To laser or not to laser that is the question

[DixieReb31]

How many of you long timers use a laser on your mill?  Are they worth getting?  

[Southside]

Go with a green one if you do. Red is useless in daylight.

[Gere Flewelling]

I have been experimenting with a green laser on my mill.  I hoped to set it up to mark the path of the band down the length of the log.  My mill is not under cover and unless it in dark or very cloudy out, it is very minimal at best .  When it is near sunset it will put a line on every thing for 50' around it.  I suspect it would work much better if you mill was under a shed roof.  At this point I am thinking of mounting it on the other side of my mill as it is on a magnetic mount.  I think it will illuminate my squaring arms if they are in the path of the band.  Might work good at keeping me from sawing into the squaring arms which are on the opposite side of the mill from where I am standing.  I purchased a green unit as everyone reported that green would work in the daylight as opposed to red.  I have a green sight on a pistol that works well in daylight.  The pistol sight is a focused dot.  The laser on my mill puts out a line which is naturally not as intense though very bright.  Either one would get you in trouble if you pointed them up in the air.

[Trackerbuddy]

Laser

[KenMac]

Check out Mule Mountain Sawmill on YouTube. He added green lasers to his Cook's AC 36. I have purchased the same lasers but have not yet installed them. I also intend to laser my scales for blade height.

[welderskelter]

OK, I have heard about these lasers but how much do they cost for a flat line one?

[tawilson]

I've bought a couple for $35 or so on Amazon. 

[doc henderson]

I use a green line laser, when overcast or at dusk, to see when I am past the log on the far end, and more to see when I am behind the log backing up.  It lets me go faster and not make as wide a margin on each end of the log.  and it is cool.

[DixieReb31]

Check out Mule Mountain Sawmill on YouTube. He added green lasers to his Cook's AC 36. I have purchased the same lasers but have not yet installed them. I also intend to laser my scales for blade height.

I did see that video, that’s what inspired my question.  I just wanted to hear from other sources if it was really worth it. I think I will be getting a green laser very soon. Thanks 

[PAmizerman]

I have one on my mill and edger. My mill is under roof. If they quit I would definitely be replacing them ASAP.

[YellowHammer]

I’m a big fan of lasers. J have two on my edger, one on my straight line rip saw and none on the sawmill.  

Parallel sawing is done by eye or with the dragback fingers, and opening face is done by eye.  Using the uprights as a parallelism sight line is very intuitive.    

I’m not sure where a laser would mount on an LT70, I have a switch for one already plumbed in by WM.  

The Accuset sets height to within a 1/32” and I can generally eyeball to 1/8” without using it.

If there was a way to use it to center pith for quartersawing, I’d have one on the mill tomorrow. Is there?

[ljohnsaw]

If there was a way to use it to center pith for quartersawing, I’d have one on the mill tomorrow. Is there?

So just thinking out loud...  Have a mirror set at not quite perpendicular to you at the far end - in such a way that your can see the end of the log but not yourself.  This mirror would need to be tall enough (2 feet?) that it wouldn't need to be moved but would cover the different diameters of log pith's.  Would only need to be 1 foot or so wide.  Mount the laser anywhere height wise on your head but near the blade makes sense to me.  It should be shooting from the same position that your are viewing.  It should be to the side of the log with a horizontal line that strikes the near end of the log, goes past the log to the mirror and reflects back on the far end.  You stand in a position that allows you to see the end of the log but not a reflection of the laser back at you.  Raise/lower the head until the laser is hitting the near end pith center.  Look in the mirror (with a spotter scope?) to see the line on the far end - raise/lower your roller bunk or whatever to get the pith where you need it.

To calibrate it, manually center the pith on both ends. The laser must be shooting parallel to the bed.  Set the laser height so it hits the pith on the near end, tilt the mirror until the pith on the far end it lit and lock the mirror in place.

[Walnut Beast]

If you can see the laser clearly it seems like it might work 

[tawilson]

Even if the laser doesn't light up the length of the log, eyeballing where the beam hits the near end with the blade gives a pretty idea where the cut is going to be. That's how I check clearance with the clamp.

[boonesyard]

I researched this for some time, and new I wanted to put one on the mill. I watched Mule Mountain and ordered the laser, switch and magnet he is using. 

The first issue I had after getting it was where to install. There just isn't a good place on my 50, ended up installing it near the dust chute just off the cover. When it gets low, it disappears behind the travel motor, no big deal, but there just aren't many options that work (at least on my mill).

The second issue is getting it adjusted, and this is a big one. I have messed with this thing a lot and it's almost impossible to get this thing right. Moving the mount up and down and getting the ball joints right, VERY difficult.

The third is once it's adjusted, you can't get the ball joints (mini RAM mount) tight enough to not move. The rare earth magnet is excellent, but the ball joints just can't stay tight enough. I used it for a day before it moved on me and I will say it worked very well when I did. I can see it pretty well in the mill shed during the day.

The laser is good. I plan on making a two piece mount with fine adjustments that will make it solid/easier to adjust.

[Southside]

FWIW this is the factory mount on my 70. 

 

[Walnut Beast]

FWIW this is the factory mount on my 70.  
(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

Your cutting so fast and accurate you don’t need one 😂

[PAmizerman]

I’m a big fan of lasers. J have two on my edger, one on my straight line rip saw and none on the sawmill.  

Parallel sawing is done by eye or with the dragback fingers, and opening face is done by eye.  Using the uprights as a parallelism sight line is very intuitive.    

I’m not sure where a laser would mount on an LT70, I have a switch for one already plumbed in by WM.  

The Accuset sets height to within a 1/32” and I can generally eyeball to 1/8” without using it.

If there was a way to use it to center pith for quartersawing, I’d have one on the mill tomorrow. Is there?

@YellowHammer

[Old Greenhorn]

Thanks for posting that video, it was perfect for what I am contemplating and answered a ton of questions. Does anybody know if the maker of that video is a member here? I should probably know that, but I don't, sorry. I would like to ask him where he got that laser.
 I have messed with a cheap one on the 50, but no permanent mounts. I will have to dig into this more, quite the timesaver for somebody like me.

[moodnacreek]

Mine all burned out, had one rebuilt and it burned out. If you are under a roof, pull a wire under a halogen lamp and get a shadow line. the trick is to put in a bulb ment for more voltage than you are using, that wayi t will last years.