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Homemade tooth setter

Started by DMcCoy, May 13, 2014, 08:57:42 AM

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DMcCoy

I'm not even done with my mill and I built a tooth setter.  I figure once I get sawing again I will not want to stop and build one.  I used a piece of 3/8 HSS (lathe bit) for an anvil. 
Question- How important is an indexer.  I have built a place for one but was curious as to whether people use them.
Thanks, Dave


  

  

  

  

 

Cedarman

For speed and accuracy, indexing to get the tooth exact is extremely important.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

DMcCoy

Thanks for the reply Cedarman.  Looks like I need to get those built as well.

pineywoods

Nice job. I built a primitive dual tooth setter that uses a shop vice for power, and then modified my old woodmizer setter to dual tooth. Would be easy to make yours dual tooth. Just need to think outside the box a bit.
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

hackberry jake

I have "build a tooth setter" on my to do list. I have everything to do it except time and motivation...
https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

bedway

Built myself a setter about a year ago. One of the reasons for that motivation was i suspected a less then desirable settings of the bands i sent out.  Upon completing my setter i checked 5 bands i had sent out for setting and sharpening. I had requested all bands be set at .023. Checking bands randomly i saw readings anywhere from .009 to .032. Since i now set and sharpen my own, i see a major favorable performance difference in the bands.

roghair

An indexer on my homemade tooth setter is important to make sure the set is consistant for every tooth. Maybe it depends on the setter, whether it has a 'stop' or not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP5AE_2M-mI
built a sawmill

Nomad

Quote from: roghair on May 13, 2014, 05:03:03 PM
An indexer on my homemade tooth setter is important to make sure the set is consistant for every tooth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP5AE_2M-mI

     Roghair hit it on the money.  An indexer really is important.
Buying a hammer doesn't make you a carpenter
WoodMizer LT50HDD51-WR
Lucas DSM23-19

bandmiller2

Indexer is very important if you want speed and consistency in your setting. You want your indexer to move the band in sets of three because you have a right, left and a straight tooth. It helps if you can clamp the band body, the DanG bands are spring temper and you have to push them beyond what you want the set and they will spring back to what you want, if your lucky. If you get the set within a couple of thousands you doing well. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

kelLOGg

Quote from: roghair on May 13, 2014, 05:03:03 PM
An indexer on my homemade tooth setter is important to make sure the set is consistant for every tooth. Maybe it depends on the setter, whether it has a 'stop' or not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP5AE_2M-mI

Does that youtube account show the body of the band flexing when the anvil is advanced? :o If so, I don't see how it can give an accurate set.
Bob
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

bandmiller2

That youtube setter could be improved if it had an adjustable bolt that would push and clamp with the lower block before it pushed the set in. Spring is something we have to live with the more you reduce it the more accurate your set will become. Friend and member JSNH took a picture of my setter here https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=71629  Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

DMcCoy

Found it just after I posted  ::).  I need space for the teeth on non-setting side of the blade.  Heavy plates should press the whole blade hopefully giving an accurate set.


 


 

Next - mount for dial indicator, indexer(s).

barbender

Frank, did you use the suffolk's design for your setter, or is it your own? It looks slick, I'm didn't realize there was a pic of one of your creations on here ;)
Too many irons in the fire

woodyone.john

Imho,an indexer is a huge part of the setter and as pineywoods says making it a dual jobby starts to make setting much less of a chore. On my upgrade I also made an 'armstrong' advancer which makes the whole process quite quick. Photos in my gallery,
cheers john
Saw millers are just carpenters with bigger bits of wood

bandmiller2

Bender, I have only seen pictures of Suffolks setter, mine is similar in many ways. Setting is basically a simple operation and there are only so many ways to do it. I have a lot of respect for Art Gschwind that owns Suffolk he spent time on the phone with me when I was building my bandmill . I would never sell or profit from selling a copy of his design. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

roghair

Quote from: bandmiller2 on May 13, 2014, 08:17:36 PM
Indexer is very important if you want speed and consistency in your setting. You want your indexer to move the band in sets of three because you have a right, left and a straight tooth. It helps if you can clamp the band body, the DanG bands are spring temper and you have to push them beyond what you want the set and they will spring back to what you want, if your lucky. If you get the set within a couple of thousands you doing well. Frank C.

Bob, This is exactly how the setter works and it is fine for me. Maybe I will add the feature that frank describes and add "an adjustable bolt that would push and clamp with the lower block before it pushed the set in." (like the simple Cooks setter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-2KB_Wwdo4&feature=related)

Here is an other clip of my setter that shows more details:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr2YTKu74Is

DMcCoy, your setter looks great and I am sure it will do the job for you!
built a sawmill

kelLOGg

roghair, I couldn't see the band body flex on the 2nd video as the tooth was set. It works as needed so that is the most important thing. Nice workmanship.
Bob
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

barbender

Frank, all that being said, I've heard that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery ;) I wasn't suggesting that you stole their design to profit from it, but if you looked one over and built your own (for your own use) I wouldn't see a problem. It looks like a nice setter, in fact I might copy YOURS ;D
Too many irons in the fire

Delawhere Jack

Roghair. That is a very clever design using an eccentric wheel to set the teeth!  ;) Like most others here, I use a toggle clamp to close the jaws of the setter. It has a short handle (which I plan to replace), and it can be fatiguing to the hand when setting 10-15 bands in one session. Your design looks much more comfortable to operate.

Yet another item to add to my "to do list". 

bandmiller2

Bender, you just help yourself mate. The two jaws I torch cut from 3/4" plate, the pushers are 3/8" round head plow bolts with jam nuts to hold the adjustment. The 3/4" drilled and tapped gives me the spacing for 3/4" tooth spacing, I have 1/8" washers to add to give me 7/8 and 1". Theirs nothing real critical so long as everything is adjustable. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

DMcCoy

A few more pictures...
In trying to make a holder for my dial indicator I ran into some space issues.  I built a frame that will hold the band support rods(pipes).  It slips over the end of the 4" channel that is the setter frame and tightens with a bolt.  I plan on making a band grinder so I can now use this on it as well.


  


  

  
Dial indicator bracket, room for adjustments on the X,Y.


  

leroy in kansas

That's looking pretty sharp. Have you noticed the smaller the project the more time involved??

DMcCoy

Yeah, I think it's all those little interconnected details that take so much time.  Measure, drill, change plan, weld, grind flat--repeat--welding solves many problems.

For a few days I have been trying to figure out how to use the ball nose indicator I have.  Finally, tonight, I came up with this using a piece of broken metal cutting bandsaw blade and a cotter pin.  Should let the teeth skip past as the blade advances, easy and cheap to replace if it gets worn. Indicator spring easily moves the blade back to zero


  

  

  

bandmiller2

D McCoy,I can tell your enjoying yourself, its satisfying to make your own tools. My first setter had a dial indicator attached, drove me batty trying to get each tooth perfect. Made the latest setter and took the indicator off. I made a small block to hold the indicator and check set as I adjust the setter, once set I go around the band and don't worry about minor differences in set. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

DMcCoy

bandmiller2 - Yes, I enjoy this stuff.  I enjoy sawing as well, and I know once I get started again I won't want to stop and go back into the shop, besides it's raining. 
Your comment answered the question I have had for a while now- Once adjusted why put the indicator through that much wear ? 
Thank you that is good experience.  I will be taking it off once it is set.

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