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Woodmizer blade

Started by Hayseed, September 27, 2019, 02:49:17 PM

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Crusarius

This lumber has been pretty clear but I am also cutting 20'. 

Bruno of NH

The tree service logs got me this week 3 turbo 7's sharpened 3 times.
Ordered some 747's .055 today to try
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

hersnsh#590

I've been real happy with W/M 4 degree blades, 0.045 and 1-1/4.  Am milling red spruce right now, and as long as I change blades frequently, the best results I've had in my limited experience.

Dale
TK 1600, small sugaring operation, a bench full of J'reds, a tired ford 1710, new to us JD 5065e, 2 Honda 4 whlrs, a Can-Am 580 on tracks, and a very understanding wife.

thecfarm

I am only a hobby sawyer. I had a spruce on my mill with 10° blades. I had more waves than a ocean!! :o It all went onto the burn pile. I buried it with slabs so no one would see it. :D  I don't have much spruce. I will sell it for logs.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

WV Sawmiller

Quote from: Crusarius on October 10, 2019, 07:05:32 AM
hmm. may have to make my setter sooner than I thought. I was under the impression 10 degree was best for soft stuff.
News flash grasshopper - Spruce knots ain't the soft stuff! :D I can cut soft or hard stuff with my 4 degree but I can't cut hard stuff with my 10's. When I use up my 10 & 7 degree blades in stock it will all be 4 degree bands for this hillbilly.

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

Nebraska

I broke down and I rdered some 4 degree blades as well, my tech needed some 2x stuff for making a wind break to keep weather out of her  open front shed she keeps critters in.  I milled a ponderosa log for project I wasn't pleased  with the cuts . I used a new 10 degree band and I swear I could hold a better line with my chainsaw.  Two left out of that box, I  hope after I send them off to be sharpened  they cut better, I won't cut good stuff with them again for sure.  

Crusarius

Last night I cut some more 20' 2x6's using the same turbo 7. I slowed my feed rate and it cut smooth as could be. Maybe I was just driving to fast. I been listening to everyone else say you need to go fast with turbo 7's. Apparently that is not the case with my mill. I do need to check the drive belt tension and probably tighten that. I really should add a spring tensioner. The last design did not work.

Magicman

Quote from: Crusarius on October 11, 2019, 07:25:26 AMI been listening to everyone else say you need to go fast with turbo 7's.
Fast is a relative term that can/does mean different speeds to each individual.  I have also read where you need to "push them hard".  How hard is "hard"?

Be aware of the species; knotty or clear, hard wood or soft, spiral grain or straight, etc.?

Listen to your sawmill; running full rpm's or lugging down, possible blade slipping on drive wheel, any buildup on the blade, blade sharp, blade running cool, need lube or not, etc. ?

Wavy lumber is not always the blade's fault.

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

Crusarius

Thanks magicman, I agree. I am still learning and trying to get a feel for this sawing thing. 

Everything you listed seemed ok. I think I was just feeding to fast. When I slowed down it cut great. I do think that the drive belt may be slipping a little. Just enough to cause issues. Time to work on a spring loaded idler pulley.

YellowHammer

On a side note, one of the reasons I didn't really like the Turbo .055's for my LT40 was they take a deep aggressive bite, and was causing me to retension my drive belt more frequently.  It would start slipping much more than even with standard 7's, so I went from adjusting the main drive belt from once in a while to once a week or so.  So it was putting higher loads on my mill, and in I didn't like that.  I stopped using them for that reason.

Conversely, on my LT70, tha hasn't been a problem, and it loves the Turbo 7's, at max power.  A little too fast a feed rate will result in engine RPM fade, but I can electronically govern my max feed rate with the soft buttons on the DCS so I can't accidentally overload the motor.  

It will be interesting to see how these new bands do.  

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

Percy

Quote from: Crusarius on October 09, 2019, 12:46:35 PM
I just be happy if I could figure out how to cut spruce without waves.
When cutting spruce, which is most of my time, I run an obscene amount of set...especially in the bigguns...38-40 thou.It works for me...and the mill is less finicky when it comes to proper blade guide alignment...downside is more hp required or slower feed rate if you are down in the ponies.......
GOLDEN RULE : The guy with the gold, makes the rules.

Crusarius

I have 22hp. I have not noticed a power issue yet. I was cutting ash with the same turbo 7 blade last night and it cut beautifully.

I really think it is a feed speed issue more than anything at this point. I will continue to play and learn. One day I may start a lessons learned thread :)

Bruno of NH

Ash cuts great with a t7°
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

Crusarius

I was happy. Except for the stress in the log.

Chuck White

I'm not understanding why so many people have such a magnitude of issues with the 10° blades, it's all I use, 10° Double Hard!

On Wednesday and Thursday I sawed over 1,300 bf Yellow Birch and Black Cherry into 4/4X8X8 and & Friday I sawed over 1,200 bf of Spruce & Hemlock into mostly 1X(as wide as I can get)X12 with absolutely no issues.

About 80% of the Spruce went into 4/4X12X12 and most of the Hemlock went into 4/4 wide boards and some of it went into 2X.

I set and sharpen my own blades, I set them at .022-.025!
~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!

