Squaring side supports on lt40

[jph]

I am gradually getting to know my LT40, I noticed that the side supports were  not square to the bed, approaching .5 inch out over their length. I have tried adjusting them as in the manual but there is not enough adjustment. One of the supports has been replaced with a parallel sided one , the old supports are tapered towards the top.  When the supports are down I can not get them  parallel to the main beam. Am I doing something wrong?




 John

[DR_Buck]

John,

I just aligned all 4 of mine 2 weeks ago as described in the book. It took about 30 minutes. No problems at all.    Make sure your adjusting the vertical  position 1st, using the single bolt cam.  Then adjust the down (horizontal) by loosening the 2 bolts on the frame.    You make have to go back and forth a few times between adjustments if they're way out of alignment.


Good Luck.
Dave

[jph]

I have now got 3 of the 4 supports adjusted to a reasonable tolerance but as much as I swear at the last it will not go square.

John

[raycon]

One of my supports is like that swapped the pivot pin/shaft out and all is well.  It was on one of the hydraulic log dogs -- first I switched shafts with a manual log dog to prove that it was the problem.

[dewwood]

I just installed the new update for the hydraulic side supports yestereday and had a similar problem.  I got all four of the side supports pretty well square but now they are about 1/8" away from the permanant stops on the log bunks so that when I have a cant on the mill held in place by the clamp  they are square but when I try to raise the clamps they catch the cant and lift it up.  The stops are welded on the log bunks so is there any way to adjust this.  Any input will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dewey

[UrbanLogger]

I had the same problem with my LT30.

I had to start at the beginning of the adjustment procedure--level the bunks to the clamp rail and reset the head parallel to the new plane of the bunks.

After getting all that right, the adjustment range of the uprights was more than adequate.

[jph]

Well I finally got all my side supports in line and nice and square to the bed, I  now find that dispite tightening the bolts as much as seems reasonable and clamping the logs as softly  as I can manage, I find that the front  arm is soon pushed out of square. My mill is a 1992 so there is a fair amount of wear on the spindle and housing it sits in, could this be the problem. Or do I need to adjust the length of the track rod from the hydraulic ram?
Thanks
 John

[Bibbyman]

You may need to over square the support - that is, lean it in a 1/16" or more to compensate for some spring or slack when the cant is pushed against it. 

I don't get to uptight about all the back supports being perfectly square.  I pay more attention to the cant setting flat on the bunks.

[jph]

What is happening is that to get the  support square I have it adjusted to the  extreme end of it's adjustment range. I then find next time I look it has worked back as if I had not tightened the bolts up, about 10 degrees out! Perhaps I should get my torque wrench out to check I am not just feeling week.Thanks
John

[Bibbyman]

Think maybe there is enough wear on the plates, washers, nuts,etc. that the nut is bottoming out on the threads on the bolt before it really gets tight?  Maybe anyother thick, heavy washer would help?

[woodbowl]

Hey John and Bibby, the problem is excess wear everywhere. Both the rod and pocket that it fits in. Had the same problem. Mine was loose as a goose. Never could square anything, just eyeball. Thanks to Ron Avery at WM, I did not have to buy new rod and go through the trouble of welding on a pocket. He told me to heat the horizontal  "L" of the side support with a torch and give it a whack or two or three whith a sledge. What this does is it bowes the horizontal member, and angles the ends to snug it back up. It will also bring your vertical in and give more range for the future. Be sure you sneek up on it or you could get them too tight. My Side supports are like new now, sorta'. It has worked now for about 4 years so far, still going strong. If I ever develope more wear, I'm gona' whack it again!

[customsawyer]

Is that what they call scared straight.

[sparks]

You want your cant to rest up against the side support not the square blocks while you are squaring your cant. The cant will not touch the blocks when using the side supports. The blocks are used when the cant is square and your ready to finish it out. Do not try to adjust the side supports to be even with the blocks.   Thanks