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homemade bandsaw mill, help

Started by gww, April 09, 2015, 05:02:13 PM

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Georgia088

Gww.
I increased my psi from about 45 psi to 60 psi. When I ran my mill this past weekend I tightened the blade until you could start seeing the rubber of the tires "give" in at 60 psi.  Obviously I don't know if this is correct or if it will continue to work, but just thought I would mention that to you.
I actually decided this time to let the air out if the tire to release the tension while I'm not using. I hope this enables me to put the same 60psi in the tire and continue sawing like I was before (I didn't change any other adjustments).
Good luck

gww

G
I wanted my tension just above scrunching the tires due to fear of it taking the set out of the blade.  I am no expert and so I just try things untill I like them.  I think it should be pretty easy to get your same settings back using a tire guage.  Can you change a blade by letting air out or do you have to move your tensioner?

Mine was easy before, I always untensioned with 17 turns and put tension on with 17 turns.  It will be a little harder now but not bad.
If I don't freeze to death, I may finish the cant that is sitting on the mill.  I doubt I load another log but who knows.  I try to do a tiny bit of something every day but lots of days a tiny bit is just that.

I noticed your other thread and if it is any consulation, log handling does get a little easyer the more you do it.  I have found one of the handiest items is just a pretty strong stake for putting leverage to slide the log around and some wood wedges to keep it from rolling while sliding it around.

Good luck
gww

Georgia088

I'm not sure if I can change blades by letting out the air. I think I can especially if I let it out of both tires.
I have always done as you say and counted the number of turns to get where I wanted. But, since I added the front bar I would have to get both adjustments the same each time I loosened and tightened.
This is doable, but I figured I would try air. (Not as much work and I'm lazy).

gww

G
Quote(Not as much work and I'm lazy).
Me too.
gww

beenthere

You guys can make a tension gauge fairly easily. Clamp a digital or dial caliper on the blade and measure the stretch.. IIRC
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

gww

beenthere
Yes, I was actually going to buy a caliper to check set with also.  It was $10 something on amozon and when I got to the local store it was $25 or so for the cheepest one and I couldn't make myself do it.

I only remember I am missing one when I go to use it or some one reminds me I don't have one.  I usually end up with what I need about two years after I find I need it. ;D
gww

pineywoods

Best home-made tensioner I have seen is by arnold113. Ram and pump off a cheap floor jack, drill and tap a hole on output side of pump, screw a cheap pressure gauge in it. I think he has some pics in his gallery...
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

gww

Piney.....
I will check it out.  Thanks

Well, some good news bad news.

I cut the cant that was still on the mill and everything went well and the boards were strait and no wave.

I then hooked up the starter and it didn't work.  I called the company and he said he would send me a starter but that it was a buger to change cause the bolts were behind the flywheel.  I ask him if he was interested in just reducing the price to the motor that didn't have a starter and he was fine with that . 

I am now $25 richer.  The only thing he could come up with is that me using a car battery insted of a mower battery may have fused the starter due to too many amps.  I said that would be hard to believe and he said that this isn't the 1950s and that things were made really cheep today. 

I am not that upset that I didn't end up with electric start even though I did order it.  I guess I am used to what I am doing already.  He didn't act like I was doing anything bad to him and I guess I don't mind pull start cause it pulls pretty easy and for now starts really well.

I really didn't feel ike messing with it and can get done what I want with it the way it is.

My one week spot is still some slipping on my home made pully but the blade was dull and I saw it slow once or twice but it cut good boards and is a bit quicker then it was before.  I believe the tension increase was a step in the right direction along with more horse power.  I could use a caliper and redo the tension side of the mill but it is doing pretty good and I probly will live with it till something breaks.  It is really hard to work on things that are giving you what you want.

I still to this day have never seen a manufatured mill run in person unless you count you tube.  I did look at a timberking b16 in person but didn't get to see it run.  I believe my mill is doing very well now but don't have a large referance base to know for sure.

Cheers
gww

bkaimwood

Hey gww...Sometimes your best reference base is the one you already described... You mill runs, works, cuts good lumber most of the time, acceptable lumber the rest, and some firewood... It's much like the rest of the mills. It does what you want it to, makes you happy, is clearly constructive, and even better yet, no payments!!!! Life is good...never perfect... It's what keeps us on our toes. You've learned and done so much since your start, there's no doubt you can handle and sort out these little issues. Thanks for continuing to check in, I like to see what you are up to, and what you are doing...
bk

gww

Bk
Thanks and I hope you are now making more of a killing on lumber then you are on general maintanance.  I agree, Its all good.
Cheers
gww

bkaimwood

My saw is lots of maintenance, but few breakdowns... A few killings here and there, but not much...still making payments and putting food on the table...IT IS ALL GOOD!!! I love to saw...
bk

gww

I like sawing ok but hate stickering and also having to resticker everytime I dig for a board.  I almost feel like building stuff I don't need just to use the stuff before I have to sticker it.  I am hooked.  I have a whole bunch of non standard logs, lots of junk.  I just keep cutting till I run out of places to put it and then try and find something to do with it.  I haven't found a way to even get my little investment back but it keeps me doing something I am still enjoying and keeps me from being a total couch potato.

