Belsaw M14 or is it, New member here

[Two-Lady-Sawyers]

We just bought this circle sawmill. We were told it was a Belsaw M14. We did get to see it in action and use it ourselves before we bought it. I worked just fine cutting every type of hardwood we threw at it. It feeds from the left if you stand facing the blade (counter clockwise rotation) with the frame/rack on the other side of the blade from you. I am going to try to attach a link to a video the guy we got the mill from made. I have pictures in my photos. I tried to put them on here but my modern computer don't like java uploader for some reason. It is powered by a Ford Ranger 4 cyl 4speed connected to the mandrel with two shear bolts. The feed on the carriage is hydro supplied by the Ranger. Also have a hydro log lift (homemade). The dust is removed via a electric blower. We have not started setting the mill up in it new home yet. Gound is frozen and I want to put in good foundations for it and the powerplant. We are looking forward to getting it set up. We have 40 acres of pines and hardwoods that have not seen a saw in 60 years. Hope the crew here can tell us what mill we have for sure of how we can find out.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIcwx0QZFM8



Thanks,
Two Lady Sawyers
Jillian & Jean

[coastlogger]

I believe it is a Belsaw at least the carriage dogs and arrangement look Belsaw. M14 had 2 dogs maybe this is an M24 or some such thing I dont know.Some serious modifications seem to have been done as it feeds from the opposite side to normal belsaw. I also did this conversion to opposiote side with a Belsaw to get it to work with automotive drive.Id be checking to make sure threads on headsaw mandrel are converted to RH thread or is there some other foolproof method of ensuring blade does not come off? Original Belsaw mandrel would have had LH thread.
clgr

[bandmiller2]

Welcome ladies,what coastlogger says is very important most Belsaws don't have the two drive pins, common on heavier mills.All that holds the blade on is the loose flange and a nut.The rotation of the arbor should tend to tighten the nut if it was held wile the arbor was turning.I do believe you have a M-24 three headblock mill.How big is your headsaw [blade].Alot of Belsaws here and alot of mill advice is genaric,keep us posted.Frank C.

[apm]

It looks just like an M14. I've got one I purchased new, and it has three headblocks. That was an option for the M14. No obvious reason an M14 couldn't be made into a left handed mill, but the advice above is sound, you really need to check the threads on the mandrell. It could be disastrous if that had been overlooked in the conversion. I don't think I've ever heard of Belsaw shipping any left hand mills. Most were optimized for tractor PTO.

You're gonna have a lot of fun with that!

Greg

[fishpharmer]

Welcome Sawyers, you will find Forestry Forum has a wealth of knowledge.  Some good folks too.   Looks like a nice mill you have there.  Keep us posted on the set up. We like pictures 8)

[Magicman]

Good luck with your "new" mill and Welcome to The Forestry Forum.... 8)

[Two-Lady-Sawyers]

The threading on the mandrel is correct for the rotation of the blade, if you spin the mandrel in the direction of the blade rotation the nut tightens.  The blade is a 44" insert tooth. The blade to mandrel connection is two flanges with pressure applied by the nut, no drive pins. The shear bolts I refered to are in the driveshaft to mandrel connector. This is a oneway ratcheting type peice. I have been researching this thing for awhile and see a lot of the Belsaw in it but then a lot of it does not look like a Belsaw too. So I guess I have one of them dang new fangled hybrids, lol. Anyways I do know that it saws great and can't wait to get it set back up with some improvements. Got to get them trees cut up so we can get our new buildings put up.
Jillian

[apm]

On Belsaw's "standard" three headblock carriage, the dogs/headblocks are not on the very end like yours appears in the video. Mine is a 10' carriage and the headblocks are about a foot in from each end. I'd sure love to see more pictures of your mill. Maybe someone started with a Belsaw and did some creative re-engineering. They lend themselves to that very well. Can you post any still pictures?

Greg

[Two-Lady-Sawyers]

More picture will have to wait until we start setting it up sometime this spring. right now it has been dismantled and is sitting in our garage. We are going to put it on concrete foundation piers. We want to make the base longer than it was (32'), we are thinking more like 40-48', I read somewhere that extending this type of carriage is easily done. It is currently 10' would like to see it at about 16'. We have some pine on our place that are over 100' and we need some pretty good sized timbers and posts for our buildings we need to build.

[captain_crunch]

Looks just like My M-14 Bellsaw just giong the Wrong dierction ;D ;D I can Saw 20 ft on mine but it is a pain My track is 42 ft long and 44 would be better for 20 ft lumber.  But 18 ft is heavy enough to handle. What I don't see is a Sail(splitter) behind saw. And in the timber here you would have an issue with binding. Long ways from being an expert but thought they were important thing

[Two-Lady-Sawyers]

Captain it makes good sense, the fin thing. They are on a table saw for the same basic reason. I remember be step dad teaching me that as a little girl gowing up in his cabinet shop. I still have his shop equipment, maybe we girls will just have to build us a new house with our wrongway mill (I'm left handed too) and dad's woodshop.

