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So I go the mill to the property and realized I would need the tractor to put it where I wanted (by my log deck) so I unhooked the truck and went and got the tractor after dumping a few things into the cabin.

With the tractor I was able to move the mill to about where I wanted it but clearly it was too steep so an hour later and a lot of moving dirt, logs, and the mill I had it more or less in an 'ok' temporary spot.  However I could see right away I would need to move the log deck and put the mill on better (more level) ground.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_0507~0.JPG)
As you can see the mill is on a bit of a hill but I got it pretty stable and even level (wasn't my intention to level it actually, just to keep it set well enough to make straight cuts.

I found right away that the front was too low (of course) and though I knew I needed to move it I decided to mill a log anyway just to get some practice since I don't have the time to do much.

Didn't help the log deck was frozen and I had to break it apart with a chocker chain and the tractor but I managed to get it done and loaded up a 12 foot blue stained ponderosa.

Once on the deck I set to making a cant.  Early on I realized I was off square so after playing around a bit (and double checking the band alignment etc) I managed to sort it out (lifting a but on clamping) and squared it up (pic on my phone so not able to post yet).

I set about milling up the log and found that I tended to forget simple set a little too often but eventually got to where I didn't forget (after getting tired of making adjustments).  I did find that I was getting about 1 1/16" with the simple set at 1 1/8" and scratched my head a little there...thought it was supposed to be set to account for the kerf but maybe I was just not doing something right.

When I set it to 1 1/6" however it darn near nailed 1" perfect so I'll go read the book (read and you will succeed right).

Anyway, I played for a while (couple hours) milling up that pine (100bf) and took some vids but all in all nothing impressive! LOL  What I need now is to move the mill to better ground and move the log deck to it.  Where the deck is now is where I used the other mill which sat 90 degrees to the deck so I could load with the tractor.  It was also slightly downhill from the deck but that wasn't an issue before, in fact, was helpful.  Now I need to rethink the mill spot and get a better arrangement.

At least I have enough logs to get proficient with though ;) :D

Oh and yes I had a blast!  Didn't break anything (knock on wood) and generally learned a TON!
Can't wait to get back to it now.

Eric, you have gotten your treasure while I have been traveling, so I will add my congrats.   8)

You will have everything dialed in very soon.

Looks like you're having fun...and that's what counts!  You'll get the hang of the mill and simple set pretty quickly.

Simple set does not allow for kerf.  It simply moves the blade down the entered measurement. 

If you want to use your quarter scale in combination with the simple set you will have to allow 1/8 inch for your kerf.  For example set the simple set to 1 and 1/8 inch for 4 quarter boards.  That way you can use your quarter scale to tell you where to make your first cut so you will always end up where you want to. 

Synchronizing simple set and the quarter scale makes life a lot easier and takes all the thinking out of sawing.

Good lookin' machine!
I'll bet 90% of us brought our mills home and set them up temporarily just to get started. I did!  ;D
I've had mine in the garage doing some maintenance and haven't been in a hurry because I thought I had time. Now it's dried out and warmed up! I could be sawing but I got to finish putting it back together.

Looking good there!

I thought I was just sure to see band cuts on fresh orange painted steel given the title of this thread.

PC

Thanks MM et al,

I probably just didn't pay enough attention when using simple set today and wll et better ;)  IN fact, I think I was just in such a hurry to make sawdust that I didn't pay enough attention to things like the scale at first...funny, I went from all manual where you had to constantly remind yourself where your next cut was to fiddling around a whole lot! LOL

I can't wait to get back to it though as I have a LOT of 2x8's to mill and noticed I was breezing though the 1x's in record time!  Even with only half throttle or less I was doing 3 or 4 in the time it took me to do one before and I'm only just getting it down...I'll try to upload a vid soon but Hugesnt might take an hour to do that! LOL

We have hughesnet too....not my first choice of providers.   :-\  But out here in the boonies it was about the only choice.

Quote from: azmtnman on February 28, 2016, 10:08:03 PM
Good lookin' machine!
I'll bet 90% of us brought our mills home and set them up temporarily just to get started. I did!  ;D
I've had mine in the garage doing some maintenance and haven't been in a hurry because I thought I had time. Now it's dried out and warmed up! I could be sawing but I got to finish putting it back together.

So did I, I moved the mizer into place with my wheeler, cause had to get it into tight spot.  It was mud season and I went off the drive a little bit with it and the mill just sunk right down.  Bottle jacks, boards, sweat and beer were involved in rescuing it.. lol 

https://youtu.be/65UFUXkPIQQ
This is all I could upload but you can see I goofed with the simple set on and had to recover...still, making sawdust anyway :D

Your sawdust fingers have something caught in them ;)


Mill looks good!

BTW you didn't goof up that bad with the simple set, because you didn't have the blade over the cant, that's when you know you really goofed up, ask me how I know! lol

Quote from: 4x4American on February 28, 2016, 11:04:11 PM
Your sawdust fingers have something caught in them ;)


Mill looks good!

   I was going to suggest the same thing. First time I did that my sawmill was so constipated the entire area around the drive wheel was completely tight packed with sawdust. I don't see how it even ran but it did.

Eric,

    I love my Simple set and use it for almost every cut except the first one. The only bad thing I encounter is bumping it while sawing or forgetting it is on after moving the cant. In those cases it makes my blade dive and jump off the bands. Usually no problem except when it is in the middle of a cut. As mentioned the setting moves the blade that much closer to the bed rail. Oh yeah, if you bump it down to far it will trip the breaker on the left. If your head won't rise check that first. Also up in the debarker is a breaker that trips when in too much of a bind. Little black breaker you just push back up. Those are things they don't normally show you in the demo because experienced sawyers don't usually make those mistakes. Enjoy the machine.

Ha!  Thanks ;)  Ya I'm so used to drawing back I probably won't (now I probably will) do that.

If only I'd taken today off!  Oh well, I will be back to the mill Wed through Fri and might take half the day Friday to get a little more time with it.

Main thing I want to do now is move it and the log deck.  I know I can plow through that log deck quickly once I get a few things down and it's moved to a better location.

I also want to make a drying 'crib' like one another poster shared a while back in another thread which I can't find right now.  Basically he used bricks as the base to allow him to level each brick so the crib was flat and level (instead of having to do that for multiple pallets like I have to) then set 6x's across them and ties between them making a sold foundation to stack and stick on top of.

I've been fighting with un-level ground for 5 years and seeing that thread made the lightbulb go on.

And as Peter pointed out, with the new mill I'll be building things all over the place! LOL  It cuts through a 100bf log like butter and it just sorta changes your mind about what you might do...before I'd look at a log that size and think, I'll get that done today and I'd also think that I darn well better make sure I make it into something I need right now because it's gonna be some work.......now I look at it and think "that was easy"  ;D 8)

WV -- ah hahaha  I learned that one!

I was jerking the head around a little too much so it protested and just stopped.  No matter what I did it would not move......duh!  Starting hitting breakers (didn't have my reading specks on) and whaddaya know it started moving again.  Note to self, stop jerking around! lol

Then I messed with the up/down stick a little much (maybe when I set the debarker on the cant one time too many) and it stopped moving....hmmm....darn it....oh ya!  Breakers! 

Once I did that a couple times I relaxed and only did it one more time and knew right where to go to fix it.

You will develop your rhythm and everything will be smooth.   :)

Quote from: OlJarhead on February 28, 2016, 10:46:08 PM
https://youtu.be/65UFUXkPIQQ
This is all I could upload but you can see I goofed with the simple set on and had to recover...still, making sawdust anyway :D

When you walked back to the camera and said "Ooops", I shot coffee outta my nose...........

Been following your milling adventures for a while now (stirring up memories for me)....our journeys are similar cept Im a little farther up the road, age wise....

LOL ya talking to myself out in the middle of no where and caught on camera!   That's me, the old jarhead ;)

Got some other vids (one that makes it painfully clear I need to develop that rhythm but after one log I'm starting to)...which I will upload later today.

I put a level on the mill and get good from end to end, then a ¼ bubble going back to the stops. One hole up on the jacks next to the loader will work. So the log will want to go there, and not roll back to the loader.
I got to go out and scale some logs. good luck. 8) 8) 8)

OlJarhead, congratulations on your mill, you will never regret the up grade.  8) 8)
Not to criticize , but turn your mill 90 deg. and it will be a lot easier to set up and more stable, the books that came with your mill explain how to do it. While you want the mill some what level it is not necessary IMHO to be dead level, setting it up by eye is quite acceptable . Actually you want the bed rail/track to be straight from front to back, after all 30 min. into sawing and it will not be dead level unless it is bolted securely down to an immovable surface. Tweaking the legs during milling is just one of the things that comes with the sawing process. After all none of the mobile sites you will be going to will have the perfect surface and you need to adjust and setup as quickly as possible, time wasted is money lost. 

Thanks -- I plan to move the site to a better location closer to the cabin and on flatter ground.  On this site I could turn the mill 90 degrees though and I might do that but first I'll have to move about 20 logs.  Originally the site was set up with the logs 90 degrees to the mill to make it easier to lift them with the tractor and set on my manual mill.  The location the manual mill was in was would great except that it's downhill from the logs and I didn't want them rolling down into the lift crib ;)

Next trip up I plan to move the mill.

https://youtu.be/BLNu1iWwZOQ
Longer vid of milling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Opj8ELWrk
You can see the goofup on the simple set early on here but later I get it down more or less ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVq1AiCg2Us
Last one -- rolling a cant.

Good job, But why is the saw dust not coming out of the hose. Did you have the shoot up some?

Here is a pic of the level I use on the mill when I set it up.



 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22511/SAM_0492.JPG)
Old 4' one I cut down.  :D

I didn't notice the sawdust coming out the chute that way until after looking at the videos later.  I'm wondering if maybe it got jammed up a bit.  Early on I had the chute up because I just plumb forgot it, then later dropped it.  It's also squished a bit from the bungee that holds it up so perhaps it got clogged up a bit.  Will have to check it next trip -- which now, due to my missing a day (darn leap years) isn't going to be until Thursday :(  I could have stayed today but thought I had a meeting tomorrow...nope, Wednesday!  Grrr

Quote from: ncsawyer on February 28, 2016, 10:20:24 PM
We have hughesnet too....not my first choice of providers.   :-\  But out here in the boonies it was about the only choice.

