LT40 Rescue

[Durf700]

well.... how does that baby cut?????

[donbj]

He must have hit a nail or something

[Brob1969]

Lol!  I have not yet put a log on...
I did go through the entire alignment procedure this weekend and while doing so noticed that the drive chain (which of course had been weathering for over a decade) had a broken link in addition to several links that wouldn't straighten out.  The entire chain was pretty rusty and looked quite questionable. 

I ordered a 50' roll of #40 roller chain (I believe that's the correct size for the LT40) that will arrive Thursday. 

As bad as I want to cut with this mill, I want to be sure it's right when I run it.  The alignment was pretty straightforward and only required a few minor adjustments, including the lower bearings.  The rusty chain has been giving me some unwanted movement as the carriage rolls down the track, enough that I felt it would transfer to the lumber.  I also didn't want it to break in the middle of a cut.

Stay tuned:  I have an oak log staged as soon as I get the new chain on the mill.  I will definitely get video of the first cuts!

Also, the honey-do list is long, and the next couple days of waiting on parts should assuage my wife for a bit.

[jpassardi]

I went through and set all the alignment on my LT15 on Sunday also.

Yes, it's wise not to ignore the honey-do list for too long...

[donbj]

Lol!  I have not yet put a log on...
I did go through the entire alignment procedure this weekend and while doing so noticed that the drive chain (which of course had been weathering for over a decade) had a broken link in addition to several links that wouldn't straighten out.  The entire chain was pretty rusty and looked quite questionable.

I ordered a 50' roll of #40 roller chain (I believe that's the correct size for the LT40) that will arrive Thursday.

As bad as I want to cut with this mill, I want to be sure it's right when I run it.  The alignment was pretty straightforward and only required a few minor adjustments, including the lower bearings.  The rusty chain has been giving me some unwanted movement as the carriage rolls down the track, enough that I felt it would transfer to the lumber.  I also didn't want it to break in the middle of a cut.

Stay tuned:  I have an oak log staged as soon as I get the new chain on the mill.  I will definitely get video of the first cuts!

Also, the honey-do list is long, and the next couple days of waiting on parts should assuage my wife for a bit.

Keep up the good work! The Honey side of things is just as important.

[Brob1969]

So my roll of #41 roller chain came in this afternoon in just enough time to be able to replace the old damaged chain.  That REALLY made a huge difference in how smoothly the carriage travels.  

I went through the alignment procedure and I have everything according to the manual now.  I did have to adjust the lower bearings to bring the saw level to the lock bed.  The manual states get it dead level, but I've read here in the forums of guys setting it so the idle wheel is at a 1/16th incline.  What is the experience here for the truest cut?

 

[donbj]

The 1/16" up with the guide all yhe way out is to compensate for any downward pull on the head as the blade is under load. It can be achieved by adjusting the outer guide when putting the 1/4" down on the guides.  

[donbj]

So my roll of #41 roller chain came in this afternoon in just enough time to be able to replace the old damaged chain.  That REALLY made a huge difference in how smoothly the carriage travels.  

I went through the alignment procedure and I have everything according to the manual now.  I did have to adjust the lower bearings to bring the saw level to the lock bed.  The manual states get it dead level, but I've read here in the forums of guys setting it so the idle wheel is at a 1/16th incline.  What is the experience here for the truest cut?

You're going to have trouble keeping your logs on the deck running it like that :D

[Chuck White]

      

[donbj]

     

Just a smart remark about his upside down picture

[Chuck White]

That explains everything!  

Had me going for a while!

[Brob1969]

     

Just a smart remark about his upside down picture

I don't know how the picture got that way; nor do I know what to do to upright it.  
But I cut my first log yesterday evening!

[Brob1969]

So yesterday I had a lot of things I had to do before I could get to work on the sawmill. 

About 3:30 in the afternoon I was done with my obligations and a couple of friends stopped by to see the progress on the sawmill. 
We moved the mill into the shade and I went and grabbed a trash oak log with my skid-steer from the area adjacent to where we setup the mill.  Being the first cut I didn't want to mess up a premium log if things weren't just right yet.
Evidently things are right though as all my cuts were straight, square, and the same thickness on both sides!
The Ripper 37s went through the old oak like a hot knife through butter!
I was smiling the whole time.

