Using a 10-30 Lucas

[sigidi]

So I'm totally ashamed and if it wasn't for makin sawdust today, I'd have to think about not calling myself a sawmiller anymore...
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But I got to make 10" vertical sawdust today 8) ;D   Here's the proof...




And here is a pic of the ground to let Carl know I got some of my own sawdust now – thanks anyway mate ( I had a wise guy on our Aussie forum post me some of his Lucas sawdust as I hadn't been able to get out and do my own milling :D)



So I sliced up 3 smaller logs today, 2 of which where 1.7m (5'8") and 1 was 2.2m (7'4") I finished the day with
•   8x2    2 at 1.7m long,
•   10x1.5    3 at 1.7m and 2 at 2.2m
•   10x2 1   3 at 1.7m and 1 at 2.2m
•   6x4    2 at 1.7m and 2 at 2.2m
Total sawn volume of 0.5175cubic metres (220bft) from 1 cubic metre (424 bft) of log and it took 1.3 engine hours to slice, tail and stack myself



So that works out at 0.77 log cube (326 bft) per hour (geese, I hope that will be good enough for the Steam Festival sawmilling competition, early next month I am entered in a small portable sawmilling contest down under, I'll have a tailer with me so I do expect to go a bit quicker, but I'll let ya know how I go)

I found a heap of difference with Bo Derek as compared to Larry, some I think are fantastic, others I can see I have to adjust some old habits to get used to...
The first habit I'll need to adjust; how I line up the vertical cut for the next layer, the new aluminium gearbox totally cuts off any line of sight to the blade from standing in the operators position, you can easily see it from behind the perspex safety curtain, but I think this habit will get broken pretty quick.

Second thing I will have to get used to is the ruler on the endframes; I like how Lucas have added a cable tie so the ruler doesn't 'slide' down the pipe when raising and lowering the rails, but the ruler is only 10" long, over my time milling I have gotten a habit of dropping at least 1" lower than the measurement I want and then wind up to the measurement, therefore taking up any slack in the winch and chains. So when doing a full 10" vertical drop I have to be careful not to drop the black plastic indicator off the ruler and possibly lose my place.

Third habit to get used to is the swing handle catch; once today, I didn't fully engage the swing handle behind the catch for the vertical cut, I was doing a 2" vertical and before I realised the saw had pulled it's way down almost 3" in an arc as the blade generates so much force the gas strut can't hold it. With my model 6 I just used to swing it and let it go half way through, then the strut had enough strength to hold the blade in the vertical position, but the model 10 has so much more power I have to get used to making sure the swing handle is engaged behind the catch.

Yeah I know I'm rather picky and the above stuff are things I just need to break old habits with, new owners won't know the difference and therefore won't need to break any habits...

So here are the things I think are great differences over the two models and 6 years;

The yellow handles and 'wind down' sticker on the winch's



The yellow handles make it a bit easier to see and although I didn't do it often, on my model 6 I did smack my head on the handles a few times – nothing to create brain damage before anyone asks. I like the addition of the sticker, although I am used to which direction to wind the winch to drop the rails, new people on the mill always seem to need a bit of help getting it right in the begining.

The carriage brake, has been modified...



I tried it a couple of times at various different track angles, tried fiddling with it while trying to push the carriage along the tracks, it sure does a good job holding the carriage and doesn't look like it will 'open' like the older version could have.

Another difference which showed it's colours was the anti bounce strut...



It's quite simple really and I'd think it could be useful on all models if it can be fitted. When using the model 6 and doing a full depth vertical cut, sometimes there was a probability of the carriage 'bouncing' in the cut, I learnt to do different things if it happended to settle this down when using the 6, things like positioning the logs close to end frames, applying pressure to the top of rails or altering pull speed to ease the bounce, but with the strut in place and doing a 10" vertical cut I found it great, I could get stuck into the cut and not worry about the blade bouncing and making marks on the next layer, no more messing around with how to ease out any bounce. You do have to be steady on the last 12" or so before exiting the log as the strut is no longer in play, but I'd rather take care of the last 12" of the log and leave the strut to do the rest of the log.

Having bright yellow paint on the end frame stays...



Helps to show up the stays much better even in the fading afternoon light, just an added thing to help make stuff visible I suppose. The red and yellow marking on the end frame bottom rails helps to make them more visible too, but I think these bits won't last long. I'm not going to get too precious with mine, the end frame bottom rails are in the dirt and often covered in sawdust, so if it doesn't last long, I don't think it will matter.

Also I did notice the end frames stood taller than on the model 6, so I won't have worries about duckin my head under the top raiI anymore.

Well I hope you all liked my afternoon playing with Bo Derek as much as I did. :D ;) ;D 8)

[okie]

 8) 8) 8) It's about time  ;D

[ErikC]

 You act like you've been waiting a month for this :D :D Great tour by the way

[sigidi]

A month? Erick, I looked at some of the pictures I took when bringing Bo Derek home,  :( it had been almost 2 months >:( :'( now I've cracked the cork though....  8) ;D

Chrs (Meadows Miller) what are your 'likes' 'dislikes' between the two models? did you find similar things you needed to get used to?

Yeah Okie it is about time hey? ;D ;D Mind you I still have the smile on my face 8)

[weisyboy]

you still cant call yourself a sawmiller, but well fix that next weekend mate. get you a good supply of sawdust ;D

[sigidi]

Yeah, you think you are funny dontcha Carl??? ;D

[sigidi]

Well I managed to double my pile of timber from the 10-30 today 8) but wouldn't ya believe it, I go inside for a bite to eat at lunch and a dinosaur of a bird must have pooped on the mill :-[ :( >:( almost covered half the air filter cover, DanG bird!!!

So I sliced up some 6x3, 7x2, 10x2 6x4 and 4x4, just getting through some trash logs at the moment, also got the blade lined up and giving the teeth mark patterns I like to see for the weekends sawmill contest ;D can't wait, I've got four days booked whee I can talk sawmilling, do sawmilling and play with timber all four days!!! YEAH 8) 8)