LT 70 Electric Mill

[Dewey]

We are in the middle of hooking up a LT 70 Electric mill.. The Electric Cable to power mill installs to the saw head and moves forward and back 21'.
I am looking for ideas to hang the cord, so it travels easily without kinking up and preferably not drag on ground.  The manufacturer instructions are don't show anything for this.

[alecs]

Something like a "clothesline" as shown in this picture?
 

[Dewey]

Thats what we are trying to do....  the cable is about an inch in diameter though.... trying to find the pieces of the puzzle..

[Bruno of NH]

Aircraft cable 
Then hang aluminum carabiners from the cable 
Heavy duty zip ties will hold the carabiner to the wire.
Get the carabiner big enough that the wire goes inside it to hold it up 

[stavebuyer]

Mine was in a shed and we just hung the 3-phase SO cord from a rafter with a bungee cord at the midpoint of the mill. Never an issue. The trolley system for the mill controls had several failures including rubbing the insulation off the looped coils where they would hit the head when fully retracted. Simple is usually better.

[Patrick NC]

A friend of mine has a lt300 and they use a Pantagraph attached to the top of the mast to hold all the wiring overhead.  I'll try to get a picture. 

[moodnacreek]

You might look for festoon trolleys. They hang off a suspended overhead cable and have a split saddle to hold the so wire. Another way is to use roller chain links to ride the cable and remove one pin to bolt some type of hanger to carry the so wire. Probably # 80 chain. The festoon trolleys I have seen are hard plastic and ready to put on cable. Making a pantograph is more work but uses less [so] wire. I had to make one for my mill, we did a model first.

[Southside]

Is there a reason why the cable could not ride in the energy chain?  If it entered from underneath at the end opposite the head it would be protected and roll back and forth.  Am I missing something? 

[Dewey]

Is there a reason why the cable could not ride in the energy chain?  If it entered from underneath at the end opposite the head it would be protected and roll back and forth.  Am I missing something?

Energy Chain???   Like a flexible hose tray? This mill doesn't have that

[Dewey]

Aircraft cable
Then hang aluminum carabiners from the cable
Heavy duty zip ties will hold the carabiner to the wire.
Get the carabiner big enough that the wire goes inside it to hold it up

Wouldn't the Caribiner's wear through by riding on cable back and forth ?

[Dewey]

You might look for festoon trolleys. They hang off a suspended overhead cable and have a split saddle to hold the so wire. Another way is to use roller chain links to ride the cable and remove one pin to bolt some type of hanger to carry the so wire. Probably # 80 chain. The festoon trolleys I have seen are hard plastic and ready to put on cable. Making a pantograph is more work but uses less [so] wire. I had to make one for my mill, we did a model first.

Just found Festoons website....  We figured a way that is similar ordered parts from Mcmaster Carr
If this fails Ill research Festoon more..
Thanks

[Dewey]

A friend of mine has a lt300 and they use a Pantagraph attached to the top of the mast to hold all the wiring overhead.  I'll try to get a picture.

What is a Pantagragh ??

[KenMac]

Some Cook's mills have a clothesline type hanger that handles hydraulic and electric lines. Mine works very well. Cheaper than an energy chain and safer as far as not getting damaged by logs rolling off the back side and possible damage by equipment. Check out videos on YouTube for specifics, but rollers ride on cable and follows saw head down and back.

[Remle]

Aircraft cable
Then hang aluminum carabiners from the cable
Heavy duty zip ties will hold the carabiner to the wire.
Get the carabiner big enough that the wire goes inside it to hold it up

Wouldn't the Caribiner's wear through by riding on cable back and forth ?

Peerless makes a small pulley for $1.77 each that would roll along a suspended cable.
check them out at the site below
https://e-rigging.com/products/small-swivel-eye-rope-pulleys?variant=39721899294793&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=PMAX_60-70&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAjwrJ-hBhB7EiwAuyBVXYCMMaSj1eXavFuz-xtTMZ7CDZoQMH3lbe5-1LTV0BhJb7-t08guMRoCsCkQAvD_BwE

[moodnacreek]

A friend of mine has a lt300 and they use a Pantagraph attached to the top of the mast to hold all the wiring overhead.  I'll try to get a picture.

What is a Pantagragh ??

A horizontal boom jointed in the middle, mounted on a mast on one end and a mast on the object that moves. The wires or hoses hang from it.

[barbender]

This is an LT300 I think, with a pantagraph. It is the vertical mast rught next to the cab, with the triangular arm coming off the top. I believe at the tip of the arm there is another joint and another arm that goes to the sawhead. So it has a two way motion to move with the head.



 

[Ianab]

This is an LT300 I think, with a pantagraph. It is the vertical mast rught next to the cab, with the triangular arm coming off the top. I believe at the tip of the arm there is another joint and another arm that goes to the sawhead. So it has a two way motion to move with the head.

That would be right. 
When the head is up near the post, the arm will be almost 90 deg out from the mill, and the second arm folded back to the mill head. As the head travels down the bed, the arm opens out, so at the far end you have almost a straight reach to the head. Basically the arm supports the power and control cables with no stress on them, just a bit of bending at the joints, but no pulling on the cables. 

[Patrick NC]

That's it exactly.  I was going by there today to get pictures to post ,but that shows the setup better than pictures from my phone could.