Useful sawmill mods

BBTom · December 08, 2006, 10:42:22 PM

This won't help Bibby or ElecticAl, but may help the guys that drag their mills from place to place.

I got tired of buying bulbs for taillights, it seems as though every time a turn a big cant and it bounces the mill a bit, a filament would break in one or more of the taillights. I was driving around half the time without proper lighting.

I saw that Harbor Freight had some LED taillights for 14.95 each(catalog shows them at 19.95), so I bought two of them and mounted them on the mill. It now looks like this:

and for a closeup of the modification:

Don't be too hard on me for not color matching the paint, or for not having the greatest welding skills, the end result is that they are on there, and should be extremely resistant to shock problems.

BBTom · December 08, 2006, 11:11:26 PM

Quite often I would have to chase a board or flitchthat slid off the cant to the left of the operators station ( Remote ). I designed this little contraption to stop it:

The framework just holds the little bit of roller chain in place so it can catch the board when it starts heading the wrong way, thereby holding it on top the cant for the trip back to the operator.

here it is doing its job keeping the flitch from falling off the left side of the cant:

Sorry the pictures are not real clear, but I think you can get the idea.

ElectricAl · December 10, 2006, 09:21:43 PM

BBTom,

When you post an idea that makes your life safer, you never know who will use your idea. ;D

Maybe ???

Me 8)

Our light lasted 12 years intact. I busted the lens first, and 3 weeks later I busted the mount :-\

Thanks for the idea ;)

ElectricAl

Bibbyman · December 10, 2006, 10:06:05 PM

Our mill came with lights too. They're all busted up. Not from direct hits but from flippin' heavy cants.

Maybe this would be a good idea to send along to all mobile mill manufactures?

Along with that, how about rubber lenses? I remember one of the last time we shipped out some cattle my bother-in-law backed his stock trailer up against the loading chute. I tried to stop him but one board hit the lens dead center. But it didn't break, it just smushed in a little and spring back out. I commented to him about it and he said he'd be replacing hard plastic lenses every week if he didn't have the soft kind.

Furby · December 10, 2006, 10:08:11 PM

They make a soft kind?
Got a source?

Tom · December 10, 2006, 10:16:54 PM

Mount the light inside of a piece of round tubing and it helps to protect it too.

Bibbyman · December 10, 2006, 10:33:07 PM

Quote from: Furby on December 10, 2006, 10:08:11 PM
They make a soft kind?
Got a source?

Somebody makes 'em. Maybe Tupperware? :D

logwalker · January 17, 2007, 07:24:07 PM

After a year of walking between the Hyd. controls and the flapper clamp on my LT40 I was through. The worst was edging boards individually. I had already extended the toe-boards so I could level the board easily. As you can see from the picture they aren't quite heavy enough. But they work great.

But the distance from the clamp area to the control valves did not allow me to hold the board and clamp at the same time. I would try to balance the board and then run to the control and watch the board topple over when I tried to clamp. I thought there had to be a better way to remotely control the clamp. Here are the pictures of my solution.

If you look closely you see two wood handles dangling from the beam. The smaller one advances and the larger one returns the clamp. Fortunately I had the beam overhead to attach the pulleys to. I am finding so many ways to save steps now with the remotes. One advantage is being able to hold the log in the correct rotation with a peavy while clamping. Another is unclamping and turning small logs without returning to the controls. But edging is the real timesaver. It almost makes it a pleasure to edge. Next I am considering adding a remote to the back supports. At least one way.

Joe

Bibbyman · February 20, 2007, 12:37:43 PM

Sometimes things just don't work out for the best. I had to drain the gear oil from the gearbox and hunted all over for the plug. Guess where I found it? Right behind the bracket that the engine clutch linkage mounts. (see arrow)

I could barely get an angled allen tool onto the plug but couldn't turn it. So I looked the situation over and decided the design needed a mod. I drilled a 3/8" hole through the clutch linkage bracket just below and centered with the pivot on the linkage. You can see the hex socket on the plug through the hole. I don't know if my picture is a little off angle or my hole was too far to the left but it was close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades. As they say....

