To give you some history when I got this new a year ago it was cutting a 1/8" thicker on the tail end of the mill than the head end (hitch side) of the mill. So example if I put a log up and cut a 6" cant out of this 12' log when I got done cutting the cant it would be 6" on head side and 6 1/8" on the tail end. But if I wanted to cut boards out of that cant all the boards would come out the same thickness as I went down on the cant other than the last board would be an 1/8" thicker on the tail end. So I thought that maybe a didn't have enough down pressure on the jacks on the tail end so I put more pressure on them and adjusted the other ones to compensate but that didn't do anything. Then I put a straight edge across the rails, on the 1st and 3rd,it is 1/8" lower than the second and forth, I am not counting the first swinging or the last swinging rails. So straight lined the four stationary rails that didn't help. Then I just lived with it and cut for a couple more months because I mostly just cut for my own use and do not cut much thru winter so last weekend I did a complete alignment by what the manual tells you to do other than I did not put on new drive belts(I only have 43 hours on the mill). That helped but it is still 1/16" off now on the tail end and I adjusted all the bed rails again and when you lay a straight edge across them the first and third are 1/8" higher than the second and forth. I took some pictures so the pictures are in order from the first to the forth rail. This is getting frustrating, I know it isn't much but would like it to be perfect.
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Also the measurement from the blade to all the rails is the exact measurement so how can two of them be lower?
Check your rail to see if it's straight or crowned.
I put a straight edge on them and they are straight.
Anything you saw needs to be supported (under the cant) at least within an inch of the end of your cant.
If your blade is in line and the bed is level and you get the same distance from blade to bed then your cant may not be properly supported on the end or you have sawdust or chips under your cant.
How confident are you that the cant in your photo is perfectly straight? Though, I suspect that much difference is more than just a wavy cut.
Also, I wonder what it looks like if you took the same photos with the cant on the loader side of the rails.
Any chance when you measured from blade down to the rail that your tape measure was angled? I always use a tape, but now that I think about it, putting a machinist square on the rail and bringing the head down to touch the square, then just move the square and head down to each rail would probably be the best way to know they were all at equal height.
Quote from: Deere80 on March 27, 2018, 11:12:56 AM
I put a straight edge on them and they are straight.
I was referring to the main rail / frame that the head rides on.
Quote from: POSTON WIDEHEAD on March 27, 2018, 11:28:14 AM
Anything you saw needs to be supported (under the cant) at least within an inch of the end of your cant.
If your blade is in line and the bed is level and you get the same distance from blade to bed then your cant may not be properly supported on the end or you have sawdust or chips under your cant.
There is nothing under the cant, and it isn't stress in the log either. So why would I get the same measurement from blade to rail on all of them but when you straight line it from end of mill to end of mill the rails are at different height?
Quote from: Southside logger on March 27, 2018, 11:04:02 AM
Check your rail to see if it's straight or crowned.
Sorry, I did not do that yet but can string line that also.
Quote from: uler3161 on March 27, 2018, 11:28:44 AM
How confident are you that the cant in your photo is perfectly straight? Though, I suspect that much difference is more than just a wavy cut.
Also, I wonder what it looks like if you took the same photos with the cant on the loader side of the rails.
Any chance when you measured from blade down to the rail that your tape measure was angled? I always use a tape, but now that I think about it, putting a machinist square on the rail and bringing the head down to touch the square, then just move the square and head down to each rail would probably be the best way to know they were all at equal height.
I used a string line when I checked them but that did not show up as good when I took pictures so that is why I used the board and It shows the same.
Loader side shows the same.
I used a 2 foot square and read my measurement off the square.
I use a square too, but that takes care of measurement in one plane, the square could be leaning over not 90 degrees, not shortest distance, in the other plane. Especially a framing square. I use the 32nd scale on a Starrett 12" combination square that sets flat on the rail but still pay attention to it being straight up and down in the plane it could be leaning in. Also I write down the numbers when checking multiple rails or if getting frustrated. Have my glasses on too.
I would ditch the string, straightedge, and levels from the procedure. These set up conflicting standards and opportunity for inappropriate adjustments.
