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Useful sawmill mods

Started by Bibbyman, July 25, 2004, 08:27:09 AM

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caveman

 

 

 

 The top picture is a south Florida slash pine.  The bottom two are longleaf.  I was still getting a gummed up blade running the lube wide open with Pin-sol, laundry soap, cotton picker spindle lube and every other concoction I've read others have success with.  I would prefer not to use diesel but this morning we sawed a pretty good whack of longleaf heartwood and ended up with clean blades and straight boards, using the diesel drip.


 
Caveman

nativewolf

You can keep the slash but send that LL Pine up to VA would you 8)
Liking Walnut

Woodpecker52

Do not need a lot of diesel but when I do this handy lawnmower tank works great.

 
Woodmizer LT-15, Ross Pony #1 planner, Ford 2600 tractor, Stihl chainsaws, Kubota rtv900 Kubota L3830F tractor

Woodpecker52

Also ran separate little line with control valve,

 
Woodmizer LT-15, Ross Pony #1 planner, Ford 2600 tractor, Stihl chainsaws, Kubota rtv900 Kubota L3830F tractor

YellowHammer

I just hate filling the lube tank everyday, I'm always looking for a way to "take steps to save steps".  When I've used diesel in the past on my LT40, the tank lasted for several days, sometimes a week.  On the LT70 I just can't turn the LubeMizer down enough and it sprays too much per pulse anyway.  So it aerosolizes the diesel and stinks everything up.   

Cotton Picker Spindle cleaner mixed with water is the only thing I've found to be almost, but not quite as good as straight diesel.  I've tried Pine Sol, Murphys Soap, Dawn, Purple Cleaner, pretty much everything else, including the Woodmizer Lube, but the problem is that by the time I concoct a witches brew that cleans as well, or nearly as well, at the spindle cleaner or diesel, it costs more than either so why not just use what works best and is less expensive?  I've also contacted "Lubie Lube" several years ago, who manufactures the Woodmizer lube and talked their engineers, they have (did have) 8 different saw blade lubes for different purposes, and I bought some of their water emulsion oil based lubes designed for hickory and it worked better, also, but it was more expensive than with spindle cleaner or diesel.  

I like Spindle Cleaner (an oil based water emulsion) and/or Diesel because not only do they clean better than anything I've used, with a lower daily consumption rate, they both leave a protective oil film on the band and prevents rust, so makes resharpening much easier.  Also, I've had a noticeably longer life from my "sealed" bearings in my bandwheel guides when I'm using some sort of oil based lube, which also reduces the surface wear, the taper, on the rollers due to many things, including blade camber.  I also get noticeable less audible "scrubbing" wear on my roller guide shoulders, and the only time I've cut fatal notches in the shoulders of the roller guides is when feeding fast, using high force, using a non oil based lube.

So the oil seems to be of benefit in several ways, not necessarily in blade cleaning, just being an oil in general applied to moving parts of a machine, rather than a constant exposure to detergent and water.

Other folks may have different reasons, but these are mine. 
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

Peter Drouin

YH, you need lube for hardwood?
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

petefrom bearswamp

In spite of the shake which makes sawing Hemlock a pain, When sawing this species I use NOTHING for lube 
Sawed about 120 1x6x8 this AM ( at my age I saw a half day) and no build up on the blade but the b57s sometimes need cleaning when changing blades.
In fact most species here require maybe a water drip to cool the blade only.
White pine I use a little e pine sol, then blast of diesel on  the blades before I take them off o clean them.
I dont envy you folks in the south with those  pitchey species, Boiled peanuts, Okra, etc.
BUT I like polenta AKA grits OK.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

YellowHammer

Quote from: Peter Drouin on July 26, 2019, 06:27:10 PM
YH, you need lube for hardwood?
Yep, sometimes.  
A also know you guys can run without it, and I've tried everything I could, sometimes I can, sometimes I can't, and I think it's a combination of things.  

