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Bandmill Rail Wear

Started by Knute, March 13, 2010, 10:39:47 AM

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Knute

We own 80 acres of mostly hardwoods and I have considered a bandmill for a few years. I am wondering how much of a problem rail wear is if I cut mostly 8' logs at one location on the mill and then an occasional long log. Should I alternate the location of the 8' logs in order to keep wear uniform?

Tom

It takes a tremendous amount of wear to effect the performance of the mill.  You are talking years and probably several engines.  I wouldn't be too concerned. 

You will possibly notice side-to-side misalignment on even neew mills.  That doesn't hurt anything either as long as the head's wheels don't bind.


Knute

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking that if the rails were not worn even, it would affect the vertical location of the heads and board thickness.

Tom

It will, some.  But the variations you experience in blade deflection and log/cant movement put it in the "not noticed" category.  Sawmilling is not a precise science, much to the chagrin of some who speak in board consistency by using fractions of minuscule measurement.  Try to keep in mind that your main purpose, as a sawmiller, is to break apart logs into usable, rectangular shapes that will produce dressed lumber with minimal waste.  Since the "dressed lumber" part of it is usually done by someone else, the sizes of rough cut are kept fairly liberal to insure his success.  A worn track is very small measurement when when transferred to the board. 

Cedarman

On my first WM LT30 we sawed 10's of thousands of 8' cedar logs every year.  Sometimes those rail guide rollers wouldn't slide too well.  One day when sawing a 12 foot poplar log we noticed that we had a significant dip over the middle 10'.  About 3/16".  Our rail had worn flat on both sides with about 1/4" face.  So we took a grinder and flattened the rest of the rail and sawed straight from then on.  It was an 83 and the new owner is still sawing just fine.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

MartyParsons

The bearing is what should wear. The early WM rail was not as hard is it is today. I am not sure when they changed? They also changed the location of the bearing . I think it was 1992. Not real sure.
Nothing to worry about.
Hope this helps.
I am not sure about the other manufactures. I talking about Wood-Mizer.
Marty
"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

Knute

Thanks to all for the information. I understand what you mean. The small variations in thickness can be taken care of with the planer.

SAW MILLER

Try saying this three times... It is hard to rectify real rail wear!!!!
LT 40 woodmizer..Massey ferg.240 walker gyp and a canthook

wannasaw

 I hav'nt been on in awhile, hello to all and thanks for all the advice. We finally decided on purchasing the LT28. upgraded the engine though in case we want the x HP. Hope to get in in late apr. I was reading about the planing of rough sawn which caused me to ask a newbie question for sure. How much do you allow for a typical planer? My bud with a cabinet shop has offered to let us plane some flooring for personal use on his. does it depend on the planer? The wood? The sawyer???
LT28 70something Int'l Backhoe loader  Kubota L285, Husky 55, F-250 7.3, 12'x6' single axle trailer, Kubota RTV900 w/remote hyd. Iron will...

Tom

All of the above.

1" stock (3/4 or 13/16 dressed) is usually rough sawn at 1 1/8, but a lot depends on the planer and the efforts of the man running it, as well as the consistency in thickness of the rough-sawn board.

Some planer operators can get a 3/4 board from  7/8 stock.  some want it thicker.

I think that you would need at least 3/16 over to compensate for cupping, cutting variations, etc. 

You will probably need as much as an inch on each edge for straight-lining and further machining, like tongue and groove.  That depends, of course, on the length of the boards.  The longer the  board, the more apt you will be to generate more waste.  Because flooring is usually quatersawn (vertical grain) it is more apt to suffer from crook (side bend).  That is one of the main reasons that flooring is usually produced in short boards.


wannasaw

 we definitley want it T&G but is 3/4 flooring better than 3/8?  We have sub flr. and flooring already in place 3/4 advantec  was wondering about the xtra elev. causing more problems with rugs ect..
LT28 70something Int'l Backhoe loader  Kubota L285, Husky 55, F-250 7.3, 12'x6' single axle trailer, Kubota RTV900 w/remote hyd. Iron will...

Tom

The thickness could be a concern in replacing flooring in an existing room, but 3/8 flooring will still need the same planing waste as 3/4 flooring.  You might get by with skip planing the back to save on waste.

Thickness of the floor is what will determine the over-all longevity of the floor.  The thicker it is, the more finishings it will withstand.  Thin flooring can be sanded through and might even be worn through in a sandy environment.  It isn't all about strength and structure, but wear resistance as well.

wannasaw

thanks Tom, we're a ways off yet so there are some things to consider. I'm still trying to figure out the camera to post some pics on the forum. something I never wanted to do til meeting the folks in this community. My daughter will help this eve.
LT28 70something Int'l Backhoe loader  Kubota L285, Husky 55, F-250 7.3, 12'x6' single axle trailer, Kubota RTV900 w/remote hyd. Iron will...

Tom

The picture thing isn't too difficult.  Once you figure it out, you will be hooked and want to show off everything you do.   'Course thats alright with us. We do the same thing.  :D

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