Thread: Remote milling throttle for 880

Here you can see the cable path underneath the saw. This was the shortest cable I could find. If the cable is too short and bent too severely the cable will not move smoothly.


Another top view.


The knurled brass knob is the throttle lock.

I made a small brass block with a 5 mm threaded hole that sits in a convenient recess inside the throttle handle and drilled a hole in the alloy throttle housing so that the threaded hole could be accessed externally . The throttle lock is basically a 5mm screw that passes thru the ally housing and threads into the brass block and bites into the throttle holding it in place. I will probably replace the knob with a lever although the knob is quite easy to use as the throttle setting can be held with the palm heel while the fingers lock the throttle.

The action is very short - about 1/8 turn to go WOT. The wrist action is also reversed from a MC - one has to roll the wrist forward. I thought it might be awkward especially as I have ridden a MC for many years. However, being the left hand it feels quite natural.

The kill switch is conveniently located and accessible - better than haveing to reach down and fumble for the switch near the regular trigger.


And here is the whole mill shot.


Next - the clutch cover.

You are a master Bob

Hi BobL,

Yeah, some got it, some don't...! no ones fault, huh?

Can you put a turbo on it?, now seriously, that is going to be a never ending project, I can just see it...! I could probably guess some of the future modifications the machine will endure but, I will keep my mouth shut, I don't want to spoil the surprise and the excitement, as this machine has a long way to go yet, I bet you...!right?

Very nicely thought and executed.

Cheers
RBTCO

Thanks guys.

Originally Posted by robutacion

........ I could probably guess some of the future modifications the machine will endure but, I will keep my mouth shut, I don't want to spoil the surprise and the excitement, as this machine has a long way to go yet, I bet you...!right?

On the contrary - speak your mind. I would never have gotten the idea for the MC throttle if someone on another site had not mentioned it as a bit of a joke. The guy who suggested it has just seen the pics and is amazed to see his idea come to reality.

Admit it Bob, You're trying to build a Harley

Originally Posted by Sawchain

Admit it Bob, You're trying to build a Harley

Don't tempt me! I do have a set of old Harley handle bars looking for somewhere to go?

I just gotta do something to fill my time woody/machine/chainsaw related when it's too hot to mill!

But do big bushy beards work with chainsaw mills?

Originally Posted by echnidna

But do big bushy beards work with chainsaw mills?

Whatdaya mean? - beard is cutting fine for me here!

I have the required beerbelly too!

Hi BobL, Just a question on why you use the frame on top of the log and not just put the mill frame on the log, does it make it easier to push along?.
I have a westford mill with an 880 magnum, I made a frame to do the first cut then I put the mill on the log, some times the mill gets stuck on the teeth marks but not to bad tho.

Yes a good looking rig Bob,

I too like to use the rail on the log for each cut as I find it gives a smoother cut and the start and finsh ends of the log/slab gets a bit too ragged if I don't use the rail.
The mill tends to be only half on at the start and half off at the finish and unless u get it lined up exactly right the slab will be low or high on the ends.
If the rail hangs over the ends by enuff it allows u to pick it up and place it on the rail b4 u actually start a cut, I find it the best at the finish when after a long hard cut the saw can be pushed out of the cut onto the end of the rail, it allows u a second or two to rest b4 lifting saw off the rail.

Originally Posted by pjt

Yes a good looking rig Bob,

I too like to use the rail on the log for each cut as I find it gives a smoother cut and the start and finsh ends of the log/slab gets a bit too ragged if I don't use the rail.
The mill tends to be only half on at the start and half off at the finish and unless u get it lined up exactly right the slab will be low or high on the ends.
If the rail hangs over the ends by enuff it allows u to pick it up and place it on the rail b4 u actually start a cut, I find it the best at the finish when after a long hard cut the saw can be pushed out of the cut onto the end of the rail, it allows u a second or two to rest b4 lifting saw off the rail.

yep they are the main reasons, and another related one is as follows

To maximise the cutting width using my 076 on the BIL mill I removed the chain brake (this gives me 39.5' of cut from a 42" bar and 57.5" of cut from a 60" bar. If I don't use log rails I have to start the saw on the ground, or a log or preferably from my portable service table.


