Building My saw mill

[Kevin Beitz]

I not sure where to post this so if I'm wrong please move it.

A saw mill is all about wood so I thought I would post it here.

I was going to wait to start posting anything new until I finished

reading all the post on this forum but I'm only on page 64 of 

general woodworking and it's taking forever. I have lots of wood

working machines that I have built that will be posted sometime 

later. The hardest parts to find when building a band mill is the wheels.

I did some welding at Grizzly tools and took in trade these two band 

wheels for payment. I think I got the better deal. I bought a boat

trailer and narrowed it down. If I knew what I know today I would

have left it wide. If your going to make one make it as wide as you can.
I have the mill built and in use but I'm going to post the build from

the beginning. I started out putting 6" channel on top of the boat

frame for my carriage track. I will be glad to answer any questions

anyone has.

 

[John Morris]

Highly interested in the progression of this topic, great start Kevin, waiting for future installments! I pinned this one to the top so we can find it easily.

[lew]

Following this for sure!

[Gunny]

Let me get the popcorn, @Gene Howe we are going to need more liquor.  Should be a interesting thread.

 

Forget the reading all the old post keep these coming!!

[Kevin Beitz]

But I'm learning so much reading them....

[Kevin Beitz]

When I started building this mill I really had no idea what I was 

doing. Right behind my home is a Frick mill with a 600hp diesel

engine and it and cut 50ft long lumber. It always looked like work 

to me and I wanted nothing to do with it. When my father passed

I got the land and it had lots of Hemlock on it and it was all dying.

So I got the bright idea that I would make a mill. No sawmill wanted 

to buy infected Hemlock trees. I wish I had worked with or for 

someone that had a band mill before I made mine. Then I would

have seen what I really wanted. But I'm still very happy with the

way my mil turned out. I do welding, fabrication, electrical, hydraulics,

machining and wood work. So making this was easy and fun for me.

The reason I said to make your mill as wide as you can is that wide

wood sells so easy. My mill is plenty big enough to cut any tree on

my farm but I was not expecting all the free BIG logs that everyone

wants to just give to me for free.

Back to the build...

I got three 6" channels down each side of the trailer counting 

the trailer framing. I want this mill to be tough,

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Kevin Beitz

[Kevin Beitz]

Building the carriage...

 

 

 

 

[Gunny]

That is some piece of work.  Impressive!!

[Kevin Beitz]

Lots of welding... 

The big pulley pulls the carriage along.

Battery box is for two 12v batteries because everything will be 24 volts.

 

 

[Gunny]

How big of a diameter tree can this thing cut?

[Kevin Beitz]

I've done 30" logs. You got to cut the round tops off and flip

to get it between the 25" blade guides.

I can do 26' 3" long now but it's so easy to make another extension

to go longer if needed. 

[Cal]

Very cool build Kevin.

Not to change the subject, but tell me about the hemlock that somewhat necessitated this build.  What is it infected with?  An insect, or some type of viral disease that can be spread by equipment moving from place to place?  The lumber itself must be usable, after kiln drying?

[Gene Howe]

Bark bettle?

[Kevin Beitz]

It's the hemlock woolly adelgid. Feeds on the plant sap.

The trees can still have green tops but when I saw them

the wood is punky. Now worth the time and work sawing them.

This summer I could here about one tree a day falling crashing

in my woods. It's to bad because that's what I had the most of.

[Cal]

Had to look that up Kevin.  Thanks for the info.

[Kevin Beitz]

Using wheelchair 24 volt motors for movement of the carriage up/down and log cutting travel. DC control boards for variable speeds.

 

 

[Kevin Beitz]

The brace legs is made from 1-1/2" ID heavy wall pipe with 1-1/2" OD solid cold roll round that can be adjusted in or out to match the ground level. 6" round X 3/8" plates for the feet. They have worked out well.

 

 

[Gerald]

That plate under the foot is a great idea. Looking good

[Kevin Beitz]

I had to sneak this this one in here. Just finished cutting the longest

log ever on my mill. I'm building another building here at my home

and I needed a 25 foot 10x10... Anyone want to help lift this one up?

It's 25 feet 9 inches long.

 

 

 

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

Only need one helper, huh? looks to me like 5 or 6 , all with arms like Hulk Hogan.