This video is aging really well, which is a credit to your filming and editing skills, as well as your creativity in putting together the mill. I'm watching in August, 2024 - five years after the original post. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Yes! I echo all the other very complimentary comments! In addition to your natural ability to problem solve, your communication skills are top drawer! Much appreciated as always.
As a computer programmer and someone who has been following your work very closely for a while now, this is amazing stuff and a huge eye opener for my eventual saw mill. Ignore anyone saying you need an arduino. Results are more important than implementation, but, honestly, has anyone implemented a better mill? The results here stand alone. I mean, maybe your mill is super shitty and there's some ardunio-powered godsend mill out there. If there is, no one has bothered posting half as good a mill on youtube as this. Also, not to be mean to my peers, but how many people who code for a living are building mills? Oh, also your editing has improved tenfold over the past year. I love your weird late 70s references; and I was born in the late 80s and only know them second hand. What I am saying is more Atari. You're basically my cool uncle.
Stephen Post Thank you Stephen! I have to say your comment is in my top ten favorite comments I have ever gotten since I have been posting videos on CZcams. I really appreciate it! I’m happy to here your planning on building a mill, I’m sure your going to really enjoy having one, as you probably know my mill started out fairly basic and over the past few years I have added things to make it more efficient and nicer to use. When you get building feel free to ask questions or share your design and ideas with me, I would be happy to help. I’m glad to here that my editing is getting noticeably better, I add funny things from stuff I remember back when I was growing up, I think it helps break up the straight to the point info I’m trying to share with others, making these videos I find it a little hard to share all the info I learn on a project and try to convey it in video and words as I build it and do it in a timely fashion. Take care and thanks again for your awesome comment! Your cool uncle :) Haha!
JimInSequim Haha Jim! Thanks for checking out my video :) Ps I need to come see you guys one of these days, it’s been Way to long, say hi to the family for me!
Living in a Vancouver suburban setting i would watch the things you build and be inspired, I have recently bought 5 acres and your saw mill videos and neat ideas have inspired me to build my own saw mill finally, thank you for the amazing ideas, just bought the blades and am about to start my project. Great job on thinking outside the box and creating awesome things from basic stuff lying around.
Jake Classen Thanks Jake!!! That’s great news you got some land! I’m happy you are inspired by watching my videos, that’s been one of the biggest reasons I wanted to posted my first mill video and continue to post videos, I try to share what I learn with others to encourage people to build things and share ideas. Keep me in the loop on your mill build, I would love to see how it comes along! Are you going to post any videos? If so let me know and I will subscribe so I can see your updates on it. Ps we don’t live that far apart, I’m down in Washington on the Olympic peninsula :) take care and I really appreciate your nice comments, it’s always good to here that others are interested and inspired by my videos, Thanks and take care.
Yes i should take videos of the project and i will let you know when i post my first one, I visit the olympic peninsula often for scuba diving and such, amazing place to live. Im excited to share my mill progress.
Thank you Mike for the information and you gave me ideas for my home built mill. Here is an idea, I plan to put an either or switch a double Pole single throw on the control panel to switch from height set to power feed where the two actions can't be activated at the same time. Another idea is to put two reastats one forward and one for reverse so the button don't have to be turned as much.
Oops I hit the send button prematurely. so I also plan to put a momentary double throw double pole switch for a fine movement control up or down. I'm not fond of pushing two buttons at the same time.
Mike, could you post a list of components like you did with the power feed? That was a big help before. You outdid yourself on this one, Mike. Just when I thought your mill wasn't improveable, you do this. Smh...awesome, Mike
Dennis C Thanks for checking out my new mill video! I will get a list together and put it in the description on this video of the parts I used, stuff like the PWM controller, I will mention what to look for but a lot of this stuff comes and goes on EBay and Amazon, so I will put up the search words that you can use to check both sites to find them, it will get you in the ball park for what you will need, I will try and add that in the next few days so check back. I appreciate your suggestion, I will make a point to add that stuff in the future videos for better info. Thanks again for your nice comments and for watching :)
Thank you Tim :) I appreciate your nice comment! Yes it’s been a fun and rewarding project to build. I have a few more useful things to add to my mill this spring. Thanks for checking out my video.
This a fantastic mod and so much simpler than my own mill. I fitted acme threads with a chain drive and a wheelchair motor to run it but I wish I had gone for this setup. quicker, easier, cheaper and far more effective. Thanks for posting.
Thanks! There’s a lot of ways to work out the lift of a mill head, I’m sure yours works fine too, I had thought about a similar design like yours when I first built my mill years ago but I was on a budget and the the winch and cable was simple and cheap and it’s worked out good. Mine is quite accurate but I’m positive yours is even more being acme threads. Thanks for checking out my mill. Ps do you have a video posted of your mill? If so I would like to see it!
Sadly no video posted although I do have some video. The advantage was the consistent drop of the thread so you could do repetitive cuts with a pulse timer rather than a gauge. It was built onto a caravan chassis so fully mobile and good for 5.5m by 0.9m diameter. I have now sold it and used the money to buy a wrecked woodmizer LT40H Diesel. I will go for the winch if I build another one. Many thanks for taking the time to post really interesting and helpful videos.
Mike, I've been binging on a bunch of your videos. Wow! Thanks for explaining in detail and keeping everything simple.You're really encouraging me to build a sawmill... and all manner of other stuff!
Right on! I really appreciate reading your comment! I enjoy milling my own lumber and I think you will too :) keep me in the loop on your mill project! Take care
Very clever, I have been wondering about how to implement a simple up/down with height control. This looks like genius to me. Thanks for sharing. The simplest solution is always the best.
Thanks for checking out my mill video! I appreciate your nice comment :) It definitely helps speed up milling and makes my mill closer to being a more efficient. If you have not yet I would really recommend a power feed for your mill, it was a game changer for my mill. I have a two part video on how I built one. I would suggest using wheel chair DC motors there 24 volt but I believe they would run on 12V, they can be bought on Ebay for cheap. Take care Paul.
