Metal project (sawmill)

[AndrewV]

cross posted RCM and RW

Ck'n back in hoping the mind numbing election noise has died down a bit. I'm starting to build a small bandsaw mill so I can mill siding for my shop and make wide plank hardwood flooring for my house (can't afford it unless I make it). I like the plans and parts found @

and plan on buying some parts from them, just the machined stuff I either have everything else in the stock/ scrap heap or can get it local...no sense in shipping steel tubing across the country. Anyway I wanted to hear from the RCM /RW crew on the subject especially if you have some experience. Also I know I could find somebody with a portable mill to come over but I'm so sick of the local talent not showing up (ect.) that I'd rather just do it myself and besides it looks like a neat project.

Any Thoughts?

Andrew

[RoyJ]

[Jim Wilkins]

On Nov 7, 3:05=A0pm, "AndrewV" wrote: ...

motorcycle wheels worked out well because they have their own bearings on a simple-to-mount axle and the rear wheel has the drive sprocket attached. The rear tire was already flat enough. I had to grind the front tire to make a flat the width of the blade.

The frame is a simple ladder directly between the axles rather than the usual C frame which would be much harder to make and align. The wheels are large enough that it will cut up to 13" thick. The front wheel is mounted in a sliding subframe for alignment and tensioning.

The engine is a 5.5 HP Tecumseh borrowed from a log splitter. It may be on the light side but it's adequate. With it the 1-1/4" Suffolk Timberwolf blade cuts dry oak at approximately 1" per second, running at around 4000 feet per minute.

The project definitely required a lathe and milling machine and arc welder, plus several hundred dollars for new shaft, bearings, pulleys, etc, sized for 10 HP in case 5 proved too small.

This is the log storage shed which protects them from winter snow and the dust from ATVs.

wood dries with fewer cracks if you brush wax on the ends to slow drying. I used a toilet bowl ring dissolved in kerosine.

Good luck with it. Jim Wilkins

[Larry Jaques]

On Fri, 7 Nov 2008 15:05:07 -0500, the infamous "AndrewV" scrawled the following:

Check your costs against the HF model before you build. You might be able to retrofit it to be a super saw for less. $1800 with 7hp engine.

was in HF today and saw that they had new welding rod storage tubes, with thick rubber washers, to keep your welding rod dry. Cool idea, and on sale now at $4.99 a pop, cheap enough. Western Safety brand. use fear as the friend it is, we must retrain and reprogram ourselves...We must persistently and convincingly tell ourselves that the fear is here--with its gift of energy and heightened awareness--so we can do our best and learn the most in the new situation. -- Peter McWilliams, Life 101

[Ignoramus3975]

[AndrewV]

motorcycle wheels worked out well because they have their own bearings on a simple-to-mount axle and the rear wheel has the drive sprocket attached. The rear tire was already flat enough. I had to grind the front tire to make a flat the width of the blade.

The frame is a simple ladder directly between the axles rather than the usual C frame which would be much harder to make and align. The wheels are large enough that it will cut up to 13" thick. The front wheel is mounted in a sliding subframe for alignment and tensioning.

The engine is a 5.5 HP Tecumseh borrowed from a log splitter. It may be on the light side but it's adequate. With it the 1-1/4" Suffolk Timberwolf blade cuts dry oak at approximately 1" per second, running at around 4000 feet per minute.

The project definitely required a lathe and milling machine and arc welder, plus several hundred dollars for new shaft, bearings, pulleys, etc, sized for 10 HP in case 5 proved too small.

This is the log storage shed which protects them from winter snow and the dust from ATVs.

wood dries with fewer cracks if you brush wax on the ends to slow drying. I used a toilet bowl ring dissolved in kerosine.

Good luck with it.

Jim Wilkins

Nice job

I'm planing to buy parts like sheaves, bearings and shafts primarly because I don't hav a lathe or mill and secondly to get proven for application parts. I have a line on an 18 hp engine so I need to build the rest to match. Do you sharpen your own blades or send them out? I was leaning toward buying enough blades so I can send them out for now.

Andrew

[AndrewV]

Be afraid very very afraid.... I need 30" log capicity anyway. I'd be interested in the 7hp @ 4000 rpm engine should be fun to watch for a little while anyway.

Andrew

[papadoo1]

You can get some ideas here =3D

[Jim Wilkins]

And here;

[Martin H. Eastburn]

I'd check professional and hobby sized ones for HP sizes.

7hp sounds small for 30" anything. Linear speed of cut would be small - if the blade didn't bind up in resin.

Mart>> I see horrible freight has a knockoff:

[Jim Wilkins]

The first bandsaw mill I built had a 1/2 HP electric motor. It was extremely slow, of course, but it did make two dozen 9" wide planks. I tried a large, coarse bandmill blade on it and got some improvement until the small wheels cracked the blade. Based on two saws it seems to me that you just push as hard as the motor allows.

[AndrewV]

I was kidding about the 7 hp engine@ 4000rpm as stated in the harbor fright ad. All the small engine ads I've looked at lately (lots) state 3600 rpm as a max governed speed. My pick for an engine and the plans I'm using call for 15 hp min, 18 as an option & up to 24hp max. This is for gasoline engines , diesel or an electric motor would be different.

Andrew