We have EXEDE. Not much better or worse I suppose. It beats dial up...mostly  :-\

Nice job OlJarhead.  I'm still on a manual mill. It's kinda my gym membership so to speak  ::)  Sure like those Woodmizers though. My neighbor lets me drool on his from time to time. Semper Fi

Boy I gotta get learning! :)  Had someone call who has about 15 50' pines he wants milled up down the road from me....seems the LT40 just begs to get worked!  8) :o

I'm not sure on the older ones, but on my mill there is a gap between the blade catchers and the shroud thingy..the idea is that if the fingers get clogged the sawdust still has a place to go.  I think that's why it's coming out there.  Do the older mills have that gap of glory?

Good point, I'll have to check on mine.  It's a 2016 :D

I should have said, that the fingers are most likely plugged, and thats the hole where the sawdust is coming out.  I cut my chute in half also, to cut down on shoveling intervals

There are little fingers in there to catch the blade, But it fills with junk and plugs. I cut them out.

Looks great.
As everybody has mentioned, check the sawdust chute fingers for clogs.  The little fingers are band catchers to make sure the blade doesn't come shooting out when it breaks.

Also, a little tip, and you'll get the feel of it anyway, but when rolling the cant, get the hang of bringing the clamp more under the center of gravity of the cant, and lifting it well up off the deck before starting to roll to make the forward roll much easier.

Also, learn to almost balance the cant on the pivoting backstops, they are very strong and can do a lot more than just be a backstop.  Learning to balance the cant or log on the backstops will give you the first steps and feel for the reverse cant flip, where the backstops are lowered, the clamp pushes the cant onto the backstops, and they are raised as the clamp keeps coming in and the cant is rolled in a reverse direction toward the loader arms.  Kind of like snapping you fingers. This technique will give you a way to to quickly roll the cant either direction as you want. 

The reverse roll is also extremely handy for "speed sawing" alone where you take the opening face cut, drop down, make the second cut, and now do a sharp reverse flip and both the slab and flitch will be ejected or slid off the cant and at least halfway or entirely onto the waiting loader arms without you having to leave the control station and physically handle them.  It's also very handy when the off bearer can't keep up and can't clear the flitches and/or slabs off the log in time.  Just flip them off the log toward the loader arms and he can get them next time.  When sawing alone and not sawing grade where I want to inspect each cut, I usually don't have to leave the control station to clear the slabs until the second or third side is done, or they pile up on the deck and I have to clear them manually.  It doesn't always work.

Another tip is to take a side grinder to the top of the loaders arms to smooth out the factory saw marks so that flitches that are stacked there ready to be edged can be slid back to the deck simply by raising the loader arms and having it act like a slide.  Then slide the clamp under the flitches, balancing them on top, or pushing from behind them, raise the clamp and pull the whole pile to the backstops, then use the clamp to rotate them against the back stop and make the edging cut, all without having to move your feet. 
Anyway, that fine saw of yours can do a lot of cool tricks to make things go faster. 

I wouldn't suggest cutting the fingers out before you get a lot of experience with the mill. Yes, they can plug up with bark (especially WRC), but ...

Before I got my first mill, I sawed for another guy for a year. The fingers on his mill were just round rods and the middle one had broken off at some point. When we first did a walk-around of his mill, he showed me where a broken blade had gone between the fingers and punched right through the side of the chute :o. Your rib cage probably isn't much stronger than that chute.

As for the kink in the chute, it won't have much effect on sawdust flow. Mine has a permanent kink. When I'm working alone and the wind is in the right direction, I leave the chute up and let the sawdust blow further from the mill.

Wow YH!  That sounds like a cool trick to learn and some great advice.

I think for now my best approach is learning the head operation and simple set until it becomes second nature.  Moving from an all manual mill that runs at, well, let's say a snails pace in comparison I'm finding I just need to get the controls down and get used to all the different things going on.  Though I suspect it won't take long since I've milled a lot of lumber with my old mill :)

I'll keep the reverse trick in mind though and thanks for the tip on the front flip, it's what happened in the video actually, I found if I didn't have enough bite under the cant it just wouldn't flip, but too much and it would just lift straight up, it's a balancing act ;)

My lifting arms might be smooth, I'll have to look but I've slid some boards off them and run them into the CANT already thanks to Karl at WM who showed me how to do that.

Lots to learn that's for sure!

As for the chute teeth, I'll leave those for now ;)  Despite having run the LT10 for a while I have a long ways to go before I feel confident enough to mod the mill.

The fingers in the chute came out immediately.
Same with my old mill
I NEVER let anyone walk in front of the chute when the blade is running.
One helper wanted to know why and I showed him a pic of a blade punched thru some heavy walled plastic which was used for sawdust removal..

Quote from: 4x4American on February 29, 2016, 10:07:04 PM
I should have said, that the fingers are most likely plugged, and thats the hole where the sawdust is coming out.  I cut my chute in half also, to cut down on shoveling intervals

I took mine completely off.  If and when I go sawing where there will be children I put it back on for added safety.
Gerald

Gerald, are you talking about removing and reinstalling the chute & tube?

On the older model LT40's, the fingers are on the sawhead shield itself, not the chute, so just curious!  :-\

Quote from: Chuck White on March 01, 2016, 04:44:46 PM
Gerald, are you talking about removing and reinstalling the chute & tube?

On the older model LT40's, the fingers are on the sawhead shield itself, not the chute, so just curious!  :-\

I have not removed, and I do not intend to remove, the fingers.  Yes the fingers occasionally need cleaning especially when sawing cedar or pine, but that is a minor inconvience in my opinion.
I just remove the rubber tubing and let the metal direct the flow of the sawdust downward.
When you say the "On the older model LT40's" I do not know how old you are talking.  Mine is a 2005.
Gerald

Wouldn't hurt to put the year of your mill in the sig line to lessen confusion for us old geezers  ;D

 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_20160228_151412063_28800x45029.jpg)
First log on the mill (the one seen in the videos)  This scaled out at 100bf Int 1/4scale.  Didn't add up what I got out of it yet though.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_20160228_151429443_28800x45029.jpg)
Was a bit stressed but I managed to get that sorted I think ;)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_20160228_155922701_28800x45029.jpg)
First CANT nice and square (once I saw it was out and reset the clamp and skimmed off the angle.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_20160228_172228297_28800x45029.jpg)
Log I milled today scaled out at 130bf Int 1/4 scale.  Milled it into 2x's in 40 minutes so I'm getting better :)

Had to use the lifters to get the pith reasonably level and milled top, then 180 degrees, then 90 and 180 again to get the CANT.  Used simple set a lot and it nailed it each time so I don't know what I was doing last log but think I just had stars in my eyes from the cool factor of the new mill ;)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_20160301_154914572_28800x45029.jpg)
Ready to stack and sticker.

I goofed on the flitches and milled them down to 6" before realizing I didn't want to do that DOH!  Oh well.  I also slabbed a little too thick and while I managed to get 130bf out of the log I really should have done 150ish and will work on slabbing thinner next log!  I used to slab very thin on my LT10 to extra every ounce of lumber I could out of a log but had a plan to mill just 2x's with nothing thinner and got a little aggressive on the slabbing ;)

Still, 40 minutes is a drastic improvement and I can see doing 300bf in an hour with good weather, better setup on the mill and maybe a little help....getting over that?  Not likely until I'm really getting the hang of things but I'm pretty darn happy after my first decent logs :)

I am happy too.....for you.   8)

Eric,

   More congratulations. We are sharing your excitement.

   When you edge your flitches are you clamping them along side a cant? That will help keep them square. If you are cutting sheeting you may also be generating your stickers during the edging process.

   Remember when using the rollers/lifters to be sure to lower them once you flip the cant or you will be cutting wedges. Ask me how I learned that :(

   Also as you get faster be sure to remember to stop the head before engaging your hydraulics or you will get burned spots on the power strip from the arcing that results.

   Going from you old manual mill to your new hydraulic reminds me of a new driver learning to drive on a straight shift, turning left, having to watch your mirrors, downshift using your hands on the wheel and shift lever at the same time you use your feet on the clutch and brake. After a little practice it all becomes second nature. You automatically remember the 3rd lever on the hydraulics activates the claw and sides and the 1st one moves the clamp in and out and you no longer have to look at the levers or diagrams. (I confess I still forget on #4 & #5 when using the rollers/lifts as I still don't use them that often).

   Keep on posting and enjoying yourself.

I do that from time to time . Scale the log then cut it and add up the BF and see how I do.
I have done that with a truck load of logs with Int ¼.

WV- The way I remember the rollers is that the first lever controls the roller closest to me.  If you think of the clamp being #1 and the loader one being #6.

Yep, clamp them to a smaller CANT and trim the edges. 

Maybe I'm hung up on production a little too much from the LT10 days where I always wanted to get the more out of the mill I could possibly squeeze.  I'm thinking with this mill I ought to be less concerned with production and more with quality.  On the 10 quality came easy because you had so much time  :D with little to do bu push or pull or raise or lower etc etc...on the 40 you've got more to do and it all happens so much faster...I'll get it down ;)  heck, in two logs I'm starting to get a routine down...can't wait till it's 200 logs and I've forgotten I needed to learn a routine! lol

Quote from: OlJarhead on March 02, 2016, 09:02:37 AMheck, in two logs I'm starting to get a routine down...can't wait till it's 200 logs and I've forgotten I needed to learn a routine! 

Yup, that is when you let your guard dawn and saw something orange.  :o  :D

By the time you get the hang of it, it won't be orange anymore.   :D

Just an idea: I can't see your whole layout and this may not be possible, but if you turned your mill across the hill with the log load side to the top of the hill and the sawdust side blowing out down the hill it might make several things easier.
1 build a log ramp that your loader could just catch one log
2 make leveling the mill the narrow way not such a big difference
3 when your sawdust piles up it will want to fall down the hill  :o

Just thinking

Quote from: Magicman on March 02, 2016, 09:10:09 AM

Quote from: OlJarhead on March 02, 2016, 09:02:37 AMheck, in two logs I'm starting to get a routine down...can't wait till it's 200 logs and I've forgotten I needed to learn a routine! 

