My Design for a Band saw Sawmill.

[Bob]

Ummmm... because its air cooled and needs a big fan ... though I suppose I can rig one off the driven thing.... its a thought !  HUMMMMMM
... no doubt its CHEEP ! LOL right up my alley
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Bob.......

[Bob]

that actually has potential... (the honda 350cc engine)  its probably raited at 30 hp and if I ran it in low gear it should work fine... it'ed need a clutch hooked up, and if I remember correctly that clutch slipped a bit....  carberators is the biggest problem with that beastie... the floats are permiated with gasoline... heheheh by now I suppose they have dried out though !
...keeping that thing COOL would be the hard part, although it has an electric start it also has a Kick start on it if I remember right...... I'ed wann'a hook up the electric starter  because I'm lazy !
HAHAHAHAHA
...
 with the engine mounted so the sprocket is facing the right direction , the cooling air will have to be horizontal to the band saw... so a large fan would have to be employed to keep it cool...
which I have a few around here because I knew they would come in handy ! it would be wisest to force the air through the fins of the engine in the usual direction (from the front of the engine)
and if need be I can make up some cowling to do that.... and I could still have the fan sideways to the engine and not have any problems of getting power to it to turn it....
infact I could weld a 2 v-belt pulley to the drive sprocket, one to power the saw one to power the fan !
.....
i think its more trouble than what its worth... to be honnest.... there will be starting problems
battery problems, and cooling problems... the one that worries me the most is cooling it !
I don't think the charger works on that bike as the selenium rectifier is toast... but I probably got one around here somewhere ! LOL
....
but for sheer  power that should actually do the trick.... getting it running good first would be a better way of deciding if its worth the hassel I think !  LOL
... another thought is the high revs of the bike engine ...it develops its high hp at 8,000rpm
 more than double of what I am planning on for the saw... although 1st gear has a 1.2:1 ( I think)
I should be able to run it at about 4500rpm to 5000rpm at the engine, for the saw's slower RPM
....( the 2hp electric motor I'm using on it now turns 3440rpm and has a 1.5" pulley on the motor shaft and turns a 12" v belt pulley on the wheel...that's a 8:1 reduction and should be turning the saw blade wheels at 450rpm if my calculations are correct...
which is a good clip.... I don't think I'ed want to see that thing go any faster than 1000rpm !
...
 
but actually for cutting FAST...that engine would be the ticket... if I could keep the saw together under it ! LOL ! ... if I could run the bike engine at 6000rpm the saw would be singing !
but I dunno if the plastic wheels would hold up under that kind of punishment! ... I kind of doubt it ! I could replace them with some metal spoke type wheels I saw at Tractor supply though... cutting the planks fast is where its at ! ...
as long as it doesn't ware out equipment too bad I'm willing to try for it!
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 HAHAHAHAHAHAHA ( I think its asking for serious trouble ...I didn't design it to turn that fast!)
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I'll have to think on that awhile...
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I think I'm more inclined to try a smaller motor first ! HEHEHEHE
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Bob......

[Bob]

