# bandsaw flaws



## r.man (Jan 25, 2010)

want to build a personal mill this summer. have decided to use rubber tire wheels and two post style with a winch to raise and lower the head. my question is - do you personally know of catastrophic or systemic failures of a particular feature or style that could be avoided by a design improvement. as an example i recently saw a picture posted of a sheared wheel shaft that i'm assuming was the result of undersizing the shaft.


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## olyman (Jan 25, 2010)

most guys use rear car axles--with a bearing on them--but def get large enough ones--thats a LOT of sideload on that shaft--


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## gene1605 (Jan 26, 2010)

*2 post mill*



r.man said:


> want to build a personal mill this summer. have decided to use rubber tire wheels and two post style with a winch to raise and lower the head. my question is - do you personally know of catastrophic or systemic failures of a particular feature or style that could be avoided by a design improvement. as an example i recently saw a picture posted of a sheared wheel shaft that i'm assuming was the result of undersizing the shaft.



Rubber tires, 2 post and a hand winch can be a very good design if properly construsted
What size logs and what horse power do you expect to use. I have many pictures in my coumpter if I can find them.
Grampa


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## r.man (Jan 26, 2010)

*reply to grandpa*

probably 10-30 inch spruce, balsam with some hardwood for flooring. at present I have a ten hp tecumsah that i plan to try at least until i get the bugs worked out. i do think that it should be sufficient. since the original post i have found a commercial rubber tire mill , TURNER, that lists its driveshaft as a 1.5 inch. i have also read on the forum site two opinions on cable lifts, one for and one against but no observational reasoning. opinions are interesting but i prefer case studies.


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## gene1605 (Jan 26, 2010)

*10 hp engine*

A 10 hp Tecumseh engine is ok, Older brother and I have built and sold many mills with 10 hp engines, more hp. is better but 10 hp will work, before you spend any money take a look at my pictures, I will have one of my boys to find and send to you, I can and will give you all the information that you want just don't want to bore anyone unneeded information.
grampa


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## woodsrunner (Jan 26, 2010)

gene1605 said:


> just don't want to bore anyone unneeded information.
> grampa



Speaking for myself only, (but I think others here will agree) you won't bore me. I'm always interested in others experiences.

Scott


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## gene1605 (Jan 26, 2010)

*bandsaw mill*

Thanks woodsrunner I needed that
Grampa


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## r.man (Jan 26, 2010)

*boredom*

im with woodsrunner, pictures and information are never boring and readers can always skip over anything they already know. your interest and willingness to share is much appreciated and i look forward to learning from your experience.


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## DRB (Jan 26, 2010)

Not boring to me either. Love to read stuff about milling. Especially home made stuff.opcorn:


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## gene1605 (Jan 26, 2010)

*pictures*

I found the pictures, will have one of my boys send a few, if they are of a interest to anyone I have pictures of every part.
Grampa


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## r.man (Jan 26, 2010)

*picture type*

details are always good. do head slides need bearings? should guide bearings be pushing the band down slightly? will the head remain level with one central cable holding it?
i have more questions but that will get me started. i look forward to the pictures. thanks again.


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## gene1605 (Jan 26, 2010)

*band mill*

the slides dont need bearings
use 2 cables
push guide bearings 1/2 to 5/8 in, keep in mind useing rubber tires, with low hp. and slow 4000 ft. band speed you use less band tension, band breaking is not a problem
Grampa


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## ROOTSXROCKS (Jan 26, 2010)

woodsrunner said:


> Speaking for myself only, (but I think others here will agree) you won't bore me. I'm always interested in others experiences.
> 
> Scott


Agreed I always like hearing about the experiences of others


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## cowtipper (Jan 27, 2010)

pictures please... I'm not one of your kin.. but grampa :yourock:


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## Old Hilly (Jan 27, 2010)

Grampa, for us blokes still in the thinking/designing stage your pictures could just save us a whole heap of trouble farther down the track. I, for one, would love to see some pictures of your mills.
Cheers mate,
Dennis.


