More Questions
They all look similar to me, aren't all band sawmills pretty much the same? Not at all. As with everything, the more familiar you are with something, the more you notice the subtleties. Novices and the undiscerning, only see the basics. To some, all cars look pretty much the same. The differences between most band sawmills could be liken to the differences between most cars.
Can I build this sawmill and what will it cost?
If you have read this far, then you are probably a handy, mechanical
person who is good with tools. This is required to build this, or
any sawmill. Your ability should go beyond just working on
cars and changing parts. You should be a good welder with some
shop knowledge. There is a lot of cutting, drilling and welding. The
total cost will depend on how much of the work you can do yourself and what
materials you have on hand. If you have to buy everything, it
should come in under $3,000 keeping in mind that steel prices
fluctuate. To buy a "comparable" mill you would have to pay over $10,000
and that's just to cut a similar log. It wouldn't have all the "Special
Features" and efficiency of Mr. Sawmill.
And some people just enjoy the
feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment of building (and knowing) their own
machine.
The Wright brothers didn't need flying
lessons because they had become so intimate with their new
invention.
What tools and equipment do I need? A welder (Arc or MIG) capable of welding 1/4" steel. A good 1/2 hp drill press or better with a very slow speed (~200 rpm) as you will be drilling large holes. A metal cutting saw. You can use a "chop saw" with a metal grinding blade but I prefer a metal cutting bandsaw. They can be set up to cut exactly 90 degrees and they can be left cutting while you're working on something else as they all have automatic shutoff. Since the largest piece used is 2" by 4" the cheapest one (under $300) will work fine. A metal lathe is needed to turn down two shafts for threading (though they could be welded) and is nice to finish off the pipe and bar cuts. A cheap metal bender (under $100) works fine and it's also easy to build. You should have an assortment of clamps, welding magnets, try squares, a few taps & dies, bench and hand grinders, compressor, paint gun, etc..
I've heard of building one with car wheels and scrap parts.
Wouldn't that be easier and cheaper? As before, it would
only be cheaper if you have all the parts but it probably wouldn't be any
easier especially if you don't have any plans or drawings. The
problem is that you won't end up with a well engineered machine.
Car rims, tires and spindles are not designed to be band wheels.
They are too wide and heavy causing excessive inertia and needing a larger
powerhead, carriage and motor and you'll probably build a heavier
(more expensive) bed. The hand lifting crank will need to have a
greater ratio to lift the extra weight slowing down the movement, the
heavier carriage will have more inertia, slowing it down, etc..
These
problems can be "solved" but you'll end up with a "Rube Goldberg
Machine". Of course it could still work and cut wood, but less
easily and efficiently.
