New mill

[lmbeachy]

Had a good day on Saturday, tried out my new home made mill. It is patterned after a logosolmill. At my age I did not want to spend a whole lot of money, so I did the next best thing. Just a little tweeking to do yet, but it cuts pretty accurate. The log shown on the mill is about 18 inches by 8 ft. I cut 9 10inch boards and and a couple of 2x4

 

[Woodsrover]

Nice John Deere! Looks like a "B"?

 

[lmbeachy]

It is a 1953 Model 40. My dad bought it brand new in March of 53. I was 13 at the time. Years later I was working for a John Deere dealer and rebuilt the hydrolic system. I got the relief valve set a little to tight. Now when you pull the lever to raise the three point lift, something comes up. Either the load or the front of the tractor.. I am having fun doing this, my wife wonders what ails me.

 

[TedChristiansen]

That's great! How well does it work? It certainly costs less! I own a Logosol Woodworkers Mill and really like it. But it was expensive.

Ted

 

[lmbeachy]

Ted: It works well. I had looked at the Logosol mill for a long time, but just didn't feel that I could justify the amount of money that one would cost. I did the same as you did to begin, I bought a Timberjig. With that I cut some lumber, not much, but some 4x4's and 2x4's. I was planning some day to build a mill similar to the logasol, but I really don't have the necessary metal working tools. I finally thought, why not build it out of wood, and that is what happened. I built all kinds of adjustments in it and I am getting it about tweeked to where it is about right. I am 68 years old and figure that it will probably last about as long as I need one. Any how, I am having a lot of fun, doing what I have wanted to do for years and it didn't cost me much. Less than $100.00 for the mill. The 066 set me back by $500. used, but I got a real good deal on it.

 

[dustytools]

Cool looking mill (and boards) Imbeachy. Very nice job.

 

[dingo]

Very good job of mating metal and wood. Just goes to show don't need a lot of money and metal. I like the economics of the mill.

 

[amdburner]

Nice mill Imbeachy! If I had a means of lifting logs I would love to build this setup.

 

[woodshop]

Nice job, welcome to the milling club... it gets in your blood and stays there. Are you a woodworker? What plans do you have for the lumber?

 

[TedChristiansen]

amdburner,

That's the nice thing about the Logosol design, which maybe isnt quite clear. You don't need to lift the logs with this mill, you roll them up a ramp. For larger logs you can use the mill inverted (upside down, screwed to the log), or even on its side to split the log into manageable chunks (quarters, etc). These smaller quarters can then be milled with the mill right side up.

I don't have a picture that shows the ramps installed, but have this one that shows the ramps and where they attach.

This picture from the Logosol website shows it as well: http://www.logosol.com/images/foto/articles/shootout03_m7_b300.jpg
There are some more interesting pictures and stories here: http://www.logosol.com/webb/customerservice/1014a-shows.php

Ted

 

[lmbeachy]

Woodshop. I like to dabble in wood, when I look at some of the items the fellows show that they have made, I really can't call myself a woodworker. I plan to make an OUTHOUSE that will actually be used for storage of my garden tools, etc. I also need to cut enough white oak to make a deck for our above ground pool. It will keep me busy to get this all done and keep up with my regular jobs, gardening and office work.

 

[slnranger]

I like your mill.
Do you have any more pictures of how the saw attaches to the rail?

Is the rail an I beam?

 

[lumberjackchef]

:biggrinbounce2: Yes I agree that is a very nice set up. More pictures please. I have also been thinking of a way to build an economical mill out of wood, possibly like the woodbug design. As one of the previous posters I have no means of lifting logs repetitively. But this is a very pocketbook friendly version of the logosol for sure. Excellent work my friend!:rockn:

 

[lmbeachy]

Here are some more detailed closeups of the mill. As you can see the rail is simply a treated 2x8 cut to fit the base of the slider. The slider is the base of a timberjig from Logosol. The upright post are white oak 4x4s and the support cross beams are two 2x4s that are dadoed into the 4x4 and then bolted together. There is a slot cut into them to permit the lifting arm to raise the log. The lift is provided by a winch and a small cable the extends from the winch to the bottom of the lift and then back up to a fasten point on the support beam. The lifters were clamped together before the holes were drilled through them . The holes are drill in 1/4 inch increments. I used a punched angle iron for a guide in measuring the holes. The holes are drilled to accept a 1/4 pin so that there is no variance.

 

[scottr]

lmbeachy , nice mill . Is there a roller on the timberjig base ?

 

[lmbeachy]

No rollers, just wax the board, it slides easily.

 

[OZDOG]

very nice set up ! hope to see more pic of it in action

 

[scottr]

Tweaking

lmbeachy , in developing your mill did you try angling the bar to cut at a bias ?

 

[lmbeachy]

Scott: Yes I did and while it cuts faster and easier, it tends to magnify any flaws in the alignment of the saw. In order for it to work the saw must be perfectly aligned in every way. the smallest deviation will cause the cut to be off. I tried and decided that it just wasn't worth it.

 

[woodshop]

Woodshop. I like to dabble in wood, when I look at some of the items the fellows show that they have made, I really can't call myself a woodworker.

Good job on that mill imbeachy, lots of matter-of-fact basic ingenuity. Reminds me of some of the jigs I have made over the years in my shop. As for not calling yourself a woodworker after seeing others work wood... don't sell yourself short. Think of woodworking like baseball. Who among us has never picked up a bat and swung at a ball? Who among us has never picked up a hammer or a saw? Almost everybody plays baseball, and almost everybody has at one time tried a little woodworking to some degree. There are sandlot players and then there are major league players. SAme with woodworkers. You can always find somebody with a better shop, more skill if only because that's ALL they do. Most of us have other pursuits, but we can still call ourselves woodworkers. We don't have to be Norm Abrahms to qualify.

Keep us coming with pics of that mill in action. Good job on saving a few bucks and doing it yourself.