Mike, I had kind of given up on having a bandsaw mill, but you have inspired me to give it another go. Money is the main obstacle, my painful divorce last year cost me a million dollars, but it was not the money that was painful. So I am beginning again, searching for what I have that can work, keeping it as simple as possible. I watched all your videos, and you have really given good advice. And I love your power feed too. Way better than what I was thinking about. BTW, I work as an engineer in Product Development at Boeing. And you have taught me a lot! I hope you find that encouraging. I'll let you know what transpires with the mill. Regards, Paul
Thanks for your comments Paul! I really appreciate hearing that I'm helping inspire you! I always love to hear that from people, It's been my main goal with youtube to post videos showing what I have learned and to sharing it with others that may get inspired to go build things too. Keep in mind I build my mill for about $350, that of course was just the basic mill before all the simple upgrades I have done, But It's completely possible to build one on a budget. I'm sorry to hear about your divorce, I know the pain, I spent 10 years of my life with a girl to find one day she was leaving to be with someone else, It was tough but it gets easier over time :) I took a few years off from projects and spent a lot of time hiking, that helped a lot. A few years went by then I decided I always wanted a mill, so I set out to build one. I really never operated one before or knew how to run one but I set out to try to build it, and guess what? I pulled it off!!! I think that's why I wanted to post the video Of building it to motivate others and show it can be done. One of the biggest things that got me through the build was not to over complicate it, I tried to keep it simple, not cut corners at least most corners but just keep it simple and keep moving on with the build, when ever I got an Idea I would draw out a simple sketch and make a few notes, then when I got more time I would come back to the sketch and work out the details. I would really like to be informed of how your mill comes along! Paul you telling me that I have taught you a lot means a lot to me! I really appreciate it, I do find that to be encouraging! Take care Paul :)
Great job Mike! I believe hard wired switches and push buttons will give you much more dependable service than computer/stepper motors especially in that environment. If a switch or button goes bad it is really easy to troubleshoot. Awesome job 👍
Chuck Holton Thanks Chuck! As you know simple is best and much easier to figure out when something stops working, I appreciate your comment. Take care :)
Way to go. KISS. Keep it Simple Sir. Nice execution and explanation. I’m preparing to start my bandsaw mill soon to replace the chainsaw mill I built and I’ve scavenged the hydraulics from a walk behind mower so I’m going that route for the power feed and height adjustment Thanks for the videos
Papa Steve That’s great your building a bandsaw mill! If you make a video of your build, let me know I would like to see it. Do you have a video of your chainsaw mill? Thanks for checking out my newest upgrade on my mill!
Good idea for sure... i was thinking about how to add one on my ongoing mill project and i like the simplicity of your idea...i like the second part , i'm on the "forestry Forum" where many homemade mills builders chat about stuff like this... if you had several flat bars(or ruler) with notches on them bolted together (as you mentioned) and all you had to do would be to make a bracket that you could slide your micro switch horizontally to whatever bar you desired for thickness you wanted either manually or electrically somehow ...this way you only need one micro switch.
thank you, that was great! among the many parts I enjoyed were the explanation of the wiring diagram, how the switches work, and also the part at the end addressing stepper motors. great stuff, thank you!
I have worked in factories all my life and there is an amazing amount of simple tech out there with limit switches though I never was a mechanic at work. I'm collecting parts for my mill now and like you I will go the mechanical route first. I will use lawn mower parts possibly and a 158" blade, mine will be wood and metal.
Thinking on setting the thickness of cut, when I was a kid, the leaders of the cubscout pack had made a pinewood derby track that used optical switches to identify the winning car. A car passing through one of these switches would interrupt a timer for the lane. The system was non-contact which worked well for that application. The switch was normally-closed, and the car passing between the transmitter and receiver interrupted it similarly to how a garage door safety sensor works, triggering it when it opened. Depending on how much stuff is flying through the air while operating this saw, you might be able to do something where you have an optical switch, normally-open, and when it closes, it activates the circuit to stop the motor. If you don't need a huge number of heights, you could take either rulers like you're already accustomed to, or even just plain stock and cut slots corresponding to whatever depths to make your own linear optical encoders, and change them out as you need those depths. This would save wear and tear on the switch and on the encoder. Worst case you could have a machine shop make various encoders for you, bring them some metal stock, tell them you want slots cut at particular intervals of a particular width. Granted this may be overthinking it, and for all I know the sawdust and outdoor environment would make this idea ill-suited.
TWX1138 Hey thanks for your comments! I actually thought of using a photo eye like you mentioned, my friend Dave even had one for me to use, I don’t think the dust would be a problem where I have my switch, I work on big CNC belt sanders at my work and they all use a photo eye system to track the belt to keep them on the roller wheels, the sensors are inside the main cabinet with dust flying around and only seldom do they stop doing there job because of dust buildup in front of them. I may go that route in the future but it will take a little bit more to adapt it to my PWM controller. My friend Dave and I own a CNC plasma cutter so I should be able to get the slits cut perfectly on some flat bar stock. Right now I’m just going to stick with the limit switch system, time will tell how they hold up, but this one is still working good after a month of using it, they come in packs of 10 for $6.99 so they are a bargain and easy to replace. Thanks for your comments and maybe I will go that way in the future and make a video of it. :) Take care
Good one Mike you believe in the kiss principle and I like what you do . And you do it on the cheap . I like your basic engineering skills and use of old parts. In this day of buying it off the shelf it is good to see you look at making it and the joy of it . Good on you for having a go.
Ive always wondered how you handled the wheel tracking Mike. I'm making my own pretty much based on your model but using whatever bits and pieces i can get for little to nothing but just right now understanding how that tracking works has got me stumped. Thanks for your videos btw they have been very inspiring and shows what can be done with spare parts and a little bit of ingenuity, the old timers would be proud!
