A Whole New Ballgame

[TexasTimbers]

The learning curve is going to be less steep than I thought. Longer and more gradual. I have a ton of questions, written down, but I'll check the archives first. A couple now though remember I have the operators manual but .

Is there a sensitivity adjustment for the vertical movement of the sawhead? It's jerky and difficult to set the blade height and move small fractions of an inch up or down without going past where you want.

The blade tension creeps down/bleeds off, but I don't see any leaks, and I filled the reservior.

The worst news so far is that there is an intermittent electrical problem. Sometimes the sawhead will simply stop moving.  :( One time for about ten minutes. I wanted to check the battery connections but it had died right over the battery compartment. Later I did check them and that wasn't the problem.

I cut one cedar 4x4 yesterday and started on another before the blade came off and man when that happens on this sawmill it isn't a simple change like the manual mill.  ;D That blade mangled itself all around the blade guide/log/bandwheel.

I extracted the sawhead but have to wait until Tuesday until my blades get here from WM before I can do anymore cutting. The mill is not ready for use anyway. In the meantime I have plenty of alignments and adjustment to do. So here's another question.  ;D

The front side support has been heated at one time and at the base and was probably straightened, but it is way out of plumb now. Should I try heating it again or just replace it? stump_jumper suggested swapping it with one of the manual supports but then that leaves me with no way to accurately cut short stuff which I do from time to time.

I'll stop there. I have about 917 other questions. This mill has a bunch of maintainence that needs to be done and unfortunatley some elctrical gremlins i hope don't turn out to be an ongoing issue. There has been alot of electrical tinkering with it and I discovered why the hydraiulics weren't working at all;the main cable to the hydraulic contact strip was disconnected inside the junction box. That seems a little ominous I will have to ask the previous owner why this was done.

When I get this thing in tip top shape it is going to be awesome! As many problems as this mill has I am still excited about the potential of it - it's a whole new ball of wax.  8)

[Tom]

Honestly, you haven't mentioned anything that is out of the ordinary. The head movement problem might be the drum switch contacts or a loose wire.  The side supports (are you talking bout the log dog or squaring dog?) have concentric mounts and can be adjusted to square.  If it is bent past this then take it off and heat and hammer it straight.

The cable to the hydraulics may be off because he had a stuck switch or solenoid.  Both are easily replaced or fixed.  The switches can be a pain but the newer mills have been built with easier access than I am used to having.   Spare switchs, contact wires, centering springs and solenoids are good spare parts to have anyway.

Once the "overwhelming" is past, you will be amazed at the lack of complexity.

[TexasTimbers]

I already see how simple it is. It's like working on an old chevy. These machines have a high UWF (User Workability Factor)  ;D

Doing the actual work is fun. Having to do it when I was expecting it "ready to go" takes away fromn the fun only slightly, so I am not complaining. I'm just happy to have the mill and look forward to pumping out a gazillion board feet!

I will have more questions though.   :P

Just thought of one. Do I have to order the check valve for the log loader cylinder from WM or is there another source?

Will SAE fittings (a tee in this case) work or do they have to be JIC? My understanding is that JIC have a 37° angle and SAE has a 45° and that they should not be used. this is what the guy at the hardawre store told me yesterday.

[logwalker]

As to the blade tension bleeding off, I think you are just seeing the blade warm up which makes it longer and it is a normal event. I just reach over and tighten while it is in the cut. But beware that when it cools at some point it will get very tight again so be sure and release the pressure when done sawing. That pressure gauge is something that I watch all the time. Tells me when I need more lube mostly. Joe

[Tom]

Most of Wood Mizers prices are in-line so You shouldn't hesitate, in most instances, to make your total parts order from WM.

I replaced a lot of hydraulics with locally available fittings without regard to JIC or SAE.  I always used a little of that white tape and put it together.   I guess I'm wrong in a perfet world, but, repairs in small towns or in the woods require a little creativity.

The hydraulic blade tensioner will  take a while to adjust as has been said.  You will also find that it will change due to a cloud coming over the sun or the sun breaking out from behind a cloud.  Always on the move, it isn't worth trying to micromanage.  Just keep it tight enough to get straight cuts until it decides to settle down.

