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Woodland Mill 126 Cooks Guide addition

Started by DannyLand, September 28, 2016, 08:48:48 AM

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DannyLand

Hey all,
   Im looking to upgrade my Woodland 126 with a set of cooks rollers.   Im trying to see how other owners have upgraded their mills with these but my searches in this forum as well as on the google machine have only shown the same model built in other years that are not assembled the same way as mine.  The ones other members have done and posted photos I could find are not built the same way mine is.  Mine built in 2014 does not have adjustable cutting width and the current guides are mounted to the mill on a 1" shaft with single set screw off a vertical welded steel tube.   Anyone have any experience with installing cooks guides on this model and type?    Im fully capable of welding up any brackets needed but would like some suggestions or inspiration on what already works rather than starting to cut parts off the saw in order to fabricate my own jig.  Thanks, Danny
Woodland Mills HM126, Hudson debarker, Jonsered 2171, New Holland skid steer, 1955 International Harvester Dump 132

goose63

DannyLand Woodland has new guides with rollers for the 126 Ijust got a set and like them thy are not adjustable my mill is a 2013 good luck on the hunt
goose
if you find your self in a deep hole stop digging
saw logs all day what do you get lots of lumber and a day older
thank you to all the vets

fishfighter


bandmiller2

I installed Cooks guides on my self built mill. Not up to picture posting. I took about an 8" long piece of 1" square solid steel drilled and tapped a 5/8" hole in one end for a bolt to fasten the guide. I drilled and tapped two holes for 5/16" bolts about 5" apart on the top of the bar. The bar fits inside a piece of square tube with two slots about 1" long on top for the two bolts. Between the two bolt slots is a tapped hole in the square tube for a 5/16" bolt. The solid bar can move around inside the square tube. The three 5/16" bolts give me adjustment in and out with the slots and up and down as the center bolts locks the two in the slot. You can level or pitch the guide by manipulating the three screws. It has worked well for me, hope you can understand what I'am saying. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

DannyLand

Thanks for the replies. I went to the Woodland website and called them direct to talk to their service department but they dont offer any proper roller guides. The ones they offer now are still the ones I have on my saw.  Ive been doing alright with the standard blocks but they dont offer enough support on the blade to help reduce wavy cuts when the blade starts to dull.  I know I should just change the blade when it happens but I usually dont feel the cuts slowing down enough to realize the blade is dull until I draw the saw back across the cant and see the gap fluctuating between the blade and the last cut surface. If I can help reduce that just a fraction it would save me on a few bad cuts and loosing material. It also seems to be a fairly popular upgrade to the saws on the forum.  My rear bearings are only lasting about 40 hours of cutting time and at $40 plush shipping for two sets, it wont take long for the cooks to pay for themselves. Ive been keeping an eye on all my adjustments and have followed the manufacturers instructions on blade adjustment 100%.   I dont run the mill as often as I would hope so I am sure to oil the bearings before leaving it for the night to prolong their lifespan.  Even then, the sound like they are packed in sand in a short amount of time. 
         Looking at what cooks has to offer, I think I can just cut the existing down posts off and weld on cooks guide tubes in place.   I can manage all the welding, drilling and tapping to make my own, but for the extra $20 per guide for the adjustment tube, I'll save myself the labor and just buy them complete.  I can make $40 faster than I could cut, weld, drill and tap to make them.  Everyone seems to love them so I think its the right direction for me to go in.   I'll take any other advice people are throwing my way.   Thanks
Woodland Mills HM126, Hudson debarker, Jonsered 2171, New Holland skid steer, 1955 International Harvester Dump 132

Ox

It sounds to me like you have a good plan already.  I have nothing else to add.   :)
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Kbeitz

Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

goose63

Quote from: fishfighter on September 28, 2016, 06:33:53 PM
See any improvement Goose?

