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blade width and my complicated thinking. HELP!!!

Started by tomsteve, November 28, 2009, 11:12:19 PM

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tomsteve

     i havent even started construction of my mill yet( not for another month..bummer.. darn priorities!), but have been surfin, lookin, learnin, and thinkin( over thinking i think..maybe :)).
     i am gonna be using tires for the bandwheels on the mill i am planning. i noticed most folks go with a 1 1/2" wide blade and got to thinkin iffen there's any benefits or drawbacks to goin with a wider blade. so i thought( there i go again!!! :)) i wood post this to all ya'll and see iffen ya could give me some pros and cons of a wider blade, or if i should even bother. this is gonna be somewhat of a hobby mill for me, until word gets out, then i think all kinds of " new best friends" will be showin up.. but that s all good too.
     so anyone willin to give some pros and cons or just to tell me to quit complicating it and go with a 1 1/2" wide blade wood be appreciated.
i have friends that have no problem  cuffin me up when i start complicating things, however they dont know a lick about bandmills, therefore dont realize that i'm complicating this. but they do know i'm addicted to woodworking and will stay outta the way unless to help when i get building.

footer

I may be wrong (wouldnt be the first time  ::) ) but I think the wider bands are more stable, but require more horsepower...

Chico

exactly rt they are more stable and a little more forgiving when you make mistakes you might want to run the heaviest in ga that you saw man recommends also for the same reason then as you learn go to lighter ga bands there no reason to drop back on width imo
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Tom

It's a bit of misnomer to assume that 1 1/2" is the standard band.  It's actually 1 1/4". 

Those who go to wider bands are looking for help in cutting faster, cutting hard woods, or overcoming adjustments on the mill that continue to irritate them.

You won't be wrong picking either one.  But, a mill that will run an 1 1/4" band will usually run a 1 1/2".   The wider band requires larger guides and sometimes larger wheels. It's performance increases with more horsepower.

My opinion is that all of these thin kerf bandmills run with finesse', more than Grunt.  They aren't stump grinders.  Build a mill that you can tune accurately enough that the band can do its job without being forced and you will have a good mill.

fat olde elf

Cook's MP-32 saw, MF-35, Several Husky Saws, Too Many Woodworking Tools, 4 PU's, Kind Wife.

Ironwood

I like 1 1/4 myself. Tried the thicker and wider ones and felt I was losing some performance, my mill has a 23 HP engine.


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

moonhill

Ditto with the 1-1/4" band, that should be all you need.

Tim
This is a test, please stand by...

Fla._Deadheader


Advantage with 1½ blades, with tires as blade wheels, you get many more sharpenings, because the larger diameter will not stress the blades and cause fatigue.

  We used the wider for sawing Heart Pine. Didn't notice the HP loss, because the Pine sawed a little slower, anyway.

  Contact Menominee, and get a Monkey Blade. (Munksforsager)

  It's all we use. Never had one break. We have 24" outside dia. trailer tires. See my Gallery for many ideas to build your own mill.
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   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

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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

tomsteve

Quote from: Tom on November 29, 2009, 12:28:57 AM
It's a bit of misnomer to assume that 1 1/2" is the standard band.  It's actually 1 1/4". 

Those who go to wider bands are looking for help in cutting faster, cutting hard woods, or overcoming adjustments on the mill that continue to irritate them.

You won't be wrong picking either one.  But, a mill that will run an 1 1/4" band will usually run a 1 1/2".   The wider band requires larger guides and sometimes larger wheels. It's performance increases with more horsepower.

My opinion is that all of these thin kerf bandmills run with finesse', more than Grunt.  They aren't stump grinders.  Build a mill that you can tune accurately enough that the band can do its job without being forced and you will have a good mill.

since i would rather go for quality that quantity it looks like a 1 1/4" is the way to go. i am guessin that by making ittunable you are talkin about tracking,blade tension and adjustable guides?


   

Tom

Yep sir.

Not only tunable , but tuned.  :)
You can win a race in a car that is hitting on 6 out of 8 cylinders and has an out-of-round wheel, but it makes it a lot easier on the driver if he's hitting on all 6 of 6 and has round and balanced wheels.

Spend a lot of time on the finesse'.  You can't get any righter than right when it comes to alignment and balance.

The measurement of your mill will be done by the efficiency of the band.  All the mill does is spin the band.  The band can be more efficient if the mill gives it the best environment.

I don't mean to be talking in cliches either.  Pay attention to the little details.  Resaws and mills have been run with 3/4" or 1" bands with 3/4" tooth spacings and done an admirable job.  It's just that everything becomes more critical when you minimize. You need to find the happy median for the parts that you are going to use and the wood you want to saw.  An 1 1/4 x 7/8pitch band will carry the stress of a lot of horsepower before it gets all used up.  Used up is equated to filling the gullet with sawdust.  You can't cut any faster than you can expell the sawdust.

tomsteve

     this i can relate to, Tom. i am a forced-into-retirement carpenter and have built a lot( over 150) homes. a home is only as good as it's foundation. skimp on it or cut corners and it will be seen throughout construction and those shortcuts( even in the framing part) will show later. cracked drywall, popping and breaking tile, windows that dont work properly, doors that dont work properly, etc.
      seems that trying to force a blade to cut more that it will( as in if the blade cant extract any more dust) would cause it to overheat. seems it would also cause problems with other parts of the mill
      i read a thread somewhere about manual vs. auto feed and decided on auto feed for this reasom. makes sense that since i am a greenhorn and not lookin for production, manual feed is wise. i would rather have the blades last longer and quiality of cut, plus less stress on the whole bandmill.
     i think the only part we might go with some automation on is raising and lowering the mill head. that plan can change, though. we are discussing it. we are gonna start with manual, run the mil for a while and get some ideas on that part.
       almost forgot.....gonna stick with 1 1/4" blades, too. thanks for the info. very helpful 8)

old joe

I agree with tom.  The accuracy of the cut depends on the tuning of the mill. I've been sawing part part time for my own use for five years on a S&W mill.  REadily adjustable but lightly built.  Still does the job, WHEN ADJUSTED.
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