Distance from the band to each rail accurately and properly measured. Once you know the blade travels parallel to the bunks then it becomes an issue of setup of the mill which is largely taken care of by sighting the main rail by eye from either end. It is not hard with practice to be able to see whether your rail is straight over 26 feet. But you have to remember that the head weight will deform the rail as it goes along, if the footing isn't solid under each support.
Cant size within 1/16 at either end of 12 feet is a worthy but stringent goal. That's one of the tests for adjustment of the jacks in a sawmill setup. But understand that is necessary for stiff cants or beams not necessarily for 1x and 2x lumber that are flexible and lie flat on the rails even if the sawmill bed has some arch or dip in it.
After you get everything perfectly aligned, never discount the fact that logs/cants release stress (energy) as boards are taken off. Very often sawing one board off will allow the entire remaining cant to move.
Quote from: Magicman on March 27, 2018, 01:26:57 PM
After you get everything perfectly aligned, never discount the fact that logs/cants release stress (energy) as boards are taken off. Very often sawing one board off will allow the entire remaining cant to move.
MM I thought that was my issue at first and I am sure it affects it some times but it does it every time even with logs that I know do not have any stress. What puzzles me is the rails are the same height from the blade but when your cutting the cant is not touching them all. So you can cut a cant and start cutting the boards off the cant and they are perfect from one end to the other but the last board that is laying on the rails is the one that is thicker on the tail end. So if my rail that the head rides on (main frame) would be not straight or the frame flexing from not enough support on the jacks then when I would be cutting boards off the cant they would not be perfect. It is just the last board you cut or if you want to cut a square cant with a cut edge laying on the rail.
Quoteeven with logs that I know do not have any stress
Not arguing, but how do you know this?
Quotebut the last board that is laying on the rails is the one that is thicker on the tail end
Your example is the perfect case of a cant that is not supported all of the way to the far end. A cant will sometime sag downward as it is being sawn making each board slightly thinner on the ends. And then when you get to the dog board, guess what? It is thicker on the end. It's additional thickness is distributed among the slightly thinner boards that have been taken off.
I am not saying that this is your situation, but it is something that will absolutely happen and has to be watched for. If it has not happened to you yet, then it will and often sooner than later.
MM, your right I can not prove that it doe not have stress but it happens every time so I wouldn't think every log would do the same exact thing. I had a four post sawmill before this one and never had that issue.
I am by far not a experienced sawyer by no means that is why I might have some dumb questions.
So can you explain to me why I have the same measurement from bottom of blade to all the rails like the manual tells you to do but when you have a cant laying on them the cant touches every other rail and is not laying flat on every rail?
Quote from: Southside logger on March 27, 2018, 11:48:17 AM
Quote from: Deere80 on March 27, 2018, 11:12:56 AM
I put a straight edge on them and they are straight.
I was referring to the main rail / frame that the head rides on.
Check the main beam for deflection in its length. The saw head may be riding the same distance from the individual bunks but the main beam may have sag in the middle. So the head could riding in a bit of an arc. Level would not be a bad place to start to ensure your adjustments are correct.
I had cants that were out of square. One of the problems was how the mill was supported. I reset
all the jacks and that helped. It is hard to believe as beefy as these frames are that you might get twist or sag, but apparently it happens.
Quote from: SawyerTed on March 27, 2018, 04:05:19 PMIt is hard to believe as beefy as these frames are that you might get twist or sag, but apparently it happens.
I don't believe it....unless the mills has been damaged. :)
Quote from: Deere80 on March 27, 2018, 03:37:22 PM
I am by far not a experienced sawyer by no means that is why I might have some dumb questions.
Deere, we all respect your frustration and I promise you I have been in your position.....lots of times.
You're questions are NOT dumb and a lot of people that have not even replied to your questions are reading every word of your thread to learn something. Trust me.
Hang in there.....it'll get figured out. :)
If the bunks are uneven and the blade is the same distance from each bunk I'd be checking the round rod that the cam followers ride on for being uneven. There was a vid on youtube where they had to cut all the welds on that rod and re level it. There is no mill made that the frame wont twist or sag without good supports from the jacks. No matter what some are led to believe. Steve
Yes, hang in there. Figuring this out is about understanding the possible variables and knowing what observations you can trust.