It was a gnarly old log that had been on the ground for at least a couple years.  I knew there was some rot, but there was still some decent wood in it.  There are a couple pieces my wife wants to use for benches; she's been itching to do some epoxy filling.   I have enough good wood to replace the decking on the duck tail of my equipment trailer, which given the fact that I wasn't expecting much structural stuff from this particular log is pretty good. 

I still have to work on the log turner and the winch system (ultimately I plan to add hydraulics), but the mill is functional and cuts like it is supposed to! 

I have a video of the first cut I will upload later and put a link here.  

I REALLY appreciate all the great information here on this forum, and even more I appreciate all the encouragement from everyone here who also has sawdust in their veins!

 

 

 

[Southside]

Nice job and congratulations! When are you going to build the kiln?  :D

[beav]

Awesome job on the ol' mizer!
The second pic showed you backing up with the blade spinning. I would advise against that because a blade will only go around so many times before it breaks from metal fatigue. Also it can get thrown off easily and consequently wrecked.
Also when a heavy cant is sitting on a flat you generally don't need to dog it.
Not criticizing just sayin'

[Brob1969]

I appreciate any tips and advice from anyone with experience!  I did stop the blade after most of my cuts, but obviously not this time!  I didn't know about dogging the cant.  

I am about to go out and cut a few more logs, I appreciate any suggestions!

[Brob1969]

Nice job and congratulations! When are you going to build the kiln?  :D

Actually, one of the guys that came over yesterday is putting together a cut-sheet for the kiln!
I already did one for the new pole barn.  I'm pretty excited to be cutting on this old 'Mizer!

[Southside]

You want to be really careful about not dogging a cant. The band will pull them sometimes and if it's not clamped down expensive things can get broken. 

[LeeB]

You want to be really careful about not dogging a cant. The band will pull them sometimes and if it's not clamped down expensive things can get broken.

X2

[Brob1969]

You want to be really careful about not dogging a cant. The band will pull them sometimes and if it's not clamped down expensive things can get broken.

When I was first positioning the log (before the first cut) I was thinking it would have been nice to have another clamp on the bed as the not-so-straight log was difficult to get secured to the stops before I had a flat side.  
Does anyone add another dog to their Wood-Mizers?

[donbj]

Looks like you got this figured out. Looks awesome. Feels good when things work out like this. And yes always clamp what you're cutting

[Andries]

I haven't ever seen an additional clamp, manual or hydraulic, on a WM sawmill.
On extensions, yes, but not on the main mill bed. 
If my cant is 8" high and 18" wide, I may not clamp up. Like Southside said, use your experience to be your guide.
Woodmizer calls the swivel up arms "side supports" and the small welded on blocks are called stops. It's a language thingy, but as long as we understand one another, its all good.
If I have a short, gnarly log on the mill and it just doesn't want to fetch up against a side support, I'll pull a 2x6 out from its special storage spot (under the mill) and set it between the supports and the log. Especially with Ugly Betty logs, or as a clamping bar for edging 1" boards for stickers, the odd piecE of lumber is very handy to have onhand.

[btulloh]

You want to be really careful about not dogging a cant. The band will pull them sometimes and if it's not clamped down expensive things can get broken.

When I was first positioning the log (before the first cut) I was thinking it would have been nice to have another clamp on the bed as the not-so-straight log was difficult to get secured to the stops before I had a flat side.  
Does anyone add another dog to their Wood-Mizers?

I have two dogs on my little manual mill for just this reason. Hydraulic guys don't have to deal with this. In reality, it doesn't need to be a dog per se, but something similar to hold the log close to the back stops so the dog will finish the clamping job. Can also do it with a cant hook, but that's when i find myself doing a four hand task with two hands. Awkward for one person, but easy with a helper. 
Nice job on the find, the restoration, and making your first sawdust. Awesome. 

[Machinebuilder]

Congrats,

I've been following your progress too.

It really feels good to see your work pay off.

[Crossroads]

Congratulations on your accomplishment! I built a version of pinywoods hydraulic clamp/turner on an lt30 I had. That thing was a game changer for sure. Keep up the good work