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Unconventional Sawmill Build

Discussion in 'Quitters' Club' started by ITLKSEZ, Oct 29, 2021.

  1. Dec 6, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    6,656
    You’re not wrong. One part of the flaw in the design isn’t the idea of the grooved casters, but the casters themselves. They are thrown together with only the intention of having a vertical load, with the axle in shear. The higher the cutter head is raised, the more lateral torque is applied to the casters, as cutting force is pushed sideways against the rail. There are two bearings inside the caster, but there is no sleeve inside. The casters have too much play to keep the tower from moving. Tightening the nut to remove play only binds the bearings without the sleeve and proper shims. A good solution would be to use 8 vertical casters and add 4 lengths of angle; run opposing casters top and bottom at each corner.
    But you guessed it, I’m not going there. :)
    I’m going to add sleeves so I can remove the play in the casters. That, combined with the new design I have in mind should eliminate the play. I haven’t noticed any trouble with the trolley moving along it’s path under load from binding, but the play it has is terrible.

    As far as the Subaru diff, I haven’t pulled it apart yet, but it feels like the side gear welded itself to the case from lack of lube. I guess I didn’t fill it high enough. Oh well. I wasn’t liking its flaws up to that point anyway.

    The third rendition is going to be a vertical cutter head. Motor up high, bar pointing down. Any torque will be applied mostly vertically to the trolley. No height adjustment will be needed, until I go with a bigger bar. Also, it will be safer, and holding the log in place will be much easier. The only real drawback to this will be the sawdust. I’ll need to elevate the whole thing off the ground in order to get a grain scoop (or conveyer belt!) underneath the cutting path.

    I should have everything I need, so it won’t cost much of anything to change it.
     
    Fireball likes this.
  2. Dec 7, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
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    6,656
    I got my booster shot yesterday and I’m having the same reaction I had from my second shot. 101° temp and can’t get out of bed. I forced myself up this morning to go warm up the shop for the RV, and I pulled that drive head apart to see what happened while the fire got up to temp.

    ^^This is what happened. I pulled the lock off of the unused output, and everything turns freely, but locked together like a spool. I wasn’t in the mood to go any further, so we’ll just stick with that diagnosis. It got heaved out onto the scrap pile, and I went back to bed. :sleep:
     
    Snoops, Ol Fogie, Twin2 and 4 others like this.
  3. Dec 9, 2021
    Jay's WWII Jeeps

    Jay's WWII Jeeps Member

    Napa CA
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    Mar 14, 2018
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    166
    Two days with out an update.
     
    Fireball likes this.
  4. Dec 9, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
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    Still getting over that dang booster shot. I’ll be in the shop tomorrow.
     
    Jw60, Twin2, dozerjim and 1 other person like this.
  5. Dec 11, 2021
    Snoops

    Snoops Making progress, slow but at least it's forward! 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Idaho
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    Sep 4, 2019
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    Took me like 10 days to feel somewhat normal again. Also, can still feel where the shot went in, possibly hit bone or something :steamed:, good luck at feeling better soon.
     
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
  6. Dec 11, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
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    Nothing big to report. I’ve been spending a lot of time swapping new snow tires onto rims and getting them mounted.

    I got the old assembly cut up, trying to figure out my next move.

    [​IMG]

    I got the old sprocket removed from the Subaru splined hub, and I’m getting ready to weld it to the 1” ID hub. Here it is with the super-technical, high-tech centering device in place.

    [​IMG]
     
    73 cj5, Snoops, dozerjim and 4 others like this.
  7. Dec 12, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
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    We had yet another crazy wind storm roll through. This one did some damage. We lost the top of this tree on the west end of the property. More material for the mill!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    73 cj5 and Ol Fogie like this.
  8. Dec 12, 2021
    Lockman

    Lockman OK.....Now I Get It . 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Silver Hill,...
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    If a Tree fell in the Forest, Would it make a Sound ?
     
