How well do the manual log turners work on a woodmizer mill? Does it actually turn it or does it just assist with a cant?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI5kJ3Xl-oc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
This video shows the optional log handling package in action. It loads and turns logs and cants. Looks slow. I think some have added an electric winch.
I saw alone and have recently been working on some southern yellow pine logs 14' and up to about 33'' dia. Somenwere to heavy for my tractor to lift. I wax able to load with the winch on the LT35 and turn with the log turner. As Bibbyman indicated it was a bit slow. However without the Turner I wouldnhave been gotta luck. Some logs turned easy some the small end would start to lift. I would then lay a stick or something parallel to the log and lower the log. When i lowered the log the log came down on the stick it would roll. You may have to repeat the cycle several times to get the log turned 90 degrees. I do not have rollers on top of my log stops that is a modification I need to make. I am glad I have the log deck package and would buy it again.
Some logs I could not roll with out it regardless of how good my Logright is.
I have never used or seen the manual turners work, but by the video, I would say they would turn the log just fine. A log as big as you mentioned would be no problem, the only issues are with smaller logs, even with the hydraulics, but once the weight of the log or cant becomes managable, your hook should suffice as it has, Keeping the log balanced on the bed with respect to the turner is something you will have to figure out, so that you turn more than lift, being by yourself this is kinda important, but if it does lift on one end and is partially turned, leave it there and finishing with the hook should be easier than without the turner at all, especially with a 14' 33" pine log,
Thanks for the video Bibby, I hadn't watched that one. What I got from it was that with the accuset "you don't have to think nearly as hard". I wonder if this is good for the sawyers brain. I know guys who have bought mills for a second career that gets them some exercise, keeps them out of their wife's way and makes them some money. Another benefit that they may not think of is how having to do the math for the cuts keeps the working part of their brain active. I wonder if the accuset interferes with this activity a bit or a lot or not at all.
D
I'll try the cant hook next time I have the small end raise. The eyeball is getting better on seeing the balance point.
Great information gentleman tha :P :Thank you very much! Daniel
The manual turned works pretty good but an electric winch is a must or its too slow and the top rollers are a great help it seems to work better on bigger logs I have an lt28 with the manual turner
I learned on a manual LT40 with the log deck package. Most of the time I sawed alone. I would use a peavey for the smaller stuff, and the winch turner on the big stuff. It worked well, but was only as fast as you could crank.
Woodweasal - I have a manual LT40 with the log deck package and I have added a 12 volt winch in place of using the hand winch. [ I left the hand winch in place in case the 12 fails] I also added the WM power strip and fuse/solenoid package to transfer the 12volts to the frame where I mounted my winch. Cost 2-300 bucks for the WM parts and about 75 for a 2000 lb 12 winch. Tom
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Nice setup St Ranch. Like the way you mounted the winch. I had to do something to get the large logs on the mill as I just didn't have the strength to crank manual winch with the heavy logs up the ramp. H.F. had this winch on sale so picked it up and had a friend help me mount it. Know it is an over-kill but boy does it load and turn logs fast. Did have to replace the cable that came with it with the next size smaller as the quarter inch was to large for the WM pulleys.
Another thing found out is a 2 inch square tube two feet long slid over the log stops keeps the log from wanting to climb. It is easy to remove once the log is in position. Anything to make it easier on this old man ;)
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I don't understand how the winch turns log after it sits on the deck? :P
The winch is connected to the log turner via a set of pulleys. When the winch is turned, the log turner comes up and makes contact with the lower portion of the log. As the log turner moves up, the log rotates. (see Bibbleman's video). When using the winch to load a log, the cable is removed from the log turner and connected to the log. Hope this help you understand how it works.
Absolutely! So it will be relatively easy to replace the manual winch with electric winch!! ;D Thanks gentleman!
One more question are the toe boards connected to the winch cable :P ???
No, they come with a crank that operates the jackscrew which raises or lowers them
Thank you very much John senior!!! Daniel
John SR - Wow, That is quite the winch. Just wondering what you use to power it? Is it off the mill or a secondary battery?
My winch runs off the mill 12v system and lately with the mill RV battery getting old [5 yrs], I notice the mill alternator will labor the mill engine when I get a big log on the turner. Might add a secondary battery in parallel with the winch to give a bit more reserve cranking amps.
