Roller blade guides?

[WoodChucker]

Should the roller itself be spinning when the blade is turning? Mine spends a little but it doesn't keep up with the blade, in fact it stops sometimes, is this normal? (WM LT-15)  Last stupid question today!  ;D

R.T.  

[Bibbyman]

Our LT40 Super does that too sometimes on the outside guide roller.  The roller spins free when the blade is off and cut straight so I've not worried too much about it.

[D._Frederick]

WC,
The fixed guide should spin all the time if you have correct blade tension. The moveable guide may not spin when it is close to the fixed guide, the upward pressure is less the close it is too the fixed guide because the angle is less.

[WoodChucker]

Thanks Bibbyman,  then I won't worry about it either.

D._Frederick,  thanks again!

R.T.

[Minnesota_boy]

My outer blade guide roller spins all the time the blade is turning, **EXCEPT** just after greasing it on a cold day.  Then it turns too hard for the blade to make it turn until the blade sliding on it warms the grease up a bit.  Usually takes 3 to 5 minutes for it to warm up.  Sometimes the inner roller won't turn under the same circumstances, but it usually starts in less than a minute.

[WoodChucker]

Minnesota_boy,

yeah I didn't even notice it before today, I just got done cleaning the inside of the blade guards with water and then turned on the mill to let it run a bit so that it could dry out some, I only let it run for a short time so maybe after it gets warm mine will spend to. Thanks!

R.T.

[woodmills1]

It is my understanding that both rollers should spin all the time, now I also see the no spin just after greasing but that isn't what I mean here.  If everthing is set correctly when the blade is touching the rollers it will make them spin when it moves.  If I see the outside roller begin to slow then I know that the blade is being pulled down away from the roller and is beginning to make a wave. If this happens I can sometimes slow the feed a little and the roller comes back up to speed.  Other times it is blade swap time.

The rollers are supposed to deflect the blade a little from the imaginary line that connects the bottem of the feed and idle pulleys.  If the outside roller is not moving then the blade must be pulling away from it.  If this is happening there must be some wave on the cut surface.  If all else is set correctly then the wave may just be very slight.  If this only happens when the outside guide is moved to some position, then I would suggest that the guidearm is not parallel to the plane of the blade.

[Percy]

Ive had the same experience with my movable guide roller. It kinda lazily turns, even while not cutting and after an alignment. The thing will pick up speed as the LT70 blade slows(the brake isnt as fast as an LT40's) so I assume the roller is spinning out, so to speak , on the blade. Because I operate from the opposite end of the mill, I can see the rollers clearly most always and it bugs me. One thing Ive found, not using soap in your water tank lessens the problem(less lube I guess) and keeping the sawdust from building up behind the roller helps lots too. Also, on the Woodmizer rollers anyways,I think we may grease them too much and cause a buildup of crud behind the rollers. I have cut back to once a day(6.5 hours of mill time) and the problem has basicly gone away(cept when I grease..heh).

[Bibbyman]

It's been a while since I've read the manual but I remember something about one pump of the grease gun handle every 8 hours of operation.   I think I use one pump about once a week.  For a while they were putting out new mills with roller guides without grease fittings.  They said they were the same roller and bearing but without the fittings - just greased once on assembly.  Said that too many customers were over greasing the guides and pushing the seal out of the bearing.  More bearings were being lost from over greasing than not greasing at all.