Widow Makes a Mill

[WidowMaker1]

 

[WidowMaker1]

 

[WidowMaker1]

 

[WidowMaker1]

 

[mad murdock]

Nice Workmanship. Looks likemthatmwill be a 2
Man operation. How much does it weigh?

 

[BobL]

Looks good WM!

The way the sawdust guard is designed the sawdust will fall down into and in front of your feet. When milling a big log this becomes a PITA. As more of the log gets cut away the layer of sawdust underneath your feet will build up a lot more than you think. Cutting the last few slabs will then require bending over more than necessary because your feet will be 6 inches higher off the ground than it should be. I found its better to leave the cut away and angle of offshoot of the drive sprocket guard as is so the sawdust shoots out away from the log. Sure one can stop and rake it aside but it is not necessary if the guard is designed with this in mind to begin with.

Like this

I'd flare the guard out as per the lime green section and completely cut away the area bounded by the blue as it is unnecessary.

It also looks like your exhaust vents direct onto the chain? I will be very interested to see what effect that has on the chain and bar.
There are also gaps between the guard and saw body where the wrap handle is. I found it was better to have the guard as sealed up as possible around that edge otherwise the oily sawdust made a bit of mess in that area. Anyway I guess you'll find out how it goes.

I'd also be getting rid of as much as possible of the inboard long threaded rod. When starting a log the curvature of the log could be such that your skid may not be low enough to stop the bolt digging into the side of the log and you will then have to hold the mill away from the side of the log. Ideally the skid should be able to be moved up and down in a vertical direction to take this into account. This is less of a problem when milling the lower half of the log although a wheel on the upright near the bar will probably help.

My last point is a small one but I reckon it helps to see the tip of the aux oil delivery point or at least the area right near the tip while you are cutting as for a whole lot of reasons the oil might stop coming out and so something can be done about it. I like to see a little pool or oil around the exit point.

 

[WidowMaker1]

Looks good WM!

The way the sawdust guard is designed the sawdust will fall down into and in front of your feet. When milling a big log this becomes a PITA. As more of the log gets cut away the layer of sawdust underneath your feet will build up a lot more than you think. Cutting the last few slabs will then require bending over more than necessary because your feet will be 6 inches higher off the ground than it should be. I found its better to leave the cut away and angle of offshoot of the drive sprocket guard as is so the sawdust shoots out away from the log. Sure one can stop and rake it aside but it is not necessary if the guard is designed with this in mind to begin with.

Like this

I'd flare the guard out as per the lime green section and completely cut away the area bounded by the blue as it is unnecessary.

It also looks like your exhaust vents direct onto the chain? I will be very interested to see what effect that has on the chain and bar.
There are also gaps between the guard and saw body where the wrap handle is. I found it was better to have the guard as sealed up as possible around that edge otherwise the oily sawdust made a bit of mess in that area. Anyway I guess you'll find out how it goes.

I'd also be getting rid of as much as possible of the inboard long threaded rod. When starting a log the curvature of the log could be such that your skid may not be low enough to stop the bolt digging into the side of the log and you will then have to hold the mill away from the side of the log. Ideally the skid should be able to be moved up and down in a vertical direction to take this into account. This is less of a problem when milling the lower half of the log although a wheel on the upright near the bar will probably help.

My last point is a small one but I reckon it helps to see the tip of the aux oil delivery point or at least the area right near the tip while you are cutting as for a whole lot of reasons the oil might stop coming out and so something can be done about it. I like to see a little pool or oil around the exit point.

Thanks bob. :msp_smile:

yeah all good points mate, its a interesting process building a better mill, it changes all the time as you would know, once your finished building a part your already thinking of a better way to do it .....

guess thats the luxury of being a half decent welder, can always change it up .....

I was looking at your clutch cover and a few others on AS, ...i just slapped something up pretty quickly that can always be altered, something like you mentioned, I was planning on flaring it out that way, ill see how it goes anyway for now ..but one positive of the sawdust going straight down to my feet, it'll keep them bloody blood sucking leach's away. lol (not the ones in Canberra but)

still have a muffler pipe to do mate, ...I cut the baffle out all ready... will be doing a pipe like yours that can be bolted onto where the original deflector goes, so many things to do, and i have to scavenge for bits and pieces

and yeah the threaded rods will be cut down once i've determened if ill need to add anything else, might add some wheels to it yet too...., lots of good ideas only enough time in the day....

cheers

 

[WidowMaker1]

Nice Workmanship. Looks likemthatmwill be a 2
Man operation. How much does it weigh?

thanks mate,

one man op, unless i get the wifey hanging on the other end. lol

not shore about the weight, but theres no movement what so ever, it'll be fine when milling as i'll be using a ladder or such ...so starting & ending the cut won't be a drama, one things forshore this thing won't be vibrating or running off course, it balances out perfect too!

cheers

 

[BobL]

No worries WM - I think you will work it one way or another

I was looking at your clutch cover and a few others on AS, ...i just slapped something up pretty quickly that can always be altered, something like you mentioned, I was planning on flaring it out that way, ill see how it goes anyway for now ..but one positive of the sawdust going straight down to my feet, it'll keep them bloody blood sucking leach's away. lol (not the ones in Canberra but)

I can tell you it doesn't keep the bullants away. Was once milling a log in some scrubby bush and didn't see the nest till they were up my shorts - You've never seen anyone get their daks off quicker. Lucky for me my mate was laughing his head off so much he couldn't take a focussed photo of me stumbling around with my daks down around my ankles

 

[WidowMaker1]

No worries WM - I think you will work it one way or another



I can tell you it doesn't keep the bullants away. Was once milling a log in some scrubby bush and didn't see the nest till they were up my shorts - You've never seen anyone get their daks off quicker. Lucky for me my mate was laughing his head off so much he couldn't take a focussed photo of me stumbling around with my daks down around my ankles

yeah its great fun looking for ways to improve things, even if we have to do it several times.

luckily the bullants nests around here are generally a foot higher than ground level, something to do with there nest flooding ....they shore do give a bloody good bite tho, lol ...im shore your mate wishes he got that snap, would of been a funny sight !

thanks for the feedback bob, all the best!

 

[captndavie]

Nice mill. I need a bigger saw now. Then I can build me one.

 

[WidowMaker1]

Nice mill. I need a bigger saw now. Then I can build me one.

thanks bro, its very rewarding building your own stuff, forever changing/improving it ....

 

[Old Blue]

Nice build

Yer making it look easy. Can't wait to see your first slabs. Theres nothing like firing it up and making those first cuts.

Old Blue
Feckless taxation with no representation in....
Kali-bone-ya

 

[WidowMaker1]

Yer making it look easy. Can't wait to see your first slabs. Theres nothing like firing it up and making those first cuts.

Old Blue
Feckless taxation with no representation in....
Kali-bone-ya

cheers mate thanks. on the home run now i hope ....just a little fine tuning, add a few things, and thread locking it all down for its first run

 

[WidowMaker1]

Just a small gum, first try of the New mill, had to run the chain in & test it out ...went really well!

 

[WidowMaker1]

 

[WidowMaker1]

Will finish up running it in, a little fine tuning here and there, & gotta file the chain back to 10* ...and move onto some forest red gum & Ironbark next, thanks for looking!

 

[WidowMaker1]

 

[WidowMaker1]

 

[john taliaferro]

Pipe should work great at removing exhaust ,and youll be amazed bout how it blows sawdust away from your feet .Whats the wood ,looks like oak?