Useful sawmill mods

[Bibbyman]

Outstanding! 8)

I think we have another winner!  I've been meaning to work on something like that. 

I was going to mount the female part of a light receiver hitch to the mill and then I could pull the whole thing off when not need. 

Maybe now that WM has offered a retrofit dragback for the LT40 series, they'll finish the job and add the guide.

[ElectricAl]

WScott,

Very nice "mod"  ;)

[DR Buck]

Having never seen one in action, just what does this guide do?   I added the board return mod 2 weeks ago and it works GREAT.   

[pigman]

Dr_Buck
The guide would keep the board on top of the cant while it was being dragged back. On my walk beside mill I just lay my right hand on the board to keep it on the cant.

[DR Buck]

Thanks for the response PIGMAN.   My mill is a walk beside as well and I found the right hand does a good job.

[Bibbyman]

The only thing I have trouble with is when I edge on the mill. It is in the way. Have not figured out how to lift it up out of the way. Have tried a windshield wiper motor, was not strong enough.

wscott,

I'm awake at 1:30am trying to get the cherry sawdust out of my eyes and thinking on your board dragback guides.

I have a couple of thoughts on how to lift the guide up..

The main idea would be to try to take most of the weight off of the motor doing the lifting. 

A couple of ways...

Counterbalance it with some weight like a window weight down one of the sawhead vertical support tubes....... or....maybe assisted lift with a coil spring or two... or I thought maybe one of those gas assist shocks like they use to hold tailgates and hoods open...or...even one of those thingies that pull a storm door back shut  ????

Another thing I though of... How about using something like a power seat forward/back setup?  I've not studied one close up but with the gearing and ACME threads, maybe it'd be slow but it'd be powerful.  (At least the power seat in my Roadmaster pulls my butt back and forth.)

[Randy]

How about a motor/gear off of a kiddy car. They got some awesome tork---and are reversable----I been using one off of a thrown away battery operated kids toy for a year as a Solar Tracker motor for my Solar panels(5ftx10ft). Just took it apart-----cleaned it-----greased it GOOD------modified it some----Works GOOD. Randy

[smwwoody]

Another good way to build the guides is like fireman ed told me they use on the new lt300's.  they use pieces of heavy double roller chain.  this seams like it would be even better than the hinged flat plate since there are many more hindge points on the chain

Woody

[Bibbyman]

Start with a blade tensioning lever as it comes from the Wood-Mizer factory - a little too short and a little too hard to get my big hands around and turn without hitting my knuckles against the sharp edges of the tensioner body or the blade guide arm motor.



Find an extra tall 3/4" (outside) nut.  (or, any such big nut – this is just what I found). Find a slug of steel 1/4" thick by so big and so tall. I found this slug on the floor in my shop. It was 1-1/4"x1". 



Grind a slot across the end of the nut about 3/16" deep.  I used a mill bastard file to square up the bottom and true it up.  It sure would really be nice to have a milling machine.

Take a drift pin and drive the roll pin enough to be able to remove the factory handle but not all the way out.  No need in doing any more work than necessary.

Weld slug into place in the nut and dress down with grinder to fit the slot. (Sorry,  I meant to take a picture of the finished nut assembly and just didn't do it.  But you get the picture anyway.



I used a 3/16" drill bit – the same size as the hole on the tensioner piston – to drill the hole in the new nut assembly.  I positioned the nut assembly in the slot and drilled just enough to make a location mark.  I didn't want risk to increase the size of the hole in the tensioner piston.  I also used a 1/4" drill bit to chamfer the hole on each side so to make it easier to drive the roll pin back in.

I assembled the new nut assembly to the tensioner piston by driving the roll pin back in.



Tested with a 3/4" boxed end wrench that clears nicely all the way around for a full cycle turn and gives twice the leverage.  The wrench fits very solid on the extra tall nut. 

FYI,  I don't plan to leave the wrench on when sawing.  As we have a stationary mill, it's no problem to have the wrench hanging on the wall.  If you saw mobile,  then you probably want to do some more thinking.  If you make this mod, you may want to make a holder to store a dedicated tool so you'll always have it with you.

[Gilman]

Thanks Bibby,
That tensioner handle has been bugging me too.  I don't think I'll do the wrench handle because I've already lost my wrench, but at least make the handle big and round, or knoby or something.

[Rockn H]

E-Al,  

Looks like a lot less water would be pulled into the cant with your mod. I'd like to know if you noticed any improvement or detriment in the performance of the water/detergent to clean the blade when the tube was relocated after the cant?  

My '91 md LT40 seems to be factory with the water coming out on the stationary side.  It works good but I always figured the factory must have moved it on later models for some reason.  Am I wrong.  Does anyone know what side the '91 was on?

