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Useful sawmill mods

Started by Bibbyman, July 25, 2004, 08:27:09 AM

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PAmizerman

Woodmizer lt40 super remote 42hp Kubota diesel. Accuset II
Hydraulics everywhere
Woodmizer edger 26hp cat diesel
Traverse 6035 telehandler
Case 95xt skidloader
http://byrnemillwork.com/
WM bms250 sharpener
WM bmt250 setter
and a lot of back breaking work!!

PAmizerman

Woodmizer lt40 super remote 42hp Kubota diesel. Accuset II
Hydraulics everywhere
Woodmizer edger 26hp cat diesel
Traverse 6035 telehandler
Case 95xt skidloader
http://byrnemillwork.com/
WM bms250 sharpener
WM bmt250 setter
and a lot of back breaking work!!

Larry

My TK has a similar clamp head.  I welded little dot's on the top.  This way after edging one side I can pull the board out from the stops, flip it, and re-clamp to do the second edge.  Never have to move from the console.  Does take practice to get it right.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

WV Sawmiller

   When I want to edge a single board I lay a 1X4 down flat across the rails and clamp against that. This gives the extra width and and keeps pressure the length of the flitch being edged. If both edges are live you might have to put a shim in there to square the edge. Actually a 2X4 would work well for both directions assuming you are not edging less than 2". This is a trick Marty Parsons showed me when I complained about the clamping system and 1-2 4/4 flitches being edged.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

DR_Buck

Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

PAmizerman

I tried "gang" edging but found that I ended up wasting a lot more material and would waste a lot of time chasing little pieces of edging that would fall down in between the bed rails and off the back. This is just the way I like to do it. Idealy I would like a edger but until that happens I'll keep doing it this way.
Woodmizer lt40 super remote 42hp Kubota diesel. Accuset II
Hydraulics everywhere
Woodmizer edger 26hp cat diesel
Traverse 6035 telehandler
Case 95xt skidloader
http://byrnemillwork.com/
WM bms250 sharpener
WM bmt250 setter
and a lot of back breaking work!!

PAmizerman

WV 
I tried the 1x trick but found it didn't work the way I wanted it to. I had trouble getting the flitch behind the spacer. I like stacking piles on the mill bed also so I don't have to handle them again. With the jig I can also flip a flitch up and clamp it simultaneously. It works well for those flitches that don't want to stand up  on their own. I've got into a rhythm and this seems to be the most productive for my mill and setup for the time being. 

Did I mention that I'm a little height challenged? :D long flitches (over 12 foot) I sometimes have trouble flipping them up against the backstops if they are wide.
Then it would fall down just as I got back to the command control and I'd have to walk back around the mill and stand it back up. Now I just hit the levers and watch it go up!
Woodmizer lt40 super remote 42hp Kubota diesel. Accuset II
Hydraulics everywhere
Woodmizer edger 26hp cat diesel
Traverse 6035 telehandler
Case 95xt skidloader
http://byrnemillwork.com/
WM bms250 sharpener
WM bmt250 setter
and a lot of back breaking work!!

petefrom bearswamp

I saw my 4/4 (softwood) so it comes off the mill at full inch.
I find that my clamp wont clamp 1 board tightly.
This is not a problem with hardwoods as I saw it to get full 1-1/8"
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

Bandmill Bandit

Quote from: Bandmill Bandit on September 18, 2016, 09:15:47 PM
The brake band adjustment mod:



 

I got carried away with the simplicity of the mod and didn't take another pic and didn't think of it till it was all bottoned up. IT works great.

On the lift motor change over, I discovered today while doing a operational test with the engine running and the generator hooked up, my actual lift speed is 9 seconds for 12 inches of lift and 6.5 secs for 12 inches of drop. Also in the simple set speed settings, set #5 works best. Takes about 22 inches of drop to gain a 1/16th regardless of scale.  

This brake band mod is getting a total re work. Pics will appear as the mod progresses. 

The slotted channel piece will be replaced by a piece of 1/2 or 5/8s ready rod. No more guessing when the adjustment is made AND the adjustment will be a simple 3/4 box end ratchet and/or a 3/4 wrench. 

Putting Mill in the shop tomorrow for the spring once over. 
   
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

safdchief2

Well, at least I think it's kind of a mod... 

My old eyes ain't as good as they used to be. I can see far real well but it's the near stuff that makes me use 'cheaters' to see close up.  Anyway, came across these safety glasses from SSP Eyewear that has the magnifier part at the TOP of the lens. (I think they are designed for shooters.)

My 95 LT40HD doesn't have Accuset but just the pointer on the scale. Before the new safety glasses, I would have to tip my head way back to visualize the pointer. After a full days work, the neck was a bit sore. I've tried these new safety glasses a few times now and they work well.

Disclaimer: I do not have any financial or business interest with SSP Eyewear.

