Board Return Mod for Wood Mizer LT40/30

[DR Buck]

Got my new board return mod today from Wood Mizer.   Real easy to install.  Came with all the parts, great instructions and a new warning decal.   

The decal warns not to use the board return if you are sawing by your self.  This concerns me, as the reason I wanted the board return is to speed up my production when sawing alone.  After dragging back the board I could start the next cut while I stack  the returned board off the end of the mill.   Although I haven't tried it yet, I would think since I'm walking along with the mill head (no command console) on the return, I should be clear of the board while it is being pushed back and not in any danger.   I could even use one hand to guide the board as the mill head is returned to help keep it in line.   

For you guy that already have the board return, is there some safety thing I'm not considering?

[WH_Conley]

That's the reason I been wantin one too.

Now I'm really confused, not hard to do.

[gmmills]

DR_Buck,

I think the decal is WM's way of reminding you that you can be hurt if your body gets in the way of the board. Really think its a warning to eliminate a liablity issue if you are injured while using the board return. Don't be to alarmed by the decal just use common sense and stay out of the way. I have been using my board return, sawing by myself, for 5 yrs , by the end of this month 4000 hrs, and have had no issues. Enjoy the board return. It is a real time saver. 

[Percy]

Heya Doc.
Im with gmmills on this one.  I have an LT70 and operate from the opposite end but once a board/flitch(2 inch WRC) caught a part of the conveyor that I never thought it would,long story short, re-attach conveyor to mounts and pick up shattered 2 inch flitch. Point being, the head is heavey and dont like to stop quik like so ifn its a tuff board being dragged back, fingers in the way are gonna be remove-yalated. Common sense is the key here.  ;D

[pigman]

The only time there was an injury using my dragback was with a helper. The helper bent over at the hitch to pick up a chainsaw just as a board came back ;  put him on his back. Didn't know he was hit untill the boards started piling up beside me. :-[ Looked back and saw him flat on the ground with a small cut across his forehead. I think it helped him get smarter because he didn't do it again. ;) I saw a lot by myself using the dragback and have not injured myself "yet". I think the decal is there to keep the lawyers at bay.
Bob the dangerous sawyer

[Tom Sawyer]

I think I might have invented the board return.  When I was working for a guy with a WM we sometimes did demonstrations at an annual woodshow for WM.  One year they supplied us with a nice shiny LT40 Super with the 42 horse Kubota to play with.  My boss was cutting, I was off-bearing at the front, log-loading side of the mill.  Since it was the show we were doing the edging from each log when we finished the log, rather than wait until we had a nice whack of boards to edge.  So, I would simply slide each flitch onto the loader arms, which were partway raised.  This was a good sized log and so I would simply pulled the flitches about 3 feet toward me, pushed down on the end, pivoted the flitch on the end of the log toward the loader arms and dropped it.  This worked great for a while.  Then on the one flitch I was a bit too slow and when I leaned on my end, the other end came up just as my boss was bringing the powerhead back.  The other end of the flitch caught the power head and was driven with all the weight of the powerhead back towards me.  I happened to be standing in front of the little board return table attached to the mill and when the board hit me, it pinched my leg between the board and the table, on the inside of my leg about 3 inches above the knee.  DanG that hurt! :-[ :-[ :-[  My boss didn't know what had happened because the powerhead stopped dead in the track and bounced back toward the end of the log.

To make a long story shorter, I had the best bruise that I have ever seen.  I went completely around my leg from just below the crotch to the knee and was completely black at first before turning all sorts of nice shades of yellow and green.  Eventually the bruise crept down my leg to just about my foot before fading away.  I went to the doctor and he told me that if I was going to do something like that I picked the best place to do it - all the major nerves and blood vessels are on the other three sides of the leg!  I often remember this incident and think that if it would have hit 3 inches lower, I wouldn't be walking as good today.

Of course there was about 30 people standing around watching the demonstration, so we finished the log before I left to get it look after :.  Why did it happen?  I can't say for sure.  Unfamiliar equipment and setup maybe.  Not careful enough maybe.  Just one of those things that happens.

[MM]

Does it come with a table to go by the hyd control box? If you cut a short log and drag the board back. It can drop and hit the hyd control box and cause problems. I put a drag back on my non super mill sometime ago. I got it from a guy that didn't use it. also got the table too. works great. I use it when I saw alone. I walk with my mill and when I drag back a board I use my right hand to guide the board or flitch back. Make it a log easier for a one man show. I then set the mill for the next cut and start it then stack the borad.

[sparks]

The board return kit does come with the table to keep the board from hitting the hyd box.

[Gilman]

You might want to check out Bibbyman's addition to the board return skid plate.  As far as a potential injury area, I think filling this hole really reduces chances for injury.

You can find it in "Useful Sawmill Mods"

[dewwood]

I use my dragback while sawing alone all of the time.  The only problem I have encountered is with an unusually large or odd shaped first slab.  Sometimes they can get a little hairy and start to go off in any direction they so desire.  I like to keep a close eye on them and be ready to move if they start to come off toward me.  Like the others have mentioned a little common sense goes a long way.

[MM]

I got lazy once and didn't put the table where it goes, Big no, no with a short log. had to replace my motor on the BD return

[customsawyer]

Howdy all
I use my board return all the time but I have a man there to stact the lumber. I also carry two roller tables with me that I setup at the end of the mill. When I bring back the board/slab it lands on the roller tables and my man can just roll it back and stack it the slabs get pushed off the side for the tractor to carry off.

[SawDust_Studios]

Buck,

Do you have a super or regular 40HD?  I was think of putting one on my 40HD, but was told by WM that they should only be placed on super as feedmotors are powerful enough on regular HD

Dave

[DR Buck]

SawDust Studios,

My mill is a standard LT40HD and it is a Wood-Mizer retrofit kit made for the mill.   See Bibby's post "New From Wood-Mizer in 2005"   Only took about 15 minutes to install.