Speed of sawing.  Fresh wood is wet wood, and it keeps the band clean.  The faster I saw, the cool the band and the cleaner the band.  No lube required.  However, I saw lots of dry wood too, and its like cutting dry concrete. It needs fluid to keep things cooled down and the band clean.  
Species is important.  I saw and sell about 20 species of hardwood, some need lube, some not. Hickory, white oak, pecan, a few others, without using lube, sawing as fast as possible, I.e belt slip or engine about to lug, the band will develop a rubbery pitch in just one or two cuts, and I've actually had smoke coming from the band on hickory.  Shoot a little diesel or other lube and within a pass or two, the band is slick and clean.  Even the big commercial circle saw rig in the road, does 1 million bdft per month, sprays hickory logs with water to saw.  I've had white pine that sawed like balsa wood, not lube required, and I have had @caveman pine where the sap was like road tar.

Set is important.  More set, less blade body pinch, less lube required.  Howvwer, in real hard wood, more pitch takes more horsepower, and causes slower sawing, which begins to build up pitch.

Application of blade lube.  With my old mill, when I upgraded to the Lubmizer after using drip for a couple years, the amount of lube required and pitch buildup was reduced by half.  Its a much more accurate application.

Diameter of logs makes a difference.  Small 12 to 16 inch logs I can blow through quickly, and lube is reduced or not even required.  The big 36 inch inch dry as a bone cherrys I was sawing this week, yep, need lube, or the band cakes up quickly.

High performance blade guides.  I don't think I've seem this mentioned before, but when I added HPBG to my LT40, I had virtually pitch free bands in some species.  It dawned on me that if they are adjusted closely, say a few thousanths if an inch to the band, they act as scrapers and will wipe off any pitch thicker than the distance they are set to the band.  So if they are set to .005 then that's is all the pitch will build up.  So I have my HPBG's set pretty close and they wipe off pitch like a window scraper on a frosty morning.

Since I sharpen my own bands, I like them to be 100% pitch free and shiny when they come off the saw, at least the ones that don't break, so lube is required occasionally.  

I've used WM 10's, 9's, 4's, 7's, Turbos, in both 045 and 055, and Kasco 7's 055, and Cooks Supersharps, and haven't found one I can say is better than others, as far as pitching up.  The worst I've found are a WM 4's, they seem to pitch up pretty quck.  I've got a couple carbides, but haven't used them.  

I'd like to saw some of your logs, ones that didn't require lube, and never sawn hemlock, or some of the other stuff.  

That's my experience with blade lube and my three mills, an LT15, LT40 and LT70 and Appalacian Hardwood logs.  
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

Peter Drouin

Old logs can make a mess on a blade. They do up here too.
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

PA_Walnut

Quote from: YellowHammer on July 26, 2019, 11:23:57 PMI've got a couple carbides, but haven't used them.  


@YellowHammer that is like having a can of race-gas for your drag car, and running on 87 octane! :D

Once you go to them, you'll never go back. Since I have a diamond wheel for my sharpener now, I have begun touching them up and getting them back on the mill. ESPECIALLY when doing those scrape-the-guides cuts on the WIDE or troublesome material. They scoff and hickory logs. ;D

They also require less set, are a bit thinner and leave a cut surface that is close to being planed. 

There's the All-Displaced-Metal-in-The-Universe-Finds-a-Log Law which warrants discretionary consideration, or I would not use any other blade...ever!
I own my own small piece of the world on an 8 acre plot on the side of a mountain with walnut, hickory, ash and spruce.
LT40HD Wide 35HP Diesel
Peterson Dedicated Wide Slabber
Kubota M62 Tractor/Backhoe
WoodMizer KD250 Kiln
Northland 800 Kiln

Hilltop366

Quote from: YellowHammer on July 26, 2019, 03:16:43 PMOn the LT70 I just can't turn the LubeMizer down enough and it sprays too much per pulse anyway.  So it aerosolizes the diesel and stinks everything up.  


No experience personally but I have seen posts about using a felt wiper that uses a horizontal U shaped holder for the thick felt then a little bit of diesel is fed to the felt.

PAmizerman

I modified my modification. 
I built a WM style drag back fingers a couple years ago. It worked great but it rattled and made so much noise it was driving me crazy. So I cut off the metal fingers and welded on roller chain. 

I like the chain much better. It does not rattle. There is no limit to the number of boards that can be dragged back. The old solid fingers would bind if I got higher than the hinge point between the aluminum and steel. And the chain is 
"See through" it doesn't obstruct the view as much.

 
Woodmizer lt40 super remote 42hp Kubota diesel. Accuset II
Hydraulics everywhere
Woodmizer edger 26hp cat diesel
Traverse 6035 telehandler
Case 95xt skidloader
http://byrnemillwork.com/
WM bms250 sharpener
WM bmt250 setter
and a lot of back breaking work!!