Thanks for checking out my video! I will be posting a sawmill video in a few days and I talk a bit about the tracking in this video and show some shots of the tracking adjustments, I hope this will help you out. I'm glad you find my videos to be inspiring! Thank you :)
Thank you, I have been having a hard time trying to get my auto feed going on my mill and you just gave me the answer and I love the idea of auto set works I will be putting this on my mill thank you again Love it I am a seventies type of guy LOL I understand this better than trying to set the time on my truck radio LOL
Hey Larry I’m glad you got some info from this video! Just to let you know I’m going to post a video soon just about PW controllers and how to wire up limit switches to them, so if that’s something your interested in keep an eye out for that. I also made a two part video a while back on building a power feed for my mill and I used the same controller on that job too. The video I’m posting soon will also have links to Amazon to buy the switches and PWC I used. I hope that helps. Ps I have been watching some of your other mill videos and I really like your mill, you did a great job! Take care
Thanks for sharing my video! The micro switches I used on the height scale are not sealed to keep out water, it’s has been on my mill for about 5 month without any problems but my mill is parked under a roof when not in use. The other bigger blue limit switches I have been running on the power feed may have claim to be water proof but I think there probably wether resident? The front limit switch for my power feed is exposed to rain even when the mill is not in use, it’s been on there for a few years and is still working, the switches are cheap so I usually buy a few spares to have on hand. I hope this info helps. Take care :)
Another awesome addition to the mill, I like the simple design. The toggle switch idea would be slick, if it would all stay in adjustment. Keep up the great work. The bad thing is I now want both power options on my mill. Thanks for the inspiration, as I've used a lot of your ideas when building my mill.
Great video and great and simple idea👍. The Only downside i can think of is maybe a small hazle with changing the dimensions. Like from 1/2" to say 3/4 due to the short throw of the microswitch. I think i would make a track for the rulers and adjust it. Then use neodymium magnets to hold the aluminium or plastic or even wooden rulers. Thst way i can change the rulers in a matter of seconds. Anyways, This is an excellent idea and I'm very impressed of the simplicity and lack of elaborate electronics. 😀👍👍👍👍
Hey Mike, Firstly your channel has become awesome. I don't even do any metal fab stuff really but I stumbled across it a while ago and I absolutely love it. Even though I don't make stuff in the same vein as your stuff, it's good to see other people's problem solving and such, gives an insight into how to solve my own problems from another angle. I think your channel is right on the verge of totally blowing up dude. I've been loving just relaxing and watching your artic dump truck build, your video editing has improved massively since your earlier vids and they are a joy to watch now! Especially like the intermissions to jump on the drums and the lovely relaxing beats youve put in the background of the rest of the vids. I dont see you getting many comments about it but trust me it's appreciated even if people forget to tell you. I think the vids showing what you're up to like the "day in the life of a quad truck" vid are great for a break from learning now and again too man. That was a super relaxing vid to watch while were on lockdown, it was nice to be along with you for the ride while you got some work done and the next day I woke up in the mood to make stuff. Youre probably sick of hearing about arduinos but they're definitely a good thing to have in your toolkit. I was also like you and didn't think I could code etc etc etc until i happened to need one for a project, then I was fortunate enough to stumble on a tutorial series on youtube that was AMAZING. It's really basic and takes you through things step by step and after maybe 4 hours of learning, I know everything I need for all of my projects to date pretty much. The series I watched was the "programming electronics academy arduino for absolute beginners" course. Since then i've used them for a bunch of stuff and it's been super easy. Just wanted to give something back since i've learnt a lot from your vids. Keep doing what you're doing dude and feel free to reach out if you want help with that. Take it easy dude
Thank you Tad I really appreciate that you took the time to write this 🙂 getting to know people like your self really is what keeps me motivated in creating videos! I have been having fun learning how to make better videos over the years and I’m glad you have been noticing. Thanks for suggesting the Arduino videos, I will definitely look them up, I also appreciate the offer if I needed any help! Thank you!!!
Ants Pants Thanks for checking it out! How’s your mill coming along after you moved it and extended the track? You have a really good milling capacity now! I have all the parts to extend my track another 2.5 meters, I just need to do it one of these days. Take care.
Thanks Roy! I definitely recommend building one, I have had a lot of fun building and improving my mill. As you know there’s a lot of great homemade mills out there, and there’s a lot of different ways to build one. I did another video on tips and tricks on building a mill here’s a link to the video czcams.com/video/Zi_Lm6HebF8/video.html If you have any questions along your build I would be happy to help, so feel free to ask :) Take care
Need a exact list printed of electric 12 volt components. Would like to cut different size cants as well as boards without changing rulers best I've seen to raise and lower saw head simple and parts easy to get if you need them awesome
I have another idea for you. You can also put another ruler there in front of the one you have there and make it 1 1/2” and put another switch on it but put a toggle switch in your panel to switch from boards to 2x4 from one ruler to the other
Great job! Well done! Simple and easy to install and repair. I have two questions. One is what kind of cord/wire did you use from control box to the winch and limit switch? Or is it a standard wire in some kind of flex conduit? Next Q&A: After you make a detent scale what are you zeroing it with? The lowest blade setting?
Hi Nick Thanks for checking out my video! To answer your questions about the wire, I just used larger gauge wire for the winch I can't remember the size maybe 10 gauge??? and I just used smaller regular automotive wire, maybe 18 gauge? for the switch. To answer your other question, I made the lowest detent on the scale be the lowest point my saw will lower down to and cut, about 1" over the log bunks. I made the switch adjustable so you can zero it, so when you have a cant to cut you can lower the blade down to rest on the cant then zero the switch by adjusting it to the center of the nearest detents then from there all your boards will be the exact height of the scale you have on. PS you don't need to used a actual ruler I think a 3/16" or 1/4" wide aluminum flat bar would even be better because the ruler is real thin and you need to make sure your ruler and switch are completely in line when the mill head goes up and down, a wider piece of flat bar would be easier for this. well I hope this helps Take care
Liked your idea after watching your videos I am inspired to build one also. I was thinking About using all threads to raise and lower and trying a timer for different thickness Just a idea if not I will try to Setup with switches
I definitely recommend a power feed, if I had to build one again I would buy a wheelchair motor used off of eBay. I did a two part video on building my power feed, I also posted a video about Pulse width controllers and how to wire them up, check those videos out if you get time. Take care
Peter Hughes Thanks! I’m glad you enjoy my videos 🙂 I started this channel with my original sawmill build video about 4 years ago, since then I have posted a lot of videos, some sawmill vids and others of different projects, I’m excited that my channel has almost 10,000 subscribers now! One thing that’s to bad is I think only a small portion of my subscribers are interested in sawmill videos? So I’m always happy to have people like you Peter that are really interested in my sawmill vids! Thanks 🙂 Like I said in my power feed video, I would love to see your mill sometime! Take care and hello from the Pacific Northwest!
