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max width portable mills

Started by johnmetz33, January 03, 2008, 05:06:35 PM

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johnmetz33

looking into portable mills. What is the max width and depth attainable with a single cut? Has anyone here investigated this? I've seen advertised 32" log... but the max width was only 24"... not what I'm looking for. Thanks for any assistance folks can extend.
Know trees Know life
No trees No life!

Tom

If you are looking for the width of the board a band mill will cut, you are interested in finding out the distance between guides, not the size of the log it will cut. Mills don't cut wider than the distance between the guides.  As a matter of fact, they don't even cut that wide.  Without a lot of manipulation they cut the distance between guides minus about 3 inches on the static side and 2 or 3 inches on the moveable guide side, depending on how good you are.

The reason that they can take a bigger log is because the waste slab on top is between the guides and removing it will get the log closer to the size of the distance between guides.  Slabbing two sides will get a lot of oversized logs to a dimension that the mill can handle them and make boards.

Depth of cut is dependent on the engineering of the height of the bandmill throat. (the distance from blade to the yoke.)

Some mills cut less than 12". In my opinion, this is not tall enough.  Look for a mill that will cut 14" or 16" deep.  This allows a 24" cant to make two 12" timbers.  More clearance than that might be better.  There are limitations because of the length of the band and the size of the Band wheels. 

The bigger the band wheels and longer the band, the more expensive the mill .

metalspinner

Teenswinger cut some 65" slabs for me with his Peterson mill.  I think if the log had grown a bit more, we could have squeezed it through, as well. :)
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

MikeH

How about a picture of them 65" slabs :o

stonebroke

hudson makes a bandmill that will cut 52 inches.

Stonebroke

beenthere

Last spring we managed to get some large slabs from a redwood log...and a Peterson mill.

 




Ianab has some more good slab pics in his gallery, as do others on the Forum.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Ianab

Biggest width of any portable mill I've seen.

9 1/2 FEET  ;D



It's a Lucas dedicated chainsaw slabber. The XXXL version  :D

Lets you cut boards like this.



More pics etc on this thread.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=19903.0

Cheers

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

metalspinner

QuoteHow about a picture of them 65" slabs

Not after Ianab showed off those nine footers.  I'm feeling a bit inadequate. :-[   :D
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

dad2nine

My WoodMizer LT40 tweaked as much as I can without some major head modification - depth of cut 14" width 27 ~ 28" and that's with 1" home made riser blocks on the bed rails so I can push a cant past those short little welded bed blocks. Without the homemade riser blocks the width of cut is right around 24 or so inches. It will cut a 36" diameter log like advertised, I've actually cut bigger than that. Just have to scab a little off the top, roll it over a little, scab some more, repeat, once you get it whittled down some you can start taking off boards... Basically I have to whittle the log down to fit the mill. I would especially like it if my WM had a depth of cut a lot more than 14". But I've seen other mills that have a lot less cutting depth capability so I'm pretty happy.


johnmetz33

Well Now!! This is awesome, as are all of you folks,  8)
  I'd like to know more about how you set up the Lucas to do that... I understand the platform and all that, but you're talking about multiple chainsaw heads??? Who makes that bar!?
Isn't the Peterson a swing mill? How big a blade were you spinning to do this?  I sure must have whistled something fierce

Obviously, I'm ignorant on this matter but I certainly need to learn.. so if anyone's willing... Feed me seymore!!
I love beautiful wood, I'd love to see some 65" slabs... it gets me all excited!!
Know trees Know life
No trees No life!

Ianab

The big Lucas machine is a dedicated chainsaw slabber that runs a 4 stroke engine like their normal swingmills.
The conventional swingblade mills can be fitted with a 'clip-on' slabber bar. The circle blade is removed and a sprocket fitted in it's place and lined up with a 4 or 5 ft chainsaw bar/chain. That gives you the standard 13-28hp 4 stroke engine to drive the chain, with the normal rails and height adjustment to run it on. You can even switch between cutting slabs and boards on the same log.

The chainsaw slabbers are MUCH slower than a normal mill. Not really up to cutting conventional boards. But for slicing up those BIG logs into valuable table slabs they are the way to go.

Cheers

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

johnmetz33

hmmmm... how do you keep the tip of the bar from deviating?
Know trees Know life
No trees No life!

Ianab

Quote from: johnmetz33 on January 04, 2008, 10:18:33 AM
hmmmm... how do you keep the tip of the bar from deviating?


Bar is supported at both ends by the mill frame. Of course it has to be held straight and sharpened straight to cut straight, but with both ends bolted to the mill frame there is no where it can move to.

Cheers

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

Ironwood

There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

johnmetz33

So then, you have a bar over 9' long??? to do those slabs?
Know trees Know life
No trees No life!

johnmetz33

Interesting setup there ironwood... how big a bar can you throw around with that power head? Are there issues with the machine wanting to travel, seems like it could deviate/tilt. Interesting concept though & bar joists are around...
Know trees Know life
No trees No life!

Furby

John, most bars over 72" are custom made bars to what ever you want.

metalspinner

Here is the 65"er...

The log...



The Peterson set up (without the chainsaw bar)



Pulling the slab onto the trailer.  You can see the bar as that white horizontal line above the slab.



I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Ironwood

Big as you please, I was running single power head that day. The only issue is how big a log can find east of the Mississippi?
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

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