Milling on the LT35HD

[Magicman]

No only a couple of plastic wedges but also:


 A section of blade that you can insert behind the blade and "saw" the loose sawdust out of the kerf.  

I ground the teeth from the "handle" and used tape plus rubberized dip to form a slip free handle.

[SawyerTed]

A 6' digging bar with a chisel end is another tool that is a very useful tool around the mill.  It can lift a slab when the blade gets trapped among many other uses.  It doesn't sub for a cant hook/peavy but is a great lever for lifting and moving logs without the aggravation of the hook in the way.

[Magicman]

I have and regularly use a hatchet.  Insert it in the kerf and turn 90°.  It is amazing how much you can lift.  I also use it for removing heavy slabs from the sawmill.  Just keep turning the hatchet over and it walks the slab off.

The hatchet, wedges, and saw blade pictured above are invaluable in getting out of a jam.  ;D

[DocGP]

Loaded up my girl this weekend with a couple of big red oaks.  Gave the little LT35 about all it wanted, but cut fine.  Got some nice quarter sawn.

But pleased with the days work for an old fat country boy!!

Keep at it.  You are going to love the little LT35!!



 

 

Doc

[DanMc]

That's not the Kohler G25 engine on your LT35!  Must be the Yanmar unit.  Very nice!!!!!

[DanMc]

I held off on mentioning that I had a peculiar misbehavior in the mill head on two different mornings.  I go down to the mill, there's a good coating of dew on everything.  Not dripping off, but just wet.  Both mornings, with the dew, when I turned on the key, the head immediately headed for the bed.  Hitting up interrupted the movement, and it went up, but headed back down when I let go.  This appears to be something other than the control panel, because when heading down the D was not seen on the right side of the display as it is when it's commanded to go down by the lever.

I called WM.  They were very responsive and pointed me to the user's manual, section 6.6, SimpleSet Troubleshooting.  Read The Fine Manual!!!!  He also graciously taught me to have the mill right there when I call for tech service.  There's a setting of .1170 for GearSetting and InvGear should have been set to Yes, but my mill was showing No.  Anybody know how this InvGear setting changes the machine's behavior?  I changed it to Yes and couldn't tell that there was any change in operation.  

Here's a thread that touches on this issue:
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=89241.msg1372147#msg1372147

New machine and new operator.  Problems are expected to occur!!!!!

[DanMc]

I discovered what InvGear does: on my LT35, if I set it to YES, then the head goes UP when SimpleSet is in Auto and told to go down.   The WM user manual is WRONG.  This obviously has nothing to do with the mill head moving down on its own with heavy dew.  In my prior post, I didn't check out SimpleSet in Auto mode.  

[DanMc]

I get nervous when the mill head is down close to an inch of the bed.   I know that it's only a matter of time till I leave the log clamp a little too high, and I run the blade into it.  Yesterday I came up with a nice way of seeing that the clamp is down low enough: If the corner of the cant is a clean corner with little wane, then placing a straight 1" sticker between the cant and the clamp creates a nice reference that quickly shows whether the clamp is down below an inch.  It also protects that bottom board from getting mashed by the clamp pressure.

[taylorsmissbeehaven]

I like your sticker idea. I hate it when i damage the edge of a nice board right in the middle with the clamp. Good reference as well. Thanks for the tip!!

[Magicman]

You will learn to sight down the cant and see that about half of the clamp is below the bottom of the cant.  There is no need to squeeze it tight, just snug.

[DanMc]

Maybe I'll dispense with the sticker as I develop muscle memory with running the mill.  I'm sensitive to running into things, since I did that too much with the HM126.  Pushing the head makes it difficult to look down the length of the cant, checking for obstacles.  And on the 126, the log stops are on the back side of the cant from the operator station, so not easily seen.  As the LT35 pulls itself along, then its easy to look for collisions.

I'm happy to say that I haven't run the blade into anything yet with the LT35.  But I did bump into the log loader once.  I'm up to about 600 bd ft milled with no major catastrophes.  

[GAB]

I'm happy to say that I haven't run the blade into anything yet with the LT35.  But I did bump into the log loader once.  I'm up to about 600 bd ft milled with no major catastrophes.  

It's only a matter of time.  Distractions (kids to keep an eye on) and audiences help a lot.
GAB

[barbender]

I tend to show off for spectators by sawing backstop. It really leaves an impression on them😁

[Southside]

Talking like that I hope you have a big cant right next to you and an equally large mallet to knock on it with.   :D

[DanMc]

My earlier statement:
"I discovered what InvGear does: on my LT35, if I set it to YES, then the head goes UP when SimpleSet is in Auto and told to go down.   The WM user manual is WRONG."

I have manual version A6.15.

I have to correct myself.  I think the manual is correct.  In the table on page 6.8,  the Revision A5.00+ should be set to NO.  All other earlier SimpleSet revisions were to be set to YES.  I read it wrong.  Being a new mill, I would expect my SimpleSet to be the latest Revision.

[DanMc]

Well, I am now fully trained.  I ran the log loading arms down onto the fender.  

Fortunately, it is pretty springy and sprang back to the original shape.  A scratch on the edge of the fender.  Nobody will ever notice that.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I'm sure glad I never did that! : : :

[SawyerTed]

That's one I haven't done but I did move the head without removing the fender once .. maybe twice.  

[Magicman]

Well, I am now fully trained.

Hate to bring you this sad news but you Ain't Fully Trained yet.  

[GAB]

Well, I am now fully trained.

Hate to bring you this sad news but you Ain't Fully Trained yet.  

I agree!
GAB

[DanMc]

Well, I am now fully trained.

Hate to bring you this sad news but you Ain't Fully Trained yet.  

I agree!
GAB

OK, I still have a lot of mistakes to make.

[DanMc]

Over the weekend I found the time to mill a 20" x 9 ft oak log that I got a couple years ago.  I sealed the ends while it waited for the LT35 to arrive.  The log is too large for the 2210 to move, but 2210 could sneak the mill in, right next to the log.   Got a nice stack of beautiful 15" wide boards.  

I used the @Magicman trick of putting a strap around the log clamp to pull this beast over, then up and onto the loading arms.  Thanks MM!

[Magicman]

You are Very Welcome Sir.  ;D

The is no need to overlook or not use the hydraulics whenever you can. 

[burdman_22]

I'll be getting my lt35 in May (hopefully sooner), and have been acquiring logs. What is the shortest length log you can mill on this mill?

[GAB]

I'll be getting my lt35 in May (hopefully sooner), and have been acquiring logs. What is the shortest length log you can mill on this mill?

With a proper width support board, (this board's width is dependent upon the diameter of the firewood you wish to gamble a blade on) and a sacrificial board on the side against the log stops you can slice some pretty short material.  That set-up is how I resawed two cookies for a customer one day.
GAB