iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Carriage length

Started by NMFP, March 07, 2013, 06:42:40 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

NMFP

As I am planning the rebuild of the carriage on the mill I am installing, I am thinking about the overall length of the carriage  I should build.  I have 3 head blocks and wondered that the guys that are sawing with 3 head blocks would prefer as spacing?  I am thinking 6' between the first and second and then 5' between the second and third.  Is this realistic from your ideas?  I currently saw on a 4 head block edmiston and the head blocks are well spaced for just about any length logs we saw.

I am thinking over all length of the carriage would be about 13' which would be shorter than originally sold by frick.

Any thoughts?

bandmiller2

If you have the track its nice to have a long carriage.Mine is 14'with headblocks about every 3' because I have a set beam type mill and had the headblocks off a couple of mills.You mentioned yours is a Frick mill with three knee headblock assemblies.Prehaps you will run across anouther headblock to add.Probibly space 5' or 6' apart even if you left a blank space on the end of the carriage for future expansion.Of course it also depends how many wheels and axles you have.I don't like to mess with logs under 8'. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

lyle niemi

Im gonna rebuild my carridge this spring or summer, Im going to buils a 18 or 20 foot with a total of 5 head blocks, hope no one thinks Im crazy..lol

millstead

if you have enough track i would make it 16 ft. mine is 16 ftand i only had three head blocks when i built it but i have since accuired two more head blocks and i put them on so now i have 5 head blocks but i could have gotten by with four. with a 16ft carriage you can saw 20 ft logs if you let them hang off each end

jimparamedic

My mill has 3 head blocks the two end blocks are sold mount and the center block can slide for diferent length logs. carriage at this time is 12' but I am going to go to 16' soon. when I got the mill it had 2 12' carriages that could be hooked together but still only 3 head block.

NMFP

Jimparamedic,

As far as general sawing for all lengths, 8-16', where do you end up leaving your headblocks mounted at if you do not move the center headblock?  As I only have 3 head blocks, finding stuff in my area is tough due to scrap prices and the shear volume of circle mills gone.  I feel I will be operating with 3 head blocks for a long time until I find one close unless I can purchase from a FF member.  I am thinking 14' carriage....1 on the end and then the other at 6.5' and then the 3rd at 14' but not sure on the spacing.  Any ideas?

bandmiller2

NMFP,on your type of headblock assembly usally the gear is rusted on the shaft and your stuck with whatever spacing the last dude used, if you can move them I'd go with 5'to6' or if their close to that leave them where they are.How many wheel axle sets do you have.?? Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

NMFP

Frank:

I am actually rebuilding the carriage with new axels so i am planning on 6 axels with a 14' carriage.  Have you ever pressed the gears off the set shaft?  I am planning on disassembling the head blocks and sandblasting it.

NMFP

jimparamedic

My center head block slides left and right. I cut alot of short stuff down to three foot. They are free logs from people who had trees cut down. The only problem I have with the three head blocks is that the last board on the blocks has to be about 2" thick other wise the saw will pull or push the board out of line making it thick and thin from end to end. 

lyle niemi

Quote from: NMFP on March 08, 2013, 07:45:19 AM
Frank:

I am actually rebuilding the carriage with new axels so i am planning on 6 axels with a 14' carriage.  Have you ever pressed the gears off the set shaft?  I am planning on disassembling the head blocks and sandblasting it.

NMFP
Im just wondering why 6 axles when three would be plenty??

Mooseherder

There are 4 axles on mine.
This is how it sits waiting on me to get into gear and some pictures of it before and while moving it to the track.



  

  

  

 

Sprucegum

The more axles you have the less chance of the carriage flexing as you saw.

I found that 2 feet of overhang past the end of the carriage allowed the cant to chatter if I tried to feed too fast. As the cant gets smaller it would chatter some anyway.

I have 3 - the second one at 8' and the third at 12' so I can saw a 4' log on the back pair.The longest I can saw is 16' but I got to be careful.

NMFP

Sprucegum:
Do you have any pictures of your carriage with 3 headblocks?  I just spoke with a guy that is going to weld a new carriage for me where I can transfer the setworks to along with the head blocks. 

Moosehearder:  Do you have any close up picks of how your headblocks operate?  Looks like you have a couple good moving head vlocks which move more bolsters than just 2.  Is that the case?

Thanks,

NMFP

bandmiller2

NMFP,no I've never tried to move the gears on the shaft, the mills I've used all had a set beam.The set beam has a steel or more commonly wood beam that the headblocks are bolted to.This type of mill is most common up here in the northeast,examples would be Chase and Lane.I have had headblock assemblies like you have but the shafts and gears were rusted togather so bad I never tried to move them.I would clean the shaft real well with a small grinder and emery cloth and heat the gear,not sure how the gear is held on the shaft probibly a tapered gib key. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Mooseherder

There are hydraulics that move the headblocks in unison.  The hoses go into the down tube pictured.
What isn't in the picture is an overhead mechanism that gets bolted to a pivot point on the rafters and allows travel of the hoses with the carriage going back and forth.
That part gets bolted into the square top of the down tube.  I don't have any better pictures at the moment and it is under snow.
If you know of someone with an Ipad they can zoom into an area and make the picture larger while viewing it.



 

beenthere

Maybe the overhead rigging, sometimes called a pantograph, is like the one in this link?

http://farondaniel.com/sawmill-machinery/frick-complete-sawmill/attachment/031/
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Mooseherder

Thanks Beenthere. :)
Now I know what to call it.  (although I'll probably forget) :D

beenthere

 :)
To me it isn't a real pantograph, but it seems to be tagged that for the overhead carrier on sawmills. 
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Mooseherder

Looks like the one in the picture is tethered to a pole that has risen from the husk area instead of an overhead rafter.

NMFP

I am thinking that if I cannot locate a good used head block assembly, I will simply mount he one ones I have on the new carriage after cleaning and then build a dummy head block that would support the weight and provide stationary position but would not have a dog assembly, atleast until i would make one or be innovative enough to fabricate one from something I already have.  Its amazing really how simple a mill is to design if you have welding skills and some imagination.

beenthere

Quote from: Mooseherder on March 08, 2013, 09:08:47 PM
Looks like the one in the picture is tethered to a pole that has risen from the husk area instead of an overhead rafter.
I guess either would/could work as both are somewhat would be stationary.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

NMFP

I made a pantograph a few years ago for a friend of mines mill.  made it out of conduit and had pillow block bearings for the pivot points.  Worked well and only cost about 500$ compared to 6500 like he was quoted from a sawmill manufacturer.

Thank You Sponsors!