Sawmill scratch build

Capt. Jack · 27 May 2020

Haven't posted in quite some time. But I am finally building my sawmill. I wanted it to have some moving parts and some action. So I had a motor from a Erector set that I mounted underneath the floor with a rubber band running up to a 3D printed steam engine. I also 3D printed some pulleys and used elastic for the belts . Also the log carriage moves back and forth by another motor mounted under the floor. I should have started this thread about a week ago. So it's alot of info at once. Here are some pictures and a video of my progress so far.

Capt. Jack · 27 May 2020

Capt. Jack · 27 May 2020

At first I built a plastic boiler but I wanted it to smoke and I can't afford a smoke unit . So I thought I would take a soda can and try to make a boiler. I found a piece of a old door knob that fit the too of the can . So I cut the top off the can and used steel epoxy to attach the door peice to the top of the can. Then took a peice of pipe from a old flag poll that fit right down through the hole in the top of the door ring. I cut a chunk out of the pipe at the bottom. Next you take a peice of oil soaked rag and put in the bottom of the pipe and when you light it it gives you alot of smoke and a realistic flame also. The only problem I haven't solved yet is it only lasts about 5 or 6 minutes before the rag burns up..

Capt. Jack · 27 May 2020

Paul M · 27 May 2020

Capt. Jack said:
At first I built a plastic boiler but I wanted it to smoke and I can't afford a smoke unit . So I thought I would take a soda can and try to make a boiler. I found a piece of a old door knob that fit the too of the can . So I cut the top off the can and used steel epoxy to attach the door peice to the top of the can. Then took a peice of pipe from a old flag poll that fit right down through the hole in the top of the door ring. I cut a chunk out of the pipe at the bottom. Next you take a peice of oil soaked rag and put in the bottom of the pipe and when you light it it gives you alot of smoke and a realistic flame also. The only problem I haven't solved yet is it only lasts about 5 or 6 minutes before the rag burns up..

Seems a bit dicey, real fire and wood etc! Have you thought about e-cigarettes and their smoke capsules? There was a thread on here recently about using them for loco smoke

RDFMTS2 · 27 May 2020

Hi Capt Jack

Your saw mill is coming on nicely. I look forward to more pictures as you progress.

To get smoke to last longer, try using incense cones. I use them in one of my brake vans, (caboose for the americans), to make it look as if the guard is having a brew up in his van. I made a stove from various copper pipe fittings, the main body is 22mm pipe, with a small mesh in the bottom so that it can draw air from underneath the van, the chimney is 8mm tube. I have not had any problem with fires in the van which is in essence a thin plywood box, nor would I expect any. After all most of our club indoor exhibition layout modules are made from wood, and most of us run gas or coal fired live steam on them. We are more careful of meths firing indoors as the flames are invisible in normal lighting, and therefore most only run on meths outdoors.

Incense can also be more visitor friendly, if I use that van indoors at an exhibition, as it smells nicer, to some folk, I do like a loco to smell right so coal is OK for me, but in the brake van at that size coal needed too much attention. By the way this is not my original idea but adapted from something I saw years ago in a magazine.

Keep up the good work,

David

Capt. Jack · 27 May 2020

RDFMTS2 said:
Hi Capt Jack

Your saw mill is coming on nicely. I look forward to more pictures as you progress.

To get smoke to last longer, try using incense cones. I use them in one of my brake vans, (caboose for the americans), to make it look as if the guard is having a brew up in his van. I made a stove from various copper pipe fittings, the main body is 22mm pipe, with a small mesh in the bottom so that it can draw air from underneath the van, the chimney is 8mm tube. I have not had any problem with fires in the van which is in essence a thin plywood box, nor would I expect any. After all most of our club indoor exhibition layout modules are made from wood, and most of us run gas or coal fired live steam on them. We are more careful of meths firing indoors as the flames are invisible in normal lighting, and therefore most only run on meths outdoors.

Incense can also be more visitor friendly, if I use that van indoors at an exhibition, as it smells nicer, to some folk, I do like a loco to smell right so coal is OK for me, but in the brake van at that size coal needed too much attention. By the way this is not my original idea but adapted from something I saw years ago in a magazine.

Keep up the good work,

David

Thanks for the info. I would love to see some pictures or a video of your brake van.

Capt. Jack · 27 May 2020

Paul M said:
Seems a bit dicey, real fire and wood etc! Have you thought about e-cigarettes and their smoke capsules? There was a thread on here recently about using them for loco smoke

I saw them but I'm trying to build this without buying anything. Trying to use what I have. Tight budget lol.

Bill Barnwell · 27 May 2020

Jack that is coming together nicely look forward to future updates, BB

Capt. Jack · 27 May 2020

Bill Barnwell said:
Jack that is coming together nicely look forward to future updates, BB

Thanks Bill

Capt. Jack · 27 May 2020

Working on the trusses. I made 9 of them. I had a pack of metal plates from Ozark miniatures I made a mold of them so I can make enough for the trusses. Still need more detail on them.

Capt. Jack · 27 May 2020

Made my suction cup lights again for the interior lighting. I put six lights up . It's nice and bright and really pops shining on that new steam engine. I'm liking it.

Bill Barnwell · 27 May 2020

Damn that looks good

Henri · 27 May 2020

Very nice!

Capt. Jack · 28 May 2020

Thanks guys

Paul M · 28 May 2020

.........

Capt. Jack · 28 May 2020

Good morning from blazing hot Florida. The humidity is out of this world. 80 degrees already at 8 am . I set the trusses on the sawmill to see how they look. And took some close up pictures of my log carriage. I found a 3 d printable car jack that had some cool little parts that I thought would look similar to what I wanted and also I wanted the cutoff saw to be 90 degrees to everything else so I found this beveled gear system that works really nice. Hope to post a video of everything running soon.

Paul M · 28 May 2020

Looks realistic enough to be dangerous, I hope you have the appropriate PPE

Capt. Jack · 28 May 2020

Paul M said:
Looks realistic enough to be dangerous, I hope you have the appropriate PPE

I bet it will cut thin balsa lol

Capt. Jack · 29 May 2020

Progress continues on the mill. I need at a couple guys to work at the mill. Ive never attempted this before so here we go . had two figures that I picked up for a buck a piece. They have great face detail but they where two tall. So I had to preform some surgery. I took a 1/2 inch out of there legs and a little out of there arms . And did some more cutting to pose them how I want them . Then glued them back together. I'm using Tamiya putty to patch them up. With more paint and putty I think they will pass for what I'm going for.

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