You had a home built right?  What ever did you end up doing with it?
Cheers
gww

bkaimwood

Gww..yeah, I started with a home made mill that got me started, and served me well. Between me and the machine, it couldn't do the production I needed only being able to saw part time, do what I love, and still make money, so now I run an LT40. I'm kinda stuck in between now having what I needed, but having payments too, but that's OK. I took apart half of my mill with intentions of "retooling" it into a wide slabber...right now the head sits on a pallet in the mud. I haven't been able to get back to it yet...but I will...
bk

Ox

gww - I think I remember you had some problems with that homemade pulley of yours.  Have you ever priced a store bought pulley?  Do you think it might be worth the cash layout just to get rid of that little headache?  Something like that might just possibly put me over the edge and I'd buy one even if it was $100!  After all, band blades changing speed in the cut is one of the biggest reasons for weird cutting problems...  It seems like someplace like Surplus Center might have very good prices on some of that stuff.  I'm glad your new engine is working out for you.  I also have an electric starter on my Chinese engine but use the pull starter.  It looks just like a Honda 13hp but is painted black with different words.  Runs 99% perfect.  A little lean just off from idle, so sometimes when you try to throttle up either slow or fast it just dies.  Do you have this problem with your engine?
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

gww

Ox
No bought pully unless I rebuild that side of the mill.  The pully is part of the wheel bearing.  The only thing I could do is buy a wheel bearing that accepts a shaft and put a pully on the shaft.  The funny thing is that every once in a while I will basicaly stop the blade and have to stop for a bit and let it take off.  Only happens when I am not paying attention and pushing a little fast. 

The amazing thing is it is not causing problims in the board, just the speed I can cut the board.  The board doesn't even show that it has happenned. 

I have ideals that could make even the home made pully work a little better but can't make myself tackle them plus the fear is there that I could make it worse.  I could weld a piece of metal around to build the ridge up and give the belt more surface area but I have not figured out how to make the ends of the peice of metal smooth enough that it doesn't tear up the belt with out better tools and more skill then I have.  The other ideal would be to use a longer belt and put a tension pully to rap the belt further around the pully.  Not alot of room though.

The problim is the mill is working very well as it is.  The pully is my weakest point right now, but not weak enough for the effort to change it till something breaks.

I have had the motor die when I idle it down and once or twice during the cut.  I have since unhooked the oil senser and believe this is what has caused the dying during the cut.  I read the reviews before buying and oil senser sensitivity was mentioned.  I have had it take three or four pulls to start but most times it starts half way through the first pull.  It calls for gas of an octain rating of 89 or higher but I am using and will keep using the 87 octain gas.

I may change the drive side some day and know that a toyota front wheel drive wheel bearing will fit my bolt patern for the trailer tires I am using.  It would be very tight fit though and may not even be posible.  If I could keep the belt from flipping it would not slip, I believe.  The ridge on one side with a strip of metal would probly fix it but I cleaned up so much welt slag to get it smooth from the first time when I made it that I just am scared to tackle it and I do also burn lot of holes at my skill level.  All little things to think about when deciding what a guy can live with.

Thanks for asking'
gww

Ox

I completely understand your mind set after you took the time to explain it - thanks for that.  I also understand the hesitation of "fixing" something if it isn't really broken.  Trying to improve something sometimes takes you down a long, twisty and expensive road.  Hopefully things will stay working to your liking and you never have to touch anything again for as long as you care about it!  But.....it's a sawmill.  It's definitely hands on.  :)
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

gww

Bk
I read your post but forgot to acknowlage it.  I think a wide slabber is a neat ideal although handling giant logs on a manual does't sound that fun.

Ox
Yep that is about it.  I did notice on the motor today that even with the oil sencer unhooked, the motor went through a small spell of trying to die while cutting where I had to stop forward movement and wait a bit for it to catch and take off.  Must be some type of gas feed issue.  It runs good mostly but this is a little surprizing and worrysome.  Oh well, just keep cutting till failure is my moto.

