We just bought a playmate for the MD- a mobile Morgan gas powered 16" resaw
So far it looks like a good thing- production is up at least 25% and I'm guessing the same amount of gain in material from slabs and the thin kerf.
So far we've been ssawing white pine- 8',10', 12' so the power/speed is OK- think it could use a few more HP though for denser/longer stock.
If this Dang snow ever leaves we will get set up better with more rollers and accumilators (low tech)so there will be less lifting and handling.
Karl, are you cutting double thick on the MD and then passing thru the resaw??
Captain
Cap
We are running 4 3/16 x width(4,6,8,10) on the pine and returning 3 times "cept on the really heavy 16'ers- then we downsize to double thick. Once we have all our rollers set up we may even go to larger cants.
Really thinking more HP on the wide and long stock........
Karl,
It seems that Customsawyer had a similar situation.
He needed his resaw to keep up with his LT70. A backup
or holding area might help, so that the resaw can catch-up,
while you are setting your next log, etc. If that area could
save six to eight cants, that might match your system up a bit.
Keep us posted on the increase, once you have
your rollers and all figured out.
Karl, we've been thinking the same thing. Our need is to increase producton when working with 3-4 people. I was thinking a small bandmill (like an LT15 for example) setup to take double sized stock and break it in half. How about it small bandmill guys? Too hard to clamp and make the single cut with any speed or is this a do-able option?? I'm going to be looking hard at the NE FPE in a couple of weeks. Maybe I've just got to bite the bullet and buy Bull's Baker Reasw.
Captain
Captain,
I would think a small bandmill would be a slower than a resaw. I like the idea of the bandsaw in that it would allow you to make some wide cuts. What I do on my LT40 is I have a bed with rollers that I push the stock through. Sometime in the next couple of weeks I will be resawing some cedar and I will try and take some pictures.
Ron
Now that the LT15 has power feed, could you rig up the resaw attachment to it? Probably cost as much as a real resaw. My friends got a resaw with their LT40, we haven't used it yet though. Resaws use a larger bandwheel and a different band dont' they? I would be worried about running a small bandsaw band all day long.
Dave
I don't know your whole setup, but an lt-15 isn't gonna keep up with production...or..it might, but you'd
be humpin'....besides if you are a portable operation..the lt-15 is kind of a pain to move/setup compared to
the trailered saws.
if you have a big HP mill, it would seem to me a better bet would be an edger...I guess it depends
on what size stock/logs you deal with most...I always thought of a resaw as a post production machine.
When I bought my LT40, I thought about keeping the LT15 for a resaw. The LT15 clamp system is not conducive to quick clamp/unclamp situation. What I was thinking was building a resaw table/bed to bolt to the frame of the LT15, ala woodmizer. But with an external electric or hydraulic motor powering a belt feed mechanism ala Baker or Morgan.
Obvious hold up is an LT15 will never split double thick material as quick as an LT70 will shuck them off a cant. There would have to be some type of surge area or green chain.
Yup, Talked with Csawyer 'bout his, even discussed buyying his unit as it is similar to what we bought, 'cept his has AC feed motor and we don't have long enough extension cords :((and the seller of this one was "motivated")
No way this thing could keep up with a lt70, unless you were to double the hp, we never plan to run both saws at the same time anyway since there are just two of us.
I think a resaw would be faster and a bunch easier than movin' a hunk a wood to another saw to do the same thing. More productive to run two mills from log to finish than do half a job on each, eh? ???
We were talking about Bulls baker too- wasn't wide enough for some of our stock was the only reason he still owns it.
We run 1.25 x 13'2" bands -same as woodmiser , seem to get better milage(footage?)
than on a mill though, don't know why other than we aren't in as much bark.....
Until the ice and snow is gone at least(and when we aren't as busy with other projects) , we are sawing cants on the MD, dead rolling them onto the forks until they're full, then from the forks through the resaw. Can't wait to get a set of accumilator rolls set up so there's less bullin' of cants... ;)