For example, your observation that the band is the same height above all the bunks, but some of the bunks are lower than others, the only way that can be true is if your band is going up and down as you push the head over the higher and lower bunks. The only way I can imagine that happening on your mill, is if the main rail of the mill is not straight and the head is riding on it up and down in the manner you describe. Sighting along this rail I think you should be easily able to see this-the rail not being straight- if it were there. But if this were the case, then you would also see this by sighting along the cut line you just made, it would also not be straight.
ps Ladylake just said it too, and shorter.
BTW - if the main rail is the problem it may still be covered under under the original WM warranty. I think the warranty is 2 years hitch to taillight.
I was a mill right for a few years. We used lasers to set everything up.
You could shoot a line and measure from the rail up to the dot off every bunk.
QuoteI would ditch the string, straightedge, and levels from the procedure. These set up conflicting standards and opportunity for inappropriate adjustments.
If you measured from the blade to the bed rails correctly and all the measurements were the same then it is stress in the wood. Unless you found a bed rail with a loose nut or bolts the beds would be correct from the factory.
Marty
My mill isn't a WM but it took me a long time to realize the importance of set up stability. I didn't think it could twist or sag as heavily as it's built. But it will. Just set up and milled the past two days. Now I put lots of support under the feet then level with a sight level. After cutting for awhile I'll re-check and adjust if needed. Mines a 4 post and I can tell on the up and down if things are out.
I use a 15 foot piece of extruded aluminum stock or steel square tubing. It should to be long enough to span most all of the the bed rails at once, including and especially the pivoting ones. I will lay it down on the bed occasioanlly, and it will let me know when I have bent bed rails with big logs, which has happened a couple times or my mill feet have been pounded into the dirt floor, and may require a little shimming.
Using a piece of wood to determine flatness of the bed rails won't work too well. When in doubt, put the stick of metal on it.
I have a LT35 also and have a similar problem a slight high spot almost center line of mill.
And yes the mill is set up correctly.
I work on a concrete slab so I have wood blocks under the ends if one works out I know instantly I will have a big hump in the middle.
I Have a 12 ft strait edge when I lay it down round rod it will rock from side to side.
I cut mainly 1x and 2x and haven't had any complaint's it just drives me nuts.
Hoping you find a answer and maybe I can learn something to.
Scott
Like WV said, the mill is under warranty, bring it in and have the experts check it out. Why go through all the aggravation and guess work?
Quote from: John S on March 28, 2018, 08:05:19 AM
Like WV said, the mill is under warranty, bring it in and have the experts check it out. Why go through all the aggravation and guess work?
I live 10 hours away from the dealer so I do not want to drive back if all possible.
Last night I took a 6ft level because that is the longest I have and started running it down the rod the mill rides on to see if I have any dips or bends in it and when I got above the axle where I always get the bad cut in, the rod is bent down and out. I took some pictures so you can see. Then I took the pressure off the jacks on the rear and it did not change it a bit. The level shows the same thing when I put it on the big tubing of the frame where the rod is welded to, it is bent down. I am only using the level for a long straight edge not looking at the bubble. So do I call the dealer and see what he has to say or is it something else. You can see with the naked eye when you look down the rod that it has a bow outward, you can not see it dip down though.
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Yes your next call should be to the dealer. Give them an opportunity to respond with a solution.
Absolutely call the dealer and supply him with the pictures. It's disheartening but at least you now know what the problem is.
Call em, let us know what they say.
Talked to the dealer he thinks it is a set up issue but referred me to headquarters tech support so will be contacting them.
Quote from: Deere80 on March 28, 2018, 11:27:55 AM
Talked to the dealer he thinks it is a set up issue but referred me to headquarters tech support so will be contacting them.
Probably ought to get a convincing pic of the place the rail dips down for your interaction with WM. 2 of your pics show the end or most of the level up in the air and from the photo I cant see why that is. If there is a dip, can you not span the dip with the 6' straightedge to show it?
Sideways bend won't make a difference for what you have mentioned so far.
Just throwing out 2 other things hoping to help. In a proper setup the mill needs to be jacked up enough so that at least some if not most or all of the weight is taken off of the axle spring. If you see the feed motor rubbing on the tire as it goes past in a 1" cut, it isn't jacked high enough. Also I think you mentioned earlier that your mill cuts perfect lumber except for the last board. If you had a dip in the rail that matters, then you should have a dip in the lumber or cant at that place.