Now I could insert my T-handled allen wrench and screw out the plug with ease. The plug stuck well to the wrench so I just left it there until the box was drained and the plug replaced.

I've been told by Sparks that the newer units have a gearbox with the plugs where they are easier to get to.

Bibbyman · May 10, 2007, 12:44:24 PM

With over 35 years of mechanical design experience I've always been impressed with the Wood-Mizer mills. One thing that stands out is their use and application of hardware. Almost every bolt, pin or fastener has some kind of corrosion protecting finish and some means of locking. At many pivot points they use a polished hardened steel rod though tight fitting bosses and bushings and fitted with grease zerks.

But I've got one place that has caused me problems off and on since we've had the mill. And that is the pivot joint on the dragback arm. I've tried everything to keep it lubed and working. A little motor and cam affair lifts the arm but gravity drops it back down.

About a year ago I had to get physical with it and take it off and drive out the pivot pin. The roll pin holding the pin in was so hard I couldn't cut it with any drill bit I had and it was too tight to budge when I tried driving it out. I resorted to sheering the roll pin by driving the pin out. The pin and holes were caked with a black powder that I assume was some accumulation of lubricants and rust.

I cleaned out the holes and sanded them clean and re-assembled the arm and gave it a light shot of gun grease.

It worked fine all through the winter. But about a month ago it started dragging again and then again would not fall at all under its own weight.

This time I thought I'd try a new approach. I hammered out the old pin and found it was pretty well gunked up again. The pin is made of 5/8" polished and hardened steel rod. I went to a welding shop and bought an 8" section of 9/16" diameter hot rolled steel rod. The shop guy went overboard and cut it more like 10" long. I then drilled a 3/16" hole to put a cotter pin through to pin it in place.

After an hour searching for my assortment of cotter pins, I gave up and used a 16d nail to secure it in place.

With the extra 1/16" loose fit, the arm falls with no problem now. I'm debating if I even want to grease it. I've not sawn with it. It may rattle. If it does, I may try greasing it.

olyman · May 10, 2007, 05:52:52 PM

gibby--when you want to replace that heater in your oil tank--if it ever dies--and dont want the oil leaking out--go get your shop vac--duct tapethe hose to the oil fill pipe after you take the cap off--and turn on the vacuum--no oil leaks----- ;D works on cars,trucks,tractors------and--one of the last mods--where you drilled the hole for the gearbox drain--to make the drain stay tight on the allen wrench---hold a piece of elec tape against the plug--and push the allen wrench in--stays tight--so no loose--same to put back in

thecfarm · May 10, 2007, 08:49:21 PM

Also works on oil heating tanks too.My brother broke his filter off,what a mess almost,called up one of his friends that was into oil buners and told him the same thing about the vacum.

olyman · May 10, 2007, 10:10:57 PM

;D ;D ;D--only thing--it has to be a good vacuum--not one about ready to die!!!!! and--how in the world did he break it off----carumba!!!!!

Bibbyman · May 10, 2007, 10:21:03 PM

Yea, I remember the vacuum trick real well. I worked for 33 years in a factory that built oil-filled transformers – hundreds a day. When ever they had a leaker or needed to change out a fitting, it was common for them to pull vacuum on the unit and repair it.

I just didn't figure it could be done with a home or shop vac.

thecfarm · May 11, 2007, 08:30:50 AM

Oil tank was right by the cornor of the house and a group of friends was playing something.Well he got over by the tank and did not know it and some how playing around jumped and came down onto the filter-outlet tube,broke it clean off.That stopped the game real quick.

amberwood · May 12, 2007, 07:50:27 PM

home grown lube-mizer

The original solenoid died..so in went a $10 washer pump( I had one on a box) powered off the solenoid circuit and the earth return was run back to the control panel and a new switch installed. I have used a garden tap as the flow control as the WM version is long gone. The pump is 1/4" and the tubing in 3/8" so a short section of 5/16" acts as an adapter. Very little pressure involved so no clamps just pushed together. the tap aslo means I can use a use a snap on garden fitting. To refill the tank you just unsnap the connection.