I have olny had them a short time but so far I like them
goose
if you find your self in a deep hole stop digging
saw logs all day what do you get lots of lumber and a day older
thank you to all the vets

fishfighter

OP, as far as replacement guide bearing. I been buying them local thru a alternator shop. They are alternator bearing that have been lasting a lot longer. Costing me $20 a set.

Yes, you are right about dull blades. I try to put it to the limit on them. And yes, that wavy cut is sure there even though the blade is still cutting real good. :( Also, if the drive belt starts to get loose, the waves start to show. :(

Thanks Goose. Keep in mine to post up as you get time on them. Got any pictures of them? Do you adjust them to were they put a down pressure on the blade?

DannyLand

Thanks Kbeitz, that photo is very helpful.   The vertical height adjustment is something I hadnt thought about but should have. I was planning on just trying to get the 1/4" down pressure by measurement and welding it solid, having the adjustment makes it so much easier.  Your setup looks similar enough to what I have and can be done with just trimming the height of my existing down tubes.  Makes it a lot easier to change seeing I dont have to weld anything to the saw, my welder is just heavy enough that I could move it out there to do the work but its a real pain to do so.   
   Fishfighter, you mentioned the drive belt tension having an affect on the cut quality?   Would that be a result of varying blade speed or a strange translation of belt vibration into the blade?    I just noticed the belt slip twice the last time I was sawing but just wrote it off as a significant bind on the blade from a knotty and sticky piece of wood. I'll check that today.    Ill also look into the alternator bearings.   Theres a shop around here that repairs electric motors and alternators, I'll inquire with them. I know my drive wheel bearings will need replacement in the near future and would rather buy a higher quality set.  I was just looking on McMaster Carr at their bearing offerings and like the looks of their sealed stainless steel ones.   Pricey but if they last 4 times as long or more, its worth it.   
    Love having this forum, Ive been reading a lot of posts and picking up knowledge and experience, and now some solid advice.    Thanks again.
Woodland Mills HM126, Hudson debarker, Jonsered 2171, New Holland skid steer, 1955 International Harvester Dump 132

fishfighter

Yes on the loose belt slipping and loosing speed.

Magicman

I am trying not to be critical but the pictures that Kb posted above of his blade guides may be fine for a hobby sawmill but with no way to adjust horizontal or vertical tilt, production sawing would be compromised.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

pineywoods

Quote from: Magicman on September 29, 2016, 08:38:37 AM
I am trying not to be critical but the pictures that Kb posted above of his blade guides may be fine for a hobby sawmill but with no way to adjust horizontal or vertical tilt, production sawing would be compromised.
Yup, a few degrees of tilt adjustment, both horizontal and vertical will be needed, especially after the roller wears off cone shaped and the flange wears.
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
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york

KB,all he has to do,is get on that horizontal flange with big crescent wrench and bend it.....
Albert

AlaskaLes

I'm running a Mighty Mite and didn't like the stock guides.  When I started getting serious about tuning up the mill, one of the first things I did was upgrade to the Cooks guides.  The mount tubes went on with little fabrication and the guides stay where they are set and run WAYYY better than the stock guides ever did.  I really like the way they press down slightly on the band.  These days the blade runs very true until it gets to that 1st wavy cut.  Then I change the blade. 
I'm very happy with this mod.
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Kbeitz

It would be very easy to put in a set screw on the back side of the tubing
to adjust horizontal or vertical tilt. I haven't had the need to do that but I
will if needed to be. A big adjustable would probably do it but I wont go
that route.
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

Magicman

QuoteI really like the way they press down slightly on the band.
You actually need ΒΌ" of down pressure.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

clintnelms

Quote from: DannyLand on September 28, 2016, 08:48:48 AM
Hey all,
   Im looking to upgrade my Woodland 126 with a set of cooks rollers.   Im trying to see how other owners have upgraded their mills with these but my searches in this forum as well as on the google machine have only shown the same model built in other years that are not assembled the same way as mine.  The ones other members have done and posted photos I could find are not built the same way mine is.  Mine built in 2014 does not have adjustable cutting width and the current guides are mounted to the mill on a 1" shaft with single set screw off a vertical welded steel tube.   Anyone have any experience with installing cooks guides on this model and type?    Im fully capable of welding up any brackets needed but would like some suggestions or inspiration on what already works rather than starting to cut parts off the saw in order to fabricate my own jig.  Thanks, Danny

