Has anybody made screw jacks for their woodmizer?

[Dan_Shade]

I've got a few ideas to speed up setup time.  has anybody done this to help level the saw up easier?

[Coon]

I have not done this but was thinking the same thing at one point. 

Do you have plans for building your own screw jacks?  I really need to figure out how to build some for my firewood processor that I am building.  If you do would you mind sharing your plans?

Brad.

[Dan_Shade]

I have some acme threaded rod that would work well... that's pretty much what's in a commercial trailer jack...

part of my issue is that I don't want to hack up the factory stands, or risk hurting future resale value.

it actually may be cheaper to buy commercial jacks and retrofit them, unless you can find the right size metal in the scrap pile.

[Jeff]

I'll be watching this. I have an especially hard time with my original jack up type because of my shoulders and and hand problems.

[Dan_Shade]

Jeff, a hi-lift jack is a big help when trying to set up the saw...

[Jeff]

I'm dreaming of something of the push button variety. ;D  some sort of12 volt powered screws or something mounted on each end to take the tension off the main jacks when lifting or leveling.

[Dan_Shade]

what you need is a helper, Jeff!

you can sit in a chair and bark orders  

[Jeff]

Two words.

LINEAR ACTUATORS  ;D

[Tom]

When a woodmizer LT30 or LT40 is being setup or let down, and the operator uses the available weight as a counterbalance, it is one of the easiest mills.

Raise the tongue off of the towing vehicle until the front leg is even with the top of the frame.   Drop the front leg next to the loader and raise the mill until it is level side to side.

Move the head of the mill all the way to the front at the hitch end.

Lower the rear leg and jack up the mill.  Lower the outside rear leg and raise the mill.

Now pick up on the loader handle and open the loader all the way up.
Unhook the loader from the  clamp and lower it to the ground.  It will be counter balanced and hardly way a thing.  then lower the loader hydraulically.

Leveling the mill to the front leg keeps the weight off of the legs and the mill as you jack it up. The weight is then practically negligible.

[customsawyer]

I was working on posting the samething as Tom just put up. The only thing I have added is that since I mostly cut oversized logs I turn the logs with the but end towards the toung of the mill and that puts alot of the wieght in front of the axel and will make the jack pins work out and start to round them off to where they won't hold at all so I add two more twist type jacks to the front part of the mill to help with some of the wieght and this has taken care of that. The jacks that I used are the ones like on a boat trailer that once you get the trailer hitched you pull a pin and pivit the jack and I just welded a bracket on the frame to hold the part the pin goes through the jacks I found were rated at 7000 lbs. each.

[Jeff]

I dont seem to have to much trouble gettign the mill up, its letting it down. The stainless rod that comes with the mill seems to get wedged in the jack hole unless there is almost zero weight on the jack.

[Jeff]

Could be the holes have elongated from wear and that pinches the jack?  Its really not a weight problem its a gewtting the jack handle out of the holes problem.

[Kevin_H.]

Does WM still offer the Screw Jacks?

I thought you could buy them from WM, the removeable jack handle fit into the top of the jack...

I think they had some kind of problem with saw dust getting in or something...

As far as a powered jack, would a 18volt drill have enough power to work the threaded rod?

[Dan_Shade]

I've found when on level ground, it's easy to setup, but when the ground's a bit uneven, it gets to be a hassle...  do you guys carry 1/2" and 3/4"  blocks to level the mill up when the legs need to be in a different spot to be level?

i've only moved my LT40 a few times, I guess I don't have the full hang of it yet.

I've heard that woodmizer does training refreshers from time to time, that's probably what I need!  i've read the manual, but reading and seeing are 2 different things.

[customsawyer]

Jeff one of my hired men used to fight that and it was caused by him putting the jack handel into the hole to far and then when he worked the handel it kind of wedged the handle in the hole. Try not sticking the handle in so far.

[Jeff]

Jeff one of my hired men used to fight that and it was caused by him putting the jack handel into the hole to far and then when he worked the handel it kind of wedged the handle in the hole. Try not sticking the handle in so far.

Thats what I figured I was doing but then I would try it with the least amount of handle as possible in the hole and I get the same thing. I'm all right long as I do as tom says and move the powerhead to opposite end of where I want to lift a jack. I learned the hard way about NOT lifting the back jacks all the way up first and then running the head towards the back.

