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Woodmizer LT35HD inconsistent thickness end to end

Started by bhraymer, October 08, 2018, 08:22:13 PM

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ladylake

  My mills the same, most of the weight on the end jacks. Really easy to adjust with side crank Bulldog jacks.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

Chuck White

Quote from: Deere80 on October 09, 2018, 02:37:21 PM
Is it a bad thing if the tires are not in contact with the ground?
The tires, for safety reasons should always be in contact with the ground!
If the tires are up off the ground and you roll a heavy log onto the mill, the mill "could" tip over when it hits the logstops!
Also, if the tires are up off the ground and you need to get up on the mill for some reason, you could accidently step onto the top of the tire, then take a very bad fall!
If you are setting up your mill and find that one, or both of the tires are off the ground, put some pieces of lumber under them so that they are solidly supported!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Peter Drouin

Or put some wood down like a ramp, Pull the mill up on the wood to level side to side. 
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

SawyerTed

I left the rear toe board up and accidentally cut a couple of ramps.  That's exactly how I use them.  :D
Woodmizer LT50, WM BMS 250, WM BMT 250, Kubota MX5100, IH McCormick Farmall 140, Husqvarna 372XP, Husqvarna 455 Rancher

terrifictimbersllc

Regarding shimming under the tire on sloping ground, I like that when it comes time to pack up the mill it is now level, not like when I was setting up.  Have to remember to retrieve the board when driving out.  

That being said it is a safety thing to use substantial shims for the tires like 2 ft 2x10-12s and to remember that the mill is shimmed up,  when breaking it down at the end of a job.  It is when I lift up the loading arm assembly that movement of the mill occurs, if it is going to occur.  

Packing up time is often when a customer will be right near the mill either shoveling sawdust or offering to help. 
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

Magicman

I have left many leveling boards at saw sites.  I have even recovered some a year later when I returned to saw additional logs.  ::)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

samandothers

Ok, The light has not come on about this method.

Quote from: ladylake on October 09, 2018, 04:22:15 PM

Yes like edging a board, taking off only 1/4" or so there will be no stress to deal with.  If the board is wide on the ends you need more pressure on the center jacks , if its wider in the middle more pressure  on the end jacks. Steve
As I gather a 1" thick board on edge the length of the mill as when edging boards.  I assume board width does not matter, say 8".  Now saw a 1/4" off the edge. Flip and saw a 1/4" off the other edge.  The board should now be 7.5" wide at center and ends.
If the board is wider in the center I am visualizing the middle has sagged so the ends were trimmed more, like cutting the horns off a log, thus the middle jacks should be raised to correct, pushing or supporting the center better.
What am I missing, other than the correct understanding? :-\


ladylake

 Opposite. If the board is thinner in the middle the rail or rails have sagged as the head went over the center of board and need more support on the center jacks. If the ends are thinner the rail or rails are bending down when the head is at the ends.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

samandothers

Ah the light came on Steve.

Quote from: ladylake on October 11, 2018, 11:29:15 AM
Opposite. If the board is thinner in the middle the rail or rails have sagged as the head went over the center of board and need more support on the center jacks. If the ends are thinner the rail or rails are bending down when the head is at the ends.   Steve

I was visualizing the jacks raising the board/deck up into/toward the blade versus them raising the head and blade up away from the board.

Thanks

terrifictimbersllc

Should say the head, blade, mill frame including front bunk are raised by raising the front foot.....
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

Tom the Sawyer

Although my tires may be touching the ground if I am set up on a level site, I don't want the tires taking any of the weight of a log.  The jacks are set to keep my TK mill level.  I level the high end, side to side, level it end to end, and raise the center jacks enough to prevent the frame from flexing.  If a log is big enough to put any load on the tires, I don't have it set up properly.  If a log flexes the tires or springs, then the mill frame is not staying rigid and level.  Another consideration would be that the load rating of your tires just covers the weight of the mill, and even a medium sized log would put you well over capacity.

As far as stepping on a tire, on my B20, the fenders are not removed for milling and you can stop on the fender if needed.
07 TK B-20, Custom log arch, 20' trailer w/log loading arch, F350 flatbed dually dump.  Piggy-back forklift.  LS tractor w/FEL, Bobcat S250 w/grapple, Stihl 025C 16", Husky 372XP 24/30" bars, Grizzly 20" planer, Nyle L200M DH kiln.
If you call and my wife says, "He's sawin logs", I ain't snoring.