Yup, that is when you let your guard dawn and saw something orange.  :o  :D

Yep, let us know when you skim the paint off your log clamp or saw into the backstop.  We've all done it.  Generally it won't happen unless someone is watching.   :D

Quote from: YellowHammer on March 02, 2016, 11:08:35 PM

Quote from: Magicman on March 02, 2016, 09:10:09 AM

Quote from: OlJarhead on March 02, 2016, 09:02:37 AMheck, in two logs I'm starting to get a routine down...can't wait till it's 200 logs and I've forgotten I needed to learn a routine! 

Yup, that is when you let your guard dawn and saw something orange.  :o  :D

Yep, let us know when you skim the paint off your log clamp or saw into the backstop.  We've all done it.  Generally it won't happen unless someone is watching.   :D

x2

PC

Did that on my SMLT10 one day....hope to not do it again! 

Quote from: OlJarhead on March 03, 2016, 12:27:15 PM
Did that on my SMLT10 one day....hope to not do it again! 

OJH,

   You can do it a lot faster and cut a whole lot deeper now.

Quote from: WV Sawmiller on March 03, 2016, 12:53:33 PM

Quote from: OlJarhead on March 03, 2016, 12:27:15 PM
Did that on my SMLT10 one day....hope to not do it again! 

OJH,

   You can do it a lot faster and cut a whole lot deeper now.

You got that right.
Gerald

And when you least expect it.......  :o

Got to the mill today early enough that I was able to use the tractor to clear out the area I needed to move the mill too and move it 90 degrees to the log deck.  Then after setting it up I moved a couple logs (after dropping one off the forks which then rolled into the mill and gave it a nice bump causing me to cringe and then reset the legs to make sure they were tight.

Once set up I milled a 70bf log in 20 minutes then a 100bf log in 20 minutes.  Felt pretty good to start to get a system down and get used to milling with this machine.  I can see doing logs this size in about 15 minutes once I get rolling which should get me pretty close to 350bf/hr and I'd be happy with that :)

Not that I'm trying to rush, it's just that I know the mill is capable of doing that and more and I just need to learn how to get into a groove on it :)  So far though I'm pretty happy.  Here's some pics for ya:

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/Making2xs~0.JPG)
New position (much better) and the last log finished -- I ended up 1 1/2" off the deck once I finished making my 2x's so I milled that last bit into two 1x's (thanks to simple set it was an easy transition) and was left with one 'shim' ;)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/LT40HD-newhome.JPG) 
Having the tractor where it is seemed a decent place to pull lumber off the mill onto the forks to move to the stack.  Works but I'll be removing some of those trees around it to make for a better work space.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/Ready.JPG) 
I'm loving the mill, I won't lie :)  Can't wait to get some more milling done!

Now for dinner and some relaxing :)

Nice setup. smiley_thumbsup

Looks good,, I figure you are pretty satisfied, but want to push it more,, speaking from a small amount of experience,, take it as it comes,, things get cold, and behind we think, gotta catch up to speed, I say not really, steady as she goes, makes more and better usable lumber and beams,, without the orange paint on the blade tips,, I get caught up, did today trying to have a head start on when I get back from a break, not worth it,, steady as she goes, stay with in the plan,, much better results.  You are jammin' and I am jammin' with you, it's fun, steady as she goes, lots less stress, and stock that winds up being a B##$%# to work with,

Looks like you're really "gettin' there" Eric.   8)   smiley_thumbsup

Now I just need to move the rest of the log deck so it's no longer 90 degrees to the mill (which is partly why I pulled it up the hill to start, that and the pule of slabs and snow that was in the way) and get my drying bunks built so I have a better system for drying all the lumber I'll make :)

I have many trees to thin on the property for beetle and fire protection which will become sleeping cabins or other projects and then there are the neighbors who see the mill and say "hey, can you come over?" not to mention that my old mill had plenty of attention and potential customers reaching out to me to come mill for them...that list is getting longer by the day it seems and I'm going "whoa, wait just a darn minute!  I have work to do yet."  LOL

Ahh yes, life is good :)  Today I plan to take a half day off from my 'day job' so I can get back to the mill and get a few things done, maybe I'll even get to make sawdust before dark ;)

It's like having a new girlfriend lol

Sure is :)  Dying to get back to her ;)

They are calling for a 10% chance of rain today...I'm hoping it's more like 0% and I'm dying to get back to the cabin so I can get those logs moved and get my drying stacks set up right...if I can get that done in an hour or so I'll have the rest of the day to finish milling up the 2x8's and 2x6's I need for the deck extension and roof.  8)

I figure by the time I've milled these 30 or so logs up I'll be much more familiar with this mill :)  So far, 4 logs in, I'm getting to where I feel I'm getting the hang of it.  I just need to watch the scale more and pay a little more attention to the log rather than the mill ;)  Right now I'm spending too much time playing with the mill and I'm losing some product to it -- like forgetting to lower the toe board on one cant already DOH!  or slabbing too deep (a few times).

I like the fact that I can easily rotate the log 180 degrees after opening the first face!  That's so much better than doing it by hand which meant I didn't do it as often as I should have I think.

Anyway, the wood looks downright awesome though it was on the ground for over a year!  Heck I just milled up some ponderosa that was down 2 years ago (I think) and it looks fantastic!  No blue stain on 90% of it and clear as a bell :)

Can't wait to start using it actually :)

That's great, keep on sawing. 

Eric,

   You mention rotating the cant 180 degrees. Lots of times I bet you will find it is easier and faster to just rotate them with a cant hook as the claw/turner often tends to lift the far end instead of rotating them, especially smaller diameter logs/cants. My turner actually seems to turn/rotate larger logs/cants better than the small ones. I keep a second cant hook on/under the rail near the front of the mill for that purpose and keep my heavy duty Logrite over by my log pile for loading logs on to the arms of the mill. Also on real pretty wood you may want to turn the cant from the end to make sure the claw does not scratch up one of your nice boards.

   Keep us posted. We are all reliving our first milling experiences through your pictures and posts.

I agree with WV.  Many times, especially on smaller logs, I can turn the cant with a cant hook faster than I can with the claw turner.  If I am sawing on a mobile job I always have two cant hooks and keep one at each end of the mill.  When I get my help "trained" all I have to do is unclamp the log, they turn it with the cant hooks, and I clamp it back down.  That is considerably faster than using the hydraulic claw turner. 

If I had a LT50 with the chain turner, that might be a different story.

This is when a Logrite 24" or 30" Mill Special comes into play.  Mill Special (http://www.logrite.com/store/Category/mill-specials)

Flipping cants that are small is even easier with the log clamp then it is with the claw, or cant hook...when I saw big dollar stuff, and don't want cant damage, I also use the log clamp...I pretty much only use the claw when it it hitting an exterior part of the log, or when I'm sawing low grade. I also often use the claw when I have an open face on the bottom, and bark on the right side...I drop the claw so only the top or second tooth grab the cant at the top... This usually works good, and not damage the nice face on the bottom, but I always have the clamp standing by in case of tearout, or not enough umph to flip it all the way...

More videos!!!  Since I can't afford a mill and can't afford to retire, I am forced to live vicariously through your's and other's milling experiences.  So, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep posting. food1 food1 food1

Eric, you're stirring up some old (and pleasant memories). Just shy of 10 years now, since I brought my shiny new hydraulic mill home. There was about the same amount of snow on the ground as well.


Thanks for sharing!

https://youtu.be/JjneKQDe9O0
Here's a video I shot today -- my first log after moving the log deck and making a bunk to stack and sticker the lumber I am making on.

You can see some goofs here and there ;) but I milled this pine in 20 mins despite my mistakes.  Still learning but getting better :)

I have a couple more I'll post tomorrow.

As for turning the cant with a logrite -- yes!  I'll do that in the future but for now am getting the hang of the controls and this is a good way to learn what it will do and what it wont -- but my short logrite would likely be faster ;)

Quote from: Greyhound on March 04, 2016, 09:06:22 PM
More videos!!!  Since I can't afford a mill and can't afford to retire, I am forced to live vicariously through your's and other's milling experiences.  So, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep posting. food1 food1 food1

I can't afford to retire either ;) but this IS my retirement plan :)  I hope to get my small business going well enough to be my retirement :)

Lookin' Good, Eric.   8)

Thanks Chuck -- couple goofs there like leaving the loading arms up all the way then forgetting that I had to draw the head back first before putting them back down ;)  Set the debarker on the log once too.

I'm also wondering if I should slow down a little on entry? and while debarking?  I only have the throttle/speed control at the - on the diagram (so maybe 11 o'clock position) at most when milling so far but am wondering.

https://youtu.be/wDtQD3LMnNs
Here is the second video I did

I did not see anything wrong with your speed.  Your goal now is to develop your rhythm. 

Unless you are looking for random width lumber, always know your target before opening any face.  That should always determine the opening height.

Quote from: Magicman on March 05, 2016, 09:40:14 AM
I did not see anything wrong with your speed.  Your goal now is to develop your rhythm. 

Unless you are looking for random width lumber, always know your target before opening any face.  That should always determine the opening height.

This is where I'm working now really.  I can make charts and things to tell me what to do but on the mill I tend to experiment when making lumber for myself.  Maybe cut the first flitch just enough to leave 4" of clear (no bark) wood face so I can trim it down at least to that...but I often find myself opening up the log and saying "I just just drop and inch and give myself some 1" flitches"...down I go, flip 180 and do it again and think "ok, that's a such and such cant and I'll get so many 2x's out of it"....

My guess is that experienced sawyers either just know where to start no matter the cut list or they plan every cant ahead of time figuring in kerf as they do....you tell me :)

I hope to get to that point but I'm far from it now.

