iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Help with new edger

Started by Redhorseshoe, April 29, 2021, 11:39:11 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Redhorseshoe

I recently got my new Riehl Steel edger and got it up and running last weekend.  I've run maybe 200 boards through it so far.  When edging two sides of a board, that is, using both blades in the edger, it works great.  When edging a board with one straight edge, it has ruined every one I've ran through it so far.  Mostly 1" but some 2" material as well.  It narrows the last 12 - 18" of the board.  I can see what's happening, as the board goes through it starts off straight but then gets cockeyed as it progresses through the machine.  Hopefully that makes sense.  I can't imagine there being a "trick" to get this thing to work right but figured I'd ask just in case I'm missing something.  It has a 20hp engine on it and is currently running 100 feet per minute.  I thought about slowing it down to 75 feet per minute, the only other speed setting, but I coughed up extra for the bigger engine and oughta be able to run 7/8" material at full speed, no questions asked.  Thanks for the help.  

P.S. I did email the manufacturer this evening but figured I'd ask here as well.

  

Southside

Which fence are you using when that happens? 

Do you have pitch buildup on the rollers?

Have you checked to see that the out feed fence is true and square to the indeed? FWIW I have not used the outfeed fence for years, it's really not necessary. 
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

Redhorseshoe

No pitch, there's barely even sawdust on this thing it's brand new.  There is no outfeed fence.

Southside

Do you have the new design with two in and two outfeed rolls? 
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

moodnacreek

How long or how far are you holding the board against the fence? On many edgers you can not just stick a board in and let go. Once the board is under all the rolls, top and bottom [if it is a feed roll style] it should go straight enough. There are many little things besides big knots that will take a board to one side.

Ron Wenrich

How good are the teeth in the edger blade?  Seems like maybe the saw is cutting in and that is pulling your board over.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Redhorseshoe

Well, still not working right.  I moved the adjustable blade out of the way and ran several boards through without them getting cut.  They tracked straight through the edger.  As soon as I put the blade back, they start getting pulled over again.  Then tonight the adjustable blade seized on the shaft and will no longer move.  This thing is a major (expensive) disappointment.

Walnut Beast

Sorry to hear. What did the manufacturer say about it.

Southside

I lubricate the arbor shaft daily. Just a few squirts of ATF / Bar and chain oil mixed together. Pitch builds up on edgers. 
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

moodnacreek

Quote from: Southside on May 05, 2021, 07:27:13 AM
I lubricate the arbor shaft daily. Just a few squirts of ATF / Bar and chain oil mixed together. Pitch builds up on edgers.
twice a day here.

mapleack

Quote from: Redhorseshoe on May 05, 2021, 01:49:23 AM
Well, still not working right.  I moved the adjustable blade out of the way and ran several boards through without them getting cut.  They tracked straight through the edger.  As soon as I put the blade back, they start getting pulled over again.  Then tonight the adjustable blade seized on the shaft and will no longer move.  This thing is a major (expensive) disappointment.
This sounds like the arbor shaft isn't square to the feed rollers.
Norwood LM2000

Ron Wenrich

Sounds like it is in your blades.  If your arbor is not square, you're putting lead into your blades.  It'll pull to the long side.  

Does it pull when you have only one blade cutting?  If they both pull, then it may be arbor related.  If only one pulls, then it is more likely blade related.  
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Bruno of NH

Remember this edger is brand new.
How can it be the blades are they only good for 8 hours use if you don't hit metal ?
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

stavebuyer

Being new means all should be correct, but that does not appear to be the case. Frustrating to trouble shoot a brand new machine and twice as difficult if you never experienced "normal" to begin with. Being mad is understandable but won't make the edger cut straight. 

YellowHammer

If the edger only pulls when there is one blade in the edge of the board, and cuts straight with two, and straight with none, as you said in the original post, then either the blade is leading off, the boards is being fed too fast, or the hold down rollers aren't putting enough pressure on the board.  

