My homebrew mill

[edsaws]

heres a few pics of my mill, I need a new drive chain so it'll be a few days before I make any dust :(.

[Tom]

AH!  Yes!   .......and a familiar "homey" green too. :D

[T_in_SC]

Nice job.  I like the way you made the guides.

[rvrdivr]

Nice work Edsaws.
Tell us, how does it raise and lower? also how wide a log can you cut?
Looks good!

[rbarshaw]

Fine lookin mill, Probably the best use of 55 gal. barrel tops i've ever seen. I always enjoy seeing a fellow scroungers mill!

[Swede]

........."Probably the best use of 55 gal. barrel tops i've ever seen..........."  :D :D :D

Think it´s the best use of everything but most of all the green details.  

Swede.

[DanG]

Good job, Edsaws! 8)  When Barshaw noticed the barrel heads, I got to looking closer. Looks like you might have adapted some other existing parts to your use, too. I'd love to hear what some of the parts started out as. ;D

[Murf]

Yeah, come Ed, spit it out, we want details..... :P

Like how did you swap the drive around so that a vertical shaft motor pins the blade for you.

Mostly cause I've got an almost new vertical shaft donor motor, besides, my Dad's gettin' too old to cut his own grass anyways, so he won't need it much longer....  :D

[edsaws]

Well its basicly a rear engine riding mower. I changed the pulley's under the mower frame to crank up the sfpm. I think its around 5500sfpm right now. I could slow it down by using a smaller pulley on the motor. Its using the stock transmission from the mower with a different pulley also. I had to order a part today, the drive sprocket on the tranny was shot. Local john deere parts guy told me $89 and change for a new one, told him to keep it. Got one from Mcmaster-Carr $7.00.
To raise the carraige I got one of those boat winches from harbor freight. The 55gal drum covers fit perfect over the trailer tires. It was origanally going to cut a 36" log by 9' but the way the engine sits on the frame I only got about 29" of lift.  

[edsaws]

Yah whoooo!!!! Made me some sawdust today. I can't believe it it actually works. After a few trial runs to work out a few kinks here and there I got my 1st boards cut. Heres a couple of pics.


I still need to improve the dog system. I'm going to have to remove it and fix a few stupid mistakes I made when I installed it last year. Oh well I'm goin' to have me a few cold ones to celebrate.

[Swede]

Very cool Ed!   Have been waiting for them boards some days now.

I´ve been lookin at Your pictures for almost 15 min. now trying to understand how  that green thing with yellow drums can cut a log into boards.   :D :D :D I love them pictures!

What´s her name?  ;)

Swede.

[DanG]

Ditto on that YEHAWW, Ed! 8) 8) 8)  I'm havin' a cold one with ya. ;D  Right purty lookin' boards for a first run. Bet you was disappointed when you ran out of log, huh? :D

[Haytrader]

edsaws,

Sent ya an email with a pic showin a dog system that works great and is simple.

[RacinRex]

Simply put.... WOW!!!

Very cool man, I'm a little late but I'll crack a cold on in your honor, in exactly three hours twenty minutes and 44 seconds... because I'll be out of work :-)

[T_in_SC]

Great job EdSaws,  Thats a much better use of that engine than mowing grass. :D

[customsawyer]

Beutimas. :D :D :D
I love to see a man that can come up with a new reason to open a cold one. ;D
By the way RacinRex is there any job openings where you work I would like to get a job that I could be on the forum and get paid for it. :D :D :D :D :D

[jpad_mi]

Outstanding!

[rbarshaw]

Great job  8) Now instead of a race'in lawnmower, you've got a race'in logmower ;D ;D ;D

[Fla._Deadheader]

 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[mhasel]

Very cool and nice looking job there, now if you could only get JD to warrantee the trans for ya:) There is no substitute for an imagination and a welder!!

Mike

[Ed_K]

 Wahooo, that sure is a nice feeling, when you get that first board  8).

[karl]

 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

[RacinRex]

Beutimas. :D :D :D
I love to see a man that can come up with a new reason to open a cold one. ;D
By the way RacinRex is there any job openings where you work I would like to get a job that I could be on the forum and get paid for it. :D :D :D :D :D

I'm on this computer all day and half the night sometimes. If I didn't have this forum and the link it gives me to the outdoors... I'd be the one who flew over the coocoo nest.

logmower?!?!?!?!  :D :D :D :D 8)

Hilarious

[fstedy]

 ;D : :D GREAT JOB it certainly should give you a feeling of a job well done. Congratulations on the completion of your project  :D : ;D

[Gilman]

Thanks for sharing Ed. That must of been exciting getting that first board off.

[Swede]

Ed;
I´m a little worried about them 55gal. barrels made of very thin material! :
Think You´ve better not use Monkeyblades on that sawmill......... ;D :D :D :D  ;)

Have You broken any blade yet? Dit it stay on place or did it run away to next county? I had to rebuild my cover, it vas open all way under the free wheel and even under the return part of the blade.

