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Edging on Woodmizer questions

Started by nopoint, April 16, 2017, 07:57:02 AM

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nopoint

I recently aquired a very used lt 40 diesel mill from an Amish neighbor. Interesting because it has been retrofitted for air log handling as the Amish in our area do not believe in hydraulics. That's beside the point, I'm looking for tips on edging. I have been setting a 4x4 on the mill and then using the air (used to be hydraulic clamp) to hold boards against it. I usually saw Alone and have struggled with this. The boards will clamp in crooked or slide before they are clamped in.  Without the 4x4 they tend to bow when clamped. Suggestions? What are you all doing. I really didn't need a sawmill and don't really want to invest more in a dedicated edger.

On a side note:Was joking with my Amish neighbor David when it took him 6 months or so to saw a dozen or so logs that I had taken him, that I would have to buy my own sawmill. He said great idea and ended up selling me this mill that he was replacing with an lt70. Now he is sending me small jobs as he is months out on custom sawming. I really don't have time to get into sawing professionally but do really enjoy it.

Chuck White

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, nopoint!
~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!

dgdrls

Welcome Nopoint,
No choice on your path now!, words out you have a mill :D

D


4x4American

That's great.  Would love to see a vidja of the pneumatic log handling to see how fast it is.  Sounds like a good relationship you have with David.  As per edging when I used to edge on the mill the only time I set dunnage on the saw to aid in clamping was if I only had 1 board to edge that was thinner than the clamp could grab.  But what I would do is when I was taking flitches off, instead of walking up and removing them, I would use the biplane clamp bring it all the way in and pick up and dump the flitches onto the loader arms.  Give the loader arms a jiggle and most times the boards will slide down.  Then, when it comes time to edge, instead of trying to balance the boards up against the fence, just get them how you want them and let them fall over, or just stack them with the up side of the boards facing the loader arms.  Then come in under the outside most board and pick up/in conjunctionally and willy wack em up in place.  Then ba-booom get on with the progrum.  If u aren't picking upbwhat I'm putting down I can try and make u a vidja.  Btw even if you got the small single blade edger from WM you'll be further ahead.  Just keep your eyes peeled for a used one, eh
Boy, back in my day..

YellowHammer

Lots of ways to do it, but I take all the boards I'm going to edge and push them to the loader arms, where they accumulate for every log.
Then, when ready to edge, lift the loader arms up, and the pack of flitches will slide unto the deck in one big pile.  Then use the two plane to push them against the side supports and stand them up.  Clamp them, no need to use too much force, and then edge them.  Since I have the drababck with fingers, the fingers will keep the edging from falling off the left side of the mill.  Then when the head clears the edgings, raise the backstop about halfway, and then remove the edging slivers.  As I'm removing the edgings, standing in the left side of the mill, I grab the top edge of the whole pile of boards and tug them back against the backstops , and it will cause their bottom edges to slide out in one movement.  Then use the two plane to grab the bottoms, pull the whole pack out, and they will fall to the deck.  Then use the two plane again to stand them up and push them against the backstops again, to repeat the edging process.  Remove the second set of edging slivers by hand, leave the pack standing on its edge, release the clamp a little to let the boards slide (don't let them fall to the deck horizontally) and then use the drag back to pull the whole pack, as if it was one cant, back to the outfeed table in one big wad of boards.  Very little handling of the flitches during the whole process, and it goes relatively fast.  About the only hand touching is removing the edgings and the one tug on the edging pack to kick them out. 
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

barbender

I'm waiting for the vidja. The way I do it looks like I'm wrestling greased pigs :D
Too many irons in the fire

WV Sawmiller

Nopoint,

   I generally throw my flitches on the loader arms then when I get the cant down to under 4" (if edging to 4" wide boards) or just under 6" (if edging 6" wide) then I edge using the cant to keep a taller, square surface. When I am done edging I go ahead and saw the cant to the rails.

   A trick I learned from Marty Parsons at a local Sawmill Conference last year was when edging a single 4/4 board to lay a 1X4 or 1X6 down and clamp against the 1" height. (A 2X4 or 2X6 would actually work better but we were cutting 4/4 at the time.) This works great because it keeps pressure the whole length of the flitch instead of just at the clamp points (keeps it from wanting to bow under clamp pressure). If the 1X4 has some bow in it put the bow against the movable clamp. Of course for this you have to have already squared one edge for the flitch to lay flat on the rails.

   I used to gang edge but had the same issue with off-square cuts and flitches trying to jump out of the clamps etc.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

drobertson

Quick slapping clamping , especially on thinner boards can and will scew the saw line, ease into the clamping of flitches  with a safe but adequate back support. Only do what will clean up with two cuts per flip, till you get your system and process down. An extra  pass beats a fouled band blade any day. Its possible, in time you will have it down. Then multiple flitches can be added to the mix when you are ready. I like to flip back to the stops rather than flip out and down and back . this way the clamp can flip and slide heavy flitches, 
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

petefrom bearswamp

I use all of the above methods a different times as the moods strikes me.
Edging is my least favorite part of sawing just behind sawing alone and slab handling
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

nopoint

Thanks for all the responses. I have lots to learn, working on appropriate terminoligy so I don't sound like an idiot. I will get some pictures of the air setup one of these days and post. Not sure that a video is in my ability. I don't have loader arms so some of those tips I won't be able to follow through on but others I will be trying out.  I have the mill set up stationary with a makeshift log deck. I usually have a telehandler or skid steer around so that's not a big deal. Someday I might get an edger but for now my wife says I have bought an excessive amount of equipment lately. I would like to spend more time sawing but this time of year is very hectic. Full time job, construction business and a bit of farming here and there keep me hoping in the spring. I'll get some pics if I get back before dark.
Thanks

WV Sawmiller

Nopoint,

  If I did not have loader arms I would set me up a couple of sawhorses beside/behind the mill and throw the unedged flitches on them. Attached below is a simple sturdy design for sawhorses I found on the internet and use around the mill and lumber yard. If there is 3' of 2X4 left on a runout this is a good use for them. Instead of 2X4s I use scrap 1X4 or 1X6 for the stringers/stretchers.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

nopoint

 

 
I added a couple photos of my setup to my album. It was real sunny and hard to get good shots. Let's see if this works.


 

First of a couple of the air cylinders and the second of  a bit bigger view.

nopoint


4x4American

That is really neat.  I like their take on the toeboards.  I'm guessing it was originally a non-hydraulic mill that they added pneumatics to?
Boy, back in my day..

nopoint

Not too sure exactly what they started with on this mill. I do know that they purchased a brand new lt70 to replace it and replaced all the hydraulics with air. They are running three mills, a couple kilns, molders etc. some interesting engineering in place. Even built their own slab planer that will handle a 36" slab.

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