Bandsaw Project is on my website

Nice work! It looks like you're having a LOT of fun!

Roy,

Nice job. It seems like whenever someone asks a question about building something themselves, one of the first replies is always "You can't do that,it isn't practical and you should just buy one." Your site is living proof that yes, we can do that, and have a great time in the process.

I've been thinking about the design of a bandmill type sawmill, and although I don't have anything on paper or metal yet, my wheel adjustment system is very similar to yours. In fact, after seeing yours, mine will probably be even more similar.

Thanks,

Bob

A bandsaw mill powered by a gas engine is something I also have been kicking around for some time myself. I have lots of large pines and oaks on my property that I would like to cut into rought lumber for building odds and ends with around the barn etc. I could easily get all my required firewood from the larger limbs and utilize the main trunks for some usefull lumber.

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expressed are those of my wifes, I had no input whatsoever. Remove "nospam" from email addy.

Roy,

Yeah, I got the sawmill bug pretty bad, although we don't really have a ready supply of logs here. I'm thinking "Build the mill, and the logs will come." which drives my wife absolutely bananas.

There are 20 or more manufacturers of the darn things, in the States and Candada. American manufacturing is alive and well, at least in the bandmill arena. Here are some manufacturer's lists:

Between all the companies there are enough features to keep an amateur machine designer/builder busy thinking for a long long time.

Another option is a chainsaw mill. A lot cheaper and easier to build, but according to conventional wisdom, the bandmills are a lot more efficient, since the bandsaw kerf is thinner. However, the chainsaw mills cut straighter since the bar is rigid, so at the end of the day after planing the advantage of the bandmill in producing usable lumber is not all that significant. That's part of the challenge, designing a bandmill that cuts precisely.

Bob

There is no problem with the bandmills cutting precisely, if the blade is sharp and true. OTOH, chainsaw mills are very slow!

On 26 Dec 2003 20:29:25 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com (Bob Thomasson) wrote something ......and in reply I say!:

But I reckon that most people that ask that question are not _quite_ up to the doitall metalwaork level that the OP is! Crikey!

It sort of makes me think of those DIY shows. Anyone who has to watch them to do what they show will have a real time doing what they show!

**************************************************** sorry remove ns from my header address to reply via email

I was frightened by the idea of a conspiracy that was causing it all. But then I was terrified that maybe there was no plan, really. Is this unpleasant mess all a mistake?