Questions from a Prospective Sawyer

OlJarhead · September 25, 2020, 09:30:17 AM

Quote from: YellowHammer on September 24, 2020, 11:17:20 PM
Don't just assume that the mill is adjusted correctly, go over the basic procedure real time. It should be dialed in, but even if it is, you will have a baseline in case something changes later on.

and changes will occur! Learn how to do the field adjustments, have the tools (and spares) with you. Nothing worse than having to stop a job and leave because you didn't have a spare bandwheel belt or drive belt ;) (ask me how I know).
I've had to do several belt adjustments in the field, get used to it, get good at it (you will) and be prepared for it.

Southside · September 25, 2020, 09:43:35 AM

Good point. Have them go over maintenance procedures with you, things like drive belt tension, setting the setworks bed height, band alignment. It's all in the book - somewhere - and trying to find it and then figure it out on a Saturday afternoon in front of a customer when there is nobody to call will be frustrating to say the least.

K-Guy · September 25, 2020, 10:42:59 AM

As someone who is also interested in getting a mill I have been watching this thread. With your time served I'm sure you no how to sniff out the BS and pay attention to the important. With wood like everything else in life, when you think you know it all is when you get smacked down hard. Enjoy your new mill, I'll be interested to see how your journey goes!! ;D

jeepcj779 · September 25, 2020, 03:30:16 PM

I will heed the advice of all the seasoned sawyers regarding the use of carbide blades. I may buy a few to use for my own purposes on trees I am reasonably certain have no metal, ceramic, rocks or other inclusions that will damage a blade. If I find that the boards are significantly smoother once sawn with the carbide, I may keep a couple for customer use if they desire a smoother finish without planing. They will just have to agree to the additional cost of the blade if damaged by foreign objects in their logs.

OlJarhead · September 25, 2020, 04:25:11 PM

I was once told by a WM rep that the carbide blades were really for resawing cants

jeepcj779 · September 25, 2020, 04:40:18 PM

OlJarhead, that makes sense. I would not open a log with one. I would only use the carbides to saw cants where I wanted to have a smooth surface on the boards, as I do not have a planer.

Southside · September 25, 2020, 06:36:07 PM

The board may be smooth coming off of the log with the carbide, but it will roughen up as it dries, so you won't have a planer type finish when it's all said and done.

jeepcj779 · September 25, 2020, 06:42:11 PM

I guess I will have to get a kiln and a planer if that is the case... I know the dark parts of the rings dry thicker than the lighter parts (at least in pine). I have old barn wood that displays this tendency.

Bandmill Bandit · September 25, 2020, 07:30:25 PM

I keep double hard, bimetal and carbides in the blade box that goes to the jobs with me. Since I have a debarker I use carbide when I know I am cutting trees out of the bush UNLESS they are off a fence line. Then I use one of the other 2.

With the cut quality, production per sharp cycle, productivity & fuel savings per day I get from the carbides they cost quite bit less per BF than anything else I have used and the lumber is at least 10% more valuable when you sell it than ALL other blades I've used to date.

I did the math a while ago and it is about 50% less for overall blade cost per BF UNTILL you hit a foreign object on the second cut after changing to a new blade. I've only had that happen 2 times so it is really not a big deal when you are on your 6th box of the carbides. Also my foreign object/metal strike price is $100 bucks regardless of blade on the mill. The time to correct the damage dig out the metal and get rolling again is worth at least that much.

jeepcj779 · September 30, 2020, 08:29:30 PM

I go to Wood-Mizer Carolina on Friday to pick up my LT-50. When I am there, I plan to get 3 boxes (10ea) of turbo 7's and 2 boxes of 4 degree doublehards. I hope that is enough to get me going without having to wait on resharp; if anyone has an opinion to give on that, I would love to hear it. They are about two weeks on turn-around for resharp right now, so I hope that is enough to have a rotation going while I am cutting my teeth learning to saw. I think I will need more than that after I start taking jobs. Also, as some have suggested, I am going to try to record the whole training session when I pick up the mill. We will see how it goes with me trying to film and pay attention at the same time.

doc henderson · September 30, 2020, 08:35:40 PM

I think I started with about that many and did fine. did not need anything sharpened for 4 or 5 months. depends on how much you plan to saw. I have heard guys got through about 2 a day if sawing all day long. if you are doing 5 full days a week that is 10 per week.

jeepcj779 · September 30, 2020, 08:45:24 PM

I don't plan on sawing too hard until after the first of the year - enough to learn and hopefully end up with some decent B+B siding for my barn, but not full time for sure. So far, retirement is a lot of work and I have plenty to do. I spend most of my time catching up on maintenance, yard work, and home/barn repairs from the last 3 years being gone. We are also getting our household goods delivered the middle of October, so I'll be busy unpacking for at least a week. I'll probably saw whenever I get a couple spare hours.

doc henderson · September 30, 2020, 09:54:54 PM

welcome home!

jeepcj779 · October 01, 2020, 08:22:19 PM

Thanks. Glad to be home.

bigblockyeti · September 13, 2022, 02:52:14 PM

Quote from: jeepcj779 on September 30, 2020, 08:29:30 PM
I go to Wood-Mizer Carolina on Friday to pick up my LT-50. When I am there, I plan to get 3 boxes (10ea) of turbo 7's and 2 boxes of 4 degree doublehards. I hope that is enough to get me going without having to wait on resharp; if anyone has an opinion to give on that, I would love to hear it.

I know this is old, but I'd love to hear how those blades worked out for you that I suspect you've now gotten a chance to use a bit?

OlJarhead · October 17, 2022, 08:58:43 AM

Ahhh yes, retirement! The time you go to work for yourself and work MORE than you did when someone else was calling the shots

Enjoy it! You're doing well by the sounds of it! Keep on marching!

FYI, I run 75 bands now but started with 30 I think....then 45, then 60

I have 45 out to resharp now! Good thing I had 75 cause I ran through quite a few recently and am down to my last 15 or so but should be seeing my first box come back from WM soon so will dodge the bullet there I think.

It really depends on how much sawing you do in the end. I do less than most (only milled 35000bf this year) so can get away with longer lead times etc with resharp than say a 'Jake Dean' who probably runs though more bands in a week than I do all summer ;)