Home built roller tables..

[richard lane]

Hello, I am looking into making some roller tables to push heavy beams forward off the mill ( the drag back will not work with my mills location )  I saw a great set of saw horses with heavy metal rollers welded to the top of them.  Any other ideas out there? Thanks, Richard Lane

[Larry]

Price of scrap iron makes it hard to build anything to compare in price to the factory tubing roller tables.  I have cut slices of two inch bar and welded them into the end of 2" pipe.  Drill a axle hole and your set.  Bigger diameter is always better when it comes to rollers.  Got a couple of shop roller stands where I turned 4 or 5" diameter rollers, but there wood.

For good buys on roller tables watch the auctions and be patient...I've picked up two roller tables in the last few months for less than a $100.  Re-sold one to a friend and the other will get modified to work with my mill.

[beenthere]

Like Larry said, if you have access to a lathe (wood lathe or metal), knock out some rollers out of wood such as maple or oak. A sawmill buddy of mine had two 16' 2x6 oak rails with these rollers in between for off bearing his mill and it worked quite well. If I recall correct, just 1/2" galvanized pipe for shaft in the rollers.

[bandmiller2]

Its a shame the old push reel type lawnmowers are getting hard to find the roller on the back works well.They sell cheap flanged ball bearings to fit in tube and pipe to make rollers. Frank C.

[Bibbyman]

 



I'd look around for some used roller sections before going off to build some.  Got these skate roller sections for $10.00 each at an auction.  Nice thing about them is that you can roll two things down it.  They're too light for the load we put on them but they've held up 5 years now.





I made this wooden roller for the end of our slideback table out of a few parts - gate hinges, pipe fittings, bolts, etc.

[bic]

if you have or know where there is a old boat trailer (roller bed) they can be adapted easily with the brackets.

[r.man]

I think the store rollers are a definite possibility for a good price. Factories and trucking firms were giving them away around here about 10 yrs ago when everyone was switching to aluminum rollers. The steel ones are heavy to move but very hardy.

[D Hagens]

Have you ever thought about using an old egg conveyor belt, like the 4ft wide ones?
The table is all rollers and they're pretty tough and durable. I used them in my old shop to roll equipment in and out and never had a problem with them. 

[Brad_bb]

Funny I'd been thinking about this too, lately.  My thought is tubular roller arms mounted in the mill between the bunks.  They are hydraulically actuated.  they sit under the bunk level when sawing, then you actuate them to lift the beam a quarter or half inch, and you easily push the beam off the end of the mill onto a table with the same type of arms.  On the table though, when you lower the arms you have rollers so that you can push the beam perpendicular to how you slid it off the mill,  and you could line up 4 finished beams or so on that set of rollers before you come in with the forklift and remove the 4 beams.  Get what i mean?

[Brucer]

...  On the table though, when you lower the arms you have rollers so that you can push the beam perpendicular to how you slid it off the mill, ...

Kinda like this.



The three main rollers are spare parts from a Wood-Mizer outfeed table. The frame is welded from 1-1/2" square tubing and 1-1/2" angle. The sloping "roller rails" were designed for attaching temporarily to heavy appliances (got 'em cheap).

The main rollers are mounted on arms that are linked together and swing down to drop the timber onto the cross rollers. The ramps are hinged and removable. I can slide several timbers down onto 6x6 bunks, then place the ramps onto the first row of timbers along with some 4x4's and build a second row.

As you can see in the picture, I can also roll timbers off the end.

If you want good, sturdy rollers that can be left outside in all kinds of weather, you might consider using Wood-Mizer spare parts:
- Outfeed table = 24" wide rollers.
- Twin blade edger = 16" wide rollers.
- Infeed & outfeed tables for the new resaw = 9" & 12" wide rollers.

These all have spring-loaded, hexagonal shafts. You don't need hex holes to mount them; they sit nicely in round holes and the corners on the shafts keep them from turning in the holes.

[Bibbyman]

The main rollers are mounted on arms that are linked together and swing down to drop the timber onto the cross rollers. The ramps are hinged and removable. I can slide several timbers down onto 6x6 bunks, then place the ramps onto the first row of timbers along with some 4x4's and build a second row.

What trips or activates the tipping of the rollers?  Air cylinder? Electric motor? Hydraulic cylinder? Manual?

Looks like something that should be added to "Useful Sawmill Mods".

[Banjo picker]

I found these and got them freed up with a lot of penetrating oil and quite a bit of tapping with a hammer, they had been outside in the weather and were mostly not working, but I got them all rolling with a couple of treatments...



I have three of those now and have found some more just haven't been able to get back with the guy and finish the trade....I intend to turn a pair on a 90 deg. to that first one to feed an edger that is in my future.   Tim

[Brad_bb]

Brucer, I'd like to see more.... more pics of the rollers up and down, what the mechanism looks like for doing that, how you are moving timbers off of there(pic from further back), so I can understand better.

[Brad_bb]

Of course woodmizer has us beat to the punch with their transfer table and log deck.
http://www.woodmizer.com/us/IndustrialEquipment/MaterialHandling/TransferTable.aspx

[Brucer]

Oops, my reply last night seems to have got lost in the forum update transition. No harm done, as I was going to change it anyway.

Bibby, the roller height arms are all linked by a moving frame so they all move together. I used a couple of hefty springs to counterbalance the weight of the rollers. It's strictly manual -- position the timber, then grab any piece of unoccupied roller and pull.

Brad, I took a bunch of film photos when I built the tables. I will try to scan them in once I figure out how the scanner function on my printer works.

More to come ...

[SwampDonkey]

Lee valley has roller balls for $3.75 each with orders over 6 rollers.

Each ball can bear 77 lbs

Item #  99K52.20

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,240,41060&p=30066

You could make a wooden framed conveyor and bolt a row on every foot or two. If I was to screw them into the wood, I would orient the screw holes in line with the path of travel down the conveyor.

[36 coupe]

I have 2 rollers made from an old ringer washer.Reel type mower rollers are still available.The steel pins that are used with them could be used to make your own wood roller.I would use casters for rollers now.Straight rollers tend to steer the stock.Tractor Supply stores have casters on hand.

[Brucer]

The roller balls aren't weatherproof. Good for indoor applications but not so hot for outdoor stuff.

Lee Valley Tools also makes a very nice roller complete with bracket. The catalogue says it's good for 200 pounds, but the box says 200 kg, ie., 440 pounds. I've had 700 pounds on one and it survived.

Unfortunately, these rollers aren't entirely weatherproof either. There is no seal on the shaft and water can seep along it into the bearings. I've been getting by by putting some crease on the shaft just where it exits the roller.

Whatever system you use, I'd suggest experimenting with a few pieces before you get too far along. For example, will those roller balls collect sawdust?

I used the Lee Valley rollers for my slab roller tables and realized too late that the brackets catch (and hold) sawdust. This isn't an issue when the sawdust is dry. When it gets wet it swells and jams up the rollers. Now I know I should have mounted the brackets on their sides >:(.

[SwampDonkey]

There is always a catch or fly in the ointment. Sometimes a local (small) shop can make stuff cheaper than you can buy. If you go to a bigger shop, at least in these parts, the price jumps like a logarithmic graph. :D

[Brucer]

Especially if you've got the small shop in your garage ;D.

[SwampDonkey]

Mines all for wood. :D You don't want to make me a couple ratchet wheels do ya? :D :D :D

[Brucer]

Probably not .

[SwampDonkey]

 :D :D :D