full size logs, especially green, are HEAVY. You don't want to move one any farther, or higher than you have to. That means - lugging your saw TO the wood. - rolling rather than lifting the log onto a base that's as close to ground level as possible - moving the saw over the log rather than the log passed the blade - with control of both the depth of cut, and the flatness of the cut. Trapezoidal boards are a PITA. There are a lot more considerations but you get the idea. BEFORE you go much further, find a sawyer with a bandsaw mill, watch him set it up, use it, clean it up and put it away. Pay attention and if your lucky ask a lot of questions and get a lot of answers. A bandsaw is a bandsaw is a bandsaw ISN'T. Thin front wheel drive family van. Now think Off Road Four Wheel Drive. They both have wheels, an engine, etc. but the details are quite different - for a reason. A Swiss Army Pocket Knife can do a lot of things. But you don't see a butcher using one at work, nor will you see a mechanic using one. Dedicated tools work better, with less effort and a lot less cussing and swearing.

You can probably make your idea work. The question is how much effort, time and money, and how well will it do this new specific job?

If you've got the time and money and have a Rube Goldberg streak in you - go ahead on. And don't forget to report back with what you did, what you shouldn't have done, what you're going to do next time - and how it worked>

charlie b

Reply to
charlie b

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