I built my trailer out of old bar joists for rigidity. It's 21'4''. I welded a 2" receiver under the front of the frame and used heavy wall 2'' box tubing for a tongue that is removed just like a trailer hitch on a bumper. You've got an excellent build. I'm impressed for sure. Thanks for the video.
Looks like you've got a product that would give all the other sawmill companies a run for their money. If it wasn't for the cost of steel being so expensive, I'd be out there right now making exactly what you made. Good job, and thank you for sharing your work.
Thank you so much for this video. Definitely one of the best DIY sawmills, And video on that subject I think I've seen.I have been in the sawmill business for a lot of years, so I have seen alot.
@@thedelcodave I just acquired a kind of DIY mill. I was trying to find a Centrifical clutch for it. No luck. So I'm glad to see what you did with the belt tightener, I think I'm gonna go that route
Excellent video and description 👌 you must have spent a lot of time thinking. Looks great. Particularly like how you clamp square tube in a tube. I will use that in the future thanks 😊
Thanks, You are correct many hours thinking on this project. I am currently upgrading the lift motor. Look forward to a video in the future on the upgrades.
I am in the process of building a sawmill and this video is very helpful. I think I would do some things differently, but it's mostly just a matter of preference. Can tell by the way you speak about the final product that you've spent some super cereal amount of time thinking about it
Very well made fella!. My Turn to make one if I ever get my hip operation, right now I am grounded, Unable to lift my steel. So grounded till next year it seems...
Thanks. I have since ungraded my lift motor I have videos on that. Like I addressed in this video make sure your blade goes down to 3/4 inch from the bed. Also if using acme rod go 3/4 or 1 inch diameter. Only other thing I would change is I could have shortened the height of my carriage by about 12 inches. Good luck on your build any questions feel free to reach out and I will assure you anyway I can.
@@thedelcodave oh yeah. I admire folks who do their own thing. Me and Pop got a lot of projects coming up in the near future. We are always doing something
@@redstemorchard I am the same way tho this winter I could not take on a large projects I am out of space lol. I subscribed and will be watching your projects keep up the good work.
Hey I meant to tell you I liked your cleats on the bunks, and the bunk spacers. I think I'm gonna use your idea and make some for our mill. Better setup than we got. 👍
Good job! Could you tell us where you sourced the pullies that the blade travels over and whether they have grooves with belts in them that the blade runs on. Thank you for your trouble.
Some minor improvements have been made. I lucked out do some degree as all my systems worked pretty good from the start which is surprising to me as I never built anything like this before. Call it well thought out or maybe beginners luck lol
Good job, engine looks ancient :-) What clutching system? Ever thought of using 2x2" hardwood log stops, mounted securely in a section of square pipe, which is then held in it's own fixed short square " socket"? Never a ruined blade again, ever
Engine is from the 70s or 80s but runs strong. The clutch is a simple tension lever with idler pulley. I have considered the hardwood log stops if it became a regular thing. I have only hit a stop once. To prevent it... I now never set the stop higher then the clamp. The clamp is easy to see from the operator station.
I'm not in to many diy sawmill forums but this is one of the best builds I've seen. I've only seen one other guy use acme screws to lift the head. I just ordered 1" 5 thread stainless rod for my lifting mechanism. Anything you'd change on it? Are your screws greased? My concern is with dust. I'll try and prevent it from getting on it. Can you give me a link to your thrust bearings on top and bottom on the screws? Again excellent. Just subscribed.
Thanks for the kind words. I used 5/8 1-8 thread per inch zinc plated acme rods. If I was to do it again I would have spent the extra money on thicker rods like your are using the 1 inch stainless will have zero flex. No grease on the screws I occasionally spray them down with teflon wd 40 specialist spray or other dry lubricant. The bearings that hold the rods top and bottom are just regular pillow block bearings.
The bearings are regular pillow blocks. They can withstand some axial load themselves. The acme rod sits on a steel plate. I keep it greased. If it starts wearing (hasn't yet) I will add bronze thrust bearing between the plate and the rod. I hope that makes sense lol.
Great build! Where did you get the gears for making the saw lift up and down? Also, is this okay to drive on the highway or roads? If so, how did you go about making sure it was safe enough to drive on the road?I’d love to make my bandsaw road ready but I’m nervous about making sure the trailer is safe enough to drive on the road. Any tips in the matter?
