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Wood-Mizer hydraulic bed extensions.

Started by Dave Shepard, February 16, 2013, 12:57:23 PM

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Dave Shepard

I am interested in a hydraulic BX24 and a have a few questions. I know WM doesn't list such a thing, but there is at least one, customsawyer's. I have a friend that recently was able to get a rough price on a BX24 with the LT50 backstop and turners, but nothing "official". My questions are:

Will WM make an extension with hydraulics and the rails drilled to order? I need the hitch end to be drilled as an extension and the other end drilled like a mill to accept another extension.

How are people, or I guess just Customsawyer,  :D powering the hydraulics on the extension?

Would the clamps and turners be synchronized or operated individually?



Hydraulic BX12 in Europe:

I don't know why they would cut up that beautiful log into a timber and then make 2X's out of it. ::) I see they have one big valve box to run everything.

http://youtu.be/EkfqUmp4Wrs
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Jim_Rogers

Jim Clarke from Ashfield, MA had a 24' bed extension. It was a trailer, as he could remove the hitch end and then attach it to his mill.
He had hydraulic loader and something else, like toe boards or back stops, I can't remember now.
He has passed on now. I never heard who bought his equipment.
But he used to use his bed extension as a trailer to deliver lumber on.
I believe he setup a set of control handles and ran the bx hydraulics off a car battery.
I think everything was separate from his LT40 mill. I seem to recall some type of extra box welded on to hold the battery. It would work for a while and then you'd have to charge it up again.

I can't find a picture of it up close and personal.

So that's the best I can tell you.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Bibbyman

Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Al_Smith

Dave what on earth do have up your sleeve now ? You've already in the  past cut some of the longest timbers I've ever heard done on a portable bandsaw .

customsawyer

I set my hyd. up different. I installed another valve bank under the edge of the roller table that sets at the end of my mill. The levers are the same sequence as on the mill. To operate my mill hyd. my hand faces one way to operate the ext. hyd. I just have to turn my hand around. I will try to find some pics of it.
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

Bibbyman

Did it come from Wood-Mizer with plumbing installed?
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

customsawyer

All of the cylinders were there but I ran the hyd. hoses.
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

Dave Shepard

Bibbyman, I did talk to WM in New York, and they hadn't heard of such a thing.

Al, my extension does not have hydraulics, and being basically an LT40 manual bed frame, it cannot accept the two plane clamp. I also need at least a little more cutting length, so I figure I'll put another 24' hydraulic extension in the middle. 69' should do the job.  ;D I want to be the guy to go to for long timbers or resawing.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Al_Smith

69 feet wow .You aren't going to roll that one with a cant hook .

Bibbyman

I would think Wood-Mizer would supply you with a "kit" of sorts out of parts.  You would assemble and adapt as needed. 

Wood-Mizer has all kinds of things that are not cataloged.  I once bought a claw log turner kit.   

I once even talked to them about buying an LT70 head to put on our LT40 frame. They were ready to quote.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Dave Shepard

My friend was quoted a price for an LT50 mill without the saw head. This would work, provided the hitch end has the rails drilled for the dowel pins.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Peter Drouin

Quote from: Dave Shepard on February 16, 2013, 08:46:22 PM
Bibbyman, I did talk to WM in New York, and they hadn't heard of such a thing.

Al, my extension does not have hydraulics, and being basically an LT40 manual bed frame, it cannot accept the two plane clamp. I also need at least a little more cutting length, so I figure I'll put another 24' hydraulic extension in the middle. 69' should do the job.  ;D I want to be the guy to go to for long timbers or resawing.

Well dave that should work 69' good luck to ya :)
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

customsawyer

I am working off of memory but I think the ext. has the holes to keep on adding ext. to it. I have another 12' ext. that I keep on hand for when that customer calls wanting longer than I can cut. We all know that call is coming. I am going to post the video that Mooseherder made of my mill. In the beginning of the video you can see my hand working the hyd. and the roller table it is attached to. The claw turner can be seen working under the log a little later in the video. You don't ever get a good look at the hyd. levers but I will try to get a pic of them tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Q_lwnVIuRq0
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

pineywoods

If the ends of the rails aren't drilled, it's not much of a problem to drill them IF you look up slingshot's post on how to make a jig to do it. I made one and have drilled 3 mills and 1 extension.. worked good...


 



 
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

customsawyer

Here is a couple of pics. of how I have my hyd. controls mounted for my ext.



 

This is from above the mill looking back at the roller table.



