Dry Dock

[Magicman]

OK, so it's a term used in the boating industry describing a boat that has been brought in for various repairs.  This ain't boating but after my last sawing job I brought the sawmill in for various repairs/alignment and me for a bit of R&R.

I heard one of my hydraulic pumps struggling on my last job so I figured that it was time for brushes.  The working pump will overflow the reservoir on the failing pump so I knew which one was failing.  I made an ammeter check and sure enough the working motor was drawing the normal 80-90 amps and the other was drawing 130-140 amps.


 
The hydraulic box is full so...


 
The controls must be set aside to access the pump motors.


 
I removed and opened the failing motor and sure enough two of the brushes were worn as seen on the left and right.  They happen to be the "hot" brushes and the "negative" brushes were not worn.  That was reason enough for me to order replacement brushes for both motors which came UPS today.


 
A close up picture of the brush rack assembly.


 
The worn brushes top and the new brushes lower.

Now comes the sorta mystery.  Compared to the new brushes, the negative brushes were not worn at all so I did not replace them.  So now on to the second motor.


 
No detectable wear on any of the brushes so I reassembled the motor without replacing any of the brushes. 

Guys, these electric over hydraulic motor/pumps are much more bulletproof than some would lead you to believe.  Actually it even surprised me and now I have 1½ sets of brushes on the shelf. I had replaced both hydraulic motor/pump assemblies in April, 2017 when the old original pumps were no longer supported by the manufacturer.

OK, so what else got "dry dock fixed" while I was waiting for brushes? 



A wonkded out blade guide assembly that was bent and had reverse horizontal tilt and causing blades to break.


 
New and properly aligned.


  
I installed an onboard Diesel pump e/w detachable pickup tube and nozzle.


 
And also an onboard blade lube pump e/w a pickup tube.  Both of the above allows me to fill the Diesel and Lube jugs without any lifting.



 
After years of abuse my contact strip had lost some of it's support


 
So I drilled some new holes and secured it.

Both blade guides got a final 8 way checkup for proper up/down, in/out, vertical tilt & horizontal tilt alignment as well as verifying each bed rail height.

I suppose that the sawmill is officially out of dry dock, but the sawyer has other plans.  I see no valid reason for me to contact anyone for any sawing this week.  ;D


 

[barbender]

Magic, I agree on the electro/hydraulic system. I used to view it as an Achilles heel, but I've found with a bit of maintenance they are actually pretty trouble free. 

[taylorsmissbeehaven]

Thanks for all the pictures. They really help understand whats going on. I only have one pump on my 35 but sooner or later it will need the same treatment!!

[Magicman]

Thank you for the kind words.  The only purpose for me creating this topic and sharing what I have been doing during the past couple of weeks is the hope that it will help someone in their travels along the sawdust path.

[aigheadish]

Magicman- Our versions of R&R differ greatly! Looks like you did some good work on your mill and even though I don't know what most of that stuff is the pictures and your story are interesting!

[booman]

MM, after going through a few LT15 sawmills and now have an LT15WIDE,  I have figured out where they tend to rust.   The outboard blade guide is one place because of the water/lubricant and the dust exit chute is another.   I found a product called Rust Bullet that I would paint on a new sawmill in these areas and there was no more rust. 

[Magicman]

Yes I agree, water/lube soaked sawdust with it's caustic/corrosive tendencies is some bad stuff.  Rust Bullet appears to be an interesting product.  :P

[WV Sawmiller]

Lynn,

  Your water and fuel fill discussion got me thinking (Something I don't do very often) and I decided to try a simple mod to fill my lube tank. It is just a standard 3/4" hose bibb with a female connector to a hose that gravity flows to the tip by the band roller.


I stopped at my local hardware store this morning and in their hose repair rack they had this male to male connector. Now instead of removing and lifting the heavy 5 gallon lube tank I will hook one end of this connector to the tank and the other to my garden hose, turn on the water, open the hose bibb on the tank and if my plumbing and physics understanding are right, the tank should fill without me doing anything else. When full, I turn off the spigot, go close the hose bibb on the tank and unscrew the fitting. I guess to add detergent or pine sol I will still have to stand the tank up, remove the cap and add the additive. At least I won't have to lift the tank.

[Magicman]

Yup, that is a good idea if you have access to a hose.  Most of the time my sawmill is at a sawing site with no water and even so when it is parked at Marty's.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I don't think I have ever had to fill my lube tank at a customer site. If it is full when I leave it will last me all day. On many jobs I never open it up (although I might should).

   From your posts I'm betting you are sawing 75%-80% pine while my sawing is about 40% poplar, 35%-40% oak and other hardwoods and the rest pine and hemlock. I don't remember the last time I used lube on poplar and rarely on other hardwoods unless it is ash. I use it mostly on pine but just a small drip. I don't have the fancy lubemizer pumping water to the blade washing it like you do. Again, using it more might help extend my blade life but there is the trade off of wet sawdust to deal with.  

