I love my Simple Set

[WV Sawmiller]

   I know you can saw good lumber using the other scales but I sure find my simple set makes life easy. I haven't tried AccuSet or others which I gather work basically the same but with more then the 2 options I have to work with. More options would be nice but I love the ones I have.

   I, and I assume most others, mostly use the simple set to set the board thickness and it is nice to just raise the head at the end of the cut then bump it at the other starting end to lower exactly to the setting selected. It sure makes it nice when switching between 1X sheeting and 2X framing to maximize log yield. I also often use mine to set a cant thickness to get it exact. Probably takes a few seconds longer than just reading the scale to change the setting but I'm sure I personally am more accurate for it.

   Most recently I had jobs cutting 1X6s, 1X4s and 1X3s for (battens). I'd set my flitches aside for edging and when I got my cant thickness one cut lower than my desired board width I'd stop and clamp the flitches against the cant to edge them. I think many of us do this to help get a good square cut on the edged flitches. I'd set up and clamp flitches of the same, trim off the bark then turn on SS and lower to the board width desired (3",4" or 6" as appropriate), cut as long as there was that much height above the cant then release and flip the flitch, turn off SS and cut one more board using the scale. If I did not have flitches the same sizes I'd often do them one at a time. Slower to do but it maximizes the recovery.

   If I'm making edging strips or cutting random width boards out of my flitches I just stack them side by side and come down one inch at a time with my SS. When all the bark is gone I rotate the flitch or remove the finished board. Any strip long enough for a stacking strip or tomato stake before it peters out gets set aside and cut to length at the end of the job. I rarely have to cut good wood to get enough stacking strips for a customer but just generate them during the edging process. (Yes, dry strips are preferred and recommend but how many of your customers actually have and use them or want to pay extra and buy them from you?)

   The most common mistake I make using SS is to rotate the log 90 degrees and forget to reset the SS before bumping the down lever. The mistake is immediately obvious and I just have to wait till the head reaches the preset location, turn off, raise the head and reset SS start over.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

Timely post as I am getting to use my neighbor's LT35 with simple set this weekend. We are going to start milling the white oak logs from my lot clearing.

Jon

[landscraper]

   The most common mistake I make using SS is to rotate the log 90 degrees and forget to reset the SS before bumping the down lever. The mistake is immediately obvious and I just have to wait till the head reaches the preset location, turn off, raise the head and reset SS start over.

If you hold the "up" lever for a moment while the head is moving down in SS mode to the next pre-set thickness it will cancel and stop moving down, and revert to Manual mode, you don't have to wait for it to finish going down.  At least it does on my early 2014 model LT35HD.   

I too love my Simple Set, it's great for repetitive cuts.  I've recently gotten a contract to produce hardwood stakes and it simplifies the whole process.  I'll auto down through the jacket wood in 4/4+kerf until i get an opening face that is a good cant dimension and then I square up and auto down in my stake thickness+kerf, flip and repeat, get a bunch of stake billets, off to the sharpener.

[WV Sawmiller]

Landscaper,

   Thanks for that tidbit of information. I will definitely put it to use the next time I make that mistake.

   Another mistake I have made on occasion is to accidentally bump the down lever while I am sawing. If its a small distance it may just cut to the next level and keep cutting. If a longer drop/deeper cut it may pull the blade off. Grab the wedge and back out and correct. I still would not want to be without it.

   Congrats on the contract. I think I do the same thing you describe moving down 4/4 at a pass till I get the face I want too. Often these reject flitches will still yield stacking stickers or tomato/bean stakes by edging them and sometimes even short useable boards if I or the customer want to take the time to cut the flare off one or both ends as appropriate.

[Magicman]

My sawmill has the old outdated Setworks, but my sawing days would be over without it and the Debarker.

[WV Sawmiller]

My sawmill has the old outdated Setworks, but my sawing days would be over without it and the Debarker.

Lynn,

   About the only time I ever use my scale is on my last cut. I mostly watch to stay out of the red.

[John S]

Thanks to Marty Parsons, I use the sliding scale in conjunction with SS.  Just had a horse fencing job with 600 1"x"6 by 12', it made the job much more efficient.

[ncsawyer]

Thanks to Marty Parsons, I use the sliding scale in conjunction with SS.  Just had a horse fencing job with 600 1"x"6 by 12', it made the job much more efficient.

I use my sliding scale with my SS as well. Since SS does not measure from the bed up, it is up to the sawyer to determine where to make the first cut when the flat side of the cant is down.  That's where the sliding scale comes in handy. 

If you're cutting something odd, then you have to do a little math.

[WV Sawmiller]

John & NC,

   Thanks. I will try that when cutting a cant. Rather than trying to figure the math right now I usually just cut to the face I want then turn on SS and cut to the last board and cut a trim cut to adjust the last board. I know this generally results in one more cut but on a thin cut it usually goes pretty fast. As often as not when I get to the last cut I can often just split the difference and get 2 slightly thicker or slightly thinner boards. If cutting framing usually just leave it alone as long as the width is right does not matter if a rafter is a little thick or thin. If the customer is there I show him and ask, if not I will cut to spec. Usually they say just leave it alone as it will work for their purpose.

    Marty sure knows a lot about sawing and his equipment doesn't he!

[Percy]

Ya!!! Properly working setworks is awesome no matter which type/brand/whatever.  Accuracy  and production. When I first heard that WM was offering setworks of some sort way back when, I thought it was a tad gimmicky.....WAtching it work at a trade show changed my opinion 180 degreees. Speed to the next cut is important when production cutting and with setworks, you have about a 4 foot head start over no setworks on your  second cut of the day. Mulitply that times lets say 15 cuts per hour(one every 4 miniutes). Thats 60 more feet of cutting. Mulitply that by 8 hours and its 480 more feet of cutting. If you were making 2x6, you'd have close to 500 more board feet than no setworks. Some guys are really good at dropping the head accuratly without setworks but not me :D

[armechanic]

Will the setworks work on a 1989 model LT40 ?

[WV Sawmiller]

Will the setworks work on a 1989 model LT40 ?

   Easy to find out on Monday if Marty doesn't chime in before then - just call WM. They can certainly answer with any options and cost estimates.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Will the setworks work on a 1989 model LT40 ?

   Easy to find out on Monday if Marty doesn't chime in before then - just call WM. They can certainly answer with any options and cost estimates.

Call WM Indy.....ask for Ron.

[47sawdust]

WM Indy is open till noon on Saturday.