I just ordered a set of high performance blade guides for my LT40 equipped with a 20 hp electric motor. I am hoping to improve performance with them. Anyone have any good tips on installing or using them?
While you're waiting, get your RustReper and start soaking the bolts and nuts on you old guide assemblies.
The inside guide is pretty easy and straight forward. Just two bolts out and two bolts in. (Maybe there is some extra mods required on older mills.)
The outside guide requires that you change out the whole guide arm assembly. There is no need to take the old guide off the old guard as you're going to replace them both anyway. If you've not done this at least one time, it could take a bit of head scratching and trial and error to get the old one off and new one on.
Likely there will be new shielding going up the inside rails and under the motor mount. It's two-piece and a bit complicated to get puzzled right to get it in around the dragback, etc. The new shield is necessary because the new inside guide take up a lot more room and are kind of tucked in.
The new guides have screw and lock into place adjustment in every plane. They are far more complex than the system they replace. Don't expect to bolt them on and saw. It'll take some time to follow the alignment procedures to get them right. And then I'd saw a bit and monitor the results and recheck the alignment.
If you don't have the Lube-Mizer, get it. You'll need it with these guides.
Faron........Just want to make sure you know you are not getting the High Performance guides we advertise now. Just clarifying. Thanks all and be careful out there.
In the words of Rosanna Rosannadana, "Never mind." :)
Sparks, clarify a little more. ;) I am getting whatever the upgrade is for a 1995 Lt40 is. I am pretty strongly hoping it will be worth the extra cost. I thought an upgrade was available, but I never saw a picture or description on the website. I didn't even see anything I recognized as an upgrade on the gateway store. I called in an order this morning. The WM rep I talked to felt the upgrade wouldn't do me much good, until I told him I had replaced the 24hp gas with a 20 electric.
Wood-Mizer just introduced an even newer design of guide blocks in the latest Wood-Mizer Way.
Wood-Mizer Way - Spring 2008 (http://www.woodmizer.com/us/pdfs/wmw79.pdf)
I installed the High Performance Blade Guides on my 1987 LT30. I have the original 16HP Briggs (with new short block). The instructions that came with them were easy to follow but you needed the capability to cut some sheet metal and weld on a new blade guard support which was provided. I didn't have any problems but it wasn't just an unbolt and re-bolt retrofit. Your later model mill may require less modification. Like Bibby said, they are adjustable in all planes. Mine came with the glued on bottom pads and while I haven't had any problems with them yet, I plan on getting the new 'secret formula' metal bottom wear pads before I begin sawing this Spring.
This next part you may or may not agree with so it's just my opinion / design.
I removed the top Lubemizer spray nozzle and repkaced it with a 1/8" brass pipe plug which I bored with a #72 drill for a spray orifice. I put the same pipe plug in the bottom only I didn't drill it. Next, I made felt wipers which hook over the pipe plug heads and wrap around the Lubemizer bracket top and bottom. ( see my photo gallery) I use a hand pump and diesel for lube. The amount of lube it takes to keep the blade clean and shiny is almost undetectable but then I cut mostly white pine, spruce, a little white cedar and a little birch. Some sawdust builds up on the curved (infeed side) of the felt wipers. I keep a stiff paint brush stored in the fender bracket to brush it off every dozen or so cuts. So far, it's worked flawlessly.
Faron....the rep was right in saying you may not see any great improvement. The HP guides are really for mills with higher HP and faster feed rates. We have had a lot of reports from older mill owners that they noticed a more stable cutting while sawing and that they could cut a little faster. It is a better guide system than you have originally we just don't promise any great difference. Thanks all and be careful out there.
Sparks, are the HP guides 1-1/4" blade specific and or will they work with 1-1/2" wide blades?
SMS
We need to talk about the HP blade guide system we have been using for some time ( I think they were available in 2001) WM started with Cermic round inserts. These worked great but some customers had issues with blades that would coil set from blades getting to hot. This was caused from blade getting gummed up or adjustments were not made. So WM went with a E-Z glide pad and it looks like break lining on you car or truck. It would wear and not damage the blade if the customer did little or no maintenance to blade clearance or left the blade build up when sawing resin logs. We still have these pads avaialble. WM also has available a steel guide that will work I have not used any of these but it is the same material used in the new system. The guides are only on the bottom of the blade.
These guides have been called High Performance guide system. You can run 1 1/4 " width blades or 1 1/2" width blades. WM even has wide rollers available. IMP these are not needed but that is the customer choice.
Now WM is offering a new system with guides on top and bottom of the blade. They will also work with 1 1/4" width blade and 1 1/2 " width blade. WM has avaialble different guide blocks for different width blades. If you are interested I will post the part # for each. The silver guide is for 1 1/2" and the gold color block is for 1 1/4" width blade. They have been in use on the LT70 series mill for a long time and have worked great. You will need Lubemizer system to luberciate the blade for the new system.