redneckman

Quote from: Lawg Dawg on October 09, 2018, 03:09:38 PM
They told me when I picked my mill up...you will probably never, ever have to adjust the bed rails...ever!  :D so I don't even look at them!  :D
Yeah, Albemarle told me the same thing yesterday, but I think it is crap.  I am having some of the same issues with boards being thinner on the ends than in the middle on my LT50 with 110 hrs on it.  I called Albermarle.  I dont remeber the guys name, but he always makes me feel like an idot.  He said "dont ever adjust the bed rails" and that this was a normal condition.  He said we call those "those are thick and thins" and "it is rough cut lumber you know".  Well, that is ok to say that, but when I am sawing for a customer, it is a little embarrasing to have this nice pretty mill that cuts "thick and thins". WM sure does a good job advertising that their mills cut true lumber, and they will.  I have seen mine do it  before.  I do agree with the stress in logs.  However, mine cuts this way the first board under the top slab.  Plus, when I have a cant ready, I always clamp it, and then pull the clamp down to pull the cant tight agains the bed rails.  Sometimes this helps; sometimes it doesnt.  
Anyway, I am doing a full re-alignement on my mill now.  I am finding things out of whack that shouldn't be.   I figure WM sets these up to a certain procedure to get them "close", but I do not think anyone ever fine tuned my mill.  All the bunks were out a little; no two were the same. I went exactly by the book and measured 15 " to the bottom of the blade to each end of the bunk, exactly.  When I was done, I put a straight edge across the bunks and the front one is a 1/8" lower than the rest.  I have the mill up on all legs, and level.  I dont get it.  The correct proceure is to measure the distance from the blade to each bunk's end and make them all the same distance.  In my book, it is 15".  Once that is done, the tilt on the head is supposed to be adjusted to add 1/16 to the outside to account for dive (inside measurement 15", outside measurement 15 1/16.
I am thinking about buying me one of those little laser levels to help set up.  The way I have it figured, the legs on the main beam should be set first (the two on the ends, and then the two in the center).  Once those are set, the two on the other side shoud be ran down to what I call about three pops of the frame each. I think shooting a laser down the beam somehow and getting it very straight might help.  We will see.  I am going to try it, if nothing more than to rule it out.
Also, a word of advice for those of you that has the high performance guides; I went to adjust mine.  At 110 hrs, one of the bottom bolts that you use the little tool to adjust was completley frozen.  I broke the tabs off that little tool.  I finally had to take the guide off the mill and remove the block that holds the HPGs.  I had to put it on my lathe and drill the bolt out a little at a time till I could peel the rest of it out of the threads.  Got a new bolt on order.  I am making sure anti-seeze is on them before re-installing.  You guys with these guides may want to remove those bolts if you can and put some anti-seeze on them to keep them from rusting together.  The water from the lubemizer soaks these.  That is why they rust so bad.

ladylake

 

 ( mine cuts this way the first board under the top slab)


 If it cuts thin ends the first board after the slab you are dealing with stress , nothing else.  Assuming your blade is cutting straight. Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

Jim_Rogers

You can use a string now instead of buying a laser level. I did that once. You put a block of wood, say 1" thick on the rail, the round rail not the bed rails that the logs sit on. and put the string over the block, both ends and stretch it out from end to end and check it along the distance with another piece of 1" block. I cut three from the same short piece of a sticker. all three should be the same. If you can't slide the third block under the string at any location along it's length then the mail rail is not straight.

At the time I did it, my main rail was not straight as the outriggers were frozen to the ground in the winter time. I released the hitch end outrigger and the mill jumped and was again straight.

After you have your main rail straight then you can check your bed rails.
Good luck and yes anti-seize all bolts.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Jim_Rogers

redneckman;
You need to tell us what type of wood you are cutting that gives you a thick and thin piece after the first slab cut.
Also, what size log is this?

Some logs do have stress and tension and can change shape even after only the first cut.
Releasing the stress or tension with the slab cut, can make a log shift, even big logs.

Reading the stresses and tensions in a log is something that you'll have to learn by experience.

You need to watch the piece that is above the blade as you are sawing the pieces. Does it shift left or right? Does it crown in the middle?
Does the first cut end lift up?
These are all signs of tension or stress in the log.

Some times you can relieve it evenly by only making one cut and then roll the log 180° and make only one cut again.
Roll back and make a trim cut to get a flat face. It sucks to have to do all that but sometimes you have to.
Again good luck.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

rooster 58

One thing the OP didn't mention is that this is happening to him even on short logs, 4 ft long or so. He has asked me about this problem,  and later this week,  I'm going to see if I can detect something.  I hope I can help him, as he is very frustrated at this point. I'm going to check the bearings under the monorail,  not sure if this could be causing the problem 

Stephen1

Quote from: rooster 58 on October 22, 2018, 10:51:45 PM
One thing the OP didn't mention is that this is happening to him even on short logs, 4 ft long or so. He has asked me about this problem,  and later this week,  I'm going to see if I can detect something.  I hope I can help him, as he is very frustrated at this point. I'm going to check the bearings under the monorail,  not sure if this could be causing the problem
It will be great that someone can go check out what is happening. The 4ft log is something to do with sawing
I used to have a few issues when I 1st got my mill. I followed Marty Parsons instructions, about 4 years ago, and all my problems went away. I know I am set up correctly if I kick my middle legs and there is the tinest bit of movement in them. IMy end legs do all the work for setting up.
I drop my middle legs and lift each end until the pin clicks in then when you put a good log on, they then start to hold weight. 
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

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