Don
Deer Lake Sawmilling, MN
WM 1995 LT40HD OnanG24 - Farmall M - Selfmade 32" log arch - 2011 FLHTCU FFSE

Bandmill Bandit

Not sure I'd call this a mod as much as an addition. It is not in final form but now that i know it works very well it will get the finall treatment after the next sawing job. 



It need a second jack/stabilizer leg ither wise works great!
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

WV Sawmiller

   Okay BB, I'll bite. What am I looking at? I see you attached a swinging lift to your mill with a stabilizer jack which looks pretty good but what are you lifting on the mill? I first thought maybe it was a lap siding attachment or such but I honestly don't know. Looks like maybe you are getting ready to load more equipment on top of the mill for a mobile job or such. Is it an edger or something you plan to transport along with the mill? Inquiring minds want to know. ;D
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Bandmill Bandit

LOL WV 

What I shoulda done was put up a "whats it" post.

Heres a pic of the table all set up.

I the above pic it is upside down with the legs in transport position being loaded on the mill. sure saves the back and i can do it by my self. But i do need a triangular stabilizing leg set.

 
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

petefrom bearswamp

Like a lot of you I have lost the plastic caps for the jacks, in my case 4 of the 6
Tried Duct tape but didnt last so did this today while the mill was in my shop for the pan gasket replacement. pieces of scrap ash I had around the shop screwed on opposite sides.



 

Also while cleaning under the mill I saw that the grounding wire from the battery to the bottom rail was hanging pretty low and upon inspection discovered two worn thru spots on the insulation. I put a piece of rubber tubing over the wire and also


 shortened it by about 2 inches so it doesnt hang so low.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

mbolt512

Hey  safdcheif2........thanks for the info on the top bi-focal safety glasses by SSD Eyewear. I didn't know they made those. I have the safety glasses with the bi-focal on the bottom and it makes it real hard to see anything around your feet without tucking your chin into your chest. Of course then I head-butt everything around the mill. ::) 
Make do, do without or find a better way.

Bandmill Bandit

Heres a minor mod that turns out to be a significant re enforcement of the board return arm for the LT40 type mills.



 



Just finished painting it. will get a pretty photo up when it dry.



This looks better! 
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

keyote

Ok took a couple long nights but i read the thread and great minds think alike. Been out of sawing a while but thinking of getting a new saw now retired.
I didnt see one trick i figured out my first  couple months maybe because its not a mod more a technique no doubt many of you figured this out  but some newbies might benefit. one of my first jobs was a pretty big job for a rich guy building all sorts of building on his new homestead. and he needed 24'-6" beams. i wanted to make him happy and frankly i thought bigger is better when charging by the BF.a woodmizer will cut 21' here's how you can cut longer beams when mobile and occasionally asked if you can. And ide recommend charging extra and keeping the ability to yourself until you figure out if its in your interest to do it at all

get your  log up on the bed like normal as close to the  hitch as you can start you cut just let the log hang off the end

make your opening  cut as far as you can then turn stop the blade and carefully back up in side the cut you might have to lift the slab a bit and slide a sticker under it.


take your chainsaw or a hand saw and cut of the slab just before where you stopped the  sawmill blade get rid of the slab your blade is free now, go back to go.

do what you always do no flop the log ove 180 and make your paralel cut again stop the blade when it can go no farther and carefully back the blade up the distance you still need to saw the log.

but this time you're laying flat so now you can slide the log on its first face back towards the blade. if you backed up your blade far enough back, when you then slide the slab back to the blade again the uncut portion is within the saws cutting range and the excess is sticking over the other end of the saw, finish your cut, that top side is now completely flat. The uncut portion on the bot side is hanging below the  deck level because the bunks dont extend all the way to the end and the last one is  able to pivot. make note of the blade height.

now you can flip it over and and carefully lower the blade to the height of the slab top and finish slabbing the first side.

repeat this for the perpendicular sides and you have a cant.you may have decided to hell with the side wood and made you slab cuts to give you a cant the size of the beam you were looking for.But if its a  huge log and thats crazy waste dont worry make the cant as parsimoniously as you usually would because one its squared up and can slide back and forth easily  the side boards are not hard to get and have lots of BF in them.