No matter where you are going, you need to know your destination before you leave home.  Your targeted cant is your destination.  You can either mark it mentally or with a lumber crayon, but you always need to know where it is and that is before opening any of the 4 faces.  Dropping ¼" on the 1st and 2nd face opening can make a huge difference in the first flitche's quality and will make very little difference in the log's yield.

   Looking good. Can't tell for sure from the pictures about loading arm height. At some point you will probably find you left them up too high and the blade guide will hit them or the stacked lumber/flitches waiting to be edged. If too high will stop the head or push the head up making you cut your lumber too thin (Don't ask me how I learned that either).

   It will all get easier the more you cut. Just keep on practicing and learning. Keep us in the loop.

Is the beeping the a warning the band is running? 

Man those hydraulics make my back jealous!

Thanks for the videos they are fun to watch.

The debarker beeps to let you (and others) know it's running.

Thanks MM on the 1/4" note.  I used to do that a lot on the LT10 and it's clearly time to get back to it -- I like the idea of marking the logs with the cant size I plan to target actually and perhaps it's time to give that a try -- I also think about marking the Pith so I don't split it when I'm just cranking out the lumber.

Sawing speed looks good Eric!

I put a "small" toggle switch in-line on the beeper hot wire and when I'm sawing alone or with an experience helper, I turn it off!  No one notices the switch unless I tell them it's there!

My mill is a 2015, and the beeper stopped working before it had 30 hrs on it, or before a month or so? Don't know the cause, never checked it out. I usually don't miss it, but in some instances, with the inexperienced around, wish it worked... Maybe someday, I'll actually look into it...any others experience this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhHSXvQq1cA
Last video I made this trip.  I just realized I'm going to miss not only this weekend (I came home because my wife was gone for a week prior on a business trip) but I'll missed the next TWO because of work :(  I volunteered to fill in for another manager who was taking the winter survival and snocat course in Eastern OR.  Ahhh well, I guess we gotta do what we gotta do and it could be worse right?

Anyway, I'll try to get back to the mill at least for an afternoon or two before I lose two weeks.

Quote from: bkaimwood on March 05, 2016, 05:31:30 PM
My mill is a 2015, and the beeper stopped working before it had 30 hrs on it, or before a month or so? Don't know the cause, never checked it out. I usually don't miss it, but in some instances, with the inexperienced around, wish it worked... Maybe someday, I'll actually look into it...any others experience this?

I bought a replacement beeper for my mill 2 or 3 years ago and IIRC, it only cost about $12.00

The beeper is not made very "heavy duty", so it doesn't surprise me they go out!

Quote from: bkaimwood on March 05, 2016, 05:31:30 PM
... the beeper stopped working before it had 30 hrs on it, or before a month or so? Don't know the cause, never checked it out. ...

It happened to me once. One of the small wires broke right where it connects to the heavy gauge wires that feed the debarker motor.

I put a plug on the positive wire between the motor and the debarker. When I worked next to the timber framing shop it was actually dangerous to have the beeper going. It made the same sound as the backup alarm on the company's forklift. I had been sawing there for half a year with my manual mill (without a debarker). When I showed up with the new mill, the workers soon started ignoring the beeper. There were a few close calls when people nearly walked behind the forklift when it was backing up.

Now I just plug in the beeper when I have visitors.

Got my mill made the first cut and heard that sound. What the &^%$I cut the wires . Now it's nice, :D :D

I got a noise complaint, and I think it was because of that beeper.  I unplugged it and I aint got a noise complaint since.  I think it was the bitter old lady next door who is mad at me because my dog treed one of her beloved cats and it spent the night up in the tree, until the branch snapped and it fell quite a ways to the ground, at least that's her story...did I mention I don't care for neighbors?

Boy, milling smaller logs sure cuts down on the milling rate (in BF/hr).  I milled up 4 logs today (more to go just taking a lunch break) after cleaning and prepping the mill etc and with the largest only 63bf (int 1/4 scale) and the other three only 16, 21 and 27bf I only milled those in 60 minutes totaling 127bf/hr.  Of course I'm working alone so perhaps that would be faster but it's obvious the smaller logs just eat up the time even when you're milling then in 10-15 minutes a piece.

It is what it is though ;)  Can't only mill 20" 16 footers right?

Anyway, shot some more vids from a different angle and when I get a chance later tomorrow I'll try to post some.  Now to go pick up some stickers and get the lumber I milled stacked and stickered before the weather changes.

Then, if the weather doesn't get nasty I'll mill the last 4 or 6 logs I have left in the deck and call it a day.

I also picked up some lumber crayons and have been marking the pith with them to give me a target to MISS! lol  If I don't think about it ahead of time I tend to just get going and have split the pith at least once today  :embarassed: ::)

Gotta get back to it!

Yup, little ones gotta be sawed too.  :)  I had instances of missing the pith on one end and splitting it on the other end of several logs this week.  Nothing to be overly concerned about because I have not met the perfect log, but I still like them all.  smiley_thumbsup

Trying to avoid the pith can really pith a guy off! 

   Glad you had a good time. I moved my mill from my front lot to my pasture and log pile and set it up. I sawed one small 8' ash log and tried to cut a mantel out of the middle. Have not worked with ash a lot. It is so straight grained it seems to like to split in many directions and I ended up with more stickers and future tomato stakes than I expected and no mantel. Only about 35 bf of 4/4 and a 2X4 out of the pith.

   Every log is a learning experience.

Little trick I found for myself concerns edging my boards.  After doing the race dance of balancing a board on it's edge and trotting back to hit the clamp dog lever before it fell over...... I added a second 4x4 and slipped the board between, pulled snug and walked back to the command center to clamp with the log dog.  Edging boards by ones self is my least favorite mill task, after cleaning under the mill bed.  I would "save" as many log slabs as possible to keep milling until I Had to mill them as I could not pass by. Life has improved when I found a great helper.  Might want to find one yourself, and ease the body strains of repetitive ....
Just a thought.  I have enjoyed your postings for years, and very pleased you found the resources to go Hydraulic.
Jimmy Mac

You guys are great! :)

Jimmy, fortunately I have a lot of uses for livesawn lumber ;) so when milling alone I often don't square the fliches :D  It's just what I do.  I mill what I want out of the log and make my flitches all 1" for shelving etc (even siding on things like the outhouse or a shed).  Don't get as much BF out of a log that way but I like my livesawn stuff so it's ok :)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/CabinWiskey.jpg)
Long day milling and stacking lumber?  Yup, I can handle that, specially with a little 'old forester' to try out :)  And I must said it's GOOD :)  Nice and Neat :)
A few of these and the days aches and pains go away for a while ;)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_0542.JPG)
So there I was cranking out 2x6's for my deck extension and um....yep, found the log dog (or what do you call them?)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_0541.JPG)
Fortunately I didn't break the band but I'm sure it's toast.  The nut is a little scarred but it seems the tension was off a little on the band and it road up, I shimmed the cut a LOT and fired the mill back up and finished the cut with a smoking band.  Swapped it out, cut just below the bad cut and knocked out another 2x and a 1x to finish off the day.

Had a heck of a time changing the band out for some reason, just guess it was something that had to happen ;)  I'll pay a LOT more attention later!  Simple set is so easy to use you better darn well pay attention.

Back to that OLD FORESTER :)  I deserve it!  Or at least that's what I tell myself LOL

When they get down that far, I let my logstops all the way down and rely on the two 3/4" stops on the end "solid bunks", and the adjustable on e in the middle and I can go to 1".

But, you're catching on real quick Eric.

Quote from: OlJarhead on March 10, 2016, 09:01:06 PMyep, found the log dog (or what do you call them?)

In Wood-Mizer's manuals they are referred to as Side Supports.  They are located on the side of the sawmill and support the log or cant.

Eric,

   Your topic title is spot on! All of these issues are the normal part of learning to operate your mill and how different logs react. Fortunately bands are not a particularly costly lesson. (I still hate that sound though.)

I actually ALMOST ran into the log clamp yesterday too!  I was going along and suddenly realized I couldn't make the last cut without moving he support lower.....and I was well into the log!  :o

I stopped the saw and thought about it a moment and thought "well, maybe I can back out?" which never worked on my LT10  ::)

Didn't work this time either!  BANG! ::) :o

Propped up the cut board and dragged the saw head back and set the band back on the wheels and finished the cut....only to run the same band into the side stabilizer.

Maybe Vince was messing with me ;)  Or more likely something was just wrong in the Universe as I found out later.

If you are beyond the contact strip, clip your battery jump box to the strip for power and readjust the Log Clamp.  You can also lower Side Supports that way.

You will develop a work habit rhythm for always checking Toe Boards, Log Clamp, and Side Supports.  (And then you will get distracted, forget, and do a bad thing again.)   :-\

Except for the slabs, any thing you use, for what ever purpose counts as BF. In MHO..

Quote from: OlJarhead on March 11, 2016, 08:41:58 AM
I actually ALMOST ran into the log clamp yesterday too!  I was going along and suddenly realized I couldn't make the last cut without moving he support lower.....and I was well into the log!  :o

I stopped the saw and thought about it a moment and thought "well, maybe I can back out?" which never worked on my LT10  ::)

Didn't work this time either!  BANG! ::) :o

Propped up the cut board and dragged the saw head back and set the band back on the wheels and finished the cut....only to run the same band into the side stabilizer.

Maybe Vince was messing with me ;)  Or more likely something was just wrong in the Universe as I found out later.

Eric,

   Forgive me for laughing but you sure brought back memories this time. I can't remember how many times I pulled the band off trying to back out once I got too deep in the wood. I keep a wedge and a pry bar with me on all mobile jobs to help back out when needed. Hate to see it but you will find this won't be the last time either.

Eric,
I have found that when I hit a metal on the mill or even a rock in the bark that ''fixes'' the blade  like you did it generally ruins the band. So I stop. untension the band and cut it with tin snips( aint easy) pull it out by hand and return the head and put a new band on. REMOVE OBSTACLE. Then make the cut. That way it don't ruin 2 boards for ya. Just my way.

PC

A wedge and a piece of broken sawblade to remove sawdust is all that you need to back out of a cut.


 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0268.JPG)
But if you have made the turn as above, use Paul's method.

