Woodmizer project. Picture heavy

[Crash277]

Figured I’d start a thread for my new sawmill adventure. Since the BX is going to be helping do the work. started out with a friend needing some help with it, and turned into being able to set it up at my place. It’s a 1985 LT30. Sat outside neglected for quite a few years. I cleaned the carb, swapped the plugs, oil, and filter, it also needed a fuel pump. The Honda 20hp fires now right up. Another friend of mine had some pine and spruce that he isn’t go to get a chance to cut this year, so he sold it all to me for I hope was a good deal..... being sarcastic, i know he wouldn’t screw me over, he also hooked me up with a fuel pump for the price of a few beers! Took me three loads on my flat deck to get it all home and stacked. The little orange shovel moved every log, 2 I couldn’t pick up I will measure them later to get a rough weight estimate. I could curl them so they did make it to the pile. So far I have figured out how to adjust The blade and square it up. First time I fired it up, the blade spun off right away. Now I know how to true it up on the wheels. got 4 cedar logs for free to practice with. Anything cut out of them that’s useless will just go into the woodstove. The first cedar log was cut into a few 1” slats, the rest was cut into 2x4 and the final piece left over is a 4x4 the last piece of lumber on the mill has to be at least 3” because that’s the limit to how low it will cut. the lift chain snapped on the last cut. I’m going to replace the entire chain instead of just the link. I don’t want to have it break again and everything on the machine is rusted up. Some of the pics are in the what did you do thread. A minor oops picture added to the end. Thinking when I take the grill guard off, I may just cut the entire bottom piece off and make it out of thicker steel.

for those of you who operate these things, I’d like suggestions/ recommendations on what to use as lubricants on it. What do I grease the chains with? is there something I can coat the metal on metal pieces that move? Like the main beam for example. For blade coolant everyone around here just runs -45 windshield washer fluid.

 

[lynnmor]

I use this stuff on my motorcycle chain. I'm sure you want a product that won't drip on the wood and this is the best I've used in keeping the motorcycle clean. You probably won't need all three products after the initial application.

 

[DeepWoods]

While you might get some good responses from you questions here on OTT, I suggest you join Forestryforum.com. I have been a member there since 2003 and have have all my questions about my Norwood sawmill answered there. Great bunch of people. Magician, who is on OTT and Forestryforum, can steer you in the right direction. He also has a woodmizer and has been around just about everything when it comes to milling logs, and taking care of mill problems.

To answer your question, I believe atf is the recommended lubricant in your situation, but defer to Magicman, as I have no chains on my Norwood.

 

[Crash277]

I use this stuff on my motorcycle chain. I'm sure you want a product that won't drip on the wood and this is the best I've used in keeping the motorcycle clean. You probably won't need all three products after the initial application.

I have used 3 part products in the past on motorcycles. Once I can get all new chain, I was debating on coating them with sylkoline (not sure I spelt it right) synthetic chain lube. Thats what I used to use on my race bike. Not sure how well it will work only because you’re supposed to apply it to a warm chain. The mill chains will never get warm because if the slow speeds it runs.

 

[Crash277]

While you might get some good responses from you questions here on OTT, I suggest you join Forestryforum.com. I have been a member there since 2003 and have have all my questions about my Norwood sawmill answered there. Great bunch of people. Magician, who is on OTT and Forestryforum, can steer you in the right direction. He also has a woodmizer and has been around just about everything when it comes to milling logs, and taking care of mill problems.

To answer your question, I believe atf is the recommended lubricant in your situation, but defer to Magicman, as I have no chains on my Norwood.

magicman, and I have chatted about it, youre right about him he has already been super helpful!

 

[Magicman]

Use Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) on all of your chains. It does a good job with lubrication plus it does not attract sawdust. I use the yellow bottle for the chains and the clear squirt bottle for the mast and anything else that need lube.

That is my 'cut down' garbage can in the background that holds 10 spare blades.

For blade lube, use the mentioned WWF and add about 2-3oz of Cascade Dish Liquid per gallon. The Cascade adds the necessary cleaning plus it does not make suds while mixing. Use this color jug, not the dark green one.

Thanks for starting a new topic for your new adventure. I posted a Sawmilling thread under the Off Topics board.

 

[Crash277]

The forks I picked up, one was bent so it wouldn’t pick up the pallets. A come along pulled it in, I went past by 2.5” when I released it about 4 hrs later they line up perfectly. Moved some cedars I had in the side yard with them. Then moved my ssqa-v and put my bucket on a pallet. I need 1 more pallet then nothing will ever have to sit on the ground. I wish I got forks the day I Ordered the machine. I got some free pallets with the intention of leaving everything on pallets and off The ground. I waited too long to move the grapple and it took a chunk of frozen earth with it lol. thawed it in the garage and now it’s on a pallet near the mill.

 

[mike0000]

Cool project, I’ll be following your progress.
One of my next tractor purchases will probably be a set of forks. I need to streamline my firewood process. A set of forks would really help.

Mike

 

[Crash277]

Pulled the tongue off the mill, and then used the forks to place the grapple and three heavy logs around it. Hoping that’s enough of a theft deterrent. I am debating on moving it to my side yard so it’s not so easily accessible from the driveway. Means more work for the BX, but running it’s fun. So it wouldn’t be too big of a deal.

