Starting my sawmill build

Splintershack · March 01, 2017, 11:03:26 AM

Got to work on the frame last night with help of my oldest son we got a good bit done in just a few hours. I have I-beam runners with 8" channel iron for the track section and then 7" channel iron for cross supports. What do you guys think so far?

Kbeitz · March 01, 2017, 11:49:56 AM

It's a little late but I would have turned the channel around so
that you would of had a ridge for the track roller to ride on.

Ljohnsaw · March 01, 2017, 01:17:09 PM

Quote from: Kbeitz on March 01, 2017, 11:49:56 AM
It's a little late but I would have turned the channel around so that you would of had a ridge for the track roller to ride on.

Unless he welded the track down to the massive I beams, I *think* he is planning on doing just that! WOW - looks stout. I take it this will be stationary? Band mill? Will the I-beams be part of the mill (support)? About 4' to the outside edge? Eighteen to 20' in length?

Splintershack · March 01, 2017, 03:42:55 PM

The I-beams are 48" wide and are just ground support, the channel is not welded to them. After I get the last small section welded on then I'm going to weld 3x3x1/4 angle down for my wheels to roll on. Will be about 23' feet long and 42" wide inside to inside of the carriage uprights. Will be a band mill with a 30 horse v-twin(if I can get the pulley problem lined out), using trailer tires as well. Will be stationary for now, but may put it on a trailer later.

Gearbox · March 01, 2017, 05:06:46 PM

I would bolt the angle iron that way you can shim to keep the track level . Even those big channels may warp when you weld log supports Spring hangers and such the track can be shimmed back to level .

thecfarm · March 01, 2017, 05:17:57 PM

Now that's a frame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another way to do it.

Gearbox · March 01, 2017, 07:45:19 PM

farm I like your idea to .

Ljohnsaw · March 01, 2017, 07:56:37 PM

I liked TheCFarms mill so much I copied the design (at least I think it was his I copied :

).

Here it is before all the paint was scraped up testing a yard tree redwood. The rails are ¼" 2x3 angle welded to a short piece of 4 or 5" channel welded to ¼" 2x4 tube. The log bunks slip between the angle and tube and get snugged up with a ½" bolt from the top. The log bunks can be placed about anywhere as needed.

Here it is up on the property with a 16' and 8' section of track and 3 log bunks. At the base of the black log stops you can see a T handle on a bolt to lock the log stops height.

Darrel · March 01, 2017, 08:06:51 PM

Welcome Splintershack! You have come to the right place to get ideas and advice on building a sawmill or just about anything else for that matter. Good luck with your build.

thecfarm · March 01, 2017, 09:05:42 PM

Thomas Bandsaw In Brooks Maine can take the credit.

Splintershack · March 02, 2017, 07:43:09 AM

All very good ideas. I am going to make some level jacks out of some all-thread, nuts and angle iron and weld them to the 7" channel iron cross braces. There will be one at each corner where it welds to the 8" channel iron. That way I can make adjustments as needed. I scored some 3x3x1/8 square tubing yesterday so my question on that is, do you think that is strong enough for the carriage uprights and about how tall should I make the carriage? Doing a four post design and there will be plenty of bracing. Again, carriage frame will be 42" apart inside to inside, have trailer tires and shooting for a 36" cut. Thanks for the help from this group of folks.

Splintershack · March 02, 2017, 08:20:02 PM

A little more progress tonight

Ljohnsaw · March 02, 2017, 08:46:12 PM

Quote from: Splintershack on March 02, 2017, 07:43:09 AM
All very good ideas. I am going to make some level jacks out of some all-thread, nuts and angle iron and weld them to the 7" channel iron cross braces. There will be one at each corner where it welds to the 8" channel iron. That way I can make adjustments as needed. I scored some 3x3x1/8 square tubing yesterday so my question on that is, do you think that is strong enough for the carriage uprights and about how tall should I make the carriage? Doing a four post design and there will be plenty of bracing. Again, carriage frame will be 42" apart inside to inside, have trailer tires and shooting for a 36" cut. Thanks for the help from this group of folks.

Looking good. I tried to use all-thread for my jacks but you will find out that bolt thread is not well suited for "moving" things. It is better for tightening things. You need ACME thread for a jack. I think you would be way ahead snagging some scissor jacks from the auto junk yard.

The 3" tubing will be great for the carriage frame! You need to make your saw head before you make the frame. I made my saw head 2' x 2' x 8' (2" .120 tube) and my frame 7' tall.

Splintershack · March 03, 2017, 07:48:23 AM

ljohnsaw, thanks for the advice. Waiting on my v-groove wheels to come in at the moment. Hoping to get the track frame completely welded up Saturday and the start building my carriage. Still have to order my blade and get my tires.