I got looking around the place for an engine for the sawmill and I decided on the 8hp thats on the 4000kw generator ....that I haven't used in over 20 years !.... sense I don't use it its a Perfect canadate!
....
it still pulls through and acts like its in good shape so I will remove the engine and start mounting it on the band saw soon...
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I oiled up the bearings on the sawmill.... first time sense I put it togather and plugged it in
and it promptly spit off the band saw blade ! LOL !
.... it seams that the idlier wheel on the far side is not in very good alignment ( I did mess with it yesterday...oops!)  and I got oil all over the band saw blade... its good to know these things before I try and use it I guess ! LOL !
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 using the motorcycle engine is just too much hassel... the 8hp B&S has about 304cc and if need be I know I can put on a decent carberator and get another 10hp out of it ! ... so it should do the trick
and is in like new condition....dispite the weathered apearance <GRIN>
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I hope I can get that generator off the motor shaft without too much hassel !
...that is one of those things that "we shall see what we shall see" type things ! (they are notoriously hard to get off ! )
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re adjusting the wheel on the band saw shouldn't be any problem... just time consumeing...
it will need a washer between the base of the wheel mount and the frame to get it to track properly and then all the other idliers will have to be re-adjusted once again...
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I was measuring the max cut of the band saw... its max depth of cut is 7-3/4" deep and 36" wide
... I can if I feel it needs it , change the depth of cut by cutting out the angle iron in the center
... but I seriously doubt I'll need to do that.
7-3/4" is the width of a 2"x8" milled plank  and If I want wider planks I can cut then horizontally
... So I see no reason to change it at this time !
...
 the 8hp B&S should do the trick I need.... it may cut a bit slow but it will be a great starting place....  if I can cut a 10ft plank in 5 min I'll be happy ! ...it took my chainsaw about 10 to 15 minutes to do that !
.... and sense its a band saw it SHOULD do it that fast !... we shall see
 I only need a bigger engine if I really want to cut super fast , like a 10ft plank in 1 min....
and I can wait a bit for the cost of a bigger engine ! LOL
...
you'll notice I said 10ft plank and not 8ft.... in actuality I plan to be able to cut 20ft long boards
and that's because I am putting it on a 30ft trailer.... usually I amagon I will be cutting 8ft 2x4's
or 2x6's  I will however start by making some planks for the deck of the trailer ! HAHAHAH
...
 a long time ago when John Gill cut my floor planks for me  on his saw mill he made them 3" by 12" by 12ft long.... something like 18 of them and that made excellent flooring!
  I'll probably do the same for the decking on the trailer... just 2 walk ways on either side of the log is all I need....
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so that's the plan I am going to run with now....
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 I'll post more when I make some progress on it !
...
Bob

[Bob]

LOL ! I got the motor off the generator today....
I had to cut it off as the crank was real long and tapered ...one of those really tight fits.... and was rusted to become part of it....  so I cut it off with the recipocateing saw.... heheheheh got the engine running too after breaking an ear off the intake manifold.... that I siliconed back on ! (oops) so far its holding... 
that is one strong engine ! .... its hard as heck to pull through when its setting on the ground not anchored to anything.... but I got it running and I killed it and re started it with a single pull a few times.... so it looks to be a winner !....
I will need to get a sprocket for that motor shaft....its thicker than anything I have around here ! probly a 1" crank ! or 1.25"
all in all it was a good days work... got it running and I'm happy with that...
tomorrow is re align the bandsaw wheel and get ready to mount the motor ! ...
...
later !
Bob......

[Bob]

ok... just so you know.... don't bother siliconeing a manifold bolt flange back on... even with RTV high temp silicone.... it don't hold ! <GRIN>
... Now I need to go buy some alum/alloy welding rod so I can weld the manifold ear back on...
  I played with that darn engine for at least an hour and a half trying to adjust the carburetor and it just wouldn't adjust and run right... it keeps surging !
 I know the little needle adjustment on the bottom of the carb is screwed up...
the threads were frozen so I had to drill it out and I put a short piece of vinal hose in there and it seams to be holding it in and all that... and not leaking...
but it may well be the problem of the surging... no real way to fix it except replace the carburetor... which I may wind up doing !
....
I also think the governor on it is helping it to surge... I'ed like for the governor to WORK so I have left it on there and keep trying to make it work HAHAHAHAHAHHA
... although I gave up and held the throttle steady and the engine ran steady for a bit
then started the surging stuff all over again... 
so I think the vacume leak and carb adjustments are the major problem so I will attempt to remedy that before I start hunting for another carberator ! ... any carbs around here for that engine would be in worse shape than the one I am trying to use now !  LOL
... I did find a carb that just might bolt right on there, its on a old wore out 12hp engine that I doubt will ever run again...no compression at all and that was when it was running last.... now its frozen stiff and I can't turn it over... so the carb is probably all rusted out inside but it is a possibility !
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... I might go out there and see if I can make it fit on the engine... it would save having to weld the intake manifold that I broke... as it won't be needed ! hehehehe
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  Great weather here today ! ... I'm even sweating its that warm ! LOL !
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I got a pully for the engine and put it on there... this morning... and I adjusted that one wheel so it tracks better....works good again.
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slowly getting it together ... sure takes allot of time !
I'm just hoping all this work will be worth it and it will cut me a bunch of Lumber!
HAHAHHAHAHA
...
Bob......

