Mill laser line info needed

[Brad_bb]

So I cut a lot of curved and wonky logs flat on two sides to get brace stock, collar ties etc from them.  If I want to cut correctly I have to find the center I want to use on each end of a wonky or curved log, then go up 3", 4" or whatever thickness I plan to cut, mark that point on each end, run a snap line between the points to determine if I'll get enough cut face or if I need to change my thickness or my center.  If I have to change I have to start the process over again.  This is one of my bottle necks. 

I've been reading past posts on "laser line" and haven't found the exact info I'm looking for.  My mill is inside so I don't need the most powerful laser.  I want to project a line along the log parallel to the bed and be able to adjust it up and down.  So the laser could be affixed to the wall next to the mill.  I'm sure I could figure out a way to move it up and down. 

The question is:  Do the self leveling construction lasers have a feature to NOT self level, so they are fixed and projecting a line?  I'm going to go to the big professional tool place near me to talk to the staff there, but want to see if anyone else here has done this, and what they used.  I want to use the laser to set up and level the wonky log on the mill and mark where I'll start my first cut.  This can be beneficial to a log with a lot of taper too, to help level the centers.

[dukndog]

Brad,

The self leveling feature on the "Spinning" lasers is more for the mirror mechanism inside the unit but makes life easier for setting it up.
I have an old one that is a manual level, CST/Berger brand, (bubbles on the sides) and to get the line level, you have to turn thumb wheels to get the bubbles centered. It does have a mounting plate on the rear which could be attached to a wall if needed.
I got it at HD 10-12 years ago. Price on the old one's like it have really came down.

Rich

[Ron Wenrich]

I worked with laser lights on a circle mill.  To pull a line from a wall to your mill and have it movable might be a stretch.  The lights I used were on my edger and on my headsaw.  They washed out pretty quick, even in low light.  The newer ones are probably a big improvement. 

For the headsaw, it was mounted overhead.  I was sawing off the sides of the log and I could move the log with my tapers and headblocks to position the log.  We had a vertical edger, and they were mounted on the outside of the edger in a bracket on a movable rod.  We moved it with a cable and pulley system that was attached to the edger saws.  The lines were generally faint, but you could get some decent accuracy with them.

I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to mount something to your saw head.  Make a bracket so that it shines where the blade cuts. My contractor level only runs a dot and not a line.  If you have electric and can run it to your sawhead, then I'd go with a mill laser.  The closer you get it to your work, the brighter it will be.

[Alligator]

On Ebay you can search for "laser line". You will find many (about as big around as a dime) for under $10 that project lines, and crosses, most are 5 volt. Standard USB charger voltage. You could mount it on your saw and project your saw line onto the log.

[Josef]

I'll get the info on the one I mounted to my mill, it's green and quite easy to see in daylight, just not real bright in direct sunlight. I fabbed a bracket that is adjustable so I can level it with the bed, attached to the head in line with the blade so it shows exactly where the blade will cut.

My method for leveling the log if I want to be very accurate for beams is to use a 2' carpenters level on the heart at the far end, use that to mark the center level of the heart on the side of the log with a lumber crayon, then raise the head to center the laser on the near end heart, and use the far end toe board to raise the far end to the same level by hitting the laser line. If the far end is higher to start, just reverse the process and level the near end.

I love the laser for quickly leveling logs and accurately making an opening cut that will yield the face width I'm looking for. I found the parts to add the laser relatively inexpensive.

Joe

this is what I ordered from Apinex early last year

GM-CW02L <50mW Compact green laser module with line generator US$ 125.00
AC110-220-DC3 110/220, power supply adaptor, 3V US$ 17.50
HS-12 Heat sink 12mm US$ 17.50
Sub Total   US$ 160.00
Shipping (United States Express)   US$ 24.95
TOTAL   US$ 184.95

if you decide to go this route I can offer some suggestions and cautions about the installation if you wish.

Joe

[Brad_bb]

Josef,
That is one step farther than I was thinking, more effecient.  One concern is vibration if you mount it on the saw head?

I also need an electric toe board, but one problem is the variation in log length I cut.  I guess if you mount it at the start of the cut and put the small end at the start...
thank you.

[Josef]

Brad_bb,

the only issue I had with vibration was at the connection of the very light power supply leads, they connect to a really small pc board and are not supported very well. I addressed that by adding a terminal block and anchored the heavier leads from the power supply there right next to the laser. The vibration at the head with respect to line quality hasn't affected it at all, the unit has been in service just over a year now.

I mounted it directly to the head, in line with the blade and ahead of it about 6 inches off to the side. As to log length, the 50 mw laser is bright enough to see it the full length of a 20'+ log, and it lights up the end of the building I have my mill in.

When I have to raise a log more than the 2 inches the toe board allows, or if I'm dealing with a log too short to reach the toe boards I just clamp the log a bit and pry it up with a 2x4 the rest of the height needed and then clamp it firmly.

When I first started trying to configure a laser to the mill one of my evolutions was to attach an L bracket to the head that allowed me to attach a builders rotating laser upside down, similar to the unit contractors use to install suspended ceilings. Spin them fast enough and it projects a solid horizontal line. Hardest part was setting initially the L bracket precisely enough that the rotating laser hit the blade plane. As they are  adjustable to "level" them I would then set the head at a point usually 6 inches off the bed and with a combination square level it to the bed at both ends. Worked well enough but became tedious going thru leveling it each time I attached it to the mill.

In any case I found it most serviceable in my experiments to attach it to the head to be able to reliably reflect log leveling. But I'm sure a location off the mill but preset and aligned with the bed would serve its purpose as well.

Joe

[petefrom bearswamp]

I still have the cheap Harbor freight laser I tried out doors several years ago.
Mounted it on my then lt40hd but of course it didnt like the sunlight but worked OK on cloudy days
I now cut Hemlock so accuracy isint paramount.

[peterpaul]

The question is:  Do the self leveling construction lasers have a feature to NOT self level, so they are fixed and projecting a line?  I'm going to go to the big professional tool place near me to talk to the staff there, but want to see if anyone else here has done this, and what they used.  I want to use the laser to set up and level the wonky log on the mill and mark where I'll start my first cut.  This can be beneficial to a log with a lot of taper too, to help level the centers.

The answer to your question is yes, Bosch makes many lasers which when in manual mode lock the projected line so when the laser is rotated, any angle can be projected.   

https://www.boschtools.com/us/en/boschtools-ocs/line-lasers-gll-2-40-34172-p/

Step one:  Mount a 1 x 2 vertically and spaced out a couple of inches from your wall (think surveyors rod), the lazer will slide up and down the 1x2.  You should mount the 1x2 exactly plumb. 

Step two:  With the laser in manual mode, the line would be locked.  You would then align (twist) the Laser exactly parrallel to your bed rail on your mill.

Step three:  You could then raise the projected line to the desired cut hieght at one end of your log and then raise or lower the other end of the log as required based on the projected line to achieve the desired cut at the other end as the projected line would be parrallel to mill bed regardless how far it is raised up.   

I would think a dealer near you would have a unit you could play with.  I have a top of the line Bosch Laser that I use in construction and have been extremely happy with it.  It has many more features than you need but also has a manual mode for all three axis.  Hope this helps.