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## rarefish383 (Jan 28, 2010)

Me too, Joe.


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## r.man (Jan 28, 2010)

*greetings aussie*

have also revisited a site called diy bandmill . sorry but i don't know how to do a link in this post. i had to slog through a lot of photos because the builds are for two post, four post, rubber tire, steel or cast big and small with some built from mostly scrap and some all new steel. different ones had brand new motors bought specifically for the job but others were like me and are using what they have or could come up with. one builder even had the complete base, motor and gearbox of a riding lawn tractor on his saw. double cool. well worth the visit and time to learn their way of storing photos. 
still looking forward to the pictures from gene(grampa). he is the only person i have read about who has made more than one of these and i'm assuming for fun because from the work involved it would be hard to scrounge one and make money.


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## gene1605 (Jan 28, 2010)

*Alaskan Bandsaw mill pictures*

This is a few pictures of Ooolder Brother and my 13 hp. mill that will cut a 24 in log 16 ft. long, the frame is 6 in. x 2 in. rectangular tubing 20 ft long.
We also build a 6.5 hp. mill that cuts 18 in. and a mill that will cut 30 in.
I have more pictures of different parts , that I need to sort out , that I will post later. I also have a 18 in. mill in the shop that will be finished in a few days that I can make pictures of that will be more organized.
Grampa

ps I tried to share my band mill pictures and help in building some time ago but my computer had problems, have a new one now, hope to do bettor.
I would like to apologize to those that I disappointed.View attachment 123269


View attachment 123270


View attachment 123271


View attachment 123272


View attachment 123273


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## cowtipper (Jan 28, 2010)

r.man said:


> have also revisited a site called diy bandmill . sorry but i don't know how to do a link in this post. i had to slog through a lot of photos because the builds are for two post, four post, rubber tire, steel or cast big and small with some built from mostly scrap and some all new steel. different ones had brand new motors bought specifically for the job but others were like me and are using what they have or could come up with. one builder even had the complete base, motor and gearbox of a riding lawn tractor on his saw. double cool. well worth the visit and time to learn their way of storing photos.
> still looking forward to the pictures from gene(grampa). he is the only person i have read about who has made more than one of these and i'm assuming for fun because from the work involved it would be hard to scrounge one and make money.



Here's the link http://diybandmill.com/


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## BobL (Jan 28, 2010)

gene1605 said:


> This is a few pictures of Ooolder Brother and my 13 hp. mill that will cut a 24 in log 16 ft. long, the frame is 6 in. x 2 in. rectangular tubing 20 ft long.
> We also build a 6.5 hp. mill that cuts 18 in. and a mill that will cut 30 in.
> I have more pictures of different parts , that I need to sort out , that I will post later. I also have a 18 in. mill in the shop that will be finished in a few days that I can make pictures of that will be more organized.
> Grampa
> ...



Hey nice pics and nicely fabricated too!


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## r.man (Jan 28, 2010)

*beautiful blue machine*

nice pics gene, i look forward to more. could you explain the pully on the tire: is it factory or cobble? secondly does the carriage have four bearings per side running on the rails, two on top two at each side? thanks for the help.


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## ROOTSXROCKS (Jan 28, 2010)

gene1605 said:


> This is a few pictures of Ooolder Brother and my 13 hp. mill that will cut a 24 in log 16 ft. long, the frame is 6 in. x 2 in. rectangular tubing 20 ft long.
> We also build a 6.5 hp. mill that cuts 18 in. and a mill that will cut 30 in.
> I have more pictures of different parts , that I need to sort out , that I will post later. I also have a 18 in. mill in the shop that will be finished in a few days that I can make pictures of that will be more organized.
> Grampa
> ...


Now lets see some video of it in action! That really looks cool Gives me Hope I might too someday have one.


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## mtngun (Jan 28, 2010)

gene1605 said:


> I have more pictures of different parts , that I need to sort out , that I will post later.


