The New Bandmill That I Built

[rbarshaw]

 
A front view, 4' wide, 28' long
 
The 4-4" rollers
 
 
65HP Wisconsin engine I got from an auction for $140
 
A hydraulic manifold from the same auction
 
Bandwheel headrig moveable end
 
37" by 2" bandwheels
 
Bandwheel rig prior to welding two sides up
 
65HP rear view
 
Bandwheel rig on four post
 
Lead screw to raise lower, brass nut in lower area
 
Sprocket at top of lead screw to be chain driven, 1 of 4
 
Various 2 groove pulleys off of Ebay
 
4" roller, 1 of 4
 
headrig with one band wheel and a 6' level accross it for scale
 
7 groove pulley for engine
 
One side of axel

[brdmkr]

Looking good!

[DanG]

Wow, you've been a busy guy, Bob!  Going with hydraulics this time?  Looks like you'll have plenty of power, too.   When do you expect to have her up and running?

[rbarshaw]

In a few mo. I may have it running as a manual mill, till I get the hyd figured.

[customsawyer]

Way to go she is coming along.

[bandmiller2]

Good work Bob,I've been there and done that,make everything adjustable.I believe the best sawyers are the the guys that have built or set up their own mills ,band or circle.Hydraulics is like a cold beer on a hot day,do it now wile your under construction or it will be put off. Frank C.

[thecfarm]

bandmiller2 is correct,make everything adjustable on it.I bought mine fron a small machine shop and I can do all sorts of agjustments with my head,if needed.That was one of the reason I bought it.I've never had to do a thing with it,yet.Looks like a good project.If I knew a little about hyds,I would go with them.Makes things so much eaiser to work with.Or should I say takes alot of work out of it.Good luck.

[getoverit]

Lookin real good Robert!

Somehow I miss the motorcycle engine though

[rbarshaw]

getoverit  -  Somehow I miss the motorcycle engine though


I miss it too, It's setting on the ground under this mill, I'm thinking about making a trike for my wife with it.

[mike_van]

Bob, what size Acme rod did you use on the head?

[TexasTimbers]

Looking good Bob. it's a whole lot more work than what pictures can tell ain't it. i haven't built a bandmill but I have fabricated plenty and even small projects can eat up a day, and even a week,  before you know it.

I would agree with Frank that you ought to go ahead and finish with the hydraulics and all before you start using it.

[gharlan]

Looks like that is going to be a nice mill. How big a band is it going to take with those 37 inch wheels? Also what width board will it cut?

[rbarshaw]

Bob, what size Acme rod did you use on the head?

I used 4ea. 1/2" rods 10 threads per ", each have a 2" tall brass nut, bearing and sprocket at the top of each.

[rbarshaw]

Looks like that is going to be a nice mill. How big a band is it going to take with those 37 inch wheels? Also what width board will it cut?

I will be using 2" blades with it, haven't figured the blade length yet, width of cut will be just over 30", not to wide but if I made it wider I couldn't put it on the road.

[Tom]

Here's a suggestion, if you feel like playing.  Make the head of the mill so that it will swing to the side.  Then you can make it as wide as you want and still travel with it.  I won't even try to tell you how to do it.  I dont know. There is probably a way whether the head is suspended from the top, cantilevered from one  side, or even designed as a four post. 

Baker played around with a mill that had a head that would swing.  I think it was suspended from above and it's purpose was so that it could cut both ways.  Apparently it never made it out of phase 1.

American or Hudson made a small mill that the head would swing.  It was for cutting both ways too.  I don't think it added to the productivity and I haven't seen it lately either.

Still, the engineering has been done to turn the head and lock it in place, so I know it isn't impossible.  Without trying to cut both directions, it should  be simpler.

[rbarshaw]

Here's a suggestion, if you feel like playing.  Make the head of the mill so that it will swing to the side. 

I have considered it, could set up the bandwheel rig to come apart in the center, or near each wheel, on a socket then remove them on a hinge assembly so they swing to the side for travel.

[jrokusek]

COOL!  I just finished tweaking mine and the homebuilt mill sure is lots of fun to play with!  Looks like yours will be lots more advanced than mine, however.  The suggestions of making everything adjustable is good advice.  Hope you're not a perfectionist.  If you are you will spend lots of time fiddling with everything.  Someone on this forum mentioned that a sawmill is for taking trees apart, not for making perfect lumber in a single pass.   That was the best advice I ever heard.

Anyway, for lots of pictures and homebuilt sawmill info in one spot, take a look at:  http://www.diybandmill.com/      The site has just undergone a major overhaul, but I think it's up and running for good now.

[Firebass]

Looks like fun

If you don't already have a good Hydraulic engineering reference check out http://www.surpluscenter.com/Hydraulic.htm.  I stumbled across this last night and it has everything you need to know about simple hydraulics.  And its fairly simplified.   I also have a program I made myself if any of you would like to email me and I will send you a copy.  Its is a excel spread sheet program thats kind of fun to mess with to see what happens when you mess with things like rpm, psi, pump size, motorsize...  You have to have Microsoft excel to use it.

Firebass

[Furby]

Sponsor Eggimann will help out with the hydraulic stuff as well, give them a call.
Link to their website is on the left of your screen.

[woodbowl]

Hey Bob, good to see you again. Where you been hiding?

Here's a link you got to see, it makes hydraulics a snap.

 http://64.78.42.182/free-ed/MechTech/hydraulics01/default.asp