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Well, bought me a mill :)

Started by VictorH, October 22, 2009, 10:12:52 PM

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VictorH

Hello everyone,

I've been reading the posts on this site for months.  I was going to build my own mill but realized I needed to spend the time doing something I actually know how to do.  :D.   I make bent willow and log furniture and decor as a side business.  I do contract work to pay the bills.  Am having a good year and decided to just buy a mill.  The mill will expand the side business.  Looked into several and really thought about buying a new manual mill.  But over and over the advice on here is get as much as you can afford with as many labor saving features you can.  I decided to look at for a used one.   I found a 1995 LT40H24 with 1290 hrs - with an in-feed log deck, Lap-siding maker, sharpner and setter.  At $9000.00 I think it is a good deal.  I leave Monday to retrieve it from just North of Green-bay.  I will post pics if I find a camera - ours was stolen this summer  :( 

I have two questions that have been asked before I'm sure, but have not found the threads yet.  I can add a debarker for $1800 - 1900.  I realize that there are a bunch of variables with log condition, however just how much longer does a blade last using a debarker versus not?  In other words how fast will this pay for itself?

The second is about the long discussed which blade is best.  I have read the recent thread on the 7* blades and they seem to have those who really like them.  Woodmizer site suggests the 10* as a general purpose use on most everything blade.  So what do you all think?

By the way I bought the mill many weeks ago but could not get away until now to get it.  In the mean time I bought an older boom truck with winch to snag a log here and there with.  And have been clearing out junk from the shop yard to make room  ;D.  I have about 10 logs salvaged from the local brush dump.  I know -metal!!  But need to practice on something.  Have 3 maples, 1 huge Linden,  3 elms,  2 Pines and one unknown - maybe ash.

I should also add that my dad has a degree in forestry and worked for Midwest Walnut when I was a boy.  He is retired from the Navy now and seems as excited as I about the mill.

MotorSeven

9K? nice find! One went here at an auction for 14K, no sharpner/setter. I'd say you did very well. I can't answer your question about the blades...I'm still using the ones that came with my vintage 2001 LT15.

RD
WoodMizer LT15 27' bed

fishpharmer

Congrats on the mill.  Welcome to the forum.  We look forward
to hearing about your adventure.
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

southpaw

Welcome and congrats on the mill,  8) 8).

pineywoods

Welcome Vic. You done good on the mill. that's a low time machine. My 1995 has over 7000 hrs, still going strong. One right down the road that has 17000 hrs, still in daily use. Take care of it and you can't wear it out. Blades - won't make much difference until you get some experience under your belt. There's definitely a learning curve when it come to sharpening and setting.
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

nas

congrats on the mill and welcome to the forum Victor :)

I can tell you that the debarker on my mill is definitely worthwhile.  I cut a lot of white cedar and the bark seems to kill blades.  Can't help you on the 7° blades, I use 10° and they work fine.  I might try some 7° when I need to buy some more.

Nick
Better to sit in silence and have everyone think me a fool, than to open my mouth and remove all doubt - Napoleon.

Indecision is the key to flexibility.
2002 WM LT40HDG25
stihl 066
Husky 365
1 wife
6 Kids

backwoods sawyer

I find the debarker has limitations in its use. On some logs it will tend to climb on the opening cut when it would be most needed leaving me to cut straight thru all the grit and grime anyway.
Having the sharpener and tooth setter will allow you to keep those saws sharp. Myself I would not spend the money on one. Others on here will swear by them.
Backwoods Custom Milling Inc.
100% portable. . Oregons largest portable sawmill service, serving all of Oregon, from our Backwoods to yours..sawing since 1991

Chuck White

I feel that the debarker will extend blade life between sharpenings by at least 4 times.
A lot of the logs I saw have lots of mud in them from skidding and without the debarker the blade would be dull by the end of the first cut!
I for one would recommend the debarker as your first option purchased.
My mill is just like yours and I have 1,150 hours on the meter!

As for blades I recommend the .045x1¼-10°.  This is the blade I use exclusively.  I do mostly White Pine and Hemlock with a little hardwood thrown in, here and there!

Good luck with your mill!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

moonhill

If you are cutting clean logs which you have taken care of and not rolled them in the grit then you can get away without a debarker.  All it takes is one self loader full of gritty logs to make it worth the investment.  It is not a miracle cure but it goes a long ways to keeping you sane. 