Oh man. What clever thinking, did you ever implement that toggle switch idea with 5 rulers? I would love to see that in action! How do those limit switches hold up in the elements? I appreciate you taking the time to explain every aspect of your ideas, including the wiring schematics. Really good stuff on this channel man!
Thanks Dustin 🙂 I thought this video never really got the views It should have, I figured this idea could have be applied to many mills but hey at least It’s out there for people like yourself that enjoyed it! Take care
I found Arduino code for mill automation on one of the timber framing forums so there is no need to write the code from scratch. However I would need Arduino board, moisture-proof enclosure to protect the delicate electronics from the elements, a circuit to provide clean power to Arduino, a decent size stepper motor, a stepper driver and a new lead screw and limit switches. Naaah… your design is much better. The only justification for computer control of the mill would be automating the entire operation ( move the head forward, return, drop down, repeat until log is cut).
Mike Festiva , the pulse controller boxes I found on eBay were totally diff than yours . Would u have a list of all the electronics and where u purchased them from so I have a starting point ? TIA
That's a pretty cool idea but it would bug me to death having to hit two buttons to get it to go down. I would try for just one switch. your second idea of toggles for certain drops has a lot of potential. Have you thought of using tarp switches instead of toggles? there pretty heavy duty and last a long time. I run them on my bucket system i built for my mule.
I will have to check out those switches. As you probably already know I added the extra button for safety, it doesn’t need to be on there but I felt the need to add it just to make it as safe as I could so it would never try and lower when I was in the middle of a cut. Maybe it would bother you but I don’t give it a second thought when running it. It becomes not even a thought and flows with part of milling.
Hey mike I would like to do the same that you did, I have a quick question for you on the factory swicth that comes with pwm what Color wire did you use for your up and down, I have black, red and yellow wire to the factory switch, thanks
I’ve tried using a small Harbor Freight winch to raise and lower my mill head, but the problem I ran into is that the winch would continue to move, or coast to a stop, after I release the power which made it nearly impossible to hit my height mark. How did you overcome this issue? Does the variable speed controller fix that problem?
I have tried using a winch in place of the hand crank on my sawmill, but the problem I ran into is that the winch would coast to a stop, which prevented me from hitting the exact height I need for each cut. I was just using the stock on/off switch. I like your notched ruler and switch idea, but how did you overcome the "coasting" effect these small winches have when they stop? Does the variable speed controller prevent it from coasting to a stop?
Hey David I have not ran into the coasting problem you mentioned, I think it’s probably because I only run the winch at half to one third speed, I think running them slowly makes them less likely to spool down to a stop like you encounter. Take care
@@Mikefestiva Thanks so much for the reply! I'm going to give it a shot again with the speed controller this time. Thanks for posting the videos. Very helpful!
David Slocum David Slocum Right on David, I think there’s some links in the description to the pulse width controller I used on this project, I hope it workout good for you!
To get different board thickness why not just make several rulers with notches set at different distances and change them out as needed? it would be more simple than the wiring and less prone to problems in the long run.
peerless-d6r Yes that’s exactly what I’m doing in this video. I just talked about making a stack of notched rulers and a switch bank as a possible idea for a future project. Thanks for checking out my channel 👍
This video is aging really well, which is a credit to your filming and editing skills, as well as your creativity in putting together the mill. I'm watching in August, 2024 - five years after the original post. Thank you for sharing your experience!
YES I AGREE !! ESPECIALLY when you come back for the next cut, you're not staring at ruler to line up for the next cut !! EXCELLENT MOD !!
Yes! I echo all the other very complimentary comments! In addition to your natural ability to problem solve, your communication skills are top drawer! Much appreciated as always.
Thanks Brad!
You Got it right Simple is The Best way And the Lowest cost, and Easy to Fix. Well done.
As a computer programmer and someone who has been following your work very closely for a while now, this is amazing stuff and a huge eye opener for my eventual saw mill. Ignore anyone saying you need an arduino. Results are more important than implementation, but, honestly, has anyone implemented a better mill? The results here stand alone. I mean, maybe your mill is super shitty and there's some ardunio-powered godsend mill out there. If there is, no one has bothered posting half as good a mill on youtube as this. Also, not to be mean to my peers, but how many people who code for a living are building mills?
Oh, also your editing has improved tenfold over the past year. I love your weird late 70s references; and I was born in the late 80s and only know them second hand. What I am saying is more Atari. You're basically my cool uncle.
Stephen Post Thank you Stephen! I have to say your comment is in my top ten favorite comments I have ever gotten since I have been posting videos on CZcams.
I really appreciate it!
I’m happy to here your planning on building a mill, I’m sure your going to really enjoy having one, as you probably know my mill started out fairly basic and over the past few years I have added things to make it more efficient and nicer to use. When you get building feel free to ask questions or share your design and ideas with me, I would be happy to help.
I’m glad to here that my editing is getting noticeably better, I add funny things from stuff I remember back when I was growing up, I think it helps break up the straight to the point info I’m trying to share with others, making these videos I find it a little hard to share all the info I learn on a project and try to convey it in video and words as I build it and do it in a timely fashion.
Take care and thanks again for your awesome comment! Your cool uncle :) Haha!
That's brilliant! Our mill was just a lever so you had to remember where you started and do the curf math. Always thinking you are
Really good idea with the limit switch, simplest cleanest powered height adjustment I've seen on a home made bandsaw.
Turbo Conquering Mega Eagle Thanks I appreciate your nice comment! It’s simple and really speeds up milling. Take care :)
Cool stuff, Michael! I was built with '60s technology and I'm still going! LOL!
JimInSequim Haha Jim! Thanks for checking out my video :) Ps I need to come see you guys one of these days, it’s been Way to long, say hi to the family for me!