Quote from: terrifictimbersllc on March 28, 2018, 11:43:29 AM
Quote from: Deere80 on March 28, 2018, 11:27:55 AM
Talked to the dealer he thinks it is a set up issue but referred me to headquarters tech support so will be contacting them.
Probably ought to get a convincing pic of the place the rail dips down for your interaction with WM. 2 of your pics show the end or most of the level up in the air and from the photo I cant see why that is. If there is a dip, can you not span the dip with the 6' straightedge to show it?
Sideways bend won't make a difference for what you have mentioned so far.
Just throwing out 2 other things hoping to help. In a proper setup the mill needs to be jacked up enough so that at least some if not most or all of the weight is taken off of the axle spring. If you see the feed motor rubbing on the tire as it goes past in a 1" cut, it isn't jacked high enough. Also I think you mentioned earlier that your mill cuts perfect lumber except for the last board. If you had a dip in the rail that matters, then you should have a dip in the lumber or cant at that place.
The level is being held tight down to the round rod for the first foot of the level, in the 6 foot of the level that is how much it is not straight on the rod if that makes sense. I will try tonight when I get home from work to put more pressure than I even have on the rear jack to see if that makes any difference.
Yes it is just in the last board, but even tech support could not explain why I have the same measurement from the bottom of the back of the blade to the rails and come up with the same measurement but if I take a log make a cut, roll it 180 degrees so that cut is laying on the rails why is the first and the third rail lower than the second and forth(talking just the solid mounted rails not your swinging ones). Tech guy is referring this to his supervisor now. I wish I didn't live so far from the dealer.
Yes that makes sense. But what you've shown so far in the photos I wouldn't call a dip. That's what I would expect to be able to jack out by lifting up on the end of the frame with the jacks. Not saying I think you don't have a problem. But with my mill I can, with the jacks and the weight of the head, make either a dip or a crown over the length of the main rail which depends on the setup. Mostly during a sawing day, I am correcting once or twice for a falloff at one end or the other. This is over one or the other of the swing rails, not the fixed ones.
I can't explain your high-low-high-low bunk issue. If there is an experienced sawyer esp. a WM owner, closer who could drop by maybe he could help spot the issue.
Even the strongest beams if long enough will bend...
BEAM FALLS OFF TRUCK | FLIPS TRUCK | OVERSIZE LOAD | BAD DAY AT WORK? - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE27jZZ0i5o)
Well - the beam was well secured to the tractor, no question there.
Interesting anomaly, if the top round bar is truly offset sideways as the OP suspects (which while improbable is not technically impossible if the welding jig was disturbed during fabrication) then the sawmill head vertical mast could tilt sideways in that section of the mill. This could allow the blade to rise or fall in relation to the bed in that section. If the OP was aligning the bunks to the blade they would follow the blade horizontal plane and be uneven over the length of the mill. All said I'd be interested in what WM finds in this case, I don't have a WM mill but have the utmost respect for the manufacturer and the design. Please keep us updated on your and WM's determination.
I'm told one of the advantages of the monopost configuration is the ability to saw straight lumber even if the mill is not perfectly level, the WM mills I've run were quite stiff and rigid in their beam construction. I'd be surprised if you could twist that beam enough with the leveling feet to cause the offset in the round bar that appears in the OP's pics if the pics truly represent that offset. Interesting.
Joe
If the legs are down on hard ground and and the bed is level the only way that beam can be twisted is it had to be hit pretty hard with something to bend it.
Now the rest of the story comes out, the whole "I jumped out of the back hoe and landed on a chunk of asphalt" was just a cover to you head butting his mill. It is true goats will climb on anything. :D
I have had a couple of times where I had the last board be thin on one end and correct on the other. The first thing I noticed was the can't wasn't touching the bunk on the front of the mill.First I thought it was debris under the log. Nope! Then I thought it was stress in the wood and made sure to flip the cant, but the gap was still there. Next I thought one of the bed rails was high and holding the end up. After several checks, I only found about 1/32" of variance. So, now the head scratching really begins. Then I read this post the other day and whenI set my mill up yesterday, I looked down the beam and could see a definite crown in the round rod. I gave the back outrigger one more notch and the crown went away. That will definitely be a step in every setup from here on out. Thank you for posting this thread, I was pulling out what little hair I have left..
