Norwood ML26 - Roller packed with sawdust/oil

[Woodsrover]

So I noticed my mill was getting a little hard to push and wasn't as smooth as I'm used to.  Couldn't really figure it out though I looked at the rails, etc. but couldn't find the problem.  I just got done milling 1300bf of red oak 2x6s and the mill performed perfectly but just seemed to be getting harder to push along and didn't glide pulling it back like I'm used to.  Well, today I was milling a piece of old tulip I had laying around and noticed one of the rollers was clunking like it had a big flat spot in it.  I thought perhaps it had been bound up for a while and I had worn a flat in it so I pulled it out.

What I found was the roller was packed with a VERY hard layer of packed saw dust and probably a little oil from the wipers on the track.  A small chunk had chipped off and was giving my my clunk.  Took it apart and chipped the rest off and all is well.

Just thought I'd pass this along as these rollers aren't exposed where you can see them and may be packing up without you realizing it.  I'm considering drilling a hole in the top of the roller boxes so I can see down into and and clean the rollers if it starts happening again.

Requisite photo:

[beenthere]

Interesting.  If you can drill from above, maybe you could drop in a nail that would just ride in the groove and keep it clean.
Would all depend on the distance to the top of the roller groove, and depend just on the weight of the nail to work.
Just a thought.

[hamish]

Check to make sure your tracksweepers are bottoming out on the rail.

With the temepratures we have been having my sweepers dry out in less than 3 hours.

I milled some cherry last night, that was a treat.............almost like learning to saw all over again!

[Woodsrover]

Interesting.  If you can drill from above, maybe you could drop in a nail that would just ride in the groove and keep it clean.
Would all depend on the distance to the top of the roller groove, and depend just on the weight of the nail to work.
Just a thought.

That's a good idea...Just a little something to to rattle along on the roller.  It's probably only a 1/2" from the top of the box to the roller but a piece of clipped of nail would do the trick.  Thanks.

[swampbuggy]

I am going.to look at my wheels on the NC34. I have had a few times when it felt harder to push. Thanks for the information.

[Delawhere Jack]

My mill does the same thing. Hasn't effected cutting quality, but you can definately feel when the rollers are getting gunked up. After reading this post, I thought, how about halved lengthwise sections on PVC pipe attatched to the carriage and riding over the rails in front of and behind the saw blade? They would need to extend maybe 18" fore and aft of the plane of the blade. Just something to shed dust from landing in/on the rails.

[Woodsrover]

After reading this post, I thought, how about halved lengthwise sections on PVC pipe attatched to the carriage and riding over the rails in front of and behind the saw blade? They would need to extend maybe 18" fore and aft of the plane of the blade. Just something to shed dust from landing in/on the rails.

That's a great idea.  It was only the rear roller on the dust-side of the mill that was getting packed.  A piece of 1" pvc between the uprights would keep 90% of the dust off the track.  Going to look for a piece of pipe in the basement right now!

Edit: Found a piece of 1" PVC, split it down the middle and pinched it between the two roller boxes on the dusty side.  Should work like a charm.  The roller boxes all have a slot for the wiper/oiler but Norwood only sends two oiler felts with the mill.  I slipped these in the back to slots but this leaves the front two open.  I also took two crappy 1" Chinese paint brushes, cut the handle off, cut the bristles down and slipped them in the front slots.  This should clean any sawdust from the front of the rollers of the track before it has a chance to get caught up in the rollers.

Again Jack, thanks for the great idea!

[Woodsrover]

My ML26 fix as per Delawhere Jack's idea:

Works like a charm.  I cut one very large and one small cherry tonight and the dust guard worked perfectly.  A $2.00 fix and we're good to go.  Before you know it Norwood will build something like this into their mills.

Thanks again Jack!

The guard is tight between the two roller boxes and rides over the dust-side rail.  I cut for three hours tonight and it never moved.



You can see the cheap brush handle sticking up out of the wiper slot.