Author Topic: WM-LT40HD Wavey cuts? (Read 1120 times)

Peder McElroy · « **on:** January 07, 2012, 11:02:23 pm »

I'am new to the bandsawing world. I have a 1991 LT40 hd with a onan 24 . Tha last few days I have noticed my cut's to be kinda wavey, it's still cutting stright but the finish is wavey. I tried to speed up the feed and the band is @ about 2000lbs. I'am cutting softwood (redwood) could it be a dull blade?
Any help would be great. Photos below.
Thanks
Peder

pineywoods · « **Reply #1 on:** January 07, 2012, 11:10:07 pm »

Most likely the blade. Needs to be sharp sharp. Redwood is kinda soft, requires lots of set. I run 25 -30 thou set sawing syp and cypress..Using re-sharp or doing your own? Don't go tweaking on the mill until you are shure it's not the blade..I just about wore out the adjustments on my mill before I learned the hard way what real sharp is...

kderby · « **Reply #2 on:** January 07, 2012, 11:57:20 pm »

I agree on the blade. Isn't redwood high in silica (abrasive)? Changing to sharp blades and trying some narrower cuts would be my first two diagnostic choices.

I milled some large spruce (soft) logs and they were like trying to dice whipped cream. I increased the blade tension and that seemed to help. A sharp blade was the certain cure.

The redwood material is pretty rare/fancy. Not many of us have ever milled it. Hopefully a voice with some experience will show up with a comment. You might get a few more answers by adding more specifics to the title and the question.

Kderby

LeeB · « **Reply #3 on:** January 08, 2012, 12:29:42 am »

Quote from: Peder McElroy on January 07, 2012, 11:02:23 pm

I'am new to the bandsawing world. I have a 1991 LT40 hd with a onan 24 . Tha last few days I have noticed my cut's to be kinda wavey, it's still cutting stright but the finish is wavey. I tried to speed up the feed and the band is @ about 2000lbs. I'am cutting softwood (redwood) could it be a dull blade?
Any help would be great.
Thanks
Peder

I agree blade but I need to know your deffinition of cutting straigh but the finish is wavy. Sounds to me like you are describing a tooth or two out of set and leaving saw marks. I cant picture straight and wavy together.

Chuck White · « **Reply #4 on:** January 08, 2012, 09:27:31 am »

Lee, could be the boards are good, then comes the edging, and the edging itself is wavy! $:-\$

Only thing I can think of!

customdave · « **Reply #5 on:** January 08, 2012, 09:52:30 am »

I have experienced this as well, dull blade and feed speed to fast , next cut I will slow feed down fair amount & cut straight as an arrow, time to put sharp blade on. This is sawing spruce & poplar, I have no experience with redwood, but I would sure like too

....

Dave

Peder McElroy · « **Reply #6 on:** January 08, 2012, 02:58:10 pm »

photos of the wavey redwood.

f wavey cuts

pineywoods · « **Reply #7 on:** January 08, 2012, 03:09:21 pm »

Yup, it's the blade. probably a tooth missing or bent badly. Try a new blade. That's the kind of results I get after I saw a nail or 2 and keep on sawing.

POSTONLT40HD · « **Reply #8 on:** January 08, 2012, 03:41:58 pm »

I've been through this also......it's the blade.

Chuck White · « **Reply #9 on:** January 08, 2012, 03:46:49 pm »

Definately a couple of teeth way out of set, must have hit a nail, stone, etc.

Magicman · « **Reply #10 on:** January 08, 2012, 04:29:00 pm »

That is why pictures are so important. Word descriptions can vary and have many different interpretations. Pictures are the universal language.

MotorSeven · « **Reply #11 on:** January 08, 2012, 04:41:52 pm »

Peder, have you been using the same blade for a "few days". Depending on how many hrs a day, that might be a little much unless the bark never touched the dirt.
When mine gets dull the sound or pitch it makes changes...like a higher frequency.

Ianab · « **Reply #12 on:** January 08, 2012, 05:05:18 pm »

Like the guys are saying, you have some teeth on the band damaged. Blunt or lost their set. It may not even be visible to the naked eye.

Each time the band goes around it gets to those damaged teeth and wanders a bit. This is why the pattern is so even, but would vary with the feed speed.

I have a circle mill, so don't see that exact issue, but I've had the exact same thing on my little workshop bandsaw, just on a smaller scale. Yup, damaged band.

