Bandsaw Mill advice - Trakmet or other?

[Mark armstrong]

Aye a seen that mate I have a load of elm there but all 2" so won't need resawn that it's just oak and spalted beech I would of been cutting agen lately because a coustomer who dose van conversions only wanted 18mm tops was a shame wasting over 2" of 27 year air dried stuff plus if a could manage to mill my own logs tiny amount would save paying someone 450 a day if a get the mill I will get a forklift and a little tent kiln saves messing about with shipping am not the brightest when it comes to all that crap get stressed easy so everything I need in 1 place is what am thinking 

[trigger_andy]

Hi Mark 
I put a post up ref resawing elm a few days ago. I was doing pretty much what you are describing as a favour for a mate and to be honest we would have been just as quick to set up the router sled. Firstly it was killing the blades big time and secondly at max width the blade which was a brand new one correctly tensioned was deviating up and down in the cut, not by much but a few mm so enough to need remedial work with the router if you are after a totally flat piece. Admittedly that was only 1 piece of Elm which has been drying for about 4 years but maybe something worth thinking of. 

Ive resawn Two to three year oak on my Mill without a problem. I did tighten the band past the optimum setting though. Cut nice.

[topchippyles]

8 hours ago, Mark armstrong said:

Aye a seen that mate I have a load of elm there but all 2" so won't need resawn that it's just oak and spalted beech I would of been cutting agen lately because a coustomer who dose van conversions only wanted 18mm tops was a shame wasting over 2" of 27 year air dried stuff plus if a could manage to mill my own logs tiny amount would save paying someone 450 a day if a get the mill I will get a forklift and a little tent kiln saves messing about with shipping am not the brightest when it comes to all that crap get stressed easy so everything I need in 1 place is what am thinking 

How big is the stuff you intend on milling mark ? How wide and thick 

[Mark armstrong]

Anything around a MTR wide and a mix of 2" and 3" but would resaw the 3" in half for the van conversion coustomer and finish with the router and if anyone else wanted skinny tables etc just a waste of good wood when it's a pile of shavings lads in the allotments love it for there hens but it's no good for me

[topchippyles]

6 hours ago, Mark armstrong said:

Anything around a MTR wide and a mix of 2" and 3" but would resaw the 3" in half for the van conversion coustomer and finish with the router and if anyone else wanted skinny tables etc just a waste of good wood when it's a pile of shavings lads in the allotments love it for there hens but it's no good for me

Have you thought about a chainsaw mill setup like roughy uses.You do not seem to be looking  at milling volume and would you get the use out a big mill ? Plenty of options to think on.

Edited November 9, 2020 by topchippyles

[Mark armstrong]

Thought about it and thought about all the extra codine I would need to eat then never thought about it agen mate my back pain wakes is up a few times every night so something that dose the work for me is what I need mate it might work out a just buy a lorry load of logs mill them then not use the mill for a few MTH but least it's there if a do need it to resaw something or buy a log a can't resist lol as little wear and tear on my body is what a need mate lol 

[topchippyles]

2 minutes ago, Mark armstrong said:

Thought about it and thought about all the extra codine I would need to eat then never thought about it agen mate my back pain wakes is up a few times every night so something that dose the work for me is what I need mate it might work out a just buy a lorry load of logs mill them then not use the mill for a few MTH but least it's there if a do need it to resaw something or buy a log a can't resist lol as little wear and tear on my body is what a need mate lol 

I totally get that mark 1 million percent.Its not easy to get a selected load of mixed logs in from the big operators so i wheal and deal and go part load with a couple of bigger buyers.Chris pearce who is the woodlands dealer buys in 25 ton so do a deal on the next load and i take a third which is plenty for me. Looking at a big batch of larch in the new year 

[Jamespepperpot]

On 09/11/2020 at 10:28, Mark armstrong said:

Aye a seen that mate I have a load of elm there but all 2" so won't need resawn that it's just oak and spalted beech I would of been cutting agen lately because a coustomer who dose van conversions only wanted 18mm tops was a shame wasting over 2" of 27 year air dried stuff plus if a could manage to mill my own logs tiny amount would save paying someone 450 a day if a get the mill I will get a forklift and a little tent kiln saves messing about with shipping am not the brightest when it comes to all that crap get stressed easy so everything I need in 1 place is what am thinking 

I did a 2 day resawwing job for a joiner at the Chatham dockyards. He had a load of 80cm+- wide elm boards cut in the 90s that he wanted flattened and squared up. Its fine to do on a bandsaw but you need to use a lot of water and keep the feed speed right. A lot easier when you have electric feed. I used 4 standard woodmizer blades over the two days.

 

The problem is a lot of mill manufacturers are producing mills with large cutting capacities but with motors and components that aren't really up for milling max capacity all the time. A Woodlands hm130 claims a cutting capacity of 30 inches but has a 14hp engine whereas a woodmizer lt40 has a 28 inch capacity but uses either a 26hp petrol or a 35hp diesel engine. I have used Woodlands hm122, a lt40 and a lt20 so can only compare these bandsaw mills

Edited November 10, 2020 by Jamespepperpot

[topchippyles]

Oak porch i milled and built 4 years ago but i know nothing.All oak beams in photo came from the same tree.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2020 by topchippyles

[trigger_andy]

4 hours ago, Jamespepperpot said:

A Woodlands hm130 claims a cutting capacity of 30 inches but has a 14hp engine whereas a woodmizer lt40 has a 28 inch capacity but uses either a 26hp petrol or a 35hp diesel engine.

Maybe the HM130 max can cut a width of 30" but a HM130 can handle a 30" log but I think the Cant is 24" or under? The Logosol equivalent recommends the bigger Engine option if maxing out the Mill regularly with Hardwood which is 18hp. But if Im honest with the 14hp engine and Ripper Blades the 14hp does not really struggle till the Blade is dull altjhough I keep an eye out for the 18hp engine on ebay.