[captain_crunch]

Lady Sawyers
Or with me typing speed L_Ss It looks to be a M14 stretched But I also am a newbe to mills. I will get you some pics of my Bellsaw for you to look at. Mine also has 3 knees stretched to 14 ft. They cut good straight lumber Lots of people here have more knowledge but I can also tell you not what to do

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

And welcome to the Forum and congrats on the new Mill TLS  ;) ;D ;D ;D 8) 8) 8) You might have a model D there as i have seen one of them on the net and they are a  Factory built 3 to 4 knee LH mill like yours  ;) With the Riving Knife a piece of plate with the leading edge bevled and bolted to the mill frame slightly to the board side of the saw and set about 1/2 an inch from the back of the saw will do the trick  ;) also and a lite tube frame aaround the open side of the saw will make things abit safer too  ;) ;D

Regards Chris

[Two-Lady-Sawyers]

When we reassemble the mill we will be adding some additional safety features. We have been looking a lot of the setups of the circle mills on here and are getting a lot of good ideas that we are going to try to use with our mill. We always want to be as safe as possible.

[ForestMan]

Welcome to FF!  It's a great place to be.

[bandmiller2]

Jillian, you sound like a handy person with tools.Probibly the most important skill is propper fileing of the headsaw bits.I did it for years free hand but now use the Dexter file guide,it is adjusted to the saws bit angle and insures a straight bit every time.Most mill problems are caused by dull or improperly sharpened bits.Its also good form to be able to declutch your power unit from the sawyers box or at least a kill switch for the engine,if something shifts and hangs up you don't want to have to run around the back of the mill.Theirs a lot on safety in past posts.Have a stick handy to poke things away from the saw to keep your hands safe,and good eye protection.Have fun Frank C.

[captain_crunch]

Here are some pics of my bell saw first one may be of help showing you how to gaurd blade a mite also shows Sail behind blade



Here is my carrage is was custom stretched and runs on a combo of factory rollers and Hi Molly blocks. Piece 2" shaft added to off side is counterweight to keep it down on track with bigger logs



Here is the saw guide made from reformed Shackle and oak blocks have the factory one but it is a might flimsy do wish had took more time and made so you could set it in place rather than swing it up to get at it



Here is looking at carrage drive and sawdust hopper

[Two-Lady-Sawyers]

Captain, Thanks for the pics. I see the fin and pipe gaurd for the blade. We will be installing a fin when we reset the mill. There will also be more saftey around the blade as well. I also like the added weight on the offside of the carriage.

Frank, I had better be handy with some tools. I grew up on a farm. Grandpa taught all of us grandkids to work on the equipment and how to weld. Always said ya never know when you might have to fix it yourself. Also my dads family was involved in construction for more than 60 years. I retired from commercial constructionin 2005 after 25 years of it. The last 15 years I was a project manager.
We are looking at getting a jockey sharpener. Until we can we have 4 sets of inserts and have a guy local that says he will sharpen them for us when they need it. I guess it is just like a knife. If it is dull it does'nt work so welland can get ya hurt.

I thank everyone for the infomation and advice. Really looking forward to getting this thing running again. Is it spring yet? 8) 

Jillian

[captain_crunch]

Jillian
I will try to remember to to take a pic of how sail mounts to mill frame belive it is factory setup But that is on Politicly correct mill :D :D :D Just kidding and even though I have diploma still can't spell. Not an expert by no means but have friend who wore out 2 mills like ours and kinda knows them. Hope I can be some help when you get started. I know all the things NOT to do
Brian
Can ot belive none of the sharp eyed people have not comented on shim on back knee. This is hillbilly fix for worn out back gear it is 1/2 a tooth off no matter how you adjust it.

[bandmiller2]

Jillian,that sail,fin thingy is better known as a board splitter.On my first mill I used a piece of light truck snowplow edge.Basically you want it flush with the headsaw on the cant side and a little wider than the saw I used 1/2" that seemed to work well.The mill I have now uses a disc that can turn kinda like a plow colter can't see any improvement over the bar type splitter.They will boath keep the boards from pinching the saw and from falling back after its cut.Frank C.

[Tripp]

Lady Sawyers,

Welcome to the Forum. Good to have another circle miller aboard.
I'll second the comments about keeping your saw sharp. I usually sharpen mine in the morning before milling and give it a touch up around mid day. A sharp saw has a crisp singing sound that music to a millers ears.

I like the idea of using the Dexter file guide or the jocky grinder. I do mine freehand now which works well and doesnt take very long.

Anyone know where to pick up a Dexter file guide?

Tripp

[bandmiller2]

Tripp,call Bruce Dexter, Sawmill tool & service co.@ 1-802-626-9027 in Vermont.Basically its a cast high stregnth aluminum handle with hard rollers to guide the file to hold bit angle and straight filing.You can use a regular file or a diamond bit file.I use boath, file cuts faster but diamond gives you a fine smooth vicious sharp bit.Frank C.

[captain_crunch]

Here is the relic I use my teeth are hardened so all I do is kinda shine them with file wheel ;D




Brian

[Tripp]

Frank,

Thanks for the info. I will give Bruce a call.

Tripp

[djarvis12]

I purchased a used M14 Belsaw Mill in 1960 and ran it for a year if you had a
knotty log the knot would hang up on the carriage angle iron frame and it would
be a pain to roll the log  . I purchased a used Meadows Mill that the wood had
all rotted  I was able to salvage enough wooden parts for patterns to rebuild the
Carriage a Track ways, I ran this with a 1961 Olds Star fire engine . In 1972
I purchase a new 640D Corinth  sawmill and picked it up from the factory  in
Corinth,MS . I am no running a Corinth AL36 sawMill . www.JarvisSawmill.com

Good Luck To You: Dale Jarvis