Ian

Peder McElroy · « **Reply #13 on:** January 08, 2012, 07:49:04 pm »

Thanks to all of you guys for the help.
Peder

kderby · « **Reply #14 on:** January 09, 2012, 01:02:33 am »

Thanks for the picture Peder, that is a classic "tooth out of set" photo. No fix for that in my world. I just break the blade so it stores flat in the scrap pile. I had saved some of those blades for trees I suspected had nails. I thought I might someday mill a root wad (rocks). I never use the damaged blades. Now they just go in the trash.

Go crazy with the camera and post a few more. Where did you get some redwood? What will you do with it?

Thanks for the question. Keep Milling!

Kderby

Chuck White · « **Reply #15 on:** January 09, 2012, 05:28:54 am »

Quote from: kderby on January 09, 2012, 01:02:33 am

Thanks for the picture Peder, that is a classic "tooth out of set" photo. No fix for that in my world. I just break the blade so it stores flat in the scrap pile. I had saved some of those blades for trees I suspected had nails. I thought I might someday mill a root wad (rocks). I never use the damaged blades. Now they just go in the trash.

Go crazy with the camera and post a few more. Where did you get some redwood? What will you do with it?

Thanks for the question. Keep Milling!

Kderby

Just Curious
Why is there "no fix" for that blade, just take the blade off and reset it!

LeeB · « **Reply #16 on:** January 09, 2012, 07:56:33 am »

Got to agree with Chuck on that one, or save it for cutting siding/paneling with a rustic look.

Chuck White · « **Reply #17 on:** January 09, 2012, 08:59:32 am »

When I'm on a saw-job, I have 4 piles!

1. Good lumber pile

2. Free pile (some usable stuff, maybe only 3-4 ft long on a tapered log)

3. Slab pile

4. Sawdust pile

Those boards that come out with "ziggers" across them go on the free pile when I'm sawing.

Magicman · « **Reply #18 on:** January 09, 2012, 09:12:58 am »

Our "piles" are the same Chuck.

Peder McElroy · « **Reply #19 on:** January 09, 2012, 11:42:32 am »

Kderby
Almost everything I mill is redwood,I live in a redwood valley and have about 30 acres of redwoods.
Peder

pineywoods · « **Reply #20 on:** January 09, 2012, 11:46:47 am »

I can usually fix blades with this problem. Usually is 1 or more teeth with way more set than the rest. Most setters won't fix an over-set tooth, just find the offending tooth, hammer it flat on a smooth surface and then reset. Sometimes finding the offending tooth isn't easy, but here's an easy way. Clamp an adjustable wrench (cresent wrench for us southerners) so it fits loosely over the blade and tip of a good tooth. Then slide the wrench along the blade. The bad tooth will not clear the wrench.

Jim_Rogers · « **Reply #21 on:** January 09, 2012, 12:43:41 pm »

First of all that mark on the board is from at least one probably more teeth that are bent in towards being straight up, lack of set. If it was a groove it would be that they are bend out, too much set.
As mentioned probably from hitting something like a rock in the bark or metal in the log/board. If the hump is only on one side of the board then it is only on one side of the blade.
If you're sharpening and setting yourself you'll find it when you re-sharpen your band.
If you're sending it out to WM Resharp then turn the blade inside out so that they'll know there is something up with that blade. And they'll look closely at it and maybe able to save it.
If it's bad they'll junk it and you can have them replace it for you.

Inspecting your lumber you should be able to see where it started and maybe find the rock on the edge of the board. Or the nail in the board.
If it's a nail in the board you'd better pull it out or someone who buys your lumber will not be happy if they hit it with their planer.

Good luck with your problem.

Jim Rogers

Magicman · « **Reply #22 on:** January 09, 2012, 01:26:43 pm »

I always hang a tag on my blades going to WM Reharp when something has happened to them. I will describe what happened or what they are doing. I like to help the helper.

John Bartley · « **Reply #23 on:** January 09, 2012, 05:06:37 pm »

Quote from: Chuck White on January 09, 2012, 08:59:32 am

Those boards that come out with "ziggers" across them go on the free pile when I'm sawing.

"Ziggers" I take it are the lines across the boards as shown in the OP's photos's? If so, I wouldn't discount them at all. As long as they're straight, they should be well within spec's for surface finishing. This is "rough" cutting we're doing, and those boards ought to surface finish just fine! The marks show, but they're not usually too deep.

cheers

John

MotorSeven · « **Reply #24 on:** January 09, 2012, 07:20:39 pm »

"Those boards that come out with "ziggers" across them go on the free pile when I'm sawing."