Mike festiva Yes! You are always welcome to stop by!
Loved your presentation this old man enjoyed learning what else I can to with a manual mill. Tnx
El Dorado Woodcraft hobbies Right on! I’m happy you enjoyed this video.
Thanks for watching!
Living in a Vancouver suburban setting i would watch the things you build and be inspired, I have recently bought 5 acres and your saw mill videos and neat ideas have inspired me to build my own saw mill finally, thank you for the amazing ideas, just bought the blades and am about to start my project. Great job on thinking outside the box and creating awesome things from basic stuff lying around.
Jake Classen Thanks Jake!!!
That’s great news you got some land! I’m happy you are inspired by watching my videos, that’s been one of the biggest reasons I wanted to posted my first mill video and continue to post videos, I try to share what I learn with others to encourage people to build things and share ideas.
Keep me in the loop on your mill build, I would love to see how it comes along! Are you going to post any videos? If so let me know and I will subscribe so I can see your updates on it. Ps we don’t live that far apart, I’m down in Washington on the Olympic peninsula :) take care and I really appreciate your nice comments, it’s always good to here that others are interested and inspired by my videos, Thanks and take care.
Yes i should take videos of the project and i will let you know when i post my first one, I visit the olympic peninsula often for scuba diving and such, amazing place to live. Im excited to share my mill progress.
Jake Classen I’m looking forward to your mill project!
Definitely let me know when you post a video of your progress. Take care :)
Excellent walk before you run.
Thank you Mike for the information and you gave me ideas for my home built mill.
Here is an idea, I plan to put an either or switch a double Pole single throw on the control panel to switch from height set to power feed where the two actions can't be activated at the same time.
Another idea is to put two reastats one forward and one for reverse so the button don't have to be turned as much.
Oops I hit the send button prematurely. so I also plan to put a momentary double throw double pole switch for a fine movement control up or down. I'm not fond of pushing two buttons at the same time.
Thanks for sharing mate, good job! I really like your approach to the detent stops, it’s simple and often times simple is better, more resilient. ❤
Mike, could you post a list of components like you did with the power feed? That was a big help before.
You outdid yourself on this one, Mike. Just when I thought your mill wasn't improveable, you do this. Smh...awesome, Mike
Dennis C Thanks for checking out my new mill video!
I will get a list together and put it in the description on this video of the parts I used, stuff like the PWM controller, I will mention what to look for but a lot of this stuff comes and goes on EBay and Amazon, so I will put up the search words that you can use to check both sites to find them, it will get you in the ball park for what you will need, I will try and add that in the next few days so check back. I appreciate your suggestion, I will make a point to add that stuff in the future videos for better info. Thanks again for your nice comments and for watching :)
Excellent execution, amazed at the features of your mill.
Thank you Tim :) I appreciate your nice comment! Yes it’s been a fun and rewarding project to build. I have a few more useful things to add to my mill this spring. Thanks for checking out my video.
This a fantastic mod and so much simpler than my own mill. I fitted acme threads with a chain drive and a wheelchair motor to run it but I wish I had gone for this setup. quicker, easier, cheaper and far more effective. Thanks for posting.
Thanks! There’s a lot of ways to work out the lift of a mill head, I’m sure yours works fine too, I had thought about a similar design like yours when I first built my mill years ago but I was on a budget and the the winch and cable was simple and cheap and it’s worked out good. Mine is quite accurate but I’m positive yours is even more being acme threads. Thanks for checking out my mill. Ps do you have a video posted of your mill? If so I would like to see it!
Sadly no video posted although I do have some video. The advantage was the consistent drop of the thread so you could do repetitive cuts with a pulse timer rather than a gauge. It was built onto a caravan chassis so fully mobile and good for 5.5m by 0.9m diameter. I have now sold it and used the money to buy a wrecked woodmizer LT40H Diesel. I will go for the winch if I build another one. Many thanks for taking the time to post really interesting and helpful videos.
Sweet. Love seeing videos of folks making something with what they have. God Bless!
Thanks for your nice comment Bob! I appreciate it :)
that works great, thanks for taking the time to make a video to show the progression of your mill
david helgeson Thanks Dave!
We need to get those logs up to my place so I can mill them for you soon.
Fantastically simple but huge improvement to cable height adjusted mills.
Thanks for checking out my mill video 🙂
Awesome build and modifications. You have taken the home made saw mill to a whole new level. Kudos to you sir.
Nice simply setworks!
Lucky4wd4840 Thanks for checking out my video!
Mike, I've been binging on a bunch of your videos. Wow! Thanks for explaining in detail and keeping everything simple.You're really encouraging me to build a sawmill... and all manner of other stuff!
Right on! I really appreciate reading your comment! I enjoy milling my own lumber and I think you will too :) keep me in the loop on your mill project! Take care
Very clever, I have been wondering about how to implement a simple up/down with height control. This looks like genius to me. Thanks for sharing. The simplest solution is always the best.
Thanks for checking out my mill video! I appreciate your nice comment :)
It definitely helps speed up milling and makes my mill closer to being a more efficient. If you have not yet I would really recommend a power feed for your mill, it was a game changer for my mill. I have a two part video on how I built one.
I would suggest using wheel chair DC motors there 24 volt but I believe they would run on 12V, they can be bought on Ebay for cheap. Take care Paul.
Mike, I had kind of given up on having a bandsaw mill, but you have inspired me to give it another go. Money is the main obstacle, my painful divorce last year cost me a million dollars, but it was not the money that was painful. So I am beginning again, searching for what I have that can work, keeping it as simple as possible. I watched all your videos, and you have really given good advice. And I love your power feed too. Way better than what I was thinking about. BTW, I work as an engineer in Product Development at Boeing. And you have taught me a lot! I hope you find that encouraging. I'll let you know what transpires with the mill.
Regards,
Paul
Thanks for your comments Paul! I really appreciate hearing that I'm helping inspire you! I always love to hear that from people, It's been my main goal with youtube to post videos showing what I have learned and to sharing it with others that may get inspired to go build things too. Keep in mind I build my mill for about $350, that of course was just the basic mill before all the simple upgrades I have done, But It's completely possible to build one on a budget.
