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Which Computer Setworks to Buy?

Started by Lumber Grader, August 30, 2014, 07:23:26 PM

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Lumber Grader

I have a fully portable factory built portable horizontal thin-kerf band sawmill. The brand does not matter, because I am looking for computer setworks for this mill. I need a computer setworks that has memory recall for 2 faces, so that when you flip to the opposite face, you can saw to the last board if needed, and this is for grade sawing.
A lot of setworks only give you several board thicknesses and also will allow you to saw down to a timber, tie or various cant sizes. All that is great, unless you want to peel a log down like an onion by sawing and turning the log on all 4-faces to get the highest $$$-return from each log. I know there are some aftermarket companies that have this and perhaps a some mill manufacturers have this available??? I would appreciate any information any Forestry Forum Member could give me!!! Thanks and God Bless!

Dave Shepard

I've never heard of aftermarket setworks for the portable mills. The Accuset2 on my WM allows me to have 16 presets that are easily adjusted. Today, I was making 1"x8" boards, so I had one set that was 1" all the way down, and another that would take 1" boards and stop at 8". Unfortunately, I don't think WM would want to support that on a non-WM mill. Good luck, let us know if you find something.  :)
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Lumber Grader

Thanks for your reply. I know there are companies that do sell aftermarket setworks, as I have seen their ads in American Lumber and Pallet in the past. One company was from Indiana I think?
I will keep keep looking and if I find a company that has one I need and I buy it, I will do a new post to let everyone know. I want to find one that has 2-face memory recall for grade sawing my logs. I am going to do a Google Search also and I appreciate any information that any Forestry Forum Member can give me. Thanks and God Bless!

beenthere

QuoteI know there are some aftermarket companies that have this

Would be interested to hear which companies. 
Information gathering and then executing the saw set position that the computer spits out would be a big step.

We have some members who are pretty knowledgeable with numerical control and they may have some ideas how to go about this.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

shenandoahsawmill

You might try Thomas Industrial controls. I was looking for an aftermarket setworks and had a few other mill owners recommend them. I don't know if they offer the "two face recall" feature that you want (off the shelf) but they may be able to program it for you if they don't. The comments about their setworks that I got was that they were "bulletproof and reasonably priced". I did not buy one of their setworks but will be buying one when I retire and get a lot more serious about milling.

backwoods sawyer

The type of mill may well be important as the setworks "Newness" "Sherman" "Coe" and others sell use scanners to give readings to the computer and Temo cylindars to exicute the moves. If your mill was not build with these features retro fitting can be costly.
Unfortunatly a lot of the proven industral tecnology that is build for indoor stationary use is slow to trickle down to the portable mills.
For a system to remember where it was it would first have to know where it was, how do you plan to comunicate with the system?
Cooks makes a simple setworks that may be retrofitted to another mill but it is a simple setworks that does not remember faces.
Backwoods Custom Milling Inc.
100% portable. . Oregons largest portable sawmill service, serving all of Oregon, from our Backwoods to yours..sawing since 1991

dgdrls

Quote from: shenandoahsawmill on August 31, 2014, 08:43:32 AM
You might try Thomas Industrial controls. I was looking for an aftermarket setworks and had a few other mill owners recommend them. I don't know if they offer the "two face recall" feature that you want (off the shelf) but they may be able to program it for you if they don't. The comments about their setworks that I got was that they were "bulletproof and reasonably priced". I did not buy one of their setworks but will be buying one when I retire and get a lot more serious about milling.

I was going to make the same recommendation.  I too have heard good things about Thomas.

DGDrls

MbfVA

 Off-the-wall question: could the  just mentioned system be made to work with the Peterson WPF, a swing blade miil?  Mine has the electric height adjustment.

With a few experiences over the years, I have come to be very cautious about non-OEM retrofits.   Depending on the money and perceived complexity involved, proceed with appropriate caution.  Even some  factory integrated setworks required a lot of shake down, as evidenced by threads on this forum.   Norwood made a quiet announcement about a setworks package for their machines many months ago, and they have still not put it out in the wild.   The salesman told me there were issues not yet solved when he and I last talked back in the summer.

