the benz-o-matic

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mikeb1079

ArboristSite Operative
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madison wi
well here it is, i'm finally finished (pretty much :msp_wink:) with my home built bandsaw mill. gonna call it the "benz-o-matic", benz being the first 4 letters of my last name. i just thought it sounded old timey. :msp_smile:


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i originally was inspired by gene's bandsaw mill where he used trailer tires. i started down this route but then found some used steel bandsaw wheels which were 25 1/2" diameter. so i had to adapt the design to accomodate those, tho if i had to do it again i would just order 19" wheels from linn lumber. the ones i got used are a bit out of true, plus they're so huge that i had to make the mill wider than it needs to be...
pretty straight forward machine, centrifugal clutch sits on the shaft of a 16 hp briggs to 14" driven pulley on 1" jackshaft mounted on two pillowblocks. it's kinda hard to see in this pic but you get the idea. the whole works moves up and down on 1 1/4" tube that slides over 1" tube, which is suspended over 2 pulleys to the hand crank winch in the upper rear.


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found a cheap lawnmower idler control that ramps up the engine speed thus engaging the clutch. this works really well. i'm still having some belt slippage issues and will redesign the tensioner. otherwise the mill works really well. it'll handle a 24" by 12 1/2' log, and i mounted it to the trailer so that i could be portable. some interesting differences on csm vs bsm that i've noticed thus far:

1. bsm cuts smoother and faster with less kerf loss.
2. blade tension and sharpness are critical for bsm.
3. with the bsm i need to be way fussier about cutting thru bark. i've noticed that the fancy mills all use a debarker. this is for good reason. if your logs aren't clean or better yet debarked, your band will not last very long at all. i never really noticed this as much with a csm.
4. while the bsm is faster, it's still a ton of work. if i ever intended to make any money sawing, i'd go full hydraulic without a doubt!
5. you still need a csm for the big logs, either to break em down for the bsm or for those wide slabs we all like. :msp_biggrin:

here's the bearing guide assembly, it slides in and out to adjust to width of log.

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and some walnut that i cut with it...

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all in all i believe i have about $1200 into it (excluding trailer, and motor, and bands), which aint bad. if anyone is interested and considering doing this i can give you a price breakdown. otherwise enjoy the pics! :rock:
 
Awesome set-up!

Just don't mill anything there on Monday, you'll get a ticket! Seriously, being able to take the mess somewhere else is always a big bouns, and clean-up would consist on hitting 55MPH!



How do you keep the 'head' from moving during transport?

Is the 'rails' anchor to the trailer bed also?




Scott B
 
How do you keep the 'head' from moving during transport?

this is something i still need to address. right now i've just been using buckle straps and pinning it down. ultimately i'd like to install pins thru the uprights to keep the head stable and then perhaps strap the whole thing down. gonna weld some eyelets on the front of the rails for this purpose.

Is the 'rails' anchor to the trailer bed also?

yeah i ran 1/2" bolts thru the deck to pin down the track. also, there was a slight bow to the track that i had to shim out. at some point i may buy one of those pickup truck booms and mount it to the front of the trailer. that way i could boom the mill on/off easily if i needed to go get a load of logs.

being able to take the mess somewhere else is always a big bouns

and the noise! :)
 
Looks great. Ive got one about halfway finished. Two surgeries have slowed my progress on it.
 
Nice work!

Very nice work on the mill! I really like, and appreciate all the work!

As much as I like the mill, I'd give my eye teeth for those walnut boards... wow!!!
 
thanks fellas. it's been a challenging yet rewarding project. here's some pics from tonight. around 16" white oak log that i actually found on the side of the road a while back. cut to 4/4 except for one board that i got lazy and cut to 6/4. you can get a good sense of the finish the band leaves in the second shot.

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Very nice walnut and oak!

And good job on the mill!

Building a mill is going to be my next big project after I build a pole barn to put it under.:laugh:

I would love to see your price breakdown either here or in a Pm. Sweet info to have.

And again nice job. Way to go urban milling! :clap:
 
cheers will!

price was something like:

steel $700

saw wheels $250

roller wheels $40

winch $25

bearings $30

nuts/bolts $50

centrifugal clutch $80

pulley, 1" jackshaft, pillow block bearings $50

misc stuff i'm forgetting $100

so it comes out closer to $1300. let me know if you want specifics about where to find parts or anything when you get around to building yours.

random mill pic of some oddly coloured walnut:

001-6.jpg
 
Last photo almost looks like Butternut instead of BlkWalnut.....too cool!


What brand of blade are you using? That sure is a nice finish on the cut you are getting!







Scott B
 
What brand of blade are you using? That sure is a nice finish on the cut you are getting!

i made the mill to take 184" bands from woodmizer. they were very helpful and asked about the mill, type of wood being sawed, and hp of mill and recommended their 4 degree bands. i'v been very impressed with the cut quality so far. very smooth. the imperfections are due to operator error. much like csm you need to push at a consistent pace to achieve the best results.

mb
 

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