How some stuff happens at my mill.

[customsawyer]

Thanks. I might have to start using that. I've been using a metal ruler for years since it is more accurate than a tape but my eyes aren't as good as they once were. 

[Peter Drouin]

caveman, That's a great idea. A square.
I used to use a steel ruler 24" long I had.


customsawyer. Nice videos to watch on a Sunday, having Coffee
With it -2° and sunny outside.

[KenMac]

Caveman what do you mean by BGAT?

Blade Guide Alignment Tool.  The little aluminum gadget that clips onto the blade.

We have started using a square kind of like a feeler gauge to set blade roller tilt rather than trying to use a tape measure to measure the distance from the bed to the BGAT.  My eyes can see an air gap and I can feel the tongue of the square barely contact the end of the BGAT a lot better than I can read a tape measure for this purpose.

I use a cheap (HF) outside caliper for my guide level adjustments. For less than $10 you get 6 pieces that are guaranteed for life. 

[caveman]

Peter and Jake.  The square was not my idea but my friend and retired WM employee/sawyer, Earl Hazelwood, told me about doing it this way.  I took a few pictures this morning since I sometimes do not explain things well in text.


 

 

 

[customsawyer]

I actually had it pictured in my head the way you are showing it. You must have explained it right. Earl sold me my first mill back in '02. I'm not sure if I should thank him or fuss at him. Look at how much I have had to buy to keep that mill running. Joking. What I should say is look how it has grown.

[WDH]

I use a 12" speed square.  

[GAB]

@caveman could you explain to me why you could not use the top of the level?
What are you gaining using the square?
GAB

[caveman]

The top of the level is 16" closer to the ground, which is lower than I want to be eyeballing.  Doing it this way I can sit on the mill, and it is at a comfortable height for me to see and adjust if need be.  

There are many ways to skin a cat.  This is the method that we have found to work well for us.

[GAB]

The top of the level is 16" closer to the ground, which is lower than I want to be eyeballing.  Doing it this way I can sit on the mill, and it is at a comfortable height for me to see and adjust if need be.  

There are many ways to skin a cat.  This is the method that we have found to work well for us.

Thanks for the reply.
GAB

[Dave Shepard]

I use a 16" combo square and reading glasses.

[Southside]

How do you balance the square on the glasses?  :D

[WDH]

My manual says position the blade and measure 12" from the bed, therefore the 12" speed square.  A few inches either way probably does not make much difference.  

[YellowHammer]

Me too, using the 12" square lets me check the 12" reference height on the Accuset.  Actually, I use two of everything, two pieces of 80/20 extruded aluminum across the bunks, one by the drive side wheel, one by the idle wheel, and then two BGAT clipped to the blade, one at the idle wheel, one at the driven wheel, and measure them at the same time.  The squares have edges that let the sit and stand up squarely on the extruded aluminum, so one is at the front of the BGAT and one is at the back.  So I can see both sides against a ruler at once, and I don't have to fiddle with the adjustments, I can see the front to back out of adjustment clearly, because there are squares set up on each end of the BGAT.

Then when I'm done, the two BGAT's should be perfectly aligned and parallel to each other, and I can sight crosswise to make sure they are.  That way I know my blade is perfectly aligned the whole throat of the mill, front top back and sided to side.    

  

[customsawyer]

Here's another little lesson on how I saw.

I give a brief description on how I deal with sweep in a log on a Woodmizer LT70 sawmill - YouTube

[Walnut Beast]

Nice job 👍 

[trimguy]

Thanks , that helped me .

[customsawyer]

I shot a short video about getting multiple timbers out of one log. One is boxed heart and three are FOHC.

In this video I am showing one way to get multiple timbers out of one log. - YouTube

[WDH]

Expertly done.   

[customsawyer]

I give a brief description  about blade alignment on my LT70.
Blade alignment basics on a WoodMizer LT70 - YouTube

[B.C.C. Lapp]

I give a brief description  about blade alignment on my LT70.
Blade alignment basics on a WoodMizer LT70 - YouTube

Good videos.  Jake is it?    You explain things real well.  
I gotta say I dont know how you stay so clean and neat. I lnow a log truck driver like that. Never a speck of mud on him. Ive no idea how he does it.  Clean shirt, nice hat, shades, the whole deal.    My work clothes have stains, holes, and tears. And thats when I start in the morning.  My hat looks like a rag with a bill and I couldn't find my sunglasses if I had some sunglasses.  Well done man.

[customsawyer]

Well it was afternoon and I had just taken my coat off. That is the only reason the shirt is clean. As to the hat they get pretty dirty. It hasn't been long that I pulled a new one off the shelf. Give it a little while and it will look like I had to chase it down that morning to put it on. I had just finished some welding and had black all over my face. Tammy made me clean up with a wet wipe before filming. She is starting to take this director roll a little far.

[SawyerTed]

Tammy made me clean up with a wet wipe before filming. She is starting to take this director roll a little far.

:D :D
Excellent video and great explanations!  Good to hear somethings I believe reinforced by a professional.  Things like maintenance and checking alignment is easier than fixing problems and running a blade too long is tempting but probably costs more than it saves in the long run.

May I suggest a couple of topics?  A video on the differences among the marks left by teeth out of set, blade flutter ripples and waves and what causes them would be an excellent resource to beginners and part-timers.  Another might be what causes thickness variations like at the beginning/end of a cut or middle of a cut.  

[terrifictimbersllc]

I think he said that stuff goes in the burn pile. :D

[SawyerTed]

 :D :D and something about not wanting to be near or associated with that kind of wood :D :D

[Andries]

Dang Jake, get Tammy an Oscar for Best Director! 
Well done you two - I can't keep up, hope you're cranking out as much lumber as you are videos. 😁😁
I'm liking the suggestions for future videos.
👍👍