Norwood Camdogs, business view, Best ROI....im bored

[strunk57]

Hello to all again, As i am sitting in the motel room in NY being bored with the 6 hrs i have every evening in a strange place after work, All I can think about is being back home in KY throwing sawdust.

I have thought about everything from a better truck to get logs, I have 100% planned a saw shed, and firewood shed, and a lumber storage shed, now starting on drawing up a solar kiln. I really want to upgrade but funds are limited and want to invest in what is gonna make me the most $$$. The shed is coming first but have already payed for everyhting i need minus the lumber.

My norwood LL24 has square cam dogs and on screw type clamp, While sawing this takes the most time, turning logs with a cant hook then using a torpedo level to get a square cut, very accurate but takes so much time, I would like to upgrade that part of my mill, my camdogs move to much to just lay against, and my one screw clamp isnt strong enough to push the logs completly against it anyway, as of now im pushing the log against the dogs and leaning it back, then use my torpedo and screw clamp to get the log square. 

I have seen a few upgrades on here in the past but having trouble finding them now, plus most are for WM, any advice would be great,

Im getting calls every day about lumber, slabs, saw jobs, logs. I really love sawing and want to upgrade to a nice WM hyd within a couple years, hopefully turn this hobby into a FT job.

Sry bout the long post, i guess too much off time puts alot of ideas in my head

[Jeff]

If you are taking a cut, then turning 90° change your style of sawing. Cut a face and flip that down. If your mill is adjusted correctly, sharp and sawing true, you will get square cants. You shouldn't have to be putting a level on the thing, that's just crazy. I rarely even dog after the first side.

I think Chet put a set of backstops on the other side of the track on the norwood.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,62923.0.html

[strunk57]

Jeff, I make 1 cut, then turn 180, my bunks are fine, its the cam dogs bending back not allowing me to simply push the log against them and saw, thats why i have to use the torpedo, like i said my lumber is very square, but its very time consuming, I would like to fix something up to lower/raise all 3 dogs at the same time, but i also need better clamps also.

[dgdrls]

Good evening Strunk57,

does "turn 180" mean your rolling the first cut face onto the bunks?
I don't understand the torpedo part?  Sorry

DGDrls

[beenthere]

The "torpedo" may be a bubble level ?

[m wood]

Yeah, I call small bubble level torpedo too.  Thanks for the topic strunk57.  I have the same issue with my Norwood.  I've had the stops off and back on, changed sides once and that didnt work for my overall setup so I went back.  there's been a lot said about not needing to clamp so hard, and that helped a bunch.  clamping low is important, but those screw styles are my biggest pain too.  I'm looking in to some cam style I can fab up.  Befor I winterized in Nov. I started using a woodworking (pipe)barclamp laced thru the frame holes on the far side (I'll get a pic up later).  I could only use it by the 3rd cut with a flat face toward me.  But the logic was, 3 slabs off, log getting lighter on the bunks, more clamp force needed, didn't have to screw the clamp into a board face, real low profile and gave just a bit of downward force and kept the cant tight to the tab stops with the (movable) log stops down and out of the way. 

My head scratcher is; When I do what Jeff said, flip 1st face down for 2nd cut, I get some tapered boards.  I think it's gotta be all the Spruce I cut, cuz everything else is alligned  ???.  I've tried it with and without raising toe boards, and I occasionally get the same effect, so I do the 90 turn and throw a build square on too.  And Jeffs right, It's just crazy time consuming. :-\.
i'm watching this thread
mark

[dgdrls]

Morning Gents,

Yup, understood torpedo, was not clear on why it was needed after the opening cut.

I recall with my LT-10 the clamps were a bit finicky.  You could over-clamp the cant
and get taper cuts or shiplap siding without the jig.

Looks like Norwood had cam style clamps out would those be a better option?

DGDrls

[strunk57]

Yea, by torpedo I mean a small 6" bubble level, I find it has a lot faster then using a square, but the problem is not over tightening, the cants are not raising up my dogs are allowing the log to go past 90 degrees, so I lean the log at around 70 degrees, put my clamp a little above midways and screw until the torpedo shows level. But have to make sure the clamp is tight enough also, I make a lot of 1/8" cuts. As I said my lumber is very accurate, all my customers are very happy, it's just so time consuming. I guess watching the Hyd WM have made me jealous.

I was thinking of trying to copy WMs style of moving all 3 dogs at the same time from the front of the mill, most the time I saw alone so you can imagine how much time it takes walking from one side of the mill to the other the first few cuts, then if the log rolls to far, back around I go.

[bandmiller2]

We all have our own system, I mill mostly large (spelled heavy) white pine and turn 90 after the first cut. I have a two plain clamp/turner so I can continue turning but that seems to just postpone the square problem. My backstops are very slightly sprung from heavy logs, but I like to be able to put them up and down without hanging on a cant, so I leave them this way. I mill alone and remove the slabs from the back so its not out of my way to put a level on the opening cut if precision is required outherwise eye is close enough for boards. Struck, sounds like a Pineywoods turner should be in your future, its tough to be on the road with time to kill, ask around their may be local millers. Frank C.

[Too Big To Fail]

sounds like your backstops are out of square? or just so flimsy that the dog makes them flex?  I have had similar issues and I flip 180 after the first cut, then use a framing square on the 3rd cut (against the first cut) to be sure of square.  It just takes a second, but I'm with you, it would be nice not to have to worry about it.  I found my backstops get bent out of whack rolling big oaks on to them.  I have cut them off and re-welded them square a couple times.  Maybe just beef up your backstops if they flex with the clamp?

[strunk57]

I have been reading the pinywoods thread and have made a material list to look for, I don't have the extra 1k to buy everything new, but yes my back stops need beefed up, a log turner would be nice, I suppose I will get by, but man it would be nice to just turn and clamp without having to adjust. Keep in mind I have not spent any extra money out of my pocket after buying my mill, all tools/upgrades have been purchased with profit, or traded services for, I would like to keep it that way but if it makes more money then why not. Anybody made any back stops that work as one?

[Jeff]

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the problem here.  When I'm sawing on my mill, once I get a flat face down, I don't need to clamp anything until the remaining wood gets so light that the blade might push it, or to try and pull out tension.  Is the problem here because a norwood cuts away from the stops? Your wood is moving in the clamps? If your saw is cutting horizontal to your bed, and cutting true and the log isn't moving in the cut, flipping your first face down has to result in square lumber   I'd hate to have all my stops tied together. Having the ability to swing one out of the way, or having one higher than the other lets me handle some pretty unique situations.

[strunk57]

Jeff, I make 1 cut, then flip 180, I usually take a couple cuts here for stickers. It is on the 3rd cut that is taking so long, my dogs are too loose even after I tighten them. Not as loose as out of square to the bunk after tightening. But after a square 3rd cut I don't have to use the torpedo anymore.

[shelbycharger400]

I built my slabber so the chain pulls the log into fixed forked clamp,  I have screw clamps on other side,  I run two pairs and they loosen up sometimes, but I have a lot of vibration. When I first made mine, I ran just straight backstops and they didn't work,   seems positive engagement on both sides with knotty pine works the best, and it's still the same if just live edge slabbing or cutting boards out of a 4 sided square cant . Jack pine is hard In the knots

[5quarter]

You definitely need more robust backstops. I use seamless square tubing. The backstop is 1½" x¼" thick and the sleeve which is welded to the bunk is 2"x¼"thick seamless. I can adjust the height using a 3/8" pin that slips through corresponding holes. They've been hit by some pretty big stuff and are still square. As jeff said, you won't be using them on every cut, but when you need em, you need em.