 

[Magicman]

Removing the hitch and moving the head to the front makes theft very unlikely. Also leaving a log on the sawmill would serve as a deterrent as would chaining the tires together.

I have never had a thought about my sawmill being stolen and I regularly leave it at my customer's location, sometime for a week or more.

We need some pictures of you sawing and maybe even a "YouTube" video.

 

[Crash277]

Lol,

Removing the hitch and moving the head to the front makes theft very unlikely. Also leaving a log on the sawmill would serve as a deterrent as would chaining the tires together.

I have never had a thought about my sawmill being stolen and I regularly leave it at my customer's location, sometime for a week or more.

We need some pictures of you sawing and maybe even a "YouTube" video.

I will get some pics and hopefully a video in the new year. i do have a small stack of wood drying. Good idea putting the log on it. I didn’t think about that. I did however move the head all the way to the front So it’s harder to lift.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I 'double skid' everything. Bottom one either rots(sumer) or is frozen stuck(winter) so top skid with 'stuff' is always EASY to move...also it helps if ALL skids are the same size,though I've made custom ones for sleds and engine/tranny units.
Saw a 'BOLO' for a Norwood mill like I used to have,cept on a trailer. It was stolen as you can't buy new mills for monhs thanks to the Chinese and their CV19.

 

[Crash277]

New Years even I decided to do some cutting. Managed to cut the cedar with no issues. so I decided to cut a big log I need 2x4s and 2x6s for my garage, I’m getting waves, I was cutting too fast. I need to repair the feed control and replace the 2 springs for it 1 is missing so I was using a bungee cord, the other one is about 90% rust. Hoping to get those today. The boards on the forks, I can get at least 1 2x4 and 1 2x6 10’ long from each. when i squared off the log, I cut a 2” live edge slab off the one side before I started on the 2x9 slabs. Going to make a couple end tables out of it.

this is the second practice log, mill owner told me to get whatever I can out of the cedars as the pieces Will just be used for small projects. My last board has to be 3” because that’s how low it can cut from the deck, so for the large logs I plan on my last cit for each one to be a 4x4.

this was a $10 mistake. I lowered the bars that hold the log, however I forgot to lower the lock and hit the chain. Glad I have 5 blades. I have 2 left to use before I take them to a friend who can sharpen and set them. the going rate is $17/blade he said he will do mine for 10.

the useable fruits of my labor. Ended up with 5 slabs like this. the last piece in the mill will give me 2 4x4s if I can cut them straight. If I cut them wavy I will get a 2x4 and a 4x4. I am debating on using the table saw to square and cut the 2x6s.

even with the learning curve, and making a pile of mistake, I am finding it very satisfying to see trees turned into lumber in my yard. I’m excited to get enough cut to be able to make some thing. It’s a bit of work, but it’s fun.

 

[Magicman]

Wavy lumber is almost always a sign of a dull blade. Blades are either sharp, not sharp, or dull. They should always be pulled off for resharpening when they are not sharp.

Recovering a blade that has hit metal is generally a waste of time and $$.

 

[Crash277]

Wavy lumber is almost always a sign of a dull blade. Blades are either sharp, not sharp, or dull. They should always be pulled off for resharpening when they are not sharp.

Recovering a blade that has hit metal is generally a waste of time and $$.

All the blades were sharpened and set before I got them. So it’s not the blade. It’s me lol

 

[mike0000]

Thanks for posting, Definitely a project I would enjoy.

Mike

 

[Crash277]

Cant post a video. Have to figure that out later. On todays episode of dude learning to sawmill..... a broken set screw was preventing the drive from engaging. I poured a pile of transmission fluid on the chains, wire brushed the drive bars and cleaned them all up. This shaft is going to need to be replaced. I will need to find it, a new sprocket and a new pulley. I did however manage to make 4 straight cuts in a row. So Im getting better. Tomorrow I’m going to attempt to square up the 2” slabs and make some square 2x4s and 2x6s!

 

[Crash277]

More repairs today. The fixed roller guide adjustment nuts were seized so I took it off, and cleaned it up. Works much better now. The floating one, it’s going to need to have the threaded rods cut off and replaced. they are rotten. I will hopefully have the part back in a couple days and I will fire it up and continue to chase problems. I told my friend who owns it that I will return it in better condition than it was when she picked it up. Long story How she got it not really worth knowing.

 

[Thunder chicken]

Nice project! Milling is fun, that’s a great looking little mill! You’ll have it it too too in no time!
What I’ve learnt is…Almost Any time the mill is acting up, it’s the blade! Just sharpened don’t matter. The set could be off. Could have been a crappy sharpen. Could have hit dirt at the first contact. Coulda dulled bouncing in the truck on the way….
Sometimes a frozen log just won’t cut nice.
Somtimes a big ole knotty spruce ( sometimes called a Bull Spruce for being a big ole tree growing out in the open on its own) just won’t cut straight. Frozen seems to make it worse!
Sometimes, Murphy figures you need square firewood!
You can build nice planter boxes or a chicken coop out of some pretty wavy lumber though! It all has a use .
I hope my neighbour will sell me his mill one day

 

[Lil Foot]

I worked weekends one summer for an old guy with a real, old fashion sawmill; two saws, two planers, a shaper, & some other stuff. He was FANATIC about making sure the logs were spotlessly clean and checked with a metal detector before they reached the staging rack. Everybody took a turn cleaning them with a scrub brush & a pressure washer.