I hate stickering boards.
gww

Ox

I hate stickering and stacking, too.  Worst part but most important part of milling.  I realize you probably don't want to hear it, but running high test gas, non ethanol gas (if you can find it locally), will make a difference in how your engine runs.  I've switched over to high test, non ethanol gas in everything and I no longer have any carburetor issues.  Also, if it has a fuel shutoff valve, turn it from off to on a few times.  Why?  I don't know, but this made a sputtering engine come back to life for me once.  Must have had something floating around in that little valve.  It shouldn't be with a new engine, but ya never know.
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

gww


gww

Because everyone likes pictures,  I will post a few more of things I have done with my saw mill boards.  I hate my camera and couldn't even take enough pictures in row to get everthing I wanted.  This is sorta my record for what I do with the mill cause I got a virus and had to start over by reloading my computer with its factory software.  I lost my pictures on my computer.  Its fine and I don't care that much but it is nice to have some on this site saved.

First is a cedar chest I made though it is a terible picture of it and it is actually shiny, pretty bright and looks good for me being the one that built it.


 


Built a couple more raised bed gardens with more to come and skinned the outside of an old one that was rotting.


 

I am currently working on a swing set to intice my grand children to put pressure on their parents to visit more or at least to give them something to do when they get here.  I got to keep removing boards in the little lean too in the lower right hand corner of the picture if I want to cut more logs. 


 


The above picture is where my camera quit.  I wanted a couple more pictures to show all the swarm traps and hive bodies and frames for inside the hive bodies for honey bees that I have built this winter.  I don't know if I will try to put them on here later or not.  The camera is hardly worth using.  I wish I knew how to use my phone and transfer the pictures to my computer.  I don't have a data plan but it does take pictures but I can't do anything with them.

As always. I am always surprized at everything that I build, that it adds up to using lots more boards than I thought which means cutting lots more logs then I thought it would take.
Cheers
gww

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Ox

It's amazing how much lumber it takes to build stuff, isn't it?  Nice pics.  Your raised bed garden boxes look IDENTICAL to mine!  Too bad about your 'puter.  I switched to using Linux because I hated paying Microsoft.  Linux is awesome, runs fast, no bugs or viruses because not many people in the world use it (couple million compared to couple billion?) and I just upgraded to the latest long term support version (supported until at least 2019), Linux Mint 17.3 and we love it.  It cost me $8.65 to get a disc here and I can use it on as many computers as I want.  It basically updates itself, as well.  Maybe this is something that may benefit you.  Any questions, just ask.
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

gww

I am amazed at the amount of wood it takes.  I get alot more waste due to sawing lots of low standard logs.  Not much clear lumber and so lots of waste when working around the bad. 


I have a differrent view on the computer thing.  I just don't use it for anything important or put stuff on it that I can't afford to lose.  I turn off the update and anti virus and when things get slow on it, I just format the hard drive and reload it back to factory. 

I mostly use it because it can make a dumb guy like me just a bit smarter if I know who to listen to on it.  Every time I decide I want to do something, I get on the computer and try to learn how to do it. 

When I first retired I went without the internet for about a year cause I thought I could live without it and save the money.  When I got the internet back I was like a drug addict. 

I figure it is a double edge sword cause I do things I wouldn't be skilled enough to try without the computers help and there fore I buy things that I had never needed before so I can do the stuff I am interested in.  It saves by allowing me to be smarter then I really am.

If I was doing all the work in the garden, I would do rows big enough to get a tiller down the middle but my wife is a better gardener and she just loves the raised bed gardens.  She does have to water almost every day due to using them though.
Cheers
gww

Leggman

Quote from: gww on June 14, 2015, 08:22:43 PM
Ok
The shed is as done as I intend to make it.
Inside


 


outside


 


Lastly, a really unrelated bad chicken picture that you can't even see the baby that is sticking its head out.


 
I just put here cause I sorta get excited when a chicken starves herself and acts like a zombee and then is succesful.  I had miss counted and thought the eggs where going to hatch two days from now on my wifes birthday.  I guess I count like I use a mesuring tape, not that good. Threw you with the chicken picture though, didn't I.
Cheers
gww
Nice "shed" looks like a two seater at least to me  :laugh:

gww

Leggman
Long time no hear.  I actually called your number to see if everything was going well but only tried it once cause I wasn't sure of your work schedule. 

Not even the out house is a two seater but I still think it is one of the neatest things and handiest things I have made yet.

Your guides that you made for me and gave to me are still keeping me cutting fair boards. 

Have you cut a log yet?

Really good to see you are still kicking.

I hope all is well for you.
gww


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