Homebuilt Band Mill

[J_T]

 Have been gauthering parts a long time and looking at all the other folks projects and have decided to build one  Some things I have been wondering has anyone ever drove both wheels  Why not what will happen This thing won't be moved much if any saw head will rool on two 12'' Ibeam they were under a drive on truck scale they 20' long  Have a part that is allready built that will clear a 26'' log I can widen if nessery or do you good Homey engerneers think that is big enough Noticed Fd talking about a bigger blade am thinking one and a half or two Going to use at least a 20hp 3ph motor also have a stock of hyd cylenders,air switcres and motors of all sorts so if it can be done without gitting out of my seat I'm going to try to build one. My uncle is project manager if he don't fire me  So jump in and sock it to me   

[moosehunter]

J_T,
 You should always "pull" the blade thru the wood. I would think it would be very difficult to have both wheels driven at precisly the same speed. It seems like driving both wheels would be problematic and would be detrimental to blade life. No facts here, just thoughts
MH

[Bibbyman]

I'd like to know why anyone would want to build a band sawmill when there are a hundred companies making them at all ranges of prices and features.

Just to plug some of the FF Sponsors.

Baker's Little Buddy is $2500.

Wood-Mizer's LT15 is less than $6,000.

TimberKing's 1220 probably comes in somewhere between on price.

I don't see how you can pull together the materials and build one for those prices. 

PLUS... they have shielding, factory support, warrantee,  and re-sale value.

Just my question of the day....

[Dan_Shade]

I think if you have fabrication know-how and a pile of junk laying around, you can put together a mill pretty cheap.

I'd think most guys making their own mills really don't care about resale.

[J_T]

Moosehunter didn't know that .Bibbyman I got every part lying around you can think of,the parts the saw head will run up and down is three quarter plates with rollers and grease fittings on them every thing is supper heavey. Resale is not imporant have had those 12'' I beams for 5 years and no one wanted to buy them so I'll use em . I even got a cab sitting around and my uncle likes to build things too he is 78 and likes to stay buissey  When I no longer want it I may sell it cheep or give it to someone .May not need it long . If some one gave me a manual mill I couldn't run it have been runing my circle saw my self and am loosing up the carrage using the hyd log tunner. Years ago I was hit by a tree and later another one so my body is almost done kids don't need a high teck mill to sell Dan Shade I think you are right got to take a rainey day and go pick up five hyd units they are compleat units out of a factory one has a two stage pump and a 20hp 3ph motor on it even got all the high pressure gauges on em grab your welding helmit and come on over . Thanks and keep it comming 

[moosehunter]

J_T
 I am looking for a hydraulic cylinder, yer post says you have some. I posted in the wanted section. Check out my post & see if you have something that might work.
Thanks, MH

[jrokusek]

I'd like to know why anyone would want to build a band sawmill when there are a hundred companies making them at all ranges of prices and features.

Just to plug some of the FF Sponsors.
Baker's Little Buddy is $2500.
Wood-Mizer's LT15 is less than $6,000.
TimberKing's 1220 probably comes in somewhere between on price.
I don't see how you can pull together the materials and build one for those prices. 
PLUS... they have shielding, factory support, warrantee,  and re-sale value.
Just my question of the day....

For me it's just a cost issue.  By the time I'm done (in a few weeks) I'll have about $700 invested.  I really don't need one of these machines...I just want to cut my own lumber for my woodworking hobby.  If I get seriously addicted I'll probably purchase a commercial mill.  For me, resale value isn't even an issue.  I'll take the motor off and use it for something else, put the tires & rims on a trailer, sell some other small pieces on Ebay, and sell the rest for scrap!   

[J_T]

Jrokusek You gunna have a high dollar mill I hope to get out for less Of course at fifty cents an hour for my labor it may get rough but every one says I an't worth that much anyway Good thing my aunt feed us when i'm at my uncle"s or it would be bad. Moosehunter man up the road has a used splitter lying over to the side trying to get it cheep. Now I have two pairs of matching large cylenders one used large 30" on a metal baler I built batch of smaller hyd and air cyl"s six or eight hyd pumps all size and motors. When I get done what ever I don't need I would let go at cost or trade for most anything which is how I got most this stuff Gave a man down around New Orleans an old ten gallon milk can and later he sent me a hyd control valve and forty foot of new hose he had lying around .Sometimes I make more giving stuff away

[raycon]

Two wheel drive bandmill...hmmm. Maybe cut both ways. Put 2 bands on or one band with teeth on both sides and mill on the return....You could invent a jig to zipper weld  2 bands together back-back.

If the goal is to make something out of  scrap a bandmill/swingmill  is a good a project as any I can think of. 

[GF]

I say go for it, I built my own also.  first I started out wanting a small manual mill as time went by as I was building it hydraulics were added, at the end I had a fully hydraulic mill.  Alot of time was involved but I felt like I save alot of money over purchasing a fully hydraulic mill.  The most expense I had was all the new hydraulics components, and the sectional spool valve, I have been very pleased with the outcome and the performance.  Right now I am looking at increasing the horsepower, I power the unit with a 4 cylinder Winsconsin VH4D engine that is rated at 30 HP, I would like to bump it up to a 65 HP unit. 

[Bibbyman]

I once saw a band mill with V-belt pulley bandwheels.  Instead of a single belt on each wheel, it had one long belt that went over both wheels.  It had two idler type wheels that held the belt up over the cutting window. 

I’m thinking…. This was also the drive belt as the motor pulley may have been in there somewhere too.  Thus,  one long belt was the drive belt AND the tires for the bandwheels.

[jrokusek]

Jrokusek You gunna have a high dollar mill I hope to get out for less Of course at fifty cents an hour for my labor it may get rough but every one says I an't worth that much anyway ........................Sometimes I make more giving stuff away

I've got more time than money and more ambition than brains.  If I figure in my labor costs and all the time I've spent planning, researching and just thinking about this thing......I'll have about $20,000 invested! 

[D._Frederick]

Some people can fabricate a piece of equipment that would match any designed and build under factory conditions. Other build things that are down right dangerous. Most home built stuff ends up sold for scrap, if you use the 80-20 rule, 80% is scrap. Companies that design equipment to sell, will build and test a number of models to work the bugs out before turning it over to their marketing dept. . Home designs never go thru this process.

[J_T]

Thank"s Bibbyman though someone might of tried it  Jrokusey me too at my 50cent an hour D Frederick That is how I get a lot of my things some people can"t fix anything my last welder was one a man threw away it had the heat set button stuck My uncle is building a track loader he cut the lift off an old skid steer it will fit in with his hyd drive home built garden tractor . His son does coustom fabercating and has one or two of most any kind of welder there is won't loan me one either My son's fatherinlaw owns a robot welding co they build the compleat machine so I have support if needed . But I can copy most anything all my parts are just lots heaver means it won"t turn over as easy