You can use the IMG tag (the yellow icon with the mountain) to imbed the pics in your post. But you are doing great, don't worry. I enjoy seeing you twist on bandsaw design.


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## mtngun (Jan 28, 2010)

I tried to zoom in on the bearings that support the carriage, not much luck on the zoom, but we can see basic concept.


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## gene1605 (Jan 29, 2010)

*v belt*

yes it has 4 sealed 1624 bearings 2 on each side & 4 flanged sealed bearings on the top



the v belt rides on the tire, a v pulley would be marginally better, keep in mind, when Ooolder brother was a young man and I a boy most all belts were flat, and mostly leather. The belt will only come off when the belt is overly loose
In order to build and sell bandmills, we have had to compete with many good little mills. We have encouraged constrive criticsm and thru that have came up with a simple, hardy trouble free little mill.
Our children, grandchildren, frends or neighbors is not interested in building bandsaw mills, Ooolder brother's is haveing trouble with seeing to weld and I am getting lazy, we decided to help with information,anyone who wants to build one.
I encourage anyone who wants to build one, before you start to call me on the phone, I can explane building one better .


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## Old Hilly (Jan 29, 2010)

Thanks for the photos Gene, they are a great help. From the look of your mill the drive belt runs behind the band, so how much clearance is there between the V-belt and the blade when the mill is working? Is there much chance of the blade moving back far enough to cut into the drive belt? I did read, somewhere, that someone was concerned that if the blade broke then the v-belt would also be ruined. It might also be an excuse to go home for a change of underwear, if you get my meaning.
R-man, thanks for the tip on the DIY bandmill site. It seems strange that I can buy a new ride-on mower for the same sort of money that a replacement motor would cost me. This is based on a 20HP v-twin B&S motor with electric start. When you think about all the other bits you get with the mower that could be transferred to the mill........now I look at mowers in a completely diferent way!
Dennis.


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## gene1605 (Jan 29, 2010)

*v belt*

with the v belt idler you can adjust the belt where you like.
the guide bearings limit how far back the band rides.
with rubber tires and lo hp. band breakage is not a problem


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## Old Hilly (Jan 29, 2010)

Actually Gene, I didn't think there would be much of a problem but this bloke was really serious about the potential problem. Perhaps it was a case of "sour grapes"?
That motor looks like it has a centrifugal clutch rather than a belt-tensioner to engage drive to the blade. Do these give any trouble under normal conditions?
Thanks again,
Dennis.


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## qweesdraw (Jan 29, 2010)

Chinezze Honda clones seem to work!
500 cords + on my WEEFOOYOU ENGINE Hard to beat for the price.
The more pic's to help us build would be helpful!
Mark


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## r.man (Jan 29, 2010)

*sideways thinking*

dennis. i think the lawn tractor idea is inspired. like buying a job lot at an auction or yard sale. all that extra stuff for free. i wonder what other things would apply to a sawmill?


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## jdrum (Jan 29, 2010)

thank you gene. your pics. just changed the direction of some of the components of my mill. i am glad that i am still in the design stage.

i had thought of running the belt on the band wheel earlier, but got caught up in all the pics with all the shafts and pulleys. and forgot one of my first rules for construction, KISS (keep it simple stupid ) but design it so you can add the bells a whistles later, when materials and time allow.

by the looks of your pics, did you use automotive or trailer bolt on spindles and hubs. i think some of the small cars used a straight rear axle with bolt on spindles. (junk yard source) and bearings easy to get (parts store).

jim


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## r.man (Jan 29, 2010)

*missed something*

gene. i was just reviewing your pictures for about the fourth time and realized that there is a lever upright next to the lift crank. what does it do? and while on the subject of mysteries i can see a piece of box steel welded horizontally near the stationary blade guide and cannot fathom it's purpose from any of the shots. 
sorry to be a pest but every answer i get seems to bring on new questions. i would also like to say that your mill is the nicest looking of all the mills i've seen, amateur and professional. i think it's the combination of simplicity and strength. compared to yours others look either flimsy, overly complicated or both. my father used to say " something else to break " and the older i get the less i like " bells and whistles ".
thanks again for your time and willingness to share.