[Bob]

I put a diferent carberator on that 8hp engine... it starts and runs but not smoothly ...
still needs fine tuning....
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 I ran into a MAJOR problem.... the tracking of the band saw blade!
...
 although it was tracking acceptable going in the one direction... I realised that the 8HP B&S turned in the other direction, so I had to change the thing all around so the tracking of the bandsaw blade would stay on going in the other direction... so I re wired the 2hp electric motor to go in that direction and set to get the tracking correct....
  I spent ALL day on the tracking ! I finally got the blade to stay on but its not stable
at all.... it will run for a minute tracking fine and then all of a sudden one wheel will track off center.... and the blade moved to the front or back half of the tire!
and THAT is as close as I can get it !....
  I also noticed that the screws that I put in the rim of the tire to hold the
semi-Pneumatic tire from spinning on the rim were pulled out ! this made the drive wheel all wobbly...  and apt to slip on the rim again...when under a cutting load.
...
 I showed Feral my problem and  She agreed that I need new tires and rims as the ones I am trying to use just are not strong enough ! .....DARN IT!
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 so I am thinking either wheel barrow wheels or some wire spoke wheels for garden utility carts I saw in Tractor supply are the answer.
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I never thought finding tires and rims that were strong enough would be so hard !<GRIN>
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I know from looking at sawmills on the web that guys have made that most of them are using trailer tires and rims/spindles. I have a small trailer axel up by the Old Quanset Hut, that may well be the answer to this problem once and for all...
... I'll investigate that idea...
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the Motor, the 8hp B&S starts and runs now... but as I said ... not smoothly
but I think I can get it working better... by fine tuning it... strangely enough the carberator came off a 12hp  but is SMALLER than the carb that came off the 8hp...
(way to go B&S!...  IDIOTS!)... but it makes adjusting the carb easier....though top hp may well be out of reach ... I still think it will be enough to power the saw...as its a strong engine !
 I had to do a complete tear down and clean up of the carb but it survived it well.
(unlike the other carb hehehehehe)....its a simplier carberator sense it is so old
2 adjustable jets...one for the idle jet and one for the main jet.... and two butterflys.... and a float chamber...that's it !... my idea of a good carberator ! LOL
... I think part of my problem lies in the points under the flywheel, it seams to be a bit erratic in its running... only time will tell there I guess... gott'a fix it what ever it takes as it has to run smoothly.....
...
I also picked up an idler pulley for the clutch I will make for the engine engage/disengage lever... so I can have the engine running and the band saw not spinning.   but I have yet to even mount the gas engine  so the clutch will wait till later.... getting these wheels sorted out is most important now!
....
Bob......

[Bob]

OOOK ! I think I solved the problem ! I found an old small utility trailer axel among the piles of Junk on the ranch... it has 4 bolt hub spindles on it and I have seen white spoke tires and rims for sale at harbor freight and Tractor supply that should fit it...
I took off one hub to take with me so I can check before I buy'em...to make sure they fit right...
that will give me larger wheels which is what I'ed like for the band saw...and strong enough to handle the stresses involved...
 .... Although it means I'll have to re-work the darn thing one more time at least I know it will work this time !...
I should build in tracking adjusters this time instead of using washers as I have so far as shims to get the adjustment correct......  but we'll see how it goes.
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this is more what I had in mind to begin with... something strong enough to take my abuse ! LOL ! because those plastic rims just ain't making it ! hehehehehe
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however mounting the pulley to the rim may well be a problem... but one step at a time!
... it may well take allot of work but I am sure I can accomplish the task !
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this solution is far better than jerry-rigging it yet again !... I am too good at that!
and it is never a good soulution ! making do is a good skill, but not in every case..I have to make it a point to "DO IT RIGHT" rather than jerry-rig something...as I can usually fix something in a very easy way !...<GRIN>
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now we'll see if I can afford the tires and wheels ! LOL !
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Bob.....

