How are you guys strapping your saws to your mills?

[gunnarfan]

I've been looking at options for strapping my saw to my mill which at this point is going to be sliding along a guide pipe etc.. more details to come when I get it together. I was looking at approaching it by connecting to the powerhead instead of the bar as thats more appropriate for what i'm doing. Any proven ideas or examples that work for you guys?

Did some blocking today with a restored Partner P85. I call it blocking as I have a bunch of maple that was cut in short segments.. not long enough to consider them beams..more like butcher blocks.. so I'm blocking some and practicing quartersawing others free hand. Practicing prepping turning stock and some to use with my beamcutter.. or resaw.

That saw zipped through a lot better than I expected it to.... Turns out a snow bank makes a great place to stack wood up to a decent height... and you certainly won't hit dirt!! This working in the winter stuff is awesome.

 

[Adkpk]

The GB mill is the one that bolt to chainsaw. Aggiewoodbutchr has one and a few threads with some close ups on attaching it.

I agree this winter outdoor work is the way. Today was sun, warm, cold, snow, melting and freezing. Mountain weather.

Here you go.
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=37090&highlight=gb+mill

 

[Railomatic]

I've been looking at options for strapping my saw to my mill which at this point is going to be sliding along a guide pipe etc.. more details to come when I get it together. I was looking at approaching it by connecting to the powerhead instead of the bar as thats more appropriate for what i'm doing. Any proven ideas or examples that work for you guys?

This is how I have mounted a saw to the mill, make two long nuts like the Logosol, replace the normal side cover bolts with the longer nuts, them screw the longer nut to the mill in question, real easy and simple.

Do you have any picture of your set-up ?

 

[00juice]

Rail,
Do you have any close-up pics of how you mount the powerhead.

 

[gunnarfan]

will post

I'll be posting some pics soon. Right now I'm protoyping with salvaged parts I'm finding. We should see if we can get Will Malloff to post on this site. I'd like to see him get to put his book back out... theres enough interest

 

[Railomatic]

Saw mounting to mill

Rail,
Do you have any close-up pics of how you mount the powerhead.

To mount the saw remove the two side cover nuts, replace them with two long nuts, now place the two long nut male threads through a mounting plate and use the two original nuts to hold everything together.

In the drawing below you can see how I have made the cradle which holds the saw, I have used a single cross piece and two uprights of 1 inch box section, with a small angled triangle at the bottom to strengthen things up a little, the plate that holds the saw is welded in the middle of the cross piece.

You can place the saw mounting plate anywhere you choose as long as the saw fits nicely and mount the top end at the trolley the same, in the previous picture it shows the trolley and cradle coupled together, these were held together by drilling four holes through both and bolted up tightly.

The saw can also be swivelled around to face down over/vertical, to cut down the middle of the log, if you use this method, always use a winch, do not push by hand because its not smooth enough to get a steady cut with a good finish,
when I do a vertical cut I cut into the log in stages, 8 inches 16 and so on, do it in a few passes, cutting any deeper develops too much of the kick-back effect, also tilt the saw bar slightly forward of direction of cut, not perfectly upright, unless you want to destroy your roller nose bearings.

 

[59Billy]

Where's a good source for those long nuts?

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Where's a good source for those long nuts?

I had trouble finding threaded couplers (what the long nuts are called) in metric sizes here in the states. If you call the GB guys at 800-765-9357 they can get you the modified bar nuts that the GB mill uses.

 

[59Billy]

I had trouble finding threaded couplers (what the long nuts are called) in metric sizes here in the states. If you call the GB guys at 800-765-9357 they can get you the modified bar nuts that the GB mill uses.

Thanks. My local bolt-n-screw place only had the threadeed couplers in SAE sizes.

 

[gunnarfan]

see

thats what i was thinking.. it makes a lot more sense connecting there instead of the bar. and if we want to get really strapped on maybe on some saws reinforcing the connection where the bucking spikes go might not be a horrible idea.

just about have my idea ready for presentation..

 

[Railomatic]

Long nuts

Where's a good source for those long nuts?

To make a set of long nuts, find some 3/4" solid hex bar, drill and tap the middle to fit the saw, make them slightly longer than the Logosol type, so that you can fit a loggle bar through the side of the long nut to tighten things up, fit the nut to the saw first using the toggle bar, then fit the bolt for the bracket afterwards see drawing.

If you don't want to make them, you can buy them ready made from Logosol.

 

[59Billy]

thats what i was thinking.. it makes a lot more sense connecting there instead of the bar. and if we want to get really strapped on maybe on some saws reinforcing the connection where the bucking spikes go might not be a horrible idea.

just about have my idea ready for presentation..

That makes tons of sense in terms of rigidity. I have a Granberg mill, and while I haven't had any problems with bar flexing or anything like that, a more solid mount just seems better. Something aggie said in another thread started me thinkingthat the best plan might be to design a mill mount that completely replaces the clutch cover, allowing better chip clearance.

 

[Railomatic]

Drilling a hole in the bar is the stronest and most reliable way to mount your saw to the mill, it can take the knocks without shifting at all.

To get the most cutting width, you can drill through the center of the roller nose without any problems, because they have about a solid inch middle to the bearing, I have done dozens this way without any comebacks.

To drill the bar I use solid carbide tipped drills, or you can with care drill the hole using a standard tipped masonary bit, sharpened to 20 degrees, try not to get the drill too hot or the brazing will met and the tips fall out.

Start off with a hole half the size of the bolt you are going to eventually use
and when you start drilling do not stop or the metal work hardens and the drill will stop cutting, use plenty of coolant/oil as you go.

 

[00juice]

Rail,
Thanks for the sketches and explanation. I was always wondering how those saws bolted to the powerhead. At some point, I'm going to make my own CSM to be an addition to my 36" alaskan. Probably won't be until summer though.
Thanks

 

[gunnarfan]

aaah. mounting to a rail mill or one of your own design

this is a paraphrased post based on something i tried to post earlier but the server.. or my connection was wiggy... bear with me.....

Something aggie said in another thread started me thinkingthat the best plan might be to design a mill mount that completely replaces the clutch cover, allowing better chip clearance.

Makes sense to me to use what we've learned from using hand planes to help get chips to fly. I was thinking as I was examining parts for a Jonsereds 80 that I'm fixing up.. particularly the trigger handle.. that for saws that have detachable handles.. or for the salvaged crankcases and partially complete saws we fix up.. why not give them new life and make use of where the trigger handle was to attach to hook up your guide apparatus... and seeing people are pulling these things with winches and using wires to remote to their throttles... why not just fabricate appropriate controls right off the bat.

Granted this all seems indulgent and is not what our romantic idea of the character in the woods who has one saw to do everything with might do.. but then again.. the guy with the barn of saw parts who owns a drill press. and maybe even a metal lathe just got an option other than the smelter