Logs to lumber on a homemade mill

[junquecol]

If you have ever wondered if you could actually build a bandsaw mill, do a google search for "Bill Rake". He has designed and sells plans for building your own bandsaw mill. There are asssociated web sites showing mills built by others listed there. This was one of my best friends and I dreams prior to his death last summer. Over near Pittsboro several years ago, I saw a similar mill, which had been used to cut all the framing and siding for both a house and large barn. Really cool! Basically a couple of car wheels driven by a gas engine. One day?

 

[DaveO]

Bruce, that is a very interesting concept, and seems totally feasabile. He also offers plans for other fun "toys".
Homemade Band Sawmill Plans

Dave

 

[Tarhead]

This guy has a truck powered lathe for making drums:
YouTube - Big Bore

 

[Kyle]

Its a pretty simple plan, but the motor is way under powered.

 

[jeff...]

Looks like a cool idea to me, I've seen lots of plans for band mills with tires. Seems like this one is really simple. I'm wondering about the 5HP motor though, the 28HP on my mill seems pretty good most of the time. If it starts to moan, I know it's about time to change the blade. I couldn't image milling with a 5HP, that would be some mighty slow going I would think. If your going to build this, I would consider a bigger motor.

 

[JohnsonMBrandon]

If you guys are worried about motor power......I know a guy that has a mill powered by a John Deere tractor engine.

 

[Kyle]

heck I use to have a circle mill powered by a big block V8 350 hp. TOO much power.

 

[Ray Martin]

heck I use to have a circle mill powered by a big block V8 350 hp. TOO much power.

Come on, Kyle... "Too much power"? is there really such a thing as too much?:-D:-D:-D

 

[Gofor]

heck I use to have a circle mill powered by a big block V8 350 hp. TOO much power.

Sounds like the makin's of a Halloween movie. Maybe you could get a state grant with them wanting to encourage more of that type of business here!!

:lol:

 

[JohnsonMBrandon]

That would be pretty cool right there. Mill powered by a v8.

 

[Kyle]

..until it launches a 12" diamter log 30 yards like an arrow..blade is too expensive unless running all the time.

 

[jeff...]

I'm with you Kyle, there is a thing as too much. A buddy of mine has a circle saw mill, the blade is freaking huge, carbide tipped and it's powered by a big block V8. There are what looks like bullet holes in his tin shed roof. I asked him about it, and he said that he's hit some log trash in his day and the teeth fly off the blade like a machine gun. That mill is not for me man, no way would you catch this guy running that thing and all that separates the operator from the blade is thin piece of Plexiglas 8-O.

Personally I think my wood mizer is safer to run than my table saw. I hit a coke bottle in a cedar log and the blade exploded, but at least the shrapnel went into the dust shoot and didn't go fly up in the air like a freaking machine gun. Other times I've hit metal and it dulls the band so quickly that the motor dies out, that’s good in my mind.

Running a mill is dangerous enough, I would hate to have a small dia log be shot off the mill like an arrow. I could see how it might happen running some big horse power.


I have yet to experince all the fun of running a mill, I'm sure over time I'll see my share of mishaps.

Thanks

 

[NZAPP1]

Neat idea but I have to much junk now LOML would kill me if I started cutting logs in the yard

 

[nelsone]

Somebody has one listed on CL

bandmill - saw mill

 

[chris]

That one on Craigslist seems a little steep for a used homemade bandmill without a decent sized engine on it.....