Swede. *bladebreaker* :

[edsaws]

Swede I haven't had the joy of breaking a blade yet but I think the 55gal drum guards should be ok. They're pretty heavy and not open on the bottom. I may add some more guarding inbetween the barrels.The last thing I want or need is that blade wippin' around. It does have brakes though  ;D and can be stopped as fast as I can pull the lever.

[Al_Smith]

Nice job on the mill,fact is ,I'm building one myself,as we speak.Nice to see another tinkerers creativity.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Where's the SEAT ???  THAT would be an awesome view. ;) :D ;D  Nice job, Ed

[edsaws]

A Seat I never thought of that  ???. Now I'll have to do me some more brain stormin' to figure out how mount it and make it push the mill through the log and back again  ;D ;D. Might even have to upgrade to a tractor mower mill  8).

[markct]

thats a nice little mill ya made there, i am in the proccess of buidling a bandsaw mill also, i am using bandwheels i made outa mag wheels that i got from the junkyard, narrowed them up with a skilsaw and a some time in the gap bed lathe i improvised and they look great, for the idler end of the saw frame i am using a hub from the back of a front wheel drive car, its perfect since it has the bearings and little stub spindle all there, and best of all it was free from a car outback, just took my gas powered sawzall out and sawed it off

[CoolTimbers]

Very nice work.  Please be carefull!

[Haytrader]

Welcome aboard,

CoolTimbers
markct

I see this was both of ya'alls first post.
Glad you guys joined the group and look forward to gettin to know ya.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Looks like we got us another Machinist amongst us. Boy, is HE in for a ton of questions. ;D ;D ;D ;D

  Welcome to the Forum, guys.

[markct]

yea i work as a machinist doing plant maintenace and i also have a machine shop at home, well not realy a machine shop, just machines amongst piles of junk! i have a 10 inch logan lathe and a cincinatti horizontal mill that has a bridgeport verticle head on the overarm, most light work i use the verticle head but some heavy drilling and face milling i use the big horizontal spindle for, and best of all it makes a good makeshift gap bed lathe for large dia stuff like bandwheels, i made mine with it, i held them in a 4 jaw chuck that i adapted to fit the spindle. nothing high tech just alot of imagination. and then of course i have the usual welder,bandsaw,torches and all sortsa other tools. got a nice big lincoln 500 amp ac/dc welder, that i bought for a hundred bucks when i was 13, it had the amperage adjustment frozen up but some time with penetrating oil and a special wrench to reach in and turn the screw freed it up and it works great now

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Markct, don't know if yer aware, but, WE LIKE PICS. Specially ones with home made parts and sawmills and, and, and  ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Swede]

Welcome markct! :D Nothing is wrong with old heavy machines in a workshop. I don´t like them new light weight made in (Chineese) aluminium and never let them inside my doors. A mobile band sawmill is not the same, when you need to move it offhooked from the car.

As most of you know my sawmill was manual when i got it in August -2003 but it´s full of hydraulic stuff now. Was at the local car junkyard today. Need better tires for Amerika-Sågen, think Opel 14" 4-bolt will fit. Also need something to controle gas and choke by electricity. Found that electric door lock, also  from Opel have enough stroke, ~1".  Didn´t buy any, think I can get a whole wreck for the money they wanted.

Nothing like a homebrew sawmill and mine is close to now.  ;D Want the engine in idle mode always exept when loading and sawing. Have everything but need 36´ cable with 11 leaders.........and an old Opel Record now.


Swede.

[Al_Smith]

Speaking of pictures,they aren't real easy to down load on this site,as compared with others.I am also a machinest,but not by trade.The end results are the same,just takes me longer.I have a few machines.Monarch 10"EE,Bridgeport model m,Boyes and Emmes 20 by 48 engine lathe,Cincinati-Fosdick 24" drill press with x-y axis table[huge],and the assorted welders,torches,and the other 5 tons of stuff that it takes.Now,about the mill.I also am going to use the tires,spindles,etc. from a little car[ Ford EXP] for my band wheels.I should have enough power,using a 34 Hp Wisconsin,but don't know if I can get enough tension to run the 20.5 ft bands,I plan on using[attemting 48"cut]I plan on power feed,semi auto set,power loader/turner.It will take me all winter,but that's what tikerers do .Oh,yes,and a "board dragger",for want of a better word.This Ohio oak,is heavy. ;D

[edsaws]

Welcome CoolTimbers, markct. If theres anything you need to know about building a mill or any milling forestry  ? you've come to the right place. The people here are always more than happy to help. I don't think I would have got my mill up and running yet without their help. And yes we like them pics

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Loading pics on here is easier than eatin Pasties. ;D ;D

[D._Frederick]

Al,

I don't think that you will have very good luck trying to cut 48 inches with a narrow band, they just don't have enough beam strength and the gullet size is too small. A swage tooth saw would be a better choice in a 3 or 4 inch width.

[Al_Smith]

You are probabley right.It would be a rarity to find that large of log in these parts any way.