[Renze]

Originally Posted by Brad_Blazer

You could use one of these to transmit power but the length is pretty limited.
http://www.nookindustries.com/pdf/NookSpline.pdf

I've been thinking in that direction too (instead of using a very, very long PTO shaft as suggested, use just the 6 meter PTO shaft with bearings on both ends, and use a 2 foot sliding outer shaft that moves along with the saw..

Problems i see in that setup, is that the PTO shaft will whip around, and that it wont slide very long: If you dont grease it it wont, and if you do grease it, it will be covered in sawdust and wont slide either

But this nook spline gives a new perspective to that principle: I could use a big 200x200mm square tube as driveshaft, and make a collar around it rolling on several of those polyethylene hand pallet pumplift truck rollers to reduce the axial friction. The rollers have enclosed bearings so wont take up sawdust, and the axle (square tube) can remain bone dry, so it wont catch any sawdust.

Originally Posted by Brad_Blazer

Otherwise drive the tractor alongside the rails to power the saw and move it.

Ive been thinking about that too, it would be killing 2 flies in the same slap.. However the tractor will pull the saw portal off the rails... and i'd need to get on and off the tractor in order to load and unload logs, pick up the boards, etcetera...


Maybe i should just be statisfied with the 7.5 Hp (or was it 7.5 Kw ?) 3 phase electrical motor, i bought it 2 years ago for 15 Euro as a backup for our irrigation pump...
In the end it will be cheapest, and the continous torque of a 10 hp electrical motor will outperform a 15 or 20 hp gas engine any day....

Would it really make a difference, is power the limiting factor, or the saw band itself ?