If It never settles down, you might have some damaged "O" rings inside of the little ram.  It's an infrequent problem but it happens.  There's not much in there to go wrong.

[customsawyer]

If you have the owners manual it will tell you the answer to most of your questions. I find that if you read it all the way through first and then keep it on hand for when there is a problem you can work through most things that you encounter, if that don't work call the 800 # and they will tell you what to do to fix it. Best of luck with the new mill.

[Robert Long]

Hello Kevjay ;)

You should consider having the mill looked at by Wood Mizer at one of their service centers.

A lot of issues seem to be taking place and the cost of new blades and poorly cut boards might be eliminated by having an overhaul done.

As to the blade comming off....look to the belts first...be sure to use Goodyear or at least US made belts as off shore belts just won't keep the blade on track.  If you loose blade tension this is another reason for the blade comming off while cutting.

Good luck with it ;)

Robert

[LT40HDD51]

Hi Kevin.

I agree with Robert, unless of course you're happy with tinkering yourself  . Maybe consider just getting an estimate? Another set of eyes to have a good look over things never hurts, then you know the problem areas and maybe a few ideas on how to fix them. Or meet a crew at a show near you sometime? They might give you a deal if you take it to the show, we do it once in a while... Just a suggestion...  ;)

The blade tension moving slightly is normal, as the boys have said, due to air temperature and blade conditions. Its painted black, so sunlight makes a big difference. When a blade gets dull it cuts less effectively, leaving fluffy fibers sticking out from the board. This rubs against the blade causing heat, blade expands, pressure goes down. If you have turned the pressure up a couple times and the blade has been used for a while, it might be dull.

As for the sawhead not moving smoothly, sounds like a feed rate switch going bad. Pretty cheap to find out and its a good item to have on hand as a spare. Nothing more frustrating sometimes than intermittant electrical problems  .

On the up/down, there are pulleys available from WM to slow down the head. Supers are a lot faster than non-supers, it might be that it just takes a while to get used to the speed. Once you get used to it, you would probably switch back to the faster pulleys anyway  ;D.

[jpad_mi]

The 45deg flare (SAE) fittings are not common on modern hydraulic systems. The three common connections for hydraulic systems are 37deg flare (JIC), dryseal tapered pipe thread (NPTF), and O-ring boss (ORB). [note - to further confuse the issue, some places like Surplus Center and Prince Hydraulics refer to ORB as SAE and I can't figure out why]. The ORB fittings are usually only seen on hydraulic valve bodies, hydraulic motors or  pumps where they can machine the O-ring grove into the cast iron body. The JIC and NPTF are usually used for hydraulic cylinders and interconnect fittings like tees, check valves and the like.

As stated, your best bet is to order the parts from the manufacturer or take them off and go to a local hydraulic supply store.

[woodmills1]

I guess I would add hang in there it will get better. :P

I bought my machine used and it came with the sharpener and setter as well as 60 blades.  I started cutting using the new unused blades but things were not right.  Many out of adjustment issues to deal with, but got the machine so it would cut straight.

Then I tried out the sharpener and back in the dog house...took awhile to get it on track.then tried the setter and made blades that would cut curves...took a bit mor time to get it set right.  But have had almost 11 years of real nice sawin with very few surprises.   Enjoy the curve.

[farmerdoug]

Kevjay,

Woodmizer has service plans were they come to your mill to check and align it.  It is well worth the money to have someone show you what to do.  I had them stop by last summer and go over the mill.  It turned out that is was pretty much aligned as Marty Parsons had done it the year before for the Amish guy that I bought it from.  But I learned how to do the stuff while watching it being checked by the tech.

They have three levels of service plans and they work in the south in the winter.  Call Woodmizer, they may not have gone through your area yet.

Farmerdoug

[TexasTimbers]

I have only made about 14 cuts with the mill. This was number 14. I see now why the blade came off. Look at how deep it dove!  I didn't notice this until this morning - it almost looks like the head went down while in the cut can that happen? I know for sure I didn't have my hand anywhere near the lever.

[Minnesota_boy]

The worst news so far is that there is an intermittent electrical problem. Sometimes the sawhead will simply stop moving.  Sad One time for about ten minutes. I wanted to check the battery connections but it had died right over the battery compartment. Later I did check them and that wasn't the problem.

