Started building

[clintb]

Need suggestions on what I'm doing wrong. I decided to make a chainsaw mill, I'm thinking that a bandsaw would need more work to build. Started building the bed, 16' long, 36" wide. Got a 16hp vertical shaft coming next weel, got a 39" and 29" harvester bar off ebay, ordered a 12 link harvester 25mm sprocket, 2 ,86 link .404 x .80 ,18H chains. I figured about 1200 fpm for the speed. I could put a shaft with belt pulleys to increase the speed. Direct drive may be hard to start engine plus probably dangerous too. Any body got any good pictures of how to raise and lower the bar, with treaded rod or cable winch? What size tubing and wall thickness to make slide? Can you use soluable oil and water spray to lube the chain? OK tell me what will or won't work.

 

[dustytools]

Hi clintb, I have some pics posted on a thread called first time milling on homemade carriage and rails. I used 11 gauge 1 1/2 X1 1/2 square tubing for the carriage and slide pieces. I used 3/4 allthread and bicycle chains, gears, and sprocket to turn the nuts on the allthread to raise and lower the rail that my mill clamps to. Works real well for me.

 

[clintb]

Dusty I looked up the pictures. So you weld the sprockets to nuts on top and weld the rod solid at the bottom? I've got a piece of a bicycle left from making a push plow from the front wheel. Thanks for the help.

 

[dustytools]

One thing that I had to do to get it to raise/lower evenly was to put a piece of allthread on each side and let the main sprocket turn them at the same time. It also helps to weld a sleeve that is slightly larger than your allthread in the area that the allthread passes through at the top of your carriage. This stops the threads on the rod from rubbing as you raise and lower. Also be sure that the gears on your nuts are the same size so that it will move up or down evenly.

 

[clintb]

OK thanks. I think I'll put the rods an front and back instead of the sides, was planning on mounting the engine in the center. I like the way you have the corners, I didn't want to buy another 20' piece of heavy wall tubing to make the slides on the corners.

 

[dustytools]

Your welcome. Good luck.