I'm sorry to hear about your divorce, I know the pain, I spent 10 years of my life with a girl to find one day she was leaving to be with someone else, It was tough but it gets easier over time :) I took a few years off from projects and spent a lot of time hiking, that helped a lot.
A few years went by then I decided I always wanted a mill, so I set out to build one.
I really never operated one before or knew how to run one but I set out to try to build it, and guess what? I pulled it off!!!
I think that's why I wanted to post the video Of building it to motivate others and show it can be done.
One of the biggest things that got me through the build was not to over complicate it, I tried to keep it simple, not cut corners at least most corners but just keep it simple and keep moving on with the build, when ever I got an Idea I would draw out a simple sketch and make a few notes, then when I got more time I would come back to the sketch and work out the details.
I would really like to be informed of how your mill comes along!
Paul you telling me that I have taught you a lot means a lot to me! I really appreciate it, I do find that to be encouraging!
Take care Paul :)
Great job Mike! I believe hard wired switches and push buttons will give you much more dependable service than computer/stepper motors especially in that environment. If a switch or button goes bad it is really easy to troubleshoot. Awesome job 👍
Chuck Holton Thanks Chuck! As you know simple is best and much easier to figure out when something stops working, I appreciate your comment. Take care :)
Awesome. I love the Simplicity of it that thing looks like it cuts awesome too. Nice work Mike thanks for the videos
I appreciate it Brian 👍
Way to go. KISS. Keep it Simple Sir.
Nice execution and explanation. I’m preparing to start my bandsaw mill soon to replace the chainsaw mill I built and I’ve scavenged the hydraulics from a walk behind mower so I’m going that route for the power feed and height adjustment
Thanks for the videos
Papa Steve That’s great your building a bandsaw mill!
If you make a video of your build, let me know I would like to see it. Do you have a video of your chainsaw mill?
Thanks for checking out my newest upgrade on my mill!
Good idea for sure... i was thinking about how to add one on my ongoing mill project and i like the simplicity of your idea...i like the second part , i'm on the "forestry Forum" where many homemade mills builders chat about stuff like this... if you had several flat bars(or ruler) with notches on them bolted together (as you mentioned) and all you had to do would be to make a bracket that you could slide your micro switch horizontally to whatever bar you desired for thickness you wanted either manually or electrically somehow ...this way you only need one micro switch.
thank you, that was great! among the many parts I enjoyed were the explanation of the wiring diagram, how the switches work, and also the part at the end addressing stepper motors. great stuff, thank you!
Awsome, I have a Harbor Freight Mill I worked a 20 foot trailer for. I definetly need to do this plus a power feed. Thank you for sharing!
I have worked in factories all my life and there is an amazing amount of simple tech out there with limit switches though I never was a mechanic at work. I'm collecting parts for my mill now and like you I will go the mechanical route first. I will use lawn mower parts possibly and a 158" blade, mine will be wood and metal.
Thank you, I’ve been looking for ideas on how to do power mill movement on the track and height adjustment for my home built mill. You are ingenious.
I really like the simplicity of this design. Love your mill.
Excellent job! As far as arduino or plc's etc , they would make a simple solution more complex. KISS principle normally prevails! Good work!
Thinking on setting the thickness of cut, when I was a kid, the leaders of the cubscout pack had made a pinewood derby track that used optical switches to identify the winning car. A car passing through one of these switches would interrupt a timer for the lane. The system was non-contact which worked well for that application. The switch was normally-closed, and the car passing between the transmitter and receiver interrupted it similarly to how a garage door safety sensor works, triggering it when it opened.
Depending on how much stuff is flying through the air while operating this saw, you might be able to do something where you have an optical switch, normally-open, and when it closes, it activates the circuit to stop the motor. If you don't need a huge number of heights, you could take either rulers like you're already accustomed to, or even just plain stock and cut slots corresponding to whatever depths to make your own linear optical encoders, and change them out as you need those depths. This would save wear and tear on the switch and on the encoder. Worst case you could have a machine shop make various encoders for you, bring them some metal stock, tell them you want slots cut at particular intervals of a particular width.
Granted this may be overthinking it, and for all I know the sawdust and outdoor environment would make this idea ill-suited.
TWX1138 Hey thanks for your comments! I actually thought of using a photo eye like you mentioned, my friend Dave even had one for me to use, I don’t think the dust would be a problem where I have my switch, I work on big CNC belt sanders at my work and they all use a photo eye system to track the belt to keep them on the roller wheels, the sensors are inside the main cabinet with dust flying around and only seldom do they stop doing there job because of dust buildup in front of them.
I may go that route in the future but it will take a little bit more to adapt it to my PWM controller. My friend Dave and I own a CNC plasma cutter so I should be able to get the slits cut perfectly on some flat bar stock. Right now I’m just going to stick with the limit switch system, time will tell how they hold up, but this one is still working good after a month of using it, they come in packs of 10 for $6.99 so they are a bargain and easy to replace.
Thanks for your comments and maybe I will go that way in the future and make a video of it. :) Take care
The simpler the more brilliant. A very nice and interesting channel with many nice projects. Good source of inspiration. Thanks so much.
Thanks for checking out my channel and commenting 👍 I really appreciate it 🙂
@@MikefestivaFrom Sweden.
czcams.com/video/gTu7FtXwVzg/video.html
Good one Mike you believe in the kiss principle and I like what you do .
And you do it on the cheap .
I like your basic engineering skills and use of old parts.
In this day of buying it off the shelf it is good to see you look at making it and the joy of it .
Good on you for having a go.
That's cool. Mechanical solution to control the electronics.
TheDistur Thanks for checking out my mill video!
Ive always wondered how you handled the wheel tracking Mike. I'm making my own pretty much based on your model but using whatever bits and pieces i can get for little to nothing but just right now understanding how that tracking works has got me stumped. Thanks for your videos btw they have been very inspiring and shows what can be done with spare parts and a little bit of ingenuity, the old timers would be proud!
Thanks for checking out my video!