Darrel · March 03, 2017, 09:56:35 AM

Quote from: Splintershack on March 03, 2017, 07:48:23 AM
Still have to order my blade and get my tires.

If you were building a circle mill your verbiage would be correct, but with a band mill you had better order a box of blades.

Good luck! And it looks to me like you are off to a great start! 8)

Ljohnsaw · March 03, 2017, 10:10:16 AM

Quote from: Splintershack on March 03, 2017, 07:48:23 AM
ljohnsaw, thanks for the advice. Waiting on my v-groove wheels to come in at the moment. Hoping to get the track frame completely welded up Saturday and the start building my carriage. Still have to order my blade and get my tires.

Be careful welding all that up that you don't warp your track! On my mill in the first picture above, front right, you can see the all-thread jack I made. I could barely move the track up and down with that. Then, a friend, had some "scrap" laying around in his shop yard. He felt bad that he hadn't given me the super heavy duty "scaffolding" frames for my mill. But, he did let me strip off 12 of those 2,000# trailer jacks! 8) With lots of drilling, I bolted them up to my mill. Four on each track section. They are geared way down so practically no effort raising and lowering my mill. Just LOTS of cranks. I never measured them but I think well over a foot of travel.

Splintershack · March 03, 2017, 10:19:16 AM

Quote from: Darrel on March 03, 2017, 09:56:35 AM
Quote from: Splintershack on March 03, 2017, 07:48:23 AM
Still have to order my blade and get my tires.

If you were building a circle mill your verbiage would be correct, but with a band mill you had better order a box of blades.

Good luck! And it looks to me like you are off to a great start! 8)

Going to order just one blade so I can make sure my math is correct before I order a whole box. Don't want to be mad at myself for wasting a whole box if I'm wrong. (which I probably will be :D)

Splintershack · March 03, 2017, 10:20:04 AM

Quote from: ljohnsaw on March 03, 2017, 10:10:16 AM
Quote from: Splintershack on March 03, 2017, 07:48:23 AM
ljohnsaw, thanks for the advice. Waiting on my v-groove wheels to come in at the moment. Hoping to get the track frame completely welded up Saturday and the start building my carriage. Still have to order my blade and get my tires.
Be careful welding all that up that you don't warp your track! On my mill in the first picture above, front right, you can see the all-thread jack I made. I could barely move the track up and down with that. Then, a friend, had some "scrap" laying around in his shop yard. He felt bad that he hadn't given me the super heavy duty "scaffolding" frames for my mill. But, he did let me strip off 12 of those 2,000# trailer jacks! 8) With lots of drilling, I bolted them up to my mill. Four on each track section. They are geared way down so practically no effort raising and lowering my mill. Just LOTS of cranks. I never measured them but I think well over a foot of travel.

Should I just put some good stitch welds instead?

Kbeitz · March 03, 2017, 11:00:01 AM

Good luck ordering just one blade. If you know your size you might get
just one off E-bay. Blade sellers want to sell you around 15 at a time.

Ljohnsaw · March 03, 2017, 12:55:34 PM

Quote from: Splintershack on March 03, 2017, 10:19:16 AM
Going to order just one blade so I can make sure my math is correct before I order a whole box. Don't want to be mad at myself for wasting a whole box if I'm wrong. (which I probably will be :D)

I bought a box of 15 and was just a tad worried that they wouldn't be correct. But, you're building your mill - easy enough to cut and reweld/rebolt to adjust! :D

Quote from: Splintershack on March 03, 2017, 10:20:04 AM
Should I just put some good stitch welds instead?

Unless you are planning on this angle iron to be structural, just a few tacks is all it will need. My angle, sitting upright with the spacers, is more like a truss so I consider it structural. However, my weld areas are spaced out about 30" or so. I did see a very minor deflection of the ends up about 1/8"-1/4" or so on my 16' track. I figure wood on its own will bow that amount so I'm not worried.

But to counteract that, I welded in the middle first and worked my way out to the ends. I figured as the metal shrunk, it would not be pulling against anything (not attached at the ends yet). Not sure if my assumption was correct or I was just lucky!

Splintershack · March 06, 2017, 08:10:17 AM

Rained off and on all weekend so not much done on the mill. Got all the log bunks put on and then cleaned my woodshop up.

Splintershack · March 08, 2017, 09:39:24 AM

Has rained all week so far except today and wouldn't you know I have other things to do today. On a good note I ordered my blade from Timberwolf and it should be here this week. Ordered my 18.75" pulleys, B57 belts and some other odd and ends from surplus center, also a new straight crankshaft for my engine. Decided to use v belt pulleys as band wheels instead of trailer tires. Be glad when the weather and time will start playing nice again and all the parts come in.