Bandit Mill

**Jamesg1981** · 18th December 2011, 05:36 PM

Some pictures of this maniac device I managed to whack together over a few weekends.

It has some serious bugs, but I'm slowly ironing out the kinks.

The first couple of pics show what I started with, the bandsaw mill my old man started to try building about 15 years ago.

The lift mechanism is a bit of a failure. That's a 5hp warn winch motor geared down to spin the threaded rods. The problem is that the cutter bar with those stupid wheels on it is so heavy that it twists the whole thing and binds up the nuts that drive the whole assembly up and down. Possible solutions are the obvious (more hp) or moving the lift assembly right up behind the cutter bar thus removing the twisting moment. Having said that, using a winch motor allows me to use a remote control to operate it. Hopefully I can get that working properly, then its fully remote raise and lower.

The motor is a 15hp chinese job with electric start (About $400 off ebay inc freight) which so far hasn't missed a beat.

The wheels themselves are off a vintage stationary engine and must weigh about 25kg's each. They're balanced and run quite nicely surprisingly, the only problem is the weight which causes aforementioned twisting moment.
That weight is however, an asset. With an increase in rolling momentum, it allows me to use the entire power output of the engine. It's not going to slow down quickly when it hits a hard section in a log because the wheels are carrying their own momentum.

The clutch at the back is a simple over-centre lock lever with an idler pulley that tensions the v-belt. I've moved the engine start panel next to it so I've got complete control from that one location. I do need to remote the throttle though.

Ebay has been my friend with this build, both motors, the solenoid for the winch motor and the remote control unit and all the bearings came from the wonderful world of online shopping. Highly reccommend online shopping, especially from the states when you're looking for power transmission stuff.

Blade guides I've fabricated and welded on in a fixed position. I was intending to make one of them moveable, like a normal bandsaw, but with only a 600mm throat, plenty of horsepower and a sharp blade, I figure having them fixed is going to work just as well. I haven't found it to be otherwise yet.

It works. To an extent.

I managed to make 3 full cuts on some smallish silky oak, which it cruised through effortlessly. On the last one, I got 99% through and the neoprene tyre I had glued to the wheels decided it wasn't going to stay attached anymore. So it came unglued and spat the blade off and ruined a couple of teeth.

I'm running a 2" bimetal 1tpi blade from henry bros.

Its obviously a work in progress, I need to find a better method to attach the tyres, fix the lift mechanism and finish making the guards. Lift mechanism being the priority.

**Jamesg1981** · 18th December 2011, 05:46 PM

I'm trying to post a few more pics, but its not letting me play at the moment. Will get to it soon.

**Jamesg1981** · 18th December 2011, 07:02 PM

Success.
More pics attached.

**nifty** · 19th December 2011, 09:26 PM

Looks cool so far, what blade is thade your gonna run?

**spray-tech** · 19th December 2011, 10:43 PM

Great to see the pics James. The bed, tracks & dogs look good too. I might copy them!!

How well did the blade track to start with & did you have to adjust the wheels to toe in or out?

I haven't progressed any further with my mill, I'm still waiting on a local engineer to tap some threads to mount the pillow blocks on to, once I get a bit more done I'll post pics

cheers,
Dean.

**Bushmiller** · 19th December 2011, 11:21 PM

James

That looks a really good build. Don't forget about guarding. Very important.

Regards
Paul

**Jamesg1981** · 20th December 2011, 01:35 PM

I think I mentioned the blade already?

2" wide, 1 tpi bimetal blade from Henry Bros. 158" length.

Guards are currently in progress. Should actually have that finished in the next day or so.

I'll take some close ups of the clamping system. I copied it off one I saw on a youtube video.

The blade, surprisingly, tracked straight as a die right off the bat. I did a lot of fiddling around to get the set-up right with toe-out and making sure it tracked level, so that seems to have done the trick. Of course, it could just be that with a new blade its tracking straight along the blade and any setup problems I've got haven't manifested yet.

**Toymaker Len** · 20th December 2011, 05:14 PM

There is a place in Tomago that will vulcanise fresh rubber onto yr wheels. It is called Lunatex at 8 Forsythe Drive, phone 49648633. They do a seriously good job. I got the information from Newcastle Industrial Sharpening who I get all my bandsaws from.

**sgschwend** · 20th December 2011, 06:12 PM

The way I have observed that style of lifting work, there need to be plastic bearing on the assembly so that they rub on the verticals. Smooth the verticals where the plastic bearing rub and it should go up easily.

**spray-tech** · 23rd December 2011, 08:04 PM

James, what method did you use to tension the blade? cant see it in the pics. Also how did you know when the blade was correctly tensioned?

thanks,
Dean

**Jamesg1981** · 24th December 2011, 07:37 PM

The latest update......

So, I worked out why it was spitting the blade off the front, it seems that there's a bit of play in the drive wheel bearing housings. This meant that when I tensioned the blade, the drive wheel slipped from toe-out to toe-in. Unfortunately, even once I fixed this problem, it turns out I didn't fix it, and it spat the blade off the front again and ruined another neoprene tyre.

(Thanks to ToyMakerLen for the info on getting tyres vulcanised to the wheels, that will definitely be a next-step solution)

That has pretty much finished me for the summer unfortunately. With everything shut for xmas and having to go back to work next week, It's time to pack it all away until next holidays. I will have plenty of time to come up with some clever engineering solutions to my issues though.

I will include some more pics detailing the clamping and tension systems.

**Jamesg1981** · 24th December 2011, 07:45 PM

Success. Again.

**panthermills** · 15th January 2012, 09:32 AM

That looks simular to our design.

Good Job!

Roger Mackbach
Panther Chainsaw Mills

**pjt** · 16th January 2012, 01:25 AM

Wheel alignment is necessary in the horizontal and vertical planes made all the more important without crowned tyres, not sure if yours are tho, also one blade can be different to the next one and require tweeking with alignment to get it to stay on the tyres. If you are going to get new tyres vulcanized they might also crown them for you, this helps keep the blade on, with a wide blade tho a steep crown can leave the blade unsuported, a compromise might be crown the non drive wheel and leave the drive flat, may have to seek more info on what is best
Looks good tho

Pete

**Bushmiller** · 16th January 2012, 08:25 AM

James

I have just been re-reading the thread following the problems you have been having with the bldes and wheels.

There are two theories for the band wheels One has a crown while the other doesn't. The crowned wheel needs a soft cover as the blade rides over the top of it. My own bandsaw has the other style with a flat wheel and the blade protrudes over the edge of the wheel to clear the teeth plus a little more to spare. It overhangs the wheel by about 15mm when adjusted properly.

The wheels have no soft covering, just the bare metal which in my case is aluminium. There is a bearing behind the blades to prevent the blade moving back too far on the wheel, but that is a safety device and should not normally be used.

Regards
Paul

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