If the sawhead stops moving, try turning the feed rate potentiometer (knob).  If it still won't move, stop the saw, flip the feed control lever to off, then forward again and see if it tries to move.  Try reverse (just a quick tap so it doesn't go far enough back to pull the blade off).  If it will go in reverse but not forward, remove the 30 eleben screws on the back of the control box and remove the board there.  Recrimp all the wire connectors that go to the board and put it back in.  Put all 30 eleben screws back in and try it.

Blades will dive in the cut like that when they get too dull or you hit a foreign object embeded in the log.

[Robert Long]

Kevjay

Yup,  looks like the up-down system needs looking at....You should go a few times without a blade (they're not cheep) and see if the head drops while you travel.

What are those lines or hoses in the back ground on your picture?

Robert

[TexasTimbers]

Wehn it does it, it will not move in either direction nor will it move up/down.

On the phone w/WM ordering check valves, glow plugs and manuals.

AFA getting a service tech to go over the mill it's probably a good idea, but this thing is so easy to work on I don't think I need that. Unless of course I can't find the electrical problem.

[TexasTimbers]

What are those lines or hoses in the back ground on your picture?

The rear set of log laoder hydraulic lines, laid up on top of the log loader for when I was moving it from the yard into the shop. I just ordered the check valves coming overnight. They come in a set. Had to EZ-out the threads on the front one. The guy on the phone says i need a spare around anyway.  ;)

[pineywoods]

The dive in the cedar cant looks awfull familiar. Almost guranteed it's a dull /not enoughset blade. To quote Tom, sharp don't get it, the blade has to be SHARP RAZOR SHARP.
Soft wood, you need plenty of set.  Look closely, just about where the dive started, there is a knot. that's probably what triggered the dive. Once it starts, it just gets worse. Bottom line, don't go adjusting things until you know for sure it ain't the blade. Always use a known good blade if you do make adjustments. When I got my mill,(used) I didn't know about this place. I about wore out the adjustments trying to make it saw straight.  By the time I got some good blades, I had it thoroughly fouled up.
On the not moving problem, gotta be electrical. On the front of the battery box, there is a small (3x4x5) box. In there is a big ol 500amp fuse (maybe 2 250's)and possibly a solenoid that provides power to the control box. Start there with your voltmeter.

[TexasTimbers]

Just got off the phone with a tech. I got fantastic service this time by the way. Anyway they are sending me a schematic but whil eon the phone he thinks it might be the solenoid in the control box - says next time it happens to check power out of the switch and work to the solenoid. Mine doesn't have the 5 ckt brkrs right below the front panel when you pull it off so that eliminates that possibility. Also the junction box yiu speak of i have been in there hooking up loosed wires already so that's eliminated.

Don't have any blades but should have them tomorrow. Going to do the alignment now. Getting there . . . . . .

[footer]

One thing you can check out. When the saw head stops moving, does the up / down stop also? Mine does and it is the key switch. Turn it backwards a little and things start working again. I did have my feed stop completely this last summer, and it was the controller board for the power feed. 

[Robert Long]

Kevjay;

Thanks for explaining the hoses....I ruled out blade not being sharp because you indicated you were using a new blade and yes, you should check the set of the blade you are using and be sure you tell Wood Mizer when you order your blades what you are cutting so they can send the right set on the blades.

Robert

[LT40HDD51]

...Look at how deep it dove!

See this already? Round hole thread  ;D

[ducknutt]

just had a problem with my old LT 30...it's electric feed.....would work fine one day, and then crap out the next...somedays it would only move forward 'fast'...my control wouldn't slow it down ...finally it just quit moving all together....the up/down worked fine.....battery was good...even ran wires from battery to motor, and it worked....so it must have been in the circuits.....well, after looking it over and cleaning/tighening screws, I noticed the 2 wires coming out of the control box that go to the motor....they were wrapped with enough electrical and duct tape to go around the saw....bigger than my fingers....started pulling that off and saw where the wires had been spliced together several times....couldn't figure out why so much wear and tear until I backed the saw ALL the way up....seems the motor cover will hit the end suppost brace when it goes all the way back, and those wires had been crushed or broken there several timies.....new wires made, and it's working fine now