When I talked to the tech support guy at Wood-Mizer yesterday he told me there is supposed to be a crown up and out on the rod, that is the way they are made for any of you that did not know that. I did not know that I thought it way supposed to be straight. I still haven't heard anything back from them though.
Have you tried putting your cant or straight line across the rails when the head is in the middle of the mill? I wonder if the weight of the head at the right point will straighten it out. Perhaps that's the reasoning for the crown. Maybe having no crown will cause it to dip in the middle when the head gets there. Just a theory.
Quote from: Deere80 on March 29, 2018, 11:42:08 AM
When I talked to the tech support guy at Wood-Mizer yesterday he told me there is supposed to be a crown up and out on the rod, that is the way they are made for any of you that did not know that. I did not know that I thought it way supposed to be straight. I still haven't heard anything back from them though.
Sounds like you are getting the run around, I'd send it back and have them straighten that rod and then realign the bunks. Steve
Quote from: Josef on March 28, 2018, 09:26:14 PM
Interesting anomaly, if the top round bar is truly offset sideways as the OP suspects (which while improbable is not technically impossible if the welding jig was disturbed during fabrication) then the sawmill head vertical mast could tilt sideways in that section of the mill. This could allow the blade to rise or fall in relation to the bed in that section. If the OP was aligning the bunks to the blade they would follow the blade horizontal plane and be uneven over the length of the mill. All said I'd be interested in what WM finds in this case, I don't have a WM mill but have the utmost respect for the manufacturer and the design. Please keep us updated on your and WM's determination.
I'm told one of the advantages of the monopost configuration is the ability to saw straight lumber even if the mill is not perfectly level, the WM mills I've run were quite stiff and rigid in their beam construction. I'd be surprised if you could twist that beam enough with the leveling feet to cause the offset in the round bar that appears in the OP's pics if the pics truly represent that offset. Interesting.
Joe
IMHO, I agree with Joe's assessment of the cause and effect of the rod being offset at different points along the length of the beam. While crown can be a matter of support the horizontal alignment of the rod is a different matter. Looking at my WM mill both the top and bottom rods are straight and proud of the beam's side, equal distances of the edge of the rod hanging over the beam. Hang a square over the top rail and compare this along the lenght of the beam. Any big deviations will certianly stick out. If as you suspect their are significant differances, then IMHO it would be a manufacturing issue.
Having a built in crown does not surprise me at all, look at a flat bed semi trailer when it is unloaded - crowned in the middle. I suspect the outward deflection in the round rod serves to act as a torsion rod to only allow the frame to flex to a certain point when loaded with a log.
If you read the alignment specifications the outward side of the head is also higher than the inward side to allow for flex from the force of the band in the wood.
At the end of the day if you are still convinced that the issue is with the mill and not stress in the cant you could always get a S4S dried beam, say poplar or white pine, that has a dead center pith, straight grain, no knots, etc and try sawing it, new band with tension right, and see what happens.
These machines put out high quality lumber, but at the end of the day it is still considered to be rough sawn. What looks like perfection becomes a bit less when you start to run a moulder, does not matter what saw it came off of.
I can agree with most mentioned in this thread, but none of it means it couldn't be a factory defect either, it happens to any manufacturer.
UPDATE..
Talked with Woodmizer at Indy and was referred to a Supervisor because the tech could not help me.
Supervisor had me try a few things which didn't change anything and told me the saw is cutting with in specs. If the saw cuts with in 1/8" it is what they consider rough cut lumber. As far as the bunks being high low high low he can't explain that. He said that was impossible to be. So I really got no where.
They were all decent to talk to but I have not got any where yet.
Deere,
First of all. thanks for begining this post. It has a ton of good info and discussion in it. I have a 2017 LT 50. My mill has 30 hrs on it. I was sawing for a cutomer last week, and I noticed a couple of differnt things. One, was when I used the pattern mode, the last baord was just a little thinner on one end than on the other. The other thing I noticed had to do with the speed. If I set it really slow, once it got over the axle it would stop. I would have to speed it up a little to get it going. It was like it was riding over a hump in the frame, which makes sense to what has been posted. I figured the frame was crowned a little because I was siting on really soft dirt.