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## r.man (Jan 29, 2010)

*jdrum*

was just typing my last post and hadn't read yours. i was'nt commenting on your bells and whistles comment unless i'm getting psychic in my old age. the real problem is that you probably type much faster than i do.


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## gene1605 (Jan 29, 2010)

*spindles*

Jim I used 1 in. spindles [ with 2 in. cut off ] with hubs from any trailer supply, with 12 in wheels with 22 in diamenter tires.
Any spindle, wheel tire over 16 in will work, I but weld the spindel to a 3in x 6 in x 1/2 in plate.
I will post pictures of indivigle parts soon that is made with the kiss prinsible, 
and can give exact measurements


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## jdrum (Jan 29, 2010)

*r.man*

no problem i think the same as you, that is why i have my KISS rule. but i need to be reminded of it from time to time.
i think that of metal is a push handle?

jim


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## gene1605 (Jan 29, 2010)

*typeing*

Jim On a good day I can type 5 words per. min, my poor spelling slows me down to about 3.


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## r.man (Jan 29, 2010)

*jim*

have you decided on a basic design yet, number of posts, hoist mech, guide style?


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## jdrum (Jan 29, 2010)

my typing isnt a whole lot better. i failed typing about 50 years ago and it hasn't improved a bit. most of my long posts get done in wordpad and c/p to the forum.

i like your design and there several concepts i plan to use. money or lack of dictates many of my design decisions. i have wanted to build a mill for many years, and was forced into retirement last year so now i have the time, but not the $$$. but i'm a good scrounger, allready got a house trailer frame, and have figured out how to get about 90% of the steel i need out of it. that will eat up a lot of sawall blades.
i have always built things with all the planes in my head but this has been to big a project. so i downloaded google sketchup 7, and started making drawings, in a week or so i plane to start a thread with some of my drawings to get some opinions. 

im gona sut up now!
jim


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## gene1605 (Jan 29, 2010)

*lever near crank*

If you pull the lever it lifts one side of the band frame about 1 3/4 in. to cut bevel siding.
the piece that you see by the stationary guide is 1 1/4 sq tube 5 in. long by 109 /1000 wall thickness that on a 36 in mill that would house the adjustible band guide it would be the same as the other side.
Will try to post other pics. soon


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## r.man (Jan 29, 2010)

*thanks again gene*

after i thought about that lever awhile i guessed it was some kind of offset but the box steel baffled me. does this mean you build your basic carriages standard every time and modify when you choose the size? 
i just read that jim is using a house trailer frame for materials, did you build yours out of new steel or did you scrounge some things?
ps it's about -30 F outside tonight with a full moon on fresh white snow. i could probably read outside if i had a large print book and my spectacles on.
if the aussie is reading thats -35 C.


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## gene1605 (Jan 29, 2010)

*bandsaw plans*

Jim I'm just putting the finishing touch to a smaller mill and will post pics. soon, also have poorly drawn plans, for the small mill about 10 pages, send me a private message with e-male address will send to you.


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## jdrum (Jan 29, 2010)

well as i said above i have a house trailer frame to work with. so my design is taylored to the metal i have. 

the head posts will be two 5' long I beams (3 x12) with a set back like genes for a cross support 
the hoist ? i have been thinking of using 2" web straping instead of cable ( I already have a bunch of it). drive it with a hand crank using bicycle sprockets and chain (neghbor kid left bike in the woods when he got his dr lics). ive got a couple of lawn mower breaks and calipers and plan to use one to lock the winch to prevent creep down.

i havent really considered guides yet, but will probably go with roller berings .i have used them on vertical bsaws ( 14" to 36" )for years and havent had any real problems, they should work to get me running and if i have trouble i'll go from there.

i plan to be primeraly stationary, so i have opted for 10 or 15 hp 3 ph 
electric. but will provide for conversion to gas if i need to go mobile.


