The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: Revival Sawmill on September 21, 2018, 03:01:45 PM

Title: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: Revival Sawmill on September 21, 2018, 03:01:45 PM
I sliced up my first little red oak log on the new woodmizer  ;D Wednesday night and noticed sawdust/gunk building up on the mast rollers and the stainless steel pads they run on... will this cause problems with pushing the head out of level with the log deck?  Or am I being nuts, and the weight of the head will crush/squish this stuff and it really doesn't matter? 

Thanks,

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/44316/BuildupOnMastRollers.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1537556147)
 
Title: Re: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: SawyerTed on September 21, 2018, 03:18:10 PM
My mill gets the same buildup.  I use a scrub brush to brush the rollers and the tracks when I change blades.   Keeping a small long handle scrub brush on the mill is one of many ideas I've gotten from Magicman.  It stays strapped to the side of the lube water jug.
Title: Re: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: kelLOGg on September 22, 2018, 06:40:11 AM
Rev, where are you in NC?
Title: Re: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: barbender on September 22, 2018, 09:03:19 AM
Which model of WM is that?
Title: Re: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: Southside on September 22, 2018, 09:11:10 AM
I get the same thing, figured if it actually began to build up I would deal with it but all it has ever amounted to is a barely there amount, under a 1/1000".  When I service the mill I hit the rollers with PB Blast and that takes care of any residual.  
Title: Re: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: buzzegray on September 22, 2018, 12:10:02 PM
I use atf on a rag with a spray bottle and wipe them while at the same time raising and lowering the head. Do it at the same time I'm cleaning up for the end of the sawing day. Don't know if it is bad, but it sure looks bad when there is too much of it.
Title: Re: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: Busysawyer on September 22, 2018, 02:19:56 PM
Woodmizer told me to spray silicone on them. The silicone didnt seem to help at all. I scrape mine off with a putty knife every couple days.
Title: Re: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: barbender on September 22, 2018, 04:04:09 PM
So they must use the rollers on the single mast models, LT35 and LT70's? I would still think the atf WM has us spray on everything else that moves would do the trick. It keeps stuff from sticking.
Title: Re: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: Beavertooth on September 22, 2018, 07:21:28 PM
I spray atf on my mast and the sawdust will stick and build up on it but all it takes is a wipe of a finger to get it off whenever you think it needs to come off.  1 day 2days 3days later or whatever. Works great for me. 
Title: Re: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: Revival Sawmill on September 23, 2018, 10:49:43 AM
Quote from: kelLOGg on September 22, 2018, 06:40:11 AM
Rev, where are you in NC?


About halfway between Boone and Asheville - near Crossnore.  

Quote from: barbender on September 22, 2018, 09:03:19 AM
Which model of WM is that?


An LT35 hydraulic 



Sounds like its nothing to worry about - I hosed everything (including those rollers) with ATF when I put the mill away last night
Thanks for the replies!!
Title: First Blade/Stop Encounter...
Post by: Revival Sawmill on September 23, 2018, 12:04:40 PM
Well, I guess it's some sort of rite of passage, but I zipped one of the rollers on the log stops with the blade - it was *almost* low enough.  No real damage to the roller, but it must have taken the set out of the blade - the cut came up in the cant pretty drastically. (the board is laying upside-down on top of the hog chute in the picture)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/44316/IMG_0795_-_Copy.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1537718244)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/44316/IMG_0792_-_Copy.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1537718242)
 
Title: Re: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: Southside on September 23, 2018, 03:03:29 PM
I replaced those hex bolts with carriage bolts - sometimes that 1/2" makes all the difference in the world.  
Title: Re: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: SawyerTed on September 23, 2018, 05:14:43 PM
You will hit metal.  You will hit metal in a log.  You will hit metal on the mill.  It will happen again.  Don't ask me how I know.   :D
Title: Re: Buildup on Mast Rollers?
Post by: Southside on September 23, 2018, 08:18:10 PM
There are two types of sawyers - those who have tried to saw off a piece of their mill, and those who LIE about not doing it!!  :D