How many do there own Wrenching?

[NWwoodsman]

I thought owning, running and fixing your mill was just part of being a sawyer. But with all the complicated systems on the new mills how can you fix your own mill and be a true millwright as well as a sawyer? Hydrdulics, electricial, mechanical, and fuel systems are all very different than systems of the past. Myself with my 1960's mill can fix repair or patch any problem that may occur. How about you??

Jason

[bandmiller2]

Jason,I built my own bandmill so shame on me if I can't fix it.I have worked on and done repairs on the popular orange mill,I understand what your saying,but I won't say more.Frank C.

[Dan_Shade]

working on the new mills is like everything else.  If you have the know-how, it's not so bad.

I've had a circuit board fry, bearing on the debarker swing arm seize up, bust a hydraulic hose, and performing general maintenance on it.

I find the woodmizer service manual to be very detailed and useful.

Besides, if I would happen to get stuck, help is only a post away on this forum.

Dan

[fishpharmer]

I generally do my own wrenching.......to a fault.  Never enough time to do everything I need to do.  I'm not too proud to call on someone more knowledgeable either.  The new advanced capability sawmill machines appear to have some complex systems that would push the limits of most shade tree mechanics.  But, I wouldn't refuse a new mill if someone wanted to donate one :D

[Magicman]

I've suggested on here several times about reading and understanding the mill's service manuals.  You need to be very familiar with all adjustments.  Get out your square, level, and ruler.  No way can you wait for scheduled service personnel to service and maintain your mill.

Things wear out and break.  I've had two this year.  One mechanical (power feed sprockets) and one electrical (power feed forward solenoid).  You simply can not depend upon someone else being as knowledgeable about your mill as you should be.

Factory technical support is also invaluable.  Those guys are great.

[Jim H]

I've always done my own wrenching on the mill. Most of the problems are pretty straightforward, but when I need help Woodmizer's customer service has been able to talk me through it.

[J_T]

Well don't know if this counts or not . ???  Little while back me an some buddy's built a re saw has electric up and down adjust, hydraulic variable  feed conveyor belt also can be tilted to saw siding. You can take a board off the top or bottom of a cant .Running a 20hp 3ph motor . Feeding the saw is a unscrambler that came in a kit form as in lots of parts .Lots of folks would be broker than they are if they couldn't fix their own equipment .Or in this area anyway
       

[Chuck White]

I do the wrench trunin' on my mill!

With basic mechanical  ability and the owner/operators manual anyone can maintain an LT40, as far as mechanical goes!

Electrical and Hydraulics could be another issue!

[paul case]

i do just about all of my mechanican on the mill and support equip. mines probably not as complicated as a hydraulic or an electric feed and we dont have very much trouble with breakdowns on the mill itself.
now im going to do some of my favorite kind of mechanican. im putin a rear end in a lazy- boy.  pc

[LeeB]

That one just almost sailed over my head Paul. I had to read it again before it sunk in. Funny.

I wrench on my mill and support equip but won't touch a vehicle any more except for routine maint.

[r.man]

J-T, whats an unscrambler?  I'm in the same category as Bandmiller, except I'm only about 50 percent finished. Ultimately my goal is to tweak the design I have to make an extremely simple, reliable, easy to run, and easy to repair mill. Then I want to build one that is easy on my back. I don't think the two can exist in the same machine.

[simplicityguy92]

ive done all my own wrenching because i am still building my mill

[Brucer]

I do everything except mess with the computer on the engine.

Regular maintenance, done on time and by the book, will save you a lot of "emergency" wrenching. I've got  dedicated set of tools at the mill site (so there's no excuse for putting off maintenance or repairs). I always keep a full set of filters on hand for preventive maintenance. As soon as I use one, I buy another to keep in the parts box.

Mechanical stuff is mostly looking at what moves what and making sure things are tight.

Hydraulics is straight forward once you understand the basics. An excellent reference is "Industrial Fluid Power" published by Womack Machine Supply Company. Volume 1 is the basic text and should give you enough information to deal with most problems.

