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Gonna build a swing mill!

Started by TinMan, February 02, 2009, 01:19:50 AM

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TinMan

Hello

I am working on building a swing mill. Its going to be electric to start with, my boss says I can run it off his power behind the shop where i work. I have a gear box on the way and have already purchased a nice 10hp electric motor. My next purchase is a blade. Anyone know if there is a saw place around here in Oregon where i can find a blade? Probably end up getting one from Craig (Captain) if I cant find anything around here. I used to own a Peterson ATS 8 and sold it to BurlKraft Steve. I miss it and cant afford to buy one again, but I can build my own. I work in a shop where we build everything from aluminum boats to billet lower receivers for AR-15s, 308 and 50bmg, and everything in between. We have a large waterjet pro, and an Esab CNC plasma cutter for custom cut parts. A 16 foot brake, and a 12 foot shear. Oh and 3 Haas mills for the receivers and whatever else. My boss said go for it.... 8) Anyone have any input? I know dangerous dan has a electric swinger. Anyone esle ever build one?

Tracy

Meadows Miller

Gday Tracy

Ive never built a swinger but thought about it alot and even did a set of turbo cad plans for one that looked like a Wpf  ;) :D ;D done a few thousand hours on them tho and probobley got another 10 thou left to go on the Lucas prob last me another 20 yrs  ;) :D :D :D I dont see any dramas with building your own mate plenty of ppl have had a crack at it in the past  ;) with variaing degrees of success  ;) :D :D ;D I know an old Bloke overhere that made his on and it worked a treat  ;) ;D ;D 8)
It sounds like you have it pretty much nutted out how your gonna sett it up and your experiance on the Ats you had makes all the differance  ;) ;D 8) 
??? How come you sold the Ats  ??? :o :'( I know the feeling mate  :( :'( :'( >:( With my gear You would have pry it out of me hands after im dead these days mate  ;) :D :D ;D ;D I dont let go of any of my gear these days Ill loan it to someone but I Wont Sell it  I went through lossing alota gear when i was about 20 and it aint gonna happen again  ;) ;D ;D

Good luck Mate  ;) ;D ;D ;D  as if you will need it with access to a workshop like that and a boss willing to give you a fair shake  ;) :D ;D ;D ;D

Reguards Chris
4TH Generation Timbergetter

bandmiller2

Tracy,good project,after I retire I may build a swinger to make it a complete set of built mills circle .band and swing.I like the idea of an electric motor,they themselves can tilt horz. or vert.you just need belts and an arbor.The hardest thing for my old brain to comprehend is where to put the pivot point,so the cuts intersect.Mayby you could document everything with pictures as you build and have plans you could sell.Full speed ahead keep us posted Tracy.Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

cheyenne

There is a man in Oregon that makes carbide tooth blades. If you call Gary at LInn Lumber Co. he'll probley give you his name & no.
Home of the white buffalo

Jeff

By buying a blade from the captain, you are supporting your membership and the forum at the same time.  :)

cheyenne I edited your post, not because you are posting about an alternative place to buy a blade, but because you are posting someone elses personal information which is not allowed on the forum

https://forestryforum.com/disclaimer.htm
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

cheyenne

Sorry: I have a twin blade mill & would be happy to buy all my blades from Captain 8) How do I go about it. Cheyenne
Home of the white buffalo

cheyenne

I figured it out thanks again.Cheyenne
Home of the white buffalo

TinMan

Thanks for the input guys. The gear box is a Comer made in Italy I think. The case is aluminum, and has 1 inch in and output shafts. Have not got it yet. Bought it on Ebay last week for 150.00 Never been used. I opted for a gear box so I do not have to flip that heavy electric motor back and forth. Plus I can stuff a gas engine on top of it at a later date. I may build the center unit out of aluminum and the tracks steel....
???

Once I pick up a blade I can start goin for it. 8) Gonna go 10inch. ;D  Similar look and function to a WPF Im thinking. Spent alot of hours putting ideas on paper thus far.

I barrowed the money for the ATS, times got tough. I had to sell it. What an awesome mill....If I can build this for a fairly low cost, I can keep it forever..

Tracy

scrout

Tinman,
Woodsman Sawmill in Eastern Oregon has some type of blades.
The Dangerous Dan design is cool because it does not use a gearbox, thereby getting the deepest cut possible only limited by your blade hub size.
I have thought about a swing as well, a 180 degree version.
You might also get the free DVD from Brand X for some info.  That thing cuts like crazy.
I saved these some time ago on the Firegass design.


Did you see that Timber Champ sawmill for sale on Craigslist down by you recently?
Like a MD design, I am wondering who bought it.
Best of luck on the build.

aburge

How's it goin Tracy,
I just happened to buy Steve's ATS about a month ago.  It has a new home in LA were it is a little warmer.  Haven't
had much of a chance to use it yet only 1- 20ft oak too much other stuff going on, maybe this weekend, a friend has
an oak that was taken down so i'll try to setup Friday.

Albert

TinMan

Albert

Congrats on the mill!!!! your gonna love that thing, I know i did. How many hours on the engine?? Did he sell you the slabber with it?

Scrout

I will know more when I get the gearbox. I'm sure its at least 4 inches thick. Still shouldn't  have any trouble getting a hair over 10 inches. The motor I have is DanG heavy, would rather not have to swing it. So far my plans are to mount the motor directly above the gear box so that I can swing in both directions. I Didn't see the mill on craigs list. Where are you located??

