debarking

[icolquhoun]

Just about to get my LM2000 up and running and wondering what's everyone using for a debarker on your smaller, non-barker equipped mills?
I know I can pressure wash the logs (messy/muddy/rusty), or use a manual slick-type debarker, just wondering what others are using to clean up the bark/surface of a muddy/icy log thats contents are questionable.  Once I make my first 2 cuts (top and bottom) and flip the log 90 it's no longer and issue, since the blade would be entering clean wood.  Would the best cheap solution be a small hatchet or debarker made from an old pick-axe fashioned into a crude adz?
thanks!

[Magicman]

You could use these.  I have a debarker, and still use them on the "off" side.  I know that the "off" side does not dull the band as bad, but I still find gravel and rocks.  I never leave home without new ones.



Here's what worn out debarkers brushes look  like....

[icolquhoun]

magicman,
I never would have thought to use a large stiff wire brush.  Might work good for smooth barked trees like beech, but I will also be sawing DEEPLY furrow barked trees like oaks, maples, etc.  Wondering if the brush will be able to get in all the spots?

Maybe I should just get off the computer and actually go give it a shot ;)
thanks for the suggestion!

[Magicman]

Bark doesn't get much deeper than SYP and they work on it.  Also use those little scraper jobs on the end.

[Tom]

I've used a hatchet or axe on the mill and sometimes a flat-nose shovel on the ground.  I had an all metal floor scraper that worked good but it was heavy.

All you have to debark is where the blade enters. 

I really like preassure washing or even just a hose, but it's best done at another location to keep from making a mudhole around the mill.

There is a commercial product, called a Log Wizard that is a set of planer blades attached to the end of a chainsaw.  They work once you get them set properly.

[coastlogger]

Fire hose, axe, log wizard, that covers it for me. I find the fire hose quite effective  lots of volume flushes out sand etc. not bad. i dont have huge pressure   a Honda 2 inch pump  but it does work. The log wizard works great but is frustratingly slow.I make a habit of cutting abt an inch off the ends of any log that has been within a foot of the ground. Fast to do and really helps I think.
clgr

[Puffergas]

I've use a pressure washer a lot but not real happy with it. I've welded a sharp leaf spring on a pipe and used it like a spud. Had the log wizard but that gets dull too fast. An axe might be the handiest for me. But I would rather remove all the bark!!!!!!!


Jeff

[coastlogger]

On this years to do list is build a debarker to go ahead of blade. Am planning to use a skilsaw as power at least to start. Wonder if anyone has tried, or heard of,having one on both sides of log? like Magicman says, the grit on the offside is a factor in blade dulling as well.Seems to me what works on one side should work on other side also.
clgr

[Magicman]

Personally, I would not consider a debarker on the "off" side.  It's too easy to just look where the blade will exit and clean that area up with a wire brush.

If you try to adapt a Skilsaw, etc. you'll have to maybe stack blades for thickness, plus a Skilsaw turns too fast.  Also you would need to have the blade turning so that it is climbing out rather than digging into the cut.

[bandmiller2]

I use an axe,wire brush and compressed air[with goggles].On the air gun I have a long piece of brake line,air does good when the mud is loosened with the wire brush.Frank C.

[captain_crunch]

 I have two old spuds and bark on fir logs comes off easly also use fire hose but in the winter that gets messy. Beings lazy I only clear spot for blade. Eventually want to build more rollway outside to let the Oregon sunshine do the washing ;D ;D

[Hilltop366]

I wonder if a 4 1/2" angle grinder with carbide blade would be eaiser to mount on a mill than a skill saw, Most have threaded holes for the handle, a couple of bolts and a hose clamp on a properly built arm and it would be well fastened.

[bandmiller2]

Hilly,that angle grinder will work but the problem is mounting it,the linkages and applying the right pressure agenst the log.Especially slab cut on a curved log your in the cut then the valley and the debarker swings in and binds.I would copy a proven design such as woodmizers linkage. Frank C.

[Hilltop366]

Ya that is what I ment by "properly built arm"
Just throwing out the angle grinder idea for the power head but your right about the arm it will have to sitck out ahead so the debarker will "follow" behind perhaps some sort of 1/2 moon shaped guide in front of the blade and something to control the depth of the cut.