Quote from: Magicman on March 11, 2016, 09:16:31 AM
If you are beyond the contact strip, clip your battery jump box to the strip for power and readjust the Log Clamp.  You can also lower Side Supports that way.

You will develop a work habit rhythm for always checking Toe Boards, Log Clamp, and Side Supports.  (And then you will get distracted, forget, and do a bad thing again.) 

That's a really good tip Lynn.

As long as I've been sawing, I never thought about that one.

Eric; Always remember when you're backing out of a cut, disengage the blade.  That's a lesson we all learn!

Most of the time I can back out if I go real slow. If I get any resistance I pound in a plastic wedge.

I don't bother trying to back out of the cut. I just start bumping the saw head up and come up out of the cut. This only works if the blade is rising in the cut, not so good if it is diving.

Quote from: Kbeitz on March 11, 2016, 01:56:23 PM
Most of the time I can back out if I go real slow. If I get any resistance I pound in a plastic wedge.

Plastic wedges? Shame on you Kbeitz!!! I almost bought some, then remembered I had a sawmill... Went home and sawed white oak wedges... X2 on the tap the wedge in a back out... Usually quick and easy...:)

I'm Learning....

Oak... Never gave it a thought...

https://youtu.be/R9xbDzDl6Ms
Evidence.

I was trying to stop you.  That is the first time that I have ever seen a video of actually hitting a side support.   :o

I sure hate that sound.######## >:(

I've got a little groove cut in the bolt head on mine, about the same angle. My blade was about 1/8" lower.

When I notice a side stop is too high and I'm past the contract strip, I'll wedge the lever for the side stops down with a block of wood. Then I'll take my rubber mallet and gently tap the side stop down. Also works for toeboards and the clamp.

I've a sawdust remover like magicman's.  I hammered some of the set out of the teeth and took one pass with a file over the fronts of the teeth. That way it doesn't grab into the wood.

I still dont understand why little bumpers cant be installed in front of the blade to hit the side support
before the blade does. The only time I've ever hit a side support with my blade is when my bumper
was out of adjustment. It should not be that hard to come up whth something.

That would only work with a manual mill. The hydraulic will not move down, will stop the head I guess.

Quote from: Peter Drouin on March 12, 2016, 06:33:51 AM
That would only work with a manual mill. The hydraulic will not move down, will stop the head I guess.

My mill is not manual. I sit the pushing pressure just enough to move the carriage.
It will stall out if t hits anything. saved me a many of times.

The EZ boardwalk mill I started with had one.


 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20540/2953/SANY0036~0.JPG)

It sticks down in front of the far guide/blade and it would catch the to of the backstop. However it only was a big help because they were on the opposite side from the operator, you couldn't see them. On the WM you can see them, that's why I only sawed into my backstops half a dozen times.

PC

Quote from: Magicman on March 11, 2016, 10:23:38 PM
I was trying to stop you.  That is the first time that I have ever seen a video of actually hitting a side support.   :o

Thanks MM -- it didn't work but I appreciate the attempt! LOL

I have been filming from different angles to go back and think about what I'm doing and where I need to improve, like forgetting to turn on the debarker but still engaging it -- DOH!  When I was filming this and I ran into the side support I thought "oh great, now it's on film!" lol

But your idea of filming and then watching for mistakes and ways to improve them is terrific.   smiley_thumbsup

It's also kinda like having an audience.  Just draw a crowd and see how badly you can screw up.   :o

LOL I'm quite capable of messing up ;)  With or without the crowd but I like to watch afterward and see what I'm doing that could take less time.  For example, in this video I see all sorts of things I took longer to do that should have...or things I could have done better etc etc....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YNRXfLrFPs
But in the end it's all good :)  I get better and better each day I get out and use the mill.

It's definitely different than an LT10!  That's for sure!

Eric,

  I love your videos. I flip my cant/log with my hook from the opposite side of the mill than you do but likely personal preference. I even keep my old wooden handled cant hook under the mill there handy for that. Sometimes if I get a short log and one end does not end on the rail I lift the other end with the roller then take the cant hook and lift and jimmy the short end on to the rail.

   I saw in last video you cut a slab then a flitch then flipped 180 repeated then returned 180 again for another cut. I could not tell if that was a trim cut or why you returned to original location. It is common to have to do that if stress in the log lifts one end.

   I did not see anything wrong with your technique. Some pretty nice turning with the clamp in fact.

    I saw you lift the blade at the end of every cut before backing up. Have you forgotten to do that yet and pulled your blade off? If not don't worry - you will get in a hurry and do it later. I think we all have.

   I'm assuming you have your ear plugs in. I use ear muffs so more obvious but be sure you do. When you get my age you'll wish you had used them in a lot more cases.

   Keep on sawing and keep us posted. I cut a couple more of my dying ash trees today. First one barber chaired right off the bat and ruined the butt log. Second cut on next log was at a fork and it split too. I should have cut the top off to eliminate the weight and that would not have happened. We never stop learning. Ash splits real easy so you have to really be careful with them. None of the logs are big. I need to cut and drag logs while the ground is a little dry. I can saw when more damp but can't get the 4 wheeler in to drag  logs when too wet.

Yup, stress relief but only a little and sometimes when I do that if I'm making 2x's that I don't want face bend on I'll cut down the two sides to the width I want (6") and then flip 90 degrees and keep going.  I'll get some bow but it won't be much and I'll not have the face bend I don't want....something like that anyway.

As for the ears -- ya, I didn't have anything in and am surprised how quiet this mill is.  My last with the 10hp motor was a lot worse and I've forgotten the plugs now a few times.  As for the ears, they are pretty bad now and I can't take a lot of voices at once thanks to a little too much noise in the desert ;)  Still, I try to protect them more now than less.

Lastly, lifting the head at the end is something I do by habit since the old LT10 just wasn't going to do it for you.  But if I had good help I wouldn't need to lift much!  An off-bearer would at least be dragging back those 2x's.

Thanks again, appreciate the feedback -- oh and on the cant hook, good idea!  I'm on that side anyway and wouldn't have to walk around I suppose so may try that.  I have my logrite there with me and my wood cant hook, full size, on the log deck.

Why are you using the PV to turn the log with a hydro mill?
use the hydro and you will get good at it.

Quote from: Peter Drouin on March 12, 2016, 09:30:49 PM
Why are you using the PV to turn the log with a hydro mill?
use the hydro and you will get good at it.

Seems faster, specially when the claw lifts the far end and doesn't want to roll it, then a quick turn of the cant hook and I'm back at it.  But I do both.

When you get one end that lifts instead of turning put the 2 plane clamp under it and let the claw turner down then back the clamp out and she will turn. Do it slow. It CAN put a log over the back if you have it up too high.
PC

Yes, sometimes with small logs it's easier and faster to flip them either by hand or with a Logrite Mill Special.  Especially when you have a helper on the back end doing it.   ;D

The only time I need a PV is if the log has a big bow in it and the turner will slip to the wrong side of the log when the hump is up.
Maybe if you spend more time lining up the log to the mill with your tractor when you load.

Milled up some more pine today:)  Had to buck up some logs off a tree I fell last year and haul it up to the mill (a 16 footer and a 12 footer) and then got busy milling what I had on the deck ahead of the those.  Finished about 350 board feet and the last log was a 220bf pine log :)  Finished that one in 45 minutes and then called it a day and hauled the new lumber down to the stacks.

I find I'm getting it down now and though I am working alone I'm able to mill up about 350 board feet in that 90 minutes.  I had to do some moving of large flitches as I wanted two 2x8x16's and milled those out of flitches then continued to mill the rest of the 16 footer into 2x6's which I then cut in half with the chainsaw since I didn't need 2x6's that long.

I'm close to what I need to do the roof on the deck and extend the deck around the west side of the cabin so I feel pretty darn good about that :)

Can't wait to mill with an off-bearer though!  I know I could mill pretty close to 300bf/hr with one if the logs are big enough.  Milling alone with big logs is a challenge as moving the slabs, flitches and lumber off the mill takes more out of me than just 8 footers! lol  Well DUH!

Anyway, had a good time and will mill some more tomorrow.

You are doing mighty fine.   smiley_thumbsup

Quote from: OlJarhead on March 25, 2016, 09:53:17 PM
...  Milling alone with big logs is a challenge as moving the slabs, flitches and lumber off the mill takes more out of me than just 8 footers! lol  ...

Pssst. Wanna buy an extension?  :D :D :D

Looks like you're getting used to that LT40, Eric.    :)

Thanks guys.

One thing I've noticed is that the guide arm rattles.  It may be because I ran it into the log clamp when I first got the mill and was training on it at WM (I learned from that but kinda wish I didn't have to!) or maybe that's just the way they are.  Anyone?

Extension?  Actually, I didn't know they had 6 footers and might have to get one.  I've had one customer who I'm milling about 4000bf for in April who asked for 24 footers (beams).  I explained that I can't make those but I could do two 12 footers if that would work.

And yes I've seen Peter's post on milling longer logs and I'm no where near ready to try that! LOL :o

The guide arm should be solid as a rock.  Next time you have the band off or at zero tension, grab the guide arm and start tugging.  If it moves, shifts, or otherwise has play, it needs to tightened, and alignment checked. 

I bought a six foot extension once. I liked it so much that I bought another one the following year ;D.

Thanks!  I'll check that arm as it rattles too much.  I suspect it got loose when it hit the clamp that first day but since the rep didn't check it or say anything  >:( I didn't think it was something to worry about.  Not now though!  I'll check it out and see if I can sort it.

Meanwhile back at the farm :D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_0614_281024x76829.jpg)
After lubing everything, warming up the mill and raking out all the sawdust as well as sweeping it off the mill I demo'd the mill with a nice 15 1/5" x 12 foot pine log that scaled at 127bf but yielded 166bf! (a mix of 2x8's and 1x8's)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_0615_281024x76829.jpg)
Rafters?  Check!

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_0618_28768x102429.jpg)
73bf of pine that yielded 100bf!  COME ON! :D

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_0622_281024x70129.jpg)
Hmmmm guy gets a new mill, it's a much higher producing mill....guys starts building stacks of lumber....guys thinks:  I need to set up a yard for all this stuff!!!