I tried sawing some river salvaged logs once,  they were yarded onto a sandy beach right out of the river, green slim and grit attract, then trucked to a field a few miles away.  They sat there till December, the grit was frozen on.  I was the second to try them, it didn't go well.  I did not have a debarker at the time. 

Try the different bands and report back with your results. 

Tim

This is a test, please stand by...

bandmiller2

Welcome Vic,a debarker is sure nice to have but if your not in a big hurry you can clean a path and /or debark the dirty ones.You yourself will have to try different bands and pick what you like best ,they will all cut.Many co.'s will send you a sample to try,myself I like Timberwolf.Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Burlkraft

Victor......If yer gonna be in Green Bay yer gonna be drivin' right by me and Beenthere  ;D  ;D  ;D

If ya come through on a Friday we could buy ya lunch at The Rox and then give that nill a good inspection fer ya  :D  :D
Why not just 1 pain free day?

MotorSeven

My debarker is a water hose.....don't know what I'm going to do when the dang thing freezes this winter.

RD
WoodMizer LT15 27' bed

VictorH

Thanks everyone.  I've gleaned a lot from the forum. 

Chuck - 4 times would sure pay for itself in a hurry.  thanks for the info.

Burlkraft I will be thru Greenbay on Tuesday and heading out with the mill that evening.

Thanks again
Victor

Dave Shepard

I believe the 7 degree bands are intended for the higher horsepower mills. I really like our debarker on the Super Hydraulic. Definitely makes a difference. I think you'll find the 10 degree bands will work well on that mill, with 4 degrees for frozen or hard woods, like black locust or white oak. I started on a mill just like yours, minus the hydraulics.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Brucer

My first mill didn't have a debarker. When I was sawing my own logs (smooth bark, pick 'em up, don't skid 'em) that wasn't a problem. When I was sawing a customer's logs that had the bark falling off, no problem. When I had a hose handy to clean dirty logs, no problem (but it slowed me down). But when I was cutting Douglas-Fir (deeply furrowed bark, skidded out of the bush), that was a problem.

My second mill had a debarker and I would never buy another mill without one. It's a time saver, not just a blade saver.

Quote from: backwoods sawyer on October 23, 2009, 12:05:10 AM
I find the debarker has limitations in its use. On some logs it will tend to climb on the opening cut when it would be most needed leaving me to cut straight thru all the grit and grime anyway.

Now that's interesting. Never had that happen. I wonder if it's a species issue ??? ???.

I use 10 degree blades for just about everything. I did have one occasion where I was sawing very wide, very dry wood and I could not avoid a wavy cut nohow. Tried every trick in the book, every trick I could find on the forum, and every suggestion by the WM rep. Then I tried the 7 degree blades and they worked like a charm. I ran the first blade until it was so dull it was pulling wooden whiskers out of the cut, and it still ran true. That's with a 28 HP gas engine.

The 7's work OK on softwood, but definitely not as fast cutting.

I use WM blades exclusively, but I think what's most important is to stick with one brand of blade. Try another brand after you've had some experience, if you like, but don't go hopping from one to another to another.

Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

petefrom bearswamp

The debarker is the way to go with dirty stuff.
One problem however i had  with the W Pine I just cut, which was cut last spring (Some blue stain) I found that the de- barker put a lot of stuff into the in feed blade roller jamming it if I wasn't diligent causing grooves in the flange.
I learned the hard way that a new roller was about 70 bucks with shipping. those wm guys wouldn't sell only the shell but the entire assembly.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

Brucer

Gotta keep that flexible guard on the debarker adjusted right.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

Chuck White

Quote from: VictorH on October 23, 2009, 10:36:58 AM
Thanks everyone.  I've gleaned a lot from the forum. 

Chuck - 4 times would sure pay for itself in a hurry.  thanks for the info.

Burlkraft I will be thru Greenbay on Tuesday and heading out with the mill that evening.
Thanks again
Victor

I pulled the mill into a sawsite one time and had to take a closer look at the logs.
I was told the logs were w/pine and hemlock, but from about 20 feet, they looked like beech, they were so dirty with dirt and clay!
I told the customer that if it weren't for the debarker, I couldn't even justify sawing them.
Therefore, you see, that debarker will pay for itself in short order!  There was over 8,000 bf in that one pile of logs!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

VictorH

 



Here is my mill  ;D








And this is me.  Getting ready to cut my first log.
A large maple salvaged from the tree dump.  Nearly 8 feet long and about 32" in diameter.  :)
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I was real happy with how it went.  To be honest I had never seen a woodmizer in action.  I read my manual and tried to remember all that Mark had told me when I picked it up.  The cuts were a little wavy untill I remembered to re-adjust the tension  ;)   After that nice and flat.  Ended up with 9-1x12's, 11-1x16, 5-2x6, and a 1x6.  I began at dusk and did most of it at night under lights cobbled together so I could keep going.  Hit no metal but did find a nest of ants.  Don't know if I will make any money at this but I will have a lot of fun.