The gears were purchased from Surplus Center and the acme rods and nuts came from McMaster Carr. Totally safe to drive down the road. My rail system was built from 2x6 3/16 wall rectangular tubing and the axle is a 3500 lb trailer axle. The rail system is much stronger than a standard trailer. I have 4 1/2 in locking bolts that secure the carriage head to the rails for transport. I decided the transport location by sliding the carriage until I had the proper tongue weight. I have amber running lights down the sides and brake lights on the back. I lower the head to the lowest spot to keep the weight as low as possible. She tows beautifully.
Thanks for checking out my video. I did not want a centrifugal clutch. The lever is a much cheaper option with less moving parts. I also built it in a way that if I upsize the engine I can add double belts for more hp transfer.
@@thedelcodave Nice. Yeah, the centrifugal clutch on my sawmill has been its weakest point. I'd like to build my own sawmill this winter, and I have the same reservations as you regarding the use of a clutch. But I'm also tempted to base my design around the Linn lumber head, and I'm not sure I want to put the effort into modifying it away from the clutch. Who knows, maybe it will be easier to do that than I think.
@@friendlylocal3731 the blade lever is really not that difficult to design. In one of my videos I explain how you have to layout the pivot points for it to work properly. If you need any specific measurements feel free to contact me and I can help you out.
Max width between guides is about 39 inches. I designed as I built but if enough people are interested I will make a video with the dimensions. I scaled the carriage to make the capacities similar to a Woodmizer LT15wide and mine utilizes the same blade length. Their machine has an advertised cut width of 36 inches.
@@homesteadfromscratch the pulleys came from surplus center 18.75 inch diameter I believe. Steel prices were low and I used as much recycled steel I could find. Total cost was in the 3k range. I'm sure in today's prices it would add up a lot more.
The lift motor is a razor scooter motor that spins around 2600 rpm max but is variable speed controlled with a pwm controller. The old Kohler 301 spins at about 3600 rpm at full throttle.
I have an idea for a superior all around use bandsaw mill. It is like an alaskan mill but is all electric. The two hubs are ebike hub motors, about 12 inch diameter or so, and the supporting frame is lightweight, as hub motors are lightweight for what they are too. The motors are driven in paralell, and the driver is high current, not cheapo chinese shit electronics. The power is connected with either a battery or a high current dc supply. Solar or extension cord or whatever makes most sense. The main advantage is no noise, dust, smoke, vibrations, ANd the logs can be milled in place, as this is a much easier thing to handle, the logs dont need moving. The waste is just shavings and offcuts and that will be fine if left on location or whatever. 2 hub motors instead of one power wheel and one follower means you get twice as much avaliable torque, Less likelyhood to break a blade, and better tracking. The tensioner can be aired up tires, and alignment can be done with shims. This has all of the advantages and very little disavantages. If it works on 120v that would be prefered, if not, then i think 48vdc is the only other sensible operation voltage, like the motors accept stock. They deliver alot of power and torque, I think 3kw per motor is easily attainable. That means 6kw of low loss power transfer. Low vibrational loss, and smooth laser like cutting. I would make one that can do 10 inch depth 42 inch width. The starter board straight edge method works great. and its very easy after that first cut, which is also easy. Then the slabs can be put on sawhorses and cut diemsionally with a circular saw. It makes most sense to leeave them as slabs, stacked dried and somewhat cured, in sun with black tarp. Overall, I think it would beat all other sawmills. Have a nice aluminum frame, light, anodized, with a throttle handle and a big flat platton. The tool would be useful and durable and easy to repair. The wheels are very sturdy though, and the motors too, because bikes take lots of differnt loading. What do you think?? Yours is good concept, but is not as streamline as it may seem. I think it needs to be lightweight, so no moving logs, just fork the stack when its cured in place.
Interesting concept. I ran an Alaskan mill for a short time before I decided to build my mill. The Alaskan mill has its place but ultimately works best with 2 people. In order to run standard sawmill sized bladed the wheel diameter would need to be at least 16 inches 19 is ideal. The smaller wheels will strain the blade resulting in frequent blade breaks. Even constructed from aluminum I would imagine the setup would end up weighing quite a bit. Your idea may work better sticking with the Alaskan mill style and use the electric motors to drive a chainsaw blade around a chain bar. If you end up building one definitively send me some videos or pictures.
I built my trailer out of old bar joists for rigidity. It's 21'4''. I welded a 2" receiver under the front of the frame and used heavy wall 2'' box tubing for a tongue that is removed just like a trailer hitch on a bumper. You've got an excellent build. I'm impressed for sure. Thanks for the video.
