# my gene's band mill copy



## lps8 (Mar 3, 2013)

Have been working on assembly of my mill for about a week a few hours at a time as I can. This is where I'm at. Thanks to Gene for all the help. Larry
View attachment 282623
View attachment 282622


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## Mac88 (Mar 3, 2013)

Cool. Looks real good. :msp_thumbsup:


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## nelson45 (Mar 3, 2013)

lps8 said:


> Have been working on assembly of my mill for about a week a few hours at a time as I can. This is where I'm at. Thanks to Gene for all the help. Larry
> View attachment 282623
> View attachment 282622



Looking good, gene has good design. Mine cut good first try no messing around.

Best of luck


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## Old Hilly (Mar 4, 2013)

Gene has a good, simple and well proven design with all the bugs ironed out (except for the hard work). You WILL enjoy using the machine even if the timber frustrates the hell out of you!
Good luck and remember to always finish the day with the same number of fingers you started with.
Dennis.


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## lps8 (Mar 4, 2013)

*thanks*

Thanks for all the words or encouragement. Hope to finish soon if I can get in a few good nights.

Larry


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## Jredsjeep (Mar 4, 2013)

Very nice, keep it up!


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## lps8 (Mar 9, 2013)

*band mill running*

[video=youtube_share;GaLJCLmNhbw]http://youtu.be/GaLJCLmNhbw[/video]

Today I finished most of the assembly of "Gene's mill". Just fired it off tonight just to see if it runs. Have to finish some welding and adjustments, then mount it on my carriage. Thanks for all the help Gene.

Will get some action shots when I start cutting wood.

Larry


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## Old Hilly (Mar 10, 2013)

Looking good, let us know when you start to have fun.
Dennis.


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## lps8 (Mar 12, 2013)

*started sawing*

Brought the mill home from the shop last night. Had some things to take off the frame so I could use the band mill. Finished up late this afternoon. Cut my first log with Gene's mill. Ran fine, no problems so far.

Try to get some pics and maybe a video tomorrow. 

Larry


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## lps8 (Mar 14, 2013)

*started cutting today*

Started cutting today on my Gene's mill copy, only a little bigger. I was cutting some cedar 5/4 to plane down to 1" for a counter top for a desk and a fabric cutting table for sewing. 

Everything worked fine except when cutting yard trees, you might hit a nail or 2, which I did, 2 new blades down. 

I think I'm really going to like it better than the csm. I may try to sell my 3120 and gantry that it is mounted on. All that would be needed is a would be a frame. I mounted my bandmill on the existing frame. 













Larry


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## Dan_IN_MN (Mar 14, 2013)

lps8 said:


> Started cutting today on my Gene's mill copy, only a little bigger. I was cutting some cedar 5/4 to plane down to 1" for a *counter top for a desk and a fabric cutting table for sewing. *
> ........
> 
> 
> ...



Looks like it works well! Wish I had one, I've got a couple of Ash logs awaiting to be sliced up.


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## Old Hilly (Mar 14, 2013)

See, I just knew you were going to enjoy yourself!
Great job, looks good and seems to work really well also.


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## Jredsjeep (Mar 14, 2013)

great work! is that a trailer fender for your cover? looks nice


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## lps8 (Mar 14, 2013)

*saw guards*



Jredsjeep said:


> great work! is that a trailer fender for your cover? looks nice



Thanks, the guards are diamond plate alum sheet that I fabricated. Cut the radius out on a bandsaw and rolled flat to fit and spot welded. Straight section from on a sm break. Will try to get some close ups if interested.

Larry


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## Mac88 (Mar 14, 2013)

No offense to the CSM guys, but there is night and day difference between a bandmill and a CSM. Both have their place though. The CSM will get into a lot of places where you can't take a bandmill. No flames from the CSM guys, please. :msp_smile:

Get yourself a metal detector. It'll pay for itself in short order, especially if you're cutting yard and fencerow trees.


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## lps8 (Mar 14, 2013)

*metal detector*



Mac88 said:


> No offense to the CSM guys, but there is night and day difference between a bandmill and a CSM. Both have their place though. The CSM will get into a lot of places where you can't take a bandmill. No flames from the CSM guys, please. :msp_smile:
> 
> Get yourself a metal detector. It'll pay for itself in short order, especially if you're cutting yard and fencerow trees.



Any advice on a metal detector that will detect nails? I knew I needed one before I even started, tried a radio shack one that one of my employees had to no avail. Going to take something better than that.

Larry


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## Jredsjeep (Mar 15, 2013)

lps8 said:


> Thanks, the guards are diamond plate alum sheet that I fabricated. Cut the radius out on a bandsaw and rolled flat to fit and spot welded. Straight section from on a sm break. Will try to get some close ups if interested.
> 
> Larry



i think i get the picture, i would not mind seeing more pics though. everyone love pics LOL inspire me to get more done on mine!


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## qbilder (Mar 15, 2013)

Mac88 said:


> No offense to the CSM guys, but there is night and day difference between a bandmill and a CSM. Both have their place though. The CSM will get into a lot of places where you can't take a bandmill. No flames from the CSM guys, please. :msp_smile:



Spot on truth right there. 