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## gene1605 (Jan 29, 2010)

*Iron*

I use New iron, have scrounged other parts, kinda hard to scroung for 150 x mills but it can be done


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## gene1605 (Jan 29, 2010)

*sawmill picks*

Enjoy
geneView attachment 123429


View attachment 123430


View attachment 123431


View attachment 123432


View attachment 123433


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## mtngun (Jan 29, 2010)

What are we looking at in this picture ?
















Guides.





Motor mount.


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## gene1605 (Jan 30, 2010)

*pictures*

first pic
adjustible band guide
v belt idler
adjustible guide bearing asmbley
10 hp. tecumpsi motor mounts

ps I have 2 pr of these mounts free, any takers, Rman ?????? just need address


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## Old Hilly (Jan 30, 2010)

*R-man, that's a bit cool!*

Wow, that's what I call cold, r-man. Looking on the bright side, it was about 35 degrees C here today, but on the warm side of the zero degree point on the thermometer. Then there was the 80% humidity and very little breeze to cool things down. At least you can put more clothes on to keep warm. There are limits to how much I can take off. Staying in the creek isn't an option either. One look at me and the cows head for the bush as fast as they can.
Getting back to trailer axles, if you were to use a square section stub axle and drill a hole in it to act as a pivot point you would then have a fairly simple way of adjusting the blade tracking using a long bolt and locknut. But I think someone would have already worked that out long before I did.
Dennis.


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## r.man (Jan 30, 2010)

*gene*

great detail pics. i love the simplicity and compactness of your design especially since that translates directly to less materials and less work.
i think i caught most of the functions showing in the latest photos but i'm not 100% sure of a couple of things though. let me run them by you.
1) your slides are made of angle with one piece longer than the other to act as a bottom stop for the saw head.
2) adjustment bolts in two sides of the slides to take out slack 
3) you adjust band tension with your non driven wheel so i'm guessing you track with the driven wheel.
4) the large T bolt is to snug up your guide slide.
5) you slide the motor mount to tension the drive belt.

here's where i'm unsure:
why does the bottom of the slide have a finger shape to it and what is the larger piece of box steel horizontal near the guide bar?
as to the offer of the mounts i appreciate the thought but its a long way to mail something that heavy. i should be ok for mounts since i have a couple of parts snowmobiles and they use a very similar rubber mount. thanks anyway.
i'm amazed that non of your family wants to take over making that design. the more saws i see and the more i get into design and materials the more i appreciate what a peach it is. thanks again for sharing.


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## gene1605 (Jan 30, 2010)

*carage frame*



r.man said:


> after i thought about that lever awhile i guessed it was some kind of offset but the box steel baffled me. does this mean you build your basic carriages standard every time and modify when you choose the size?
> i just read that jim is using a house trailer frame for materials, did you build yours out of new steel or did you scrounge some things?
> ps it's about -30 F outside tonight with a full moon on fresh white snow. i could probably read outside if i had a large print book and my spectacles on.
> if the aussie is reading thats -35 C.



I build 3 different mills with 3 different frames, they are similar in design and sometime use the same size Iron but different length.

Here is one thing that must be done with a 2 post carriage, to eliminate headshake. the bottom of the post must fabricated with less width than the top then spread apart before welding to feet.


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## gene1605 (Jan 30, 2010)

*questions*



r.man said:


> great detail pics. i love the simplicity and compactness of your design especially since that translates directly to less materials and less work.
> i think i caught most of the functions showing in the latest photos but i'm not 100% sure of a couple of things though. let me run them by you.
> 1) your slides are made of angle with one piece longer than the other to act as a bottom stop for the saw head.
> 2) adjustment bolts in two sides of the slides to take out slack
> ...



There is a tab on the bottom of slide to stop the band from hitting the dogs
Probley the band guard [cover ] support


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## r.man (Jan 30, 2010)

*aussie*

how big is the steel on your scrap trailer? i have been looking for one myself and have high hopes of finding one after the snow is gone. for you sweating koalas, or is it sweating roos, we normally have enough snow from mid november to early april to stop any outside movement that doesn't involve a snowplow. when everthing starts moving in the spring i hope to be to the point that i need a track. talk to ya later.