I have a Woodland Mills HM126 also. Please post updates and pictures if you ever get it figured out. I'd love to modify mine also.

clintnelms

Why did I have to come across this thread? Made me look at the Crooks rollers. When I did I ran across the AC-36. Watched the demo video. Wow, what an impressive mill. When I win the lottery I'm buying one of those.

Deere80

Dannyland,  did you ever get them Cooks guides installed on your Woodland 126 mill?  If you did I would like to see how you mounted them.  I bought a set of them and they showed up in the mailbox last night so am going to try to find some time to install them this weekend.  It looks like I am going to have to cut off a couple inches of the tube that the old blocks are mounted to and make a reversed looking C out of 1 1/2" square tubing to get the roller in the correct location to ride on the band correctly.  I have the same problems as you did, wavy cuts and bearings going out.  Hopefully this will take care of the problems, also I am on my second drive belt because it was scrubbing one side of the belt off.  Got to looking at it and when the old one got bad I thought it was just a cheap belt so I bought a good Gates belt installed it and after 30hrs it started doing the same.  Well when I installed the new belt and tightened it up that one bolt that slides the engine to tighten the belt it doesn't pull the engine square so the clutch pulley  wasn't aligned with the drive pulley so it started to scrub that side of the belt off again.  So when you tighten your drive belt make sure the clutch pulley is running true to your drive pulley or you will just tear up your new belt.

Wood-Mizer LT40WIDE 38HP

fishfighter

Deere, when you add them, take some notes and of course pictures. ;D

Andy White

DannyLand,
The setup that you are asking about was done a while back by member Harold Siefke. I talked with him in detail, and he shared all the info to make the swap. There is a thread on here about it with great pictures. You may PM him for info on it. I haven't seen him on here for a while, so a PM may take some time.  Check on members tab at top and go to memberlist and look under H.        Andy
Learning by day, aching by night, but loving every minute of it!! Running HM126 Woodland Mill, Stihl MS290, Homemade Log Arch, JD 5103/FEL and complete woodshop of American Delta tools.

clintnelms

Quote from: Deere80 on March 10, 2017, 09:03:33 AM
Dannyland,  did you ever get them Cooks guides installed on your Woodland 126 mill?  If you did I would like to see how you mounted them.  I bought a set of them and they showed up in the mailbox last night so am going to try to find some time to install them this weekend.  It looks like I am going to have to cut off a couple inches of the tube that the old blocks are mounted to and make a reversed looking C out of 1 1/2" square tubing to get the roller in the correct location to ride on the band correctly.  I have the same problems as you did, wavy cuts and bearings going out.  Hopefully this will take care of the problems, also I am on my second drive belt because it was scrubbing one side of the belt off.  Got to looking at it and when the old one got bad I thought it was just a cheap belt so I bought a good Gates belt installed it and after 30hrs it started doing the same.  Well when I installed the new belt and tightened it up that one bolt that slides the engine to tighten the belt it doesn't pull the engine square so the clutch pulley  wasn't aligned with the drive pulley so it started to scrub that side of the belt off again.  So when you tighten your drive belt make sure the clutch pulley is running true to your drive pulley or you will just tear up your new belt.

A while back I spoke to their tech support and he said when changing the belt to get the engine where it needs to be, straight, and tighten everything down and then put the belt on by walking it on. Works good by putting it on the small pulleys first then turn the wheel until it pops on.


Deere80

Here it is just tacked up, I finished welding it up and aligning them but haven't milled anything yet.  It was -16 degrees this morning again so it might be a couple days before getting a chance to do any cutting.


 


 


 
Wood-Mizer LT40WIDE 38HP

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