I will be posting a sawmill video in a few days and I talk a bit about the tracking in this video and show some shots of the tracking adjustments, I hope this will help you out. I'm glad you find my videos to be inspiring! Thank you :)
Thanks Mike, looking forward to the video! Best wishes with your future projects. God bless.
Excellent video. That is a brilliant design. Good explanation on your electrical schematics.
Pretty cool stuff. Next build your own self propelled brush hog. Many mounted to the front of your 4x4 dump truck build
Your videos are very good I enjoy them thank you for your hard work
Thanks Matt 👍🙂
Thank you, I have been having a hard time trying to get my auto feed going on my mill and you just gave me the answer and I love the idea of auto set works I will be putting this on my mill thank you again Love it I am a seventies type of guy LOL I understand this better than trying to set the time on my truck radio LOL
Hey Larry I’m glad you got some info from this video! Just to let you know I’m going to post a video soon just about PW controllers and how to wire up limit switches to them, so if that’s something your interested in keep an eye out for that. I also made a two part video a while back on building a power feed for my mill and I used the same controller on that job too.
The video I’m posting soon will also have links to Amazon to buy the switches and PWC I used. I hope that helps. Ps I have been watching some of your other mill videos and I really like your mill, you did a great job! Take care
@@Mikefestiva Thanks I did share your video should get a lot more views
are your switches weatherproof?
Thanks for sharing my video!
The micro switches I used on the height scale are not sealed to keep out water, it’s has been on my mill for about 5 month without any problems but my mill is parked under a roof when not in use.
The other bigger blue limit switches I have been running on the power feed may have claim to be water proof but I think there probably wether resident? The front limit switch for my power feed is exposed to rain even when the mill is not in use, it’s been on there for a few years and is still working, the switches are cheap so I usually buy a few spares to have on hand. I hope this info helps. Take care :)
Another awesome addition to the mill, I like the simple design. The toggle switch idea would be slick, if it would all stay in adjustment. Keep up the great work. The bad thing is I now want both power options on my mill. Thanks for the inspiration, as I've used a lot of your ideas when building my mill.
Right on! Thanks for commenting. Ps do you have a video posted of your mill?
@@Mikefestiva yes. I dont have a walk around of it, but I've got a couple with it cutting.
Nice build!
Thanks 👍
Good video mate.
Solar Function Thanks!
Great video and great and simple idea👍.
The Only downside i can think of is maybe a small hazle with changing the dimensions. Like from 1/2" to say 3/4 due to the short throw of the microswitch. I think i would make a track for the rulers and adjust it. Then use neodymium magnets to hold the aluminium or plastic or even wooden rulers. Thst way i can change the rulers in a matter of seconds.
Anyways, This is an excellent idea and I'm very impressed of the simplicity and lack of elaborate electronics.
😀👍👍👍👍
Hey Mike,
Firstly your channel has become awesome. I don't even do any metal fab stuff really but I stumbled across it a while ago and I absolutely love it. Even though I don't make stuff in the same vein as your stuff, it's good to see other people's problem solving and such, gives an insight into how to solve my own problems from another angle. I think your channel is right on the verge of totally blowing up dude. I've been loving just relaxing and watching your artic dump truck build, your video editing has improved massively since your earlier vids and they are a joy to watch now! Especially like the intermissions to jump on the drums and the lovely relaxing beats youve put in the background of the rest of the vids. I dont see you getting many comments about it but trust me it's appreciated even if people forget to tell you.
I think the vids showing what you're up to like the "day in the life of a quad truck" vid are great for a break from learning now and again too man. That was a super relaxing vid to watch while were on lockdown, it was nice to be along with you for the ride while you got some work done and the next day I woke up in the mood to make stuff.
Youre probably sick of hearing about arduinos but they're definitely a good thing to have in your toolkit. I was also like you and didn't think I could code etc etc etc until i happened to need one for a project, then I was fortunate enough to stumble on a tutorial series on youtube that was AMAZING. It's really basic and takes you through things step by step and after maybe 4 hours of learning, I know everything I need for all of my projects to date pretty much. The series I watched was the "programming electronics academy arduino for absolute beginners" course. Since then i've used them for a bunch of stuff and it's been super easy. Just wanted to give something back since i've learnt a lot from your vids. Keep doing what you're doing dude and feel free to reach out if you want help with that. Take it easy dude
Thank you Tad I really appreciate that you took the time to write this 🙂 getting to know people like your self really is what keeps me motivated in creating videos! I have been having fun learning how to make better videos over the years and I’m glad you have been noticing. Thanks for suggesting the Arduino videos, I will definitely look them up, I also appreciate the offer if I needed any help! Thank you!!!
nice one, keep up the good work!
Ants Pants Thanks for checking it out! How’s your mill coming along after you moved it and extended the track? You have a really good milling capacity now! I have all the parts to extend my track another 2.5 meters, I just need to do it one of these days. Take care.
You have one of the best DIY mills out there i have seen, would be awsome to see it extended. Longer timber is always a good idea
Ants Pants Thanks!!! I really appreciate that :)
Pretty cool.
Awesome awesome awesome !! Great channel Thank you
Thanks for checking out my Channel Daniel 👍🙂
That is an about face improvement!! Like you said: can't beat the seventies programing!LOL!
Pierre Flamand Thanks for your comment and checking out my progress on my mill!
Take care Pierre
great job try to build a sawmill my self still in the plan works
Thanks Roy! I definitely recommend building one, I have had a lot of fun building and improving my mill. As you know there’s a lot of great homemade mills out there, and there’s a lot of different ways to build one. I did another video on tips and tricks on building a mill here’s a link to the video czcams.com/video/Zi_Lm6HebF8/video.html
If you have any questions along your build I would be happy to help, so feel free to ask :) Take care
Need a exact list printed of electric 12 volt components. Would like to cut different size cants as well as boards without changing rulers best I've seen to raise and lower saw head simple and parts easy to get if you need them awesome
I have another idea for you. You can also put another ruler there in front of the one you have there and make it 1 1/2” and put another switch on it but put a toggle switch in your panel to switch from boards to 2x4 from one ruler to the other
This is super cool. 😎. Who needs to program when you can do this. I like it. !