Its just a trick for mobile long beams on occasion. Here's another.

you may have found on particularly long and small logs like with a 4" top that some cheapskate farmer wants 4x4s out of  lol (never again will i custom saw) that even though you carefully sighted the log (what there is of it) that as you cut it begins to lift up on the end sometimes during your opening cut sometimes after the first  cut. if youre new you may not see it happening and think  your mill is cutting badly when the  cant turns out  tapered  but eventually you  catch it in the act, your cutting is  relieving internal stresses.watch for it because unless you have already modified your mill to have hydraulics past the contact strip ( definitely do this) you have to catch it before you pass it. tis is tricky but i promise with practice you can do it perfectly all day long dont ask me how i know. what you do is raise the near toe board slowly as you cut to push the far end of the log back down  on the bed. at first practice doing it with the blade stopped but eventually it will be like  moving your  blade guides in and out around knots. Bonus tip. if the log is say more like a 6'' top that  farmer Mcskint wants not only a 4x4  but some 1x4 side boards I MODIFIED BY ADMIN KNOCK IT OFF you knot they are like this. and this cant you cut is now a perfectly square banana heres what to do turn it crown up against the raised back stops and clamp it medium firm now lower the stops and the clamp as well if need be  to pull it flat to the deck and take your side boards. this works well on resawing and sometimes even large cants will move on you and you need to force them flat before sawing boards off them if its a  decent cant and you caught this check it for square before proceeding in case you missed a move on another cut or in case its  twisted if so take a couple sacrificial slices to square it while forced flat.

I actually got frustrated enough that i made up end dogs i could hold the ends down with  

keyote

once you have hydraulics free of head location by various methods you want to be able to not have to walk back to the levers sometimes you could rig up redundant controllers for all or just certain crucial functions like say being able to  move the  stops and clamp while  flipping and sorting edgings or maybe you have set yourself up with a mod that is hydraulically controlled like a deck or board flipper that plug into the saws system but must head back to the levers. especially  guys that are  head wireless and are moving around a bit the company above is just the first  thing i found yesterday when i realized once i had a hydraulic bed extension and wireless head rig i was going to be really annoyed not having my hydraulics as mobile as all my other controls.

which  reminds me. can anyone explain why i would not prefer the wireless head control to a command control or even a 70 wireless comand control. It seems to me if all my  head rig controls are in the remote then when i am standing at the hydraulic controls i have effectively  the exact same capability of a command control   1500 cheaper, but i also have the added advantage of being able to move around and still control all the head rig  controls. why on earth would i prefer the com control to that.
I can see maybe there's an argument for the 70s wireless command control because you can at least  take the hydraulic controls as well  to a stationary location you prefer for some reason. But even so I would bet that is always going to be the other end of the mill and so what would it take to move the hydraulics to the end of the mill and use the wireless from anywhere, and furthermore if you have the money for that set up would you prefer to be totally wireless instead and probably a lot cheaper than a 70 at that.

DR_Buck

Quote from: Bandmill Bandit on May 30, 2018, 03:23:21 PM
Heres a minor mod that turns out to be a significant re enforcement of the board return arm for the LT40 type mills.



 



Just finished painting it. will get a pretty photo up when it dry.



This looks better!
I see what you've done, but for the life of me I can't figure why it needs reinforcing.   You're dragging back boards not cants or logs.    I've pulled back some pretty hefty stuff, especially thick slabs and have never had a problem with the return. 
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

Peter Drouin

Not picking the head up enuff to clear the cant will bend the arm, Ask 4x4 about it. :D :D :D :D :D
I have 5000 hrs on mine never a problem. ;D
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

Bandmill Bandit

SHHHHHH Peter! Don't tell every body!

Once it bent you gota fix it. eve if you have LEARNED not to do it again!
 
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

Nomad

   Not much of a "mod," but a quick fix I like better than the original.
     A while back my lube tank self-destructed from the sun.  On Saturday afternoon.  With a large SYP job coming up starting on Tuesday.  No lube was not going to be an option.
     I did some looking and found this available at a local sporting goods store.



 

     It's 7 gallon instead of 5, so it's a bit wider and taller.  Needed a ¾" spacer under it.  The cap is tapped for a spigot with the same thread pitch as a ¾" hose bib, so with some effort the bib screwed in with no tools.  The lube hose needed no mods.  The original bungee straps are stretched to the limit, but still work.  No interference with the mast when raised.  You can still see through it to see the liquid level.  And now, when it needs filling, it takes a full 5 gallons.  Been using it for a couple of weeks now and it works like a charm!
     Made by Reliance and called an "Aqua-Tainer."




Buying a hammer doesn't make you a carpenter
WoodMizer LT50HDD51-WR
Lucas DSM23-19

Bandmill Bandit

I used one of those for awhile too and they do work quite well but I found the filling and lifting the jug off and on to be a bit cumber some with a shoulder that don't quite work like it used to. My mod for the tank is back a ways (reply#957) in this thread and i now use a 12 volt RV water pump to fill the tank.
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

Just Right

And it is a bit cheaper than one from Woodmizer.  I like it!
If you are enjoying what you are doing,  is it still work?

bwstout

i found this mod in a different thread and have bought everything according to the recommendation to  but after following the schematic i only have forward and no reverse could anyone help. I don't see well and cant tell if it is a 5 or 8 is used on the relays. here is a pic of the controller and relays with a drum switch. 



 
home built mill

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