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## Old Hilly (Jan 31, 2010)

*r-man*

Unless it is something really big, Say over 25 feet long, most of our caravan trailers are made out of really light-weight tube and by the time the caravan is over 15 years old the chassis is going rusty and not worth doing anything with. It is easier (and cheaper in the long run) to just go out and buy the steel you need rather than stuff around with something that is already just about buggered to start off with.
Hey, you have snow in winter, we get floods in summer. Lots of people get stranded by floodwaters and this gives the emergency services something to do. Lots of people have a boat so that they can get to a main road and then into town. Sort of like being snowed in but much warmer, thank God! Then again, we don't get to ride around on snowmobiles, which really looks like fun.


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## mountainlake (Jan 31, 2010)

gene1605 said:


> the slides dont need bearings
> use 2 cables
> push guide bearings 1/2 to 5/8 in, keep in mind useing rubber tires, with low hp. and slow 4000 ft. band speed you use less band tension, band breaking is not a problem
> Grampa



I'd buy guide bearings from Cooks, a little spendy but they are a important part. I run 1/4" down pressure, 1/2" might bend the blade too sharp around the guide wheel and cause the blades too break. Steve


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## jacklbrown49 (Feb 1, 2010)

*Brownie*

While I was reading I saw pics of Gene's mill and thought it looked doable for me. I am in the middle of my build and have made some mods. I decided if the wheels were coplaner and the tires had enough give when uninflated that I could forgo the tension and alignment adjustments. I used trailer axle stubs and a 3x3x1/4 tube for the saw head. After aligning and tacking the axles in the tube I ordered a band to check tracking. I used a 1 hp electric motor for the test and it worked like a champ. I had no idler on the drive belt and no guides on the band when I tested it. I have some serious vibration and hope balancing the tires will remedy that. The band and belt tracked fine. Tom at Suffolk Machinery said my big problem will be getting blades that are consistent length, but the one he sent for me to test with worked great and I just rolled it on and off of the tires without letting any air out. I only had 25 psi in them when I tested it. Here are some pics of the part pile and headrig running. I would attach a video of the thing running if I and get the file size down. I really appreciate all of the folks here and the help they have been.


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## jacklbrown49 (Feb 1, 2010)

*Brownie*

Here is a link to the video of the headrig test. If this doesn't work let me know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRjIdGweUIY


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## FJH (Feb 1, 2010)

mtngun said:


> I tried to zoom in on the bearings that support the carriage, not much luck on the zoom, but we can see basic concept.



You may find that you will have problems with this roller track Design,I used this design for my mill !The bearings tend to build up saw dust and make it lumpy to roll!I advise that you put a small angle iron < pointy side up and roll the bearing on that. rolling it flat on flat will likly cause you greif!
There is no good way of keeping the saw dust off the beam I have tryed everything the saw dust just gets there, My bearings are totaly enclosed and the saw dust just keeps coming!

just an observation on my own mill design mistake


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## r.man (Feb 1, 2010)

*fjh*

thanks for the advice. couple of questions for you.
did you modify your mill with the angle iron? 
was the buildup on the wheels or the track?
was your mill a two post, four post or other?
was your base the same as gene's(angle iron tight to the rectangular track)?
have any pics you'd like to share?
appreciate your time and interest.


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## r.man (Feb 1, 2010)

*brownie*

you made me remember a couple of interesting questions that i keep forgetting about. how do you decide what length band is needed, or if you know the band size how far apart the wheels go. while i'm on the subject of bands, does anyone know if it is cheaper to stay with a particular length? i do know from experience that some larger pipe fittings are cheaper than a slightly smaller size due to the popularity of the larger size.