Tracy

fishpharmer

I would pay a reasonable amount for some plans, next winter of course. 8)
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

TinMan

I better start taking notes. ;D ;D

Firebass

I would be happy to share what I know about building a swingmill.   It's the least I could do to return some of my expertise in trade for what I've learned from other members who shared their's.  This will be fun.  

Start by purchasing a blade.   It's a good motivator.  Hang it on the wall and it will just keep beggin you to hurry up...  ;D

Yes buy from Captain.  He has some good input also.

I would consider still using a gearbox design even though you are going to go electric.  The gearbox is not that difficult to do if you go by my design.  There are issues about the guard if you use DangerDAns tilt motor design.  

This weekend I got to teach my youngest brother to run my mill.  about 2 hours and he had a pile of 50 2x4s.  Not bad for    his first time.  He's got the bug BAD now. :D
Firebass  



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ1oCsizrMQ



TinMan

Firebass

Thanks for the input. I like your mill, looks similar to what I have in my mind so far. What blade are you running? Also what are you using to raise and lower the center unit?

Tracy

Firebass

I used a gearbox I had in my junk pile that just happened to be the right ratio.  It moves the carriage up/down 1 1/4" per 4 rotations of the handle.   My machine is all steel so it's fairly heavy but its no problem to lift it.    I used #60 Chain and sprockets  I purchased from surplus center.   They have everything you need at the best price you'll find anywhere.  I'm using a 5 tooth  8" (21 1/2" Diameter) lucas blade.  I wouldn't be afraid at all to run a 10" Peterson Blade.   To do this on my machine  I would have to lengthen the shaft that the saw mounts to,  change Pulleys to lower RPM and make the guard larger.  Personally I am a hobby miller so the 8" cuts everything I'll ever need just fine so I dont really see the need in the added cost to go 10".   I can cut up-to a 8" x 16" Beam without moving the log.   Some I've read say that the bigger the blade the more you need to worry about blade tension.  I've been using the same blade  for 3 years roughly 15,000 BF of lumber and it hasn't lost its tension yet and only a few sets of carbides.








Enjoy your build
Firebass

Radar67

Firebass, did you make any drawings of your build? How about some better pictures of the pivot point?
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

Firebass

 

I don't have drawings that would make much since to anyone.   The trunions and arbor bearings mount in 1" steel plate machined to accept the pivot shaft and saw arbor bearings.  The pivot is 1.5 diameter welded to the end plates. The Trunion pivits in Bronze Bushings and housing shown.   The Gear box you have dictates how wide to make the 1" plates.  The 2 outer sandwich plates both screw to the 1" plates using 3/8" Flat head screws for Clearance. 
Extra Note:
Pay close attention to Rotation arrows on colored picture. If going with a gas engine this is the way your gear box needs to be configured.  Some are oppisite rotation gearbox's.  The purple disk is the drive pully.
Saw Shaft is driven with 2" wide Timing Belt







fishpharmer

How wide is that track, Firebass?

I have a 48 inch wide track and think I could just make another cutter head with a swing saw.  But I am thinking out loud now.  I suppose it needs to be wider than that to account for the motor and swing machinery.  So maybe 48" would only be wide enough for a small log.  Scratch that.

How big a log can you cut Firebass?
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

Firebass

60" log with some limitations.   Like the opening cut would have to take off a good sized flitch first.  78 1/2 Inchs between post. 



TinMan

Firebass

I was planning to put my gearbox directly above the saw arbor, So the saw shaft and the gearbox output line up. Then use a high torque coupling  to tie the two together (2 piece or a chain coupling)  Mcmaster Carr sells them. Then I plan to run 3 groove pulleys on motor output and gearbox input....I like the way you built yours, makes sense. Do you think #35 or #40 chain would be big enough. My center unit may be lighter because I plan to go with mostly aluminum.

Tracy

Firebass

I think 35 might be a bit stretchy on my machine but on a light weight machine it could work.   I think I could of used #40 on mine with satisfactory results.  When I built my swingmill I had no idea of the torque that the blade would transmit to the main shaft so I decided to make the swing frame around a saw drive shaft I felt comfortable with instead of designing the saw drive shaft according to the gearbox.   By doing this I feel I never have to worry about a broken saw arbor.  Which could be catastrophic.  I've heard of a owner of a $%^&* mill breaking a saw arbor before.  I think they use about a 1" diameter saw arbor.   I use a 1 15/16"... Way overkill but it wont ever break.

Firebass

Radar67

Firebass, using this picture



Where is the actual rotation point on your design? At the gray areas next to the long rails, or at the outer blue squares?

Did you build an type of adjustment points in to adjust the blade up or down, left or right, or the yaw of the blade?
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

TinMan

Firebass

You can buy couplings that allow you to mate two different size shafts. I was thinking I would go bigger on the arbor for the same reason you just stated. It would really suck if the arbor ever failed :o. Maybe 1.25 or 1.5 inch shaft . Nothing wrong with overbuilding. Now if that DanG gear box would get here i could get started building. Still doing some leg work on blades.

Tracy

Firebass

Those couplings are the best.  What are you planing for shaft bearings?  I thougt maybe tapered roller bearings would work in your case.

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