home-made hydraulics

[pineywoods]

I just finished adding hydraulics to a friend's woodmizer manual LT40. Here's how to add a log turner, log clamp and toe roller to just about any bandmill. I added power backstops also, but that's pretty much woodmizer specific. This is a claw type turner with a couple of unusual twists. All the claw type turners I have ever seen use springs or bungee cords to hold the claw against the log. This one uses a hydraulic cylinder that's stout enough to shove a log up against the backstops, and serve as a very good log clamp. The claw can drop down low enough to get under a cant and lift it up, then slide it in or out.

This is the third mill I have upgraded, so it's a well proven design. An absolute requirement on all 3 was absolutely NO WELDING on the mill structure. Everything bolts on. On an LT40, 2 holes have to be drilled through one of the bunks.

here's the beginning, made of 2X3X 1/4inch angle iron. The round holes are 1 inch to take 1 inch steel pins. The oblong holes are a passthrough for a push rod on the power backstops
 



Here's the sub-assemblies , the mount. lift arm fabricated from 3X 1/4 plate, and the claw arm from 2 inch square tube
 



The whole works assembled with 3 hydraulic cylinders installed
 




It bolts to the inside of the frame rail with 4 bolts. On LT40's the holes are already there
 



Toe roller assembley
 



Bolts to the front log bunk with 2 bolts
 



Mount for the 2 hp 110 volt electric motor and 3 gpm pump bolts on to the hitch attach bolts. ok, I forgot to rotate the pic 90 deg 
 



Oil tank (made from a piece of 4 inch pipe) and filter mounts on the other side.
 



The control valves mount on top of the motor mount, this shows all the necessary plumbing also
 



There's some welding involved on the power backstops, remove the backstop from the mill and make 2 of these out of 1/4 inch steel plate
 



and weld them to the backstops
 



The two backstops are linked together with push tube made from 1/2 inch pipe with rod end bearings on each end


Actuator cylinder is attached


 with a bracket bolted to the log bunk. Requires drilling 2 holes in the bunk.


Couple of other points...The motor is a compressor duty 2 hp counter clockwise rotation, pump is coupled with a lovejoy coupling, pump must be clockwise rotation. There is a manual switch mounted to turn the motor on and off, don't leave it running continuosly. Before you ask, I used steel pipe instead of hose, because it's a bunch cheaper, there is a short 18 inch hose on the cylinder end.
why 3 cylinders on the turner??  Physical room. not enough room to get larger cylinder in the space so use 2  2 inch
The main lift cylinders are 2in X 12 inch stroke
the claw cylinder is 2 inch X 6 inch stroke
The toe roller uses a 2 in X 4 inch stroke
Backstop actuator is 2 in X 8 inch stroke.

Control valves....new stock from surplus center. Standard open center valves

[fishpharmer]

Piney, this is a super post.  I would like
to adapt some of your ideas to my mill.  What would you guestimate the total cost of the added hydraulics including steel and all parts?

Thanks

[pineywoods]

  What would you guestimate the total cost of the added hydraulics including steel and all parts?

Thanks

The mill owner bought the parts all new, but they mostly came from surplus center. I would guess somewhere around a grand. The one I upgraded before this one was around $700, but that was a few years ago and did not include the powered backstops.
Nice thing is, once you get past the control valves, motor and pump, you can just build the turner and add other stuff later. The valves I used are the stackable kind, you buy the 2 ends and then just stack ever how many valves you need in between, add more valves, just use longer bolts through the stack.

[bandmiller2]

Piney,this setup just cries to have a vidio of it in operation.If you traced pattern on kraft paper ,bill of materials,and instruction sheet you would have a very saleable set of plans.In fact it looks like it would be adaptable to circular mills.As I've said before I wish you were my neighbor.Frank C.

[Norm]

Me too! Great job Piney. 

[Larry]

Outstanding job Piney

Piney,this setup just cries to have a vidio of it in operation.If you traced pattern on kraft paper ,bill of materials,and instruction sheet you would have a very saleable set of plans.In fact it looks like it would be adaptable to circular mills.As I've said before I wish you were my neighbor.Frank C.

I agree.