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## FJH (Feb 1, 2010)

r.man said:


> you made me remember a couple of interesting questions that i keep forgetting about. how do you decide what length band is needed, or if you know the band size how far apart the wheels go. while i'm on the subject of bands, does anyone know if it is cheaper to stay with a particular length? i do know from experience that some larger pipe fittings are cheaper than a slightly smaller size due to the popularity of the larger size.



http://photoshare.shaw.ca/messages/viewshow/7685528731-1172719178-38857/preview/page/
Sorry don't have too many pics hope the above helps some!
My set up is uniqe in design as it is hydralicly driven!I have struggled thur with
mine as I have no time to mess with it at the moment,
I used I beam as that is all I had laying around!
the 2x2 tube welded to the side of the I beam is what the bearings travel on.
the posts are mounted simularly to Genes on an I beam with the flange cut off the bottom bearings bolted thru it and guides on the sides.The upper travel flange over laps the main frame by 2 inches my ill thought theroy was that the saw dust would not I have enough room to get on the lower square tube because it was totaly covered( WRONG). I have very little room to mount angle or it would be done by now.More thought needed here!:chainsawguy: :angry2: Someday!

Your best to biuld to a band so your supplier always has stock! They will how ever build what ever length you need!
Mine happened to be close to a timber king model so my guy always has stock!
Mine is 198 inches !I would atempt to keep it smaller as my blades tend to be pricey stay to a more common woodmizer size or somthing along that line!


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## mtngun (Feb 1, 2010)

FJH said:


> I have very little room to mount angle or it would be done by now.More thought needed here!


Hmmmmm....... on metalworking machines like a lathe, it is common practice for the sliding carriage to have rubber or felt wipers, to wipe the chips off the ways (tracks) as the carriage slides along. Would it be feasible to employ a rubber or teflon wiper on a bandmill ?

But, I agree that it would be better to avoid the problem altogether by using inverted angle as a track. It just costs a little more money for the angle and the special wheels.

jacklbrown49, I think tension adjustment and alignment adjustment are very desirable things, but it's great that your saw is working (so far) without them. 

Please let us know how your vibration problem is resolved. 

I'm filing all this information away with the hope that someday I'll find the time to build a bandmill.


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## r.man (Feb 1, 2010)

*fjh*

wow what a brute. that is one massive ride. it's looks very well built but why do i think you might be a hydraulic guy? thanks for the pics.


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## gene1605 (Feb 1, 2010)

*flange bearing*



FJH said:


> You may find that you will have problems with this roller track Design,I used this design for my mill !The bearings tend to build up saw dust and make it lumpy to roll!I advise that you put a small angle iron < pointy side up and roll the bearing on that. rolling it flat on flat will likly cause you greif!
> There is no good way of keeping the saw dust off the beam I have tryed everything the saw dust just gets there, My bearings are totaly enclosed and the saw dust just keeps coming!
> 
> just an observation on my own mill design mistake



look again at the top roller it has a flange eliminates most of the problem, In the past I used angle like you, It would put a slight belly in the frame, made it hard to straighten.


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## FJH (Feb 1, 2010)

gene1605 said:


> look again at the top roller it has a flange eliminates most of the problem, In the past I used angle like you, It would put a slight belly in the frame, made it hard to straighten.



Sorry gene The pic makes it hard to distingish!Does the roller cut into the tube frame work at all being that narrow How wide is it?As you can see my head rig and doins has a fair jag of weight to it.Highly doubt wheels like that would pack the weight with out cutting into my tube track!


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## FJH (Feb 1, 2010)

R.man >but why do i think you might be a hydraulic guy?
don't know what you mean?The mill is hydralicly driven!


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## gene1605 (Feb 2, 2010)

*carrage wheel*



FJH said:


> Sorry gene The pic makes it hard to distingish!Does the roller cut into the tube frame work at all being that narrow How wide is it?As you can see my head rig and doins has a fair jag of weight to it.Highly doubt wheels like that would pack the weight with out cutting into my tube track!



My carriage weigh's about 400 lb. I stagger my wheels, they don't track the same they do build up a little. Its hard to build a little trouble free inexpensive mill.


