power feed plans

[sawwood]

Have worked on a manual mill for a while and was thinking how would you add power feed to it. Its a Norwood mark4 and i think some kind of elect motor would
be the way to go. Does any one know where i could find some plans or book on
how to put power feed on a mill ? I am mechanical able to do this kind of work just
need some idea on what it would take. I think power feed threw the log would be
the only thing i would like as lifting the head is not hard to do, but all that walking and
pushing is a drag at the end of the day. How may of you with this type of mill have
added it and was it worth the time and money ?

Lester

[Furby]

Have you looked at Norwood's add on power feed?
It's not cheap though.


12v motor (starter motor) , sprocket, a pair of idlers and a chain will give you the basics.

[sawwood]

thanks Furby, thats what i was thinking of useing. Would like to see some photos of what any one had done this.

Lester

[Furby]

Yup, I understand and I belive there are a few folks that can provide pics as well.
If you haven't already though, swing by the Norwood site and take a look of their pics.

[Ironwood]

What about hydraulic power pack, hydraulic motor w/ sprocket and chain and a valve to vary the feed rate (infinintely variable), you could also use it to load logs w/ a cylinder and arms.

             Ironwood

[Larry]

 

Lester, a chain bout bicycle size is looped over a sprocket on the motor shaft.  Two minor problems...the chain is to light and I can break it if I slam it from forward to reverse at full speed and with the chain only on one side the carriage sometimes rocks along instead of a smooth roll sometimes.

I would like to put an AC gear motor on the end of the track with chains on each side.  May get it done this spring if I keep the mill.

Iffen ya get down this way stop by for a look see.

[sawwood]

Hi Larry, Was close to you couple of months ago. Has a family reunion at Neosho.
Will be down next year and i will stop by for a look see. Hows the weather down there ? Ice here and cold.

Lester

[bandmiller2]

Lester,do you move your mill around or leave it at home.?If it's pretty much a stay at home mill run 115v. ac .Very good feed can be set up with a hydraulic motor drum and cable with the adj. valve controles feed and fast gig back.A motor with attached pump is trouble free and won't suck power from your engine.If you have hyd. available small step to make a hyd log turner and clamp.Les i'am your age and a hyd  log turner is better than free beer.Frank C.

[Handy Andy]

  My mill is all manual too, and this feed is  very interesting.  The Cook add on is something around 1500 for the electric. That hydraulic system run by an electric motor sounds very interesting, as I plan to keep my saw in the sawshack when I get it built, another story, bad weather right now or I'd be farther along.  That and threw my back out and went to the chiropractor, and he found I need lots of work. On my spine.   Really sore right now, but maybe the weather will get better in a week or 2, and I can get some concrete poured.  Jim

[sawwood]

Bandmiller and Andy, the mill is stay at home in there barn with no elect power. been thinking about hyd run off ac with a
generator for power. we only run the mill couple times a week end so may be a geneator would work for ac. will have to
look at cooks and see if that something we could use. Good idea about later adding lfting arms or just a log turner.

lester

[farmerdoug]

Instead of a starter motor which is not rated for long use, I would get a 12V motor from a tread mill.  They are designed to run for longer periods and can be speed controlled.

Farmerdoug

[bandmiller2]

Lester,back on page 4 theirs talk of log turners I described the one I built it works good and is simple.Their are many mills and many logs but you have but one back,anything you can do to save it is worthwile.Frank C.

[Furby]

Starter motors work fine for long use, the solenoids are what won't work for long use, and you don't need the solenoid in this application anyways.

The problem with using AC on a small mill is the large "poke" and possible fire you are going to get if you wear out the insulation on the wires or cut/pinch the wire by mistake.
Careful planning needs to be done to account for things like that. ;)

[farmerdoug]

Furby,

The motors on most tread mills are DC.  That is why they can control the speed easily.

Farmerdoug

[Furby]

True, I was talking about the AC hyd. unit.
If the cord isn't protected, bad things can happen.
I assume the pump would be at the mill rather then remotely located as it would cost more to run hoses then AC wire.

[bandmiller2]

Furby,my concern on a retrofit is will the charging system keep up with DC demand.We have all lived with AC along time ,done rite no problem.Motor pump assy.and elect. boxes are covered and kept out of harms way.Routing to moving parts is done with hyd. hose.

[D._Frederick]

If you have 120 volt Ac available, go with a permanent magnet dc motor and SCR drive. Make  a capstant cable drive to pull the carriage back and forth.

Can get at the Surplus Store.

[Furby]

I understand the charging concerns and agree.
My point was simply one of caution, to make sure the AC wiring and such was properly protected.
In that enviroment, the motor can pick up dust and overheat as well, so caution needs to be taken there as well.
I never said it was a bad idea or not possible, just need to do some planning.
What happens when someone sticks their peavey into the ground and hits the cord instead?

[Foxtrapper]

Anyone got more pics of their added power feeds.  Also, how about some pics of powering the up/down on the saw head?  Thanks.

[york]

Hey,Norwood has a chat room...

[HOGFARMER]

Has anyone tried a hydrostatic transaxle from a lawn or garden tractor?  It is variable speed with foreward and reverse.  Could pull on both sides of the carriage so it would not bind.  Also if you get one setup to run a remote lift cylinder it could provide hydraulic power for other uses on the mill.  What do you think?

[bandmiller2]

Hog farmer,I bet a hydrostatic unit would work good wonder how much power loss their would be.I've often thought about a old  gravley tractor trans. they are an engineering marvel planitary gears and cone clutches hi-low and forward and reverse.Likely the drive system used in snowblowers could be made to work,no wonder i can't sleep at night.  Frank C.           

[mike_van]

Here's a photo of what I used, it's a 1 hp DC motor C face, it's coupled to a right angle drive            A # 40 rollerchain drives the 3/4" shaft across the back of the mill, both ends of the mill head are connected to that 3/4, about 20' of rollerchain & 20' of steel cable. Driving both sides of the head eliminates any unequal pull on it.       The high teck control station has the Dart DC controller & a drum switch under it for fwd/rev. The drum switch on the left is for the moveable guide. The 2 button starts/stops the 10 hp 3 phase on the mill. The contactor for that motors in the barn. The DC setup is kind of pricey, if you have to buy new. The Dart was 150.00 some 16 years ago, the 1 hp DC motor about 3 x that. It's been a trouble free system, once & awhile I have to pull the brushes on the motor & clean the carbon off, but thats all.

[Foxtrapper]

Mike

Any chance we could get some close up pics of how your chains hook on the carriage?  Nice job .

[mike_van]

I don't have a good pic, have to be tomorrow -          This pic. shows how I got all the wire to the head. I made a boom from an old streetlite bracket, it mounts on the wall of the barn.  On the top & bottom there's a ball bearing [old lawnmower one], I wanted it to swing back & forth as easily as it could. Theres a 2" pvc pipe snap tied to the boom, the wires come out of it. One cables four # 8's for the mill motor, plus two smaller ones - One for the power to the moveable guide, the other for the head up/down. One of these days, I'll need another pair in there - I plan to add a lube setup, gravity, but I want a 120 V solenoid valve on it to stop/start the flow, so I don't have to walk to the end of the mill to do it. It's a Surplus Center item, about 8.00.