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[Bob]

hehehe well I went to town today and Treated the wife out to lunch, and after lunch we went to Harbor freight tools,<GRIN> I just happened to have the Hub with me in the trunk too ! imagine that ! ...anyway I took the hub into the store with me and went to their trailer parts area and found a match... the 8" utility tire and rim for $29.95 each...although their not much bigger than the plastic wheels I have been using they will do the job I think... so payday (when the money is in the bank) I'll go get 2 of them !
...
 so I cut the spindles off of the trailer axle and am starting to make the mounting plates for them...
... I think I will drill one hole and make an arched slot in a plate and then 2 slots in the band saw frame this will allow me to adjust the spindles angle easily. I do think I will use larger bolts than I have been using (1/4") and move up to 1/2" shank size or 5/8" hex head wrench size... sense only 2 bolts will hold on each wheel... they will have to hold the spindle very securely.... so I may well get it all adjusted and working good and drill an extra hole as a pin to anchor the spindles down "securely" as a Locking bolt.
....
 If I can get it working good without the tensionier WHEEL I added to it , I will... as its just another component to ware out...
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I think with slots on one side  and simple holes on the other I can accomplish this
so one spindle will be non adjustable in lateral position but it will have angle adjustment.... and the other will have angle adjustment as well and a slot to get the tension correct.......
 this is the same way I had the old military tires/rims on it to begin with and it worked ok.... 
 sense I am changing the wheel size though I will probably have to make new slots in the band saw frame ! ( UGH!) but its really hard to guess at the distance between the spindle holes in the frame until I get the wheels here and clamp the spindles and wheels on with vise-grips and move them around till I get them where I want them !
...
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 in the meantime I will get the spindle mounts made up and the 8hp B&S running good... that should keep me busy !
hehehehehe
....
Bob.......

[Bob]

YAHOO !  I got the trailer wheels, got the spindles made up and bolted on and decided to go ahead and use the tensioner wheel I made up for the other version, its on there,had to re-make the bottom guides as they were too long in some areas and too short in others... got them on and adjusted !
had to cut a step in the top pipe to accommodate the motor while still using the same belt... I could have went and bought another belt but that one is brand new ! ...and I'm cheep ! LOL
.... anyway I plugged it in after checking the tracking a hundred times (and the tracking is super stable with these wheels and axle spindles ! ) and it spun up a bit slower than it had before due to the added mass I guess but it reached top RPM in about 3 tenths of a second... and it set there and spun like its supposed to ! much less shaking... just a vibration now... tracking stayed rock solid all the time then I remembered I only put the wheels on snug not TIGHT ! so I stopped it and tightened all the lug nuts and put the big pulley back on... ( i had to place the v-belt pulley on the outside of the wheel ) put it all back together and ran it for about 10 minutes and cut a 2x4 with it....
and it was much easier to cut the 2x4 this time as the blade is steady in one place now....
... so the band saw itself is a success NOW... what I need to do now is get the 8hp B&S running good
make up a clutch lever for it and then make up the carriage for it.
....
the tires and wheels set me back $68.00 from Harbor freight tools....I got them yesterday...  
 Not too bad for a good working  HUGE band saw !...
  I can't wait to try it out on a log.... it should be really neet to cut a plank !
.....
Adding the 8" trailer tires changed the cutting height to 10.5" max depth cut now, so  that gives me more flexibility in how I cut wide boards.
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so I am back where I was a week ago before I discovered the wheels I was using weren't going to work !
... heheheheheh
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..
Bob......

[Bob]

ok here's a Pic I just took tonight, showing the bandsaw sawmill so far.
the engine is just sitting on there ( not bolted down yet) as I have to get it running correctly first.
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today I made up the carage Holders and lock down bolts to anchor the thing at any given height.
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I discovered that the exhaust pipe will be in the way,  and the carb will barely clear... so I may have to move the motor a bit more to the left...what ever that will entail!
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 the band saw runs with the electric motor now perfectly... I've no complaints at all except the power of it..... I can almost stop the saw with a 2x4 just by pushing hard and making a fast cut.
the belt slips, not the motor bogging down, so I may well need another v-belt or a chain drive to keep it from slipping when cutting a log.... haven't tried that yet ~!
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here's the pic.
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Bob......

