Thread: The BIL mill (WIP)

Photo 1 shows the outboard end clamp with the single down tube and the same cam style clamping mechanism as the inboard. Also you can just see the full length ally tube handle that runs down the middle of the mill. This is locked/held in place by supports in the middle and at the end . The middle and outboard supports are adjustable. To avoid the locking screw marking the ally tube I added a brass locking plate so the locking screw bites into the brass rather than the tube.

I messed around with a couple of different outboard guards made of expanded ally mesh and they just looked clumsy and ugly. I then found a piece of lexan (same stuff as used in MC helmet visors) in the scraps bin at work. Lexan is fantastic stuff to work with as it's very flexible, you can can cut it easily with a saw or even tin snips, bend it a fair bit even cold, and yet it remains quite tough, and it's transparent too! So Photo 2 is what I came up with.

Photo 3 shows a back view of the guard. I reckon my single tube nose-end-clamp is inherently safer than regular alaskans as the main part of the clamp is outside the nose bar - which also maximises cut capacity. Of course it only works with hardnoses. I just added this guard to make sure someone doesn't acciedntally stick their finger in the vicinity.

Still to do!
- make the inboard clutch cover.
- Auxilliary Oiler.
- try it out !!

Once I'm happy it works
- loctite all none-adjustable screws
- descratch, spit and polish.
- Take pics

Start on the next design (No, No, No, No, No - not for a while anyway)!

Cheers

Doesn't that look sweet!!!!!!!!!

The BIL Mill gets the from me.

Very nice looking unit Bob. Will have to take some time to digest it all, lots going on in there.

I assume the central bar (supporting the handle)is adjustable so you can move it to the centre of the board you are ripping so you have something to rest/stabilise the mill on when entering and exiting a cut? IE, to stop the mill dipping on exit.

Call me stupid but I cant work out how the cam applies tension to the uprights?

I originally thought that the single clamp on the nose end might be dangerous because on such a long bar it may vibrate off, meaning the bar can swing separately from the mill and head towards you! But assuming the mill itself is rigid, the mill will always stay in the same plane as the bar because it is fixed with the 2 bar mounting studs.

I guess you will have to drill a hole in that lexan guard to fit the Aux oiler?

Nice setup Bob, looking forward to seeing some pics of it in action .

Martrix, this post shows and explains the cam on the uprights

Originally Posted by djstimber

Nice setup Bob, looking forward to seeing some pics of it in action .

Martrix, this post shows and explains the cam on the uprights

I didn't notice that those cuts were only half-way. I only looked at one side which looked like three separate outer tubes and was baffled.

Crystal now.

If they have enough tension I think they should hold quite well with the vibes. As you say Bob they are really only there to stop any rattling as the height is locked by the all thread.

Do you have any other pics of how you made the cams?
Someone on AS mentioned using a quick release style like in a vice where the threaded block disengages with the thread rod. I might look into that style.

Greenie for you DJ so I can then fire one off for Bob.

Thanks Guys - I keep wanting to take it out for a run but keep thinking of things to add to it.

Will have to take some time to digest it all, lots going on in there.

Yeah - maybe it's the product of too much time in planning, and not enough in the shed.

I assume the central bar (supporting the handle)is adjustable so you can move it to the centre of the board you are ripping so you have something to rest/stabilise the mill on when entering and exiting a cut? IE, to stop the mill dipping on exit.

Correct, undo 4 nuts and the long handle screw clamp and the middle bar slides up and down. Might replace the nuts with a coupla cams ??

Call me stupid but I cant work out how the cam applies tension to the uprights?

Check out the picture.

But assuming the mill itself is rigid, the mill will always stay in the same plane as the bar because it is fixed with the 2 bar mounting studs.

Yep - the main purpose of the outboard is vertical position fixing of the nose, there is very little need for horizontal positioning.

I guess you will have to drill a hole in that lexan guard to fit the Aux oiler?

Actually I'm thinking of coming in from underneath - more about that later.

Originally Posted by BobL

Actually I'm thinking of coming in from underneath - more about that later.

oh, oh. I'm having visions of batteries and mini-motorized pumps.....

Originally Posted by martrix

oh, oh. I'm having visions of batteries and mini-motorized pumps.....

Not quite , but I have found found a smick looking chrome plated brass needle valve in the odds'n'sods box at work. The idea of coming in from underneath is to allow the chain to be easily removed without removing the whole CS from the mill. If the oil line comes into the top of the bar it prevents this. Still no luck in finding a suitable aux oil tank. I was thinking of an old car windscreen or radiator overflow water tank but no luck in tracking anything suitable down.

looking good bob now i get what you mean about the center rail.

Busy time at the day job so not much shed time this week or weekend.

The few hours spare I've had, I've been mainly doing cosmetic things like replacing the scummy looking main 10mm galavnized nuts with some shmick looking brass dome nuts. Sanded down the whole thing with 180 then 400 grit and the ran the whole thing past the buff. That grey, and then white ally buffing compound sure does the trick. I could have made it all mirror finish but don't have time.



I've also made a change to the main central cross piece locking mechanisms and added a vertical central handle.


The locking mechanisms were just bolts but are now cams. It's taken quite a long time to make these cams and If I'd known it was going to take this long I would not have bothered although I can now turn out this style of cam out pretty quickly now if I had to.

The handle is an ally bicycle handlebar stem (inverted) with a mountain bike handlebar grip pushed onto it. I tried putting a cam on the allen locking bolt for the handle but at 6mm its pretty hard to get enough pressure to lock tight enough and I've snapped two locking mechanism pins in trying. I have a plan to start with a 10 mm high tensile steel bolt and work from there.

Here's a view of the handle etc from the other side.



Here's a close up of the cross piece locking cams.


The cam holding force can be adjusted by releasing the cam and turning the dome nuts by hand. When the cam locks into place the dome nuts are very tight. It will be interesting to see if they vibrate loose with the CS operating. If they do I can tweak the cam to lock even harder or just lock the dome nuts down with a spanner - the cam will still work but the adjustment will require a spanner.

Finally heres a close up of the vertical position locking cams all polished up and look fancy.

My wife thinks I'm building a strange piece of surgical equipment and my son says it looks like a "trepanning instrument for giants".

To do:
1) Aux Oil tank - I have all the pieces except the tank. I found a reasonable and cheap ($6) brass air tap at Bunnys, it uses 1/4" BSP fittings, and I have connected that to a brass needle valve (7/16 UNF). After hunting around for the right taps and dies I couldn't find what I needed so I made my own 1/4" BSP and 7/16" UNF taps from 1/2" bolts and the respective dies.
2) Clutch guard: Still thinking about that.

Cheers

Well Bob, you most certainly take a lot of pride in your work

Its nice, good to see true craftsmanship

Mate this thing is lookin' way too flash to use for bush slabbin' - needs to be on a showroom floor somewhere.
I really don't think you'll have a problem with the cam-locks. Because you built adjustment into them, they are easily tuned to stay put. Damn nice job on the whole thing!

Thanks guys, the attention to cosmetics is mainly a result of only multiple short periods of time available to work in the shed and no big slab of time time to go millin' . It will, as Martrix points, at the emd of the day out help with cleaning etc. I will mainly use the mill in BILs workyard where several logs await my attention. Unfortunately SWMBO has recently had hand surgery and muggins here is doing all the chores (only real food allowed so cannot just keep ordering takeaway). To add to that day job has been busy as. Maybe saturday?

TTIT; I haven't forgotten your wood . . . .

BobL

is it a mill or an ornament,

how long will it stay shiny once it is attached to your saw and flying down the middle of the log.