Major oops, stupid move yesterday.
Backed the blade guide into the clamp and bent the motor bracket and the sprocket as well as kinked the blade and broke the chain.
Not sure if I can straighten the bracket properly.
got the parts ordered but may take the mill to WM Hannibal for a complete adjustment check.
Guess I will be doing some much needed housekeeping around the mill for the next few days.
Stuff happens, Pete!
If I lived as close to Hannibal as you do, that's where the mill would go!
I did that going into it, did bend the bracket just got all apart and bend it back. :D :D
Then I did a full alignment.
Sounds a little familiar, never quite that bad, and hate to hear it, there have been some near brushes though, where the blade rides up just a hair when it rides over the top before I can pull it out wider. Not saying you did this, but man when I get greedy with the back stops and clamp, there have been some bite marks along the way ;D
Poop happens...I backed out of a cant last weekend a few feet in without disengaging the blade..it caught and wrecked the new blade I just put on one cut earlier... Sawed that log for free...and behind on the next one...
It really isn't yours till you bend it and saw some metal.
I caught myself almost doing that the other day. Evidence suggests it may have been done before I got the mill, although not with that much damage.
I did the exact same thing a few years ago. Whacked it bad. :-\
And when you use the drag back on the last board. Best to have all the steel down. :D :D ;D
Problem there Peter, I haven't modified my mill so that i can lower the clamp when at the end of the cut.
I should have been more diligent in retracting the blade guide arm.
My neighbor bought a bunch of heavy duty wire and modified his so that he can work everything when at that end of the mill.
I'm still waiting for the parts to tackle this repair.
Quote from: petefrom bearswamp on June 20, 2015, 07:42:23 AM
Problem there Peter, I haven't modified my mill so that i can lower the clamp when at the end of the cut.
I should have been more diligent in retracting the blade guide arm.
My neighbor bought a bunch of heavy duty wire and modified his so that he can work everything when at that end of the mill.
I'm still waiting for the parts to tackle this repair.
I did mine when I was cutting one log, and looking at the next one. :D
don't feel too bad, I once hit my the chrome part of the clamp's cylinder with my debarker blade.
that was an expensive lesson.
I guess that's one advantage of having a standard hydraulic mill instead of a super hydraulic. I've clipped the clamp the odd time but the carriage just stops. Haven't bent anything or even knocked anything out of alignment (yet).
No parts yet.
I started addressing the damage yesterday and i think one of the cam bolts that adjust the rollers is bent.
Im going to call WM this morning and set up an appointment to go ther and have them handle it.
Brucer, I have hit the clamp when sawing and the slower speed just made the head stop.
Returning however is at a much higher speed.
Quote from: petefrom bearswamp on June 22, 2015, 07:26:29 AM
No parts yet.
I started addressing the damage yesterday and i think one of the cam bolts that adjust the rollers is bent.
Im going to call WM this morning and set up an appointment to go ther and have them handle it.
Brucer, I have hit the clamp when sawing and the slower speed just made the head stop.
Returning however is at a much higher speed.
I replaced my cam bolts recently 'cuz I I'd bent them in something similar. Turns out that even though they're bent, the
weldment they're attached to is actually bent:(. Happened before I bought the mill, but it means my adjustments for the guide arm are at the limits even with new parts. I'm still studying how to fix this to get it back to normal. I'm annoyed.
When I was backing up and hit my clamp, I bent the cam bolts and knocked the blade guide arm completely off of the mill. I patched it up, adjusted what would adjust and kept sawing until I scheduled a visit from the WM service truck. Bob had everything on the truck that was needed.
Quote from: nomad on June 22, 2015, 07:39:08 PM
I replaced my cam bolts recently 'cuz I I'd bent them in something similar. Turns out that even though they're bent, the weldment they're attached to is actually bent:(. Happened before I bought the mill, but it means my adjustments for the guide arm are at the limits even with new parts. I'm still studying how to fix this to get it back to normal. I'm annoyed.
I did that, I just took all the stuff off the ¼" steel plate the cam bolts go through.
Use a big monkey wrench and bent it back flat, straight.
Quote from: petefrom bearswamp on June 22, 2015, 07:26:29 AM
... I have hit the clamp when sawing and the slower speed just made the head stop.
Returning however is at a much higher speed.
Yeah, that's the problem with super hydraulics ;D. Your higher return speed is way faster than my higher return speed ;D. It also helps that I'm (ab)using a board return that was meant for the super hydraulic so my drive belt is always on the verge of slipping.
Got to WM Hannibal at 8:15 this AM
Barry worked on my blade guide arm and fixed a problem with the board return, adjusted the drive belt.
Bought one new blade and a grinding wheel (rock to you southern boys) and was out the door at 11:15 AM
Cost was only $198.00 a bargain as far as I'm concerned.
Great service there.
This week is crazy with high school grads for one grandson and an 8th grade for granddaughter 200 miles away.
wont saw til next week.
I told Dave Scott at WM that the alignment is probably so good I'll start charging more for my lumber.
Barry is good at fixing things.
Quote from: Peter Drouin on June 22, 2015, 09:44:44 PM
Quote from: nomad on June 22, 2015, 07:39:08 PM
I replaced my cam bolts recently 'cuz I I'd bent them in something similar. Turns out that even though they're bent, the weldment they're attached to is actually bent:(. Happened before I bought the mill, but it means my adjustments for the guide arm are at the limits even with new parts. I'm still studying how to fix this to get it back to normal. I'm annoyed.
I did that, I just took all the stuff off the ¼" steel plate the cam bolts go through.
Use a big monkey wrench and bent it back flat, straight.
That was enough to take care of it? Thanks Peter; I'll give that a try soon as I get a break!
If you look you will see the wheel that the arm rides on the bottom one on the drive side will be out of plumb.