M
Marty,
I have a 2006 LT40SHDE25 that has one guide on the bottom side of the blade. It has worked well and was wondering if I would see any real improvement with the new blade guide system. I currently do not have lube mizer, I only cut cypress lumber and never have any problems with sap or resin buildup. Would it actually be worth the additional money to upgrade? I also wanted to ask if any research had been done using bearing guides on the top and bottom of the blade just like the woodworking bandsaws use to stabilize the blade. Just a thought.
Cypress Man
Cypress Man,
I do not know at this time, I have not had a chance to to use these. I would say you would not need the new system, first thing you would need to install a lube mizer system or some way to lubericate top and bottom of the blade. If you system is working and we have many guides systems out their just like yours, stay with what you have. Have you used any of the new steel guides for the bottom?
Wood-Mizer used two roller bearing guides on the first mills they build. When we get them in the shop to align we cut them off, (After asking the customer)
I see some of the aftermarket rollers out there ( very few) on the WM equipment. We are not advised to align a WM with different aftermarket components installed because if there is an issue after we leave the tech. on the phone does not know what the real issue may be.
Marty
How does Cypress saw? What blade do you use? Any blade resin build up while cutting?
Cypress is a soft wood to cut but is relatively knotty. I use 1.25" x .055 x 10 degree blades. I've just purchased the new CBN sharpener and I love how the profile never changes. Every sharpened blade cuts like a new one out of the box. I run a good bit of water on the blades and sap or build up is never a problem.
I have never used any steel guides for the bottom. Have never really heard of them.
Cypress Man
I hadn't made any adjustments in the new Wood-Mizer Super guides since I put them on last winter. I could tell one pad had too much gap and needed adjusting.
So yesterday morning I had some open time to look into it. I started head long into trying to make the adjustments with little success. It was not going well. Even though I had oiled up all the parts before assembling as called for in the instructions, the main adjustment post that controlled the pad clearance was froze.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10034/wssuperbladeguideadj_20081003.JPG)
My first act was go try to get some Rust Reper in around the threads. I was able to struggle and get the post broken loose a little. Then I come to the conclusion that crud had built up in back of, between and under the pads. It was solid as Bondo. I tried using a piece of wire to pick out the crud and made but little progress. I then tried to find something flat like a small screwdriver to work at it. Then finally the light came on and I thought about using a section of broken blade to "cut" the crud out from the back side of the guide pads. It wasn't easy. But that worked. If I were going to make a tool to use to clean out this area, I'd take a section of blade say 8' long and grind the teeth off about 4". Then wrap tape or something around that end to make a better and safer grip.
After the crud was cut back to the back of the mounting block, the rest of the crud came out with some picking and wiggling of the blocks.
With the pads freed up and area clean, I soaked the post again with Rust Reaper. It could have worked better if I'd a waited an hour or a day for the Rust Reaper to do it's thing but I went ahead and worked the post until I was able to get the adjustment I needed.
I think the next time I need to do maintenance on the guide blocks, I'm going to take the whole block assembly (not the mounting frame part) off and do a thorough cleanup of the block and guide pads, etc. Then, providing I have time, soak them overnight with something like Rust Reaper. Then I can clamp the block in a bench vice and start breaking the bolts loose where I have a better advantage. Once clean and loosened up, I will put them back on the mill for adjustment.
I'm also thinking of a better spanner tool design than the one provided.
Some things I've learned the hard way.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10034/wsLubeMizer_nozels_20090125.JPG)
I managed to round off the shoulders on the nozzles used on the Lube-Mizer system.
I learned two things in the process.
1) They don't need to be so tight. I screw them in to finger tight then turn until the hole lines up to spray on the blade. I've done this for a month now and not lost one.
2) After I rounded off the shoulders on the nozzles there was no way to get them out with a pair of pliers. I scratched my head about the problem for a day or two until I realized it wouldn't be hard to just take the whole guide assembly off and clamp it in a bench vice where I could work on it. After the fix was in, I bolted the assembly back on the guide arm. I didn't see any need for further adjustment.
I think the next time I need to do any maintenance – like changing rollers or pads – I'm going to take the assemblies off and clean them up and let them soak in some diesel fuel overnight. I would be a luxury to have two sets of guides - one to soak and one to use.
Yeah, for removal with pliers they should make those nozzles with just two flat sides, instead of the hex sides.
Or maybe even make them with a round, knurled surface to indicate that finger tight is good enough. A little hole where you could stick a nail to line it up would be sufficient; If I understand Bibby's description.
On the other hand, you could just replace them with stainless at $24 a pop.
I too have been just tightening them finger tight then line up the spray, but I still had one stick. For a quick removal in the field take a file and flatten two sides out then use a tight crescent wrench or vise grips to turn it loose. I keep two stainless and four brass nozzles in my field toolbox. I also have a fine wire for cleaning them out hanging from the control panel. My water has indescribable things growing in it that like to plug up the spray nozzles at least two or three times a day. I also have an air tank with me that I use to blow the nozzles out with.