I am using a large secondary battery as the 18 hp engine charging system on the LT28 just don't put out enough juice to keep the primary battery charged when using the power feed and the winch. Have a pretty large charger hooked up to the battery and so far haven't had the needle drop below normal. If I go mobile will use the Honda 2000 generator as it has a 6 amp 12 volt charging system built in.
According to the instruction that came with the winch, am supposed to wait 15 minutes after using it at max for 45 seconds. So far haven't came close to to the max pulling power. Probably would if pulling the log by the end. Using it to roll the log am only in the mid range on the lever. If I go any faster, can't control the rolling log as the control is only 12 feet long. Would be nice if there were two cables so to get an even roll.
Hey, bibbyman, any chance the video in this thread could be made public? Would love to see it in action, but says it's private.
Trying to get my older LT30 loading and turning big logs. I have manual winch, not sure how to turn with it.....
Welcome to the forum, sdsherer.
I doubt if you will get an answer as bibbyman doesnt frequent here as much since retiring from sawing. BTW did you notice this thread was 4 years + old?
You can use the search function and put in manual log turner you will surely come up with some vids that would work and lots of new Ideas.
Here is the turner that was on my ez boardwalk 40.
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PC
How do you like your ez boardwalk 40 ? Thinking about buying one.
It worked real well for me. I had a 20 hp honda. I miss being able to cut a 36'' wide board. I put a pineywoods turner/clamp on it and that worked real well too. Pictures of it are in my gallery. Boardwalk mills are tough and easy to learn on.
However I needed higher production so I bought a really used 94 LT40hd. and then another, now a 3rd.
PC
sdsherer; Here is a video I made of the LT30 I had with a 12 volt winch I used in place of the manual winch. Works great and fairly fast.
I have posted this before...
..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNHVKl11SIU
Charles sling_shot
Paul, couldn't you have just add some hydraulic or electric log turning mechanism yourself ? I think they put a 24 hp Honda on them now with a 28 hp optional engine available.
I did. I could have easily automated it to death, just didnt have the time, oh and I didnt want to be the guy trying to reinvent the wheel.
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PC
That was an old post of my from 2013. The manual turner did just fine. My new Hydraulic tuner is THE BOMB as the young kids now a days say :D :D
I guess those woodmizers hold up pretty well ? I'm a little skeptical about the cantilever design. Looks like the metal would fatigue and it would sag over time or simply not cut as true because it would be less ridged. The frame looks a little light when you compare it to a mill built with structural steel.
?? The frame is definitely not light, and it is definitely made from structural steel.
I've sawn close to half a million board feet on mine. It's 11 years old an has taken all the abuse I could throw at it. It cuts as true as the day I got it.
The pole mill down the road from me use a manual LT40 for years to salvage their oversized butt ends -- it had 6000 hours on it when they finally replaced it. It was still in good shape, but they couldn't keep up so they replaced it with an electric super hydraulic. That had over 8000 hours on it when they finally sold it. They'd have kept it but their market collapsed in 2008.
You'll find lots of people who have sawn over a million BF (and sometimes 2 or 3 million) on a Wood-Mizer mill.
I know of 2 LT40 hyd that are still running and have over 10,000 hours on them. Each will still cut true and square and can cut an 1/8'' thick board if you want(I was gona say so thin it only has 1 side but....).
I think woodmizer has their mills figured out. They cut well and last a long time as well. Thats not to say they are the only one who has.
PC
I break sawmilling down into two category's 1) hobby sawyers that cut for themselves occasionally and 2) guys that cut for hire. If you cut for hire you need a hydraulic turner, nothing less. If you cut for a hobby you still need a hydraulic turner but you can get by with various manual turners as your not after production, just ease of use. I think their would be a market for a compact after market hydraulic unit that could be easily added to manual mills. Two models battery and 115v. Could ether be Piney woods type or two plain. Chain is nice but too hungry for power and doesn't serve a secondary function as a clamp. Frank C.
Quote from: bandmiller2 on March 17, 2017, 07:36:21 AM
... If you cut for hire you need a hydraulic turner, nothing less. ...
I didn't know that, so I cut for hire with a manual turner and it worked out OK :D :D. Mind you, I was a young 55 year old when I started ;D.
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I was making enough money that after a year the bank was willing to lend me enough to upgrade to a hydraulic mill :).