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Lucas 618 (yet again...)

Started by chep, October 03, 2012, 05:23:02 PM

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chep

I still have not been able to get my lucas mill dialed in.  :(

So i decided to put the slabber on to see if that was working any better. well. nope. It slabs pretty good till the middle of the log (same trend as the blade), which I have supported in 3 places, and have my center stay attached to the rail. Then it makes the bar turn into a rainbow, rails appear to drop.

Got any suggestions?  I am going nice and slow, and I dont think the cut is diving, I think its a bigger issue.

Thanks in advance

logboy

It sounds like your rails are not parallel to one another, like one corner is low, and the whole thing is twisted. In fact, I'm almost positive they are off since I just looked back on your previous thread's photos.  Here is what I said there in August (in case you missed it):

QuoteI was just taking a closer look at the photos posted.   Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me or the pictures are deceiving, it looks as though the uprights and rails are not parallel to one another.  It looks like one of the corners actually dips.  As the Lucas manual states, the rails must be parallel to one another.   They do not necessarily have to be level,  but they must be parallel to prevent twisting of the saw from one end of the log to the other.  This too can induce binding and make it harder to saw.  I always bring a 6 foot level with me when I am setting up on a new site.  I set it across the power head's frame, level one upright, then roll it to the opposite end and level that upright.  This is perhaps a bit more than is necessary,  but I have found that it alleviates a lot of potential headaches.   After all,  when I'm sawing I have enough to worry about as it is.  If you are on a site where leveling it is just not possible,  at the very least lower it down to the ground and look at the rails from a distance to make sure they are parallel with one another.
I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

chep

wow! It just got dark, but leading up til dark I was out tinkering... one corner was high, upon setup something jammed. things fell into place right at dark.

I will update when I get a chance. thanks logboy yet again!

chep

ok,
been out in the drizzle trying to figure this out. The twist issue seems to be in my up down controller. On the crank arm side, when cranking the rail raises about 1 inch before engaging the left hand rail. So as of right now, every time I raise up or down there is a one inch twist in the system.
  I have taken that end of the mill apart and put it back together several times, but the one inch is still there. How do I adjust the up/down so that the rails are rising in sync?

thanks in advance

logboy

Lower it all the way down. Pull the pin on the side opposite the crank arm. Lower the crank arm as far as you can. Try and reinsert the pin again. Pull both pins if you have to and rotate it 90 degrees.

Honestly though 1 inch of difference from one side to the other is not enough to make it bind. It needs to be like a foot or so different between corners before you notice it. Mine is off by a couple inches just because Ive been too lazy to fix it, and i never saw with the mill all the way down (I saw on 6x6s). You have something else going on. Did you try to level it (using an actual level) side to side like I said (do this with the mill raised at least a couple inches)?   When you roll the powerhead from one end to the other, does it seem wobbly, like its only on 3 wheels? Thats another dead giveaway. The fact you said both your slabber and swinger are binding in the middle tells me its the same prob affecting both. It might be other things, like dull blades (both your slabber chain and blade). Or they are both out of adjustment (check your manual to see how the blade pattern on the lumber should look)

I really wish I had a trip coming up that would bring me that far out east. I would come figure it out for you. It bugs the heck out of me knowing there is a Lucas out there that isnt performing as it should.
I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

logboy

I just thought of something else. When you lower the upright that is opposite the one that the powerhead is near/on, put your knee on it for weight as you lower it. The weight of the rails alone is not enough to drop it sometimes. What happens is it can hang up in the air until you get midway down the rails while sawing/slabbing. Then in the middle of a log it suddenly drops from the weight of the powerhead, and the mill seems to be cutting in mid air. 
I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

Nomad

     Chep, it sounds to me like you have one lift chain that isn't adjusted correctly.  You may need to remove the chain on the off side and slip it a tooth on the sprocket to get it back where it can be adjusted.
Buying a hammer doesn't make you a carpenter
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Lucas DSM23-19

Meadows Miller

Gday

Like J.R we want your Lucas running well and we wont stop till we do Mate  ;) The boys have covered coverd just about everything are your lift chains slack or taught  ??? dont over tighten them though as you still want alittle slack in them are the holes that the clip pins go through round or do they have an oval shape even if they are it wont affect prefomance much  ;)My trick is on down shifts take the light end down about 1/2 to 1" and come back upto your size as it eliminates rail drop on that end as the weight of the head moves along the rails even on the head end ill do it but only 1/4 then back up to your size just makes everything accurate sets  ;)

also how many hrs dose your mill have on it  ??? as J.R said check the saw angles are critical and if someones before you has played with them without knowing what they are doing it can cause you all sorts of dramas but its easy to fix Mate  ;)

& heres a quick fix for the inch out on paralell though just lift n kick a short inch board under that corner to raise it thats all I do and I also sight my rails from about 20' back  ;) also with the center support posts Ill only use them on long stuff over 20' or when slabbing wide stuff to make  the rail more rigid to sideways movement  ;) they can hang also form time to time if you do not unlock them fully  ;)

Regards Chris
4TH Generation Timbergetter

chep

thanks for the replies, they are all helpful and encouraging.

Ok, now I did the adjust the blade on the circle saw, so that the blade patterns were correct. Should it automatically be the same for the slabber? Or does it have to change?


