This morning I just got started sawing a Black Cherry log.
Made the first two cuts and when the second one was finished the sawhead wouldn't return to the head of the mill. Wouldn't go forward again either.
Well, I pushed it back to the hitch end of the mill and disconnected the battery and opened the control panel.
A broken finger on the feed drum switch. :o
That was the bad luck.
This is the good luck.
I remembered that I had saved the old up/dn drum switch that I replaced late this Spring.
So, I got the broken drum switch out of the control head and the truck was headed for the house.
I took one of the fingers out of the old up/dn drum switch and drilled out the rivet on the feed drum switch and was back in the truck headed for the mill.
Got back to the mill and within 15 minutes we were making sawdust again! ;D
Total time lost 1 hour and 45 minutes. 8) The mill was 8 miles from the house!
That's not bad, when at first I thought I wouldn't be sawing again until Wednesday the 5th.
I suppose a spare drum switch will be on my next order from Wood-Mizer.
I see a spare parts bin in my future. The quick disconnect gas line fitting came apart on me Wednesday. Left the job and got PVC -CPVC -ABS glue, didn't work.....Second trip offsite, went to a marine supply store and got a whole new fitting. $21 for parts, but I lost 1/2 days milling. Still managed to earn a decent amount that day. One of the perils of running an older mill......but it sure beats having having a big payment due each month! ;D
when I first got a used LT 40 and sawed on the road I bought everything
nothing broke for years
then a drum switch went. took the part I bought, wow was the other one
looked at part numbers looked at boxes called woodmizer
wow you bought them long ago we had a boxing problem back then
send me new part didn't ask for old part, didn't charge shipping
I had a drum switch problem a while ago. They accidently sent me the wrong part. They sent me the drum switch for the machines in Europe. No indent in the forward switch to lock it in forward motion.
So I called them and they next day aired me another switch. You know what, the wrong one a second time.
They did finally send me the right switch.
And as mentioned "no questions asked"....
Jim Rogers
That's what makes WM a great company.....
Good fix Chuck.I'll remember that one.
John
Had the same thing on the foward/ reverse drum, called and got the part on order, but before the call ended talking with the tech, he said," I'm not saying this, but you can get by with a paper clip in a pinch" Well, dug out one fixed it on a lil tweaking and it works! I pulled it out switch and all and waited for the part, just saying you never know what you might need to do to get by.
I think I posted this once before, but I can't find it so here tis again. Look at the up-down switch. There's one set of contacts that are closed with the handle in the neutral position. Steal that contact and use it to repair whichever one is broke. Up-down will still work, the head will drift a bit instead of stopping where you want it. ie, no brakes. May not work if you have accuset....
Yes Piney, you responded to my post that I made when I changed the up/dn drum switch this past Spring.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,58019.0.html
I love it when you fix something that's supposed to be replaced. I've extended the life of drum switches by building up the contacts with silver-bearing solder.
In my cases, it hasn't been the end where it makes the contact that fails. It breaks off at the base......
Jim Rogers
Quote from: Jim_Rogers on September 03, 2012, 08:10:40 PM
In my cases, it hasn't been the end where it makes the contact that fails. It breaks off at the base......
Jim Rogers
Jim;This one broke off in the first bend from the attaching screw.
I just had to drill the rivet flange off and set the replacement finger in place.
All in all, it went well.
When the drum switch on my MD went out, I opened it up and found a whole bank of contacts that weren't being used. I just rewired it to the new bank. 8) 8) My joy was shortlived though, when it burnt up again within a year. I replaced it with a much stouter one from the local electric shop. I have no idea if the old one was OEM or not.