Then I have to carry a 33 kg , mill plus a running CS and 60" bar, from the service table to the log. Although I do it sometimes, without a chain brake on I'm kinda nervous about this. I always arrange my log rails to over hang the log by a couple of feet so I can perch the mill on the rails, then I start the saw, let it warm up for 10 seconds and then start the cut.

With my 880 I have decided to leave the chain brake on and lose another inch of cut.
It's compact but it works.

I cut my logs a bit thicker to allow for resawing and planing, ( which I haven`t done yet), I also took off the log grippers but left the brake on maybe gives an extra inch of cutting.
It all looks good tho, Bob

I have noticed at times the chain brake handle gets in the way but never thought about taking it off, I'm assuming Bob u only took off the handle but left the rest of the brake assembly intact?

THis could be your next mod... design build a lever/handle that was positioned off to the side of the engine and not in front as normal, better still would be a lever that u sqeezed to disengage brake that was part of a handgrip just like a motorbike clutch lever or front brake, this would need to be a push pull setup tho??? ok to sqeeze but would need to push to operate brake, cable no good, unless it was a spring return, so... sqeeze handle, brake off...let handle go spring returns brake on, this tho might make your hand ache from hanging onto lever against spring force, perhaps a detent strong enuff to resist return spring but slight push would bring brake on, the system may fuction better with a solid rod and not a cable, but anyway you get the drift off the idea Bob?? Something to think about in your meetings

Peter

Originally Posted by pjt

I have noticed at times the chain brake handle gets in the way but never thought about taking it off, I'm assuming Bob u only took off the handle but left the rest of the brake assembly intact?

On the 076 the whole chain brake mechanism is in the clutch cover. I had to remove the clutch cover because the BIL mill bolts direct to the bar bolts.



Once the 076 clutch cover goes the chain brake handle is redundant.

On the 880 the brake is inboard and the clutch cover can be removed without affecting the brake. I haven't made the new clutch cover for the 880 + BIL mill setup, maybe next weekend.

THis could be your next mod... design build a lever/handle that was positioned off to the side of the engine and not in front as normal, better still would be a lever that u sqeezed to disengage brake that was part of a handgrip just like a motorbike clutch lever or front brake, this would need to be a push pull setup tho??? . . . . .

Yep - have already sketched a couple of ideas out but for another reason.

The brake handle on the 880 stays on, but the location of my Aux throttle and higher handles on my mill also means I can use the area of the top handle and brake handle as a physical leaning point during milling. Usually I lean on it with my left tknee on small logs or my hip with big logs. Back in Jan when I milling with Hud's 3120 Husky - (chain brake left on) a couple of times I leaned on the saw with my knee and ended up hitting the chain brake when the saw was WOT - not a good thing to be doing too often.

Because I will use the 880 99% of the time on the mill I was thinking of removing the brake handle and making a smaller stubbier brake handle that would only stick up from the side and not across the top. That way I would not hit the regular brake handle when leaning. However, the brake handle itself is integral with the brake mechanism, ie the end of the brake handle that is inside the brake mechanism is quite a complex beastie with a couple of cam lobes and bumps. I could probably make a stubby one out of ally, but the simplest solution is to cut down the existing handle to suit since I do not need the full chain brake handle for kickback purposes. That way I could still activate it when I move around a running mill but don't need to worry about it when I lean on the mill.

I will probably do this after I run the saw in. I want to run about 5 tank fulls of fuel through the saw in regular cross cutting mode before using it in the mill. What I also do in these situations is I will buy another regular brake handle and keep it as a spare in case I want to use the saw in its standard format.