OneVeryOrdinaryMan I’m glad you checked it out!
I checked out your CZcams page and it looks like you got some cool videos, I’m a subscribe now :)
Great job! Well done! Simple and easy to install and repair. I have two questions. One is what kind of cord/wire did you use from control box to the winch and limit switch? Or is it a standard wire in some kind of flex conduit?
Next Q&A: After you make a detent scale what are you zeroing it with? The lowest blade setting?
Hi Nick Thanks for checking out my video!
To answer your questions about the wire, I just used larger gauge wire for the winch I can't remember the size maybe 10 gauge??? and I just used smaller regular automotive wire, maybe 18 gauge? for the switch. To answer your other question, I made the lowest detent on the scale be the lowest point my saw will lower down to and cut, about 1" over the log bunks. I made the switch adjustable so you can zero it, so when you have a cant to cut you can lower the blade down to rest on the cant then zero the switch by adjusting it to the center of the nearest detents then from there all your boards will be the exact height of the scale you have on. PS you don't need to used a actual ruler I think a 3/16" or 1/4" wide aluminum flat bar would even be better because the ruler is real thin and you need to make sure your ruler and switch are completely in line when the mill head goes up and down, a wider piece of flat bar would be easier for this. well I hope this helps Take care
Wow!
So cleaver...
Liked your idea after watching your videos I am inspired to build one also. I was thinking
About using all threads to raise and lower and trying a timer for different thickness
Just a idea if not I will try to
Setup with switches
I think your idea would work fine too, I'm interested in how it works out. Keep me posted :) Take care
Awesome!
These mods rock bro I’m wanting to try the auto reed mod on my mill
I definitely recommend a power feed, if I had to build one again I would buy a wheelchair motor used off of eBay. I did a two part video on building my power feed, I also posted a video about Pulse width controllers and how to wire them up, check those videos out if you get time. Take care
Very clever mike love your channel mate cheers from oz
Peter Hughes Thanks! I’m glad you enjoy my videos 🙂
I started this channel with my original sawmill build video about 4 years ago, since then I have posted a lot of videos, some sawmill vids and others of different projects, I’m excited that my channel has almost 10,000 subscribers now! One thing that’s to bad is I think only a small portion of my subscribers are interested in sawmill videos? So I’m always happy to have people like you Peter that are really interested in my sawmill vids! Thanks 🙂
Like I said in my power feed video, I would love to see your mill sometime! Take care and hello from the Pacific Northwest!
Oh man. What clever thinking, did you ever implement that toggle switch idea with 5 rulers? I would love to see that in action! How do those limit switches hold up in the elements?
I appreciate you taking the time to explain every aspect of your ideas, including the wiring schematics. Really good stuff on this channel man!
You should have way more views for this video your like brad pitt in the movie moneyball bro changing the game ...keep it up!!
Thanks Dustin 🙂 I thought this video never really got the views It should have, I figured this idea could have be applied to many mills but hey at least It’s out there for people like yourself that enjoyed it! Take care
I found Arduino code for mill automation on one of the timber framing forums so there is no need to write the code from scratch. However
I would need Arduino board, moisture-proof enclosure to protect the delicate electronics from the elements, a circuit to provide clean power to Arduino, a decent size stepper motor, a stepper driver and a new lead screw and limit switches.
Naaah… your design is much better.
The only justification for computer control of the mill would be automating the entire operation ( move the head forward, return, drop down, repeat until log is cut).
Mike Festiva , the pulse controller boxes I found on eBay were totally diff than yours . Would u have a list of all the electronics and where u purchased them from so I have a starting point ? TIA
Great mod. Only thing it needs is more cowbell
Haha That’s a great comment!
Thanks :)
That's a pretty cool idea but it would bug me to death having to hit two buttons to get it to go down. I would try for just one switch. your second idea of toggles for certain drops has a lot of potential. Have you thought of using tarp switches instead of toggles? there pretty heavy duty and last a long time. I run them on my bucket system i built for my mule.
I will have to check out those switches. As you probably already know I added the extra button for safety, it doesn’t need to be on there but I felt the need to add it just to make it as safe as I could so it would never try and lower when I was in the middle of a cut. Maybe it would bother you but I don’t give it a second thought when running it. It becomes not even a thought and flows with part of milling.
Hey mike I would like to do the same that you did, I have a quick question for you on the factory swicth that comes with pwm what Color wire did you use for your up and down, I have black, red and yellow wire to the factory switch, thanks
I’ve tried using a small Harbor Freight winch to raise and lower my mill head, but the problem I ran into is that the winch would continue to move, or coast to a stop, after I release the power which made it nearly impossible to hit my height mark. How did you overcome this issue? Does the variable speed controller fix that problem?
How long will the limit switch last before the ruler wears it out?
I have tried using a winch in place of the hand crank on my sawmill, but the problem I ran into is that the winch would coast to a stop, which prevented me from hitting the exact height I need for each cut. I was just using the stock on/off switch. I like your notched ruler and switch idea, but how did you overcome the "coasting" effect these small winches have when they stop? Does the variable speed controller prevent it from coasting to a stop?
Hey David I have not ran into the coasting problem you mentioned, I think it’s probably because I only run the winch at half to one third speed, I think running them slowly makes them less likely to spool down to a stop like you encounter. Take care
@@Mikefestiva Thanks so much for the reply! I'm going to give it a shot again with the speed controller this time. Thanks for posting the videos. Very helpful!
David Slocum David Slocum Right on David, I think there’s some links in the description to the pulse width controller I used on this project, I hope it workout good for you!
To get different board thickness why not just make several rulers with notches set at different distances and change them out as needed? it would be more simple than the wiring and less prone to problems in the long run.
peerless-d6r Yes that’s exactly what I’m doing in this video. I just talked about making a stack of notched rulers and a switch bank as a possible idea for a future project. Thanks for checking out my channel 👍
Quit building upgrades like this because you keep me building the same for myself! LOL
Haha! Okay I will stop :)
I don't see the source for the "forklift modulation controller".
There's a link in the description of this video to buy the PW controller on Amazon "Pulse width modulation controller" take care