@@tractorman4461 thanks for checking it out. A removable tongue is a nice feature to have
I made my guides out of alternator front pulley, Pressed a bearing into the center, , and cut off one side Works great.
That is a good and inexpensive way of making a set of guides. The cooks guides are pricey but they are very well made and a great design.
Looks like you've got a product that would give all the other sawmill companies a run for their money. If it wasn't for the cost of steel being so expensive, I'd be out there right now making exactly what you made.
Good job, and thank you for sharing your work.
Yes it has proven to be a solid design. I lucked out and built it just before steel prices went up.
Looks great!!!! Some very good ideas you came up with. Very good job explaining. Thanks for sharing it's greatly appreciated
Thankyou for checking my project out.
0:47 that’s a great way to do it. I was trying to come up with a simple way to do that on mine and I think you’ve provided a great solution there. 👍🏼
I am glad you found my video helpful. So far my mill has traveled many miles and encountered many windstorms and the lockdowns work great.
@@thedelcodave good deal. Mine is pretty tall and heavy. I’ll probably use 3-4 bolts per size just to be safe.
Thank you so much for this video. Definitely one of the best DIY sawmills, And video on that subject I think I've seen.I have been in the sawmill business for a lot of years, so I have seen alot.
Thanks for checking out my video. I am glad you enjoyed watching.
@@thedelcodave Don't go Dave you're welcome I may have some questions for you in the future.
@@LeeADKMOBILEMILLING Reach out anytime I would be glad to answer questions you have.
@@thedelcodave I just acquired a kind of DIY mill. I was trying to find a Centrifical clutch for it. No luck. So I'm glad to see what you did with the belt tightener, I think I'm gonna go that route
@@LeeADKMOBILEMILLING I like the belt system its very simple an few moving parts.
As others have noted here, this is a beautiful machine, surely one of the nicest sawmills on YT. Well done and thanks for uploading!
Thank you for checking it out. I sawed 6 logs yesterday. The mill is working great. Keep posted for an update video soon.
Looks very good. I could, have used some of your ideas when I made my mill a few years ago. But it does work well.
Well done!! Really awesome home built
Thank you!
I really like your simple design of your sawmill & looks real good, hat off to on a good build. 😊
Thanks I really appreciate the kind words.
Dude this is awesome. You did such a great job building it. I would easily take this over Hudson any day.
Excellent video and description 👌 you must have spent a lot of time thinking. Looks great. Particularly like how you clamp square tube in a tube. I will use that in the future thanks 😊
Thanks, You are correct many hours thinking on this project. I am currently upgrading the lift motor. Look forward to a video in the future on the upgrades.
Great video and great build!
Thanks for checking it out.
I am in the process of building a sawmill and this video is very helpful. I think I would do some things differently, but it's mostly just a matter of preference. Can tell by the way you speak about the final product that you've spent some super cereal amount of time thinking about it
Took longer to think about it then it took to build it. Really works good tho.
Very well made fella!. My Turn to make one if I ever get my hip operation, right now I am grounded, Unable to lift my steel. So grounded till next year it seems...
Thank you. Best of luck with your recovery and hopefully you will be able to start building soon.
Awsome setup very clean I'm starting on mine soon if you was going to build another one what would you change
Thanks. I have since ungraded my lift motor I have videos on that. Like I addressed in this video make sure your blade goes down to 3/4 inch from the bed. Also if using acme rod go 3/4 or 1 inch diameter. Only other thing I would change is I could have shortened the height of my carriage by about 12 inches. Good luck on your build any questions feel free to reach out and I will assure you anyway I can.
Great setup !
Thanks
Nice video. Cool features. With respect, I gotta say that the motor could use a paint job like the tractor.
LOL it got a rattle can special you should have seen it before the paintjob.
Nice work, great vidéo, I also Built one myself différent design than yours but it Works fine I enjoy looking at your Mill ...
awesome machine, do you have any plans I can purchase?
Sorry I do not have any written plans at this time. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Nice Mill Sir.
@@marekwieckowski7038 thanks for checking out my video
Looks good! I like what you built. Got Pop to check out your stuff also.👍
Thanks for checking it out. I have been looking through your videos and I can see you and pop get into some fun projects for sure.
@@thedelcodave oh yeah. I admire folks who do their own thing. Me and Pop got a lot of projects coming up in the near future. We are always doing something
@@redstemorchard I am the same way tho this winter I could not take on a large projects I am out of space lol. I subscribed and will be watching your projects keep up the good work.
@@thedelcodave Thanks you too.