[york]

PW,

looking at your turner-for the cyl. that is in there instead of the springs,are you able to put control valve in float???And yes,would like to see vid. of this setup...

Bert

[sdunston]

Great job, Are you using the logtuner as a log clamp all the time or just on large cants?
Thanks Sam

[Planman1954]

Wow piney woods, I'll bet you could figure out how to put a man on the moon.......AGAIN!

[Ernie]

You ever thinking of coming to New Zealand?

[pineywoods]

To answer a few questions
I use the clamp feature on everything all the time. Exception- it won't turn or clamp a 6 inch log, won't reach in close enough, but it will roll a 36 incher.

The control valve for the clamp does not have float, why would you want to???

video--I don't have the facilities to get a video uploaded. come visit and bring camcorder.

stumpy --Don't think I'd go so far as to make templates, but how about if I post drawings with dimensions ?  I definitely am not interested in selling plans..

I cut most of the parts with an abrasive cut-off saw, couple of places where a cutting torch came in handy. Welded everything with an old 200 amp stick welder. A one inch drill bit is a necessity, preferably in a good heavy drill press.

Ernie - Of all the places on this world I would like to visit, NZ is right up there at the top. Fraid it'll never happen tho 

Planman - thanks for the compliment. It would take a heap of cipherin, I don't exactly remember how we did it 

[stumpy]

Thanks Piney,  I understand.  Anything you could do in the way of pictures and/or drawings with measurements would be greatly appreciated.

[sdunston]

Thanks for the reply on the clamp. Have you even given thought to making a clamp/dog like is on the lt40-SH?
Sam

[pineywoods]

Thanks for the reply on the clamp. Have you even given thought to making a clamp/dog like is on the lt40-SH?
Sam

Yeah, I thought about it. Not worth the trouble and expense for me. I even thought about buying the parts from woodmizer, but my mill is so old, the parts won't fit. I have a friend right up the road who runs an LT40 super hydraulic with the 2 plane clamp. Within limits, my setup will do anything his will, just not quite as fast.

[bandmiller2]

Piney,your ahead of me I haven't even mastered the picture thing.I am fasinated by that turner clamp but its hard to visualize its operation, mayby a snapshot of it turning a log or cant.Thanks Frank C.

[ronwood]

pineywood,

Is the response of the hydraulics quicker than the non super lt40? I was wondering if it would be something that I could attach to mill like Bibbyman only I would like to disconnect so that I can go portable.

[MotorSeven]

Coon-azz ingenuity....straight from the bayou  Piney, that's fantastic....I wish I had your talent.
As far as NZ, I am thinking a trade would benefit some sawyers there. Fly Piney over, have all the parts/materials ready. Have him fab it all up, show him the "countryside" & fly him back. It's a win win.

RD

[pineywoods]

pineywood,

Is the response of the hydraulics quicker than the non super lt40? I was wondering if it would be something that I could attach to mill like Bibbyman only I would like to disconnect so that I can go portable.

I'd say the speed is about the same as the standard mizer hydraulics. I'm limited by the small motor (2 hp) and 3 gpm pump. With bigger motor and pump it could be made as fast as you want. One easy option would be to put disconnects in the lines and hook it up to a log splitter, or tractor hydraulics. For fixed installation, Bibby's setup is the best deal. I did put a 2 stage log splitter pump on one mill. Had to fall back to smaller pump, the 2 hp electric motor won't pull a log splitter pump. Some mills have a separate small gas engine to drive the hydraulics. I did consider that option, even acquired a 5 hp honda but opted for the electric because all 3 mills are fixed setups under a shed.

[Ohio_Bill]

Pineywoods  ,  Your  clamp and turner combo looks great  I have a LT 40 manual with Woodmizers  add on hydraulic  loader kit  which could supply the juice to make your clamp / turner work for me . I also have a son in law that is a welder -pipe fitter by trade that has offered to build it for me.  You had mentioned in a previous post that you might post some dimensions or drawings. I would really appreciate that if you could .
Thank You for sharing your project.
Bill

[woodhick]

Ohio Bill, not knocking piney's clamp as it looks really good but I have a manuall  LT40 mill that I have added hydraulics to and I bought the two plane clamp from woodmizer and added to mine.  You would have to cut the outer 4"x4" frame but not that hard.