    Twin2 likes this.
  9. Dec 12, 2021
    dozerjim

    dozerjim Member

    western New York
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    Nov 22, 2010
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    Huh.....parden me .......:study:
     
    Ol Fogie, Lockman and Twin2 like this.
  10. Dec 12, 2021
    PeteL

    PeteL If it wasn't for physics, and law enforcement... 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Hills of NH
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    Aug 3, 2003
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    If a tree falls.... is the Man still wrong?
     
    dozerjim likes this.
  11. Dec 13, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    Spent the weekend cleaning up wind damage. Exactly how much weight can a D30 carry? :ninja:

    [​IMG]

    This morning, I tackled the poor design of these casters. Here’s how they come:
    The bolt (axle) is fully threaded, and its OD is substantially less than the ID of the bearings. So even at its best, there is still play and binding with any force that’s not perfectly perpendicular to the axle.

    [​IMG]

    Here’s the fix: I found 4 bolts in my stash with unthreaded shafts that are a little longer than the whole assembly, and I found these deep nuts that allow the extra shaft length to fit inside. I cut sections of old Kawasaki frame to use as sleeves between the bearings. Now the casters can be tightened without any stress on the bearings.

    [​IMG]

    What a huge difference! Now they spin freely with zero play. The trolley rolls on the track with little resistance and no shake.

    [​IMG]
     
    tomasinator, Twin2, Snoops and 6 others like this.
  12. Dec 13, 2021
    Lockman

    Lockman OK.....Now I Get It . 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Silver Hill,...
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    Nice Fix.
    " Exactly how much weight can a D30 carry? " The bigger question is what powers your Lift Arm on your plow frame?
     
  13. Dec 14, 2021
    fhoehle

    fhoehle Sponsor

    Harford Township, PA
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    I can't believe I didn't see this until now!
     
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
  14. Dec 14, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
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    Because of the redesign, the pillar in the trolley is in the wrong spot, so that, along with the cross bars, needed to come out. The problem is, I welded them in with purpose. All four sides of all four ends were fully welded, and 6 out of 8 of the vertical welds were in a position that I couldn’t fit a grinder. I grabbed the torch and washed the welds away…

    [​IMG]

    …then cut what was left with the sawzall.
    After all the welds were cut, a smack with a BFH broke it free, but a few of the welds were proud, and the assembly needed a little help to get past. Here comes the chain-n-jack again to press it out.

    [​IMG]

    Here it is tacked in its new home.

    [​IMG]
     
    dozerjim, Twin2, SFaulken and 2 others like this.
  15. Dec 15, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    Got the engine mount rebuilt and ready to weld. Fitting the bar mount is going to be challenging.

    If this adaptation shows promise, I’ll most definitely get a bigger/longer bar and a true rip chain.

    [​IMG]
     
    dozerjim, Twin2, SFaulken and 2 others like this.
  16. Dec 16, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    Since you guys expect a daily update….

    Engine mount is welded up, and the bar mount is burned in. Tomorrow will be spent trying to figure out the lubrication. With direct drive and a 10t sprocket, this chain is going to be HUMMING. I want to make sure everything is well lubed.

    [​IMG]
     
    47v6, Twin2, Fireball and 1 other person like this.
  17. Dec 16, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    Is now the time to start complaining about no updates on the 3B chassis? :ninja:
     
  18. Dec 16, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    I’ll bring it down there; you can work on it all you want. :D
     
    Snoops and Fireball like this.
  19. Dec 16, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    Hah! I barely make any progress on my own stuff.
     
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
  20. Dec 17, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    I got the oiling system figured out this morning using sections of brake line bends and plastic fuel hose.

    [​IMG]

    If you look hard, you can see where the plastic line dumps out against the chain.

    [​IMG]

    I also cut up the old lawnmower deck and made a sawdust chute. I changed my mind about the direction of cut, and decided to take the extra stress off the nose sprocket and cut up rather than down. With the chute, it moves *most* of the dust away.

    [​IMG]

    It seems to work well in this configuration. I was having real trouble with the track icing up. The trolley was warm from being in the shop, and the track was 6° from our low temps last night. Snow was melting off the trolley and dripping on the track, then freezing sawdust solidly to it.

    Before I cut any more, I need to come up with a decent clamping system to keep the log in place. I’m going to stop by the scrap place and see what I can come up with.

    [​IMG]
     
    jzeber, tomasinator, 73 cj5 and 7 others like this.
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