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Big Bandmill

Started by dad2nine, March 27, 2007, 11:49:50 PM

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dad2nine

Who manufactures a big band mill, one that will rip down the center of a some 60" dia hickory logs?

Brad_S.

I don't know of any company that offers a stock portable bandmill to do that. There are companies that will custom make one though. If you're talking about a fixed mill like the ones out west that cut giant redwoods, you're out of my league!
There is a chainsaw mill that is used to break down large logs that can also be used to saw out boards or flitches.
http://www.lmequipmentusa.com/ls2000.htm
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

scsmith42

A swingmill with a slabbing bar will do the trick.  A swingmill w/o the slabbing bar will still cut up a 60" log.

I happen to know where there's a swingmill about 75 miles south of you...

Scott
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

dad2nine

Quote from: scsmith42 on March 28, 2007, 12:05:51 AM

I happen to know where there's a swingmill about 75 miles south of you...

Scott

Yeah I do too  :D and I need to come see it run.

scsmith42

Well bring that big ol hickory log on down and we can whittle on it for a while!
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

Brad_S.

Quote from: scsmith42 on March 28, 2007, 12:05:51 AM
A swingmill with a slabbing bar will do the trick. 

I thought a swing mill with a slabbing bar is limited to a depth of cut equal to it's rated depth, i.e. 6,8,9 or 10"? Getting to the center of a 60" log would require a 30" capacity. A chainsaw with a 30+" bar would also accomplish the task but with much less precision.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

Ga_Boy

Brad,

You are correct, a swinger can only make a drop to it's blade limit.  An example is my WPF 10" can only make a 10" drop.

I think what Scott was alluding to is a swinger with a Slabbing bar can make drops up to its depth limit while making a 60" width cut.  This equates to making many cuts to reduce a 60" dia log in to large slabs. 

Also, please note that on a Peterson swing mill you will have to block up the frame to make the opening cuts.  I had to block up my mill by 18" to cut those 60" dia. White Oak logs we milled.  When you block up the mill that high you also have to build a paltform to stand on.  Ask me how I know that one.... ;D

Chime in here Scott if I have interpreted your comments incorrectly.





Mark
10 Acers in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Dan_Shade

it's also a little bit of fun to get the saw on the tracks too :)

sawing a 60" log is a challenge, and I like a good challenge!
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

Kelvin

Whatcha ripping it for?  I bought a stihl 088 on ebay for $750 with a 55" bar that i rip mine fairly accurately with.  You can make a dedicated slabber pretty easy.  It would use a simple 4 post saw type head, a chainsaw bar and either an electric motor or gas motor.  I've seen some made that were perfect, but the chainsaw is much more portable, does a great job and takes about 15 mins.  No assembly required.
Kelvin

Engineer

That's a huge bandmill.  Hud-Son makes a 52" mill that can cut to the center of a 46" log, but it's barely portable due to DOT width restrictions.

You'd be much better off ripping with a BIG chainsaw and bar and putting quarter sections on a smaller bandmill.  Even a 30" wide quarter is a monster for most bandmills (especially hickory).

On the other hand - I'd love to see 60" wide hickory slabs.

Bob_T

Linn Lumber has a new bandsaw model that I think will handle a 50" diameter log.

Bob
1959 FWD Model 286 Dump Truck
1955 Allis Chalmers HD-6G Crawler Loader
1941 GMC CCKW 6X6
Wood-Mizer LT30 G18

mike_van

Over the years, i've had 2 ash & 1 oak that were in the 4' dia range. All three, [8 footers]  I split with about 6 wood wedges & sledgehammer. The oak was the easiest, it had a nice straight check right across the butt. Hickory, I don't know that would split so good.  Not much waste from any of them when they split straight, no $$$$ invested in equipment I might use once every 4 years.   
I was the smartest 16 year old I ever knew.

jim king

Here in the Amazon we have a lot of trees this size and no one wants them as they destroy the mills production for the day...   I will take 12 to 30 inch logs anyday over the monsters.

scsmith42

Mark - you interpreted correctly, and thanks for the clarification.

Brad - your point is valid; if you want to end up with a couple of "half logs" on a 60" log, then the slabbing bar would not be a good choice.

But, if you want to cut a 60" wide slab, no more than 10" thick, then a Peterson WPF and slabbing bar is the ticket.

SS
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

Ianab

Quote from: jim king on March 28, 2007, 02:33:21 PM
Here in the Amazon we have a lot of trees this size and no one wants them as they destroy the mills production for the day...   I will take 12 to 30 inch logs anyday over the monsters.

Thats where the swingblade mills come in, big logs are great production. OK there is a bit of setup time if you have to move the mill to each log, but once it's set you can really cut some boards. The mills can also be built to order with a larger frame if you were going to be cutting 60"+ logs all the time.

Cheers

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

dad2nine

Was thinking of some nice hickory slab table or counter tops, could be allusions of grander too :-\

I could bust them up in quarters with a chainsaw, but just seems like such a waste to cut fine looking wood into small chunks just to accommodate my WM. Hickory does not benefit much in appearance from being QS but if push comes to shove, I'll bust em up - just don't want too
::).


Hud-son Oscar 52" Diameter Log Capacity cuts 46" between Hud-Son Guides.




Dan_Shade

find a 36" alaskan, and trim up the slabs until you can get what  you want from it.

anyway you look at it, it's tough to work with a log of that size.
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

TexasTimbers

mike van - I would like for you to elaborate on this more and post some pictures if you have any

jim king - yes, but you are looking at it strictly from a business/production standpoint. Those of us who seek the perfect slab much like a surfer chases that elusive wave tend to throw out reason and economics. ;)

Scott - I could find this out by searching archives but i am lazy and need to get off this puter for a couple hours at least and do some more work ;) Do you have a slabber for that thing and have you cut some yet ???

dad2nine - if yhou are seriously considering making a wide bandmill I have one in my head I have never seen or heard of that approaches it from an entirely new direction. I have not mentioned it because it will be next year before I have the time to do it. But if you are thining about building one I would not mind someone paving the way and working out the bugs before I build mine. I am planning to go 50' wide because I wanted to cut up to 48" wide slabs but there is no reason you could not use this same design for one wider. Would just take a little more blade tension and maybe a 3" blade versus the 2" I planned to use.
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

mike_van

kevjay, no pics, sorry -  Red oak & ash split pretty nice,  the 3 logs I had wouldn't have fit in my mill, they were around 4' dia. Split in half, I had 2 pieces about 2' thick in the middle by 4' across.  One of these halves loaded on my mill with the split face against the stops, i'd cut off the top at 39", as high as I can go.  Make some cuts there, then turn that face down 180 & repeat.  As someone else said, they are a pain, i'd rather have 2' dia logs any day.
I was the smartest 16 year old I ever knew.

ohsoloco

dad2nine, who says you have to quarter saw a log that you cut into quarters  ???  After the quarters are cut put the bark side of the quarter down, buzz off the pith, and flat saw it.  Sure, you won't get those 60" wide slabs, but you'd still get a lot of wide slabs  :)

Furby

The band mill I drew up a few years ago was a radical design and had a cut big enough to make 60" slabs.
Never had the $ or skills to build it.
What plans I had are gone, but I still have the design in my head.
Maybe someday. :)

limbrat

The brochure for log master claims they can make you one with a 60" throat, dont know what they claim it will saw.
ben

TexasTimbers

Yes I bet they can . . . . . . . ;)


$
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

limbrat

That's a giveme either way. :)
ben

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