Home built debarking machines ?

[scully]

Now that the freezing weather is here mud and ice have become a problem . Needless to say the resharp pile is growing much faster than usual . I was wondering if any here have ever made a debarker to strip the logs before they go on the mill . I've seen them at the big mills but was wondering if any home built guys have come up with a way to clean off logs .  I have seen the chainsaw attachment and wonder if that will do any good for frozen mud . Thanks for the input .

[Kbeitz]

There is some post here somewhere where they are using dado blades.

[Gearbox]

Google Drum debarker . They do not look that hard to build and would payback would be short .

[Brandon1986]

I like using my log wizard on spruce and birch. I don't know how well it would work on the trees in your area.  It doesn't work for beans on aspen and cottonwood...

[Ox]

Why doesn't it work on aspen or cottonwood?  I've heard the blades need to be set quite long in order to work well for debarking, does this have something to do with it maybe?

[Brandon1986]

Oh that might be.. I haven't fussed with the blades at all. Truth is didn't know I could set the depth.. On the light bark trees it works great for me.. I leave the saw on the right side of the mill and when I roll the cant I just make a 10sec pass down the cerf line.. Other folks have had mixxed results, but I like it.... And it's versitle, I don't have a tool JUST for debarking trees.

[Brad_S.]

A Log Wizard is useless on frozen mud.

[Ox]

A motor spinning old table sawblades mounted backwards would work nicely probably.  Seems like I remember something like this thrown around the forum once...

[bandmiller2]

Probably the drum and teeth off A stump grinder would handle frozen mud. Log could be put between four wheels and tires and turned slowly. Frank C.

[YellowHammer]

It you're not doing it, change your sawing pattern so you only go through the bark a minimum of times.  For example, take a slab and flitch on one face and rotate the log outboard so all other cuts are through fresh sawn wood and no bark. 

[Kbeitz]

Carbide mill cutters make good blades.

[47sawdust]

I'm with Yellowhammer.Minimize the bark you have to remove and rotate to a clean face.Frozen mud and rocks kill a blade quick.

[bandmiller2]

Myself I use no debarker, I clean the path of the band with a wire brush, clumps and caked dirt I use an axe to remove a section of bark. This requires a little time but I'd rather do it than change a lot of bands. Really filthy logs I don't mess with or let them age until the bark will fall off. Frank C.

[Ron Wenrich]

I'm thinking that trying to build a debarker that strips off all the bark before sawing is a tall order.  I've been around a couple of types, and they are all built heavy duty.  I've seen the type that have a debarker head that mounted on a carriage and is moved back and forth on a spinning log.  I've also seen a stationary debarker head where a spinning log is advanced through it.  I've also seen a ring debarker that has knives that revolve around an advancing log.  I haven't been around drum debarkers, and I believe they may be better suited for straight pulpwood.

The feasibility of putting a big debarker depends on your production.  I worked circle mills that didn't have a debarker and ones that did.  The income from the bark is pretty good, and can pay much better than chips.  It saves a lot of labor on sharpening saws, as your sharpening will last 50% longer or better.  You would have to put a pencil to it to figure if its worthwhile. 

The mills without a debarker often used a mud saw.  They were a small saw with inserted teeth.  The teeth were about 1" wide on the tips.  They are run usually by an electric motor and you use the mud saw to remove the bark ahead of the saw.  All you want to do is remove the bark and mud saw you're not cutting through mud and dragging it through your cut.  At least, that's the theory. 

I think the log wizard is a good alternative to a mud saw.  If you can figure out how to mount it in front of your sawhead, you might be able to have a decent alternative.  You might not need to run it all the time. 

[paul case]

I saw a strip debarker on a circle saw youtube video. Saw lots of them on bandmills but never on a circle mill. It hung from the ceiling and the operator pulled it down as the log went by. Looked like it worked pretty slick.

PC

[york]

PC,yes i had a pull down mud saw on my mill-was made in pa by Cornell mfg and they sold out to Pendue,don`t think they make that mudsaw anymore....

[scully]

I have a debarker on my mill for the entry cut , it's the exit cut that's really killing me . I have a hand held debarking wedge I made that works well for the big chunks etc. but is labor intensive and does not always get all the deeper stuff in the bark . As for sawing to minimize cuts through bark I am doing that as well , I try and position the log to avoid possible hits as well but I don't like risking lumber quality bye choosing a poor cut progression .

[Ron Wenrich]

Why not put a debarker on the exit cut?  Seems like it should be the same technology.  You would probably have to reverse the direction of the debarker.

[fishfighter]

Why not put a debarker on the exit cut?  Seems like it should be the same technology.  You would probably have to reverse the direction of the debarker.

Maybe made out of a wheelchair motor which can run on 12V. Remove the gear box, the rpm's are around 3500 to 4000. Add a dado saw blade. Have that set up on the head rig to were the dado blade is in line with the mill blade on a swing arm. It could be set to were springs would pull it in. ;D

[Ox]

Pretty sure the blade would have to be mounted backwards, as forwards would grab and want to saw in, rather than grinding off and away all the time, no?

[47sawdust]

Ox,
That's a pretty exciting picture you just painted.....maybe it's just my mind.

[fishfighter]

Pretty sure the blade would have to be mounted backwards, as forwards would grab and want to saw in, rather than grinding off and away all the time, no?

Could build a shield around the dado blade to were just some of the blade sticks thru and have a bar that would extend out and ride the logs edge. Running it in reverse, I think the blade would just skip across the bark. I would want the debarker to work as fast as the mill would saw. :D

Oh, I sure as heck want the bark to fly away from the mill head too! ;D

[ozarkgem]

Pretty sure the blade would have to be mounted backwards, as forwards would grab and want to saw in, rather than grinding off and away all the time, no?

You can put a spacer like a giant washer say 3/4 of an inch smaller than the blades then that will it from going deeper into the log. Once it got to the depth of the spacer it couldn't cut any deeper. Hope that is as clear as mud.

[Kbeitz]

Why not put a debarker on the exit cut?  Seems like it should be the same technology.  You would probably have to reverse the direction of the debarker.

Maybe made out of a wheelchair motor which can run on 12V. Remove the gear box, the rpm's are around 3500 to 4000. Add a dado saw blade. Have that set up on the head rig to were the dado blade is in line with the mill blade on a swing arm. It could be set to were springs would pull it in. ;D

Wheelchair motor wont do it. You need more power like a starter motor.

[Joe Hillmann]

You could build a pretty simple homemade debarker that only debarks where the blade will cut by mounting a chainsaw with a carbide blade to be hinged in front of the saw head.  You would have to make it spring loaded as well as be able to be flipped out of the way and probably need to put some type of sled or shoe near the tip to prevent it from digging in too deep.  You could also guard all the blade except the very tip to make it safer.

It also wouldn't matter too much if it couldn't cut as fast as the mill can because you would only be using it on a few cuts per log.  Worst case on a large log you may have to use it for 8-12 cuts.

If you don't want to mount an entire chainsaw you could power it with a hydraulic or electric motor or if you have a mill that uses trailer tires you could power it off friction from the wheels.