Tom

That wouldn't be a grin on your face, would it?

Yessir, you have it bad.  Didn't you notice that the sun went down?   Yep, your gonna fit in OK here.  :D

It's getting dark!


VictorH


fishpharmer

Victor, nice looking mill.  Them trees in Nebraska better be skeered ;) ;D
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

nas

Nice mill.  Looks great for a '95 8)
Have fun :)

Nick
Better to sit in silence and have everyone think me a fool, than to open my mouth and remove all doubt - Napoleon.

Indecision is the key to flexibility.
2002 WM LT40HDG25
stihl 066
Husky 365
1 wife
6 Kids

WDH

It is a nice looking mill.  Cutting in the dark, huh  ::).  That was also a fine first log  ;D. 

For someone who never saw one run, you didn't do bad at all  :D.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Don K

Congrats on the mill and welcome to the world of sawdust addiction.

Don
Lucky to own a WM LT40HDD35, blessed to have a wife that encouraged me to buy it.     Now that\'s true love!
Massey Ferguson 1547 FWD with FEL  06 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4X4 Dozer Retriever Husky 359 20\" Bar  Man, life is getting good!

sawman

congrats            8)   8)   8)    8)
'14 LT40 Hydraulic 26 HP koehler ,massey ferguson 2200 forklift, Case IH D40
Wallenstein FX85

Magicman

I've been gone for a couple of weeks, but it looks like 1st: Welcome, and 2nd: Congratulations.  You came to the right place for answers and opinions, and looks like you did quite well with your mill purchase.

Debarker, Yes.  I bought my mill used and thankfully it had one.  Dirty or clean, I use it anytime I'm cutting through bark.  For resharpening blades, I use WM ReSharp.  Works for me...... :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

WDH

The WM ReSharp program is outstanding.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

customsawyer

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new to you mill.
Two LT70s, Nyle L200 kiln, 4 head Pinheiro planer, 30" double surface Cantek planer, Lucas dedicated slabber, Slabmizer, and enough rolling stock and chainsaws to keep it all running.
www.thecustomsawyer.com

VictorH

Thanks everyone.  Am really enjoying the mill.  Cut up a large Ash today.  Used the drip lube.  That sure helps keep the blade clean.  I have the standard sharpener and was wondering can I use one of the CBN preshaped grinding wheels on it?

VictorH

Spoke to woodmizer and can not use the new CBN wheels.  Found my first metal today buried in the Ash log I started the other day.  :( Had to happen.  At least it was in the log and not orange outside the log. 

Magicman

Quote from: VictorH on November 07, 2009, 12:02:19 AM
Found my first metal today buried in the Ash log I started the other day. 

At least now you don't have to worry about if you are going to hit metal......it's when.... :D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

paul case

hey vic,  welcome
   if you cut for yourself dark may work ok but most of my customers want me to cut when i can read the scale. :D :D :D my mill is all manual except for the motor turning the blade and my debarker looks like my 15 year old and a two bit axe!!! not very high speed but effective. new mill looks great and sounds like a good deal.   congrats!  blades i use timberwolf. cooks super sharp are cheaper but i have never thought that i didnt get my moneys worthwith either  try some and see what you like. be sure to talk to the blade maker about shipping costs. some wont charge shipping on ten or more  . something to think about   pc
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

Magicman

Quote from: paul case on November 07, 2009, 06:54:31 PM
 if you cut for yourself dark may work ok

If you cut in the dark, the shower of sparks when you hit the log clamp will wake you up......Don't ask how I know.... smiley_crying
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

paul case

magicman , are you making magic wih those sparks? maybe you need to run metal cutting blades?  i bet when it happened the light came  on huh?   experience is the best teacher.  pc
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

Magicman

Quote from: paul case on November 08, 2009, 09:50:00 AM
magicman , are you making magic wih those sparks? maybe you need to run metal cutting blades?  i bet when it happened the light came  on huh?   experience is the best teacher.  pc

Yup, just part of the learning curve.  Daytime is for sawing.....Nighttime is for sleeping...... :D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

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