Ya, loving the new mill :)

 8) 8) 8) 8) doing good.  8) 8) 8) 8)

Looks like you are on your way.... 8) 8).  On your stickered stacks, you can save yourself some effort and just use rope to hold down the tarp/plastic.  Just loop it under/over about 5-8 boards at 3 locations (both ends and the middle).  I got tired of heaving up cinder blocks.  All the best, Rob.

Quote from: OlJarhead on March 26, 2016, 09:55:47 AM
Thanks guys.
Concerning this statement:
Extension?  Actually, I didn't know they had 6 footers and might have to get one.  I've had one customer who I'm milling about 4000bf for in April who asked for 24 footers (beams).  I explained that I can't make those but I could do two 12 footers if that would work.

I told one potential customer that I would give him my mill's serial number and W-M's tel. number and he could order an extension bed that would fit my mill.
Then I would attach my mill to it and saw what he wanted and when it was done the extension bed would be his to do with it he pleased.  He chose to pass.
Gerald

OlJ you are lucky there are no wings on that mill or you'd be flying! Enjoy the videos!

Talking extensions, interesting how the selection of a mill goes. Start thinking, "well a 12ft bed is enough, no a 16ft is the way to go, nah, will get a 20 footer and that will be perfect!" Then you have requests for long and longer, and longer yet. And soon you're thinking of Peter!

https://youtu.be/cW_MqjCqSbA
Working on some vids today and decided to spruce them up with some music :)

Enjoy

Thank you for a relaxing 10 minutes of enjoyment. Nice video, nice sawin', nice log. Thanks for taking the time...

:)  Quite welcome.

You are learning.  You must watch the weight of the butt end.  It would have helped to have the log loaded closer to the front end.  As it was you needed that bed support on the butt end.  You can raise both toe rollers and shift the log after it is loaded.


 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/2410/DSCN0248.JPG)
Sometimes I use an end tong and a side support to move an improperly loaded log.  Raise the side supports to shift the log toward the front.  Hook the other end and gradually lower the side support to shift the log toward the back.  Be careful and not lower too far and drop the log off of the side.

Ha!  I hadn't thought of using the toe boards to lift the log so I could slide the carriage supports under each end once loaded..  But I did use them after cutting the first two sides (I think you can see that in the next vid if I get it done) to slide the log down the bed a bit so it was better positioned.

Each little tweak helps :)

I need a tractor stereo so I can have music playing while I mill :)

    What? No Dire Straits? No Journey?

    I probably measure/estimate my logs more by running the blade the length of the log and gauge how well it is centered from that. May go back and raise a toeboard and make a second pass if/when needed. Obviously if there is a lot of flare this method is not as effective.

   Nice video. Good looking log. I hate off bearing on logs that long though. Keep up the good work. I'm hooked up and loaded up for a mobile job 45 miles away. Referral from a November/December customer near there.

Quote from: OlJarhead on March 28, 2016, 08:09:34 PM
I need a tractor stereo so I can have music playing while I mill :)

... and an electric motor on the mill so you can actually hear the music ;D.

I can't view the videos with my low bandwidth so I can't see what you're doing. Just in case, ... don't let the log roll on the swinging bed rails when you're loading it. That will eventually hammer the supports into the frame. Swing the rails out of the way, load the log, raise it with the toeboards if necessary to swing the rails under the log.

Love Dire Straits and Journey...ok I love most music actually. 

Ya off-bearing 16 foot 2x8's is tough work and really slows down the production when working alone, but then it also sets the pace :D

Re: swinging bed rails -- left them swung away and MM pointed out I could have raised the log to swing them back in -- DOH.

Might have noticed (for those who can see the vid) that I had some trouble measuring the pith height.  I don't always measure actually, it just depends on what I'm making and how much taper or how big the log is.  In a 16 footer I do though since it's harder to see the taper I think.  In this case the swing out rails were, well, swung out and I first measured off the frame...then realized my mistake and measured the bed height off the frame and re-measured the pith....and cussed myself out a little.

https://youtu.be/q545fpQg_7w
Dire Straits as requested -- and the 2nd half of the video on milling the big pine.

Yes, there are a few actually straight pith centered logs, but very few.  With a log that size forget the pith and center the log. 


 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/DSCN0766S.JPG)
If the pith is not actually centered in the log, then rotate the log so that the pith offset is horizontal.  Now center the log.


 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/2410/DSCN1089.JPG)
I always rotate and put the horns (inside sweep) toward the loader.  Now center the log.

I would never ever split the pith and make two cants out of that log.  I would continue to bring it down from each side to one 6" cant and then saw through.  I realize that it causes much more flitch handling, but the resulting 2X6's will be straight instead of each having sweep.  I also do not do any edging until the cant is done.  Just my way, but after all is said and done, faster for me.

Didn't split the pith :)  Offset the pith by milling off one more flitch on one side so when I made the cut down the 'middle' it was actually off to the side of the pith leaving it centered in one of the 2x's.

If I read your post correctly you would mill off some 2x's from both sides (rotating as needed) to bring the cant down to a 6x an then stand it up and mill it down? 

Depending upon the size of the log.  You did OK and I did notice that one side was taller than the other.   ;)  Of course each log tells us how it should be set up and which faces to open. 

According to the book, logs are not supposed to be supported by the Pivot Bed Rails.

They are only supposed to be in use when sawing cants, only flat surfaces are to rest on the Pivot Bed Rails.

Quote from: Chuck White on March 29, 2016, 04:43:06 PM
According to the book, logs are not supposed to be supported by the Pivot Bed Rails.

They are only supposed to be in use when sawing cants, only flat surfaces are to rest on the Pivot Bed Rails.

That is what I've been doing...you can see them under the CANT later but not under the log in the early video :)

Logs should not not be loaded with the pivot bed rails out because of the above stated problem.  I had to seriously build my sawmill up where such and happened and the main rail was indented a full quarter of an inch.  After the log is loaded I see no problem with raising the log end and swinging the rail underneath.  I would hate to think about leveling some logs without them being supported.  Also we saw in the video what happens when an unsupported log is being turned.  There is a difference between use and misuse.

I have two methods for leveling a log on the mill, one where I want the centre of the log level and one where I want the pith level. My personal preference is to have the small end toward the front (hitch end) of the mill so that's what I'll describe. The method can be easily adapted if you like your logs the other way around.

For both methods, I start with the log on the mill and any movable bed rails swung out of the way. If the log has sweep I want it rolled on its side with the "horns" pointing toward the loader as Magicman shows.

Leveling the centre

The first thing I do is run the carriage down the mill until the blade is directly above the last bed rail that is supporting the log. Then I drop the head down until the bottom of the blade just touches the surface of the log. I can read the diameter of the log (outside the bark) directly off the scale. I'll call this number "D" to explain the math. The important thing is to remember the number.

Next I return the carriage to the front of the mill, pausing to measure the top diameter on my way back. This has to be measured in the vertical direction, straight up and down. Measure outside the bark (at least until you're comfortable with this method). I'll call this number "d" to show the math.

Finally, I carry on moving the carriage toward the front until the blade is directly above the end of the log. On the way I do some quick mental math to get my target blade height ... add the two diameters together and divide by two. In other words blade height = (D + d)/2. (C'mon, it's not that hard to do in your head. Really :D.) And once I've got the number figured, I lower the saw head to this height.

Finally, I raise the front toeboard to lift the small end of the log up until the top of the log is just touching the bottom of the blade. Now the centre of the log is parallel to the mill. Really. (There's a mathematically proof if you doubt me.) This is especially easy to do if the log is long enough that you can run the hydraulics without moving the carriage away from the end of the log.

And how high above the bed rail is the centre of the log? Take the large diameter "D" that you were supposed to remember and divide it by 2.

There you are. Two measurements with the sawmill scale, one with a tape, and some simple mental math. The centre of the log is level and I know how high the centre is above the bed.

One last thing. You don't have to be precise with your math. I usually measure to the nearest half inch unless I'm really trying to squeeze the most timber out of the least log. Then I might measure to the nearest quarter inch. Never closer than that.

If I have the big end toward the front of the mill things are a little more complicated (but the principle is the same). First thing I do is try to level the log by eye. Then I measure "D" above the nearest bed rail supporting the log. Next I walk to the small end, measure "d", and do my math. If I'm lucky I can swing the bed rail under the end of the log. Using that as a reference, I measure to the top of the log and see how close I am to my calculated number. If I'm off, I hike back to the hydraulic controls and raise or lower the small end a little. Hike back and check. It's a bit of trial and error but you can bet pretty close with a bit of practice.

The only caution that I find regarding the pivot rails is paragraph 2.9 which states:

CAUTION!  Be sure the pivot rails, turning arm, clamp, and toe boards are below bed level before loading a log onto the bed.  Failure to do so may result in machine damage or cause misalignment.

After the log is loaded, I find no such caution limiting the use of the pivot rails.  I would hate to be handicapped by not being able to raise the log with the toe boards and swing the pivot rails underneath.

Run the blade to the big end of the log on the mill, drop the blade till it just hits the log , Now, move the blade to the other end of the log with out moveing the blade up or down. When you get to the small end with the blade pick up the log half way up to the blade, the pith is centered.  :)

    Thx for the music Eric. Had flashbacks to sitting in the club at camp Schwab in Okinawa all of 1986.

    I like the fender location. I need to start storing mine under the mil. set them aside then didn't finish and loaded in the dark and almost forgot them. Only had one log today I could cut into 2-6" cants and cut 2 at a time. Had to trim from 3 sides till I'd get a 6" cant then edge the side lumber. Sawing really does go fast when you can saw 2-3 cants at one time. I do like edging beside a cant. When I'd get below 6" today I'd stack my flitches like you did your 2 and trim to 6". If over 3" remained I'd trim again when I got my can't at or below 3" to provide the customer some battens for his project. At first I'd trim 1" at a time to get my static stickers but once we had plenty no longer needed to cut except to save my boards and battens.

