Question about lt 50 debarker

[widetrackman]

I have seen what looks like a v sorta round rod sticking out off the bottom housing of the debarker but can not find anyone saying what it is for. Anyone know what is it's  function?

[terrifictimbersllc]

I have seen what looks like a v sorta round rod sticking out off the bottom housing of the debarker but can not find anyone saying what it is for. Anyone know what is it's  function?

Handle?

[widetrackman]

I have seen what looks like a v sorta round rod sticking out off the bottom housing of the debarker but can not find anyone saying what it is for. Anyone know what is it's  function?

Handle?

Don't think a handle, maybe it prevents the head from hanging up on something when either going down the log or coming back ( if you forget to move the debarker away from the log). I have no idea.

[Old Greenhorn]

I don't know of anything that hangs down like that on the 50. How old is the machine? They have MANY revisions on that whole debarker setup. It's not clear what you mean by the 'housing' as there really is no cover on the unit. A photo would be really helpful. I am wondering if it is a broken swing spring or something.

[SawyerTed]

The manual shows something like you describe.  Lower right.  It doesn't list a part number that I can find.  



My actual debarker doesn't have that part on it.  

[widetrackman]

The manual shows something like you describe.  Lower right.  It doesn't list a part number that I can find. 



My actual debarker doesn't have that part on it. 

Yep, that is what I am talking about. Does anyone know what it's function is/or was.

[CCCLLC]

It helps guide the rotating debarker wheel around overly  protruding  knots. Kind of like a sled.

[SawyerTed]

Does it work?   If it does it would save on circuit breaker trips.  

The appearance in the manual looks like something to get in the way, bent or damaged.   But appearance can be deceiving.  

[Old Greenhorn]

Yes, I believe that is an older (first?) revision. As mentioned, these setups have gone through a LOT of revisions and getting the right replacement parts can sometimes be an issue. We have a 2018 machine and it looks like the one in Ted's photo.
 Ted, are you having issues with breaker trips? If so, which way does your motor rotate?

[SawyerTed]

The blade rotates away from the operator at the cutting edge.  It throws material away from me.  

Breaker tripping only happens when the debarker  blade hits something protruding from the log- a stob, limb or other thing sticking out.  It's not a common thing on neatly trimmed logs.   

BTW my mill is a 2023 built LT50.  Odd that it doesn't have the "sled-like" device if it's a newer addition. 

[Old Greenhorn]

I believe the 'sled skid' is an old design, they don't often, or always update the drawings when they revise. I think the sled skid was replaced by the bracket that holds the chip skirt.
 But this is why I asked Widetrackman the vintage of his machine, that would, I think, shed more light on it.

[Old Greenhorn]

OH WAIT! Now I see, this is a barnd new machine. So rather than on old rev, this must be a new one and I got it backwards. Sorry all. I guess they added that hoping it would help folks with the breaker tripping issue? Looks like they removed that skirt also? hmmmm.

[SawyerTed]

Okay, I went down the rabbit hole.   

There's a MKIII Debarker with a manual in my 2023 LT50 Equipment manual revision A.01.   It's for 97+ non electric sawmills.  Drawings don't show the sled.  These are 12 volt debarker motors. 

There are two debarker manuals in my Equipment Manual both for an MKII Debarker.   Both show the sled.  These two manuals appear to apply to electric mills - one being a 12 volt and the other the 230/460 volt debarker motor.  These manuals are dated 2002.

Including these other manuals is confusing to owners. 

Now if @widetrackman has a non-electric mill WITH the sled thing, that's a head scratcher.   

[Old Greenhorn]

Well Ted, I dug a bit deeper too in another direction, reading back on the (short) history of this particular machine. It seems that although it was ordered with a debarker, it did not arrive at the dealer with one, so the dealer had to order it and install it, then debug it to get it working.
 Is it possible they had sent him an electric model revision? Given our problems with our debarker last year I learned that there seems to be some confusion on which parts go on which machine and at what revision level they stand at. They sent us 3 different swing arms before we got the right one that actually fit and that had been revised from the previous design to be stronger.
 Confusion abounds!

[widetrackman]

Whoa guys, my debarker does not have the " sled ". When I ordered my lt50 I was looking a you tubes of lt50's running, and believe they were new machines 2022-23 or there abouts that had the sled. After receiving my mill a couple weeks ago I saw a guy's you tube about repairing the debarker as he had brought the head back before swinging out the debarker. Got me to thinking if this sled should be on my mills debarker which could prevent damage from protrusions on the log or when I was a sleep at the wheel when returning the head. However I am not sure what happens with my mill if I return the head without rotating the debarker out. I don't want to find out, maybe somebody without the sled knows the result.

[Dave Shepard]

That debarker in the op's photo is fit a WideHead. The drawing in the manual is for a standard head debarker. My mill has that round rod, it helps, but would probably not on a WideHead.

[widetrackman]

BTW look at WM current ad for lt40-70 debarker, shows that the sled comes on it. . Maybe Marty Parsons has some answers.