When Norwood does make its package available, it will likely be modular like their other accessories. Perhaps it could be more easily adapted since it's designed  from the get go to be an add on, if they follow prior practice.  I just hope they don't put a price tag on it commensurate with the $3000 price tag they put on their debarker.   Bad choice on their part, at the same time that wood-mizer was cutting the price on theirs.
www.ordinary.com (really)

Kbeitz

There is a lot of cheap digital readout single axis units for sell
under $100.00 out there.


Search google
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

Magicman

Kbeitz and others, it would help if you used the "Insert Hyperlink" tool above to add links.  Click on it and add the necessary information:

Start with this:   

[url][/url]

Then add this:

[url= symbol plus insert your url here]add your title here[/url]

example of the above link:

[url=https://www.google.com/search?biw=1360&bih=653&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=5v0bWtTeCenX0gLv1JOYDQ&q=cheap+digital+readout+single+axis&oq=cheap+digital+readout+single+axis&gs_l=psy-ab.3...74342.79419.0.79682.12.12.0.0.0.0.398.1481.3-4.4.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..8.0.0....0.WHJVJBlYn34#imgrc=_]LINK[/url]

And it would do this:

LINK
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Kbeitz

Quote from: Magicman on November 27, 2017, 08:49:41 AM
Kbeitz and others, it would help if you used the "Insert Hyperlink" tool above to add links.  Click on it and add the necessary information:

Start with this:   

[url][/url]

Then add this:

[url= symbol plus insert your url here]add your title here[/url]

example of the above link:

[url=https://www.google.com/search?biw=1360&bih=653&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=5v0bWtTeCenX0gLv1JOYDQ&q=cheap+digital+readout+single+axis&oq=cheap+digital+readout+single+axis&gs_l=psy-ab.3...74342.79419.0.79682.12.12.0.0.0.0.398.1481.3-4.4.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..8.0.0....0.WHJVJBlYn34#imgrc=_]LINK[/url]

And it would do this:

LINK

Thanks ...
I tried three times and I could not get it to work so I just deleted the link.
Guess I messed this post up...
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

Magicman

It takes a bit of practice and the Preview button is your friend.  If everything is not exactly right it will not work because the computer, etc. does exactly what you tell it to do. 

Long links make the pages stretch out horizontally and cumbersome to read.   :-\
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

timberjack 450

I found a universal computer set work from out of country and should have it soon. Right now, they do not have the PWM speed controller in the system, but they are coming out with it soon. It comes with the string senser. The name is Sawmill Automation- Mikron LT on Facebook. I can get their website address. 
90 450 Timberjack, JD 650 G dozer, Hitachi 120 excavator, 2400 morbark chipper, 85 Western star log truck,and a 22-22 Blockbuster processor
Almost forgot, and a very patient woman

Magicman

The "Link" at the bottom of Reply #10 above still works and will lead you to several setworks choices.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

oldgraysawyer

I know this discussion started in 2014 but for any new folks looking for a current update in November of 2022 and for those still in search of any help or the above company mentioned previously "Sawmill Automation Mikro LT" is in Lithuania and they use EU currency and also import/export duty(ie:taxes) may be imposed along with international shipping rates which may get kinda of pricey as compared to North American continental US/Canada orders. However I don't see anyone stepping up with any competitive products without "piecemealing" or just down right expensive. As a retro fit system it appears Sawmill Automation Mikro LT has a decent lineup but without knowing current $$ exchange rates and import duties there isn't much to choose from. The one in my link direct to their website seems to be a nice start depending on your budget. The "Link" at the bottom of Reply #10 is for a generic google device search but it does work. Here is my "try" to link to the website and the first product in the 2022 product lineup.

Also here is a current google "sawmill setworks search" that does have some options worth exploring if your budget allows for such expenses. I suppose for my first post on this forestry forum I got a little windy but this is just some food for thought. I am almost done repairing my old TimberKing B20 I acquired that was left to the elements for over 16 years and I will be looking for a solution as well or I will be using the old stanley tape line qutie a bit. I look forward to a lot of reading on here this winter so thanks in advance to everyone for the advice and understanding for a new user but just an "old fart". I will be exploring/trying to learn Arduino solutions but time will tell if I am able to create my own setworks or not but I'm optimistic.  

Google Search for Computer Sawmill Setworks Automation

"Lithuania Company mentioned on Facebook" with a nice little package for$1236.54 US$ at the current $$ exchange rates but don't forget import/export duty and shipping.

Sawmill Automation Mikro LT  
DB in WV

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