[Tom]

The hose was on the "pull wheel" side.  My '90 was the same.  I liked it there because the hose was shorter and didn't get in the way of everything.  I think it was moved to the Idle wheel side in '94.  I remember asking why and never got a good answer.  "Somebody figured it would work better on that side", I think was what I was told.  :D

[MemphisLogger]

Mine came with the water on the drive side too--I thought the previous owner just had it hooked up wrong and changed it 

I do believe it makes less mess having it on the idle side and cleans sap off the blade much more better  ;D

[ElectricAl]

Rockn H,

Our 93 came with the water lube on the idle side.  I did not like the hose in my view and it got hung up in some cuts. By moving the hose to the drive side those problems were solved.  Also water consumption was reduced by more than 1/2.

Sometime watch how much water bounces off the band on the idle side.

Watering on the drive side applies the water right in front of the blade guide roller. The roller spreads the water across the entire band.

The only draw back to drive side water is that wet dust builds up under the drive wheel in the housing.  But it can quickly be cleaned while changing blades.

It really is an operators choice.

[Kirk_Allen]

Having come across many jobs where the customer has SHORT logs I knew I needed to modify my lifting hooks.  Today, while having my neighbor weld a bracket back on my turner he also took care of my mod.  Its so nice having folks close that are willing to help out.  I give them firewood and he was kind enough to take care of my welding and even provided the steel!

With a little grinding and modifying the lower support arm everthing now fits like a glove. Now I have to come up with a way to stop the logs from falling between the bunks and the tire.  I think a couple peices of steal that rest over the two center bunks and onto the main bar on the hooks would allow the log to roll right onto the mill.







About all I did was the paint work!   8)

[Bibbyman]

8)GREAT! 8)
What was the specs on the angle you used?  Looks pretty heavy.

I had about the same idea but was going to make it welded to the a couple of short sectios of tube steel so it could be slipped over the "toes" of the lifting arms.  This would keep with my goal of not welding on the mill itself - and could be slipped off when not used.

As our mill does not have axles OR wheels,  I could just put two in..

[Kirk_Allen]

I used a peice of 1/4" 3x2 angle iron.  Strong enough to not give under heavy weight but light enough that I barley notice the wieght when lifting the hooks for traveling.  Other than the dimensions I dont know what kind of steel it was.  I could find out as the guy is a welder by traid. 

I lined up the 3" face parallel to the hooks.  The back 2" side would hit the bottom support so we ground out that section so that it fits snug and the hooks can go all the way down like they are supposed to.

[Randy]

I don't have a Pic, but what I use is 2 1" solid boards about 10"to 12" wide 8ft long. One goes flat down the other side-butts that one also leaning against the tire, So when you pick up the loader the short log don't roll off on the tire side/ or inside of the loader. If its a bigger piece that wants to roll back off(if working by myself) I will place a third board on the front side after I roll the short log on. Hey I am Cheap------------ :D--------------and this works Good and is removable. Maybe if I had a 2ft to 3ft in dia. I might have to use some steel. Randy

[Bibbyman]

Randy,

That's the way we handle it..  But we don't keep a borad around until we need one.  Then we grab what ever's handy.  I think a couple of good ash boards at least 6' long would work just dandy.  They'd be light yet strong.

But filling in the holes in the arms is a good perminet answer.

[Kirk_Allen]

I used to simply grab a pice of slab wood and use that to hold the short logs but that got old fast on these last two or three cutting jobs. 

This is permanent!

[Bibbyman]

I forget who's got-em... Have you got the 4-powered back support kit yet?

If you're sawing that many short logs,  you'll really appreciate them.

I seen a new LT40 Super down in Mt. Vernon, MO at their open house factory fitted with four powered back supports.  A dream come true for me..  Of all the design suggestions I've made to WM,  this is the first one that they have implemented.

I asked Archey how the field kits were saleing and he said they couldn't make them fast enough.

[Kirk_Allen]

Yes I have them and they are a HUGE time saver!  Thanks for the all the hard work in making the first one Bibby.  I am SO GLAD WM listned to you!   ;D

[SawDust_Studios]

Bibbyman,

What are the field kits?  Did a search, but couldn't find anything.

Dave

[Bibbyman]

Wood-Mizer came out in 2005 with a number of retrofit kits for the older Wood-Mizer mills.

The short list includes a board drag-back for the standard LT40 - not offered before.

Bolt-on hydaulic loading arms for maual LT40s,

and the four powed back support kit for all hydraulic LT30/40 mills.



Here is a prototype set of what you get in the kit.  It should be bolt-in but a few people had to do some "fine tuneing"..

Follow this link to some talk about them...

New from Wood-Mizer 2005!

[SawDust_Studios]

Bib,

THANKS!!

I actually already got those about 2 weeks ago. I have everything installed, except for the retro for the backstops.  I also finally put on an AUTOCLUTCH.  This is #2 for me next to the debarker.

I thought perhaps when you said field kits, WM finally put together a kit of commonly needed parts for repair, replacement in the field.

THANKS!

Dave