Should Have Done This Long Ago

[DeepWoods]

I finally got around to making a new setwork for my Norwood.  I got the idea from the Incra System that I have on my table saw.  It uses a sliding scale with set increments of different colors.  I have always had a hard time cutting down from the top to a specific target, while still maintaining a consistent size as I cut down to my target.  The Norwood uses a plastic scale with a standard inch scale and three other scales for 3/4", 1", and 2" lumber.  So I would have to try to do the math to try to hit my target size.  This usually ended up with a trim cut and wasted lumber.  What I came up with takes away all the math, and no wasted lumber. 

Here you can see the added piece of 1/8"x 6" steel plate that holds the Incra scale as well as the original Norwood scale.  They are held in place with a self adhesive magnetic strip on the back side. 



 

So here I have set the target height of the cut at 6"



 

I now slide the Incra scale to the size board I want above the set point of 6".  In this case I wanted 1" boards which are the green lines.  So I have slid the Incra scale to line up with th 6" mark. The other two colors are red, which give me a 1 5/8" thickness, and the blue which gives me a 3 5/8" finished board.  These make up a rough cut 2x4 that when dry, is close to a store bought stud.



 

I now start cutting at the top of the log, moving down to each green line till I get to my 6" target knowing each board will be exactly 1" thick.

I have room for one additional scale that I can set up for any size board thickness that would be needed.  I have been cutting 2x4's for the past few days, and I no longer have a headache at the end of the day from trying to keep all the math straight in my head.  I know there are many ways to get the boards consistent as they come off the mill, but for me, this has been the best improvement to my mill since I purchased it many years ago. 

[Percy]

Thats cool. My 97 LT40 had a similar system but used a thumbscrew instead of a magnet. I loved that setup and used it religiously as it made for accurate boards. I called it "Polish setworks". Using a magnet is an improvement as it makes for easy changes between any scale you need/dream up.

[Kbeitz]

Where could one buy a scale like that ?

[fishfighter]

So, that scale has figured in the kerf cut? Been thinking of doing one on my mill. I can almost hit my mark about 95% of the time, but as you said and like me, I hate the waste of that 5%. ;D Most of the time, I don't hit the right size cant to start with. :( I try to cut the largest cant that I can out of a log. Maybe I need to just stop and plan my cuts more carefully. :D Heck, I'm still in the learning curve. :D

[Skip]

Gotta have one for my LM 2000  ;D

[DeepWoods]

To answer your questions, yes I have accounted for the kerf in laying out the Incra scale.  It was just trial and error that gave me the dimension that I needed to draw the lines on the scale.  I just cut a block of wood and carefully used it as a spacer between the lines.  The green lines which are 1" were drawn by laying the original Norwood scale next to the Incra scale and transferring them over.  The Incra scale is just a piece of 2x1/8 aluminum stock that I painted flat white, and fine line markers to draw the lines.  I know the original Norwood scales are available from Norwood.  I think they also make one other scale for different sizes, but don't recall the exact sizes. 

[Engineer]

My old (1985 vintage) WM LT-30 had two scales.  One was a fixed inch scale that gave the distance between the bed and the blade, and it was fixed (and slightly adjustable +/- about 1/8").  The vernier line always read the height of the blade to the nearest 1/16" I think, might have been 1/8".  The other one was a sliding scale that sat next to the fixed scale, and it was marked off for 4/4, 5/4, 6/4 and 8/4 lumber.  It worked exactly the same way that DeepWoods scale does, only it was tightened and loosened with a couple of wingnuts.  It worked well when you wanted to leave a specific thickness of cant or board on the bed and could adjust the scale to cut down to that thickness.  My old WM could only cut to within about 2-1/2" of the bed so I usually left a 4x4 on the bed as the last piece out of the heart.

The only negative about the sliding scale was that the distances between the thickness lines were fixed.  In my case, for example, 4/4 meant 4/4 and no more.  When you cut according to that scale, I got a board that was exactly 1" thick.  If there was any waviness, bow, cup or any other movement to the wood, I might not get a 3/4" finished piece when the board was dried and planed.  I liked having an extra 1/16" or even 1/8" on a 4/4 cut (and my sawing skills varied a bit on early attempts too).  Getting that extra sixteenth or eighth meant that I either had to ignore the lines and use the inch scale, and hope my math was accurate, or sawed to 5/4 which meant that I got 1-1/4" thick rough and no more.  That is a pretty significant waste of wood when you only need 3/4" stock.  I was told that newer versions of the scale spread the lines out a little more, to give that extra thickness, but I never bought an updated scale. 

I am amazed that all of the sawmill manufacturers don't offer a sliding scale for predetermined board thicknesses.  I sure don't want to have to do the math on every cut. 

[drobertson]

Looks like a good system,,,,but something is, well, when switching faces how do you get back and forth between the faces?  Does this make any sense?  I am so use(spoiled) with accuser that the manuals blow my pea brain. I have to rotate logs to relieve stress, how do you keep up with alternate faces bringing all four sides to final size? Just asking, I like your scale just not sure how to use it for pattern sawing,

[Kbeitz]

If your pointer was adjustable that would help when switching faces.

[trapper]

To add to the post engineer made woodmizer makes 2 quarter scales.  The one engineer had which gives 1 inch boards and a hardwood scale which adds I think 1/8 to each board size 4/4 5/4 6/4 8/4

[drobertson]

If your pointer was adjustable that would help when switching faces.

Yes, it seems like there has to be a memory set back or return position if that's what you mean KB,  or just know where each face was when you left it and go back to it, ect ect,,, all I do know is how nice it is to end up where Intended, with no waste boards,

[dgb2100]

Please help me with parts to this modification for my lm2000 mill Don't have the scale pointer either

[fluidpowerpro]

I said the same thing when I came up with my scale. Another thing I like is the fact I can zero the scale at any time. Your using a magnet to hold it on means you can zero it too.