old fart building bandmill

ArtB · Mar 22, 2015

Time is not a factor, will build just for fun, retired old engineer. Probably putter with it for 6 months.

Looking for comments as to pitfalls or what is often overlooked. Tell me what sounds stupid or unworkable.

I have lots of junk sitting around to use.

Plan on using old 1984 2.2L Chrysler engine and tranny on 4 post frame with a '63 GMC truck chassis and rear axle as start of frame. Driven wheel from RH transaxle of the 2.2L engine, offset to get full clearance. Weld the differential gears. Other side will drive a surplus 4 kW generator to power electrical loads. 2 power steering pumps to power the hydraulics, or add a hyd pump. Probably have an onboard air compressor and supply.

Have some old aircraft 737 nose wheel tires (15", rated 9600# at 225 mph) and plan on 120 psi inflation and throw a few handfuls of brass pellets into the tires for balancing. Will true up by having a lathe attachment to the mounting with rotary circular cutter.

Hydraulic log handling, similar to commercial setups.

Not sure what to use yet for feed, cable or rack and pinion if I can find a surplus rack. Any suggestions for feed mechanism.

Band speed control via the speed control from the car the engine was salvaged from. Only concern there is if the lack of the car inertia will make the speed control unstable, may need to revise?

dual 3 bearing guides

thinking of using an old 4000 psi pressure washer for cleaning cut line, but water availability may change this plan.

Thinking of using old trash compactor screws for height adjustment, or maybe hydraulic with electric control valves and electrical height feedback or using old car rack/pinion steering gear for height.

Adamant · Mar 23, 2015

Well I can't help you, but I'd love to pull up a chair and watch, figuratively speaking of course.[emoji102]

Mike Van · Mar 25, 2015

Art - I think you'll save a lot of time & money by using the search tab here, if you type in bandmill you can probably read for a month. Lots of these have been made, many of your ideas sound too heavy to me, too overbuilt means more energy/size required to move the head up& down, the carriage back & forth. No need to vary the speed of the band, the carriage can be done with a dc motor & control. Or, a hydro transaxle from a garden tractor powered by ? would do it too. We like pics here. Just saying.

chads · Mar 25, 2015

I would think 30 hp would be gods a plenty hp unless your running it all day long
every day you may be able to use that hp if you move the log on carriage and keep the rest bolted down.
If you got more I guess it would suck up some more gas.
I would take a look a a few you tube videos an see what other guys are using.
Some of the small mills up to 18-20 " or so will use a 5hp motor manual everything else.
I saw one of those being used and was surprised how well it worked. the tracks laid on the ground and you could just roll log on it.
I would take a look at those and the biggest commercial ones to compare and see what fits your needs. the one I saw had a hydraulic motor with a #50 or so chain to pull it along.

A bigger mower engine may be easy to salvage and another smaller one to run the hydraulics for feed and log lift dogs and log roller with 12v electric height control seem pretty common on the bigger portable mills.

I would like to build one too but just don't know how much I would use it.
I already have piles and piles of wood I can get to sometime from my chainsaw mill.

Like you I like to use what I have on hand. Maybe you could run it on two cylinders and block off the other two valves somehow so it wouldn't use too much fuel.
Sounds like fun project. It may be easier to run a generator with that engine and power everything else with electric if your planning to go out to do cutting.
If you have the logs at the house you could just plug it in. Just a thought.
Chad

ArtB · Mar 26, 2015

Thanks for the responses.
One of the reasons for using a big engine is I have a few just sitting around, no desire to just scrap them.
Time is basically chalked up against 'recreation' as I'll only work on it as the mood hits me.
DW wanted a few cars out of the yard, this is one way to use parts and still keep stuff around.
Did think of just electric, a friend has a 7.5 HP stationary bandmill that works just fine on DFir, but why not 'bigger the better?' as I don't 'need' a bandmill, but do have plenty of logs. Have 32 acres near St. Helens that I can haul this too if I get ambitious.

After 50 years of scrounging, have so much stuff around (steel, hyd, elec, etc.) that can probably build the mill for just the cost of cutting oxygen, welding rod and electricity. Best to leave behind some of the junk in useful form for the grandkids.

Have started on the power head. First pic shows the RH transaxle where I plan to weld on 6 way adjustable fittings for the wheels, driven by the tranaxle.
2nd pic is other end with car dashboard controls welded to frame.
3 pic is one idea for head height adjustment - small winch on overhead A-frame with automatic clamping on the posts.
Last pic is what is left of the car the engine came out of, I let the grandkids go after car bodies with the backhoe, great fun for them, esp with the hyd thumb on backhoe, can act like a dragon chewing the car.
Probably a few weeks till more is done.