[pigman]

I've found when on level ground, it's easy to setup, but when the ground's a bit uneven, it gets to be a hassle...  do you guys carry 1/2" and 3/4"  blocks to level the mill up when the legs need to be in a different spot to be level?

I carry 6" X 6" blocks along with 1" and 2" blocks. To save jacking on these Ky hillsides, I will set up a ramp and pull the lower wheel up on blocks before unhitching  to get the approximate height needed. I have never used over two 6" blocks to get enough height on the lower wheel.   I also sometimes use a highlift jack to raise the lower side.
Bob

[jpgreen]

I've got screw jacks that came with my mine, but they have a tilt base on them that sucks. So for now, I use a highlift farm jack, and blocks. It's real quick for uneven ground. I'm going to work on the screw jacks.

Also toyed with a design for hydraulics, but the cost was up over $500 in parts..  : Pretty hard to beat a $40 jack and blocks..  ;)

[woodbowl]

I got tired of digging holes and carrying every size of shims that are still too thick or thin so now I do neither. I drilled and welded a corner nut and put a wedge bolt on three of the jacks. The front and back jacks are unaltered. I jack up the front jack on the main rail close to the hitch first, move the saw head forward, then jack up the back jack on the main rail. The spring pins rest in the holes on both of these.

Next I jack up the aft/outboard jack. If I'm lucky enough to land in a pin hole, I will leave it, otherwise the corner wedge bolt tightens at any location even if it is between the pin holes. Then the forward/outboard jack and the forward/main beam jack is done the same way. I cut a few inches off the top of some of my jacks so I wouldn't have to jack so far up to clear the bed. I wish I had done that 12 years ago. Now it is hassle free, no matter what the terrain.  8)

[Minnesota_boy]

If you're using 1/2 or 3/4 blocks to level the mill, you're being too cautious.  The mill frame is pretty stiff and I've found that I never get too excited about the jacks all having the exact same tention on them.  Get the two end jack supporting weight of the mill and somewhat level.  Level side to side, then drop the other jacks to the ground and start sawing.  The flex of the wood will be more than the flex of the mill, so accuracy isn't compromized at all.

[JimBuis]

I was just looking at some of the jacks on Harbor Freight.  They have some that might be suitable, but it looks like their weight rating might be a problem.  I bet somebody sells some reasonable.  However, I can't imagine anything suitable you could make without it either looking like it came from a scrap yard or being more expensive than buying some.

IMHO,
Jim

[submarinesailor]

For the LT15 user out there, (a little off the subject)  one thing we found that helps keep the mill level was to put a nut on the leveling screws to act as a lock/jam nut.  Set up and level the mill. Then tighten the jam nut.  The mill stays level a lot longer.

Bruce

[logman]

What about jacks that some campers use?  I don't know anything
them other than that some of them have electric leveling jacks.

[DR Buck]

When a woodmizer LT30 or LT40 is being setup or let down, and the operator uses the available weight as a counterbalance, it is one of the easiest mills. 

I echo Tom's comments.  I've been doing it this way since I spent the day at the Wood-Mizer course Marty held in PA.   It works great.    I also recall the Wood-Mizer tech telling us the the 4 inside jacks were the most important to keep level and take the weight of  the mill.   It's OK if the front and back jacks are not exactly on the ground as long as their close.     If I'm doing long logs, I'll jam a small wedge or piece of wood under the jack base.

I carry a number of 4"x6"x12" blocks with me on the truck for uneven ground.  I also invested in a high-lift jack.   This is a real back saver.

I learned the hard way about NOT lifting the back jacks all the way up first and then running the head towards the back.

:D ;D :D ;D :D ;D :D ;D 

Can't say I haven't done that myself.    ;D    One precaution I take now is to lower the head as low as possible to keep the center of gravity down low.    I do this by dropping the lifting arm halfway down and lowering the clamp.

Dan -   Come on over and I'll show you a few things I've figured out.

[jpgreen]

My woodmizer manual says to start with the inner 4 jacks, weight still on the axel/tires, then as you just posted, slight pressure, or ground level on the outer 2 end jacks.