Your way missing out...those should be in a special covered pile marked "Premium Antiqued Sawmill Scroll" boards....$4 a bf.

WDH · « **Reply #25 on:** January 09, 2012, 11:07:18 pm »

Some people really like the look of the sawmarks of an out-of-set tooth on bandsawn lumber. I have had people ask for it

.

bandmiller2 · « **Reply #26 on:** January 10, 2012, 06:52:07 am »

When I see that pattern I seek out the offending tooth/teeth and use a small "crescent wrench" to bend it back.I take a small piece of sticken and run it along a stopped band agenst the teeth, if you got the feel you'll know when you hit a high tooth. Usally the high teeth are from hitting something and the band should be resharpened. Frank C.

paul case · « **Reply #27 on:** January 10, 2012, 08:57:21 am »

I guess if the bent tooth was making marks on the cant you could let the blade down just against the cant and turn the blade by hand to find the offender!

PC

Magicman · « **Reply #28 on:** January 10, 2012, 01:48:16 pm »

Paul, on my sawmill, the blade brake is applied when the clutch is disengaged. It would really take two people to manually turn the bandwheel by hand.

Chuck White · « **Reply #29 on:** January 10, 2012, 05:06:25 pm »

Quote from: Magicman on January 10, 2012, 01:48:16 pm

Paul, on my sawmill, the blade brake is applied when the clutch is disengaged. It would really take two people to manually turn the bandwheel by hand.

MM, I've just pulled the handle about half way and placed a chunk of wood between the handle and the frame, works pretty good.

Peter Drouin · « **Reply #30 on:** January 10, 2012, 05:18:05 pm »

I just put the clutch 1/2 way on ( with the motor off) and the blade will run free. I do that with the outo clutch when I change the blade by turning the toggle up then hit the key for a second , I like to spin the blade a little when im tightening it

petefrombearswamp · « **Reply #31 on:** January 10, 2012, 06:35:09 pm »

Thanks Peter,
I have wondered about that and in my simple mind couldn't figure out how to do it.
Pete

terrifictimbersllc · « **Reply #32 on:** January 10, 2012, 06:38:56 pm »

Ought to be able to put a magnetic base dial indicator on the rail and turn the band backwards by hand too. Sounds like a good way to ruin a nice one too.

paul case · « **Reply #33 on:** January 10, 2012, 08:40:18 pm »

ooops! sorry about that.
The ez boardwalk mill doesn't have a band brake, but my ''new to me'' lt40 does. I just didn't think of that one. PC

Peter Drouin · « **Reply #34 on:** January 10, 2012, 09:04:59 pm »

petefrombearsswamp make sure you let the auto start cycle all the way up then back down with the key on . then start the cat .one time I forgot to do that and the cat started full throttle

I only did that one time, I all most had a heart attack

kderby · « **Reply #35 on:** January 10, 2012, 09:27:16 pm »

You guys are the bestest.

I have learned the word "Zigger" and several alternatives for my damaged blades.

I use ReSharp and the "attach a note" idea seems reasonable. I am so focused on production that working on a blade with a damaged tooth is just time spent not money saved. That is the same logic I apply to ReSharp doing my sharpening. I do not have the facility, nor do I want to spend my time becoming a blade wizard. They do it for me. Someday I'll step up to doing it my self. Up to now, zigger lines meant the blade was a goner.

Are zigger, bestest and goner real words?

Thanks Ya'lll

kderby

JD350Cmark · « **Reply #36 on:** January 29, 2012, 11:22:23 am »

Quote from: Peder McElroy on January 08, 2012, 02:58:10 pm

photos of the wavey redwood.

(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

(Image hidden from quote, click to view.) f wavey cuts

Peder,

I have cut Redwood and have experienced this finish. I'll agree that it's something to do with a bad blade. Do you know what type of blades you are using? This finish is good for deck boards if you don't mind something a bit rough and it's less slippery.

nomad · « **Reply #37 on:** January 29, 2012, 08:27:47 pm »

I got a box of blades a week or so ago. I've been through all of 'em already; lots of sand in the bark. About half of 'em had a tooth, or two, or three way overset. I'll have to find the problem teeth and bend them back before I set and sharpen these bands.

News:

Author Topic: WM-LT40HD Wavey cuts? (Read 1120 times)