All up including a new water drum, hose, tap, pump and switch the whole job may have cost $50 if you had to buy it new.

DTR

Bibbyman · June 28, 2007, 12:05:41 PM

Here is a sawmill mod I didn't want to do but kind of got pushed into it.

Last Friday I was sawing a half-moon log. A nice white oak that had been split up so only little more than half was left. The split face was a bit twisted. I put the split side against the back supports and as I sawed down the log the inside guide bound against the section of log that was sticking over the top of the back supports.

The next day we only needed about 200 bf to finish up a large order. No problem. We started to change the blade and Mary noted that the blade guide assembly on the inside (drive side) was loose. Sure enough, the bottom bolt that holds the blade guide on was broken. BIG PROBLEM!

I took the assembly off and drilled a hole deep in the broken off set screw. No problem. Mary had bought a new set of easyouts a couple of years ago and we hadn't used them yet. So I screwed in the 1/4" easyout and tried turning out the screw with the power of an open end wrench. I couldn't get it to budge. I then found a 1/2" drive socket and ratchet that would give me MORE POWER. Still not enough. I went and found my 18" breaker bar and that did it. Yep, broke the easyout in the hole. I found out after about a half hour of working on it that easyouts are not easy to get out!

I took the part to a welding shop and he used a torch and punch to finally drive the broken off easyout out. There were still parts of the screw left in the hole so he drilled it out and we ran a tap though it to clean up the threads.

He didn't have a 3/8"-24 by 1-1/4" SST set screw so I had to go to a machine supply place to get one. They didn't have one either but had a machine bolt that would work. But, then again, big problem. I could screw the bolt in and then pull it out with my fingers. That was not going to work. As this place does a lot of machining for the auto re-builders, they could drill and re-tap to 7/16"s. This they did and I got new bolts and nuts and went home and put it back together.

I had to redrill the holes in the mounting block to take the 7/16" bolts. They supply place didn't have 7/16" jam nuts so I had to settle for standard nuts. There is barely enough room to get the larger bolts and nuts assembled. There is not enough room to use a wrench on the top jam nut. I have to loosen the lower one and move the upper one by using my fingers.

I don't think the hole that was re-drilled and tapped was any to straight as I had to do a lot of adjustment to get everything back aligned.

But it worked. Four hours later we were up and sawing again and we got the order done and out.

What I did was not my first choice. But being Saturday and pressured to get this order out, so it was the right thing to do.

This morning I exchanged some e-mail with Sparks. He said they have an upgrade kit to go to 7/16" bolts. Next time I order something I'll probably (if I remember) order replacement parts for this guide assembly. I should probably do it sooner rather than later as these bolts are not SST.

TexasTimbers · June 28, 2007, 12:42:42 PM

The guides are one of the few things on my WM I don't like. The female threads for one of my adjustment screws on the adjustable guide side are stripped. I think I am gonna try that Cook's Mega Roller assembly.

Bibbyman · June 28, 2007, 01:07:43 PM

This is the first time I've ever had a breakdown on a guide assembly other than replacing rollers and or bearings. And I don't suspect this one just failed because of its design. I just banged it into something too many times.

I get the Cook's catalog and studied the roller guide assemblies. They look very similar to Wood-Mizer's. At least I didn't find anything that would indicate that they would work or last any better.