However, also according to your description of the board pulling to the side and narrowing the edge of the board in the last 12" to 18", then it sounds to me that the as soon as one of the hold down rollers releases the board as its fed through, then the one blade in the edge of the board will cause the board to push off and so gives the tapered cut.  Again, it comes down to not enough down pressure on the single remaining roller holding the board as the board exits one of the pressure rollers, but is still held by the second.

Cutting with only one blade on the side of a board will put tremendous off axis edge loads on the board and will cause it to walk if the feed is too fast, or the pressure roller grip is too light.

If you are running at 100 feet per minute, as you say in the post, that is way too fast for a single off axis edge cut, at least if being held by only one outfeed pressure roller.  If you could increase the down pressure, it might hold.  Generally, I'm about half that speed when I'm edging.  If edging too fast, especially with thin hard wood, where the number of teeth engaged in the board is limited, depending on your tooth count, it will put too much load on your blade teeth and crack the carbides off.  I have a Baker twin conveyor edger, and it will cut 3" red oak as fast as I can run, but it's too hard on the blades when running that speed on thin, hard, dry wood.    
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

Bruno of NH

YH said the magic word.
He has a baker 
I'm now out on this one.
I lived it once 
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

Redhorseshoe

Okay! Finally, thank you all for some more responses.  I will try slowing the feed rate down and see what that does.  I'm not trying to run anyone down here, hopefully I didn't come across that way.  I'm just looking for some solutions.  As far as the company goes, they have thus far been above and beyond as far as customer service is concerned.  I can't complain about the service one bit.  It is very frustrating to have a new piece of equipment not working properly and be a couple thousand miles from the manufacturer.

moodnacreek

In my experience the slower you feed the straighter you saw. Fast feeds can cause chatter of the mandrel and throw everything off. Real [and very expensive] edgers have heavy mandrels. Besides being slow, slow feeds dull the teeth much sooner. Also you can guide the board most of the way by hand and eye but it takes a lot of practice. If the board fights you while doing this something is really wrong. An overhead shadow light can be made from a halogen work lamp useing a tight wire to get the black line. Or you can hang a lazer on the fixed saw but must be in a dark place.

Southside

Have you eliminated the possibility of stress in the lumber? It may seem obvious, but sometimes it's not.

This winter we needed some 1x3 stock for the moulder, found some nice, dry, straight, clean 1x6 pine and decided to rip them in half - easy solution.

Not a single one of those came out straight or even 3" wide. Some would pull themselves apart and break in two before they cleared the blade.

Changed the feed stock and the problem went away. 

I would try edging a few random pieces on your mill. If they don't move then you know you have a piece without stress in it. Then run that through the edger and see what happens. 
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

BandsawBen

I don't have experience with the reihel edger but, did have had my own struggles with my woodmizer eg200. Mine seems to pull to the moveable blade side, kinda makes boards banana shaped. I replaced piles of parts and spent hours adjusting and troubleshooting. (Super frustrating) I have run it enough now that i can feed it , guide it through to make a great board. If I let it run through unsupervised it with pull to one side. I had never run an edger. I just expected to put a board in and it will do the rest. I was very wrong. I changed pulleys to slow the feed rate but,it didnt help.  just slowed it down,didnt strain the engine as much but, that kubota is up for the challenge. When you get it dialed in and figured out you will appreciate it. I ruined a pile of wood messing with mine, *pithed off walk away swearing then try again you will figure it out.

YellowHammer

Quote from: BandsawBen on May 05, 2021, 08:16:22 PM
If I let it run through unsupervised it with pull to one side. I had never run an edger. I just expected to put a board in and it will do the rest. I was very wrong.
That's all you should have to do.  When it's running properly, it should bore you to sleep.


Since you are having to adjust the boards by hand as they are being fed in, then I would say that the pressure rollers are not heavy enough.  Typically, once the edger has the board, it should have it very solidly.  It's not unusual to tweak the adjustment of the board as it gets under the first feed roller, just to get it aligned properly. Once the machine has a bite, it should be game over.



YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

Thank You Sponsors!