Sharing your wisdom ... What NOT to do

[WV Sawmiller]

Not a good idea to lower the loader BEFORE you remove the left fender OR re-install it BEFORE you raise the loader.

I wont show you a picture of what I did to mine and it will only happen once especially the raising sequence. 

BB,

   You sure don't need to send me a picture. I can just go look at mine to know exactly what your's looks like!

[DDW_OR]

I have a TK mill not a WM mill.
How many hours where on the WM mill when the pin went bad?
maybe change the pin at a predetermined number of hours?

I am learning a lot from this forum and this thread.

[terrifictimbersllc]

A roll pin punch makes changing roll pins a lot less painful.  Do you have to take off the cover to see the roll pin?  I haven't had to yet, knock on wood, and I hope I don't anytime soon,,

Yes, I neglected to say the cover was already removed.  Requires loosening 2 of the 4 lower bolts to the tensioner.   I leave it off mostly, this aids in my daily lube of the chain.

[4x4American]

I'll have to sheck it out

[Bandmill Bandit]

Yea WV

Its one of those OOHHH CRAP moments and it takes a  while to get it to look "sorta" decent again.

On that roll pin; I haven't had any problems since I installed the woodmizer upgrade kit about 800 hours ago. I asked my son the other day how hard it would be to put a micro limit switch on each end to stop the motor from turning a 1/4 inch from each end so as not to over turn that little sprocket when the guide hits the end of its travel.

He said he'd do it for me when I bring the mill in the shop as soon as it is not froze down in a week or so.

[4x4American]

I was thinking of doing something similar myself

[Kbeitz]

Someone else on here had the roll pin problem.
They replaced it with a set screw.
Said it fixed the problem.

[AfraidChocker]

My biggest mistake was jumping into forestry without a solid business plan. At the time I had a pile of work lined up and did not have enough experience (age) to understand the law of feast or famine. It really set me back...twenty years or more. I honestly could get into forestry full time now, but with a lucrative job, I am honestly afraid to leave that security blanket I call a paycheck because it is there every week even though I hate the job itself. (shipbuilding)

My advice: get with the small business administration and really crunch some numbers. Waiting a few months or even a year or two could make a huge difference. Instant gratification holds a lot more harm then it is given credit for.

[Bandmill Bandit]

Someone else on here had the roll pin problem.
They replaced it with a set screw.
Said it fixed the problem.

This link will take you to Marty's posting of the upgrade kit for the roll pin to set screw.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,86342.msg1323099.html#msg1323099

[Nomad]

Not a good idea to lower the loader BEFORE you remove the left fender OR re-install it BEFORE you raise the loader.

I wont show you a picture of what I did to mine and it will only happen once especially the raising sequence. 

BB,

   

   You sure don't need to send me a picture. I can just go look at mine to know exactly what your's looks like!

I hope you're smarter'n me.  I hate to admit it, but I've done it twice. :

[GAB]

I would have agreed about the roll pin, until this week.   The blade guide arm was acting erratically since a previous job and I thought it was an electrical problem.  I looked (with glasses and flashlight) and saw the pin was sticking out of the hole just a bit.  I had the customer push the switch and saw that the motor was turning but the sprocket was not.

This fix took less than 5 minutes and was driven, honestly, at the moment by "In Goat I Trust". :D  The fix was accomplished before they brought the next log to the mill.
I pushed on the arm until the gear position moved so the (broken) pin was positioned toward me.
I pushed hard on the pin with a small punch while customer helper touched the switch intermittently.
As the shaft turned in little increments, the broken piece of pin caught in the shaft hole.   I tapped it in a bit.
Then I took a small nail punch and stuck it into the end of a new pin.   I started the new pin in the hole and tapped on the punch till it started going in.
Then I took a flat bottomed punch and drove it in all the way.  The pieces of the old pin fell out on the ground.

