Author Topic: Old School Sawmill Edger  (Read 18124 times)

Offline Art K

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #45 on: October 27, 2019, 02:18:49 AM »
Brian,
Great addition can't have any workman's comp injuries while on the job.
Art
"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you" B.B. King

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #46 on: October 28, 2019, 07:21:21 PM »
A change to the top-plate. I was going to make it from clear Lexan, but then today I remembered how sawdust sticks to lexan because of it's electrostatic properties. Top plate will now be made from aluminum.

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #47 on: October 29, 2019, 12:26:17 AM »
I spent a large portion of my morning "fine tuning" my "pillow block" bearings. Real pillow block bearings are self aligning, whereby the actual bearing unit can orbit in the cast iron housing to prevent any binding. My one piece simulated pillow blocks weren't nearly as forgiving. When they were tightened down to the aluminum frame, the shafts were binding very badly and wouldn't rotate. The misalignment was very small. So small that conventional machining wouldn't / couldn't fix it. My reamers are too short to span across both sides of the frame. I ended up coating dummy shafts with #600 aluminum oxide paste and lapping (for lack of a better word) with my electric drill. The dummy shafts were, of course, made long enough to span across the frame and fit through two opposing bearings at once. During the process I removed the bearings one at a time for polishing and the addition of "oil holes". Final step was to remove bearings one at a time for a bath in laquer thinners, then scrubbed inside with a small brush to remove any remaining grit. Doesn't sound like much, but it eat up my morning. Yesterday it rained all day, and I missed my "Fat mans walk". Today was lovely here, so I walked much farther on the forest trails where I hadn't been before to make up for the missed walk yesterday. It was about 58 F today, and many of the leaves have fallen, but enough remain on the trees  that it is still very pretty. Seen a lot of new ground, and my legs are telling me about it tonight.

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #48 on: October 29, 2019, 04:00:56 PM »
So, here we are with the new top plate and all of the bearings freed up. I put a stir stick into the edger just to see how it looks. The springs on the pressure rolls aren't strong enough, but they are out of a kit I had with about a thousand springs in it. I will buy stronger springs next time I'm downtown. I think that now I can go ahead with the infeed and outfeed tables and their end stands.

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #49 on: October 30, 2019, 02:56:30 PM »
Well, that almost finishes the easy parts. I still have to build and assemble the fixed and moveable fences, and then it will be the moveable saw hub and mechanism for shifting it right or left.

Offline crueby

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #50 on: October 30, 2019, 02:57:33 PM »
This is going to be a fun one to run with your engines!
 :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #51 on: October 30, 2019, 03:42:49 PM »
Yes Chris, it should be fun. The edger itself is almost finished. The gear reducer and clutch and engine are all finished. It shouldn't take much more than another week or so to have everything ready.---Brian

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #52 on: October 30, 2019, 09:04:57 PM »
So, after far more time than I thought it was going to take, we have an adjustable fence. I haven't yet put the locking mechanism in that makes the moveable fence hold it's position. Adjusting the position of the fence allows the edger man to determine how much he actually wants to trim from the side of a board.Guess the locking mechanism will be tomorrows job.

Offline J.L.

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #53 on: October 30, 2019, 09:23:29 PM »
Hi Brian,

This is a significant build!
 
Excellent planning and metal work.

You certainely know what you are doing.

Cheers...John

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #54 on: October 30, 2019, 10:03:55 PM »
Thanks John.--That's the nicest thing anybody's said to me so far today!! :pinkelephant: :pinkelephant:

Offline Craig DeShong

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #55 on: October 31, 2019, 08:20:57 PM »
We have one of these at the North Carolina State Fair included with the saw mill exhibit.  I’ve run the thing a few times, but just about the time i get ‘the hang of it’ the fair is over an it’s learn all over again next year!

Maybe I should build your model so I can keep ‘in practice’.   :Lol:
Craig
The destination motivates us toward excellence, the journey entertains us, and along the way we meet so many interesting people.

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #56 on: October 31, 2019, 09:18:48 PM »
Craig--thanks for stopping by and having a look. Not an awful lot to show for today, but we do have a lock for the offset fence position.  Tomorrow will be the day to clean all the bits and bobs for the adjustable fence up and "final assemble" them.

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #57 on: November 01, 2019, 04:47:58 PM »
This morning I finished the hub for the moveable saw-blade. The hubs are two part, with 3/8"-24 threads on them. That scrim of Loctite that you see has to be cleaned up after lunch, and then I start work on the shifter link that moves the saw right or left on the shaft, to cut wider or narrower boards.

Offline awake

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #58 on: November 01, 2019, 11:02:37 PM »
Hey Brian,

Is it just the picture, or is there some brazing on those sprockets?

Meanwhile, I agree with everyone else - beautiful work!

Andy

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Old School Sawmill Edger
« Reply #59 on: November 02, 2019, 12:07:05 AM »
It's not brazing---it's silver solder. Those sprockets are sold as just the outer rim and teeth, but no hub. I make my own hubs "to suit" and silver solder them into place. You're right though, it certainly looks like brazing.--Brian

 

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