Stephen1

Quote from: Chuck White on October 12, 2019, 07:43:57 AM
I'm not understanding why so many people have such a magnitude of issues with the 10° blades, it's all I use, 10° Double Hard!

On Wednesday and Thursday I sawed over 1,300 bf Yellow Birch and Black Cherry into 4/4X8X8 and & Friday I sawed over 1,200 bf of Spruce & Hemlock into mostly 1X(as wide as I can get)X12 with absolutely no issues.

About 80% of the Spruce went into 4/4X12X12 and most of the Hemlock went into 4/4 wide boards and some of it went into 2X.

I set and sharpen my own blades, I set them at .022-.025!
Chuck I was the same with my old LT40 ,no issues with the 10, only thing I had issues withwas dead ash, and I ran 9's, but the new mill is a nightmare with 10's, I am converting the 10's to 7's and mabe after the next sharpening they will be closer to7's but I do not think I can turn them into Turbo's with the deeper gullet before they are all finnished. I do hit a fair amount of hardware.
I also find that with spruce, it is better to have the small end facing the blade as it cuts into the knots not ride up and over
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

Crusarius

Quote from: Chuck White on October 12, 2019, 07:43:57 AM
I'm not understanding why so many people have such a magnitude of issues with the 10° blades, it's all I use, 10° Double Hard!

On Wednesday and Thursday I sawed over 1,300 bf Yellow Birch and Black Cherry into 4/4X8X8 and & Friday I sawed over 1,200 bf of Spruce & Hemlock into mostly 1X(as wide as I can get)X12 with absolutely no issues.

About 80% of the Spruce went into 4/4X12X12 and most of the Hemlock went into 4/4 wide boards and some of it went into 2X.

I set and sharpen my own blades, I set them at .022-.025!
Chuck I wish I had your luck. softwoods are my nemesis. I can't seem to get them to cut smooth. When I do it doesn't last long. I am still learning, I think I only have 12 hours on my mill since I built it with zero milling experience before that. Hopefully time will fix this issue.

Crusarius

Quote from: Stephen1 on October 12, 2019, 09:33:24 AMI also find that with spruce, it is better to have the small end facing the blade as it cuts into the knots not ride up and over


Stephen, I think you may be correct I think the last one I cut was oriented like that and it cut much smoother. I will pay attention to that in the future and report back.

Magicman

Quote from: Chuck White on October 12, 2019, 07:43:57 AMI'm not understanding why so many people have such a magnitude of issues with the 10° blades, it's all I use, 10° Double Hard!
I agree Chuck.  I sawed the great majority of my first Million BF with 10° blades because that is what was suggested/offered.  I did struggle with some minor species as well as very large SYP knots until a got a few 4° blades.  My current turbo diesel will pull the 7°T's so that is all that I have now.
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

YellowHammer

When I went to WM Ga to do my LT70 acceptance testing, it was done with 10° bands in pretty clean pine, maybe 18 inch diameter.  I was a little surprised that's what they would put on, but I ran the tests anyway, and we cut some boards, the mill ran fine, straight cuts, decent cuts, OK speed, no problems.  I did however almost stall the engine trying to cut the same eyeball speed I cut pine back home with my 40.  So the LT 70 with 10's wouldn't pine cut as fast as my LT 40 with 7's.

When everything was setup back at the house, I ran the 10°'s they gave me until they were dull and then put a standard 7° on.  Big difference, still straight cuts but significantly faster.  I ran a box of them and then put a box of Turbos on.  Another very big increase in sawing speed still maintaining quality.  I then put on a box of Kasco 7°' s which resulted in significantly reduced sawing speed and basically replicated the sawing wth the WM 7's.

We mill about 20 different species of hardwood, plus some pine, and the mill will handle about every band I put in it, but it definately finds another gear when I use the Turbos.

So I'm not sure there is a wrong band, but there are some that are better than others.
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

Chuck White

So, I guess a lot of the issue boils down to "horse power and feed speed", that's where the hook angle figures in!

Thinking about it, it does make sense! ;)
~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!

YellowHammer

Yes, horsepower is king and as I've mentioned, there's nothing that an .045" will do that a .055" won't do better, but it takes ponies.  

  





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

Remle

Quote from: Crusarius on October 12, 2019, 10:00:06 AM
Quote from: Stephen1 on October 12, 2019, 09:33:24 AMI also find that with spruce, it is better to have the small end facing the blade as it cuts into the knots not ride up and over


Stephen, I think you may be correct I think the last one I cut was oriented like that and it cut much smoother. I will pay attention to that in the future and report back.
Spruce is especially troublesome , I agree with sawing from the small end on all species of wood , except the butt log IMHO should be swan from the large end as the blade will try to follow the flare of the grain especially if the blade is beginning to get dull . Keeping a sharp blade is a must , change them sooner .
Crusarius
Do you sharpen your blades or send them out ? I found a good sharpener in your area , if you are interested I'll send you his information in a PM .


Crusarius

Remle that would be great. so far I have not sharpened anything. I have a pretty big stock of blades. Just been playing with different profiles and stuff to see what I like the best.

Remle

 Crusarius
Sent you a PM with the info .
Please let me know how you make out.

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