Need input from Frank and T-Beast

[Frank_Pender]

Make sure is is oil in it before you start.  May even want to change it before you run it.  Check for slop in bolted areas also.  If we do not hear from thee we will know that the shrapnel got you from the teeth and the motor :D   Serious though, Dan, STAND AT THE OPERATORS END ONLY.   DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STAND ANYWHERE ELSE!   Make sure you check the belts for frayed edges or weather checked before starting, also.  You might want to wirebrush the track, both sides and bush a bit id diesel on both before running or in conjunction with wirebrushing.    The best of luck to you both.  What you might do is offter him 8gs after the running and see what happens.  Just a thought.    See, too, if batteries are included.  You would have to add additional expense there of about $250.00  for good deep cycle batteries. :

[Ron Wenrich]

Frank

I've been running 1/4" circle blades for 20 years and have never put any type of coolant on them.  

One thing on the bigger blades is that we put a little lead into the saw.  The cutting edge is about 1/16" ahead of the back edge.  That way you aren't rubbing the eye with the log and you get no heat.  Any way to put lead into your saw?  Should be some type of adjustment.

[Frank_Pender]

 Ron, I just called the factory in Troutdale, Oregon, to cover my bases on the sizes of the two blades they offer.  The smaller of the two is 150/1000  for the 1/4 teeth and the larger is 165/1000 for the 5/16 teeth.   So, with the 1/4 tooth unit, the idea is that there is less space between the corners of the teeth and the blade itself and generates more heat, erg to h2o is added.  I hope this makes sense to you.  If not try me again and I will see if I can reallign get things messed up. :D :D

[timberbeast]

Ron,  you can see the edger blades directly below the (oversize) gas tank,  looks like they are set at 5 or 6 inches.  The main (vertical) blade is where you think it is,  you can see the (discolored)  main shaft protruding from the blade guard.  The top horizontal moves up and down,  the bottom is fixed,  and is the lowest cut you can make.  Should give you an idea of how it works.  Not sure about lead,  I've never had a heat problem.  My horizontals have 1/4" teeth,  my vertical 5/16.  The manual that I have does not mention any kind of coolant,  have never used it.  The lower horizontal has an adjustment for angle,  so that you can set the blade for tooth/blade clearance.  The vertical can be adjusted for angle as well,  but I haven't had to do it with mine.  It ain't broke,  so I ain't fixing it.

[Ron Wenrich]

I can see one of the horizontal blades behind the cover.  So, you are running basically a circle saw with a top saw, and a vertical edger.

I remember helping a guy with a double end trimmer.  He couldn't get it to work without the saws heating.  The trouble was it needed a little lead, ie blade clearance.  

Does the whole frame move up and down to accomodate differing log heights?  How do you dog your log down?

[timberbeast]

Ron,  if you look at the close-up shot,  you can see,  on top of the first wooden bunk,  the dogging system.  It's a fixed dog to the inside,  and on the same steel (orange) bunk attachment,  you can see a dog with a lever (handle) on it.  You just move your log to the fixed dog,  then push the levered one in (there are holes in the steel top,  then lever the holding dog in with the handle.  Where the powerhead is,  you can see the endstands on each side,  looking like vertical posts,  these are steel posts,  and the whole unit,  track included,  can be moved all the way to the top of this via a gearmotor.  The are stands at the unseen end as well.  They operate with a rack and pinion gear system mounted to cables which lift or lower the unit on the endstands.  You can see onje of the cables (kind of).  I think you're looking in the wrong place for the horizontal blades.  The unit is bottomed on the endstands,  and the bottom edger is appproximately 2" above the bunks.  The top,  adjustable edger is 5 or six inches over than one.  The edgers control the board width,  the main verticle blade controls board thickness.  This mill can handle at least a 42" log,  probably more,  length is only limited to track sections.  I think you can go to 40 feet on length.  The whole mill also can be moved horizontally to the limit of the end units that the endstands are mounted to,  either way.  Big log=move whole unit up on the endstands to the width (plus slab you want for your first pass),  move horizontally for first slab of main blade,  make a pass.  Next pass make a board,  move horizontally to thickness,  make board,  and so on until the top is flat.  At this point,  you can lower the whole unit down on the endstands,  say 12 inches (plus kerf).  You could simply make a pass and cut 12" boards up to 4" or 6" thick,  depending on the size of edger blades,  or you could move the top blade down 6" and get two 6" wide boards with each pass.  Or you could lower the top blade down 4" and make a 4" and an 8" wide board with each pass,  etc.  Sounds more complicated than it is,  if you watched it work for 5 or 10 minutes,  you could run it easily.
You can dice up a 30" log in this fashion in maybe 20 minutes,  including offbearing,  by yourself.  You'll have a lot of sawdust laying between the bunks and to the right of the contol area,  all down the log length at this time.  The final (bottom) slab will look like a side slab.  Then you undog the slab and roll on a fresh log.

[Frank_Pender]

Guys,  You only use water when you are using a 1/4 inch curf main blade.    When the bottom slabe is thick thick enough I always turn it up on edge and cut an attitional board or three. ;)

[Frank_Pender]

I meant to ask you Dan,  how did the viewing go as well as the sawing?  Let us know if you can, please.  I do hope that you are  another proud owner of a Mobile Dimension Sawmill. 8) 8) 8) 8)

[Gordon]

Thanks, frank and timberbeast for all of your info. Now after going to the website and re reading your posts on how they work I've got a good handle on them now. I also see that they are quite mobile if you want them to be.

A simple question, do you ever have problems at the end of your cuts with the blade hanging up when the cut piece starts to fall into the saw kerf?  Guess after you saw a large timber you just manually roll it out of the way?

Thanks in advance
Gordon

[Frank_Pender]

Gordon, if anything the board falls away from the main blade toward the carrage track.  As the caggage returns it brings the lumber back to you, no matter the dimension, from a 1 x 2 to a 4 x 12, 24' long on one of my mills.  The rate of return is the same no matter to size of the cut board.  There is zilch in hangups for me.  the board always fall away and returned to me.  I often get in a hurry and use my "pickaroon" to bring the board back and place it in the stack behind me.  bye the time the lumber is placed in the stck and I have turned around the mill has returned and I am ready for the next cut.  Both of my mill have 4 rates of return that I can set.  If I have someone to offbear for me, I run at the highest rate, if they wish to work that fast.   I always pay more than a can of Delmonte peas for my labor, however.  :D :D  

[timberbeast]

Gordon,  on occasion,  sawing small logs,  I have had offcuts which have landed in a skewed manner on the uncut portion of the log.  If you allow the mill to return,  it will usually slash them in half,  and occasionally sent a chunk flying (always away from you).  But you can set the mill,  in about one second,  with a pin on the control handle,  so that it stops at the end of the track.  Then you can grab the offcut and throw it in the slab pile,  pull the pin,  and the carriage will return,  pulling the board back with it.  On large timbers,  if you stick a prybar into the bottom kerf,  about halfway through the cut,  then lift a tad as the carriage returns,  it is easier on the hydraulics.  Not really necessary,  just quicker.

[L. Wakefield]

   Oh, my word! I was visualizing you cutting on that return, and was  wondering what the H### you would do to the thickness of your cut by torquing on the log. I would guess, tho, that the 'carriage return part is where the log moves and no cutting is occurring. Yes, no? ( I could be part French, me.)   lw

[Frank_Pender]

   LW
     The log is stationary and the carrage moves along a track system that is approximatley 12" square. Try the web site, www.Mobilemfg.com and perhaps that can help you visualize the process.   The track and the carrage moves from the left to the right when cutting lumber.   8)