In the future I will have a 1/16" punch in my tool bag to aid in aligning the hole in case the broken pin falls out, or won't cooperate.

terrifictimbersllc:
Thanks for the write-up.  Next time it happens I'm going to try some of what you did.  I do have a small nail set punch in the tool box.  Hopefully my down time will be reduced.

Bandmill Bandit:
Thanks for the modification info.  I may order it tomorrow via an email.
Again  Thanks fellows,
Gerald

[Bandmill Bandit]

Hey Nomad

Touch WOOD (or my head)

So far so good only done it once.

Your very welcome Gab. There is a lot of to notch inf o on the forum and a lot of top notch people that contribute. Marty is a darn good WM rep.

[WV Sawmiller]

Clevelander,

   Don't remember seeing what kind of mill you have or plan to get but if a WM and you need to adjust those front and rear swing out rails be sure to loosen or remove both set screws in the bottom nut before adjusting them.

[Darrel]

Not a good idea to lower the loader BEFORE you remove the left fender OR re-install it BEFORE you raise the loader.

I wont show you a picture of what I did to mine and it will only happen once especially the raising sequence.

When I bought my used mill, I was wondering what happened to that fender that made it look like that. Then one day I found out! :embarassed:

[Clevelander]

Clevelander,

   Don't remember seeing what kind of mill you have or plan to get but if a WM and you need to adjust those front and rear swing out rails be sure to loosen or remove both set screws in the bottom nut before adjusting them.

WV ... I just ordered a Lucas 10-30 EFI. I am enjoying everybody's bandsaw woes way too much to let them know I'm not headed that way Most of what I'm going to be cutting is hardwoods over 36" in dia. so I figured this is the way to go. My master plan is to make and market high end slabs but in order to do so I need one of Dens kilns which I can't get a loan for yet. I needed a swing blade for the planer and sander attachments so I figured I'd start here and sell to the green hardwood buyers for a while.

[4x4American]

Who makes the planer/sander attachments?

[Clevelander]

Who makes the planer/sander attachments?

Lucas does. They are still available at Left Coast Supplies

[WV Sawmiller]

Clevelander,

   Don't remember seeing what kind of mill you have or plan to get but if a WM and you need to adjust those front and rear swing out rails be sure to loosen or remove both set screws in the bottom nut before adjusting them.

WV ... I just ordered a Lucas 10-30 EFI. I am enjoying everybody's bandsaw woes way too much to let them know I'm not headed that way Most of what I'm going to be cutting is hardwoods over 36" in dia. so I figured this is the way to go. My master plan is to make and market high end slabs but in order to do so I need one of Dens kilns which I can't get a loan for yet. I needed a swing blade for the planer and sander attachments so I figured I'd start here and sell to the green hardwood buyers for a while.

   My reason for asking is that while many mistakes/lessons learned are common to all mills many others will only apply to certain mill types/designs. Enjoy.

[GAB]

Hey Nomad

Touch WOOD (or my head)

So far so good only done it once.

Your very welcome Gab. There is a lot of top notch info on the forum and a lot of top notch people that contribute. Marty is a darn good WM rep.

I for one appreciate Marty's contributions as well as many others. 
Gerald

[OlJarhead]

When setting a 6x10 with customer help get your hands free quickly before he drops it and it bounces back up and breaks your finger!

[WV Sawmiller]

When setting a 6x10 with customer help get your hands free quickly before he drops it and it bounces back up and breaks your finger!

  Works the same with your feet. When I first got my mill cut some scrappy logs up at my sons place 10 miles away. While moving a small, short log he dropped it on my big toe. If not broke might as well have been. Cost me a nail. To make matters worse a week later I went to pick up the mill and he was helping move the tongue and dropped the landing gear on the same toe. Steel toed shoes would have solved the problem both times.

[4x4American]

Gotta getcha a pair of steel toed socks lol

[red]

They do make steel toe sneakers . Just dont wear them going thru airport security .

[OlJarhead]

 8) Finger is not broke after all...just badly sprained.

Still, watch your fingers! and toes too

[thecfarm]

Maybe get ya a new son!!!  :D