Author Topic: Handy things around the mill (Read 32652 times)

timberbeast · « **Reply #20 on:** December 12, 2001, 04:17:11 pm »

The "pickaroon" I have has an axe head on the opposite side of the pick. Handy for knocking off those stubs you didn't see while limbing. Haven't seen one advertized, but mine was my graddad's, so maybe they don't make them any more. I wouldn't be with out a cant hook either. Off-bearer?

I thought that was me!

Bibbyman · « **Reply #21 on:** December 12, 2001, 04:36:36 pm »

Speaking of cant hooks, the only new ones I can find are made by Dixie. I bet they were good at one time but I don’t think the people that make them now ever tried to use one. They are way too blunt on the bit and the curve us not quite right.

We’ve got a couple of old ones that “know what to do” and work much better.

I’m going to round up all the Dixie brand cant hooks we and take them down to my cousin that makes custom Damascus knifes for some “re-training”

on his anvil – using one of the old ones for a pattern.

Corley5 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 12, 2001, 07:39:14 pm »

I've got a cant hook that just won't hook. Dad and I were moving some logs around and Dad had it. The one I was using was working like one is supposed to. Dad wasn't having much luck. It wouldn't hold. At first I thought it was him

until we traded tools. That one stays in the shed now. A little heat and some hammering wouldn't hurt it any. It's not worth a #!*^ the way it is and that is how it came from the factory!! They don't test drive them first.

Ron Wenrich · « **Reply #23 on:** December 13, 2001, 02:50:49 am »

I have the same problem with a new one we bought. You have to hammer in the dog to get it to hold. We ordered a cant hook and ended up with a can't hook.

timberbeast · « **Reply #24 on:** December 13, 2001, 04:48:33 pm »

Only trouble I've had with mine is pulling out of loose bark, but that's normal, take a bigger "bite", and it grabs. It's old, though. No idea of the brand. "Can't Hook" That's a good one!

Bibbyman · « **Reply #25 on:** December 15, 2001, 03:53:42 pm »

I took a picture of three of our cant hooks. The one on the top is a smaller one and works really well. The one on the bottom is an average size one and works pretty good. Probably would work better if it were sharpened. The one in the middle does not work worth a darn and could get you hurt.

In case you don’t recognize the odd color wood, its Osage Orange. (Got a thing about Orange! )

LeeB · « **Reply #26 on:** December 15, 2001, 07:33:15 pm »

Just a guess, but the only real difference I see is that the one in the middle has a sharper curve. Looks to me that it would give it less of a bite. You might try heating it and opening the curve. Probably have to reposition the hook to maintain the correct angle. LeeB

timberbeast · « **Reply #27 on:** December 15, 2001, 08:10:59 pm »

Heh Heh!! Look at the tips. You can tell the non-middle ones have been used a lot more!

Frank_Pender · « **Reply #28 on:** December 16, 2001, 05:48:34 am »

Just a thought, fellas; the smaller curved units are for smaller logs. This is what I have found to be the case for the 8 or 10 I have around my mills... but I am just a youngin in this business. And I ain't go much of that thar book learnen in engineren 'tither.

Bibbyman · « **Reply #29 on:** December 16, 2001, 11:22:21 am »

Well, in this case, the one in the middle will not even hook on a log say 10” diameter and smaller because of the distance from the point to the end of the handle where it would press against the log.

Now it works perfectly fine for turning cant on the mill so I guess it does function as a CANT hook. It just doesn’t work for turning and rolling logs. It does not bite into and through the bark. Instead, it scrapes along until it pulls out.

Maybe I’ll look up Dixie and send them these pictures and comments and see what they have to say for themselves. Probably these tools are made in China.

Bibbyman · « **Reply #30 on:** August 27, 2002, 08:07:20 pm »

We were sawing away last weekend and somehow the hydraulic line going to the up/down cylinder on our Wood-Mizer got under the clamp arm. It didn’t slow the arm down none, it just broke the fitting on the bottom hose. Not to worry, I’d go to town and get one. Looked at a couple of place where I thought may have one but they didn’t. Not to worry, I’d go to Jefferson City on Monday and get one when the farm equipment dealer opened. Got there and he looked at it and said, “That’s one of those plastic hoses. I ain’t going to have one. But you may try the industrial supply store.” Got there and got the same answer except they told me to try the farm equipment dealer. I tried two more industrial supply place and they didn’t have one but suggested I try the large automotive supply place. I did and they told me to try the big truck dealership. The truck dealership told me to try the other farm implement dealer as they also carry industrial equipment. Tried them and they told me to try the forklift people across and down the highway. They didn’t have one but assured me any one of the other places I tried would. I tried the Bobcat dealer and then quit.

Common to every experience was – they’d take the part and go look the come back and say; “That’s one of those fittings for a plastic hoses. We only carry stuff for rubber hoses.” And “What’s it off of?” Then I’d have to explain all about that and that only took time that didn’t help. Then they’d suggest the same lineup of usual suspects that they were sure would have it that I’d already tried.

Got back home and called the hydraulic engineering place in Mexico, Mo. They’d have one. “Nope, that’s one of those thermal plastic hoses and we don’t stock them or the fittings.” Had one guy in the store at the time that used thermal plastic hoses on bucket trucks for high line work but he only used 3/8” and all he knew is he always had to order them.

Resolved I could not repair this hose myself from local parts, I called Wood-Mizer and had them send me out a new hose assembly and two extra fittings just in case I could find someone to repair the one with a broken end.