[coastlogger]

Hilltop and Frank I agree with your thinking. Plan is to build a robust arm linkage assy and then tackle the actual cutter. I want to try a skill saw, am not convinced it will not work. Purchased a dandy angle grinder "used" recently that has a 4.5 inch (dia of disc) chainsaw chain mouted on disc. This is plan B.With my non woodmizer throwing sawdust ,broken blades etc to offside of mill I can stand ahead of cut  on the drivers side and if necessary guide the cutter in and out via a suitable extended handle.
clgr

[bandmiller2]

For what its worth,if you bandmill for hire especially on the road you should have a debarker as you have little control how the logs were handled,and you really can't spend the time to clean them.You own logs and hobby sawing you can clean them and really don't need a debarker and its maintenance.My opinion, and your mileage may vary.Frank C.

[taschmidretired]

 Story Time Alert !!!
  I was running the first bandmill I had ever run.  It was one of Larry Burg"s first ones.  I was only looking to quarter up small Juniper into fence posts. I had to put up 2 1/2 mi of 4 strand barbwire.  As I started into the project I noticed that it did not take long to kill off a new blade. At the same time I started to change my way of thinking about Juniper. I started to dementionally saw Juniper for trial use. As I started to see the positive results from using dementional Juniper (the ranch had nice juniper, just design things with 12 ft span or less) it became more important for me to saw accurate and extend the blade life.  How does this pertain to debarkers you say?  Now,
the rest of the story..
I was sawing one night during the winter in my make-shift sawmill shack. I had a small power plant just for lights. At some point I lost power to the lights, but not the mill. I could not believe what I saw! It looked like 


I was running the band through a grinder! The sparks were flying everywhere. I was making a cut into the bark at the time.  I really thought I had to be steel on steel somewhere. After a thourough investigation I could'nt find a problem. For kicks I put a 6"x6" back on the mill. I started into the cut and unplugged the lights. Almost no sparking whatsoever!
I could not convince anyone to reverse the mill, so I had to do it myself.  When I got it to the point where I could saw with it, I never looked back. My blade life more than doubled.  Turning the log into the new cut was at that time totally unconventional.  I was now pushing the blade against the dogging side instead of the solid side of the mill.  It was and still is, in my opinion, the cheapest way to get out of the bark.

[bandmiller2]

TA,I believe timber harvestor used that system, it works, your only into bark on a couple of cuts.The standard bandmill pulls the band through with the rear bandwheel,can you reverse direction so the rear bandwheel acts like its pushing and pull it around from the top.??I thought about that when I built my bandmill but pooped out and went standard.Frank C.

[Dave Shepard]

I've used a bark spud, an axe and a Log Wizard. The wizard works very well, once you set the blades out far enough to bite. ;)

[taschmidretired]

Yes Frank Timber Harvestor also used it. I never knew it until I had met them at a show onetime. There would not be a lot of reason to change if you are going to mostly resaw cants off the circle mill. Here is a link to pics of my Juniper projects. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/29788410  http://www.panoramio.com/photo/30551338  http://www.panoramio.com/photo/30551313 Not many buildings made out of Juniper.

[bandmiller2]

Tom,I never heard of using juniper,around here their just pesky shrubs that spring up overnight in the pasture.How do they weather on the outside of a building.??I like the tusks on your loader bucket.Frank C.

[taschmidretired]

 Ya know Frank, I can't remember who told me about trying those truck spring mains as make-shift log forks,  but I have to tell you I have never forgotten how well  they actually worked. You would really be surprised if you have not already seen them working.  Red heart Juniper is very weather/decay resistant.

There are a lot of varieties of Juniper. I was informed that the Western Juniper and the Eastern Red Cedar are close relatives.
In Oregon, and probably all Western States, Juniper was not ( and hopefully still isn't ) considered Timber  so they fall under the radar of regulations.  So can you imagine Eastern Red Cedar being declared a useless piece of wood!  At that time (early 90's) I was  clearing the quality soil areas of this Ranch of stands of Juniper, that established and grew (well I might add) over a 75 yr period of fire suppression.
I was told the method for removing them was to push them up and burn them.  I just couldn't bring myself to do it ( and I could of with my old but healthy 39 D8).  So long story short, I ended up finding a use or a market for every bit of it down to even 3" limbs. It actually supported the finacial end of clearing the land mentioned ( 328 ac). with products and by-products of the Juniper. The last Juniper I have sawn was Aligator Juniper on my place in Northern Sonora, Mx.. I used it for furring strips before drywall and in some improvements in the cattle handling faciities.
      

[Magicman]

Why would I need a debarker  ???







Note:  Wire brush at work on the "off" side.  The debarker will take care of the front side.

[taschmidretired]

 This is a descent shot of the blade entering into the clean side.

[bandmiller2]

TA,nice old cat you had their,with a good operator they will still do alot of work.I could not think of a better engine for a circular mill [mayby a Murfey diesel]they just loaf along 1200 RPM forever.Shame it costs so much for a new bottom thats what kills those old dozers.Frank C.