Replies

1. 
   mudman | Dec 20, 2006 09:20pm | #1

   WOW. That was cool.

   Thanks for shareing.

   Pardon my spelling,

   Mike

   Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.

2. 
   JMartinsky | Dec 20, 2006 09:28pm | #2

   Very Cool

3. 
   SCMedLion | Dec 20, 2006 10:07pm | #3

   Really enjoyed that!

4. 
   frenchy | Dec 20, 2006 10:07pm | #4

   sharpblade,

        Thank you very much!

    I really enjoyed it, it took a long time to download, (over a half an hour (dial up) ) but certainly it was worth the wait..

   saw mills facinate me and a steam sawmill this size is something to really appreciate!

       My saw mill can only nibble at the sides of logs that diameter, much over 4 feet generates a lot of waste!

   It is also limited to 19 feet at max.   There is a sawmill in southern Minnesota capable of sawing a 46 inch wide board and if he cheats the carriage he can get around 22 feet, but 80 feet?  six foot diameter?

     Makes you in awe of logs that were hundreds of feet long and maybe ten feet or more in diameter of the old growth forests doesn't it? 

    

5. 
   dukeone | Dec 21, 2006 01:05am | #5

   Most interesting video, anyone know what those "things" are on the opposite side of the blade from the teeth? Could they be part of the drive mechanism for the blade? KDM 

   "... Buy the best and only cry once.........

1. 
   sharpblade | Dec 21, 2006 06:53am | #9

   >>> anyone know what those "things" are on the opposite side of the blade from the teeth? Could they be part of the drive mechanism for the blade?

   Interesting question, I wondered  about that too but my guess is that's another set of teeth, and in this particular case they are worn out.

   I don't think they are needed to drive the blade. Bandsaw blades are driven by friction between the wheel and the blade.  True for a tiny benchtop, and in the case of this monster even truer. The surface area between wheel and blade is large and the tension enormous.

   Another reason, if these teeth were for driving they would need to be in the opposite direction. You can pull the blade into the cut, buy hooking a sproket in the gulley of the tooth,  but you can't push it. Draw a picture of the blade around 2 wheels and think about it.

   Again, just a SWAG, anyone who can think of another one please say so.

   Glad you guys enjoyed this. I did too and I don't usualy get impressed too easily :-)

1. 
   sharpblade | Dec 21, 2006 03:04pm | #12

   As I mentioned, we're having a paralell discussion on BT. Here's a link to the restauration of the ship mentioned on the sawmill page.

   http://www.nps.gov/archive/safr/local/thayrest.html

   Other thread at http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=83104.8

   in which poster "junkhound" who visited a similar mill confirmed the teeth-on-both-sides theory.

    

2. 
   dukeone | Dec 21, 2006 04:40pm | #15

   S.B. I think you are correct about the blade. See Terry Lee's post a few down from your's.  KDM"... Buy the best and only cry once.........

3. 
   ptu | Dec 21, 2006 06:55pm | #16

   Looks to me that the blade is double edged, the other side is wore down and need sharpening.

2. 
   terrylee86 | Dec 21, 2006 03:52pm | #13

   Duke,

   If it is like the commercial bandmill down the road from my farm, the blade cuts in both directions.  A friend of mine knows the sawyer and we visited the mill.  The carriage goes back and forth cutting in both directions.

6. 
   miller | Dec 21, 2006 01:36am | #6

   Thank you for the interesting post.  I really enjoyed it.

1. 
   user-237845 | Dec 21, 2006 01:48am | #7

   Has to re-sharpen the BS blade every 2 hours - WOW!

7. 
   bww_maryland | Dec 21, 2006 06:08am | #8

   thanks for sharing, an enjoyable read.

8. 
   ring | Dec 21, 2006 08:48am | #10

   Thanks for posting that link.

   David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

9. 
   polarsea1 | Dec 21, 2006 09:22am | #11

   I live about 10 miles from that mill. Besides having that big bandmill they run the whole place with steam.

10. 
    terrylee86 | Dec 21, 2006 03:54pm | #14

    I think that was a great post.  Capturing history of our hobby is pretty cool.  Thanks for the effort.