Electrics is pretty basic, too. Wood-Mizer, for one, provides excellent diagrams -- you can do a lot even without the basics. It's handy to have a voltmeter (and the knowledge of how to use it), but it's not essential.

Remembering where I left the tape I was holding 2 minutes ago is a daunting task and I don't think I will ever master it :(.

[John S]

Brucer,
Thanks for naming the reference book (Industrial Fluid Power), I will be looking for it the next time I am in a book store.
John

[Dan_Shade]

It can be purchased through the Womack company website:

https://training.womack-educational.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WE&Product_Code=011&Category_Code=TB

[customsawyer]

I do my own wrenching as I can't talk anyone else into it and then they won't do it the way I want it. ;D I might be a little hard to please.
Brucer the tape measure problem can be solved using that little clip on the back and hook it on your pants pocket or you can screw a small magnet on to the back where the clip is and it will stick to the control box.

[sigidi]

Same as everyone above, I do my own wrenching (or spanners as they are called down here  ;)) I'm lucky to not have much in the way of complicated systems on the Lucas, the engine is as complicated as it gets. I've got basic knowledge on engines and make a point of lookin over the shoulder of anyone I need to use to do something I wasn't able to, I'm lucky that at way I learn what I see.

If I had hydraulics, I'd get to learn them as and when they broke, same with the electrics. Admittedly if it's a circuit board which has gone, ya swap it out right? switches, solenoids, starters, etc. you do the wrenching and either replace it or send it to someone who can re-build/repair it. I see it as the best way to get to know the mill and also save $'s.

Magicman is right, you get so much more from your mil when you get your hands dirty on it.

[pineywoods]

I don't own much that I don't work on. Sawmill, dozer, tractor, pickup, van, house, computer, tv, log splitter, boat, power tools, chainsaw, even airplanes.There is a tradition in my family for generations, that anything we own has to be worked on before you can use it.  ;) 

[paul case]

piney,
most of my stuff sits broken down too, but around the case place we have a different rule. BYOB   if you want to drive something you best Bring Your Own Battery.  pc

[J_T]

J-T, whats an unscrambler?  

What we built is designed to saw cants into boards . Right now we been sawing 16' threw 8' 4x6  oak into 4x4's .So i take one or two bundles of cants put them on the unscrambler and it brings them to me one at a time .

Go to Brewco's web site take a look at the video of their low rider unscrambler at work it is the same one i got mine is just a tad older .

Some day planning on posting photos of the saw and other things we have built saw is mounted on 15" steel I beams it don't move around

[Brucer]

Brucer the tape measure problem can be solved using that little clip on the back and hook it on your pants pocket or you can screw a small magnet on to the back where the clip is and it will stick to the control box.

It's supposed to be clipped to the lid on the control panel when I'm sawing, or hooked on my pants pocket when I'm in the log yard. Now if I could only remember to put it in one of those two places after I'm done using it, I wouldn't have to remember where I put it : :.

[Meadows Miller]

(quote pineywoods )

There is a tradition in my family for generations, that anything we own has to be worked on before you can use it.  ;) 
[/quote]

We must be Bloody Cousins then Piney  ;) :D :D :D :D the only thing i never had to do alittle work to before i fired it up was the 10-30 before the lucas's  all our gear seemed to come in Kit form  ;) with the plans in our heads  ;) :D :D :D :D :D

The first motor i tried to fix was a briggs when i was abut 6yo i found gettn the thing stripped down was the easy part n Dad was'nt to happy when he got home but we got it running again afew years later  ;)  :D :D :D ;D ;D ;D

Being on the spanners is a good way to get to know your equipment as i think ppl who dont are more likely to have major downtime as they dont have the knowlage to do a quick fix to get themselves outa a bind and small issues can take days instead of hours ;)

Regards Chris

[ErikC]

 I do my own, like sigidi though, on the swing mill all it is as engine maintenance. The rest is either adjustments or something similar.

[pnyberg]

I do all my own wenching.

Oh, wait, did I misread that?  ;D

[southpaw]

I have pretty simple manual mill I do my own, doesn't mean I know what I'm doing  :D but I can get it to cut good and straight  ;). Also I do most of all my own wrenching on everything  :P ;D  ;).