Quote from: Peter Drouin on March 29, 2016, 10:59:49 PM
Run the blade to the big end of the log on the mill, drop the blade till it just hits the log , Now, move the blade to the other end of the log with out moveing the blade up or down. When you get to the small end with the blade pick up the log half way up to the blade, the pith is centered.  :)

Peter,

   Centering your log this way do you have your log small end at the front of the mill? I don't have my "Hydraulics anywhere" set up yet so could not raise my log/toeboard if the little end was at the back end of the mill.

To raise the small end half way up to the blade, Peter would either have to have the small end at the front of the mill, or else have hydraulics independent of the contact strip.

He levels the centre of his logs the same way I do, only I do some math ;D ;D.  How good is your eye? How close do you want to be? Does it matter in your application? That's really the only difference :). Peter's method is a little faster than mine.

Good description of the log alignment procedure.

I use the same basic process with small end of log to the front of the mill.  I have a high power green laser that lets me do all the measuring without moving the head much more than a couple of feet and that depend on log diameter and length. On 12 foot and less I don't move the head at all. On 16s I move it 2 ish feet max. 
20s are just a PITA.

I use tape to get pith centre on the butt end when I need that measurement to level the pith.

Other wise I just raise and lower the head to get the laser contact points at the both ends and then divide difference by 2 like Brucer says. I do the far end first, then the near end and then raise the head equal to the result of the division measurement, and then lift the log till I just see the green line on the top end of the log. I punch the simple set auto button and the down lever and I am set for the first cut. That setting is generally set to the bark thickness plus 1 inch.

I haven't timed it but I know when I am production sawing the laser gives me at least an extra log per hour if not 2. I'd guess it saves a minute to a minute and a half per log not having to run the head back and forth.

My laser has an auto off function for safety that I can set. It is set to 10 seconds on right now and as a rule the laser goes off as I am raising the head to the measurement that I need the top of the log set at. I hit the laser the second time, raise log to laser, clamp, simple set buttons, auto clutch, forward lever, debarker on and  swinging as the head moves into the first cut. The second laser set turns off about the time the blade starts the first cut. It is pretty quick.

I generally edge when I have a the can't down to 4 or 6 ish inches left on the bed and that depends on what I am edging to. Gives good backing especially for 1 inch material.

On 2 inch material I pull in edging as I am dropping through the cant. As a rule I am done edging with one cut left on the cant.       

MM I do have a a couple of questions re the logs with sweep.

Why do you put the "horns" to the loader side for first cut? I generally put the horns down and cut the "hump" off. If it is big enough I set the piece on the loader and take shorts out of it or cut stickers out of it.                 

I cut logs, however they come. If the small end is on the far side and you have to bring the head back to use the hydro. By that time you know how much you have to lift, 1" or 2"
The whole thing is to get your eye so you can see with out doing the blade thing.

Quote from: Bandmill Bandit on March 30, 2016, 05:09:33 AM
MM I do have a a couple of questions re the logs with sweep.

Why do you put the "horns" to the loader side for first cut? I generally put the horns down and cut the "hump" off. If it is big enough I set the piece on the loader and take shorts out of it or cut stickers out of it. 

I generally only turn the log 4 times (90°) and always saw through from either the hump or horn side.  The horns interfere with nothing if turned toward the loader.  They will sometimes stick past the side supports and contact the carriage if turned toward the side supports.

I prefer the log's top end to be toward the front, but since I am sawing customer's logs, they come both ways.  My log setup is similar to Brucer and Peter's above depending upon the log.  No matter how the log setup is done, the cant target is slways established and the height of the opening faces are to reach that target while producing usable boards.

Quote from: Bandmill Bandit on March 30, 2016, 05:09:33 AM
Why do you put the "horns" to the loader side for first cut? I generally put the horns down and cut the "hump" off.           

I used to cut the hump off first also but I found that, for logs with significant sweep, doing that would shift the CG so far off that it was nearly impossible to turn the cant.

People have different reasons for the way they set up their logs. In my case I'm always trying to get the biggest timber I can out of the smallest log.

Sweep can be a real pain when it comes to getting a wane-free timber (and wane-free is why people come to me). I always want to have the sweep clearly mapped out on the first cut face that I put up against the side stops. That lets me adjust the toeboards so I can get a timber that will just fit onto the face without picking up any wane at the ends or in the middle.

So, horns to the outside, level the log, make my opening cut, and saw down to within 1" of my final width. Roll the log up against the stops, adjust the log so the bottom of the face is the same height off the deck at both ends. Now I can see if I'm going to get the timber I want out of this log. Saw off the horns and I have a log that I can easily turn another 90° without the centre way up in the air.

If I wasn't in the timber business, I might do things completely differently.

Falling, delimbing, bucking and then skidding logs tends to reduce the milling on the same day ;) but a great day it was anyway :)

Started out needed to make some 4x8's and 6x6's for my porch extension and finished with those and then some :)

Milled up 235bf in just over an hour of milling but that hour was broken up in two stages while I went to get more logs.  I record each log and my start and stop time right now so I an gage what I'm doing for future reference (I'm a technician and engineer in telecom so it just comes natural).

Making beams is sure fast though :)

Also, tried your 'horns to the front/right' and got it immediately!  Great advice!  Thanks :)  Makes life easier.  In the past I put the hump up but doing this worked nicely as I rotated into the new face and took the horns off and things started to click :)

Didn't have time to do more yesterday but pan to do a little today before readying the mill for a job.

 smiley_curtain_peek smiley_reading_book ;D

Hmmmm....looks like the fixed bed rail closest to the front of the mill is 1/8" lower than the center rails and back rail.  I noticed this when rolling a cant that appeared to be lifting off the rail so I flipped it 180 degrees and gee whiz, it was still lifted.  Scratched my head and thought "that can't be" and after some cursory looking realized the rail must be down a little.  Going to have to put a long flat level on there and see if I can raise it up and tighten the bolts a bunch  :o Don't want a rail lower like that.

Just measure from each of the bunks to the blade and they (including the swinging bunks) should all measure the same.

Not much of a job to adjust them, but measure again after you adjust and tighten them down!

Finally, make sure your pointer is indicating the same distance as the measurement from the bunk to the blade!

Quote from: OlJarhead on April 06, 2016, 01:37:42 PM
Hmmmm....looks like the fixed bed rail closest to the front of the mill is 1/8" lower than the center rails and back rail.  I noticed this when rolling a cant that appeared to be lifting off the rail so I flipped it 180 degrees and gee whiz, it was still lifted.  Scratched my head and thought "that can't be" and after some cursory looking realized the rail must be down a little.  Going to have to put a long flat level on there and see if I can raise it up and tighten the bolts a bunch  :o Don't want a rail lower like that.

Same with mine.  Same bunk and everything.  Appears to be 1/8" lower.  I was told that because of the crown and stuff in the mill to don't use a level and to just measure down from blade to bunk.  And another thing, when I go to adjust stuff, when I put the blade on, I usually like to engage it and let it spin for a bit to get it seated and stuff.  Is that right or wrong, IDK, but it's how I do it, take it with an ounce of salt or pepper for that matter lol.  This is a good thread.


I learned something valuable today...ya know when people leave their dang hinge or notch on the log?  (I hate that, I tell them it's an amateur move lol) anyways, well I left it on today because the guy was very particular about the length.  Wrong move.  I had just put on a brand stinking new blade, and what happens?  It grabs a hunk of the hinge and spits it between the blade and the wheel, and kicked the blade off and smoked a bunch of teeth.   sling_shot

Not sure if I understood but what I do is install the band, tighten the tension, run it for a minute or so, then recheck the seat before putting the doors back on.

Be sure most of the weight of the mill is on the end jacks.

Quote from: Peter Drouin on April 07, 2016, 06:34:16 AM
Be sure most of the weight of the mill is on the end jacks.

I still am not totally clear on the outrigger lowering procedure with fao's...
What I do is use the front one to take it off the ball and rough level mill.  Then I lower the next two front ones, I go til they kiss the ground, then spin one full turn.  Then I pull the head back over the 3 that are down, and lower the next two (not the rear one).  I go til they touch then give a turn.  Then I put the last one down and I turn it til it starts picking the other one up and then back off a little.  Then I run the head back and recheck.  Also when I am lowering in known soft ground, I will lower each one and put alot of weight on them for a minute to help compact the dirt then I take it off and then bring it til foot just kisses then give a full turn.  OK, what am I doing wrong?

As massive as the frame is, it can still flex.  As Peter mentioned, be sure that your outriggers are all carrying the proper weight.  Measure down to each bed rail from your blade.

Quote from: 4x4American on April 07, 2016, 06:54:11 AM

Quote from: Peter Drouin on April 07, 2016, 06:34:16 AM
Be sure most of the weight of the mill is on the end jacks.

I still am not totally clear on the outrigger lowering procedure with fao's...
What I do is use the front one to take it off the ball and rough level mill.  Then I lower the next two front ones, I go til they kiss the ground, then spin one full turn.  Then I pull the head back over the 3 that are down, and lower the next two (not the rear one).  I go til they touch then give a turn.  Then I put the last one down and I turn it til it starts picking the other one up and then back off a little.  Then I run the head back and recheck.  Also when I am lowering in known soft ground, I will lower each one and put alot of weight on them for a minute to help compact the dirt then I take it off and then bring it til foot just kisses then give a full turn.  OK, what am I doing wrong?

A key idea is that the main rail remain straight throughout the travel of the head.   During a sawing day on soil the FAOs need to be adjusted to maintain this (that is if it matters that the cuts are straight). Regular jacks need shimming too it's just a lot harder.  The indication is when the main rail is not straight (sight from front to back or back to front with the head at the far end), or when a cut on a stiff beam or cant is arched or crowned and you know this is not a result of stress from the last cut (a trim cut is good for this if not sure).

Rails should be adjusted to maintain the same distance from the blade, see alignment procedures.   IMO use of levels or strings have no place in rail adjustment for portable sawing because of possible flex in the main rail depending on the setup.

