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New to me mill

Started by Cjross73, August 30, 2019, 01:30:58 PM

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Cjross73

I officially have the sawdust bug, just brought home my first mill. 1996 WM LT40HD24, needs a little work to get it going but excited to get started would be an understatement.

 

 
LT40, Stihl saw, Old green tractor

donbj

Looks great! Looks just like my '94 Lt40HD minus the seat. I bought mine brand new back in the day and it still runs great with the 24hp Onan. Nice machines, enjoy!
I may be skinny but I'm a Husky guy

Woodmizer LT40HDG24. John Deere 5300 4WD with Loader/Forks. Husky 262xp. Jonsered 2065, Husky 65, Husky 44, Husky 181XP, Husky 2100CD, Husky 185CD

A-z farmer

Cjross73
Congratulations on your woodmizer.
Did you get the manuals with it ?
You will bee making sawdust in no time .
Zeke

CCCLLC

Looks like you may be making some siding or shakes as well. Good job.

Cjross73

Thanks everyone, I'm looking forward to learning everything. I did get the manuals, shingle attachment, seat, debarked and an offer to help me get started once I get it going. Just under 1600 hrs on it. It's been sitting for about a year under shelter. Fuel lines are rock hard and I'm sure the carb will need soaked but otherwise I think I've got a nice mill

Chuck
LT40, Stihl saw, Old green tractor

SawyerTed

Good for you!  Looks like a great machine.  

Just a word of advice on getting started.  If you don't have much experience, practice on low value logs - pine or poplar are good choices.  Resist the temptation to put that walnut or cherry you've been saving on the mill first thing. Wait until you have a few hundred board feet of experience sawing lower value logs. We've heard sad stories of the new guy trying to saw something really nice and he makes designer firewood (a borrowed term for boards that come off the mill and go to the firewood pile).
Woodmizer LT50, WM BMS 250, WM BMT 250, Kubota MX5100, IH McCormick Farmall 140, Husqvarna 372XP, Husqvarna 455 Rancher

RAYAR

Nice mill Chuck, I'm sure you'll have it going in no time.
mobile manual mill (custom build) (mods & additions on-going)
Custom built auto band sharpener (currently under mods)
Husqvarna 50, 61, 254XP (and others)
96 Polaris Sportsman 500
2006 Ranger 4X2 w/cap, manual trans (430,000 Km)

Bruno of NH

Nice mill
Congrats on your new adventure 
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

Cjross73

Thanks guys, I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions as I get going. 

Good advice Ted, I have some logs to practice on before I get into the good wood
LT40, Stihl saw, Old green tractor

Poquo

Congrats on your first mill . I got my first mill a week ago , the first thing I did was forget to tension the blade , it don't turn very long when you do that .
2015 Woodmizer LT40HD26

Haleiwa

Practicing on low value logs is good advice, but try to find a few straight ones.  Dealing with a lot of sweep or crotch is a challenge of its own.  Start with a fairly short (eight feet or so) straight log that won't tax your mill to its maximum capacity.  The first few passes, you will feel like there are too many things to keep track of at once, so the less distractions the better.  Go ahead and hit the clamp or backstops; that way you will have it over with and can get on with sawing.
Socialism is people pretending to work while the government pretends to pay them.  Mike Huckabee

Southside

Just another thing - if you can find that pine log with a centered pith it would be a lot easier to start with.  Plantation pine can have a lot of stress in it and make a 6" cant curl 3/4" up off of the mill deck - poplar can be even worse at times.  So try to work with something as vanilla as possible at first.  Got any cedar lying around?  
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

SawyerTed

And of sufficient diameter - 12 to 16" in diameter.  Big enough to use the hydraulics but not too big.  
Woodmizer LT50, WM BMS 250, WM BMT 250, Kubota MX5100, IH McCormick Farmall 140, Husqvarna 372XP, Husqvarna 455 Rancher

Andries

Well done on the mill.
I've loved my LT30 - its paid for itself a few times over since I bought it.
The Onan is a strong motor - and a bit "unusual" in design.
Do a search here on the Forum and you'll be up to speed in no time.
LT40G25
Ford 545D loader
Stihl chainsaws

Cjross73

I've got the Mill running good, everything working well. I was about to cut up a practice log and saw the blade tension loose, pressure at 0. A little checking and found the plug in the bottom of the blade tensioner had come out. No chance of finding that tiny little plug in the grass so saw dust waits another day....
LT40, Stihl saw, Old green tractor

terrifictimbersllc

One of those round magnets on a stick from HF, or a wand metal detector, if the mill was in one place when it came out (??). 
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Cjross73

I had the metal detector out and a magnet, the mill was in one place but it's a tiny plug in the grass so I didn't have any luck
LT40, Stihl saw, Old green tractor

Cjross73

The learning curve continues... I got the tensioner cleaned up this afternoon and realized it wasn't a plug hole, ordered the cylinder rebuild kit. 
LT40, Stihl saw, Old green tractor

Woodpecker52

Its not so much the adventure of cutting wood as it is the fun of mechanical innovation and trouble shooting, head scratching and cursing!!
Woodmizer LT-15, Ross Pony #1 planner, Ford 2600 tractor, Stihl chainsaws, Kubota rtv900 Kubota L3830F tractor

SawyerTed

Chalk it up to experience and learning.  At least it isn't in the "I did something dumb today" thread, YET!  :D
Woodmizer LT50, WM BMS 250, WM BMT 250, Kubota MX5100, IH McCormick Farmall 140, Husqvarna 372XP, Husqvarna 455 Rancher

Cjross73

Probably should have been in the " did something dumb" thread, I did search for the plug quite a while. Once I cleaned the thing up it was an obvious weep hole so I felt pretty stupid about then. 
LT40, Stihl saw, Old green tractor

GAB

Quote from: Cjross73 on September 09, 2019, 03:43:18 PM
The learning curve continues... I got the tensioner cleaned up this afternoon and realized it wasn't a plug hole, ordered the cylinder rebuild kit.
WARNING: If your tensioner is the same as mine (2005 LT40) I recommend you stop at the pharmacy and get 10 pounds of patience before you start.  One of the seals is designed such that I ended up having to use boiling water to get it in.  Try and limit your use of !#%&* type words and hopefully you will not sign your work in blood.
GAB
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

Cjross73

After a little work getting the mill running and cleaned/lubed, the 40 cut a few SYP 2x4's tonight. Sorry no pics as it was dark by the time I quit. I can easily see how addictive this sawdust is
LT40, Stihl saw, Old green tractor

Mike W

After the addiction sets in real good and solid, you'll find yourself sitting at night with a warm bowl of grits thinking about chickens ;D

caveman

It is good to see you have it going your way, CJRoss73.  That is a good looking mill and should crank out some nice lumber as you become more familiar with it.  
Caveman

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