Okay guys first time cutting with the EZ 40 and have a few questions.
Question 1
When starting the engine do you not have the belt engaged and when you are turning the log do you disengage or do you just do half throttle ?
Question 2
The blade guides are spinning when the blade is running, is this normal, also when I spin the blade by hand its rubs the guides. Is it supposed to? My old mill didn't have guides like this so apologies for silly question.
Made about 4 cuts and made great cuts but just wanted to make sure it was not damaging anything.
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Don't have an EZ but most of your questions are universal.
1) Never a good idea to start an engine under load, so disengage the belt. Also bands only have so many flex cycles in them and if you are turning a log while the band is spinning then you are wasting flex cycles which will cause bands to fail sooner than they would have otherwise. In addition you don't want to be standing in front of that band messing around when it's turning. You, your peavey, shirt, or other object could get entangled.
2) Yes roller guides will be turning when the band is moving, they are doing their job this way, and there should be contact between the guide and the band when the band is tensioned and not turning. You don't want the band to be rubbing against the back lip as that leads to band breakage. Also you don't want the teeth to be contacting the guide as that will knock them out of set.
From the looks of your there your saw is doing just fine. Good luck and enjoy the sawdust!!
To cut the straightest the guide wheels should push the blade down 1/4" and I find for best blade life the flange on the guide wheels should be 1/4" behind the blade. Steve
The down deflection depends on the mill mfg and model.
Spot on advice there enjoy the Boardwalk. 8)
On the EZ 40, clamp your log. Tighten your blade (Stanton probably showed you the setting), choke and start engine with no belt tension. Warm engine. Choose engine speed for cutting, medium or high with the speed lever. Check blade height for 1st cut and make sure no clamps or dogs are in the way. Adjust blades guides. Pull clutch lever down, make cut. Pull clutch lever up soon as blade clears cut. As said before, do not run blade longer than necessary as all moving parts are wearing when blade is engaged. Overnight (or taking a long break) release tension on blade. Do not leave blade tensioned all the time!
Good luck, you will enjoy the mill!
Quote from: Southside on November 17, 2020, 07:28:49 AM
The down deflection depends on the mill mfg and model.
Timberking recommends 1/8 " down pressure, I find 1/4 down pressure cuts way straighter and 1/4" down doesn't cause any problems. WM recommends running the flange 1/16 and 1/8 behind the blade. I'd be breaking blades left and right if I ran mine that close. Manufactures aren't always right for how sawing goes in the real world. Well over 3 million bf sawed here. Steve
Yup, and I run 1.5" turbos on my LT 35 resaw, way outside of anything WM says will work. Still, advising a new saw owner to operate outside of the mfg guidance is likely setting them up for failure as they won't have the experience to know when something is heading down the wrong road before it grenades.
Fellow noob here. I think I know what is meant by down deflection, but can someone clarify?
Quote from: TroyC on November 17, 2020, 08:52:17 AM
On the EZ 40, clamp your log. Tighten your blade (Stanton probably showed you the setting), choke and start engine with no belt tension. Warm engine. Choose engine speed for cutting, medium or high with the speed lever. Check blade height for 1st cut and make sure no clamps or dogs are in the way. Adjust blades guides. Pull clutch lever down, make cut. Pull clutch lever up soon as blade clears cut. As said before, do not run blade longer than necessary as all moving parts are wearing when blade is engaged. Overnight (or taking a long break) release tension on blade. Do not leave blade tensioned all the time!
Good luck, you will enjoy the mill!
Thanks Troy! He was in a hurry and didn't really run through things with me that well. So this is exactly what I was looking for!
Thanks for all the info from everybody else, good to know it is supposed to touch and even have some down deflection.
3rd question!
Lube, I know its been asked 100 times on here, but Staton recommend diesel fuel. I was worried about staining the wood. I've hear dawn dish soap, PineSol. What's the best?? I've just used Dish soap and water, but will use diesel if it works better and doesn't stain.
Diesel works great for removing pine pitch, but it stinks, does shorten belt life, gets aerosolized and makes a mess.
Cotton picker spindle lube cleaner, not the grease, is an emulsion that you mix with water and it does a very good job, not perfect at times, but you don't have the mess of diesel either.
Stanton told me diesel also. I've read about diesel softening the belts (especially the v belt on the drive wheels). I use a cup of PineSol and a quarter cup of dishwashing liquid per gallon of lube. I've had no problem with resin buildup and it smells good! I cut mostly yellow pine. Adjust flow to a drop or so about every 2-3 seconds and you should be fine.
I have about 30 hrs on my EZ40. Feel free to ask any questions. Do it the easy way!
There won't be any failures running 1/4" down pressure with the flange 1/4" behind the blade, just straighter cutting and longer blade life. Steve
I have this mill, my bears spin. I don't know what the down pressure means either, could someone explain? Thanks. I use no lube many times, if whatever I am sawing is making the blade sticky I will use water or sometimes windshield washer fluid in winter. I would not recommend diesel. Its expensive, stinks, and I wouldn't want to breath the aerosol.
When I picked up my mill I don't remember much of any demonstration.
If you took the blade guides off, the blade would travel in a straight line from the bottom of one wheel to the bottom of the other wheel. The blade guides should be set to push down on the band enough to deflect it about 1/8 inch or so. That way the tension between the guides and the blade helps keep the band straight. Without the deflection, the blade would wander more than it does under tension.
I use diesel with the EZ Jr and don't have any issues with it yet belt wise. It also didn't seem to be an issue as far as staining on the green ash board and batten I put up recently, but most of what I saw is dimensional lumber and a diesel spot isnt much of a concern, so honestly i have paid tons of attention ...
I use a fairly slow drip, 1 every few seconds is enough. Rember to shut it off when you shut down for a bit, to off bear or turn a log......because it's possible to get enough on the blade to make the band dismount in grand fashion and that may make you say all sorts of magic words.... ::)
Cooks say to use diesel fuel, but most of my logs are dry enough by the time i saw that they don't need any. Fresh ash logs benefit, as the pitch is sticky. My observation is that i don't smell diesel on the lumber, just the sawdust. And I use very little and only if necessary.
I run a model 40. Use off road diesel. I just barely crack the valve. I cut a good bit of white pine and yellow pine. I think the lube tank is a ??gallon??, and it will last through 3 or 4 tanks oF gas. I've tried everything else mentioned and none of the others came close to the effectiveness and cost efficiency of the diesel.