TexasTimbers · June 28, 2007, 02:14:40 PM

I liked the idea of having the jaw. So I called them. They said they have the same number of adjustments it's just that they are much more heavy duty and will last longer, and they said for my application they would not suggest I get them. ~~I am just gonna order WM replacements.~~ I just ordered them from WM.
While I had him on the phone, I asked if a scale was available that would take out the krf for 1/2", 3/4, and 4/4 and he said no. Has anyone made their own? I have 2 customers in specific that order alot of 1/2 stuff. Got one buy who buys 1/4 even for covering tack rooms for his horse buddies. I have just been eyeballing it for him and he has been happy, but I'd rather have a scale. I guess it's just a simple matter of adding the thickness of the kerf and whatever thickness i need, I just figger there is bound to be an easier way than marking each one off a tape. Probably cutting a slice of wood on the chop saw and using it to scribe. But what makes a good material to use for the scale itself? Woukd I want to be able to attach it to the scale on the machine now, or make a new scale altogether?

sparks · June 28, 2007, 03:19:13 PM

Here is a picture of the upgrade. 038971 Thanks

DR Buck · June 28, 2007, 03:29:34 PM

QuoteI asked if a scale was available that would take out the krf for 1/2", 3/4, and 4/4 ......

I had the same question about 2 years ago. Just about the time I bought the aluminum strip to make a few custom scales I decided to add the "accuset". Haven't looked back since. So much easier just setting in the finished thickness and cutting. :)I

TexasTimbers · June 28, 2007, 03:34:26 PM

Where did you get the aluminum strip. I don't want to have to go through the Accuset upgrade yet. I am dreading that. I am gonna do it but not until next year. Mine has a simple setworks on it but they are T.U.

Tom · June 28, 2007, 03:44:16 PM

Kevjay, you can use the back of your quarter scale till you find some aluminum.

I found it at ACE. It was with the all-thread.

tomboysawyer · June 28, 2007, 07:46:54 PM

Quote from: kevjay on June 28, 2007, 02:14:40 PM
I liked the idea of having the jaw. So I called them. They said they have the same number of adjustments it's just that they are much more heavy duty and will last longer, and they said for my application they would not suggest I get them. ~~I am just gonna order WM replacements.~~ I just ordered them from WM.
While I had him on the phone, I asked if a scale was available that would take out the krf for 1/2", 3/4, and 4/4 and he said no. Has anyone made their own? I have 2 customers in specific that order alot of 1/2 stuff. Got one buy who buys 1/4 even for covering tack rooms for his horse buddies. I have just been eyeballing it for him and he has been happy, but I'd rather have a scale. I guess it's just a simple matter of adding the thickness of the kerf and whatever thickness i need, I just figger there is bound to be an easier way than marking each one off a tape. Probably cutting a slice of wood on the chop saw and using it to scribe. But what makes a good material to use for the scale itself? Woukd I want to be able to attach it to the scale on the machine now, or make a new scale altogether?

Engineer laughs at me because my mill just has a ruler and I do all the scale stuff in my head. A scale doesn't work for me because with the lumber I'm cutting, I am working each log for so many different size boards...

I kept thinking of my mom in the 1970's - at the grocery stores she'd have one of those clicker things to track how much money she owed for what was in her cart. I thought building one of those with a 1/16 scale instead of dollars and cents would be cool... but all you guys out there with scales, who would buy it.

So I went to the hardware store and got myself some cheap tape measures. I glued two lengths of 36" of tape measure to my mill. Then I got some flat magnet material and made markers. You need two to plan each of the two directions of any given cant.

I measure the log and study the center at either end and plan the log. Then I mark my cuts on those glued on tape measure pieces with my magnet pointers (after all, the mill is steel). I adjust my sawhead to the big 36" ruler that is riveted to the saw head and follow my math on the tape measures.

Maybe its too much work. But my mill came with a ruler instead of a scale and I just learned to work with it. Pob'ly 'cause I just didn't know any better and fractions never bothered me.

Frankly, if you're just looking for material - go buy yourself a ruler in aluminum or stainless and use the back!