Hey I meant to tell you I liked your cleats on the bunks, and the bunk spacers. I think I'm gonna use your idea and make some for our mill. Better setup than we got. 👍
Good job!
Could you tell us where you sourced the pullies that the blade travels over and whether they have grooves with belts in them that the blade runs on.
Thank you for your trouble.
I purchased the pulley's from surplus center. They are H bushing V groove that accept a 5/8 type B V Belt.
Could you please tell me what you used for your band pulleys? I really can't figure out the band pulley situation on the one i'm making
I used 18.75 diameter split taper bushed bore pulleys from Surplus center part number 1-BKH190
Nice mill! What size of axel did you put on yours? and where did you get it at?
I used a Dexter 3500 lb axle. I purchased if from trailer parts king on ebay. I ordered it as a kit with hubs springs and hanger kit.
Ok thanks for the info. I am going to make mine mobile but I wasn’t sure where to get an axel to fit mine
@@woodintheworks3275 Good luck on your build
You have to start somewhere and improve from there. Trial and error. Great job
Some minor improvements have been made. I lucked out do some degree as all my systems worked pretty good from the start which is surprising to me as I never built anything like this before. Call it well thought out or maybe beginners luck lol
Good job, engine looks ancient :-) What clutching system? Ever thought of using 2x2" hardwood log stops, mounted securely in a section of square pipe, which is then held in it's own fixed short square " socket"? Never a ruined blade again, ever
Engine is from the 70s or 80s but runs strong. The clutch is a simple tension lever with idler pulley. I have considered the hardwood log stops if it became a regular thing. I have only hit a stop once. To prevent it... I now never set the stop higher then the clamp. The clamp is easy to see from the operator station.
I like it a lot!!!!!!!!!!😶
Thanks!!!
I'm not in to many diy sawmill forums but this is one of the best builds I've seen. I've only seen one other guy use acme screws to lift the head. I just ordered 1" 5 thread stainless rod for my lifting mechanism. Anything you'd change on it? Are your screws greased? My concern is with dust. I'll try and prevent it from getting on it. Can you give me a link to your thrust bearings on top and bottom on the screws? Again excellent. Just subscribed.
Thanks for the kind words. I used 5/8 1-8 thread per inch zinc plated acme rods. If I was to do it again I would have spent the extra money on thicker rods like your are using the 1 inch stainless will have zero flex. No grease on the screws I occasionally spray them down with teflon wd 40 specialist spray or other dry lubricant. The bearings that hold the rods top and bottom are just regular pillow block bearings.
@@thedelcodave you don't have any problem with the axial load on the bearings?
@@BigelowWoodcraft No issues I have a metal plate that the bottom that the rod contacts to carry the load.
My sawmill is a washing machine motor hooked to a 48 inch bar & chain.......it's a little slow.
Thats still better than using an Alaskan Mill. That is what I started out on and quickly realized that that was not the way to get it done.
What kind of bearings are those at the bottom? That can take the weight of rod downward like that?
The bearings are regular pillow blocks. They can withstand some axial load themselves. The acme rod sits on a steel plate. I keep it greased. If it starts wearing (hasn't yet) I will add bronze thrust bearing between the plate and the rod. I hope that makes sense lol.
Yea it does, thanks
Great build!
Where did you get the gears for making the saw lift up and down?
Also, is this okay to drive on the highway or roads? If so, how did you go about making sure it was safe enough to drive on the road?I’d love to make my bandsaw road ready but I’m nervous about making sure the trailer is safe enough to drive on the road. Any tips in the matter?
The gears were purchased from Surplus Center and the acme rods and nuts came from McMaster Carr. Totally safe to drive down the road. My rail system was built from 2x6 3/16 wall rectangular tubing and the axle is a 3500 lb trailer axle. The rail system is much stronger than a standard trailer. I have 4 1/2 in locking bolts that secure the carriage head to the rails for transport. I decided the transport location by sliding the carriage until I had the proper tongue weight. I have amber running lights down the sides and brake lights on the back. I lower the head to the lowest spot to keep the weight as low as possible. She tows beautifully.
สวย
Great inspiration!! I am thinking building a sawmill and not sure on steel wall thickness. What is the size and thickness of the steel on the bed?
The bed is 2x6 3/16 wall rectangle tubing. The stainless risers are 2x2 1/8 wall SQ tubing.
Thank you!
How thick is your 2by6 rails
3/16
Thank you so much for showing all these details. Did you consider using a centrifugal clutch?
