Halp! I need HALP!

Steinhauer

Steinhauer

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I am trying to design my very own home made bandsaw mill. I have a thorough knowledge of home remodelling construction and a thorough knowledge of working with power tools. I spent the greater part of my teen years and young adulthood running my father's business (and I absolutely hated it).

But .... I am good at it. I slowly realized over the years that the reason I hated it, was because it was ... work. Now ... I enjoy doing "projects". I know ... strange. Its hard to explain. I also did not like having to deal with customers because I am HoH and got confused easily.

In any case, I am trying to make a tool. I want to make a bandsaw mill simply for the reason that lumber prices have skyrocketed and a bandsaw mill would allow me access to an unlimited supply of free lumber. But, I have to cut it, cure it and transport it.

So here is what I want to build, and what I have:

A portable bandsaw mill that can be easily assembled and disassembled that runs on a lawnmower 6 HP Briggs and Stratton engine. I will be using a system of pulleys and drive belts. I will be using two motorcycle tires to place the bandsaw blade on, and use skateboard wheel bearings for the blade guide.

I have the system mechanics down good. However, in my extensive experience as a home remodeller, I have NEVER welded. I need to build a heavy duty rail system so the bandsaw carriage (which I also have to build) can easily slide on.

I am thinking about using angle iron to make the rails and rollerblade wheels for the carriage.

If ANYONE can give me some feedback on this, it would be greatly appreciated in advance. This thread may give some other folks some ideas on ways to keep costs down.

Here are some videos of something similar to what I have in mind:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIUX918WP5Q&feature=related]YouTube - Homemade sawmill[/ame]

here is a factory built one:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZpzvjTBHhY]YouTube - Turner Mills 13 HP Honda Ground Model Bandsaw mill[/ame]
 
First: I am not too sure on using Motorcycle tires because they're not flat on the outside which can cause the band to slip off. Also I would check to make sure the band will not eat through the rubber. The band saws blades are bent outwards so after time it will wear into the tire rubber.

Second: Yes, you will need to weld a lot of portions of that. All the vibrations from home made stuff will easily take bolts out of place. The factory made ones are engineered to do its job. Not saying you cant do this.

Third: I am not sure how you can make the rail system any more portable without risking structural strength.. From looking very closely on the factory made one.. looks like they have a "t beam" where the rail sits on the outside part of the T.. YOu can work on that, add bolts on the top/part to be able disassemble it.. but i wouldnt do too much there because more bends in the rail systems only means wood will be cut crooked.
 
posts from hell said:
How big is your trailer though>?
Click to expand...

I have a truck.(full size)

Instead of using tires do you think a brake rotor would work? It would prevent the blade from slipping off.

I also need to figure a way to keep the blade cool. I can just spray it, but ... any ideas?

I plan to make a blade guard in case the blade snaps.
 
Steinhauer said:
I have a truck.(full size)

Instead of using tires do you think a brake rotor would work? It would prevent the blade from slipping off.

I also need to figure a way to keep the blade cool. I can just spray it, but ... any ideas?

I plan to make a blade guard in case the blade snaps.
Click to expand...

Brake rotor? The outside part? The part with like 3/4-1 inch width?

BTW, i just read something that makes sense...

A crowned pulley is one that has a slight hump in the middle of it. It's an odd bit of physics that a flat-belt will always climb to the highest point when running on a pulley. Bandsaws employ the same principle, with the steel blade acting like a flat belt.
Click to expand...

BUT this is a NICE website and its actually lighter than metal/rubber... check this out -- This is definitely something i would do.

Bandsaw wheels
 
posts from hell said:
Brake rotor? The outside part? The part with like 3/4-1 inch width?

BTW, i just read something that makes sense...



BUT this is a NICE website and its actually lighter than metal/rubber... check this out -- This is definitely something i would do.

Bandsaw wheels
Click to expand...

That is a great website. I remember seeing it a while back when I was trying to figure out how to make a portable bandsaw mill.

This caught my eye:

Normal bandsaws have rubber, polyurethane, or cork "tire" on the wheels. But it seems that the blade would track just fine on a crowned wooden wheel even without a tire.
Click to expand...