Do the holes on the horizontal pipe stablilizer (overhead on rail to another) wear over time, get larger and have play?


chep

Well, sheepishly I finally got the baileys video on the mill and it has been of great help. Answering most of the questions I have posted on this subject. I thank you all for your patience... I will update with progress. Gotta get my cutters sharp and my saws doctored!

logboy

9 times out of 10 if the mill isnt cutting correctly, the blade is dull. Stop and resharpen. Its not like it takes long.
I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

chep

Logboy,
  The advice on the mill not lowering as planned was the ticket. It was jamming and then releasing (rail dropping mid cut)... Now I push down the far rail every time and it seems to have eliminated that problem. I simply couldnt put my finger on it, then you did! 8)  Is there a solution to that problem... or just the ol knee trick?

logboy

You can use your knee, or buy the dedicated slabber and keep it on the other end like I do.   ;D I like to drop it further than I need it, and crank it back up a little bit so I know its not floating.

The problem is when the mill is out on the extensions, its actually trying to pry up like a lever on the opposite end. Basic physics. Sure, the rails could be made heavier so they drop. But then it wouldn't be quite as portable.

Now that you have that problem fixed, how is everything else?
I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

chep

I leveled up the bar using according to the Lucas video, then I filed up my chains and its cutting nice. I just have to make sure that the rails drop. I Have a pretty good size maple crotch that I want to load up and slab. That should be the real test... If successful, Ill post a pic!
'
My circle saw blades are on the way to Maine to get doctored, so I cant tell about those yet. But this morning was really encouraging.

logboy

You have a big maple to slab up, huh?  ;D
(I had to unlatch and pick up one end of the rail to slide that 6' tall bugger in there.)



Make sure you take photos!
I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

chep

Logboy. You win! Your maple is wayyyy bigger. Mine was 31 inches at its widest point. It made some nice slabs though. Neat figure and some great burly bits


chep


logboy

With beautiful wood like that size doesnt matter.  I just talked to a guy last night who has a 50" maple he wants me to saw. Hopefully it isnt full of metal.

Since you are slabbing, I want to make sure you are set up for success when it comes to your chains since they are easy to sharpen incorrectly.



If you look at the above image (if its not too grainy, I need to find a better image) it looks like they want you to grind the chain with a top plate filing angle of 10-15 degrees and a side angle of 75 degrees.  The top plate angle is correct.  They come 15 from the factory. 10 will keep its edge longer, but doesnt cut quite as fast.  The side angle is where people get mixed up (myself included). The correct "side angle" is 50 degrees (what you set your grinder at). It will cut terrible if you grind it to 75.  It seems that manufacturers of chain and grinders interchange the names "side" and "top" so they arent always talking about the same thing.

I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

logboy

I grabbed and cropped a better image from the Oregon manual.

I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

terrifictimbersllc

Quote from: logboy on October 10, 2012, 01:25:18 PM
I grabbed and cropped a better image from the Oregon manual.


What settings on a chain grinder, correspond to 2) and 3) in this diagram?
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

beenthere

Quote from: logboy on October 10, 2012, 01:25:18 PM
I grabbed and cropped a better image from the Oregon manual.
..................

Hopefully with copyright permission.  Otherwise the FF might get in trouble. ;)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

logboy

QuoteHopefully with copyright permission.  Otherwise the FF might get in trouble.

Its covered under the "fair use doctrine" since we are using an excerpt for discussion purposes. And I cited that it was from the Oregon manual.

QuoteWhat settings on a chain grinder, correspond to 2) and 3) in this diagram?



On a grinder, #2 is set by the angle of the grinder head (on the back).  #3 is set by the width and shape (edges) of the grinding wheel.  #4 is set by the angle of the chain vise, right or left. #5 is also set by the chain vise by loosening the knob underneath and rocking the base forward or back, up to 10 degrees in either direction.

Something else I forgot to mention about the 27RX slabbing chain. Take your rakers down to .050. Otherwise you'll wear your arms out pushing. There are guys who grind them completely off when using the slabber attachment on the big 1030 (30hp) mills. Thats seems a bit excessive to me and may put a bit more stress on everything (but hey, if it works and you have the power, have at it). I run .050 on my 9 chains with the 16 hp engine on the dedicated slabber and have never had an issue.




I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

sigidi

Quote from: logboy on October 04, 2012, 09:58:34 PM
It bugs the heck out of me knowing there is a Lucas out there that isnt performing as it should.

Me too Logboy, you got pretty much all of this covered, I recall I mentioned something similar about the setup not being level from the pics.

One thing I'd like to add about the saddles binding on the uprights, to stop having any issues I make sure on the end that doesn't have the carriage I wind at least an inch below the desired measurement. Also it pays dividends to clean the upright posts once in a while. I make a point of doing it each twice a year, either rubbing down the uprights with a petrol soaked rag or hitting it with a pressure washer, also once a month I give the uprights, chains and gears a spray with silicone - at the same time I silicone the sideshift winder chain and the rear of the carriage where the white nylon block runs.

Been under a cloud of crud last few weeks, but out in the sun now and back at it ;D 8)
Always willing to help - Allan

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