   I try to pull into the lot in front of my house and I have a well and hose bibb there and try to wash the mill after every job or before I leave for a customer job if I have been sawing in my pasture. 

[Magicman]

Well over 90% of my sawing is SYP framing lumber and a one day job would be very rare.  I always carry two five gallon jugs of lube, three five gallon jugs of Diesel, plus a Magic Can with 10 blades.   I fill the sawmill fuel and lube jugs at the end of the day's sawing which is always at the customer's location.  This is true even if I am taking the sawmill home.

[WV Sawmiller]

  I leave home with a full 5 gallon gas tank on the mill and a spare full 5 gallon can of gas. If it is a multiple day job at the end of the day I take the fuel can off the mill and fill it on the way home and return with it full the next morning. I would do the same with the lube tank if I needed to do so - which I never have as mentioned above. 

   I have run through a full tank of fuel (gas) and refilled on the spot from my spare jerry can but I have never run through that second can on the site at one sitting or I'd be taking 2 spare cans. That would be something like 12+ engine hours on my mill.

   Do you have to refuel 2 or more times during a days sawing?

[Magicman]

No, I have never run out of fuel nor filled during the day.  The extra jugs just insure that I don't have to go to the fuel pump station at night.  I also have a couple of filled jugs here at home.  I can easily saw an entire week without a pump visit.

[WV Sawmiller]

  I also have extra filled cans at home but almost every job I do I have to pass a gas station so I fill up on the way home so I don't have to tap into them. On a one day job I normally just fill the tank on the mill at the pump so I don't have to remove it. 

   I'd rather fill from the pump than from my jerry can when possible and only tap into my spare can if I run out at the site then I fill it on the way home.

   On a real hard days sawing my tank can run dry and I may have to fill it at the site. My last mobile job was 5.6 actual engine hours and 3.6 gallons so I did not have to stop or fill during the day. 

[TimW]

My LT40 HD is in dry dock.  The Yanmar on it has two alternators.  One huge one on back by the drive belt and a small one in front near the radiator.  First question..............why 2 alternators?
2nd question............the alternator in back threw it's 6 rib serpentine belt.  Half of the belt is gone, but a complete loop of it is still there.  Can I get a replacement belt at an auto parts store?
           hugs,  Brandi

[Magicman]

Yes, get an auto parts belt.  Are there any wires going to the small alternator?  Seems like I remember that it is simpler/cheaper for Wood-Mizer to just leave that original alternator on which only serves as a means of tightening the the water pump belt.  ??

[barbender]

They might just be using it for an idler/belt tensioner, as it shouldn't be needed. If I switch out my Lombardini, some of the engines I'm considering would face me with the same dilemma. I was thinking I would need to fabricate a plate and find an idler pulley that would work. I may be overthinking things😊

[TimW]

I need to unshroud the small alternator and check.  The belt on the rear one has been broken for awhile.  The idler/tensioner pulley is rusty, not shiny from the belt .  So I am thinking the front one is still working.  Each time I check engine parameters trying to troubleshoot an intermittant high and low idle, I read full voltage, like 12.8 or so.  So I think the thing is working, and when I saw alot with all the electric motor and hyd. draw on the battery, I am not getting enough juice to my engine vitals, causing an intermittant rpm disfunction.  But no fault codes.

I will know tomorrow.  I found the generic part number in the manual and will try to get one tomorrow.  I did try one store before I found the number just matching up the old belt.  They only had a little smaller belt and one just bigger than tensioner adjustment.  Worst case is overnighting from WM, as I need to get back sawing.

Thanks!
      hugs,  Brandi

[Magicman]

You should have 14+ volts on your battery at all times, idle and sawing.  You can not operate with less.

[TimW]

My small alternator on the water pump belt is wired into the haress(es).  Right now I am convinced that little alternator has been powering everything on the mill and "could" have caused my intermittant rpm fluatations without throwing a fault code.  Time will tell.

I got a belt this morning for the rear, big, alternator for a tight fit.  Tensioner seems to be good to go.

I will check voltage when I get it back together and running.   I was thinking I saw 14.x at sometime, but I said 12.8 volts.
hugs,  Brandi

[Magicman]

I would need to make some voltage readings, running and not running.  What voltage do you read on the small alternator?  I can not visualize it supplying anything nor being in the battery circuit unless there are some diodes somewhere in the circuit.  The voltage regulators will only recognize the alternator supplying the highest voltage.  I see no need for the small alternator to be there unless there is a second engine battery and I see no need for that. 

[TimW]

Dennis at WM says the Yanmar alternator should have been disconnected at the factory.  It wasn't.  I got it all back together and I read 14.2-14.4 volts.  Bringing the sawhead up is way faster also.  Feels like a new sawmill.
         hugs,  Brandi

[Magicman]

Yeah, it good to read that my Reply #15 was correct.  I am glad that all is OK with your situation now. 

[TimW]

Dennis suggested I disconnect it and keep in mine, if the alternator belt fails again, I can hook it back up and finish sawing.  Just remember things will be slower with limited amperage.
hugs,  Brandi