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Useful sawmill mods

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

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Dave Shepard

Thanks everyone. I think the head will be at the contact strip enough to recharge the extra battery. I don't plan to use the hydraulics a lot, just to unclamp after the last cut, or maybe drop the loading arms if they got left in the way. ::)

Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Bandmill Bandit

 Ga Mtn Man sent me a personal message asking what I use for protectant/lubricant on my electrical connections. I had to really scratch my head to come up with the name cause the gallon pail has no label any more as it is about 30 ish years old.

I had to ask my Son as I know he uses that same stuff in the computer control systems shop when he builds systems.

It is called NO-OX-ID A special by Sanchem Inc  www.sanchem.com.

It is a sticky greasy hard to clean up product and you don't need a lot to do the job And i have never found another product that works as well. its been around for at least 60 70 ish years and I know all the Fortis service trucks around here have a bucket on all of them.

I would think you could pick it up a local electrical supply store. I have had mine so long I don't even remember where i bought it but it would probably have been Westburne Electrical supply here in Canada.   
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

manoverboard

No Ox grease is what we use on our batteries at work, also used on our breakers and grounds throughout the power plant. It is readily available and a little goes along way...
TimberKing 2000, 35hp Diesel, Kubota L3800 w/loader

terrifictimbersllc

Quote from: Dave Shepard on December 24, 2013, 10:11:24 AM
Thanks everyone. I think the head will be at the contact strip enough to recharge the extra battery. I don't plan to use the hydraulics a lot, just to unclamp after the last cut, or maybe drop the loading arms if they got left in the way. ::)
I and others removed the contact strip and hard wired the head to the hydraulic pumps with 1/0 welding wire.  2 positive lines, 1 ground and leave the grounding strip in place. This is hands down a good solution, no looking back.  Being able to run the hydraulics anytime anywhere has many advantages not the least of which are to be able to load a log, or unclamp a board with the head at the other end of the mill.  I don't feel that there is any risk of running the hydraulics when sawing.  On the contrary I have been glad a number of times to have been able to pull the log over a bit to be able to finish a wide cut which would otherwise have bound up.
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

Dave Shepard

How does that work? I'm not going to have 50 feet of cable laying beside the mill to drag back and forth. ;)
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Bibbyman

Quote from: Dave Shepard on February 20, 2014, 06:31:41 PM
How does that work? I'm not going to have 50 feet of cable laying beside the mill to drag back and forth. ;)

It works if you have Command Control with cable track.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Dave Shepard

That was what I was thinking. No command control here, just a little yellow wireless remote. You would think a piece of wire would be cheaper to install from the factory than the track and all the rest of it for the Command Control mills.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

YellowHammer

Quote from: Bibbyman on February 20, 2014, 07:31:11 PM
Quote from: Dave Shepard on February 20, 2014, 06:31:41 PM
How does that work? I'm not going to have 50 feet of cable laying beside the mill to drag back and forth. ;)

It works if you have Command Control with cable track.
This is a hands down top notch mod.  8)

I re-rigged my mill like this for some time now, as per Bibbyman's instructions except I never removed the contact strip.

Not only is it useful, but it is a great safety mod as well.  Now I can traverse the head to the far end of the mill, clearing it and the debarker far out of the way of any off bearers or while edging, and it also allows unrestricted visibility when manipulating and clamping logs.
It's also handy for quickly leveling logs because as I pull the head back from the far side of the log, back to the command station, I brush the dragback fingers down the length if the log, as a reference, adjusting the toe rollers as I go.  If the finger tips just touch the top of the log its entire length, its dead level, and I can commence to sawing hi grade lumber parallel to the bark.
YH
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

woodyone.john

My comprehension is reading low ATM. a picture would be really handy. Or is this mod only for those with remote operating stations[i.e not on the head rig] cheers john
Saw millers are just carpenters with bigger bits of wood

Dave Shepard

It is only for the Command Control mills, where the wiring runs through the cat track at the side of the mill. Command Control has the controls mounted at the hitch end of the mill, and the operator stays with the control box.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Bandmill Bandit

 

If look close you will see the battery sitting on the floor connected to a pair of 1 O cable with an electric fork lift quick connector.  That battery sits on the ground beside my little generator when I am in operation. I took a pair of 2 O 25 foot NAPA industrial booster cables and cut the ends off and then put the fork lift connectors on both the clamp ends that I cut off and on the remaining cable. The cable piece runs from the big deep cycle battery to the short cable that connects directly to the hot connectors in the Hydraulic box. Another set of the quick connectors on 18 inch 2 O cable hook it up to a garden tractor battery that is mounted on the little Genset. AND I can still clip the clamp ends back on and use as booster cables. 25 foot cables sure are handy. As is the little Genset for a lot of other applications.

I will take a pic of the complete set up next time I set up to cut mid next week and post it here as well.

This keeps arrangement keeps the genset back out of the way but close enough that I can still hear when it runs out of gas but provide lots of power to the mill. No cables dragging around. 

Contact strip still in place.

The improvement in mill performance was was very substantial.

Dave; FYI the head isn't  at the front of the mill enough to keep that extra Battery charged with 2 hydraulic pumps UNLESS you convert to the 140 amp alternator. Hence the extra generator build for me because I had ALL the components to build it. Think I spent 10 bucks on connectors.   
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

Dave Shepard

I bought a pair of 25' hydraulic hoses today. I'm going to take my closest roller toe board off and put it on my BX24, and take that bed rail and put it on my mill. I always load butt first, so I don't typically need a toe board closest to my end of the mill. I do, however, need a toe board somewhere down on the bed extension to level up logs over about 26'. My cost on the hoses was $225, retail was over $330. :o
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

delvis

*NOTE* I posted this before reading the rest of the posts but it is the best thing we have seen to do so far.

