Load us up with photos Small. Like what you're doin.
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Band Sawmill
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Old Iron
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smallfoot
He's rockin' the "Nuttin Special"!
Worked early morning until thoroughly drenched in sweat and then went to the house and ate hoping some rain would cool the afternoon off some. Went back out around 5 pm and dodged lightning strikes until dark.
Got the trolley set up with wheels and the sliders on the upright frame, trying to square and plumb everything where the sliders still work. Think my sliders will be easier to deal with if I shorten them. Tacking up the frame work to check positioning of the items of the head. There will be a motor, battery, wench, and coolant tank on the frame. The idea is to balance it as close to perfect as I can so the whole package moves freely up and down.
Got the trolley set up with wheels and the sliders on the upright frame, trying to square and plumb everything where the sliders still work. Think my sliders will be easier to deal with if I shorten them. Tacking up the frame work to check positioning of the items of the head. There will be a motor, battery, wench, and coolant tank on the frame. The idea is to balance it as close to perfect as I can so the whole package moves freely up and down.
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bob w
Still crazy after all these years!
Are you working from plans or a pic? Or is it all out of the creative smallfoot mind?
Old Iron
Well-known member
Coming along right nicely.
What do you think the largest log diameter will be?
What do you think the largest log diameter will be?
smallfoot
He's rockin' the "Nuttin Special"!
I've got plans and drawings of different ones that looked workable and I'm kinda putting my own twists in where I can..
. I've been spending some time studying the failures of others and trying to assess what their problem was and build something that avoids that.I've found out lots of tricks to make things go right. Seems like the old standby method of KISS (keep it simple stupid) works the best. According to some info available at Cook's manufacturing, where there's a calculation for FPM(feet per minute) talking blade speed. For my HP, I should be running at 4000 FPM. With my choice of wheels and pulleys, my speed would be 4900 FPM at near full throttle. I'm thinking it will work. A simple pulley change can adjust it.
There's also a tip that the blade needs to be pulled thru the wood, not pushed.
Another tip: the wheel that pulls the blade thru the wood needs to be the drive wheel.
I've seen people get too complicated on their effort for adjustment. I'm going with fixed axle on the drive end and adjusts to tracking and band tightening on the other. Mine will have electric wench for up and down movement. A deadmans throttle that works the motor which converts thru a Comet clutch and an idler pulley working a belt to the wheel pulley.
The people that sell parts are all really proud of their blade guides. I'm trying one of my own ideas first, then I'll have plan "b" in hand. I have some nylon rollers coming to try. I also have bearings coming that "oh by the way" are the same ones they make the expensive blade guides with...about 10 bucks for a pack of 10. Funny, it takes 10 to make two guides for a bandsaw.
I've seen the guides going from about 50 each and up to over a hundred. I believe I'll configure my own...
Torchie
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Torchie
Torchie
soltz
The Rat Captain
Dude You Rock!!
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smallfoot
He's rockin' the "Nuttin Special"!
OI, I've got pines out here that would go 20-24 inches in diameter. By the time I get the log cut to a square cant, I can still handle 21" width and 19" height before interference. That's much bigger than anything I'll have around here. I'll be happy to cut what we have out here and depending on the look he wants, the coverage can be random on some stuff and live edge boards can really form its own pattern. Pines are pretty straight when slabbed and you can really cover some area if you just pick and choose the way you fit it. If we can agree to cut for most coverage and to hell with same size boards everywhere, ship lap can be random...board and batten can be random.
I didn't get squat done today on the mill. We were inside building braces and finishing up the roof framing. Will be back on the house tomorrow too so it might be monday before I get to work on the mill again.
Old Iron
Well-known member
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smallfoot
He's rockin' the "Nuttin Special"!
Sorry, I've been slacking.... It's been high 90s and heat index well over 100 every day and when I get away from the building project this old fool is about whooped. I'll get some more pics up soon. I'm still working on the trolley. Had some issues with binding on the sliders. Can't happen and be a smooth operation. Cut them in half length wise and then did a slit down one side, that seems to have worked. Put it back together on the same frame and they move good now. next I'll finish welding the frame of the trolley now that it works and try to get all the different parts and pieces together. Thanks for checking on me!
It's been high 90s and heat index well over 100 every day and when I get away from the building project this old fool is about whooped. I'll get some more pics up soon. I'm still working on the trolley. Had some issues with binding on the sliders. Can't happen and be a smooth operation. Cut them in half length wise and then did a slit down one side, that seems to have worked. Put it back together on the same frame and they move good now. next I'll finish welding the frame of the trolley now that it works and try to get all the different parts and pieces together. Thanks for checking on me!
smallfoot
He's rockin' the "Nuttin Special"!
Excuse me for the sorry pix! I was losing what light I had, first by being rained on and then by the sun gettin gone. Here's some shots of my lifting system. I'll hook a battery up in the morning and see if it works as designed. Everything on the saw head is temp welded, square and plumb and it should work. I'll get back to ya on that!!!
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Torchie
Well-known member
I don't have to tell you but I will anyway...
Be careful out there in that heat. Extra hard on us heart guys.
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Torchie.
smallfoot
He's rockin' the "Nuttin Special"!
Thanks Torchie!
DozerII
Well-known member
That is a real project you have undertaken. If you work this hard retired I bet no one could keep up to you when you were still working.
smallfoot
He's rockin' the "Nuttin Special"!
Thanks dozer! There's a bunch of people around here that claim they can't keep up.
Got my sliders figured out. The band is adjustable for tightness and tracking. Went with KISS again. Others have made extra steps that I considered needless. I placed the drive wheel square as I could to the frame and made it stationary. The driven wheel is on a plate that I can adjust for toe and the whole plate will slide to tighten the band. When I set the driven wheel I got it as square as possible as a start point. Left a little wiggle room in my plate and it was really easy to set the band. A sure sign it's pretty right. Tightened the band and used the adjuster for toe until everything tracked right and tight. Once the toe adjustment is set it won't need to be adjusted until there is wear to cause it. By then it'll probably need new bearings. i need to run for parts to go on. Need a drive belt but until I set the motor and balance the battery and motor on the trolley, I won't know what size I need. Sometime tomorrow, I'll get a good idea and get my last parts. I'm using an idler wheel too so I can fudge on belt size too. I'll get close enough to work well.
Here's some pix.
Got my sliders figured out. The band is adjustable for tightness and tracking. Went with KISS again. Others have made extra steps that I considered needless. I placed the drive wheel square as I could to the frame and made it stationary. The driven wheel is on a plate that I can adjust for toe and the whole plate will slide to tighten the band. When I set the driven wheel I got it as square as possible as a start point. Left a little wiggle room in my plate and it was really easy to set the band. A sure sign it's pretty right. Tightened the band and used the adjuster for toe until everything tracked right and tight. Once the toe adjustment is set it won't need to be adjusted until there is wear to cause it. By then it'll probably need new bearings. i need to run for parts to go on. Need a drive belt but until I set the motor and balance the battery and motor on the trolley, I won't know what size I need. Sometime tomorrow, I'll get a good idea and get my last parts. I'm using an idler wheel too so I can fudge on belt size too. I'll get close enough to work well.
Here's some pix.
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Torchie
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Torchie
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Torchie
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soltz
The Rat Captain
With the rest of them
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