 
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

james927

Quote from: Jim_Rogers on February 16, 2013, 04:06:17 PM
Jim Clarke from Ashfield, MA had a 24' bed extension. It was a trailer, as he could remove the hitch end and then attach it to his mill.
He had hydraulic loader and something else, like toe boards or back stops, I can't remember now.
He has passed on now. I never heard who bought his equipment.
But he used to use his bed extension as a trailer to deliver lumber on.
I believe he setup a set of control handles and ran the bx hydraulics off a car battery.
I think everything was separate from his LT40 mill. I seem to recall some type of extra box welded on to hold the battery. It would work for a while and then you'd have to charge it up again.

I can't find a picture of it up close and personal.

So that's the best I can tell you.

Jim Rogers

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I had to reply to this. I'm James Clarke, Jim's son, and my brother and I have his mill as well as two more! I found this thread looking for how too connect two of my Woodmizers together, an LT40 and an LT70 Wide. The 70 with engine driven hydraulics can't go down two tracks, so the 40 would do all the cutting, which is funny to me.

My mom used to work with my dad, so her or his best friend would be able to let me know how it's done connecting two mills.

And our dad's mill he had when he passed away, a 1998 LT40 Super, is our stationary mill now. My brother actually attached an auxiliary battery on it so he can run the hydraulics whenever. So that method would work to run a bed extension that looks like a mill with no head. Just park the mill head on the bed extensions power strip to recharge the battery. If anyone has questions on it, ask me and I'll make my brother explain all of that!

If any of you knew my dad, I'd love to hear any stories, and I'll post how hooking my mills together goes.

Thanks,
James Clarke
The J Team

4x4American

Boy, back in my day..

Dave Shepard

Welcome to the Forestry Forum! I believe I met your dad at Hancock Shaker Village quite a few years ago. He was checking out the timber framing class that Jack Sobon and Dave Carlon were teaching. Was his business Igloo Charlie's Woodsman, or something like that? Then I think  I saw him demonstrating at the Cummington Fair, as well.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

customsawyer

Welcome to the forum James. Check with WoodMizer they should be able to send you the connecting block and pins that go between the two mills.
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

Jim_Rogers

I sawed several weekend with Jim Clark at the timber framers guild event in Great Barrington at the Gould Farm project.

He connected the 24' extension to the mill there to cut 40' rafters or something like that.

Here is one of his trailer/extension:


 

When we used the old system there was a large steel block we'd bolt in the end of the mill that the extension would hook to. Jim Clark showed me how he improved this by adding a bolt through the block to stop it from shifting around.

Here is the block with the bolt through it:



 

And here is the hold through the mill end for the bolt:



 

I'm not sure if that's my hand in the picture or Jim Clark's.

Anyway, I improved my bed extension connections by drilling out my round rails and putting the alignment pins in it.
If you haven't done that you yours you could read my story about how I did it.
And I wrote a story showing step by step how to hook up a bed extension to the mill and posted that here on this forum.

Great to hear from you boys, and I hope you all are doing well.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Chuck White

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, james927.
~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!

Magicman

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, james927.  I see that you have been around a year, but you have been mighty quiet.  You have much to offer here.    smiley_gossip
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

james927

Exactly, Dave. Igloo Charlie's Woodsmen. The name is after my grandfather's boy scout troop.

And I definitely remember the Gould Farm barn raising. We must have been around 9 years old. We made a fort out of all the cutoffs from the beams.

And I'll show my brother the modifications we would need to do to the rails, he's the mechanic, so it'll be easy enough for him.

And I'll try to be more active on FF, my brother used to be on it a lot but we've been so busy with the new mill!

james927

I managed to find the Gould farm barn raising website. It's down now, but the Wayback Machine website lets you view old sites:

https://web.archive.org/web/20101130064015/http://tfguild.org/workshops/gouldfarm/gouldjuly15.html

And we were at the Cummington Fair last fall. It was a lot of fun and we'll be back this year as well!

Andries

Hey!
Wunnerful. We can see the mill that has the hydraulic extension in the thread provided.

Very cool. http://tfguild.org/workshops/gouldfarm/gouldjuly16.html That was way back in the day.
... and our very own Jim Rogers was there at the TFG Reunion, with the same mill that he has in very recent postings.

Very very double cool.
So, as a sawmilling fool (me) that has built extensions to 52 feet for his LT30, isn't there someone that we can follow up with to figure out how that clever guy (Jim/James Clarke) hooked hydraulics up to his extensions?
Just wondering here folks, just to kinda bump this thread back to Dave Shepard's OP?
LT40G25
Ford 545D loader
Stihl chainsaws

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