I'm having issues

[STLfirewood]

Ok I just got my new to me woodmizer lt15 setup. I got it leveled and up and running. I milled a few boards and I'm trying to get the hand of it. I think I have my blade tension wrong. When I tried to mill this Hickory log the blade started to "dive" into the wood. I backed out and tightened the blade a little. I lowered the cut and cut through the log. After I cut the first slab off I cut a 2" slab. The 2 inch slab is kind of wavy if you rub your hand across it. One end of the slab is 2" the whole width. The other is 2" on one side and 2 3/16 on the other. The Machine works great and I am happy with the cutting speed but I need to figure these problems out. I have the blade on that it came with. I have some brand new blades also. Could my problem just be a bad blade? Thanks for the input. Here are a couple pics of what I have done.

Scott

 

[STLfirewood]

More pics

 

[Mike Van]

Scott, some of my 2 cent's - Did you get a book with it? If not, Woodmizer can get you one, from what I've read they have good service. Do your setup according to the book, guides, wheels, etc. I'd like to see people pick something like pine for a first log, 14" dia. or so - Hickory is one of the toughest ones out there. One pic shows you have a blade with messed up set, all the lines across the board. If you have a brand new, never used blade, try to set up with that. When you get it good, take that blade off & save it. When problems come back someday [they will] You can put that blade on and know if it's machine or blade. Big learning curve here, feed speed, engine speed, tension, set & sharpness of blade are a few.

 

[STLfirewood]

Thank you. My brother n law has the book. I will go through and reset the machine. I did cut an oak log before the hickory it cut really nice. I can tell I'm going to like this mill I just have to get it set and learn to use it. Thank you for the advice.

Scott

 

[Mike Van]

I can't stress blade sharpness enough Scott - Like the sawchain, you'll see the little glint on the tip of the tooth? Well, then it's past 'dull' and gone to 'useless' One of the best moves I ever made was buying a Cooks sharpener a few years ago - Nothing beats a sharp blade, you can't even hear it go into the log.

 

[STLfirewood]

It came with 7 new blades so I will try one.

Thanks

 

[Ted J]

I got my new LT15 about three weeks ago. The video that came with it mentions to enter the cut slow until the full width of the blade is into the wood, which should prevent the blade from diving, pushing the blade into the wood too fast could cause the blade to pitch, giving you all sorts of problems.

Have fun,
Ted

 

[MotorSeven]

Scott, from the pic's it loos like a dull blade or the wrong tooth set. I don't know what set is recomended for hickory as I am also new to the LT15. Are you shortening the throat for each different width of cuts? Are you tensioning the blade correctly?(to the edge of the washer that's in front of the rubber spacer) Also, add some Dawn dishwashing detergent to the water as it can help on some stuborn wood.
I had the same trouble with Jack Pine and the set was the number one recomended thing to try after all of the above.

RD

 

[Mike Van]

I've had blades with as low as .014 cut dry hardwood [like locust] just fine. That same blade in a softwood log will dive so bad you'll have trouble getting it out.. Softwood's need .022 to .025 to do a good job. Running a blade past dull will push the set right out of the teeth. The duller a blade, the more heat there is, the faster the band will expand, the quicker your tension setting is gone. The blade is supposed to be pulled into the cut by the drive wheel, not pushed by the idler side. When you go into the end of a log too fast, the drive wheel will slow, but the idler still has the inertia to try to push the blade, so the blade actually slacks off where it's between the wheels in the cut. This causes a lousey start to your cut - Rise, dive, whatever. If you let it catch up, and all's right with your blade/machine/stc, the cut will go back where it belongs. If all is not right, the waves will continue all down the log.

 

[STLfirewood]

Thank you guys very much I will try a new blade.

Scott

 

[elliott]

STL, have a look at this link:

www.suffolkmachinery.com/troubleshooting.asp

and this:

www.suffolkmachinery.com/six_rules.asp


It has some good information.

 

[redprospector]

Hard to tell without being there to watch what the blade's doing in the cut in person. But it looks like (to me) that there could possibly be too much set in the blade for that wood. The set in a band blade is so the sawdust spilling over the gullet will have enough room to get by the back of the blade, but close enough that it will stabilize the back of the blade. If the back has too much room it can do some funny thing's.
One set won't do for every log, much less every species of log, or size of log. Big learning curve here. I've been band milling for 14 years, and I'm still learning.

Andy

 

[Backwoods]

I sharpen my own saws, so when a saw first starts to show signs that it is under performing. I change the saw then and there. Nothing seems to be harder on the saw and machine then trying to make a few extra cuts. The wood will show signs of it like what you are seeing. If I put a resharpened saw on and it reacts the same way then I will stick a new saw on, if the problem goes away then it was the saw, if not then I need to look farther into the problem. I start with the guides as they are the old style with side-to-side rollers rather then top and bottom rollers and the proper adjustment is sensitive. To tight and the arm binds up, to loose and the guide arm flops around. When I first got my mill, used, the guide arm was out of adjustment, the guide rollers were worn at a taper, the idler wheel bearing was shot, along with a whole list of other problems.
I am not familiar with the tensioning system on the LT-15, check the book or with woodmizer to find out what to set your mill at, and be consistent with that setting. I run 60 lb in the air bag on my mill. I was trouble shooting a problem with the saw tracking to far back on the wheel and taking the set out of one side of the saw, woodmizer recommended that I boost the pressure to 80 lb with the saw running. I made it to 70 lb and the saw jumped off the wheel. Changed the wheel bearing and solved that problem. The moral of the story is that if you are having a problem with the machine give woodmizer a call and they will help you troubleshoot it over the phone.

 

[excess650]

some things to try:

(1)Verify that the blade is level with each of the bunks(side to side) from end to end of the mill. Do this by measuring from the bunk to a positive or negative tooth with the throat wide open.

(2) check the tilt on the bandwheels; ideally, the bandwheels should have 1/16"-1/8" tilt with the top leaning forward, and even from side to side

(3) are your guides adjustable? The blade should ride with the rear of the blade 1/16" from touching the shoulder on the guide. If you have fully adjustable guides, you should have the capability of controlling the blade.

(4) are you getting full rpm?


If you're not debarking the log at least at the point of entry, the bark may be dulling the blade on the 1st cut. I've seen sparks from a blade even after a log was cut into a square cant.

You will encounter a STEEP learning curve, and may not be willing to believe what is happening, or may not be observing the cause of your problem(s).

If the oak cut fine, and the hickory was wavy, it might be a dull blade, too much feed, OR stress in the wood. Prove or disprove by cutting some other wood....I know its a PITA, but it might get you up that learning curve more quickly.

Stress in the wood might be from a tree that didn't grow straight(leaner), one that grew on a steep slope, or was exposed to the prevailing wind.

I HAVE encountered such wood, and have come to the realization that I'm NOT going to waste a lot of time and effort trying to get straight cuts in what should be firewood. Its frustrating!!!! There is a fair amount of this in a log pile that I'm milling right now, and I can't tell by looking at the logs which will or won't be a problem.

Like you, the first log that I cut was oak, and it cut like butter. After encountering "stressed wood" in what is normally considered softwood, I was almost ready to pull the rest of my hair out.

You should get the DVD from Cook's about bandsaw milling. It will give you some insight about what may or may not be a problem with your mill and blades.