   When I level my bunks I check to make sure my blade is level and not tilted then measure from the first fixed rail on the left side then make sure the right side is 1/16" lower than the left side per the specs in my WM mill manual. Then I move to the next rail and repeat making sure it is the same height as the first, repeat again and again then do the moveable rail at front and back. Be sure to loosen the 2 set screws in the pivot sides next to the rail before adjusting these rails (Don't ask how I learned that). When done I put a couple of pieces of 10' long 2" bar stock across the rails to confirm they are all the same. If anything is high or low that will show it.

   While I am at it I check and adjust the square of my side rails/dogs by putting the carpenter square across the parallel pieces of bar stock and checking/adjusting to uprights.

   Be sure to tighten the heck out of all the nuts once you have them in place. Good luck.

I mentioned a level ;)  I don't actually use the 'level' part but it's the only 4 foot piece of perfectly straight anything I have so I thought I'd slide it across the bed.  Now I know better ;)  I'll use the band which is something I'd not thought of and of course, I hadn't looked in the book!  DOH!

When leveling the bunks to the blade, I always measure from the bottom of the same tooth (I mark the tooth with a Sharpie). The blade ought to be 1/16" higher on the loader side of the mill. Best bet is to measure down from the blade to both ends of one of the fixed bunks, then adjust the swinging one to those two measurements.

Sometimes on soft ground the jack on the hitch end will sink and you get a 1/8 space from the cant to the movable bed rail. When I turn the jack I can see the end of the mill go up to meet the cant.
There is a lot of flex in the mill, WM will tell you put most of the lb on the end jacks.

Quote from: Peter Drouin on April 08, 2016, 07:22:02 AM
Sometimes on soft ground the jack on the hitch end will sink and you get a 1/8 space from the cant to the movable bed rail. When I turn the jack I can see the end of the mill go up to meet the cant.
There is a lot of flex in the mill, WM will tell you put most of the lb on the end jacks.

This!  I hadn't thought of that and left the front outrigger on the softer dirt with no shim.  Hadn't adjusted it since placing it originally.

If my first few jobs go well I'm buying a fine adjust for the ends!

One of the "Gremlins" that can get you when you least expect it, is an outrigger that sticks up above the bunk, just enough to make a difference!

I didn't really need the Fast Adjust Outriggers when the new design first came out -- I had a stationary setup. But over the years I started to have exactly the problem that Peter describes. I eventually bought FAO's for the two ends and it's now easy to tweak the height of the mill every spring.

I used to keep several sets of shims of varying thicknesses for leveling the mill. I always placed a 6" x 12" one on the ground to spread the load, then I'd add extra shims as needed. If the mill ended up 1/8" high at one spot, I'd replace a shim with one that was 1/8" smaller. It didn't take long to level the mill if the shims were already cut.

With the continuous moving and setting up that portable sawmilling requires, the FAO's are a dream come true. 

I wish there was a grease fitting on the FAO's, the rain gets into them and some are awful tight.  Now at the end of the day if it's supposed to rain I shoot some fluid film around the top nut to try and get it in there

I use ATF.

When measuring the blade height to the bunks, use a steel rule(not a tape) and make sure the front of the blade is over the center of each bunk.  Using a Sharpie, I put a mark on the main rail at the rear of the saw carriage to indicate where the blade is centered over each bunk.  This helped a lot when checking and rechecking things when I did a full bed alignment. 

Quote from: Ga Mtn Man on April 09, 2016, 07:58:37 AM
When measuring the blade height to the bunks, use a steel rule(not a tape) and make sure the front of the blade is over the center of each bunk.  Using a Sharpie, I put a mark on the main rail at the rear of the saw carriage to indicate where the blade is centered over each bunk.  This helped a lot when checking and rechecking things when I did a full bed alignment.

I've done that on my mill too.

Sometime it's difficult to get the blade straight above the bunk.

The sharpie mark will last quite a while before it fades out!

Do yous guys does it at 12" or what?  My steel rule only goes to 12" so I do it around 10 or so and that gives me 1/32" scale also.  As for getting the blade centered over the bunk I just set the big speed square on the bunk where I want the blade to be and bring the blade to it.  Works for me in my neck of the bush.

I use an 18" stainless steel rule and I noticed that was what the WM field service guy was using a couple of weeks ago.  17" is more comfortable for me to see and that was also where he was measuring to. 

I sure would miss my Green laser a lot. I am so used to it now that I had forgotten the alignment procedure time burn. I made me a stick the stands on the bed rails. I stole a measuring tape from my wife's sewing room and glued it to the stick.

I set the head to 12 inches on the mill's measure stick, turn on the laser and measure all the bunk rails inside the 10 seconds the laser remains on. Works so nice.

I would dare say that having the laser helps me keep the mill aligned up to snuff be cause its in you face all the time and you notice the little nuances much quicker and keep them corrected. JMHO   

I do the blade to bunk measure process about every 3rd or 4th set up just to be sure.
.
   

Gotta do the bunks tomorrow.  Took some beating today and have a few off a 1/16th.  Figure I'll take some time in the AM when I change out the band and I'll check and raise those which are low and check the band alignment too while I'm at it.  I'll have to use a tape measure as it's what I've got but I see a steel ruler is in the future.

It should be noted that a "bed alignment" isn't something that needs to be done or even checked on a regular basis.  The manual doesn't even mention it in the maintenance schedule(not that I could find anyway).  Mine was a little off when I bought the mill with 8 hours on it, so I tweaked it and haven't had to touch it in the 2.5 years since.  Now a blade alignment is another matter entirely.

4x4, it doesn't matter what height you use to check the blade.  I use 12" SS rule because that's what I have and it fits in my wrench box along with my blade alignment tool, but as Magicman mentioned, I can see where an 18" rule would put you at a more comfortable height for viewing. 

 Hello,
   I do a lot of service. I say this a lot when doing training. "The only bed rails I ever adjust are the bed the customer changed from the factory". Don't change any bed rail until you measure all of them. Like the others say mark them with a sharpie. Make sure your ruler is not angled. Make sure the chain is pulling up on the saw head. If you grab the outside of the head and pull on it it may change the measurement , just a little. I will measure all from the front and work my way back. I always go back to the first rail and see if there are any changes in my first measurement. It is much easier to move the bed rail up than down.  Make sure the support legs have weight on them, the front and the rear on the main tube are important. Make sure the lock nuts on the adjustment bolts did not vibrate loose. The toe board bed is the most common nut to be loose.
Unless you hooked to the bed rail with the loader forks you most likely do not need to adjust the bed rails! Or you are dropping 4000# logs on the bed.
If you need to adjust more than one bed rail or you moved all the bed rails there is a different method you should use. I use a 24" ruler with a flange on it to make sure it is square to the bed. I always use 18" but the number does not matter.

Did you hear me?   LOL   ;)  Don't touch your bed rails.  :snowball:

Hope this helps.   This is my opinion. LOL

Marty


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I have been looking to purchase more. They were mady by Stanley. Max Stick?

We hear you Marty and value your opinion highly.

Do you have a pic of your "ruler with a flange"?

Quote from: OlJarhead on April 10, 2016, 12:10:10 AMGotta do the bunks tomorrow.

My eyes popped  :o when I read that.  I just got my "three year" WM field service and none of my rails needed any adjustment and I knew that they wouldn't.  I load and saw some big and heavy logs, two 35 inchers and many 30"+ this past week. 

Please re-read Marty's response above.   :P

Hmmm....maybe it's just my loosely eyeballing a tape measure.  I WILL LEAVE ALONE :D 

Marty you just saved me a ton of time :D  (more than I know).

I did notice the debarker beeper doesn't work now, and a screw holding the handle on the left (facing) band cover is bent and coming out so the handle is loose.  Something else that needs attention but I Can't remember now.

All in all though, I ran the saw a lot and milled a lot of lumber but have much more to do!

Quote from: Ga Mtn Man on April 10, 2016, 08:08:00 AM
We hear you Marty and value your opinion highly.

Do you have a pic of your "ruler with a flange"?

He does it's in the thread called....ummm...the sawmill alignment one or whatever.  I'll try to find it but I'm not a fancy pants computer searcher so it might take a while

Actually I don't touch the bed rails and haven't since new.

With the laser on my mill what I watch for is that a heavy cant doesn't cause a slight shift of the laser mounting ball. It doesn't happen very often but I have had to correct it a couple of times in the 3 years since I installed it. I takes about 5 minutes to correct.

Quote from: OlJarhead on April 10, 2016, 09:30:22 AM
...maybe it's just my loosely eyeballing a tape measure.  I WILL LEAVE ALONE :D 

When you're checking the bed alignment, consistency is essential.

There are several tiny variations when you measure that can add up to a significant error. If your measuring device is tilted a little to one side, or a little to front and back, it will give you a high reading. If you measure to a different part of the blade your reading could be high or low. Even the thickness of the line on your tape or scale can throw you off. The hook on the end of a tape measure can give you a low reading if the tape is tilted. If you lowered the head to measuring height (instead of raising it), there may be a small amount of slack in the support system which will be taken out by the vibration of rolling the carriage along the track.

A rigid scale eliminates some of the variables. If you have some means of holding the scale absolutely vertical (in both directions) that will eliminate more variables. Measuring up to the bottom of the same downward-set tooth will eliminate another variable. Having the tooth directly over the centre of the bed rail improves things even more.

I use a waterproof Sharpie to mark the point on the bed rail I'm measuring to, and to mark the two target teeth as well. I also put permanent marks on the main structural tube with a paint stick. When the front edge of the front bearing cover is directly beside the mark, the blade is directly above the centre of the bed rail. The paint will slowly wear off, so I refresh it every couple of weeks.

I check all the rails at the start of each season (especially since the ground will frost heave in the spring, and I've got two extensions attached). At 2500 hours I've had to do only two complete mill alignments, and I've only had to tweak a couple of bed rails during those setups.

One thing to check fairly often is whether or not any of the lock nuts on the vertical adjusting screws are loose. If you can turn the nut without a wrench then it's quite possible that rail may need adjustment.

I do not make any measurements with a tape measure.  The blade guides are checked/adjusted like this:


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Or like this:


 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/DSCN1999.JPG)   
They are all done with an 18" stainless steel rule.


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The side supports are checked with two sections of square aluminum tubing and an accurate square.