I am going to check that theory out since harbor Freight sells good sized lawnmower tires for cheap.

I also want to place a third pulley on the mobile bandsaw mill to make vertical cuts.

The wheels will be place in an "L" (not sure if that makes sense or would work).

I am also working something out (brainstorming) on how to prevent the blade from slipping off. I would think that 4 blade guides would need to be made. 2 at the 1 o'clock and 5 o'clock position of left pulley and 11/7 o'clock of the right pulley.

This blade guide I am thinking of would be skateboard wheel bearings. In theory it would prevent the blade from vibrating wildly. However, if I placed a third skateboard wheel bearing horizontally behind and flush with where the two guide bearings almost touch, it could (in theory) prevent the blade from sliding off the tire (???).

It would also spin in the direction the blade is moving as to reduce friction on the blade.
 
Steinhauer said:
That is a great website. I remember seeing it a while back when I was trying to figure out how to make a portable bandsaw mill.

This caught my eye:



I am going to check that theory out since harbor Freight sells good sized lawnmower tires for cheap.

I also want to place a third pulley on the mobile bandsaw mill to make vertical cuts.

The wheels will be place in an "L" (not sure if that makes sense or would work).
Click to expand...

makes sense to me, however, how are you going to place the railing in the middle to make vertical cuts?
 
I also hope these lawnmower tires are balanced.

Check this out
I did run into a problem where the aggressively set teeth of my 1/4" blade cut into the wooden wheel a little bit, but once I stoned the sides of the teeth, that problem went away.

I wasn't happy with how loud my bandsaw was, and listening to parts of it carefully, I realized a lot of noise came from where the blade rolled on and off the wheels.
Click to expand...
 
posts from hell said:
I also hope these lawnmower tires are balanced.

Check this out
Click to expand...

Yeah I thought about that too :hmm:

If I experiment with the wheels, and they don't work, I could use the bearings in the wheels to make wooden pulleys (or at least I hope so).
 
Steinhauer said:
Yeah I thought about that too :hmm:

If I experiment with the wheels, and they don't work, I could use the bearings in the wheels to make wooden pulleys (or at least I hope so).
Click to expand...

mmmm The big bearings -- They can be found at farm/heavy equipment stores for $15 or so.

BTW I am not sure if the lawnmower tires (especially cheap ones) have any good quality bearings?
 
posts from hell said:
mmmm The big bearings -- They can be found at farm/heavy equipment stores for $15 or so.

BTW I am not sure if the lawnmower tires (especially cheap ones) have any good quality bearings?
Click to expand...

I don't know ... it would really suck to be in the middle of the forest and get a flat ... :giggle:

I am also thinking there needs to be a tension pulley to tighten the blade on the wheels. Something to pull the wheel - maybe a long threaded bolt or something on the shaft.

The carriage would also have to have an adjustment to lower and raise.
 
I'm still :hmm: and formulating perhaps a clever idea but the finer details - you'll have to figure it out for yourself.
 
Jiro said:
I'm still :hmm: and formulating perhaps a clever idea but the finer details - you'll have to figure it out for yourself.
Click to expand...

thanks jiro. Do you have an idea on what wheels to use for the blade? Something that can be replaced easily?

I am still worried about what PFH said about the blade chewing up the tire. Maybe I could glue some type of padding on the tire?
 
Steinhauer said:
thanks jiro. Do you have an idea on what wheels to use for the blade? Something that can be replaced easily?

I am still worried about what PFH said about the blade chewing up the tire. Maybe I could glue some type of padding on the tire?
Click to expand...

that I don't know exactly but I agree with PFH on tire part. definitely wouldn't go down that way. I know that you'll be dealing with tough wood so you definitely don't want to use amateur parts for commercial-grade job. It will last probably 10 min... and hopefully you'll still have all of your limbs by then :Ohno:

I'll suggest a few parts in a moment. I need to look more into exactly how bandsaw mill works.
 
a video of same guy from PFH's link.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbOlG7THecM]YouTube - Home made bandsaw[/ame]

I like how he used metal bearings as guide.
 
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