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Blade Deflection for WM

Started by Gary_C, January 08, 2007, 03:23:53 AM

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Gary_C

I am going thru a realignment on my Woodmizer LT-40. I do have the guide rollers with the ceramic pad under the blade. I went back to the instructions for installing those new rollers and it calls for 1/8 th of an inch down deflection. I have heard others that believe that 1/8 is not enough. I did a search here and I see that many recommend 1/4 down, yet one guy did not solve his problem and WM recommended going back to 1/8.

So what do all of you WM operators set your blade down deflection at?
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

WH_Conley

I don't have the ceramic, but I go 1/4".
Bill

Bibbyman

I'd trust WM. 

I've not mesured the deflection in ours but I'd say it was 1/8" or less.  If you go much further, you'd risk the blade hitting the shield on the housing or the shield on the outside adjustable gude arm.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

sparks

Here are the instructions for deflecting the blade. 1/4" is recommended.  Thanks
\"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.\" Abraham Lincoln

Gary_C

Thanks sparks, I thought there was a change from 1/8.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Gary_C

Now this brings up another question. The saw head tilt is set so that the outside is 1/16 higher than the inside. If you set both blade guides the same height, aren't you cancelling out the 1/16 saw head tilt?   ???

Why, oh why did I start this?  :) It wasn't all that bad.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

sparks

The book is explaining it as if the head tilt has not been set yet. With the rollers off the blade measure the head tilt. If you are a 1/16" higher on the oustside then the head tilt is good. Now we'll set the deflection. Open the blade guide arm all the way to where you can still get to the adjustment bolts. You can use any height adjustment for the deflection. Set the inside, let's say at 18". That makes the outside 18-1/16". You deflect the arm side first because it is not a true fixed point. Remember you are going to a point of measurement. Example: Arm side you want to go to 17-13/16" and the drive side 17-3/4. When you deflect one side, the other side deflects slightly as well so after you set the deflection, verify you are still a 1/16" higher on the outside. Clip your blade guide tool on the blade and check the blade tilt.   Thanks
\"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.\" Abraham Lincoln

Gary_C

OK, I understand now. Going to have wait till next week to finish.

Thanks again.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

submarinesailor

Sparks,

I don't understand.  I thought you set the LT 15 with the blade parallel to the rails, no 1/16 difference from one side to the other.  Is the LT 40 different? How do you cut the last board so the sides are parallel if there is a 1/16 difference between the inside and outside?

Or am I completely missing the point!!!!!!!!!! ::) ::) ::) ::)

Bruce

logwalker

On the cantilever heads the saw pulls itself into the cut and deflects down about 1/16" in doing so. Works for me and a lot of others. Joe
Let's all be careful out there tomorrow. Lt40hd, 22' Kenworth Flatbed rollback dump, MM45B Mitsubishi trackhoe, Clark5000lb Forklift, Kubota L2850 tractor

Larry

Can somebody explain the purpose of the blade deflection?
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Tom

The 1/16 horizontal deflection was supposed to counteract the centrifugal force of the wheels and the engine.

I found that I cut just fine by makine mine parallel to the bed.

The 1/8th-1/4 inch vertical deflection is to give the guide wheels positive control.  Kinda like putting water in the tires of a tractor for traction.

WH_Conley

I have found that with my LT40 I need 1/8 deflection to get a square cant, maybe I push more than what was intended ???.
Bill

DR_Buck

Sparks,

Is the initial 15" blade height setting supposed to be with no deflestion to begin with?   I assume that if I am doing an allignment, then I need to remove any existing deflection first?   

I also asume I can do the head tilt after setting deflection as long as there is a 1/16"  difference?
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

Tom

Dr. Buck,
I don't have my book, so this is by memory.

You  put on new band wheel belts and tighten the band.
Then you remove the guide wheels. (or take them away from the band)
Then set the band a known height above a bed-rail. (this was the suggested 15")
Measuring the band to bed at the power side of the rail should be 15"
Measuring the band to bed at the idle side of the rail will be 15 1/16"
(That head tilt is accomplished by moving two sets of two nuts on the bottom of each stanchion.
There is a nut on each side of a steel plate.  It is a delicate adjustment and shouldn't be attempted unless your mill actually needs it. Count the turns as you do it.  Move the nuts in 1/4 or 1/8 revolution increments. Do both stanchions equally.)

Once the adjustment is completed and the band measures the +1/16" on the idle side, lock the nuts by drawing the one that was not used for moving the stanchion down tight against the plate.  Note that you can twist the head if done improperly).

Now you can return to the guide wheels and make their adjustments.  Use your leveling tool to level the blade and make recommended deflections with the wheels.

*Two things on the mill that are difficult to adjust are this tower tilt and the moveable blade guide mechanism when you are trying to get it to run parallel to the bed rails.  I wouldn't reccomend doing them unless you know they are out.

DR_Buck

Tom,

The one time I had to acutally  do an allignment on it I know it was out of alignment.  ;D   I smacked into the log clamp with the adjustable blade guide at full forward motion speed of the saw head   smiley_furious.   Made a heck of a racket.  ;D


The manual was just a little confusing as to if the guide rollers had to loosened or not.    As far as the head tilt, it is pretty easy to do, just touchy.  A small trun on the nuts moves it a large distance.
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

sparks

LT15's are set even with the bed rail when there is no deflection and when you set the deflection. The head tilt, on LT40's should be verified with the rollers off the blade to insure it is correct. Then you use the rollers to put the deflection back on the blade.   Thanks
\"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.\" Abraham Lincoln

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