Stick with me here a minute. The cantilever design of a WM consists of the head moving along the beam. So, if the beam is straight, the head should move straight with it. So, set your mill up. Forget the level. Levels can get off. If someone went crazy on the paint on the mill in one spot and got it thick, it could through you off a little too. Move the head all the way to the front (tongue end). Tie a string from the bottom of the head to the other end of the mill, just off the rail. Slide a 3/4" thick block between the string and the frame at the head and the end of the mill. Do the same at the tail end. The 3/4 block sets the line off the frame 3/4". The string will be perfectly straight. Take a third 3/4" black and use it a guage block along the rail of the mill. Slide it between the rail and the line at every cross rail. The line should just kiss the block. If it is out, you will see the string down on the face of the block, or a gap between the line and the block. Use the levelers to get it perfectly straight. You can use a level to level it side to side.
Your situation reminds me of a shop teacher I had one time. He said that if you need to do good work, make a jig. Once you get the rail perfectly straight, make you a jig that you can slide down the rail and check the height of each cross rail off the main rail. If your main rail is straight, the height of each cross rail off the main rail should be the same all the way down the mill. If not, adjust it.
Once you a 100% sure that the cross memebers a set correctly, you can start the process of elimination. Just the other day, I had a bolt to fall out of my barker. The rest of the bolts were very loose. If someone left one of the cross rails on your mill loose, and if you loaded a heavy log with a knot on it that came done on that one rail, I could see how it would knock it out of adjustment.
Sometimes a simple string can do miralces. The Egyptians proved that. There is a simple explaniation for your troubles.
Hope this helps.
Make sure the feed motor is not rubbing on the tire as it goes over it, this could happen if the mill is not jacked up high enough, at least on my LT40.
Quote from: terrifictimbersllc on April 11, 2018, 06:46:33 PM
Make sure the feed motor is not rubbing on the tire as it goes over it, this could happen if the mill is not jacked up high enough, at least on my LT40.
Thanks for the suggestion but my feed motor is not even close to touching a tire. So they must be designed different from the 35 to the 40.
That track rod needs to be cut off and welded on straight and then the bunks leveled to it, I'd sure think its a warranty issue. No way is 1/8 " or so close enough on 6 x 6 beams. Steve
When I bought my first LT40 in 2005, the dealer told me there was a slight vertical arch built into the main tube. If the mill outriggers were set up "by the book", the arch would straighten out under the weight of the mill (and the log) and the mill would cut true. I checked with a water level, and yes, the main tube was arched up in the middle.
I found that mill was very easy to set up and I had no issues with the cants lying flat. The setup was so forgiving that I didn't even have to go strickly by the book.
My second LT40 was a little touchier. I had to pay more attention to setting it up and I suspect there was a little more arch in the tube than in the first mill.
That mill still cut true but I couldn't get lazy about setting it up. And when it sat in one place for any length of time I would have to re-adjust the end outriggers to compensate for compressed soil. When the new screw-type outriggers came out I replaced the two end ones and it was much easier to keep the mill set up properly.
That main tube might look perfectly rigid, but it will sag about 1/16" under its own weight if it's only supported at the ends. You want to have a little more upward pressure near the ends.
When you adjust the bed rails, you need to be consistent in all your measurements. I always measure to the underside of a downward set tooth, and I always you the same one on each bed rail (I mark it with a black permanent marker). I also use the marker to make a line on each bed rail directly under the tooth (I use a level to set it). To speed the whole process up, I've also painted white stripes on the main frame that line up with the front carriage roller housing when the blade is directly above the rails. This may sound extra picky, but I am always sure that my measurement from rail to tooth is consistent.
On the LT40 (and probably the LT35), the blade is 1/16" higher at the outboard side of the mill. The head will pull down parallel to the bedrails as soon as the blade bites into the log.
I also make a point of adjusting the mill alignment when the weather is mild and dry (or I'm under a roof). If I'm cold or wet I always tend to rush things and that's the last thing I should be doing when truing up the mill.
Unless the log moves from sawing out the stresses, with a good blade I'll be within 1/32 of an inch from one end of the cant to the other. Doesn't matter if it's 8' long or 32' long.
You are correct about the LT35 blade being set 1/16" higher on the outward side.