After I got off the phone with them, I found a copy of the McMaster-Carr catalog and looked up hydraulic hose fittings. After a bit of searching and head scratchin’ I found a 1/4” female swivel fitting that was self-clamping and thus didn’t need to be taken off and to someone to crimp a new fitting on. It is also reusable. I called them and placed an order for two of them. With shipping they came to $10.00 each but it was sure a cheep fix. One part slips over the hose and the other part screws into that part and at the same time expands the hose to form the clamping and sealing action. Took about two minutes to put on. Took about another 10 minutes to get the hydraulic reservoir up to the right level as it about emptied the tank.

Looks like it’s going to work. The McMaster-Carr part number for this fitting is 52305K91. Looks like they will work on the clamp assembly and the toe boards. I’m going to look the mill over and check the parts manual and get a couple these reusable fittings for every size and type connection we have. That way I’ll never break another one.

McMaster-Carr #52305K91 for thermalplastic 1/4" hose - reusable and does not require crimping.

This one come out a little blurry but you can see the threads inside the female part and how the other part tapers to expand the tube to form seal and clamp.

Corley5 · « **Reply #31 on:** August 27, 2002, 08:56:42 pm »

We had a White Seed Boss cornplanter at work that had these type hoses and fittings. One day one broke. I was near Alpena and tried the tractor places, auto stores etc just like you did and no one had them

. They could, for a price

, order them for me from a White dealer in the Thumb. I packed up the hose and broken fitting and headed back to my home base in Indian River. The next morning I went to Ginop Sales in Alanson, they sell MF, New Holland, Kubota etc and have a large stock of hydraulic stuff. They matched up the fittings that I needed and made me two regular hydraulic hoses to replace the plastic ones. The fittings were odd too. Not standard at all. That is my only and hopefully last experience with that kind of hose. I wasn't impressed. Not with the hose but the lack of availability. It's good to know that those fittings are available someplace

It's still pretty inconvenient when you can't just go to town and pick up what you need.

KiwiJake · « **Reply #32 on:** August 28, 2002, 02:43:07 am »

Hey guy's we at Petersons make a spring loaded canthook, we call it the "Rhino can hook" he he...

It's got a horn on the end of it, so you just basicly place it on a log, turn, retract to the next bite and so on. I don't use our ordinary ones any more, it's just not the same!

I come up with the idea when I was contract milling off site, being sick of slamming into the log only to turn it a third of a turn then slamming into it again to get another bite, it gets tedious! The first day for my mate milling, crushed three of his fingures between the hook and the handle of the traditional ones, I'm sure that was a great introduction to milling for him!

Besides being a great Cant hook it can lift logs off the ground for skidding or firewood chopping with your chainsaw, can be adjusted to different sized logs.
It's interesting what you can come up with out of neccesity besides, it won me the prototype award at the national fieldays in New Zealand, my friends and I had a good night out on the prize money.

Bro. Noble · « **Reply #33 on:** August 28, 2002, 04:39:49 am »

Kiwi J,

That just begs for a photo. Sounds like a good deal.

Noble

LumberJack · « **Reply #34 on:** August 28, 2002, 05:28:51 am »

Kiwi,
I would like to see a pictore of that also, sounds interesting!
I also recently purchased a cant hook and like many of the other posts indicated its a not-so cheap foreign copy. I like the comment about the CAN'T HOOK

. I was referring to it as a localized debarker

! just doesn't seem like you should have to carry a mallet with you so you can knock the hook into the wood. Its about ready to hit the pile of stuff that has to be re-engineered for real life work.

John

Brian_Bailey · « **Reply #35 on:** August 28, 2002, 06:32:38 am »

Bibbyman,

Thank you for sharing the info about the hyd. fittings. I made a note in my Mizer's parts manual in case I ever need to replace one. Those fittings look like the way to go if you don't have to replace the whole hose. Again, thanks.

ADfields · « **Reply #36 on:** August 29, 2002, 01:27:40 am »

Bibbyman
A would have thout all the shops you went to would have had that! All the NAPA's I have ever used for tractor parts have this "Weatherhead" brand fiting for the black ruber line. Is this one just for your plastic hoses or is that the same as I am thinking of?
Andy

Bibbyman · « **Reply #37 on:** August 29, 2002, 07:23:59 am »

The thermoplastic lines are smaller in outside diameter than the common Gates style rubber hose. All the above listed places assured me they could not crimp a rubber hose coupling onto my plastic hose. The hydraulic engineering place said they had repaired a few by using a coupling meant for a gas line by doing some machining on it to change the inside diameter.

Also, there was some discussion that the angle of the faces where the two lines actually mesh are different for the two types of hoses - I think the rubber hose type has a 31 degree face and the thermoplastic type has a 37 degree face.

The NAPA dealer was one place I didn't try.

Bro. Noble · « **Reply #38 on:** August 29, 2002, 08:26:46 am »

Did you ever notice that whenever you find something it's always in the LAST PLACE YOU LOOK !!

Noble

ADfields · « **Reply #39 on:** August 29, 2002, 10:59:06 am »

You would think if something has worked fine for ALL those years thay would not be so fast to change it all around like that

Noble
For me it's a lot like Bibbyman, I look at all the places for it and DONT find it! :-/ Then I find a diferant way to do it and go on a new quest for the new thing

Then it's found in the LAST PLACE I LOOK

Andy

News:

Author Topic: Handy things around the mill (Read 32652 times)