Small or home made sawmills

I have the same sawmill that you have, the electric version, but I’m still running the bar and chain. Are you happy with your conversion to the bandsaw?
I am considering to make that conversion too but there is too many things to do before that so I don’t think that it will happen anytime soon.

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I would try it first, fuses are cheap.
But there isn’t that much mass that needs to start spinning so I don’t think it needs it.
I could be wrong but like I said, fuses are cheap :smile:

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Ok, then I’ll buy an electric cord and test if it works first.
Yes, I’m quite satisfied with the band saw, it’s very easy to push against the chain saw, there aren’t half as many chips, but I haven’t got the surface of the wood as nicely as with the chain saw, but I think it’s due to a slight imbalance in one of the wheels.

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Ok, I thought it would be much nicer surfaces but lime you said, it could be a wheel or perhaps one or more teeth in the bandsaw blade that got kinked or bent / damaged.

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With the chain saw you can get almost a planed surface, I had problems with it sometimes, hard to get the red paint to stick, I think it’s hard to get that surface with a band saw

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Jan, some time ago I described how I solved the starting problem on my saw (look back at some posts), I also have a 7.5 kW motor and let me say that when starting with the “star/delta” switch, i.e., in connection “star” (here it has only 2.5 kW of power, three times less than in the “delta”) connection, the current rises to 30 A, a short-circuit current flows here, which is limited only by the resistance of the winding, and the 16A fuses did not withstand this.

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Jan, maybe you’re ok if you still have the old porcelain fuses.
I have 16A mains too, and start my 7.5 kW mill with an Y/D-start. My motor is 2900 rpm and the circular blade for flywheel, I have meassured 25A startup current but fuses still hold up.

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Yes, that was a good idea, thanks Tone.

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Yeah, sorry Jan, I assumed that you have porcelain fuses because that’s what I have and they can take a bit more ampere.
I have 25A here and when I start my woodchipper (that has a 20mm or 3/4” thick and one meter diameter or three feet diam) it takes 50A even with a Y/D start but it is anybodys guess if the fuses hold or not, I change them often.
Anyway, there is no harm in trying it whether you have porcelain fuses or automatic, some SEK or flick back the power to on again, much cheaper than a Y/D start.
Or perhaps you have an old one lying around somewhere.

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Ok, I have a porcelain fuse inside the cabin, but in the outhouse there is an automatic fuse, I put power there when we took over the farm.
I have ordered a y/d, SEK 502 with shipping.

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Jan, I was cheap enough to use two old switches. One wired for Y and one for D.

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That was a good price. May it serve you well :smile:

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Pretty sure I’ve never heard of a Y/D start before. What does it mean?

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We start the engine with 240 volts and when the engine revs up we switch to 400 volts.
(as I understand it)

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Oh so it’s a half voltage soft starter to not strain the electrical supply. Very neat.

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See, I’m good for something. I ask the questions so everybody else doesn’t have to look dumb.

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Tom, in the US of A delta was our old 3 phase Y is what most have since 1980’s. The old delta is still used. Both are commercial use.

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Ha! Ha! Now Al F., try to explain our most common household supplied split-phase 120-240 s-i-m-p-l-y so a European could understand it.
Regards
Steve Unruh

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It’s all about the neutral wire. :zap:

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I wish I had a written explanation like that I could just pull it out and show people :crazy_face:

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