Blade settings for D&L 1020 Swingblade

[HornbyHan]

Can anyone help with info on how to adjust the blade settings on our D&L 1020 Swingblade? We are having to push much harder and the blade seems to be lower in the front than the back of the cut. It enters the log easily but when we are cutting over the center of the log it tends to push into the log rather than float forward like before.

[terrifictimbersllc]

I had a Peterson WPF1030. My answer to any problem of cutting was to go stepwise through the blade alignments which are not that complicated.  I'd say even easier to do than on a bandsaw. But unlike with a bandsaw, one needs to make cuts in a log to do them.   In Peterson lingo, there were 4 adjustments made in this order:

1) horizontal criss-cross (tilt of the blade when horizontal, from back to front), the name comes from the light pattern one sees on the cut surface, when things are correct, the arc the front and back of the blade make are equally visible, criss-crossing each other
2) horizontal lean-in, the right hand side of the blade is tilted down just a bit so when you make a cut which is about the maximum of the blade, it leaves about a 1/32-1/16" ridge on the left un-cut
3) vertical intersect where the vertical and horizontal cuts meet so that there is only a tiny step at the inside corner of the remaining wood, and,
4) vertical criss-cross, where the blade when vertical makes the equal pattern made by the front and back of the blade on the vertical surface of the remaining wood.  This last adjustment, for me, was more easily made by just adjusting so the blade, after it exited a vertical cut, could re-enter that same cut freely without needing to re-cut a new path.

The adjustments to achieve these were:
1) there were bolts on the back side of the head to raise or lower it (raise or lower the back side of the blade when horizontal)
2) there was an adjustable stop bolt to stop the swing of the horizontal blade at the right place where the right side was tilted down just a bit
3) another adjustable stop bolt to stop the vertical swing at just the right place, and
4) the whole head could be shifted side to side by one bolt which controlled the plane of the blade when vertical.

My reference points above (right, left, front, back) are standing at the operator side of the mill with the blade in front of me.

One could inadvertently get the adjustments really messed up by changing some things on the mill without knowing.  Such as if one adjusted the chains which the head hangs on inside the end frames (thinking D&L has the WPF type construction?) and tilted the whole hanging assembly a bit wrong.  Another was the adjustment affecting 4) above was easy to mess up as it was coupled with taking off the handle of the mill.  You want to make sure that if you have taken any thing apart for other reasons that you didn't mess up one of the alignment adjustments.

Finally a finely tuned mill always depends a lot on having a very sharp blade.  Dont try to tune your mill if the blade isnt sharp or needs attention.  Hoping this is helpful, a lot should be the same between these mills.  Good luck.

[sam-tip]

Front to back adjustment is done by adjusting the lift chains.  The vertical cut is done by adjusting the front mounting point of the swing arm.  I had a bunch of problems with my insert blade because my cutting teeth were not square at the cutting edge.  Then my mill is so heavy the track was shifting as it rolled on the track.  Added more supports for the track. Plus my track was sliding and getting out of level with time.  I have it on a concrete pad with 2 inch slope in 20 ft for water run off.    Then a pair of matched or high tolerance belts helped with vibrations.

[sam-tip]

Also be sure to clean the bottom rollers.  Mine were full of wood chips and did not roll smoothly.

I also improved the  90 degree supports for the track. 6 x 6 x 1/2 aluminum angle cut down.


I have 32 hours on my mill and still feel I am learning how best to run it and the adjustments.  Slabbing is hard on the track.  Lots of side forces.     




 



 

[quadracutter222]

I am new to the DL also, but here is my 2 cents.  

Cannot echo enough the need to a well-sharpened saw, with the cutting edges ground square.

With a good sharp saw, make sure your tracks are good and level/parallel.

To adjust the horizontal lead, open the top of a log to expose a 6-8" face.  With the saw in the horizontal plane lower the saw down above the cut to say an inch.  Then measure from the cut face up to the front of the saw and the back.  The goal is to have these equal, and ultimately achieve the horizontal criss-cross terrifictimbersllc mentioned. Noting which way the saw needs to move to bring these measurements equal, adjust either the two front or two back lifting chains.  The heights from the lower frame rail up to the carriage frame rail need to match front to back.  All four corners to not need to match, just the front 2 and back 2.

Also important, something I just learned can affect horizontal lead, is how tight the slack side of the chains are.  If too tight the saw can be pulled down in the cut.  Two of mine were very very tight.  Loosen them right up and make sure the slack side is only finger tight.  

On the belts, it was recommended by the manufacture to use a 2v belt.

Did you get a used mill without a manual?  That was my case and I was able to purchase a manual and get set up for support calls with the manufacture.

Good luck, only adjust on thing at a time!

[sam-tip]

Attached is a pdf of manual emailed to me from D&L