We've only made one real mod to our LT40HD but it is something that I appreciate every single time I saw.  We got the idea from a fellow local Wood Mizer owner who had done the same thing.  Our mill has the command station so we saw all from one end without walking.  We put about 50 feet of welding cable in the caterpillar tray and wired it to the mill in order to bypass WM's copper strip on the side of the main beam.  This lets us run all the hydraulics with the head anywhere in its travel and not just the first few feet.  This allows for a few things.

1. We can move the log posts out of the way on a flat sided cant after starting a cut if the sawyer (me) forgets to get them low enough before starting the cut.

2.  I can turn logs and cants with no obstruction to my view with the saw head all the way down at the end of the mill.  This is as useful to me as anything.  I only need to pick the head up as high as I need to and I don't have to try and see around it to turn a big log or cant.  I also don't need to walk around it. 

3. When sawing alone, I can unclamp the last board, raise the log posts, and lower the loader arms to the ground for the next log without having to bring the head back to where I am standing.  Considering that the boards all come off the end to be placed on our stand it is especially helpful to have the head out of the way without having to bring it back to release the log clamp and then have to move it forward to get to the boards.  This alone saves a ton of time.

I realize that WM has that strip there most likely for liability purposes but it would be nice to offer it both ways and let the customer decide.     
If I never saw another board I will at least die happy having spent the last few years working with my dad!

delvis

Quote from: Tom on July 28, 2004, 12:50:13 PM
On the back of the loader of a Woodmizer, the hoses enter the Ram.  The fitting is solid tube and is next to the ground where it will break if it comes into contact with a scrap of wood, or the loader digs a hole.  When mine broke, I replaced it with two end fittings stuck into a piece of hydraulic hose that was as short as I could get it.  There is about 1.5 to 3 inches of hose between the fittings.  It gives the fittings just enough movement that they don't break if something gets under them.

I found out the other day the hard way how important it is to make sure those fittings and the hoses are freed up before running the arms up or down.  My hoses were frozen in the ground and when I brought the arms all the way down and the feet tried to come up it sheared both velocity fittings off the bottom of the rams.  That was fun to fix.
If I never saw another board I will at least die happy having spent the last few years working with my dad!

Peter Drouin

delvis,
You should build a mill shed and keep the mill under a roof, And that won't happen.
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

delvis

Quote from: Peter Drouin on March 31, 2014, 09:26:04 PM
delvis,
You should build a mill shed and keep the mill under a roof, And that won't happen.

Peter, After talking to my father who is in Florida for the winter I think this year will be the year we finally get a post and beam affair we can drive in and out of.  I have access to paper machine dryer screen fabric so we'll be able to have sides that we can roll out of the way when it is nice out and put down when the weather is not so good.  This will give us enough ventilation for fumes as well.  I would like to have a cement slab but I just don't have the cash for that right now. 
If I never saw another board I will at least die happy having spent the last few years working with my dad!

Dave Shepard

Quote from: Dave Shepard on March 31, 2014, 06:39:31 PM
I bought a pair of 25' hydraulic hoses today. I'm going to take my closest roller toe board off and put it on my BX24, and take that bed rail and put it on my mill. I always load butt first, so I don't typically need a toe board closest to my end of the mill. I do, however, need a toe board somewhere down on the bed extension to level up logs over about 26'. My cost on the hoses was $225, retail was over $330. :o


I'm putting the BX back on the mill, so I moved the first bed section with the hydraulic toeboard down to the BX and hooked the hoses up. Now I won't have to lift the end of long logs with the forklift and shim them. It will save a lot of time. Next, I'm going to figure out how to link up a side support on the BX so it goes up with the ones on the mill.
'


 
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Peter Drouin

Nice job , That will help a lot 8)
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

Dave Shepard

I hope so. It's the best I could do for now. I want to buy a hydraulic BX24 to go between the mill and this BX, but it was going to be something like $16k, so that will have to wait. :D
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

LeeB

Look back through the early posts in this thread. Bibby made some links for his mill to activate the manual posts.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Peter Drouin

Quote from: Dave Shepard on April 13, 2014, 09:09:13 AM
I hope so. It's the best I could do for now. I want to buy a hydraulic BX24 to go between the mill and this BX, but it was going to be something like $16k, so that will have to wait. :D


How long do you want to cut? :o
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

pineywoods

Here's how I did the backstop on the bed extension. Toe roller would be a bit more complicated..
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,24757.msg353671.html#msg353671
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
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

customsawyer

When you get it up and running you will ask yourself "why didn't I do this sooner".
Two LT70s, Nyle L200 kiln, 4 head Pinheiro planer, 30" double surface Cantek planer, Lucas dedicated slabber, Slabmizer, and enough rolling stock and chainsaws to keep it all running.
www.thecustomsawyer.com

Dave Shepard

Peter, I want to cut the longest timbers around. ;) I have orders for 50', which really means 51' or 52' with trim. I might also want to cut some 60' someday for my own shop.

Pineywoods, that is pretty much what I had in mind, that or a 12v linear actuator.

customsawyer, I'm already anticipating how much nicer this will be with that powered toeboard. 8)
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Peter Drouin

60'+  ::) That's over the top. If I get a call for 60' wood I'll send them to you :D 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

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