Don't sell your 3120. You'll want it for big or awkward stuff. It won't get used a lot but when you need it, and you will, it will suck if you don't have it. I mean if you wanna sell it to me for stupid cheap then yeah you should sell it right away  Otherwise keep it handy.


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## Old Hilly (Mar 16, 2013)

Mac, you can never have enough chainsaws, especially big ones. Hang onto the 3120, it'll come in really handy one day and then you will be glad you didn't sell it.


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## ReggieT (Mar 17, 2013)

Mac88 said:


> Cool. Looks real good. :msp_thumbsup:



Hey Mac, 

How have ya been? Just got 3 little blocks of some seasoned Shagbark Hickory....good looking, but God almighty the bugs sure love the bark...they went running everywhere as I was bouncing them around!:msp_ohmy:

Is it just better on this wood to "de-bark" asap?:confused2: 

Later

Reggie


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## Mac88 (Mar 19, 2013)

lps8 said:


> Any advice on a metal detector that will detect nails? I knew I needed one before I even started, tried a radio shack one that one of my employees had to no avail. Going to take something better than that.
> 
> Larry



My BIL bought a kinda wazoo detector from somewhere. First chance I get I'll find out the make and model. We've used it on some 40"+ oaks. It found nails and fence wire.


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## Mac88 (Mar 19, 2013)

ReggieT said:


> Hey Mac,
> 
> How have ya been? Just got 3 little blocks of some seasoned Shagbark Hickory....good looking, but God almighty the bugs sure love the bark...they went running everywhere as I was bouncing them around!:msp_ohmy:
> 
> ...



How's it going Reg? Busy here, and not with wood cutting. Got a big stack of logs out back. We hope to get to them soon. 

We had a nice bark-on shagbark log laying on the ground for a year. It didn't even make good firewood when we got around to sawing it.


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## ReggieT (Mar 19, 2013)

Mac88 said:


> How's it going Reg? Busy here, and not with wood cutting. Got a big stack of logs out back. We hope to get to them soon.
> 
> We had a nice bark-on shagbark log laying on the ground for a year. It didn't even make good firewood when we got around to sawing it.


Hmm...not good news Mac. I guess I'll use the most of this in the pit & grill this spring-fall...I like to mix it with a little pecan and mesquite when I do steaks, chicken and oxtail stew!


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## Mac88 (Mar 19, 2013)

ReggieT said:


> Hmm...not good news Mac. I guess I'll use the most of this in the pit & grill this spring-fall...I like to mix it with a little pecan and mesquite when I do steaks, chicken and oxtail stew!



Just curious, let me know what you find when you open them up.


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## lps8 (Mar 20, 2013)

*scale and some milling*

Had the mill up and running for a few days. Had a little problem to start with in getting everything adjusted. Had to balance my new tires and I kept throwing the v-belt. Did not have the belt tight enough. Had to adjust the blade guides to get it to cut level, but finally got it to work right.

For what I am doing, I like the band mill better than the csm. It is faster and easier.

View attachment 285743


I made a scale for the different cut that I do. For 3/4 finished boards, I mill to 15/16, for 1" finished boards, I mill to 1 1/4, that way I can plane to desired size. For rough sawn boards, I do 3/4 and 1 1/2. All 4 scales are shown with a blade allowance. Each size has a color to line up with that allows for blade.

View attachment 285744


If anyone is interested in the scale, pm me with an email address and I will send you a jpg file that you can print. You have to trim it up and put it together and laminate it, then zero it on your mill.

Larry


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## lps8 (Mar 24, 2013)

*Mill doin fine and I can sew too*

Mill is running great. I like it. Quicker and cleaner. 

Needed to cut some more cedar for a top for a desk I am building. 
Made a cover for my bsm. 
Had a visitor on my back porch eating the cats food. We have all kinds of visitors. Coons, possums, skunks, and foxes because we feed our animals well. I quit live trapping because of the skunks. How do you get one out of a trap? View attachment 286661
View attachment 286662
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Not much to do now except cut some wood. Thanks to Jean!!!

I would like to come up with a turning system, maybe hydraulic powered.

Larry


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## lps8 (Apr 19, 2013)

*close up of story pole/cutting scale*

Finally had a little time to finish milling cedar log that had been on my mill for a couple of weeks. 

This is a closeup of my saw scale. It is set on yellow which is for 1 1/4" cuts. Just drop it down to the next yellow line for a 1 1/4" cut and it should cut all the way down to the bottom with an 1 1/4" board left. In this case with this particular log, I could get a full width cut at the first yellow mark above 12". I started there and went from yellow line to yellow line which is 1/8" wide to show where the blade is. 

View attachment 291318


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## lps8 (Apr 21, 2013)

*scale feedback*

I have been getting some feedback about the scale. Having trouble printing to the right size and quality. 

I have attached a pdf file. I used a pdf reader (foxit) to open, then under the print option, no scale and came out right size. I'm sure adobe will work as well. You can also change the scale if further adjustment is necessary.

Give me some feedback if you try it.

Larry

View attachment 291696


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