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## jacklbrown49 (Feb 2, 2010)

Mtngun, I talked to a fellow at Suffolk machinery about this (Tom I think) and he says there are a couple of manufacturers doing this now and as I said the problem is the blade length varies from batch to batch because of changes in milling cutters that cut the teeth in the coil stock. I figure I have up to 2 inches of adjustment in overall blade length and as for the alignment of the wheels co-planer is co-planer. I will probably be proven wrong, but if it works it will make saws easier to build. I can put a length adjustment in later, but it is hard to get that adjustment with tight enough tolerances so that you don't have alignment problems. As usual I have complicated the KISS method.


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## r.man (Feb 2, 2010)

*carriage and wheel sawdust buildup*

i have seen pics of at least two mills that use scrapers on inverted angle track so i expect that local conditions and wood type play a large part in any buildup problem and i am confident that it can be overcome with any track.


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## FJH (Feb 2, 2010)

r.man said:


> i have seen pics of at least two mills that use scrapers on inverted angle track so i expect that local conditions and wood type play a large part in any buildup problem and i am confident that it can be overcome with any track.



I have scrapers in front and behind the carage The build up gets on the wheels mostly on the exhast side of the saw.Packs on the the front wheel then comes off in lumps inhibiting an smooth roll.Yes I am sure it can be over come just got to take more time to do so.


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## gene1605 (Feb 2, 2010)

*scrapers*



r.man said:


> i have seen pics of at least two mills that use scrapers on inverted angle track so i expect that local conditions and wood type play a large part in any buildup problem and i am confident that it can be overcome with any track.



If you feel the need for scrapers try using a short piece of pipe3/4in. welded vertical to the carriage, drop in a piece of 3/4 bar stock, and weld on a cap.


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## r.man (Feb 2, 2010)

*gene*

did you market your sawmills under a brand name or under your own? i think i have seen that distinct carriage top somewhere else but i can't find it.


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## gene1605 (Feb 2, 2010)

*market*



r.man said:


> did you market your sawmills under a brand name or under your own? i think i have seen that distinct carriage top somewhere else but i can't find it.



I had a web site [alaskan bandsaw mills ] for a short while, Ooolder brother and I only sold mills local with very little advertisement, happy customers is the best way to sell.


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## r.man (Feb 3, 2010)

*gene*

did you get my email address? i sent it to you the day after you requested it via the personal message system here. 
i see that alaskan bandsaw mills is listed as a manufacturer in a sawmilling forum site that i found today.


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## redprospector (Feb 3, 2010)

FJH said:


> I have scrapers in front and behind the carage The build up gets on the wheels mostly on the exhast side of the saw.Packs on the the front wheel then comes off in lumps inhibiting an smooth roll.Yes I am sure it can be over come just got to take more time to do so.



If the scrapers aren't cutting it, and you still have problems with sawdust packing on the wheels try mounting a stiff bristle brush to rub on the top of each wheel, and possibly rubbing the track in front of the rear wheels. It helps a lot.

Andy


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## r.man (Feb 3, 2010)

*redprospector*

let me say first that i think that brushes to displace sawdust are a good idea and it was the very first thing that i thought of when i heard of the problem of sawdust building up on wheels and tracks. the second thing i thought of was frozen sawdust building up. this brings me to an interesting offshoot of this forum. i don't expect ice and snow are a big problem for you in new mexico but i would be interested in hearing about specific heat related problems. would i be correct in guessing that you have to deal with heat and possibly other things that a canadian might only encounter once a year or not at all? keep in mind that what you find commonplace i might find exotic. thanks.


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## FJH (Feb 3, 2010)

redprospector said:


> If the scrapers aren't cutting it, and you still have problems with sawdust packing on the wheels try mounting a stiff bristle brush to rub on the top of each wheel, and possibly rubbing the track in front of the rear wheels. It helps a lot.
> 
> Andy


Thanx Andy I have very little room for brushes but I will think on that a bit!


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