[Bob]

today I finished up making the clutch arrangement for the Band saw...
the other day I lowered the engine mounting plate about 1.5" to give the belt a bit more slack
I then added a lever and bracket to hold a Idler pulley to be pressed into the bend of the belt when in operation.
 I added a lock, and will make a emergency slap release for the clutch (Feral's Idea!...and a damm good one too !) that way the engine can be disengaged by swatting the  lever !
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 And if the engine was Running the entire saw would work !
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I cleared off the rest of the wood decking on the old trailer where the saw will mount...
soon I will drag it down closer to the shop where I can start making it into the saw mill !
...
Bob...

[Bob]

I have been thinking about the rolling carriage for the band saw...
and I know it has to have 4 wheels on it and both sides will be attached together by a single bar across the top... but My concern is getting the thing to roll squarely down the rails without binding
and that may well be harder than it sounds...
...
sliding mechanisms are easy to picture in ones head but in reality when one makes them they bind really easy... I made a Wood-lathe one time that slid just fine until I welded the head stock plate to the rails... then, the tail stock would slide about 2" and stop/bind up.... and you had to twist it to get it to release... it was a pain in the butt !.... on the Radial arm saw I made I got away from the bind up problem by leaving the sliding pipes bigger than necessary and it doesn't bind... never has ...but its also not real tight and it can be twisted out of alignment if your not carefull !
...
even though the 2 rails of the trailer are "Parallel" getting something wide to roll down it evenly
without twisting and binding up is going to be a real pain !
... its 6'6" between the rails on the trailer... so the width of the saw carage will span that...
I am thinking that side ways roller/wheels  to keep it from binding is a must as well as wheels to roll on... so the only thing touching the trailer will be WHEELS... that may or may not work... I don't know yet.... but I think its my only hope of it working...
 if I just hang strips of bar stock down to keep the wheels on the rails they will bind from corner to corner at 45 degrees across the carriage....  at first I was thinking that is all it would take to keep it on the rails but more thought on the subject tells me that just ain't going to work !
so 4 wheels to roll on and 8 wheels to guide the rolling wheels...4 on the outside facing in and 4 on the inside facing out , all facing the rail... all in slots so they can be adjusted in depth.
...
I think that will work best.... but I wish there was an easier way....
anyone have any bright ideas ? hehehehe
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 I could reduce the number of guide wheels to 4  only on the inside or outside of the main rails... but the carriage has to be strong enough not to flex at all....( which I think it will have to be anyway! <GRIN>


Bob.......

 

[Bob]

well, I removed the engine and put it on  the bench so I can get it running good there... its easier to work on there !... got the intake manifold all welded up and re milled to fit back on and hold the carburetor... gave it a few pulls but only got it to fire a few times, and it hurt to pull on that starter rope so I gave it up for a few days LOL
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I did discover that my clutch lock lever will have to be moved...about 1 inch, and I'll  have to re adjust the lever to compensate for that. but its no biggy !
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I spent my day between 3 things  the saw mill, the bike and the lawn mower/tractor...
i got the starter fixed on the lawn mower... and got the clutch working on the Bike...
and didn't get the engine running for the saw mill.... yet.
... but tomorrow is another day....unless it rains.... then its a Rainy day ! and that don't count !
hehehehehe
...
still not sure on how to fabricate the trolley system for the sawmill.... guess I'll have to "Wing it"
HAHAHAHAHAHA
...
Bob....

[Bob]

Today was a good day to stay inside out of the rain and Hail... so I got nothing accomplished on anything! LOL
...been thinking on the trolley system but that's about it.
so i've got nothing to report !
...
Bob...

[crb]

Bob,  check out harborfreight,  they have a couple of sawmils
you might get some ideas from.
crb