Thanks for checking out my video. I did not want a centrifugal clutch. The lever is a much cheaper option with less moving parts. I also built it in a way that if I upsize the engine I can add double belts for more hp transfer.
@@thedelcodave Nice. Yeah, the centrifugal clutch on my sawmill has been its weakest point. I'd like to build my own sawmill this winter, and I have the same reservations as you regarding the use of a clutch. But I'm also tempted to base my design around the Linn lumber head, and I'm not sure I want to put the effort into modifying it away from the clutch. Who knows, maybe it will be easier to do that than I think.
@@friendlylocal3731 the blade lever is really not that difficult to design. In one of my videos I explain how you have to layout the pivot points for it to work properly. If you need any specific measurements feel free to contact me and I can help you out.
I have the Linn Lumber setup and definitely gonna use manual lever like yours! The hefty centrifugal clutch price is the main reason to stay away!
Beautiful Machine! What is its maximum cutting capacity?
Do you have sketches with dimensions?
Max width between guides is about 39 inches. I designed as I built but if enough people are interested I will make a video with the dimensions. I scaled the carriage to make the capacities similar to a Woodmizer LT15wide and mine utilizes the same blade length. Their machine has an advertised cut width of 36 inches.
I would be interested. What pulley wheels did you use? Super clean build and design. Did you mention total cost? @@thedelcodave
@@homesteadfromscratch the pulleys came from surplus center 18.75 inch diameter I believe. Steel prices were low and I used as much recycled steel I could find. Total cost was in the 3k range. I'm sure in today's prices it would add up a lot more.
What size band wheels are you using?
18.75 inch diameter
what rpm motor are you using?
The lift motor is a razor scooter motor that spins around 2600 rpm max but is variable speed controlled with a pwm controller. The old Kohler 301 spins at about 3600 rpm at full throttle.
How much out of pocket cost would you estimate you have in your mill the way it sits?
Maybe 2500 total. But was built when steel prices were lower. Sawmill head was recycled steel. Trailer was new steel.
Are you canadian!
No I am your American Neighbor.
Serpentine Pulley sorry
Wing nuts
I have an idea for a superior all around use bandsaw mill. It is like an alaskan mill but is all electric. The two hubs are ebike hub motors, about 12 inch diameter or so, and the supporting frame is lightweight, as hub motors are lightweight for what they are too. The motors are driven in paralell, and the driver is high current, not cheapo chinese shit electronics.
The power is connected with either a battery or a high current dc supply. Solar or extension cord or whatever makes most sense.
The main advantage is no noise, dust, smoke, vibrations,
ANd the logs can be milled in place, as this is a much easier thing to handle, the logs dont need moving. The waste is just shavings and offcuts and that will be fine if left on location or whatever.
2 hub motors instead of one power wheel and one follower means you get twice as much avaliable torque, Less likelyhood to break a blade, and better tracking. The tensioner can be aired up tires, and alignment can be done with shims.
This has all of the advantages and very little disavantages. If it works on 120v that would be prefered, if not, then i think 48vdc is the only other sensible operation voltage, like the motors accept stock.
They deliver alot of power and torque, I think 3kw per motor is easily attainable. That means 6kw of low loss power transfer. Low vibrational loss, and smooth laser like cutting. I would make one that can do 10 inch depth 42 inch width.
The starter board straight edge method works great. and its very easy after that first cut, which is also easy. Then the slabs can be put on sawhorses and cut diemsionally with a circular saw.
It makes most sense to leeave them as slabs, stacked dried and somewhat cured, in sun with black tarp.
Overall, I think it would beat all other sawmills.
Have a nice aluminum frame, light, anodized, with a throttle handle and a big flat platton.
The tool would be useful and durable and easy to repair. The wheels are very sturdy though, and the motors too, because bikes take lots of differnt loading.
What do you think?? Yours is good concept, but is not as streamline as it may seem. I think it needs to be lightweight, so no moving logs, just fork the stack when its cured in place.
Interesting concept. I ran an Alaskan mill for a short time before I decided to build my mill. The Alaskan mill has its place but ultimately works best with 2 people. In order to run standard sawmill sized bladed the wheel diameter would need to be at least 16 inches 19 is ideal. The smaller wheels will strain the blade resulting in frequent blade breaks. Even constructed from aluminum I would imagine the setup would end up weighing quite a bit. Your idea may work better sticking with the Alaskan mill style and use the electric motors to drive a chainsaw blade around a chain bar. If you end up building one definitively send me some videos or pictures.