Still a Green Horn

riverswamp sawyer · May 10, 2010, 08:37:11 PM

This morning I got an early start, needed 60 2x4's 16 feet long. Heck, should be able to knock em out in a few hours........
First thing skid steer loader would not crank.....could'nt find jumper cables
After a long search found cables and started loader moved it out from under sawmill shelter.
Started sawing got phone call released blade tension went to the house for phone call came back started mill and plowed into log......forgot to tension blade.... it jumped off.
Blade looked ok so put it back on cut one slab then ....KABOOM blade broke. Put on new blade set tension.... made a few cuts then KABAAAAM broke another blade. Put on ANOTHER new blade and finshed job without any problems.

Is it possible to have tension too tight with old style Woodmizer tension? (spring type)

Magicman · May 10, 2010, 10:11:05 PM

Off hand, I would say that it was just the luck of the draw. Probably that band had been sharpened several times. I've put freshly sharpened bands on that lasted only a few minutes.

Bands will travel around the bandwheels only so many times and they will break. Tension should have no short term affect on a band.

That first one.....you know what happened. Lotsa bad things happen when a band comes off..... :'(

LOGDOG · May 10, 2010, 10:41:25 PM

Welcome to the Forum and world of sawmilling RiverSwamp Sawyer.

Some days you're the hammer and some days you're the nail. Magicman is right. When a blade jumps off, it's moving at a clip and can throw other things out of whack. Make sure your belts are well seated on your bandwheels after a jump off like that. I know I've even gotten flustered and missed a step when it came back to setting up again after a jump off or blade breaking. THe days won't all be like that. ;)

Magicman · May 10, 2010, 11:13:06 PM

Any/everytime that I shut down and release the band tension, I hang my apron on the tensioner. That way, I have a reminder to tighten the band before I start back sawing.......ask me why I do that. ;D

ErikC · May 11, 2010, 11:45:23 AM

I hang my earmuffs/faceshield on the side to side adjuster for that reason.(peterson swing mill, no blade tensioner) If it is not tightened things jump around pretty fast. A reminder never hurts. ;)

red oaks lumber · May 11, 2010, 09:33:34 PM

magicman,
hang your apron, are you sawin or cooking? it really is a good idea to have a reminder to add tension back on...

Magicman · May 11, 2010, 09:38:27 PM

Yup, I wear a welders leather waist apron when I saw. Protects my jeans and keeps the sawdust out of my pockets....which keeps the Magicwoman happy. ;)