Crusarius

Is the purpose of that chain just to keep the board straight?

PAmizerman

@Crusarius yes. I have a command control. So I can't just reach up to track the board
Woodmizer lt40 super remote 42hp Kubota diesel. Accuset II
Hydraulics everywhere
Woodmizer edger 26hp cat diesel
Traverse 6035 telehandler
Case 95xt skidloader
http://byrnemillwork.com/
WM bms250 sharpener
WM bmt250 setter
and a lot of back breaking work!!

Magicman

I have often wondered why more folks don't use roller chain   ???
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Bandmill Bandit

PA Walnut

Do you set the Turbo 7° Carbides?

I do run them on the setter IF they are marking when I take them off the mill to make sure they are all set to 0°.    
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

YellowHammer

Quote from: Magicman on August 31, 2019, 08:41:19 PM
I have often wondered why more folks don't use roller chain   ???
Probably because Baker uses them and so every manufacturer wants to claim a better mousetrap.  I've seen the big Baker mills run like a scaled cat, and the chains seem to work very well.  
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

TimW

Quote from: YellowHammer on August 31, 2019, 10:02:37 PM
Quote from: Magicman on August 31, 2019, 08:41:19 PM
I have often wondered why more folks don't use roller chain   ???
Probably because Baker uses them and so every manufacturer wants to claim a better mousetrap.  I've seen the big Baker mills run like a scaled cat, and the chains seem to work very well.  
How do you scale a cat? smiley_huh2
hugs,   Brandi
Mahindra 6520 4WD with loader/backhoe and a Caterpiller E70 Excavator.  My mill is a Woodmizer LT40HD Wide 35hp Yanmar Diesel. An old Lull 644D-34 called Bull

Southside

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

YellowHammer

Scaled cats around are pretty rare, so when they see you, they run real fast.  Kind of like Bigfoot, just more rare. ;D
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

SawyerTed

This is a diesel lube application modification I cobbled together yesterday in anticipation of a large SYP siding job and a 1 MBF white oak job this week.

It's taped and strapped for the time being.  I want to use it for a job to see how it works before finalizing mounting and hose etc.
 

 

 

   
Woodmizer LT50, WM BMS 250, WM BMT 250, Kubota MX5100, IH McCormick Farmall 140, Husqvarna 372XP, Husqvarna 455 Rancher

Woodpecker52

Love my diesel lube, really needed it on white oak, found out after I had reset my 4 degrees that a lot of set is needed  in white oak.  Also that 4 degrees is not what I will buy in the future!!!!! 
Woodmizer LT-15, Ross Pony #1 planner, Ford 2600 tractor, Stihl chainsaws, Kubota rtv900 Kubota L3830F tractor

WV Sawmiller

   Not really a mod but a useful item I found this week at our local HF was a pair of magnets about 1" X 2.5" X 3/8" for 99 cents. I bought a pair and find they are pretty strong and are perfect to hold my cheat sheet to the cover of my control panel when opened. Next week i will be back over there and I will likely buy 4-5 packs of them and scatter them around the mill to hold papers, keys, small tools etc.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Chuck White

The magnets will also come in handy when you have to do maintenance in the field!

Put a magnet on the control console and when you remove a nut, washer, screw, bolt, etc you just place it on the magnet for safe keeping!  ;)
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

jovol

Recently bought an LT50 and it came with the board return. It's been great for reducing the labor pulling boards back (I mill alone most of the time, haven't found it dangerous it all using the board return solo), but I needed to split a 24" cant in half and found out the board return arm just barely interferes. Instead of unbolting the entire assembly, I set out to just remove the board return arm and pin. After painfully punching out the tight fitting set pin, it's easy to tap out the big pin and remove the arm. For reassembly, I just used an R-clip to set the big pin in place. Now, removal and installation take about ~5 minutes.

 The board return motor and bracket still take up some clearance with the arm removed, but just removing the arm gets you about 12 1/2" clearance.
2017 LT50 wide, stihl ms362 & ms660, echo cs7310, Logrite fetching arch, 2000 New Holland LS180, Ford 6.0, kubota L48, kubota KH-70, Ford F800 8.3

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