I was sawing SYP today and noticed that my blade started loosing tension. I checked and surely enough the blade was hot. Strange because this was the first log and a fresh blade. I started looking for a wedged chip or something rubbing the blade when I spotted the problem. The chip deflector had bent down and was rubbing the blade.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/DSCN0264.JPG)
A crescent wrench was all that was needed to bend it upward and parallel to the blade again. The tension then held and the blade ran cool.
MM,
Any idea how it got bent?
That's the indication of an experienced sawyer, he recognizes a problem and corrects it before harm is done. Frank C.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on August 26, 2015, 07:42:23 PM
MM, Any idea how it got bent?
This is probably the third time that I have had to straighten the deflector. I had a blade to break recently so that is probably what bent it down and did not notice it. I guess a few years of being constantly bombarded with sawdust also takes a toll because the end is completely rounded with wear.
My deflector has bent slightly back toward the roller a couple of times. Mostly it just kinda creeps up (no matter how hard I tighten the screws). I've never had it bend down ???.
However ... last year when I was sawing an older Douglas-Fir, a piece of bark about the size of a half golf ball came loose, went into the sawdust catcher at the front of the drive side housing, got grabbed by the blade and tossed over to the idle side and finally came to rest somewhere. There was a lot of banging going on until it settled down, but no harm done ... I thought. Then my blade started to go slack. Opened up the lube and the blade started to give off steam :o.
When I shut down and opened the covers I found the piece of bark (which is kind of like cork) wedged between the outside of the blade and the idle side housing. The motion of the blade just wedged it in tighter.
That blade has never cut true ever since. I'm sure I managed to distort it from the heat.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/DSCN0598.JPG)
I had this to happen a few years ago. LINK (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,54751.msg789631.html#msg789631)
We get stuff like that every couple of days cutting with mesquite. Either a big chunk of bark or a wedge pops off the log. They don't always get stuck, and not always is it bent, but I am watching for that thing to get bent all the time. :-X :snowball: :snowball: :snowball: :snowball: :snowball: